Chapter 103: Rescue Drill

After receiving Su Xin's order, Ding Kuiyong convened a press conference the next day to announce that Tianqi Energy had begun its second round of expansion plans.

Over the next two months, Tianqi Energy would successively acquire or build 50 large-scale power battery factories nationwide.

Once this news broke, it immediately ignited the entire country.

Media outlets from all sides vied to report on it.

Local officials vied to court the company.

Before things had even calmed down inside Tianqi Energy, it entered another wave of busyness.

Employees from the business department traveled to various locations upon invitation to conduct inspections and select sites for the new factories in the second expansion plan.

The procurement department began contacting equipment manufacturers to purchase various production line equipment in advance.

The supply chain management department contacted major raw material suppliers to begin formulating new raw material demand plans.

The human resources department began mass-hiring engineers in advance to train them in relevant processes and operational knowledge.

The entire Tianqi Energy Company, like a machine with its mainspring wound to the limit, began to operate efficiently and methodically.

……

On the other side, Su Xin was living quite comfortably.

It wasn't until over a week later, when Su Xin had grown a bit bored at home, that he received a call from Hao Zude again.

"Student Su, the Xiaotian Intelligent Flight System has finished testing. The higher-ups have decided to begin the first batch of procurement, which will be equipped on the Military's new generation of drones. Before that, we will conduct a surprise rescue drill and would like to invite you to watch. It's the day after tomorrow; do you have time?"

Upon hearing this, Su Xin became interested and immediately agreed: "Since Director Hao has personally invited me, of course I have time. Where will the drill be held?"

"It's in the southwest. Just arrive in Shuangqing the day after tomorrow morning, and I will arrange for someone to pick you up and take you to the drill site."

"Alright."

After hanging up the phone, Su Xin immediately called his secretary, Feng Haifeng, and asked him to help book a high-speed rail ticket to Shuangqing for the morning after next.

Early on the third day.

Su Xin packed his luggage, took his two bodyguards, and traveled to Shuangqing City by high-speed rail, where he was picked up by someone sent by Hao Zude and taken to a base.

Having received the news in advance, Hao Zude came to the base entrance in person to welcome him.

"Student Su, long time no see."

"Director Hao!"

The two shook hands.

Hao Zude arranged for someone to take Xiang Lianyun and the other bodyguard away to rest, while he led Su Xin into the base, introducing things as they walked:

"The higher-ups attach great importance to this surprise rescue drill. If the drill is a complete success, they will equip all future Military drones with the Xiaotian Intelligent Flight System and replace all previous equipment."

"This is a very large order."

"At the same time, Tianqi Equipment Company will also be listed as our strategic partner, and both sides will engage in multi-faceted cooperation in the future."

"Besides that, hasn't Jinding City already started a pilot program for intelligent driving?"

"The higher-ups have promised to help you promote the improvement of laws related to intelligent driving and push for the review and implementation of road-running licenses for the Xiaozhi Driving System as soon as possible, so that your Xiaozhi Driving System can be put into actual use nationwide as soon as possible."

As the two talked.

Before long, they arrived near a simple, temporarily constructed building.

After introducing Su Xin to several bigwigs in military uniforms, everyone stood in front of several surveillance screens.

A man with a buzz cut and a stern face introduced the content and rules of the drill to everyone.

"The theme of this drill is a surprise rescue. There are 30 elite soldiers ambushed in this building, and they are playing the role of kidnappers."

"Of course, only we know this number; the drone team acting as the rescuers is completely unaware of the number of enemies and their firepower."

"The mission received by the drone team is to rescue the kidnapped hostages unharmed from a group of armed thugs within 30 minutes and to annihilate the enemy as much as possible."

"At the same time, the kidnappers do not know the drone team's lineup or the specific rescue time. Their mission is to guard the hostages. Three o'clock in the afternoon is the time for the hostages' families to pay the ransom. Of course, no one will pay the ransom, so three o'clock in the afternoon signifies the execution of the hostages, and the drill ends."

"The kidnappers' standard equipment includes daggers, pistols, automatic rifles, grenades, smoke grenades, Signal Jammers..."

While the man with the buzz cut was introducing this, Su Xin leaned over to Hao Zude and asked in a low voice: "Isn't this too exaggerated? Can kidnappers have this kind of equipment?"

Hao Zude explained in a low voice: "Although the drill is nominally about rescuing people from kidnappers, the future use of drones will certainly not be that simple—for example, facing drug trafficking syndicates or participating in small-scale wars, etc. —so the equipment they face will be more complex; otherwise, they wouldn't be able to shoulder heavy responsibilities."

Soon, the man with the buzz cut finished his introduction.

A bigwig in a military uniform gave a deep-voiced order:

"Alright, the drill begins!"

The man with the buzz cut immediately picked up a walkie-talkie, pressed the switch, and said sternly:

"Drone team, the drill begins!"

As the man's voice fell.

The surveillance screens in front of Su Xin and the others immediately lit up. One could see some fully armed men holding rifles patrolling around the building, and some others holding guns, quietly hiding in various corners of the building.

The surveillance screen in the very center showed the room where the hostages were being held.

On the other side.

After receiving the order, the three members of the drone team controlled the drones and flew them out.

There were five drones in total. They were fast, and their flight noise was low, easily masked by the sound of the wind in mid-air.

Under the instructions of the three, the drones quickly approached the perimeter of the building, transmitting the situation on each side of the building to the three members of the drone team in the form of images.

On the screens of the equipment in their hands.

High-definition images of the building's exterior were displayed, and humans identified were automatically marked with red boxes.

"Two people discovered on the third-floor balcony of Side A."

"One person discovered at the second-floor window of Side B."

"Side C..."

The two reported quickly, and finally, the team leader ordered in a deep voice: "Drone One, activate the Through-Wall Radar and begin scanning around from Side C."

Four drones continued to hover in the air.

Due to the paint on their surfaces, which was a color between white and sky blue, combined with their unique structural design, these drones were not easily detected either visually or audibly.

Suspended beneath the fifth drone was a device shaped like a mini briefcase.

At the team leader's command.

One of the team members immediately remotely activated the Through-Wall Radar loaded on the first drone and began a long-range scan of the building.

On the equipment screen in front of the three-person team, a black-and-white image immediately appeared, showing two white dynamic human figures inside the building, walking slowly at positions not far from each other.

The first drone circled the building from a distance, and the black-and-white image moved accordingly, successively displaying the distribution of personnel in other directions.