38: Chapter 38 The Sakura Kingdom issues a challenge? Two bigwigs arrive in person, and my nation's lifeline is threatened!
On the other end of the line, Qin Lan's voice was cold.
Su Che leaned back in his chair and didn't speak.
"A joint-stock company called 'Ida Heavy Industries'."
Qin Lan continued.
"On the surface, they deal in civil heavy industry, but in reality, they are the white glove of Sakura Country's military-industrial complex."
"The reason Ma Wenju was able to get wind of things in advance this time was because they tipped him off."
"And..."
"They have business dealings with the 'Pan-Pacific Future Technology Investment Group' behind Jiang Yingxue."
"The relationship isn't deep; they're just using each other."
"That's how Jiang Yingxue was able to get Ma Wenju's hiding spot and the raw data of your Teacher Lin's father's 'Strong Particle Collision Experiment', wanting to make a deal with you."
Su Che picked up a loose screw from the table, playing with it between his fingertips.
So that was it.
Everything was connected now.
"They have already targeted you."
Qin Lan's tone became more serious than ever before.
"Ida Heavy Industries' intelligence network in Dragon Country is deeper than we expected."
"Our superiors have instructed that we will arrange personnel to provide outer perimeter protection and clean up."
"You must be careful yourself."
Su Che tossed the screw onto the table, making a soft clinking sound.
"Understood." His voice was flat, devoid of any emotion. "Let them come. Once they're here, they can forget about leaving."
Qin Lan fell silent on the other end for a moment.
"You..."
"No matter how big of a deal it is, it'll have to wait until after the New Year."
Su Che interrupted her.
"I still have a bunch of cured meat to smoke here."
With that, he hung up the phone directly.
Sakura Country?
Ida Heavy Industries?
Su Che stood up and walked into the yard.
The winter sun was warm and cozy, making one feel a bit lazy.
He looked at the working 'Smart Smokeless Cured Meat Smoker' he had specially made for his own home and grinned.
Those damn Sakura bastards, if they dare to come, I'll dare to bury them!
He, Su Che, was least afraid of trouble.
What he loved doing most was messing up those Sakura bastards!
...
Over the next few days, Su Family Village was completely enveloped in a rich, savory aroma of meat.
Su Che's 'New Year goods divine tool' became a massive hit.
Villagers from miles around pushed carts and carried their own cured pork, sausages, and air-dried chickens, lining up at the entrance of Su Family Village.
"Che-wa, smoke a cypress-flavored one for me too!"
"I want bayberry wood! My wife loves that flavor!"
Su Che simply taught Su Hao how to operate the machine, washing his hands of the daily work.
This morning, a car with a Tonghui County license plate stopped at the entrance of the village.
A middle-aged man wearing a jacket and gold-rimmed glasses got out of the car.
As soon as the man got out of the car, the rich aroma of meat wafting through the hills made his mouth water.
He found Su Hao, who was playing Honor of Kings on his phone.
"Little brother, let me ask, who is the master craftsman who made this cured meat divine tool?"
Su Hao pointed at Su Che, who was sunbathing in the yard.
"There, my brother."
The middle-aged man's eyes lit up, and he quickly ran over, respectfully offering a cigarette.
"Master! Oh, no, Engineer Su!"
"My name is Director Zhao Dejin, and I am the factory director of the Tonghui County Food Processing Factory."
Su Che waved his hand, declining the cigarette.
"Are you looking for me for something?"
"Yes! Something big!"
Director Zhao Dejin rubbed his hands together, looking excited.
"Chief Engineer Su, this equipment of yours is simply magical!"
"Smokeless, safe, highly efficient, and you can even customize the flavors!"
"If this were used on our factory's production line, wouldn't our Tonghui County's cured meats be sold all over the country!"
"I want to talk to you about technical cooperation. Our factory wants to mass-produce this equipment of yours!"
Su Che raised an eyebrow.
Business coming right to his doorstep?
"Sure."
He stood up.
"Take me to your factory to have a look."
...
Tonghui County Food Processing Factory.
A sour and greasy smell hit him right in the face.
As soon as Su Che walked into the production workshop, his brow furrowed.
Old conveyor belts, exposed wires, and those pitch-black smoking rooms that were still using open flames.
"Director Zhao, this production line of yours..."
Su Che pointed to a cutting machine that was dripping black oil.
"When was the last time you did a safety inspection?"
Director Zhao Dejin blushed, giving an embarrassed smile.
"Well... the factory's efficiency isn't great, and the equipment is all old stuff, so we just make do."
Su Che didn't say anything else and walked around the workshop.
Finally, he stopped in a corner.
There, an imported German vacuum packaging machine sat idle, covered in a thick layer of dust.
"Why isn't this thing being used?"
"It's broken."
Director Zhao Dejin sighed.
"The Germans sent someone to look at it and said it would cost over a hundred thousand to fix. We don't have that kind of money."
Su Che stepped forward, tapping and inspecting the machine.
A few minutes later, he straightened up.
"It's a minor issue."
"A component on one of the circuit boards inside is broken. Just replace it."
"While I'm at it, I can try to optimize the control program for you. The packaging efficiency should improve quite a bit."
Director Zhao Dejin and the few technicians nearby listened, completely stunned.
Just like that... he figured it out?
Before they could even react,
the familiar mechanical voice rang out in Su Che's mind once again.
"[Ding! Detected host's intent to [Assist Local Industry], side quest triggered!]"
"[Quest Name: The Spring of the Old Production Line!]"
"[Quest Content: Help the enterprise's production equipment achieve AI-automated production, and bring this near-bankrupt food factory back to life!]"
"[Quest Reward: 120 Skill Points, unlock the primary redemption authority for [Industrial AI Collaboration Module], requires 60 redemption points.]"
"[Current host accumulated Skill Points: 310 points. Redeem now?]"
Su Che looked at the quest panel and casually clicked redeem.
He patted Director Zhao Dejin on the shoulder.
"Director Zhao, cooperation is fine."
"But this production line of yours must be completely torn down and rebuilt according to my blueprints."
Director Zhao Dejin looked at this young man, who was even younger than his own son, and saw his eyes shining with confidence.
He gritted his teeth.
"Let's do it!"
Just as Su Che was preparing to roll up his sleeves and give this run-down factory a complete makeover,
the phone in his pocket rang yet again.
It was General Zhang.
As soon as the call connected, the General's signature booming voice came through like thunder.
"You brat! That laser technology data you gave me!"
"Those old fogies at the Military Science Commission held an overnight meeting and all said it's viable!"
"If this thing is developed, our laser weapons and laser guidance will leap forward by at least ten years!"
Su Che listened with little reaction.
"Oh."
"Oh your head!"
General Zhang laughed and scolded on the other end.
"Hurry up and compile a more detailed version for me, the more detailed the better!"
"This time, there's no need to send an email."
General Zhang's voice suddenly dropped, carrying an irrepressible excitement and solemnity.
"The Political Commissar of the Southern Theater Command and the chief of the Beijing Military Science Commission."
"They specifically requested to meet you."
"They are coming to your Su Family Village in person to collect it face-to-face!"