A nation's industrial development begins with junior engineers.

Chapter 687 The sword is not so easy to wield.

After the leaders and their entourage left, the conference room fell into a sudden silence, as if the applause and solemn pronouncements from just moments before were nothing but an illusion.

Jiang Xia remained standing upright in place, like a statue frozen in place by an invisible force.

It wasn't until Secretary Liu noticed that something was wrong with him, gently took his arm, and led him to sit down on a chair that he let out a heavy sigh of relief, like a deflated balloon.

However, even after sitting down, his gaze seemed somewhat vacant, unconsciously focusing on a certain point in the crack between the bricks on the ground, and occasionally letting out two ambiguous, almost foolish "hehe" chuckles.

Secretary Liu looked at his absent-minded appearance, her lips moved a few times as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, all her words turned into a heavy sigh.

Pang Guoxing, however, was completely immersed in a different emotion and paid no attention to the complex expressions on the faces of the two men. He quickly and meticulously organized and packed all the drawings that Jiang Xia had previously drawn, including the A-10 sketch that was considered a "discarded draft".

Then, he held his densely filled notebook like a precious treasure, turning a page and involuntarily grinning, chuckling to himself. He turned another page and chuckled again, as if he were holding not a notebook, but a treasure map leading to some mysterious place.

For a moment, the atmosphere in the conference room became somewhat strange—one person was grinning blankly, one sighed heavily, and one laughed excitedly.

Jiang Xia's current state stems from Article 3 of the execution order: "To ensure the smooth progress of the audit and evaluation work, you are authorized to review all relevant files, materials, and accounts of the 'Dongfeng 113' project during the term of this appointment; to interview the original person in charge of the project and the participants; and to call upon necessary auxiliary personnel and resources as needed for the work."

What do these few words mean?

To put it bluntly, this is a "royal sword"! No, it's even more powerful than an "imperial envoy"—the words "summon for talks" and "requisition" have no qualifiers whatsoever!

This means that as long as Jiang Xia believes it is "necessary" for the audit and evaluation work and for "smooth progress," he can take almost any measures that he deems necessary and reasonable.

The sheer magnitude and scope of this power overwhelmed his brain, leaving him only to instinctively and repeatedly process the immense shockwaves generated by the unrestrained wording.

This is not over yet!

Following the execution order that granted him immense power was another letter of appointment, also bearing a bright red seal: and that wasn't all, following the execution order was yet another letter of appointment:

"The project 'A Concept Based on a Digital Regional Joint Defense System' has been officially launched. To ensure the orderly progress of the project, the project name has been changed to 'Project 03'. ... Comrade Jiang Xia is appointed as the chief person in charge of the project."

Compared to an "execution order," this power of attorney appears quite concise. However, sometimes, the simpler the document, the more it represents...

Pang Guoxing's silly laughter and Secretary Liu's sigh finally reached Jiang Xia's ears as if through a thick pane of glass, slightly pulling him back to reality from the dizziness of the power surge. He blinked hard and shook his head, trying to dispel the confusion before his eyes and the buzzing echo in his ears. He didn't know if it was the lingering sound of the appointment being read out or the sound of his own blood rushing.

“Project 03… ‘Project 03’…” He unconsciously repeated this brand-new code name, his fingers tapping on the armrest of the chair.

"Hiss... The young lady's original project was called Project 02, right? It wasn't until she developed it to the later stages of the project that it was called Project 596..."

"Hey, what's 01 again?"

"Oh, it should be that thing in Fangshan District..." (Our first heavy water experimental reactor is located here)

"Huh? This project's code name comes so early?"

The code name was like a key, instantly opening another gate. The grand ideas that had been considered in the early stages, such as digital air defense, radar networking, information sharing, and rapid response, flooded into his mind like a tide, almost forcing Jiang Xia to unconsciously enter a state of rationality again.

However, the thought of the immense power wielded by the execution order forced him to suppress that feeling.

"They trust me that much? But where do I even begin? Hey, after all this talk, what exactly is my job title? Am I just going to carry the title of chief designer and conquer the world?"

"Huh? Why are they being so aggressive? I really don't want to deal with strangers..."

Jiang Xia held his feverish head, unsure of what to do next.

Come to think of it, currently Xiao Daimao holds the auditing power over the massive and sensitive "Dongfeng 113" project in his left hand:

To review files and accounts that may involve countless people and events, to "interview" those seniors or even leaders who may be in high positions of power and have extensive experience, to judge the complex reasons behind the project's failure, and even to touch upon some "different dreams under the same bed" that he is unwilling to think about.

He understands technology, but he doesn't understand people's hearts, let alone the intricate web of interests! Holding this "imperial sword" in his hand, it felt heavy and icy cold. He had no idea where to swing the first sword, or how to swing it without harming the innocent or getting himself into trouble.

On his right is a national-level cutting-edge project codenamed "03," a grand vision concerning the future defense landscape. As the chief person in charge, he not only has to come up with technical solutions, but also build a team, coordinate resources, manage progress, and control the direction...

Jiang Xia looked back on the path he had taken and realized that he had always been under the protection of his elders, calculating and deducing in his own little world.

But now, he needs to lead others, communicate and coordinate, and deal with the operation of a huge system. Just thinking about how to build a project team, how to allocate tasks, and how to balance the demands of all parties makes him feel a sense of bewilderment.

"How...how can I live up to all of this?"

"Pat pat pat..." Footsteps echoed down the corridor, and then Old Wang emerged from the doorway with a sigh: "Jiang Xia! Quick, the person you invited has arrived, greet them!"

Hearing that someone had arrived, Jiang Xia's almost boiling brain finally loosened up a bit. He was also quite curious about the "unique" thing that Teacher Fangzhou had mentioned.

Just as I stood up, a man in his thirties appeared in the doorway: "Where's the thing?"

"How did you determine that Fe[Fe(CN)?] can be used as an antidote? You know, the Prussian blue you have was invented by Hanscat's pigment maker in the 17th century. I checked the literature before I came here, and the literature shows that it only contains a cubic lattice and cyano coordinate bonds, but it does not mention the discovery of toxicity!"

Wow! Professional knowledge is being slapped in the face! This is the first time that the little guy with the ahoge (a slang term for a person with a doll-like hair) has experienced such treatment, as he usually uses this kind of mental attack on others.

Old Wang gave an awkward smile and tried to smooth things over: "This is Ms. Yuyuan, originally..."

"I'm from the Institute of Pharmacy!" Professor Yuyuan's inexplicable anger puzzled Jiang Xia.

"Haha, young comrade, don't blame Yu Yuan, he was just in a hurry." A middle-aged man behind Old Wang chimed in, "Young comrade, hello, you can call me Comrade Xinghan!"

As he spoke, Teacher Xinghan led Teacher Yuyuan behind him, completely shielding Yuyuan from view.

"Young comrade, you are unaware of this. While developing the nuclear industry, the Second Ministry of Machine Building discovered that the risk of radioactive nuclides causing cancer in the human body was increasing..."

Before she could finish speaking, Misono hurriedly interrupted her: "Teacher! You can't explain it clearly..."

"Hey... this young comrade knows just as much as you do! There are some things that need to be clarified. Bringing emotions to the lab bench is a big no-no! Have you forgotten the first lesson I taught you?"

"Yes!"

Every master has a natural air of authority when facing their obedient disciple. However, Jiang Xia could tell that this was Teacher Xinghan protecting Yu Yuan.

Li Changfu had done this kind of protection countless times, but he only did it when dealing with higher-level leaders.

Hmm? Does that mean I'm considered a superior by Teacher Xinghan?

It was only later that Jiang Xia realized this.