These Are the Pillars of the Nation

"Chairman, the ship has docked."

Alita came in to report. At once, the academicians, who had only hurriedly eaten a little, tossed aside their boxed meals and rushed toward the pier.

By the time everyone arrived at the container terminal, the ten-thousand-ton container ship had already docked with the assistance of tugboats.

The captain had been on edge the entire journey. His ten-thousand-ton container ship had actually been escorted all the way to the dock by warships. Who would believe that if he told them?

There were more than a dozen people on board who had happened to be returning home. The company had told the crew to build good business relations with them. In this fiercely competitive era, having such a wealthy client was truly a blessing.

Yet those people aboard the ship barely spoke or smiled. They were so cold they seemed capable of freezing someone to death. They ate, slept, and used the restroom according to schedule, and otherwise hardly said a word.

That was how Chu Feng had arranged them. Outwardly, they were living, breathing people, but inside, they were nothing more than cold machines.

The captain and crew were dumbfounded when they saw such a massive reception at the dock. What was going on? Why were even SWAT officers standing guard?

Could the people on this ship be terrorists? Thinking of their strange behavior over the past few days, the crew grew more frightened the more they thought about it, becoming increasingly convinced that their guesses were right.

"This company has really gotten me into trouble..." The captain could not help but feel bitter. As the captain, he normally earned the highest salary and did not need to do much work, but he was responsible for everything on board. In short, when nothing happened, he was fine. When something did happen, there was no escaping it.

The imagined arrest never came. Instead, port personnel welcomed the crew, while those "strange people" descended the gangway amid everyone's greetings.

"Welcome home, fellow compatriots!"

The mayor and the city leadership personally stepped forward to welcome them. These people were treasures, and it was said they would all be working within his jurisdiction. They would become Hailing's calling card, so Mayor Shen naturally took them very seriously.

"Hello, Mayor Shen. We have successfully brought the equipment to Hailing and completed our mission." The words were icy and devoid of emotion, but no one cared. As long as someone was capable, that was simply called personality!

"President Chu, the research team and the equipment have arrived safely and intact. Please give your instructions."

He then turned and reported to Chu Feng. After all, they were Engineering Robots without emotions. Chu Feng had improvised those earlier lines, or Mayor Shen would probably have been even more embarrassed.

"Everyone, let's go to the meeting room first. We can get to know each other, and the containers need to be unloaded anyway. We can wait there."

As the host, Chu Feng could only arrange for everyone to go to the meeting room first.

"Yes, everyone, let's head over." Old Lu also spoke up. Seeing that the equipment and personnel had arrived, he no longer cared about waiting a little longer. The huge weight in his heart had finally been lifted.

A whole crowd had just left, and now they returned again. The staff had already cleared the tables spotless.

Once they were seated, everyone had nothing more than a simple cup of tea before them.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Chu Feng decided to have the Engineering Robots introduce themselves first.

"Hello, everyone. I am Gong Yi, a materials engineer at Origin Company."

"Hello, everyone. I am Gong Er, a mechanical engineer at Origin Company."

"Hello, everyone. I am Gong San, an information technology engineer at Origin Company."

Their introductions were indeed concise. That was also because Chu Feng had been too lazy to come up with names. He had simply numbered them one, two, three, four, five, and so on. Anyone could tell what they did just by hearing it, but no one knew what kind of technology these people actually possessed.

There were many academicians from various fields among those who had come, and they were all curious about this so-called overseas Chinese research team.

Old Lu was the leader, so naturally he needed to probe their depth.

After Chu Feng indicated that they could ask whatever they liked, everyone eagerly began speaking.

Though these engineers were robots, their foundation was incredibly strong. They might not have mastered Planet Taibo's most advanced technology, but based on their stored knowledge alone, they could crush not only this planet, but even Level Three civilizations.

Chu Feng could not understand a single question raised by the old academicians, so he could only listen boredly from the side. But for the old academicians, it was as though they had received enlightenment. So it could be done this way?

