I got up to open the door, only to be startled so badly by the person outside that I nearly cried out. It was Chairman Li Zhenyu! To think that the Chairman of the Military Commission of our great Dragon Country would personally come to my home!

“Chairman, why are you here? If you need anything, just tell me, and I’ll handle it. This... this is making me feel terribly embarrassed.”

Chairman Li walked in as he said, “The girls told me your father has imprisoned you and won't let you leave. Now there’s an urgent matter, so I had no choice but to come myself.”

Among the six girls, only Little Raindrop didn't recognize Chairman Li; the others were familiar with him. However, when the Chairman learned that it was Little Raindrop who had consulted with Zhao Fen and Zhao Fang about the satellite yesterday, he looked at her with new respect.

Chairman Li knew I trusted these six women, so he spoke while consciously avoiding their direct address. After sitting down, he pulled out a map for me to look at. “Little Zhao, take a look at the southwest of our country. This map has contour lines. With your intelligence, you should understand what I mean.”

I glanced at it and said to Chairman Li, “Chairman, please don’t speak in riddles. Let’s discuss the matter first.”

“The Ox Country is very restless! They have taken control of not only Western Gold, Nibir, but also half of Kashmir. Recently, they’ve been testing intermediate-range ballistic missiles, pointed directly at our capital! Don’t underestimate these small countries with limited territory; they are our strategic buffer zones against the major powers. Just like when we supported the War to Resist America and Aid Korea—what was the reason? If the Star Country had occupied the Korean Peninsula, our nation’s major targets would have been directly exposed to their bombers. Now, the Ox Country is slowly devouring our strategic buffer, and their ambition doesn't stop at these small nations; they are eyeing our entire Tibetan Plateau!”

I agreed, “What the Chairman says is absolutely right. Perhaps the reason we didn't insist on reclaiming Outer Mongolia back then was also to maintain a buffer zone with the Bear Country. The Ox Country has indeed been stubbornly fighting us with their rickety vehicle frames these past few years, but unfortunately, we have always been disadvantaged by the unfavorable terrain, making it hard to achieve anything substantial. Looking at the contour lines, our southwestern region is between 3,000 and 5,000 meters above sea level, while the area controlled by the Ox Country consists of plains and well-developed river transportation. Should conflict arise, timely and swift strategic resupply would be extremely difficult for us, and the transportation capacity of just the single railway into Tibet is far from enough.”

Chairman Li smiled and nodded, “Your analysis is spot on, Little Zhao. Yesterday, I heard Zhao Fen and Zhao Fang mention your intention to develop in Southern Tibet. I wonder what your specific plans are.”

An old fox is cunning indeed. So, this was Chairman Li's intention. For the sake of the country and the people, I might as well do him a personal favor.

“Putting aside previous plans, after seeing your map, I now plan to excavate a section of the Great Wall of Ten Thousand Li along the southwestern border, stretching from the exit point of the Yarlung Tsangpo River to the very end of the Altai Mountains. Of course, all mineral resources extracted will belong to me, haha, as I need to replenish my own reserves. Then, at the southernmost end, I will dig a horizontal tunnel to build a bidirectional railway directly connecting to Chengdu. In the middle section, another horizontal tunnel will be dug to connect a railway to the existing Tibet line. As for the northern and western ends, there are already many railway lines, so we can simply open a few access points to connect with the Lanzhou-Xinjiang Railway.”

If these words came from anyone else, they would surely be dismissed as absurd, like suggesting we dig up the Himalayas to bring warm winds from the Indian Ocean into Tibet. But coming from someone who can produce a Type 096 submarine every two months (actually five), the context changes everything.

“Excellent, Little Zhao! This will absolutely be our underground Great Wall of Ten Thousand Li! By building bidirectional railways within this underground Great Wall, transporting strategic materials and troop movements can be done stealthily. If the Ox Country or the Bear Country dares to provoke us again, having our massive armies surge out from underground will surely scare them witless!”

This is the first time I’ve ever heard the Chairman use such language!

Fang Yanmeng suddenly interjected, “Grandpa Chairman, how much funding are you allocating for such a massive undertaking?”

