Chapter 3: People Can Leave, Technical Data Cannot

Li Mingyuan pondered for a moment, "I will do my best to use the knowledge I've learned to contribute to the country's construction. What about you?"

"Me? I want to go to a research institute." A glimmer flashed in Wang Zheng's eyes, "I heard that the country is preparing a mushroom physics research project."

"Mushroom physics?" Li Mingyuan's heart jolted. Isn't this the very foundation for the later development of the Mushroom Egg? This ordinary young man before him might just be one of the participants in that great project!

"Hey, are you interested in that area?" Wang Zheng asked curiously, seeing the change in Li Mingyuan's expression.

Li Mingyuan shook his head, "I am more interested in military machinery. Things like tanks and aircraft engines."

"That's great!" Wang Zheng patted him on the shoulder, "We will definitely be able to put them to use after we return to the country."

During the time they were queuing, Li Mingyuan interacted with more overseas students and was surprised to discover that many of them might become experts in various fields in the future.

Those figures who were once just names in history textbooks were now standing vividly before him—young, passionate, and full of ideals.

When it was Li Mingyuan's turn to process his paperwork, the staff member asked him, "Is your luggage ready? Each person can only bring two suitcases."

"It's ready." Li Mingyuan nodded, thinking to himself that there were dozens of books in the System Space; if this were discovered, he would likely be arrested as a spy.

"Gather at the train station in three days for a unified arrangement to return to the country," the staff member said after stamping the document.

Walking out of the embassy, the cold wind made Li Mingyuan shiver.

Senior Student Zhang walked over and patted him on the shoulder.

"Mingyuan, go back and pack your things. I heard there might be some trouble on the way back to the country. Although the Polar Bear supports our return on the surface, they may not necessarily be happy to see so much technical talent lost behind our backs."

Li Mingyuan nodded, "I will be careful."

Returning to the dormitory, Li Mingyuan locked the door and immediately opened the system panel to check his gains.

【System Space Item List】

《Advanced Mechanical Manufacturing Manual》

《Internal Combustion Engine Principles and Maintenance》

《Military Vehicle Design and Manufacturing》

《Aircraft Engine Design》

《Modern Tank Structure and Principles》

《Radio Communication Technology》

《Radar System Fundamentals》

《Chemical Industry Production Process》

《Metallurgy Technology Manual》

《Ballistics Principles》

……

A full fifty-plus professional books!

Li Mingyuan was dazzled; in the current Long Country, this was absolutely a priceless treasure.

"System, can I learn these now?"

【Some basic technologies can be learned; advanced technologies are restricted by the host's Insight Value and cannot be learned at present.】

Li Mingyuan spent the entire night studying the technical materials in the system and only lay down to rest when the east began to turn white.

But he did not sleep peacefully; his dreams were filled with scenes of the coming war.

……

Three days later, early morning.

The Mocheng train station was bustling with people, and hundreds of Long Country overseas students gathered on the platform with simple luggage. The air was filled with a tense and excited atmosphere.

"I heard someone was taken away in the middle of the night?" someone whispered.

"Yeah, they say it's because they brought things they shouldn't have."

Li Mingyuan shuddered and instinctively touched his chest—the "treasures" in the System Space were safe, but this atmosphere was unsettling.

"Attention! All personnel returning to the country must undergo a final inspection!" an official in uniform announced loudly.

Over a dozen soldiers and police officers began to move through the crowd, randomly checking luggage. Li Mingyuan saw someone being pulled out of the line not far away, their suitcase being rummaged through in a mess.

"Mingyuan, are you okay?" Senior Student Zhang walked over and asked in a low voice, "You look very nervous."

"I'm fine, just a bit excited." Li Mingyuan feigned composure.

"Why is it like wartime?" someone complained in a low voice.

A notification in Russian came over the loudspeaker: "All passengers, inspection, carry all luggage items."

The students got off the train one after another and lined up on the platform.

A tall Polar Bear officer stepped forward, scanning this group of young people coldly.

"Welcome to the border checkpoint," the officer said in stiff Long Country language, "To ensure national security, all personnel returning to the country must undergo a thorough inspection."

Several soldiers began to roughly rummage through the luggage, and from time to time, someone's notes or books were pulled out and thrown onto a table to the side.

"Hey! That's my physics notebook!" Wang Zheng stepped forward to protest.

"Forbidden to take away," the officer said expressionlessly.

"On what grounds? These are my own study notes!"

The officer sneered, "The knowledge learned in our country is our property. You can only take away empty heads."

This sentence infuriated everyone.

The students began to protest loudly, and the scene became chaotic for a moment.

Senior Student Zhang pushed to the front and argued in fairly fluent Russian: "International law guarantees students' learning achievements! Our notes are personal property!"

The officer narrowed his eyes, "Law? Here, I am the law." He turned to the soldiers, "Continue the inspection; any technical materials, notebooks, or professional books are to be confiscated."

Li Mingyuan stood in the line, watching as the hard work of his classmates was roughly thrown into a large crate one by one.

Some were angry, some were dejected, and some were even secretly wiping away tears.

When it was Li Mingyuan's turn, the soldier flipped open his suitcase and tossed the few textbooks and notebooks inside out in one go.

"These cannot be taken," the soldier said in broken Long Country language.

Li Mingyuan feigned anger, but he was secretly delighted; his real treasures were all in the System Space, and these were merely decoys.

"Students, stay calm!" an older student representative stood up. "Our protests are ineffective and will only delay the journey. Let's cooperate with the inspection first and resolve this through diplomatic channels after returning to the country!"

After nearly three hours of "plundering," the polar bear side had confiscated hundreds of professional books and notebooks in total.

The students could only continue their journey with simple clothing and daily necessities.

When they boarded the train bound for Long Country, the atmosphere was terrifyingly heavy.

"Brothers on the surface, but wary in reality," Zhang sneered. "They are just afraid of us going back to build a powerful motherland."

Li Mingyuan looked at the polar bear land receding outside the window, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

"It doesn't matter," he thought to himself. "A mere inspection cannot stop our determination to build the motherland. Besides—" he touched his chest, as if he could touch that magical System Space, "the real treasures are not in those suitcases."

The train crossed the Siberian wilderness, heading east all the way.

The scenery along the way gradually changed from vast snowfields to familiar eastern landscapes.

With every station they passed, the students' spirits rose a little more.

Finally, the train pulled into the first station within the borders of Long Country.

"We're home!" someone shouted excitedly. The entire carriage erupted in cheers.

Li Mingyuan looked out the window; the flag of Long Country was fluttering in the wind on the platform.

Although it was another world, this flag still made his heart surge with emotion.

On the platform, several people wearing simple military uniforms were waiting for them.

Leading them was a middle-aged military officer with an upright posture and eyes like torches.

"Welcome back to the country!" the officer's resonant voice came. "I am Group Liu Zuzhang from the reception group, ordered to welcome all you comrades who have returned after completing your studies!"

After getting off the train, the students stood in formation. Group Liu Zuzhang spoke a few simple words and then announced: everyone would take a special train to Jingcheng, and relevant departments would arrange their work uniformly.