86: Chapter 86: Welcome to the Project Test Site

Sect Leader Lu Yun was being carried by two fully armed soldiers, looking no different from a dead dog being dragged along.

His entire body was limp, unable to muster a shred of strength; his spiritual energy had been drained, leaving his meridians aching with emptiness.

Never in his life had he suffered such a defeat.

"Y-you... you cannot treat me like this... I am an envoy of the Tianyan Sect..." Sect Leader Lu Yun mumbled incoherently, trying to salvage the last shred of his dignity.

Director Zhao Lixin walked over and looked down at him, his face expressionless, though he was inwardly overjoyed.

He picked at his ear, pretending not to hear clearly, and asked a soldier beside him, "What is he muttering about? The wind is too strong."

The young soldier struggled to suppress his laughter, stood at attention, and replied loudly, "Reporting to Director Zhao! The prisoner says he has come... to bring us warmth!"

"Oh, bringing us warmth, is he?" Director Zhao Lixin nodded and waved his hand. "Very well, we must show proper courtesy. Find him a warm place and let him fully experience our hospitality. Take him away!"

"Yes!"

The two soldiers dragged Sect Leader Lu Yun toward the elevator. As they passed Engineer Jiang, Sect Leader Lu Yun mustered his remaining strength to lift his head and glare at her. His eyes were a mixture of fear, resentment, and a hint of... confusion that even he did not understand.

Engineer Jiang did not even look at him.

She simply spoke into the device on her wrist, calmly instructing, "The target has no ability to resist and meets the criteria for a 'Class D Research Sample.' Send him to Isolation Observation Room No. 3 and monitor his vital signs twenty-four hours a day. Additionally, leave his clothing and that ruler behind; send them directly to my laboratory."

"Received." Director Zhao Lixin, having listened clearly from the side, quickly acknowledged.

Class D Research Sample?

Director Zhao Lixin chewed on the term, a chill running down his back. In Engineer Jiang's eyes, this "Immortal" who could fly and burrow, and destroy a signal tower with a single move, was only worthy of being a Class D sample? What kind of monsters would Class A or Class S be? He dared not think further.

Dongfang Shuo also walked over. Watching Sect Leader Lu Yun being dragged into the elevator, he felt a complex mix of emotions. Just a moment ago, he had been bound by a single thought from that man, unable to move; the disparity had left him in despair. Yet, in the blink of an eye, this powerhouse who had caused him such despair had been dealt with by Engineer Jiang using a method he completely failed to understand.

"Engineer... no, Immortal Master Jiang." Dongfang Shuo walked up to Engineer Jiang, bowed respectfully, and said, "Thank you for intervening today."

His address for Engineer Jiang had completely changed from "Engineer Jiang" to "Immortal Master." In his view, the methods Engineer Jiang used could not be explained by a mortal "engineer"; this was true, authentic immortal power!

"I am not an Immortal Master; I am an engineer." Engineer Jiang corrected him, her tone remaining as flat as ever. "And there is no need to thank me. He destroyed public facilities, caused significant economic losses, and attempted to harm a state official; this is a crime. I am simply fulfilling my duty and maintaining the normal operation of the project."

She paused, then added, "And incidentally, collecting some experimental data."

Dongfang Shuo was left dumbfounded.

A crime? Maintaining a project? Collecting data?

How could such a thrilling battle sound like handling a construction site accident when it came from Engineer Jiang's mouth?

Before he could recover, a communication from the command center connected. Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo's large face appeared on the screen on Engineer Jiang's wrist, his face flushed with excitement.

"Engineer Jiang! Engineer Jiang, are you alright! My god! You scared me to death! That moment just now, that guy made such a commotion, I thought..." Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo shouted from the other end, his words tumbling out incoherently.

"I am fine," Engineer Jiang interrupted. "The tower is fine, too. How are things on your end?"

