Chapter Thirty-Five: Blown to Smithereens!

These men before him had already placed the fate of the Nine Provinces above all else.

Chuxiao gazed at the scene before his eyes, a lump rising in his throat. Was he not the same as them? In the face of national peril, one could only set aside the concerns of one's own household, protect the Nine Provinces, and only then ensure the safety of one's own family.

“Rest assured, everyone—Nine Provinces will take good care of your loved ones! Should the fortress fall and the land be overrun, your families will be among the first to receive our protection!”

“For all you have given to Nine Provinces, it shall repay you in equal measure!” Each word from Chuxiao rang out with strength and conviction, resounding like the striking of iron upon stone.

Resolute faces, upright postures—these were the visages of true sons of the land, burning with passion and loyalty.

“Since ancient times, warriors have given their lives on the battlefield for their nation, shedding blood and sacrificing themselves. Today, for the sake of Nine Provinces, we too must toil day and night, devote ourselves utterly, and thus be worthy of our homeland!” Lu Dang stepped forward, turning to face the assembly, his gaze as unwavering as steel. No one present was left unmoved by the fire in his eyes.

In the hour of crisis, true men must be willing to lay down their lives for their country!

“Well said!” Zhang Hua stepped forward, giving a thunderous cheer for Lu Dang.

The others echoed in agreement.

Lu Dang’s words, spoken at just the right moment, served as invisible encouragement for these red hackers; at this critical time, the effect was all the more profound.

At the same time, Lu Dang’s declaration struck a deep chord in Chuxiao.

He had once suffered over his inability to be with his beloved from his past life—yet what right did he now have to dwell in pain? He wished only for the Dark Lord to be defeated, for peace to return to the land, and to be united with Wang Lulu at last.

At this thought, Chuxiao felt his heart surge with renewed determination.

That evening, Chuxiao dragged his weary body back to the armory.

The heavy weapon was not yet invented and complete; he knew he could not afford to relax.

Ordinary weapons were powerless against the Dark Lord’s machines. What was needed was a weapon of overwhelming force.

Weapons that could not destroy the Dark Lord’s machines were no better than water cannons—at most, they could slow their advance, never destroy them.

What was truly needed was an energy-based weapon, something akin to a nuclear warhead, but targeted—something that, once it struck, could penetrate the interior of a machine and unleash its power from within, tearing it apart from the inside.

Such a weapon was the one Chuxiao truly longed for.

Nuclear bombs were not the answer—their destructive force was too great. Used in war, they would destroy the enemy but devastate humanity as well.

The only way forward was to find a replacement.

This substitute must possess extreme penetrating and explosive force, able to punch into the Dark Lord’s machines and obliterate them in an instant.

At this thought, Chuxiao’s mind could not be still.

He had to develop it as soon as possible—only then could he rest easy.

For this replacement, Chuxiao decided to begin experiments with minerals. Though plants held many types of energy, they were far less potent than minerals.

Iron would not do.

Copper would not do.

Sodium would not do.

Zinc would not do.

And so on.

Chuxiao spent the entire night pondering. He considered many options, but none were suitable—if the weapon had enough penetration, it lacked explosive force; if it had force, it could not penetrate. Not one met his vision.

Dawn arrived in the blink of an eye.

Chuxiao glanced at his watch.

It was January 8th, 7:00 AM. There were only fifty-two days left before the Dark Lord awakened.

Fifty-two days! The time was slipping away, day by day. There was not much left.

When Chuxiao left the laboratory, everyone in the armory was already at their posts.

“Comrade Wang Zhi, come here a moment!” Chuxiao called out.

Wang Zhi, hearing his name, turned quickly. Seeing it was Chuxiao, he grew instantly alert. “Of course! Coming!”

“Director Chu, what are your instructions?” Wang Zhi looked at Chuxiao, wondering if another new weapon was about to be developed.

Chuxiao looked at Wang Zhi, his eyes full of longing. “I need researchers specializing in weapons—especially those with expertise in artillery and energy conversion.”

Wang Zhi’s face fell. Artillery experts were easy enough to find, but those with knowledge of energy conversion were exceedingly rare.

“It’s alright! Don’t rush—think carefully,” Chuxiao said, seeing Wang Zhi’s troubled expression. He did not press him, but waited patiently.

Encouraged, Wang Zhi took a moment to think.

Suddenly, a suitable candidate flashed in his mind!

“There is someone—he’s always been a quiet figure here in the armory, usually working on cannons, but I recall that he once researched energy conversion, trying to create more powerful weapons from it.”

“But when the research never succeeded, he was assigned to manage the cannons instead.”

Chuxiao’s face lit up at Wang Zhi’s words, his excitement unmistakable. “Quick! Find him for me! I need him! Quickly!”

At this, Wang Zhi dared not delay and hurried off to find the man.

Wang Zhi made his way to the cannon area in search of the man.

He was a bookish fellow, always buried in his research and never attending social events. Since he had never produced any breakthroughs, he was nearly invisible in the armory—few people remembered him at all, and if not for submitting his payroll each month, Wang Zhi might not have known of him either.

Wang Zhi widened his small eyes, searching for a long time before finding him in a corner.

“Ren Boyuan, come here for a moment!”

Ren Boyuan looked at Wang Zhi in confusion, a hint of puzzlement in his eyes.

“Yes, you! Come! Director Chu wants to see you!” Wang Zhi waved him over.

At the mention of Director Chu’s name, Ren Boyuan’s eyes lit up with a sudden gleam.

His previously sluggish movements turned brisk in an instant.

Wang Zhi felt a gust of wind; he blinked, and in the next moment, Ren Boyuan was standing directly before him.

Looking into those bright black eyes so close, Wang Zhi was startled and took several steps back. Realizing it was Ren Boyuan, he patted his chest in relief.

“My poor heart!”

“Alright, let’s go,” Wang Zhi said, leading the way, with Ren Boyuan following behind.

Chuxiao looked from Ren Boyuan to Wang Zhi.

Wang Zhi spoke first, introducing him. “This is Ren Boyuan, the one who’s been researching energy conversion.”

Wang Zhi was about to introduce Chuxiao in turn, but Ren Boyuan stepped forward and introduced himself earnestly.

“Hello, Director Chu. I am Ren Boyuan.”

Chuxiao nodded in satisfaction. “Hello, Comrade Ren. I am Chuxiao.” With that, he extended his hand.

Ren Boyuan wiped his hand on his clothes before offering it.

Watching from the side, Wang Zhi could not help but feel entirely superfluous.

“Comrade Wang, you may leave us. I need to work with Ren Boyuan on some research,” Chuxiao said without so much as a glance at Wang Zhi, his gaze fixed intently on Ren Boyuan.