Chapter 1423 - 1423: Preparing for Mass Production

Under Xiao Feng's heavy pressure, the experts had no choice but to start working.

After all, just the fact that he could get hold of guns was enough to explain a lot.

There's a saying: without pressure, people float around; without pressure, an oil well won't produce.

With their lives under threat, the Rupert bulletproof helmet finally… still couldn't be made.

That was understandable too—some problems can be solved under pressure, but some simply can't.

It's like giving a top chef no ingredients, no pots, and asking him to make a dish—he'd die of frustration, and it still wouldn't happen.

However, based on the successful trials of the Rupert Bulletproof Vest, the experts did achieve some progress.

The progress was: the helmet's completion rate didn't reach one hundred percent, but they did manage half.

The newly developed helmet lacked facial protection, but the back of the head and the top were covered.

In other words, as long as you're wearing the current protective gear, unless the bullet comes straight at your face or from under your soles, you can basically guarantee you'll be fine.

"President Xiao, we really can't do any more. Even if you kill us, this is as far as we can go," one expert said with a sob in his voice.

Judging by his mood, he was clearly on the verge of collapse.

In fact, even if the experts hadn't said that, Xiao Feng had already planned to terminate the experiment.

Not because of a lack of funds, but because of a lack of time.

After all, making finished products also takes time.

Now that someone had taken the initiative to bring this up, Xiao Feng went along with it and agreed, looking very reluctant on purpose.

Next naturally came the stage of tailoring according to each person's physique.

What made Xiao Feng rather relieved was that, fortunately, nobody on his side had Bozai's kind of build, otherwise one set would equal four sets, and the cost really would be too high.

However, after doing the math, the actual cost of one Rupert Protective Clothing set was still lower than that of Neng Ren's protective suit.

Although the overall expense was quite high, more than eighty percent had gone into R&D costs.

After thinking for a while, Xiao Feng said, "Everyone, this success is entirely thanks to your efforts.

I'm not someone who grabs credit. Whether you use this technology to apply for patents later or for something else, it has nothing to do with me."

Hearing this, the experts couldn't help grumbling internally, but outwardly they said, "Without President Xiao's pressure, we wouldn't have this success either."

"I just said, I don't care about that," Xiao Feng slowly shook his head. "What I hope is that all of you can keep this confidential—remove my existence from this whole thing."

"We're not quite sure what President Xiao means."

"Specifically, all of this is your achievement and has nothing to do with me. I never took part, and I never asked you to do any research.

Put it that way… you should understand, right?"

The experts looked at each other, then nodded one after another.

They had no idea what Xiao Feng's purpose was, and they didn't intend to dig into it.

At this moment, what everyone wanted most was to wrap things up here, then go back to Kyoto, reunite with their families, and have a proper New Year.

After explaining the necessary things, Xiao Feng left the basement.

For now, it looked like everything that could be done had been done, but there were still many details to fine-tune.

For example, the allocation of personnel, and the transfer of important items.

Little Fragrant Bead would definitely have to be moved for now, and Xiao Feng also planned to keep the old folks' group out of sight for the time being, in case the Devil's Concentration Camp pulled a feint from the east.

After a brief ponder, Xiao Feng took out his phone, intending to ask Tang Yunshu about the final personnel distribution, and then make corresponding adjustments based on the Devil's Concentration Camp's manpower deployment.

And the way he'd ask was similar to how Tang Yunshu passed information—leaving messages to the accounts in order.

In the end, before he could send his question, Tang Yunshu's message arrived first.

The content was exactly what Xiao Feng wanted: the "final manpower distribution" and the "new bomb placement site."

First was personnel distribution. Compared to the initial version Tang Yunshu had given, there were some changes.

But the changes weren't huge; the focus was still on the Du Family and Wang Lubo's company.

And the latest bomb location really caught Xiao Feng off guard.

The site was—a urban village.

Places like that have terrible public security, people come and go constantly, and supervising them is much harder.

But no matter how you look at it, setting off an explosion there would have a much bigger impact than at Yuehu Reservoir or Xiliu Slope.

The reason was simple: life comes first!

Any time lives are lost, it's a major event.

Blowing up a sluice gate or a hillside at most triggers panic; it's nowhere near the impact of casualties…

Same old procedure: Xiao Feng first greeted Miao Yueqian, then dialed Yao Qianxue's number.

...

On the other side, Yao Qianxue was sitting by the window, her chin propped on one hand, staring blankly outside.

These past two days, she herself didn't know what was wrong—whatever she did, she would inexplicably drift off.

In this state, it was obvious that whether at work or studying, she couldn't get much done.

Left with no choice, Yao Qianxue took leave and stayed home to rest.

But resting at home not only failed to ease things, it actually made it much worse.

Take today: after breakfast, she sat down at her desk, and when she came back to her senses, three hours had already passed.

If her waist and back hadn't been sore, Yao Qianxue wouldn't even dare say when she might have snapped out of it.

The worst part was, no matter how she tried, she just couldn't remember what she'd been thinking about during those spaced-out stretches.

"What on earth is wrong with me?"

Yao Qianxue threaded her fingers into her hair, brows knitted, head lowered, looking clearly like she had a splitting headache.

Just then, her phone rang.

With one hand rubbing her forehead, Yao Qianxue picked up the phone with the other, glanced at the screen, and her beautiful eyes instantly widened, suddenly bright.

She took several deep breaths, pressing a palm to her chest to calm the joy and excitement inside, then finally answered.

"Got time tomorrow? Let's go defuse a bomb together."

That familiar voice, that familiar tone…

Yao Qianxue couldn't help holding the phone away and taking a few more deep breaths.

"Hello?"

"I'm free, I'm free," Yao Qianxue replied quickly.

"Good. Tomorrow morning at eight, I'll come get you."

"Okay."

After the call ended, it took a long time for Yao Qianxue's heartbeat to settle.

Scenes appeared involuntarily in her mind—falling into the reservoir together…

Grilling fish together…

Sitting by the campfire talking…

Waking up with only her underwear left…

Thinking of this, Yao Qianxue's cheeks burned, like a ball of fire blazing there, and her heart turned into a tangled mess.

Yet amid that tangled mess, she slowly teased out the threads, vaguely realizing the source of her absent-mindedness these past few days, the reason she couldn't focus on anything…