"It's great! It couldn't be better!" Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo shouted excitedly. "Reporting to Engineer Jiang! Just now, our 'Energy Absorption and Conversion Module' operated perfectly! It instantly filled the city's power grid with a massive amount of spiritual energy! The leaders at the Capital Energy Department just called to ask if our nuclear fusion has had a new breakthrough! They said the landscape lights in the city center have enough power for the next month, with quite a bit to spare!"

"Understood." Engineer Jiang nodded, unsurprised by the result. "Have the data team compile the entire process of absorption, conversion, and grid integration, and give it to me in one hour. I need to use this to optimize the module's pressure limit and conversion efficiency."

"You got it! Task will be completed!" Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo agreed promptly.

After ending the call, Engineer Jiang turned to head back to the laboratory.

Director Zhao Lixin hurriedly followed; he still had a belly full of questions.

"Engineer Jiang, Engineer Jiang, wait a moment." He trotted to catch up with Engineer Jiang. "That... that Sect Leader Lu Yun, are you just locking him up like this? After all, he is... from another world. What if his so-called 'Tianyan Sect' sends more people..."

"Send more people?" Engineer Jiang stopped and looked back at him. "When do you think they will send someone next?"

Director Zhao Lixin was stunned. "This... how would I know that?"

"They will not come immediately." Engineer Jiang's tone was certain. "First, the 'star-fixing compass' he used for positioning is with me. Without this item, if they want to precisely open a spatial channel again, the difficulty will be a hundred times greater, and the time and energy consumption will be astronomical."

"Furthermore," Engineer Jiang continued to explain, "people like Sect Leader Lu Yun are arrogant. Coming out to handle an errand that he views as akin to rural poverty alleviation—how could he report back to the sect at any moment? He would find it shameful. Therefore, the Tianyan Sect only knows he arrived; they do not know he has already fallen. By the time they discover Sect Leader Lu Yun has lost contact, confirm something has gone wrong, and decide to pay the high cost to send a second wave, this cycle will be very long."

"At the very least, it is enough time for us to upgrade the national defense system by another two or three levels."

After saying this, Engineer Jiang continued walking forward.

Director Zhao Lixin followed behind, listening in stunned silence.

He finally realized that while he and the big shots in the capital were still worrying about how to deal with an "alien," Engineer Jiang had already analyzed their follow-up actions, technical weaknesses, and even their organizational psychology, and had even planned the countermeasures.

The gap was just too vast.

He finally understood why Engineer Jiang had been so calm from beginning to end.

Because in her eyes, this was no crisis; it was purely a project test that had been delivered to her doorstep.

It was even a "high-quality client" that brought its own equipment, brought its own energy, and could provide complete test data.

He shook his head with a bitter smile and glanced at Donghai City, which was as bright as day, a thought both absurd and satisfying popping into his mind.

That arrogant Sect Leader Lu Yun had caused such a ruckus with thunder and lightning for half the day, only to end up paying an astronomical electricity bill for Donghai City.

Thinking of this, he took out his phone and sent a message to the leaders in the capital.

"Reporting to the Chief, the target has been captured. We have no casualties, and public facilities are... well, overcharged, but operating well. A detailed report will follow."

After sending the message, he let out a long sigh of relief.

Tonight, he could finally get a good night's sleep.

Meanwhile, in the city center plaza, countless citizens were holding up their phones, frantically taking pictures of the suddenly blindingly bright Donghai Pearl Tower.

"Holy cow! This light show is amazing! That moment just now, I thought it was a special effect! How did it suddenly get so bright?"

"Didn't you see the news? The official notice just released says that Donghai City's newest 'Eco-friendly Landscape Tower' is undergoing a stress test tonight and successfully absorbed a massive amount of natural light energy, causing the system to automatically increase the lighting power! It's showcasing technology!"

"Absorbed light energy? That's amazing! This technology is too sci-fi!"

"Who cares! Anyway, it's awesome! Come, come, let's take a group photo; this is a historic moment! I announce that from today on, this is Donghai City's new landmark! The world's number one power bank!"

The crowd was filled with jubilation.

No one knew that just a few minutes ago, a battle capable of destroying half the city had ended quietly right here.

They only knew that the city was exceptionally bright tonight.