Upon seeing the leader, I instinctively snapped to attention and saluted, a habit ingrained during my military service.

"Xiao Zhao, don't be so formal. Sit down. I actually wanted to come see you myself, but with Vice Chairman Tan present, it wasn't convenient for me to appear. That's why I had to quickly send those girls to communicate with you. I hope you don't mind; the situation was unavoidable, and I’d prefer Vice Chairman Tan not know about our meeting for now."

Recalling what Zhao Fen had told me earlier, I understood there were secret dynamics among the members of the Military Commission. I hadn't expected the supreme leader of the Republic’s armed forces to be so affable; I had anticipated a much more austere encounter.

"Have all your friends withdrawn?" Chairman Li tested, his tone probing.

I felt a pang of awkwardness; the events of the night had clearly caused significant disruption, likely costing the city of Jingdu tens of millions. "They have temporarily withdrawn, and I've released General Tan as well. However, I must kill Chen Wanzhi, and I hope the Chairman will not stand in my way."

Premier Qiao interjected nervously from the side, "Xiao Zhao, how can you speak to the Chairman in such a manner?"

Chairman Li cut off Premier Qiao's reprimand: "It's fine, Xiao Zhao is a man of strong convictions. A true man stands tall and upright; nobody wants to be branded a traitor."

I was somewhat surprised. The Chairman of the Military Commission thought highly of me. Though I had some resources, he commanded millions of troops, an arsenal brimming with aircraft, warships, missiles, and artillery. His courtesy was frankly flattering to the point of being unnerving.

"Old Qiao, I’d like a few private words with Xiao Zhao."

Premier Qiao wisely excused himself from the office. Chairman Li tapped a thick stack of documents on his desk lightly with a red pencil, remaining silent for a long moment before finally addressing me: "Xiao Zhao, I hold a very favorable impression of you. Based on these materials, you are a good comrade. As for the matter of leaking state secrets, I have investigated thoroughly; it has nothing to do with you. Chen Wanzhi deliberately transferred ten million to your account to frame you, and he is the true thief of the secrets. From this, we can deduce that he was also the one who leaked information during the recent assassination attempt on Engineer Yi by foreign agents."

"Does that mean, Mr. Chairman, that I should bring Chen Wanzhi back and hand him over to the state?"

"No, that's not what I mean. Chen Wanzhi has already traveled via HK to Ming Island. Intelligence feedback suggests he might be heading toward Kadena Air Base in Bird Country on his way to Star Country. The intelligent navigation system is of critical importance to our nation's missile technology, and both Bird Country and Star Country understand this. Therefore, their elite spies have been deployed en masse, yet all our teams sent after him have returned empty-handed. If you truly manage to retrieve Chen Wanzhi and the intelligent navigation system from him, it would be an immense contribution to the nation. We only want the lost data back; the man is yours to deal with."

"Chairman, rest assured. I will search high and low until I drag him back."

Chairman Li paused in thought. "Xiao Zhao, you carry quite the burden now—leader of the Super Soldier Special Task Force, Engineer Yi's dedicated physician, and senior research assistant to Dr. Hua. Do you have any plans for your future path?"

The Chairman bypassed discussing tonight’s events entirely, choosing instead to discuss my roles. I couldn't fathom his intent. However, every one of these positions was essentially honorary; calling my burden heavy was an exaggeration.

"My future plans? I fear I've become the public enemy of the people of Kyoto now. It would be best if I left this place as soon as possible."

Chairman Li said slowly, "Xiao Zhao, that is where you are mistaken. I have already arranged for tonight's matter to be handled; tomorrow, not a single soul will mention it. I know you run a company; in essence, you are a businessman. You people understand mutual benefit. Do you not see the possibility of cooperation between us?"

"Cooperation?" I recalled the underground base overflowing with raw materials, a problem that had given me and Little Raindrop many sleepless nights. If I could manufacture weaponry for the nation, I could certainly make a fortune.

"I have a secret production line. If the Chairman trusts me, I can manufacture various weapons for the country—aircraft, submarines, tanks, warships—anything. The only caveat is that the production schematics must be provided by the state."

