Chapter 1819 - 935: New Spring, New Atmosphere

After summer began, New Spring became more and more lively with each passing day.

Unlike the chaotic scene of a wild mountain gathering last year, now it appears much more orderly and grand.

With the completion of many projects and the circulation of massive funds, New Spring, after drawing a large amount of wilderness population, has completed its second phase of expansion, already including some areas of Old Spring City within its own boundaries.

The situation of the Coast being the sole dominant force also changed with Wanli Industrial Park moving in and the opening and joining of many corporate branches, showing signs of the blossoms of various developments.

In this situation, the organization and hosting of the Hai Zhou Science and Technology Expo is undoubtedly icing on the cake and a good news of stepping into a brand new phase.

In fact...

Ji Jue didn't even know how this thing got organized!

Heaven's mercy, originally he was just thinking of organizing a Coast Paralympics for fun, popularizing a wave of human-machine interface, gathering some spiritual data, and seeing what great wisdom and bizarre technologies the big tech guys in various settlements of the wilderness had. But then, the top just gave instructions verbally while the bottom was running around like crazy.

With the chairman's frequent impulsive decisions, secretary Yu Shu, who was already almost overwhelmed, began losing hair crazily—after all, the abstract nature of the wilderness is really too strange.

When actualized, who knows what messy things might happen!

The current safety education for the wilderness scavengers is as negligible as their biology class hours.

If anything major like an accident, explosion, or fatalities happened, losing money is one thing, the key is if it's exploited by someone with intent, it might become a large PR crisis.

But it seems you can't do without it either, because if you do it, the situation is still within your control. If you let it go unattended, someday a buddy might just take Paradise's human-machine interface to make a human recognition missile to air-drop onto the governor's mansion...

Thus, gritting his teeth, he repeatedly emphasized safety, limited the scope of modifications, and issued specific regulations to try and lessen the impact.

Meanwhile, they turned this thing into a preview performance section of this year's Coastal Industry Product Launch, which counts as merging projects to reduce some workload and risks. Even if something went wrong, it could be quickly covered up.

As a result, when the news went out, Tong Shengnian, sitting in Cliff City, thought this event was good and bustling; how about we join hands and bring a lot of enterprises from Cliff City to join in the fun, assist you, and help increase exposure together.

Of course, Yu Shu had no reason to refuse.

Furthermore, with the Tong family around, if any scandals break out, it can also help suppress the heat.

Hence, the Coastal Industry Product Launch transformed, with the strong support of Cliff City, into the Cliff City Industrial Exhibition.

And then, as the news spread, when Lou Guan saw this project, suddenly he also felt it was really nice... such a good thing, I'm joining in as well!

So, after a phone call, the Cliff City Industrial Exhibition, under the strong participation of Tide City, became the Hai Zhou Industrial Expo...

At this point, just newly formed, urgently needing a place to prove its own strength, flex its muscles, and conduct a wave of team building to increase cohesion and organization degree, the Southeast Business Alliance accidentally discovered... this project is great! This project must be invested in! Count me in!

Thus, amidst everyone's enthusiastic crowdfunding, the Hai Zhou Industrial Expo, with the participation of many new enterprises along the Southeastern coastal area, morphed into the Hai Zhou Science and Technology Expo!

Amidst continuous snowballing, what started as Ji Jue pulling scavengers for a self-entertainment competition turned into the premier large-scale commercial event in the Southeast region of the Federation.

Before this, Yu Shu was already utterly overwhelmed.

He couldn't hold on any longer.

Even the thought of hanging himself crossed his mind!

Couldn't understand why things turned out this way, wondering whether resigning now was too late.

The original Paralympics, if messed up, would merely be a loss of face for a while. At worst, losing money and playing dead. But with the current Hai Zhou Science and Technology Expo, if messed up... even killing him wouldn't be enough compensation!

Nevertheless, Ji Jue, this guy, kept barking nonstop, every phone call was full of confidence in him, affirming he could do it, he could handle it.

Even with the assistance of the Paradise System and Isis's complete control, the hair continued to fall out, and the hairline had already retreated back several centimeters towards the nape, with the person in a state of drooling and giggling whether eyes open or closed.

This is also thanks to the Vortex System being tough.

Anyone with slightly weaker cardiovascular function wouldn't be able to be such a nuclear-powered mule...

Now, finally, everything is ready, just waiting for the east wind, and before the opening ceremony arrived, Ji Jue returned with casual ease, having leisurely collected from the Northern Realm.

Upon seeing Yu Shu, with dark circles, bloodshot eyes, emaciated out of shape, he felt an impulse to transform into a Blood Thirst patient and pounce to take a bite out of him.

And before this...

"Ah Shu!"

A pair of warm hands passionately grasped his shoulders, repeatedly patting, interrupting his initial movements: "You did well, you did well, on behalf of all New Spring residents and the Coast staff, I thank you!"

"Ah?"

Yu Shu, filled with resentment moments ago, stood stunned with his words held back, but before he could speak, Ji Jue's praises came flooding in as if they cost nothing:

"Hey, even in the Northern Realm I heard people praising your competence, it's not easy; for New Spring and the Coast to develop as they have today, you're indispensable! But even Elder Deng wiped tears praising you've grown when calling me..."

