Chapter 456: What on Earth Do They Research Here?

"The armed police and security guards outside were reassigned here later, weren't they?" Yu Dazhang asked.

Since even the Ministry of State Security had suffered losses at the hands of the other side, the higher-ups naturally had to reinforce security—and it had to be the very best.

"That's right," Li Mingzhao nodded.

"Security is only one aspect; the main point is to serve as a deterrent."

There's more to that than meets the ear... Yu Dazhang thought it over, then asked:

"You mean they'll come again?"

Since the word 'deterrent' had come up, it meant the other side had been watching this place all along.

Those armed police and security guards outside were there for the other side to see.

"They haven't completed their mission yet."

Li Mingzhao explained helplessly:

"One look and I can tell you don't know much about special agents."

"Unlike the criminals you've dealt with before, special agents have clear objectives, strong professionalism, and a plan."

He stressed deliberately:

"They won't give up until the goal is achieved—that's basic operating procedure for special agents, especially when they're carrying out a special mission to begin with."

Seeing that Yu Dazhang still didn't quite get it, he shifted tack and asked rhetorically:

"Put it this way—suppose you're a special agent sent out by the state, and during a mission, would you shrink back just because you hit difficulties?"

If only you'd put it that way from the start... Yu Dazhang understood completely now.

This time the opponents weren't criminals, nor gangsters, but well-trained, professionally trained enemy agents.

In their eyes, everything they did was the execution of a glorious mission.

In fact, many countries around the world cultivate professional special agents.

Let me give you a real example.

Our neighbor over there—their agents actually stole the U. S.'s banknote-printing technology.

The counterfeit bills they produced were called 'superdollars,' and they were almost indistinguishable from the real thing.

Don't ask.

Ask and you're slandering them—their whole thing is denial.

Even under full U. S. sanctions, they managed to pull off something so far beyond imagination.

So never underestimate the special agents of any country.

You simply can't imagine what those people are capable of.

"Let's go take a look at the experimental area."

Yu Dazhang said to Li Mingzhao:

"Since they've got their eye on this place, I should at least see the scene for myself."

He was still thinking in terms of solving cases—it had become a habit of his, even an instinct.

And the reason Li Mingzhao had called Yu Dazhang over was precisely because he valued his unique ability and keen insight in case-solving.

The two then made their way to an experimental area.

Standing on the roof of a two-story building, Yu Dazhang looked out at the round buildings one after another inside the experimental area.

"Why does it look like an oversized yurt?" Yu Dazhang asked, puzzled.

"You really know how to put it," Li Mingzhao laughed:

"There's no yurt that big, and besides, those buildings are all reinforced concrete."

Yu Dazhang turned his gaze toward the center of the experimental area.

Surrounded by these round buildings was an open space about the size of a football field.

The ground was paved with bricks; from a distance, it looked like a plaza for a leisurely stroll.

But this plaza was bare, with nothing on it at all.

"What's that area used for?" Yu Dazhang pointed at the open ground and asked.

"No idea," Li Mingzhao shook his head:

"Probably a site for experiments; what kind of experiments, that's classified."

Whatever was researched in a place like this was bound to be top secret, so even if they were curious, they could only hold back.

"Want to go in and take a look?" Li Mingzhao asked with a smile.

"If we can go in, even better." Of course Yu Dazhang wanted to go in and broaden his horizons—after all, this kind of classified unit wasn't something just anyone could visit.

"Let me make a call."

Li Mingzhao said, stepping aside and pulling out his phone to dial. Two minutes later, he slipped the phone back into his pocket and beckoned to Yu Dazhang:

"Approved. Follow me."

The two then walked into one of the round buildings, where in a spacious room they saw researchers busily at work.

Their arrival didn't seem to faze these people, who went on with their work.

"Every researcher working here is from academia," Li Mingzhao introduced in a low voice.

Hearing this, Yu Dazhang kept a calm face, but inwardly he was already stunned.

He knew perfectly well the weight those three words—"academia"—carried.

In that circle, a researcher's path of growth could be called a road to godhood.

A PhD was the very bottom of the circle; a postdoc was just preparation for a formal faculty position.

Above that came lecturer, associate professor, and associate researcher.

And all of those still sat at the bottom of academia.

Only those who can rise to the mid-level academic circle can be called backbone figures—this tier includes professors, researchers, Outstanding Young Scholars, Distinguished Young Scholars…

I won't list them one by one; most people have never even heard of many of these titles.

Just as Yu Dazhang was still in shock, two men who looked to be in their fifties walked over toward them.

"Academician Chen, Academician Cui."

Li Mingzhao immediately stepped forward to greet them, a smile on his face, bowing his head slightly, his attitude humble and respectful.

This was the first time Yu Dazhang had ever seen this Section Chief Li treat anyone with such deference.

But then again, the other party truly deserved such treatment.

Academician—the highest academic title in the domestic academic circle, an existence standing at the very pinnacle of the scientific research pyramid.

And here, two of them had appeared at once.

Moreover, academicians in their fifties—such a thing was exceedingly rare across the entire academic circle.

These truly are the nation's sharpest instruments… Yu Dazhang stood quietly to one side, watching.

After exchanging greetings with Li Mingzhao, the two academicians walked over to a piece of equipment.

They kept discussing the icons on the equipment, as if they had run into some problem they couldn't solve.

"These two are both dual academicians."

Li Mingzhao said in a low voice:

"And they're the youngest in the country."

Hearing this, Yu Dazhang suddenly felt his shoulders grow heavy, as if he were bearing a mountain on his back.

What a joke!

Dual academicians!

And two of them, no less.

There are two kinds of academicians—those of the Academy of Sciences and those of the Academy of Engineering.

Whichever kind they are, they can all be called national-treasure-level figures.

A dual academician is a scientist who holds both titles simultaneously; across the entire country, they are rarer than phoenix feathers and qilin horns.

What on earth are they researching in here?

Yu Dazhang looked at the various instruments in the experimental hall, his heart full of questions.

No wonder they could attract top foreign agents—just these two academicians alone would be enough to drive those agents mad.

After standing in the experimental hall watching for a while longer, Yu Dazhang turned his head and said to Li Mingzhao:

"I'd like to go see the place where you had your earlier confrontation."

It was his first day here; he had to familiarize himself with the situation more so he could get into working condition faster.

Once outside, having just gotten into the car, Yu Dazhang opened his mouth and asked:

"Among the guards standing post inside, there are people from your special operations group, aren't there?"

"How did you know?" Li Mingzhao gave him a surprised glance:

"Don't tell me you just guessed."

Yu Dazhang thought back for a moment, then smiled and said:

"The last door—the guard standing on the right side—he's been watching me ever since I came in."

"The interesting thing is, he wasn't staring directly with his eyes, but watching me out of the corner of his eye. A proper guard wouldn't have that kind of habit."

(End of this chapter)