“Ahem, ahem,” Chairman Li composed himself. “The state is also facing difficulties right now. Otherwise, Little Zhao wouldn’t have given us the Type 096 submarines for free. How about this: I will allocate one hundred billion RMB annually to support you. Of course, I know this sum is far from enough. Aren't you planning to start a company? I can provide various policy subsidies to your endeavor, and you will also have priority access to the mineral resources across the entire plateau, especially since you are manufacturing new weapons for the country.”

Little Raindrop cut off Fang Yanmeng’s extortion. “You and big brother are good friends, and this project was big brother’s idea. Money doesn’t matter; I think one hundred billion is fine for the whole project, including the construction costs for the bidirectional railway. However, the usage rights for this underground railway line, as well as the mineral resources along the route, will be under our control. No one shall excavate within the scope we designate.”

Chairman Li hesitated, “Other things are easy to discuss, but the usage rights for the underground railway line… what about national troop movements during wartime?”

Little Raindrop’s voice turned icy cold, “Once we establish this project, any nation that dares to act against the stability of our Western Frontier will be annihilated! I don’t care if it’s the Ox Country or the Bear Country; as long as our lines pass through, we absolutely will not tolerate them running rampant there!”

Chairman Li paced back and forth a few times in the small living room before finally making up his mind. “Good! It’s settled then. I will not make any adjustments to the surface troops; everything remains as before. Once the underground railway is complete, the entire underground defense line will be handed over to the Tri-Service Army to manage. Of course, given the current special circumstances, I cannot yet give the Tri-Service Army an official designation. Little Zhao, you must understand; this is also for your own safety.”

This made no difference to me. What’s the point of a mere honorary title? The key now is to focus the mechanical ants on tunneling, and then use this border-circling tunnel as a base to excavate resources from abroad underground. If foreign enemies invade, I can deploy tens of thousands of my mechanical soldiers to rout them!

I said, “Chairman, rest assured. Leave the security of the backyard to me. If any little rascal dares to cause trouble and pluck a flower or two, I’ll certainly spank their behind.”

Chairman Li slammed the table and stood up. “Good! Those little brats have long needed a lesson! I’ll go back and prepare the funds immediately, depositing them into your account. When will you start the exploration, when will you break ground, and when do you estimate completion? Can you give me a general timeline?”

Little Raindrop said, “The exploration work has long been completed. Although the early focus was on Southern Tibet, we have a holographic map of the Earth. With minor modifications, we can start immediately. For now, I can only set a limit of one year, as I need to consult big brother regarding resource allocation.”

Fortunately, Chairman Li’s capacity for acceptance has improved greatly; otherwise, he might have had a heart attack. One year? You mean the entire project will take a maximum of one year?

I smiled, “Yes, Chairman. We must seize every moment. What’s the point if it takes a hundred or two hundred years?”

Chairman Li patted my shoulder. “Alright, I trust you to handle things. That’s all for today. I must leave; the area outside is under lockdown, and I worry that staying too long will affect the residents’ lives. Oh, one more thing: don't poach all these talented individuals either. Ask them to keep part-time roles in the state. If we lose their guidance, the research progress will slow down significantly.”

This matter wasn’t a big issue, so I agreed on behalf of Zhao Fen, Zhao Fang, and Yi Xiaorou. As we walked the Chairman downstairs, the neighborhood was indeed desolate, with only disguised security personnel passing by. This was a sign of serious trouble; my mother might be stopped outside when she returns from grocery shopping. It was freezing cold, with snowflakes occasionally drifting down from the sky. I wonder if the elderly lady can bear it.

After seeing Chairman Li off, we returned inside and further discussed the feasibility of the plan. We decided to stop all non-essential production starting today and focus entirely on manufacturing all models of engineering ants. Since the base beneath the T Desert is already close to the Kunlun Pass, Xiaohui formulated the specific excavation data, and we immediately started digging in two directions simultaneously.

After the discussion, my mother happened to return as well. It turned out she had been stubbornly kept by the elderly ladies from the neighborhood committee to warm herself by the fire and chat at the gatehouse. If she hadn't worried about something happening to me at home, she might not have returned yet.