kingnovel Chapter 491: The Search Ends
Chapter 491: The Search Ends
While others might be enjoying the scenery along the way, Hua Yan was observing the potential for storing biological weapons.
After a long and tiring journey, Hua Yan, who wasn't made of iron, was bound to be exhausted. She didn't force herself to start working immediately. She stored the car away in her spatial storage and then slipped inside herself. She planned to get a good night's sleep before starting work.
After a good rest, Hua Yan and Qiu Bao entered the deep mountains, full of energy. It was a thorough search; without Qiu Bao, a treasure-hunting expert, Hua Yan would never have been able to complete this task.
By June 25th, Hua Yan and Qiu Bao lay exhausted on the ground, having searched the entire mountain range of Jilin Province.
Four locations of biological weapons were discovered. Three of these locations were those previously identified by Hua Yan, but one location was unexpected, situated on a cliff face, a place almost inaccessible by human power.
Hua Yan replaced all the items and put them into her own poison. The mission was now complete, and exhaustion immediately overwhelmed her; even Qiu Bao, with her elven form, was finding it hard to cope.
"Baby, you must be exhausted."
"It's alright, I'm definitely not as tired as you are."
Hua Yan and Qiu Bao lay on the ground covered with fallen leaves, which felt quite soft, like a Simmons mattress.
In their haste, the two traversed the mountains day and night, disturbing the local inhabitants and wild animals, whose roars could be heard every now and then.
Feeling apologetic for causing trouble on someone else's turf, Hua Yan and Qiu Bao didn't get angry at the unfriendly shouts. Instead, they transplanted many extinct plants from Plum Blossom Valley so that they could coexist with this land and earth, as a small benefit for disturbing this place.
"Oh dear! I still have a report to give."
Hua Yan reluctantly sat up, took out her satellite phone, and called Gao Wei, who was far away in Kyoto.
"Hey! Jiu'er, we finally have news from you! Just now, Old Wang was asking about you!"
Gao Wei had lost all temper with Hua Yan. She was a capable child, but also one he couldn't control. He called Hua Yan almost every day, but she never answered. Only when Hua Yan called him could he find out how she was doing.
During this trip to Jilin Province, Hua Yan called him about once a week on average, without any unnecessary conversation, always revolving around the discovery of biological weapons.
"Hehe! Grandpa Gao, please apologize to Old Wang for me. There's no other way; time is tight and the task is heavy, so I have to work hard."
"Hehe! You little rascal, you never learn from your mistakes. You're quick to admit your errors, but you never correct them."
Gao Wei was overjoyed when Hua Yan called him Grandpa Gao, which meant that Hua Yan wanted to have a private conversation with him, rather than report on work.
"Grandpa Gao, I'm so tired, I can't even stand up."
"Who told you to work so hard? This mission isn't just about you; it involves the country too. We've already investigated everyone on the list and have people monitoring them one by one. Their every move is under our surveillance."
"Great! They're like grasshoppers in autumn, they won't be able to hop around for much longer. We can harvest them now. Haha! Why do I feel so happy!"
Hua Yan did feel much lighter, as if a heavy burden had been lifted off her shoulders.
"Jiu'er, you've worked hard. We've seen all your efforts."
Gao Wei now genuinely likes Hua Yan and sincerely hopes that Hua Yan can get closer to him.
"It's not hard work, it's all what I should do."
"Commander Gao, if I were to report on the search results..."
Hua Yan reported on her recent work achievements, which excited Gao Wei greatly. He never expected that these people would even venture to cliffs and precipices.
Haha! No matter how powerful you are, when you encounter Hua Yan, your nemesis, you can only admit defeat.
"Haha! Excellent results. Jiu'er, when should I send someone to retrieve the items?"
Gao Wei was worried about leaving these things outside.
"I'll be waiting for you at Laoheishan on the border of Heilongjiang and Jilin at 10 a.m. tomorrow."
By the way, Chief Gao, could you please have Chief Liu Heming come and pick up the items?
Hua Yan didn't explain why Liu Heming was needed, but Gao Wei could easily understand that it showed his trust in Liu Heming.
"Alright! I'll send Liu Heming over to pick up the things. Jiu'er, when are you coming back? Old Wang misses you."
Haha! I miss you too! Gao Wei didn't say it out loud.
"Grandpa Gao, now that I've finished my business, I'll take care of some personal matters here and do some research."
Hua Yan thought that since she was already here, she should see how the local economy was doing, because the three northeastern provinces would be the hardest hit by the wave of layoffs that would follow in a few years.
Because the three northeastern provinces provide the country with hard resources: timber, coal, grain, and steel. Coal and steel are non-renewable; once mined, they're gone. The people who rely on these resources for their livelihood face the reality that every bit mined is less, until eventually nothing is left.
Timber felling, if unplanned, can lead to gaps in the supply chain, because mature trees take ten to twenty years to grow. If they are not replanted in time, there will eventually be no trees left to cut down.
The crops are doing well, as they are replanted every year. However, the fertile black soil of Northeast China is being depleted. The original one-meter-thick humus layer will thin over time and eventually be replaced by soil devoid of nutrients.
After liberation, in order to support national construction, countless trains from Northeast China hauled away timber, coal, steel, and grain—no one remembers. Only the people of Northeast China know that their once prosperous homeland became desolate, their once vibrant people became listless and lacked confidence, and some even resorted to robbery just to get enough to eat.
Later, the government also discovered the problem and launched the slogan "Revitalize the Old Industrial Base of Northeast China" in the previous life. However, some people, for reasons unknown, have been demonizing the Northeast and even shouted the heretical saying "Investment should not cross the Shanhaiguan Pass".
Alas! Without the dedication of the Northeasterners, we wouldn't have the stable and united political situation we enjoy today. If we're talking about who most responds to the nation's call, the Northeasterners undoubtedly deserve the title. Yet, the Northeast, once the most obedient to the nation, has become synonymous with poverty and a place that deters investors.
Sigh! My heart is ice-cold. That's why Hua Yan wants to change the past and make Northeast China a true leader, a pillar of the national economy. It's difficult, but not impossible.
Hua Yan has quite high aspirations; it's hard to know whether to encourage her or pity her. Never mind, she'll just bury herself in her work. The outcome is truly beyond the control of someone as insignificant as her.
Haha! Ninth Master, you can control yourself? You are Guiguzi's chosen one.
Gao Wei agreed with Hua Yan's idea and told her to bring it up if she had any difficulties.
Hehe! That's exactly what I was waiting for! Hua Yan looked like she had succeeded in her scheme.
Hua Yan's main purpose in conducting research in Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces was to determine what materials could be sourced locally to open up trade channels with R country.
After World War II, R country focused most of its energy on military preparations, and the development of its light industry lagged behind. Although China's light industry is not that advanced now, Hua Yan has connections to import it from A country and J country, which solves the immediate problem.
Believe it or not, Hua Yan actually discovered a business opportunity. Food and beverages, pencils and stationery, clothes and shoes, etc., as long as you have them, you can sell them in R country.
However, apart from state-owned foreign trade companies, private companies really don't have any formal sales channels; they all rely on smuggling.