Could the laboratory get access to a destroyer?
Hearing the question, Lucy paused the video and tilted her head in thought for a moment. "Access to a destroyer? That would probably be difficult."
"Our laboratory doesn't seem to have much cooperation with the Navy. Even the radar systems on ships were developed by MIT's Radiation Laboratory."
After all, every field had its specialists. LLNL National Laboratory worked more with the Air Force, while the Navy collaborated with several other national laboratories.
So naturally, there could not possibly be any missile destroyers or other kinds of warships at the laboratory.
Hearing Lucy's explanation, Lu Ze naturally realized that she had misunderstood him.
She had probably thought he meant how someone could get access to weaponry like destroyers within the laboratory.
"No, I only mean getting up close. As long as I can take a look and touch one, that'll be enough." Lu Ze spoke with earnest eyes.
"Just that? Isn't that easy?"
Lucy looked at him strangely and answered his question. "Just attend a Navy open day. Getting up close won't be a problem at all."
"Forget touching it—you could roll around all over the deck if you wanted."
LLNL Laboratory was located in the Bay Area. Why was it called the Bay Area? Because it was right by the sea!
Navy open days were held every so often. Nuclear submarines and nuclear-powered aircraft carriers might be hard to get near, but destroyers were practically regular guests at these events. Seeing one would be easy.
Lu Ze inwardly cursed his own carelessness. Right, how hadn't I thought of that just now?
Eagle Sauce held commemorative events like Navy open days every so often. As long as one registered in advance, one could board warships for a tour.
In a few years, when the Eagle Sauce Navy ran short on money, one could even spend a few hundred US Dollars to freely tour a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier for an entire day.
With that question settled, Lu Ze kept staring brightly at Lucy, his gaze carrying an inexplicable meaning.
Lucy got goosebumps all over. She could not stand that look. "You want to attend the Navy open day?"
"That's right. Can you help me, Lucy?" Lu Ze nodded.
Although he was an international student in Eagle Sauce, he was genuinely a Great Xia citizen. There was no guarantee that he would be approved for one of these Navy open days; after all, such events were meant for the country's own citizens.
Lucy shot him an annoyed look. "Fine, I'll take you there when the time comes."
She could bring someone to LLNL Laboratory's maintenance center, so what was a mere Navy open day?
Registration? What was that? Did Lucy need to register?
"Let me check when the next Navy open day is." She opened a browser and quickly entered a website to search. "It's scheduled for May 17."
"So that's next Sunday?"
"Yes." Lucy nodded.
Naturally, open days had to be held on Sundays or holidays. Otherwise, who would have nothing better to do than go look at a destroyer? Did people really think Eagle Sauce did not have 996?
And open days were not held so the public could have fun with the military. More importantly, the Eagle Sauce Navy could make money. Although reservation tickets were free—
Nobody said the various onboard activities, souvenirs, and food were free. On the contrary, those were the main sources of profit, and they cost several times more than usual.
"Lucy, what ships are attending this Navy open day?" Lu Ze felt a faint stir of excitement. He did not care much about anything else; he only cared about what technological items he could copy.
"I really don't know about that."
Lucy frowned and searched the website on her laptop some more. "It looks like two ships are participating in the open day: some kind of Ticonderoga-class cruiser, and the USS Milius missile destroyer."
"Great. Let's go together next Sunday."
Lu Ze was even more delighted inside.
He had no interest in that old, beat-up Ticonderoga-class cruiser. Wasn't that thing practically about to retire? It would probably be hauled off to the scrapyard right after this Navy open day.
But the USS Milius missile destroyer was exactly what he wanted.
It was an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, the world's strongest currently active destroyer, worth two billion US Dollars.
The next day, at the Great Xia Academy of Sciences.
At nine in the morning, it was close to midnight over in California, Eagle Sauce.
Inside the director's office, two elderly men whose combined ages exceeded a hundred were drinking tea and playing chess. After all, this was one of their few hobbies.
"Old Man Zheng, are you cheating?" Zhang Yuli looked at the pieces on the board. "How did my cannon get taken by your rook?"
