Chapter 1590
Chapter 1590 - 1586: The Tide of the Times
1,489 words
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8 min read
When Lu Ping’an saw himself on television again, he was very calm.
Wearing sunglasses, a fake beard, and a slicked back hairstyle, he looked like someone in his forties. Those not very familiar with him probably couldn’t tell it was him.
"...Lieutenant General Lu inspected our city’s second and third shipyards, and showed great interest in operating the workshop’s robotic arms and machinery, expressing deep satisfaction with the automation and standardized processes, and immediately indicated that he would place a large order..."
The real Lu Ping’an stroked his smooth chin, pondering what he had actually done.
Oh, he saw the miniature wave simulation pool in the factory area, couldn’t resist the temptation, and played with the bumper boats using a remote control.
He had so much fun that he decided to buy a set of model ships to play with at home.
"...In the factory, Vice Admiral Lu gave a speech, noting that as a member of the force stationed by the sea, our military’s craving for advanced weapons is endless, and the local shipbuilding industry, having integrated technology from the Exotic Realm, is very well-suited for today’s battlefield environment. He hopes that the factory can further expand and strengthen, take advantage of intuitive benefits, and try to meet the needs of the frontline soldiers..."
Lu Ping’an fell silent; this really sounded like something out of a journalism class.
It was himself who was dissatisfied with some outdated models, went directly to the site with a hammer, hammered out the newest design and requirements for Mercury 42 on the spot, and changed more than a dozen blueprints; how did it turn into being very satisfied with the technology? Clearly, it was dissatisfaction that led to the on-the-spot changes.
Shuttling between two worlds probably started at three to four months, plus with Mercury 42 achieving complete local production (Ancient City Shipyard Mercury Division), technological updates on this side were inevitably slow. Given the current intense military competition on the battlefield, the technology might completely update within half a year, the kind of update that could drastically outclass the previous generation.
After the inspection, Lu Ping’an even specifically wrote a report, reminding the National Defense Committee of the technical gap caused by differing demands, requesting them to organize a professional investigation team to ensure that everyone uses the latest technology and designs.
"...Forget it, it’s understandable. If they really said ’the Vice Admiral was very dissatisfied and took out a hammer to make changes on the spot,’ the local shipbuilding industry’s stock would plummet disastrously the next day."
Now that domestic military stocks are soaring, along with the expansion of local military-industrial and shipbuilding enterprises gaining massive funds for expansion, indeed, news that the military upper echelons (military big shots) were dissatisfied with the technology and design could cause a drastic crash.
"Hopefully they’ll improve it..."
As "one of their own," Lu Ping’an had enough patience, and could even provide technical support.
Meanwhile, on television, he was still playing it cool... Although he did speak, obviously the editors thought the slight youthful tone of this young man’s voice didn’t quite fit.
"...As a young senior officer born in the Ancient City, Vice Admiral Lu visited and held discussions with the Ancient City Military District and the police. During the discussions, he emphasized that as warriors protecting our homeland and people, we must prioritize the safety of people’s lives above all else. All attendees were very moved and vowed to set a good example and ensure the defense lines and the safety of the people..."
On the television, both host and guest spoke calmly, but in Lu Ping’an’s memory, those guys were each more excited than the last.
"...Ordinary Fishmen, when accustomed to their environment, can be considered as starting from a first-tier Extraordinary Warrior, whereas encountering Sea Beasts it’s best to have at least third-tier and above; once a conflict occurs, it usually involves teams numbering in the triple digits..."
Lu Ping’an shared his past combat experiences and previous patrolling encounters with these local warrior leaders.
He was actually quite conservative... Originally he planned to provoke the other party, but after only saying a few words, he saw all the pale faces and had to be conservative as far as possible.
Lu Ping’an, like this, in the Foreign Domain would treat Decree-level as minor monsters and Rule-level as minor bosses... while back home, those of Decree-level are big shots, and captains of the Special Service Team are merely struggling at the fourth-tier of Decree-level, all are middle-aged or older veterans, not to mention their potential is almost spent, reaching the sixth-tier is out of the question.
As for Rule-level, in their eyes, it is an unstoppable Nuclear bomb, but Lu Ping’an knows, once the Plane War fully unfolds, just at battles of the level of Mercury 42, common Rule-levels are used to fill in the ranks.
"....I hope, they will be ready soon."
The gap between local military preparedness and frontline Warlords is too obvious, as Lu Ping’an looked back, he felt more fortunate... If he had chosen to stay and develop in the Ancient City, perhaps after these four to five years, he would only be a slightly stronger Decree-level, and the core of his team would likely be just about the fourth-fifth tier, unlike the current uniform Rule-levels.
The more he understands the scale and brutality of the Plane War, the more Lu Ping’an realizes that there won’t be any absolutely safe areas in the Eastern Country when war fully erupts.
"...Let’s help if we can."
Remembering those Special Service Team captains and military academy officers with their unpleasant faces, Lu Ping’an knew not to expect too much from them... A person who is 1.9 meters can jump and touch the basketball hoop or even dunk, but someone who is 1.3 meters, no matter how they jump, is still quite far from reaching the hoop.
As for him on TV, he directly said,
"...Lieutenant General Lu is optimistic about the local development trend and announces the construction of an experimental grounds over ten square kilometers locally, advancing military-industrial defense work, with an expected investment of twenty billion, the first phase to be completed within half a year, which should resolve the employment issue for more than ten thousand people upstream and downstream..."
The negotiation went smoothly, after all, it’s clear to everyone, Lu Ping’an is bringing benefits to his hometown.
Although the geographical environment of the Ancient City is good, Lu Ping’an could choose cities upstream and downstream, while in other cities without his involvement, pure competition based on interests and conditions would allow him to receive the best possible concessions, and some cities might even offer financial incentives for him to build plants.
After all, with his and his power’s presence, not only would they bring tax revenue and employment... Just the Rule-levels regularly coming and going, stationed, would significantly enhance the city’s safety, attracting more investment and immigrants.
In this era, "number of top combat powers in a city" has become the most enticing indicator for the other citizens, facing certain disasters that Mortals cannot withstand, living a bit closer to the "Superhumans" is the greatest joy.
For a power like the Ancient City, if they could regularly station one or two Rule-levels, then, the safety level isn’t just from 0 to 1, it’s from 0 to 100.
"I will try to communicate with the military region to make this place a maritime combat training base, in that case, there should be a group of troops stationed and simultaneously, warriors from the Foreign Domain will also be stationed here for a while, completing adaptability training....."
Lu Ping’an’s favoritism, probably all goes unperformed, and in a sense due to his incredibly special identity, this level of "nepotism" is actually what everyone wants to see... If he really had no desires or wanted to ascend spiritually, many would worry about him possibly one day achieving Ascension and disappearing.
This stance from Lu Ping’an will also greatly strengthen the standing of the Ancient City within Changping and even the whole Eastern Country, the knowledgeable locals naturally appreciate it... Decision-maker who had approved Lu Ping’an’s survival, seems to have been promoted by three levels, directly appointed in Wanjing, and his faction generally upgraded too.
Moreover, this can’t even be considered genuine nepotism, his investments are his private property, but at this level of existence, it is sufficient to interfere with a city’s survival and prosperity, private affairs naturally become public affairs, even state matters.
After Lu Ping’an returned to the Ancient City, he became quite busy, and at this time, someone unexpectedly actively sought him out.
"A reunion? Mine? Uh, hope it’s not any cliched routine..."
— End of Chapter 1590 —