Song Ning froze, then quickly pushed him away, her expression grave. "What was it?"
Only then did Gu Zheng settle beside Song Ning and explain in detail:
"Although Unit 331 has provided security throughout the Dawn Project, we contact Blue Shield members through a dedicated line using code names. Unless something unusual happens, we don't meet. Or rather, even if we do meet, we only know each other's code names, not our real identities.
"Now that the main forces of the 'K' organization have been wiped out and the threat to the Research Bases across the country has been eliminated, the project has reached a critical stage. The national director overseeing the project arranged a meeting between those of us in charge of its various operations."
At this, Song Ning couldn't help asking, "Besides research and security, there are lots of other operations?"
"Yes! The researchers are, of course, the heart of the project. Every one of them has concealed their identity and spent decades tucked away in some remote corner, far from family and friends. They've all made tremendous sacrifices for the country. To keep the research moving forward, besides the nationwide security provided by Unit 331, there are also supplies, medical support, and so on. There are factories like the Guo'an Machinery Factory, too, which appear to be privately run manufacturers but actually provide practical technical support.
"It's thanks to all these comrades, working together on every front, both openly and behind the scenes, that we've achieved what we have today."
Song Ning was moved. Indeed, she hadn't been here long, yet even among the people she had met, many had made sacrifices for the Dawn Project.
"So, you met the person in charge of Blue Shield?"
"Yes! Only under absolutely secure conditions like those can we learn