Wen Chao kept half of it, and had the rest given to other bases.
Although each unit doesn't amount to much, the base leaders were moved to tears when they saw the actual supplies.
Just when they thought they had reached their wits' end, they saw a glimmer of hope. They hadn't made a mistake coming here; this mirage is truly amazing.
Shen Yanming and Bi Qiaoan noticed a significant improvement in the quality of the meals recently, smiled, and kept their achievements hidden.
With food supplies secured, Wen Chaohui was able to focus on the research progress at the base.
He strolled lazily to the research department, only to find the researchers scratching their heads in frustration.
"What's wrong? Not going well?"
"Greetings, Lord Wen!" Several researchers quickly stood up, pulled up a seat for Wen Chaohui, and said, "Things are indeed not going very smoothly."
"Tell me exactly what's wrong!"
"Well, how should I put it? We're certain this stone is a very special substance, but we just can't figure out how to use it. We're sorry, Lord Wen, we've let you down."
Wen Chaohui's good mood vanished, but he couldn't blame these people.
Research often yields no results. Besides, these people weren't trying to fool him.
He smiled and said, "It's alright, just do your best. If you're tired, go out for a walk and relax; you might just get some inspiration."
"Yes, we understand. Thank you, Lord Wen."
Wen Chaohui stayed a while longer, inquired about other research projects, and then left.
Back in his office, he felt uneasy. So many stones were piled up in the supply depot, useless to him—what a waste!
After thinking it over, he decided to ask the capital for help. The moment the call connected, he heard General Li's sincere gratitude.
"Old Wen, what brings you on the phone? Hehe, do you sense I'm about to share some good news with you?"
Wen Chaohui was stunned when he heard this, and hurriedly asked, trembling, "General, what good news do you want to share with me?"
"That black rock of yours is a top-tier, rarest mineral material. Our engineer Jiang named it a Space Stone. As the name suggests, Lao Wen, you should be able to guess what it's for, right?"
"What?" Wen Chao exclaimed in surprise, his mind completely blank.
"Haha, I knew you'd react like that. I was the same way back then, I was so shocked I almost jumped up."
Wen Chao leaned against the wall, trying to calm himself. He asked cautiously, "So, did Engineer Jiang produce the finished product?"
"It's finished, but it's unstable; it exploded after only three days. But this is a great breakthrough in our research history. With a few more attempts, we can overcome the technical difficulties. Old Wen, after hearing what I've said, don't you really want to come to Beijing for an inspection?"
Wen Chao nodded, then, realizing the other person couldn't see him, quickly spoke up: "Yes, I really want to witness this great moment!"
"Hehe, if you have time, you can come over. You deserve some credit for the project's success. Once the technology is stable, I'll have Jiang Ji make a large-capacity version for you!"
Wen Chaohui's eyes sparkled, and his heart pounded wildly.
He coughed and asked, "If I can provide more research materials, could I ask for more finished products, or have the right to purchase the first batch of finished products?"
After all, everyone discovered this stone together, and it took a lot of effort to bring it back. Even if they didn't do anything special, they certainly put in a lot of hard work...
Wen Chaohui was about to say a few more words when he heard General Li laugh heartily: "Sure, what's the problem? The difficulty now is the technology. Once the technology is mature, production will no longer be an issue."
Our engineer Jiang said that the rock we had before could make at least a hundred 100-cubic-meter storage containers. As the material provider, the Haishi base should be giving you a few for free, let alone giving you priority purchasing rights.”
Wen Chaohui was very satisfied with the other party's reply: "General Li, I have found another black stone here, it's quite big. When would you like to send someone to pick it up?"
Li Zongmeng, not expecting such a gain, laughed and said, "Of course, the sooner the better!" Then he asked, "Have the survivors from Suzhou, Jiang City, and Shenzhen all gone to your side?"
"Yes, everyone thought I had supplies, so they all came to seek refuge here," Wen Chaohui said frankly. "But in reality, I'm barely making ends meet here."
Li Zongmeng Guan didn't expose his little scheme, and nodded, saying, "I'll have Xiao Kai prepare some supplies for you, and send them over in three days."
"Alright, then I must thank General Li and Captain Li."
After hanging up the phone, Wen Chao patted his slightly tense chest. Although he was heartbroken at the thought of losing the space stone, he figured it was worth it to exchange an inanimate object he couldn't use for supplies to sustain the survivors at the base.
Thinking of the spatial storage device that his superiors had promised him, Wen Chaohui felt an overwhelming urge to shout with excitement. However, he had to remain calm until he actually received it, pretending that he knew nothing, otherwise, something unexpected might happen.
Suddenly remembering the "black bean" that the Shen family had picked up, Wen Chaohui clutched his chest again.
How come that family was so good at picking things up? They actually picked up a handful of space stones without even looking. Why don't my subordinates have that kind of eye?
But it was someone else's chance; he felt a pang of regret, but it passed. He couldn't just know the item was valuable and then rob it.
Three days later, a helicopter appeared over the Haishi base.
Wen Chaohui led his men to its location, brought back the supplies, and then delivered two large washbasins and several large brick-sized black stones.
Wen Chaohui did not give all the Black Stones to the capital. After all, such a rare resource should be kept in reserve.
The helicopter was very fast, and we didn't encounter any hot air bursts along the way. A few hours later, we arrived safely in the Imperial Capital.
This time, the black stone wasn't immediately transported to the lab. To satisfy Li Sikai's curiosity, Chief Alliance Officer Li had the two basin-sized stones delivered to Jiang Ji, while he himself took the larger one to find Li Sikai.
Li Sikai's eyes lit up when he saw the scattered black stones. These stones seemed to possess a magical power, drawing him closer involuntarily.
"This stone is so beautiful!" he exclaimed, reaching out to touch it. But the moment his fingertips touched the black stone, they were firmly attracted to it.
Li Sikai was startled, his face changing color. General Li quickly asked, "What's wrong?"
Li Sikai didn't know what to say, so he raised his hand. But the stone seemed to be stuck to his finger and wouldn't fall.
General Li was shocked and hurriedly tried to pull the black stone away.
But the black stone was firmly attached to Li Sikai's finger, and when he exerted force, Li Sikai felt excruciating pain, as if his tendons were being pulled out.
"Uncle, don't move it. If you don't move it, it won't hurt me anymore." Li Sikai's forehead was covered in cold sweat.
"Alright, alright, I won't move. Tell your uncle quickly, where does it hurt?" General Li asked anxiously.
Li Sikai felt it for a moment and shook his head: "I don't feel uncomfortable anywhere, it's just like being sucked in by cupping."
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