In the end, Master Elder, standing nearby, was the first to react. His aged face flushed, and he gave a dry cough, breaking the strange silence.
"Mr. Lin Mo, we will never forget what you have done for the Elves!"
Lin Mo caught on and shot the old man a look that said, You know how this works, while waving a dismissive hand.
"Oh, you're far too kind, Master. As a traveler from another world, I'm already deeply grateful that your people have taken me in. There's no need to talk about repayment."
Kind words were no match for a hefty bank transfer. That truth held in any world.
After hearing Elder's words, Fendona understood at once. A lovely blush spread across her fair cheeks, and she hastily added:
"I was presumptuous. Providing us with the plans was already an enormous kindness. We should not ask any more of you."
She paused, her tone becoming utterly sincere.
"But... these are extraordinary times, and our people's lives hang in the balance. If you are willing to help, every one of us Elves will remember your kindness and repay it!"
The little abacus in Lin Mo's head clattered away.
Now that's more like it. An empty promise is still a promise. Let them write the check first. Who knows? Maybe I can cash it someday.
He said there was no need, but his actions were far more honest as he began planning his next move.
With a grand wave of his hand, he asked for paper and a pen, ready to give an impromptu lesson and draw such "divine artifacts" as set squares, rulers, and compasses for these magic-wielding locals.
Just as he was about to put pen to paper, his hand froze in midair.
Everyone: ???
Lin Mo: ...
His head buzzed as though ten thousand bees were having an orgy inside it.
Oh, crap.
He suddenly realized there was a fatal problem that could blow the entire industrialization process to pieces before it even began.
He couldn't accurately draw one centimeter.
If he drew a random line and defined it as one centimeter, what if it was only nine millimeters, or his hand slipped and made it 1.1 centimeters? Wouldn't everything manufactured using that standard turn out completely wonky?
The tiniest initial error could lead to an enormous discrepancy!
He had a feeling that if he drew a twenty-centimeter ruler, he would end up with twenty "centimeters," each a different length.
Fuck! I've been possessed by a humanities major!
"Ahem... well, this is a secret method that cannot be taught lightly." Without batting an eye, Lin Mo forcibly steered the subject toward mysticism.
"I need to go back and make some preparations, and discuss this with my people."
A flicker of disappointment crossed Fendona's eyes, but she quickly recovered and bowed slightly with a smile.
"Of course, that's all right. Knowledge this important really is... sorry for the trouble, then."
"All right, carry on. See you tomorrow."
Outwardly calm, Lin Mo said his goodbyes, slipped back to his room, and lay down.
He had no idea how much time passed. His hazy consciousness drifted into sleep and then awoke again. Opening his eyes, he saw the familiar ceiling of his modern bedroom.
"Whew..." He let out a long breath and grabbed the radio beside his bed.
"Hey, I'm back."
"Copy that." Zhao Gang's voice came through almost immediately.
To accommodate Lin Mo, the entire New Hope Team had synchronized their schedules with his. Aside from essential personnel on duty, most of them rested while he was in the other world.
After washing up, Lin Mo opened the door and found Zhao Gang planted outside like a guardian statue.
"Huh? Don't you brush your teeth and wash your face when you wake up?"
Lin Mo instinctively stepped back half a pace, putting on a look of disgust, wary of any lingering morning breath.
A muscle in Zhao Gang's face twitched.
"I wash up faster than you. I live right next door."
"Heh." Lin Mo gave a couple of awkward chuckles.
"I was overthinking it. Come on in, then. I don't have any experience handling the details of this, either. I'll explain the situation, and you can figure out what to do."
Zhao Gang nodded.
"All right. Tell me first. I'll sort the information into categories and pass it on to everyone."
Lin Mo agreed.
"Exactly. Otherwise, I'll get buried in questions again."
Zhao Gang smiled faintly and gestured for Lin Mo to sit first.
Lin Mo settled onto the sofa and extended a hand.
"Have a seat too, Zhao Gang. Make yourself at home."
Lin Mo then recounted every detail of the production bottlenecks the Elves faced and their need for standardized tools.
After listening, Zhao Gang nodded, stood up, and handed him a brand-new phone.
"I'll get things arranged right away. Use this phone from now on. It's a secure model, safe and reliable. Our internal base app is installed on it, so you can handle food, clothing, housing, and transportation through it. I've loaded it with plenty of points."
He glanced at Lin Mo.
"You have high-level access. Just order whatever you want to eat, and someone will deliver it. I'll come find you once the tools and plans are ready."
Lin Mo's eyes lit up.
They even provide phones?
Sure enough, stick with the organization, and everything will be taken care of!
After seeing Zhao Gang off, he immediately began exploring his new phone.
He opened the app called "Ark Home." Its interface was simple, and it had a full range of functions.
His points balance was followed by a string of Chengdu.
He ordered enough lavish meat and fish dishes to fill a table. Sure enough, high-level access meant he could do whatever he wanted.
He turned on the wall-sized screen in the living room and connected it to the console. Before long, the doorbell rang, and piping-hot food arrived.
"Burp~"
Lin Mo took a long swig of ice-cold cola, grabbed a roasted lobster as thick as his arm, and tore into it.
"Living the dream. Not bad at all!"
In the past, he wouldn't have dared dream of a life like this.
With his hunger and thirst satisfied, he sprawled on the sofa, picked up the controller, and immersed himself in a triple-A game in 4K.
He had to admit, a big screen was awesome!
Meanwhile, as Zhao Gang busied himself distributing the information to the various expert teams, the lights were also on in Elder Zhao's office in Celestial Pivot City.
Elder Zhao had just woken from his rest when his secretary knocked and entered.
"Sir, the New Hope Team has sent an encrypted video. You need to review it personally."
His interest stirred, and he immediately sat up straight.
"Understood."
He turned on his computer, logged into the internal system, and found the video.
The moment he opened it, his eyes widened, and then, quickly-
"This screen is too small!"
"Li, arrange Conference Room Two immediately."
Secretary Li nodded at once.
Conference Room Two could accommodate over a hundred people. Most importantly, it had a cinema-grade giant screen and a complete Dolby surround sound system.
In the empty conference room, Elder Zhao sat alone in the center, his heartbeat quickening slightly as he waited for Secretary Li to finish setting things up.
Soon, the lights went out, and the screen lit up.
The video began playing.
The footage began with Lin Mo waking up, shown from his perspective. When he opened the door, an enormous tree towering into the sky filled the frame!
It was a colossal tree as vast as a city. It not only filled the entire screen but instantly consumed his attention as well.
"Incredible..."
Birdsong and the fragrance of flowers filled the world as the camera moved among countless graceful Elves.
A real, fantastical other world left the conference room's only two occupants profoundly awestruck.
Several hours passed. Both men watched with wide eyes until the video ended and the screen went dark.
Silence filled the conference room.
Before you continue