What kind of function can be described as "first-rate"? Absolutely!

What kind of contribution can be considered immense? One that plays a pivotal role!

But weren't he and Hai Shi just providing research materials? To be credited with "primary merit" means the materials must be extraordinary! The final research results might be revolutionary!

Wen Chao felt he had made a foolish mistake by handing over something so important.

He forced a smile as he saw the helicopter off, but as he walked back, people noticed his unnatural expression. Everyone gathered around him, concerned: "Commander Wen, what's wrong? Are you alright?"

"It's nothing, it's just that I'm a little tired from walking all this way!" Wen Chaohui waved his hand and said.

Nobody believed it. The Wenmeng officer was well-trained; his physical condition was far beyond what a mere mountain path could hinder. There must be something else going on.

However, since he wouldn't say, they couldn't press him for details; they could only stand around him, constantly watching his expression.

As Wen Chao walked back, he sensed everyone's good intentions. He sighed, and most of his frustration dissipated.

Well, it's just that we weren't meant to be, and we weren't lucky enough. It's just that Shanghai's scientific research capabilities are inferior to those of the capital.

Now that he'd given it away, he wasn't going to dwell on it. He hoped that the Imperial Capital, with its vast network of top-tier resources from across the alliance, could uncover the secrets of that black stone!

After returning, Shen Yanming went to find Liang Huaxin and retrieved some of his family's supplies from him.

There was a stove, a sofa, a bed, quilts, and old clothes. Although they were filthy, in this era where production was no longer possible, they were all valuable items.

As for the grain and such, since it was difficult to distinguish, it was all confiscated by the government. The couple didn't feel bad about it, since the current situation didn't really allow them to cook for themselves anyway.

The stove had been bumped and knocked, leaving its surface pitted and uneven, looking quite ugly. But thankfully, it wasn't cracked and could still be used.

Shen Yanming pulled out his own door panel, which had also been hit by stones and was uneven. With a little repair, it would still be usable. In any case, this metal door with a lock was better than a broken wooden door, right?

Qi Xili and Qi Lin came over to help, and the group quickly put the stove inside and set up a makeshift bed.

The exhaust pipes were installed, and the stoves were neatly arranged. Finally, the door was installed, and a dark, poorly lit but reasonably private little cave was finished.

After thanking the Qi family father and son, Shen Yanming brought Bi Qiaoan, An'an, and Nuannuan back home. The family of four looked at their new surroundings with delight, showing no disdain for their extremely simple and basic conditions.

Using the light filtering through a small hole in the ceiling, the mother and her two children reached out and touched the wall. Their hands were instantly covered in damp, cold earth, and the icy touch made them think that staying there long enough might give them rheumatism.

Seeing this, Shen Yanming said in a low voice, "In a couple of days, we'll scrape the wall with cement, and it'll be clean."

“That’s not what I meant. I just think the humidity here is too high, and I’m afraid I’ll get arthritis or rheumatism if I stay here for too long.”

Shen Yanming thought about it and agreed, saying, "I'll go and gather some firewood to start the stove. It should be better once the walls are dry."

Bi Qiaoan nodded, and Shen Yanming continued, "The wall still needs to be treated. Otherwise, it wouldn't be good if some snakes, insects, or rodents crawled out of the cracks in the soil."

Bi Qiaoan was startled: "Is this cave really that unsafe?"

Shen Yanming chuckled: "I don't know either, but I've prepared everything in advance so I can stay here with peace of mind."

"What if someone finds out?"

"Well, just put a layer of paint that's similar in color to the soil on top of the cement. Or you can just put the mud from the space on top of it."

Bi Qiaoan smiled and nodded in agreement.

After discussing their plans, the couple left the small cave. Shen Yanming didn't go to gather firewood because he was worried about Li Zhaozhao, so he went to visit him first. Bi Qiaoan, on the other hand, was gathering firewood in the mountains with the two children.

However, the job was simple. In the mountains, there were dry branches everywhere, and before long, the mother and her two children returned home with several bundles of firewood.

Bi Qiaoan left the door half-closed, asking An'an and Nuannuan to keep an eye on things. She took out a lighter and some old newspapers from her spatial storage, lit them, and put them into the stove, then added some firewood.

A cloud of dark gray smoke billowed out instantly. Fortunately, a chimney had been built inside the cave. Bi Qiaoan placed the lid on the stove, and the smoke drifted out along the chimney.

"It's not snowing outside, so why is the firewood so wet?" She pouted, somewhat puzzled.

I didn't dwell on it. After confirming the stove was lit, I quietly put some charcoal inside. This stuff burns for a long time and doesn't produce much smoke. As long as I pay attention to ventilation, it's fairly safe.

After cleaning up the cave with An'an and Nuannuan, it was getting late. The three of them were hungry, so Bi Qiaoan closed the door and slipped into her spatial dimension.

She walked to the storage area and filled a small basket with several portions of food. Just as she was about to leave, she remembered her husband, Lao Shen.

Looking out through his consciousness, he saw Li Zhaozhao lying on the hospital bed, his face contorted in pain. Xu Yajing and Li's parents beside him looked listless. Only the Li family's precious child seemed oblivious to the suffering, playing by himself.

Shen Yanming spotted his wife and said telepathically, "Honey, how did you get here? An'an and Nuannuan didn't come in?"

Before Bi Qiaoan could reply, Li Zhaozhao said in a mournful voice, "Everything in the house is buried, and I can't move my leg for a while. Ya Jing and Xiao Bao can't take hardship. Yanming, you..."

Li Zhaozhao looked at Shen Yanming with undisguised affection in his eyes.

Shen Yanming smiled but didn't reply.

Bi Qiaoan couldn't help but complain in her spatial dimension, "So he wants you to help him get supplies! What a clever scheme!"

You can profit without putting in any effort or taking any risks.

"He was the one who wanted to move the supplies out of the space in the first place, and now we have to go a long way to get them. Our family is already under scrutiny, and now everyone's here, so going out is no easy task. Besides, we don't even know how much stuff is left over there, what if we get scammed..."

"Well, that's highly unlikely. So, to put it another way, if that cave collapses, wouldn't you have to clean it up for him?"

Shen Yanming watched his wife get angry with amusement and reassured her, "Don't worry, I don't plan to agree."

Bi Qiaoan was sulking and didn't want to listen anymore. She said, "An'an and Nuannuan are still waiting for me, I'll go out first!" and walked out of the transparent light screen to the planting area.

Shen Yanming didn't even have time to say a few more words to his wife before he disappeared. He smiled and half-truthfully explained his situation: "Zhao Zhao, it's not that I don't want to, but that I can't."

You must have heard about our close ties to Beijing. Today, the helicopter came and went; how many eyes were watching our family of four from the shadows? Do you think that place can still be safe after I helped you retrieve your things?”

Li Zhaozhao was startled, then felt a chill.