61: Chapter 61: This time, we're going to do something big in a city of millions.
The "Pearl of the East Sea" project was quickly approved at the highest level and immediately entered the execution phase.
The secrecy level of this project was unprecedented.
Externally, the unified stance was that it was a state-led demonstration project for a next-generation "Smart Ecological City."
Almost everyone assumed this was merely another instance of the state pouring massive funds into new energy, environmental technology, and urban construction.
No one could have imagined that the core of this project was not 5G, artificial intelligence, or the Internet of Things.
Instead, it was a cultivator from another world and her set of "Arrays" that were sufficient to change the technology of the entire world.
One week later, Donghai City.
As one of the most dazzling cities along the southeast coast of the Xia Kingdom, it was bustling, crowded, and full of modernity.
Skyscrapers stood side by side, traffic flowed ceaselessly on the roads, and over ten million people lived here.
Today, however, this city welcomed a group of special "guests."
A "Pearl of the East Sea Project Forward Command," directly under the jurisdiction of the Central Government and possessing the highest authority, was established.
The command headquarters did not choose an office building in the city center; instead, it directly requisitioned an abandoned old shipyard next to East Sea Port.
When Director Zhao Lixin arrived with Jiang Ning, Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo, and the "Kunlun Engineering Team" led by Dongfang Shuo, several key leaders of Donghai City had already been waiting at the entrance of the shipyard for a long time.
"Director Zhao, welcome, welcome!"
The leading Municipal Party Secretary Li was a very capable middle-aged man.
He warmly approached to shake hands with Director Zhao Lixin, but his eyes could not help but glance at the group of people behind Director Zhao Lixin.
He really couldn't quite understand this team sent by the Central Government.
He recognized the general person-in-charge, Director Zhao Lixin, the Deputy Director of The Ninth Bureau, whose status was clear and represented the will of the state.
But the people behind him were just too strange.
Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo, over sixty years old, with dark skin, looked like an old farmer.
Chief Consultant Jiang Ning, a girl in her early twenties, wearing a ponytail and ordinary sportswear, looked like a college student.
Following them were over a dozen young people in uniform blue work clothes, yet each of them possessed an extraordinary temperament, their gazes as sharp as knives.
This... is this the top-tier team sent by the state to build a smart city?
It looked like a makeshift, amateur group no matter how he looked at it.
"Secretary Li, you are too kind,"
Director Zhao Lixin shook hands with him, his tone very formulaic, "Time is tight and the task is heavy, so let's skip the pleasantries.
According to the Central Government's instructions, from today onwards, this area will be under the full jurisdiction of our command, under military management.
For all municipal cooperation required for the project later, we will prepare a list and coordinate directly with your secretary."
These words were very blunt, effectively saying, "We have taken over, you just need to cooperate."
The smile on Secretary Li's face stiffened for a moment, but he quickly recovered.
He knew that the weight of this project was far heavier than what was publicly stated.
He nodded, "No problem, our Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government will definitely cooperate with the Central Government's decision with all our might."
After a simple handover, Secretary Li and his entourage were "invited" out of the restricted area.
Watching the old shipyard being quickly sealed off by soldiers and high barbed wire fences, a vice mayor beside Secretary Li couldn't help but mutter, "Secretary Li, isn't this too much of a show? It's directly sidelining our local authority.
And that Chief Consultant is too young, isn't she? Can she handle it?"
Secretary Li shook his head, looking toward the shipyard with a heavy expression.
"Don't guess randomly, and don't speak recklessly.
This project is codenamed 'Unsinkable Aircraft Carrier.'
Can a project that makes the higher-ups use such a codename be simple?
That young woman, who can make Director Zhao of The Ninth Bureau call her 'Chief Consultant,' could she be an ordinary person?"
He exhaled and said in a deep voice, "We don't need to do anything; we just need to... cooperate fully and then watch.
I have a premonition that our Donghai City, and perhaps the entire world, will undergo earth-shattering changes because of this project."
...
On the other side, in Langley, Virginia, USA.
In a tightly shielded underground conference room, the atmosphere was oppressive.
On a huge holographic projection, a set of satellite images was playing on a loop.
The focus of the images was that desolate Gobi desert in the Northwest of the Xia Kingdom.
A few months ago, this place was still just yellow sand.
Now, a circular oasis with a diameter of over ten kilometers had appeared right in the middle of the desert, its green color jarringly bright.
"Gentlemen, this is the latest discovery."
A general in military uniform pointed at the image with a laser pointer, "We call it the 'Desert Miracle.'
In three months, this oasis grew from nothing, and its growth rate completely defies any scientific laws known to us."
"More importantly," he switched to another set of data charts, "Our energy monitoring satellite has detected continuous, low-intensity, unknown energy reactions over this area.
We cannot analyze its composition; it does not belong to any known form of energy."
The conference room was silent.
"The three reconnaissance teams we sent out have all lost contact on the periphery.
Either they were captured, or they... vanished into thin air."
The general's voice turned cold, "The Xia Kingdom has set up the highest-level restricted zone there; any aircraft that approaches will be shot down directly."
"All signs indicate that the Xia Kingdom has mastered a new technology that we completely do not understand, one sufficient to change the world order."
Sitting at the head of the table was an old man with graying hair and sharp eyes.
He was the head of the "Obelisk," the highest intelligence agency of the USA.
He remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking, "They cannot hide this technology in the desert forever; they will eventually bring it out to use.
We just have to wait."
Just then, an intelligence analyst hurried in and handed over a document.
"Sir, news just received.
The Xia Kingdom has announced the launch of a super project called the 'Pearl of the East Sea,' planning to renovate Donghai City.
The general person-in-charge of the project is Director Zhao Lixin of The Ninth Bureau.
The core technical team is that same group of people who created the 'miracle' in the desert previously."
The head of the "Obelisk" stood up abruptly, his cloudy eyes suddenly brightening.
"They have finally come out!"
He walked to the holographic projection and pulled up the map of Donghai City.
"We couldn't get into the desert, but the city is open.
A city with ten million people is a big net, full of holes everywhere."
He turned around and looked at a person sitting in the shadows in the corner of the conference room, whose face was almost impossible to see.
"'Snake Eye,'" he ordered, "activate the 'Ghost' team.
I want you to bring this technology back to me at any cost.
Alive or dead, it doesn't matter."
The figure in the shadows stirred, and a hoarse voice replied, "Understood."