Chairman Li's voice trembled slightly. "Really? Can the level of sophistication match those robots from tonight?"

Those robot soldiers weren't truly advanced; they were created by Little Raindrop and Xiaohui based on fragmented memories. In reality, they were less advanced than the production-model robots, which were fully reconstructed from the technology of the Earth Federation ten million years in the future—perhaps the only complete data stored in the Hope mainframe.

I dared not boast excessively. Little Raindrop had only mentioned that production robots could follow schematics exactly, but improving existing weaponry required human intervention.

"That is difficult for me to say, as I lack scientists and research labs. Without ready-made blueprints, I think progress would be quite challenging."

Chairman Li agreed readily. "You can pick any scientist from Great Dragon Country. You must be capable of both manufacturing according to provided designs and developing even more advanced weaponry. I will personally guarantee the purchase of all your products, and you set the price."

I was taken aback. "Chairman, do you truly believe what I’m saying? Do you think I'm joking?"

"Of course, I believe you. I witnessed your robots and spacecraft with my own eyes. I trust your capabilities, but don't go easy on my budget either. We can negotiate price based on quality. The more advanced the weapon, the higher you can set the price; this way, both buyer and seller benefit—everyone is happy."

"Since the Chairman trusts me so much, I can offer to produce the first batch for you free of charge as a trial run."

"Then you'll lose a fortune! My first order is for five Type 096 nuclear-powered submarines!"

"No problem, as long as you aren't afraid I’ll run off with the blueprints."

Chairman Li laughed heartily. "Our current technology is likely beneath your notice. The nation will produce the power reactors and the nuclear warheads itself; you just focus on speeding up the construction of the submarines. Go back and draft a production schedule for me. If you have any other needs, you can contact me directly."

As I was about to leave, I hesitated and asked the Chairman, "Does the Chairman not want to ask where my production line is located? Or how I obtained the robots and the spacecraft?"

Chairman Li waved a dismissive hand. "No need to ask. You have your own plans and privacy. Since I choose to trust you, I must trust everything unconditionally. Oh, and I will specially authorize the formation of a small, amphibious tri-service combat unit under your command, incorporating the Super Soldiers. This unit will primarily serve to test the performance of various weapons, and secondarily, to protect your production line. You should realize that after tonight’s events, Tan Zhong will not let this matter rest easily. As for those robots, spacecraft, and animal friends, I suggest keeping them out of sight for now. If this matter becomes widely known, it could trigger global panic."

The night was deep, but Zhu Da's home remained brightly lit. Everyone present admired Chairman Li's maneuvering; his depth of calculation was profound. According to Zhao Fen’s analysis, the elderly Chairman was slowly integrating me into the nation's grand strategy, and establishing the tri-service unit was preparation for a future necessary to divide the influence of the Tan faction. Frankly, I didn't object to serving the country, at least Chairman Li acted without personal ambition, dedicated entirely to the nation's future and destiny—unlike that old man, Tan Zhong, who was self-serving and hoarding military power for himself.

"Fenfen, Fangfang, you two will stay by my side from now on, working with Little Raindrop and Xiaohui to research new weapons."

"Sounds great!" Zhao Fang was the most delighted, and though Zhao Fen didn't voice it, I could tell she didn't want to leave me either.

Peach finally returned. As expected, Chen Wanzhi was located in an underground base on Ming Island. I instructed Peach to issue a public kill notice online: Chen Wanzhi deserves death; any who shelter or protect him will also be killed. The notice was to be signed 'Divine Cat'—the conclusion reached after collective deliberation. Since the pursuit might lead onto the territory of Bird Country or Star Country, it was better to omit an official name to avoid creating diplomatic trouble for the nation.

Xia Huren could assist in establishing the tri-service combat unit; he was an expert in such matters. The Chairman also agreed to secretly provide me with every convenience. Who knew that this evening’s turmoil would open up an entirely new vista for me? In the future, I would develop across industrial, agricultural, and military sectors. With the backing of the head of the Military Commission, who else did I have to fear?