"Not..."

Yu Shu was dazed, "Re-Really?"

Of course, it was false. Elder Deng's reticent nature, oftentimes as if beaten with three sticks couldn't squeeze a word out, he couldn't possibly be so direct. But it didn't stop Ji Jue from bragging!

Ji Jue laughed heartily, changing the subject: "Come, quickly take this, it's Northern Realm cured meat specifically for you, let your wife stew it at home to replenish your health; I heard your child was born recently? Come, Luo Island's own dairy farm produced powder, pure natural, zero additives, pollution-free... brought two tons back for you, don't be shy, drink a pound, pour a pound!"

Seeing the big bundles handed to him, Yu Shu instinctively waved his hand: "You… I… I wasn't asking for..."

"I know, I understand, I understand!"

Ji Jue skillfully hooked his shoulder guiding him towards the car: "Bonuses and such are what you've earned; if I give anything more, you probably wouldn't want it. How about this, once the expo ends, the job of clearing the waste will also be handed to you..."

In a moment of shock, Yu Shu didn't have time to start cursing before he heard the second half of the sentence: "The profits will be used to pay the volunteers who help from the church. Old Deng is a bit tight on funds recently, so it's not fair to make him pay or let everyone work for free... Eh? You seem like you have something to say? Is there something you're not happy with?"

"No... no!"

Yu Shu's expression twitched once, and then again, forcing out a twitching smile: "On behalf of the church, thank you, Mr. Ji. It's just that there's also..."

"Oh, right!"

Ji Jue smacked his forehead, interrupting him, eyes lighting up: "Indeed, there's something else I need to trouble you with, it's quite urgent, you need to get on it quickly!"

You damn...

Yu Shu's face turned completely green, unable to control the urge to speak up, but then he heard the latter part: "Our tech expo should also highlight a sense of humanistic concern, right? We should add a venue for the Chongguang Church too!

How did you handle this without reminding me at all? Ah, luckily I had some extra prepared earlier; quickly go and tidy up Hall A4, and set aside half for the church."

"Ah?"

Yu Shu, stiff and dumbfounded, felt the blood pressure that rushed to his head suddenly reverse course and head back down: "I, I'll go right away..."

"Uh-huh, then I leave it to you."

Ji Jue patted his shoulder and finally asked: "I noticed you still seemed like you had something to say, don't be shy, just say it, is there anything?"

"..."

In the brief silence, Yu Shu's face went from ashen to flushed, and finally he managed to pull up a smile not much better than crying: "No, nothing, thank you Mr. Ji."

"Hey, we're all on the same team here, no need to be so formal. Just hurry and get to it."

Ji Jue patted his shoulder again, waved goodbye, "Make sure to get me a few tickets for the opening ceremony later!"

"Mm-hmm, okay."

Yu Shu nodded instinctively, quickened his pace, turned towards the passenger seat... and only realized when the car's engine started.

Stunned in place.

Wait, what was I here to do again?

... Damn it, did I just get PUA-ed?!

To this, Lou Feng in the back seat, who had witnessed the whole thing, remained silent for a long time and sighed soundlessly, "You're truly a bastard."

"Too kind, too kind."

Ji Jue gave a humble smile, then blatantly asked: "So, it's been over two months, and I've provided you with so many cases and experimental data; is the closed testing of the second-generation interface complete? Is the improvement and upgrade finished? When can the full version be launched? This is the future flagship product of our workshop, Old Lou, you can't afford to hold us back now!

Can you have everything ready for the press conference?"

"You damn..."

Lou Feng's face instantly turned green, unable to resist the urge to send a telegraph on the spot.

You realize it's only been two months?

In two months' time, handling thousands upon thousands of individual experimental data and subsequent collected feedback, just compiling and completing the groundwork for these is enough to make Lou Feng's head smoke; managing to produce a test version of the second-generation interface these days is already thank heaven. And now you casually talk about improved and upgraded full version, ready to launch with just a pat on the head?

How do you have the nerve to bark this loudly?!

Moreover, this damned workshop up till now remains a jumble of coded numbers, without even a formal name to it, how do you have the gall to tell others not to drag behind?

The biggest stumbling block and weight in New Spring, isn't it yourself who has no sense of it at all!

But just as he opened his mouth, a thick manuscript appeared like magic from Ji Jue's hand, handed to him.

As if this could shut him up.

Lou Feng coldly laughed:

"What's this?"

"Some little tricks developed over this time, plus concrete technical exchange results with Beifeng..." Ji Jue smiled and reminded: "Make sure to discreetly read the appendix on Northern Rune Introduction, don't make it public."

"...Okay."

Before Lou Feng realized it, his disobedient hands had already taken the manuscript and immediately turned on the interior light to start reading on the spot.

And why can't he suppress this corner of his mouth?

This damn thing, although a bit of a jerk, is still pretty decent on occasion when he's being human!

"Also..."

He heard Ji Jue's voice, "Thanks for all the hard work over such a long time."

"..."

After a momentary pause, Lou Feng let out a muddled snort, continued reading, without responding.

Then, Ji Jue's voice came through again.

"So, can the prototype be done any faster?"