Research problems that had tormented them for years were effortless in these people's mouths. Some academicians were even criticized until their faces turned red, yet they still refused to give up. It was as though they had returned to their days as apprentices first entering the field of scientific research, facing their own mentors.

It could even be said that the knowledge and technology possessed by those present were enough to crush their own mentors. This made the old academicians seem to regain their youth. What began as discussion gradually became consultation, and finally, worship!

Meanwhile, the assistants and officials accompanying them were already stunned. Which of these old academicians, who had spent their entire lives in research, was not proud and arrogant? Their tempers were not necessarily bad, but they were certainly prideful. When had they become such obedient children?

This completely shattered their worldview.

The entire meeting room was filled with cries of, "Master Gong is right!"

"Yes, yes, how did I not think of that?"

"So that's how it is. Master, you're incredible."

Where were these proud academicians? They were practically elementary school students...

"Would Master Gong be willing to come to the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Jinling to guide us? The Chinese Academy of Sciences in Jinling is willing to offer all of you the treatment of academicians."

An old academician from Jinling spoke up with an invitation.

That immediately stirred up a hornet's nest. Everyone thought, Hey, you old bastard, are you trying to poach them? No way. There are only so many masters here, and there aren't enough to go around. We have to fight for them too.

With that thought, the old academicians grew excited again.

"Masters, our academy in Yangcheng is offering academician positions. The benefits will be generous as well. I can personally guarantee double the benefits."

"Masters, don't listen to him. Shanghai has world-class software and hardware conditions. Academic positions and benefits are negotiable. We will definitely satisfy you..."

"Our Kyoto branch..."

The mood shifted, and the scientific discussion turned into a marketplace. They raised offers and disparaged other places, all in hopes of luring these masters to their own branches of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. If these masters joined their branch, its research capabilities would immediately rise several levels and completely crush the other branches. How could they not be tempted?

This left Chu Feng somewhat embarrassed. Only he knew that these Engineering Robots could never agree, and neither would he. Who knew what trouble that might cause?

Chu Feng instructed Gong Yi to speak. "Thank you all for your generous invitations. We are deeply honored. However, Origin Company trained us, so we can only disappoint you. Still, if you have any questions in the future, you are welcome to come to Hailing for discussion. We will gladly welcome you. And once the equipment has been installed, you may also verify the ideas in your minds."

After hearing Gong Yi's words, the meeting room finally quieted down. Everyone looked at Chu Feng with some resentment, as though he had become Huang Shiren from the old days. These people could all be considered pillars of the nation. Keeping them in a small company like Origin Company felt like a waste of talent.

But Origin Company had trained them, and it had its own ideas and decisions.

Besides, they had already said that anyone could come discuss problems with them in the future—really, to seek their guidance. What else was there to be dissatisfied about?

After all, one could not be too greedy, right? There was plenty of time ahead. Perhaps these masters would change their minds someday?

Yes, they needed to send a few favored disciples to be stationed in Hailing permanently. With these masters around, Hailing would undoubtedly become a cradle of future research achievements, a holy land for all Chinese researchers.

It was clear just how important these "masters" were in the hearts of the old academicians.

Director Chen had also heard Lin Lin's report. When he learned of the old academicians' attitude toward the so-called overseas Chinese research team, he nearly fell out of his chair.

But the next instant, his heart filled with wild joy. He had been the one to make the connection, and he had been the one to withstand the pressure and decide to treat Chu Feng well. He had never expected the reward to come so quickly. He could already foresee his path being smooth sailing, with his career soaring into the clouds.

"Chu Feng really is my lucky star!"

When Chen Rongzhong heard that Chu Feng needed to arrange household registration for these precious researchers, he thumped his chest and guaranteed that he would get it done.

They were treasures, and they could not be cherished enough. Although Chinese citizenship was the hardest to obtain, no country would ever reject talents like these. Chen Rongzhong believed that if they truly wanted to join any other country, they would receive treatment worthy of national treasures.

I suddenly found that the new book had reached seventh place on the rankings. I'm a little excited, so since I'm in a good mood, here's an extra chapter.

Writing on a phone isn't easy. Please vote with recommendation tickets—your recommendations are my motivation.