Ju Zi, who was standing beside Xu Tianran and gently massaging his temples, paused slightly in her movements.
A knowing glint flashed in the depths of her lowered eyes.
The time has come.
"Your Majesty, please calm down, Elder Kong, please don't be anxious." Ju Zi spoke up at the right moment, her voice gentle and soothing, breaking the extremely oppressive atmosphere in the Imperial Study.
She looked at Kong Deming, her beautiful face showing just the right amount of concern:
" Elder Kong, you said that the other side destroyed key nodes but avoided detection. It seems that their intention was not to completely Destruction, but rather... a demonstration? Or rather, interference?"
Kong Deming's sharp gaze fell on the Ju Zi, scrutinizing it.
He had little contact with this Empress, only knowing that she seemed to have a special background, enjoyed the Emperor's deep trust, and possessed considerable military insight.
She spoke at that moment, her words seemingly carrying a hidden meaning?
"What does Her Majesty the Empress mean?" Kong Deming asked in a deep voice.
Ju Zi bowed slightly, her posture elegant and composed.
"I am not familiar with the profound principles of soul guidance, but I am merely speculating based on common sense. If the other party can infiltrate undetected and cause precise destruction, then completely destroying the research institute should not be difficult for them?"
"But he didn't. This suggests he might have had some reservations, or... his purpose in sabotaging the research wasn't to stop it itself, but rather... to express an attitude?"
She paused, met Kong Deming's focused gaze, and continued:
"In my humble opinion, instead of expending enormous energy searching for a ghost that may never be found, why not... do the opposite?"
"Oh? How do we do the opposite?" Kong Deming pressed, a hint of interest flashing in his eyes.
Xu Tianran also looked at the Ju Zi, with a hint of anticipation.
"Since they seem to be putting on a show, why don't we give them a platform?" Ju Zi continued, "Withdraw all non-core, easily damaged devices and peripheral security forces from the core research area."
"Concentrate all the most elite defensive forces to construct a research Core Zone that is absolutely pure, absolutely quiet, and absolutely free from any unexpected interference."
"At the same time, a high-intensity, low-threat wide-area Soul Power resonance field was deployed around the entire research institute."
"This resonance field itself is not aggressive and will not even interfere with research, but it is like a huge basin of water. Any foreign object that enters it, no matter how invisible, will cause ripples on the surface and its location can be detected instantly, as long as it is not part of the research institute itself."
Ju Zi's plan is clear and straightforward; its core idea is:
Contract the defenses, create a pure Core Zone, and simultaneously use a wide-area Soul Power resonance field as an alarm basin.
Rather than searching for a needle in a haystack, it's better to lure the snake out of its hole, or at least make it impossible for the other party to completely hide when they try to sabotage you again.
Upon hearing this, Kong Deming's gray eyebrows first furrowed, then suddenly relaxed.
An astonishing light burst forth from his eyes.
Wonderful, absolutely wonderful.
This approach avoids direct confrontation with ghosts in the realm of stealth, thus playing to their strengths and avoiding their weaknesses.
The Core Zone was shrunk and purified, eliminating the possibility of accidental damage and ensuring the absolute safety of core research.
While the outer, wide-area Soul Power resonance field cannot directly attack or lock onto targets, it can form an insurmountable perception barrier.
If the other side wants to re-enter the Core Zone to cause damage, they will inevitably have to pass through this basin of water. Even the slightest ripple will instantly reveal their location.
At that point, the initiative will be back in their hands: whether to concentrate their forces to encircle and suppress them or to temporarily avoid their attacks.
"Excellent, what a brilliant counterintuitive approach!" Kong Deming couldn't help but applaud, his eyes filled with admiration as he looked at Ju Zi. "Your Majesty's plan turns the tables, striking at the heart of the matter. I've learned a great deal. This method is feasible and can restore core research in the fastest way possible."
His previous impression of the Empress was mostly that of a pretty face and the Emperor's assistant; he never expected her to have such keen insight and ingenious problem-solving skills.
This was something no ordinary woman in the imperial harem could achieve.
Xu Tianran also showed a happy expression, and his tightly furrowed brows finally relaxed a bit. He truly deserved to be called his most trusted Ju Zi, Ju Zi.
"The Empress is indeed wise. Elder Kong, let's do as the Empress says and carry it out immediately."
"As you command." Kong Deming's spirits lifted, and he immediately bowed to accept the order, turning around and striding away, his steps becoming lighter.
The Core Zone of the research institute was quickly adjusted according to Ju Zi's plan.
The elite forces contracted, the Core Zone was purified like a sterile room, and the vast outer area of Soul Power resonance field silently expanded, covering the entire outer area of the research institute.
When Toji tried to infiltrate again, he keenly sensed the omnipresent, ripple-like faint Soul Power on the outer perimeter.
This thing posed no real threat to him, but it was like an invisible spider web; touching it would alert the entire research institute.
He stopped at the edge of the resonance field, and a very slight smile seemed to curve the corner of his mouth in the shadows.
Ju Zi's reaction... was even faster than he had expected.
This alarm basin, though simple, was extremely effective, completely negating his advantage of silent infiltration...
Is that right?
Of course, that's impossible.
However, he needs to cooperate with Ju Zi's actions and also take this opportunity to expose his weakness of being able to hide in front of the Soul Tool.
In this way, Kong Deming and his team will be able to create large-scale Soul Tool specifically designed to counter him.
But is he really afraid of this?
Of course not.
This plan can be described as killing two birds with one stone: it can make Kong Deming see the value of Ju Zi, and it can also disrupt Toji's research direction.
Now that the goal has been achieved, Toji no need to linger. The figure disappears silently, like light merging into the morning sun, as if it had never existed.
Inside the research institute, the Soul Engineer responsible for monitoring the wide-area resonance field immediately detected the fleeting, extremely faint yet incredibly clear abnormal disturbance on the periphery.
"Alarm! Intrusion! Location... Gone? So fast!"
The monitor exclaimed in surprise.
Kong Deming stood in front of the control panel in the Core Zone, watching the disturbance signals that appeared and disappeared in an instant on the screen. He let out a long sigh of relief, his eyes gleaming.
"As expected... she was forced to leave." He muttered to himself, his opinion of Empress Ju Zi instantly rising to a whole new level.
This young queen was not only intelligent, but her methods also solved this thorny problem immediately.
This woman is no ordinary person!
Having seen countless people, Kong Deming deeply understands the weight of this wisdom.
This is something that women in the inner palace cannot easily possess.
The Ju Zi Queen... the value she has demonstrated has far exceeded the mere fact that she is the Empress favored by His Majesty.
Her military talent was already well-known, but now she has demonstrated such amazing strategic acumen in the Soul Tool defense system and crisis management...