They clearly were not even on the same line. Had his eyes deceived him just now?
"What? It's the twenty-first century now. Is it strange for a rook to turn corners? We old folks have to keep up with the times too." Zheng Lixing spoke with complete confidence.
So what if he cheated a little after losing more than a dozen games in a row? If he kept losing, he would truly become the "Great Xia Academy of Sciences' famous terrible chess player."
Just as they were joking around—
A series of beeps rang out in the director's office, and the two immediately hurried in a certain direction.
It was the urgent alert for an email from the Mysterious Organization. No matter when it sounded, the two of them had to deal with it as quickly as possible.
That was why they had previously said that although this secret group possessed enormous authority, its responsibilities and obligations were equally exhausting.
A moment later.
[This time, we have prepared a great gift for you. A particularly great gift.] [Please have Great Xia make preparations! —Great Wall Watchers]
Looking at the email—
Zheng Lixing read it out with some confusion. "They prepared a great gift for us?"
"Something's not right."
Zhang Yuli's expression turned extremely grave. "What kind of technology could be called a great gift by the Mysterious Organization?"
What they were giving this time definitely was not ordinary technology, but something of immense significance to Great Xia.
When the Mysterious Organization had sent the F-22 fighter jet blueprints before, it had not called them a great gift or told Great Xia to prepare.
Yet this time, it had given advance notice?
"What exactly could it be? This is killing me." Zheng Lixing paced back and forth, one technology after another flashing through his mind before he rejected every one of them.
"Wait. I think we'll have an answer soon enough." Zhang Yuli calmed the excitement in his heart.
A new week had begun. Today was Monday.
At eight in the morning, Lu Ze got up on schedule and began making himself breakfast.
Although the laboratory cafeteria was free, eating too many white people meals made his stomach suffer.
So when he had the time, Lu Ze would occasionally make himself a proper Great Xia meal. Naturally, he would not forget to make a portion for that little glutton Lucy.
Lu Ze glanced at the system information and muttered, "The copy attempts have refreshed."
But although the copy attempts had refreshed, he did not intend to use one today.
However—
Before he could finish making breakfast, the doorbell rang.
"Lucy, just come in." Lu Ze did not even raise his head. Lucy was the only person who would come looking for him in the dormitory.
"I made tomato and egg soup noodles today, but I only used four portions of noodles, so it might not be enough."
After all, he only needed one portion, while Lucy needed five or six portions just to be seventy percent full.
The phrase "you'll eat me into poverty" might not have been a joke when it came to her.
Lu Ze brought over two bowls of noodles that were completely different in size. Strictly speaking, one of them should have been called a basin.
"I like tomato noodles." Lucy's beautiful eyes lit up. She immediately stuffed a huge chopstickful into her mouth, and the tip of her tongue instantly turned red.
"Ah, these noodles are so hot."
"Eat slower. We've still got plenty of time before work." Lu Ze twitched the corner of his mouth. She might be a big eater, but she could not handle hot food.
While wolfing down her food, Lucy suddenly seemed to remember something. "Oh right, Lu Ze. That weapon you were looking forward to the most arrived in storage today."
"Do you want to go take a close look later? The visiting time might be a little tight, though."
"The weapon I was looking forward to the most?" Lu Ze's mind rapidly recalled that phantom-like silhouette, and his voice involuntarily rose. "You mean the B-2 bomber has arrived at the laboratory?"
There was only one weapon he had been most looking forward to: the B-2 Spirit bomber!
"Yes. It arrived last night and will be repaired and upgraded here for five days." After speaking, Lucy swallowed another huge mouthful of noodles.
Great Xia handmade noodles really were far tastier than any pasta.
Although Lu Ze's face remained calm, a storm was raging in his heart!
Plans have changed. Time to steal the B-2 bomber!
It was not that he did not want to wait until Sunday to copy it. The B-2 bomber was simply too tempting.
(Third update is here. Please vote with monthly tickets and recommendation tickets!)
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