Chapter 220: The Arrival of the District Leaders
“Hey, Academician Xu, I’ve already finished designing the dagger. When do we start the test?”
Wu Mo was on his way home from the cafeteria. He was worried that he would miss the project’s deadline, so he wanted to call Academician Xu in advance to ask.
However, Xu Wuyue, who was in the meeting room, was stunned when he heard Wu Mo’s words.
Earlier, he was still grumbling about how Wu Mo lacked any sense of time. Now, he had appeared.
Xu Wuyue was overjoyed, and he immediately said, “Since you have the time, let’s do it now. Everyone’s here. You can wait at the cultural square first. We’ll go to the test field together later.”
Wu Mo did not think much of it and promptly nodded. He changed direction and walked toward the cultural square.
There were several buildings for testing around the cultural square, which covered a vast area and had excellent scenery. There were all kinds of information boards around it, and they covered everything from the beginnings of the fifth Research Department to the life experiences of various sages.
At the center of the square stood a four-meter-tall stone statue of the elusive President.
Simultaneously, the information signs all over the place confirmed the cultural and academic spirit of the fifth Research Department, which was also a common place to receive important leaders.
Wu Mo rushed to the cultural square, while on the other side, everyone in the conference room stood up and prepared to leave.
Academician Xu lowered his head and looked at the time. There were only about 10 minutes left before the leaders arrived. Fortunately, he still had time.
Although the cold weapon research project was only a Level B one, it was one of the more important battlefield projects. Therefore, many leaders were concerned about it.
At this time, other researchers had heavy tasks. Only the fifth Research Department had no core technology breakthroughs for the time being, so most of the complicated tasks were sent there.
Recently, spatial cracks had been appearing frequently around the battlefield, and most of the beasts that appeared were difficult to deal with.
Standard weapons were quite effective in mid-distance battles.
However, if the killer got close, a weapon that was more than a meter long would obviously be restrictive.
Besides, the current individual melee equipment could no longer cause effective damage to high-level fierce beasts.
In such an environment, a sharp, durable, multi-purpose dagger was urgently needed by the cultivators on the battlefield.
Due to the urgent need, many leaders turned their attention to the fifth Research Department, hoping that the latter could take on the heavy responsibility and forge the corresponding equipment in a short time.
The frequent appearance of spatial cracks and the recovery of the spirit energy had gradually come to a head. All of these sent a message to Nine Provinces: The wheel of time was approaching.
They had to make preparations in advance to face all the challenges that might appear.
With vicious beasts surrounding them, cultivators and blacksmiths had to take on the responsibility of protecting the peace of the city.
Relevant institutions were also subtly changing in the dark.
The first to have an impact was the military.
The Nine Provinces had managed to protect the city for 100 years under the premise of the Ten Thousand Races invading thanks to the Military Department’s commander.
Of course, the military was also divided into three main types. The first type was the Hunter Bureau, which was out killing fierce beasts all year round. The targets of the Hunter Bureau were usually high-level invading monsters in the war zone or other areas.
The second type was the City Defense Army, which was also led by the military. They were mainly responsible for the order and safety of the major base cities.
Even if the current situation was turbulent and fierce beasts were lurking around, illegal activities in the city were still prevalent. The establishment of the City Defense Army was to maintain the people’s safety and deter those criminals.
The third type was the Scientific Research Agency, which participated in the research and development of science, technology, and Divine weapons. The eleven Research Departments, as well as other research and development institutions in the Nine Provinces, all belonged to the Scientific Research Agency.
Of course, the forces in the Nine Provinces were far more than that.
Other than the absolute ruler or the military, there were financial groups, various forging families, private mercenary groups, and the mayor’s office.
The mayor’s office was in charge of safety in the city and the surrounding villages on a prefecture level. Zhao Lu, the mayor of Shanglin City, whom Wu Mo knew, was the person in charge of the mayor’s office.
Meanwhile, the financial groups had traces of themselves in all the major cities.
For example, Treasure Pavilion in Shanglin City and Treasure Trove Pavilion in the capital were all representatives of the consortiums. From the production and sales of clothing workshops to the major listed companies, they were all part of the consortiums’ power.
As for the aristocratic families, it was even easier to understand. They were clans that made a living from forging.
Since these families had mastered a lot of forging skills, they were able to develop the city positively. Moreover, they sent talents out every year, which was also one of the foundations of every city.
Last but not least, the mercenary groups were groups of cultivators formed by a few factions. They mostly lived on the edge of a blade. Their jobs included hunting vicious beasts for their fur and materials, on top of escorting important people on the move.
Among the people visiting the fifth Research Department this time, there were not only big shots from the Scientific Research Agency but also high-ranking military leaders.
As such, the fifth Research Department had already prepared a formal ceremony to welcome these leaders.
It was 10 o’clock in the morning, and most of the senior researchers and major professors had arrived at the cultural square.
Academician Xu was standing at the head of the table, and he was staring at the door.
At this moment, the roads outside the main gate of the Research Department had been closed, and they were only waiting for the military vehicles carrying the leaders to enter.
Not long after, an inspector’s vehicle drove over from the corner of the street.
What followed was a military motorcycle that had been deployed to maintain order.
Then, several dark green military vehicles drove into the street.
At this sight, the people waiting in the fifth Research Department became excited.
The leaders of various large organizations and some famous blacksmiths were seated in these military vehicles. It had been a few years since they had last received such a large group of leaders.
Right then, Academician Xu and Professor Liu both felt emotional, and their calm hearts started to palpitate.
The Research Department’s gate opened, and the military vehicle drove in directly before finally stopping around the square.
The crowd immediately gathered around them. The two professors and Academician Xu appeared at the front of the crowd.
Bai Li, the director of the Hunter Bureau, Chu Li, the captain of the City Defense Army, and the heads of the major consortiums’ Investment Departments in the capital who had been invited by the military, stepped out of the military vehicles. There were also a few experienced blacksmiths who had worked with the military before.
There were more than 10 of them in total. Adding on the group of cultivators who were escorting them, they almost occupied an entire corner of the cultural square.
Xu Wuyue immediately stepped forward and cupped his hands.
“Leaders and people in charge of all districts, I’m delighted that you are able to visit the fifth Research Department to inspect and guide our work despite your busy schedule. On behalf of the Research Department, I would like to sincerely welcome and thank all of you!”