Copy! This F-22 Still Has Charm, Let Me See!

The pedestrians hurried along. Even though it was only eight in the morning, the California sun felt scorching and unbearable.

LLNL Laboratory Employee Cafeteria.

Because it was Monday, the number of people coming for breakfast was more than double the usual, making it unusually crowded.

Everyone's gaze inevitably turned in one direction, towards the two people currently devouring their meal, surrounded by piles of food.

Lucy and Lu Ze, now accustomed to being the center of attention, didn't mind.

"I didn't expect they'd have Chinese food for breakfast today? And it looks like pre-processed dishes, this is really..."

Lu Ze wiped his mouth, saying with lingering satisfaction, "Fucking delicious!"

If this kind of pre-processed Chinese food were served back home, even the most good-tempered customer would curse the chef's ancestors until they smoked.

But this was Eagle Country, and Lu Ze could only describe the dish as a 'delicacy'.

Even the 'Lin'an Hangzhou cuisine,' considered a culinary desert in Great Xia, was a dimensional-crushing advantage here.

"Lu Ze, aren't you eating anymore?" Lucy was still in full-on eating mode. "These dumplings are delicious, you should eat more."

"You eat them, I'm full."

Lu Ze's forehead was covered in dark lines.

While he could tolerate other pre-processed dishes, these dumplings were something he absolutely couldn't accept.

Who could tell him why the dumplings here were made with cream and strawberries as filling? Is this something humans can eat?

Lu Ze, being kind-hearted, couldn't stand this heresy. These abominations should all be burned!

More than ten minutes later, with several more empty plates on the table.

Lucy took a few sips of juice and stood up, stretching her limbs. "Lu Ze, are you free this afternoon?"

"Yes, I'm free. What's up?" Lu Ze nodded.

Was that even a question? As Professor Hasen's two most capable disciples, when were they not free?

They did nothing but sleep and play!

"I plan to go to the maintenance center this afternoon," Lucy said, stretching and showcasing her impressive curves. "Come with me and help me out."

She needed to deliver some materials to the maintenance center. Although her personality was even more laid-back than Lu Ze's, this was a request from Professor Hasen, and as a student, she didn't mind helping out a little.

However, these materials weighed about fifty to sixty pounds combined, and besides Lu Ze, she couldn't think of anyone better to ask.

It wasn't that Lucy didn't know anyone else, but she simply didn't get along as well with others in the lab as she did with Lu Ze.

"Going to the maintenance center?"

Lu Ze's heart leaped with joy, but his face remained as calm as still water. "Then I'll go with you later."

He had been thinking during breakfast about what excuse he could use to get Lucy to take him there.

After all, the new batch of weapons and equipment hadn't been put into storage yet, so using his previous reason would be a bit hard to justify. He hadn't expected Lucy to offer to go to the maintenance center herself.

"I'll find you later."

Lucy walked out of the cafeteria with light steps, showing no signs of being full.

As evening approached, LLNL Laboratory Weapon and Equipment Maintenance Center.

It was the same large workshop filled with various weapons and equipment.

"It will take me half an hour to deliver the materials. Lu Ze, wait for me here for a bit," Lucy said with a smile, heading towards the internal area in front of the maintenance center, which was the true core inspection and upgrade zone.

What was currently here was more like a large storage warehouse for weapons and equipment.

"Okay," Lu Ze replied, watching Lucy's graceful figure disappear into the distance.

He surveyed the various technological items around him.

"Opportunity knocks. What should I choose to replicate this time?"

Lu Ze muttered softly.

His only requirement was that the Achievement Points reward be as high as possible. Deliberately pursuing the rarity of an item was counterproductive.

"I don't need ordinary weapon and equipment technology..."

He thought to himself, "Great Xia probably can't even digest it all yet."

For example, after the previously replicated F-22 fighter jet and Boeing 777 technology were submitted to Great Xia, the personnel responsible for coordination would be busy for a while.

Besides, they needed to give others some buffer time; this couldn't be rushed.

"F-15 'Eagle,' no, the Achievement Points are too low."

"M1A2 Main Battle Tank, four thousand Achievement Points? Too low, don't want it."

"B-1B bomber, six thousand points. This is a backup option."

"...Two hundred points? Is this old relic from Washington's entry? What's the point of keeping this junk?"

Lu Ze wandered around the warehouse, picking and choosing.

He would touch one piece of equipment for five seconds, then another, constantly comparing them in his mind.

After browsing for about ten minutes, the best reward turned out to be 6000 Achievement Points from the B-1B "Lancer" Bomber.

Suddenly.

He was transported next to an old friend, the familiar F-22 fighter jet.

"Let me take a good look. How have you been developing lately?"

"Repeating the replication will reduce the Achievement Points. I just don't know how much the F-22 will still provide," Lu Ze wondered as he placed his hand on it.

As a high-tech item replicated for the first time, he clearly remembered it was worth a full 10,000 Achievement Points.

[Current Technological Item: F-22A Model (Already Replicated)]

[Value in Achievement Points: 7500.]

[This item will no longer reward technology blueprints. Do you wish to proceed with replication?]

7500 points? Repeating the replication only reduced the reward by 25%?

"I just don't know if there's a threshold for this decrease," Lu Ze thought.

This was huge good news for him. After all, with one replication per week, that's a total of fifty-two replications a year. It was inevitable that he would encounter high-tech items that he had already replicated. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to find so many high-tech items worth replicating at the moment.

However, if there was no threshold, replicating it three or four times would turn even a top-tier fighter jet like the F-22 into a very ordinary item.

A slight smile crept onto Lu Ze's lips as he secretly said, "Yes, proceed with replication."

Since the Achievement Points for this F-22 fighter jet were so high, why wouldn't he replicate it?

Was he afraid Great Xia wouldn't know how to fly it, or would they worry about having too many? Such a graceful F-22 fighter jet couldn't be missed.

[Replication of current technological item, F-22A Model, successful!]

[Reward: 7500 Achievement Points, F-22A Model physical item (stored in inventory).]

[System Space Inventory: F-22 Fifth Generation Heavy Air Superiority Fighter x2, Boeing 777-300ER, .]

Meanwhile, at the Great Xia Academy of Sciences, in the dean's conference room.

Zhang Yuli and Zheng Lixing sat in their chairs, contemplating the most crucial issue before them.

It wasn't the J-20 project, nor was it the purely domestically produced C919 project.

Instead, it concerned the mysterious person, or perhaps they could be called a 'mysterious organization.'

"Old Zhang, what's the progress on the 1000 schools that the mysterious person requested be built?" Zheng Lixing took a puff from his hand-rolled pipe.

He disliked ordinary cigarettes; their kick was too weak.

It wasn't that doctors hadn't reminded him that he should quit smoking at his age. However, he had been smoking for decades without any health issues, so Zheng Lixing hadn't paid it much mind.

"Building 1000 schools with one billion US Dollars is not a problem."

Zhang Yuli frowned. "The difficult part is finding so many teachers."

How many faculty and staff would 1000 schools need? It was a staggering astronomical figure that made one's scalp tingle.

What was even more troublesome was that the schools might be built, but the teachers might never be properly assigned.

This was not only the reward for that 'mysterious organization' but also concerned the education and livelihood of the entire Northwest Province. They couldn't afford to be careless.

If they couldn't handle such a matter properly, let alone what the 'mysterious organization' would think of Great Xia, they wouldn't be able to live with themselves.

The educational issues in Northwest Province were now a matter of extreme urgency.

(Seeking follow-up reads, seeking collection!! If you have monthly passes and recommendation tickets, feel free to throw them over!)