Chapter 297: Chapter 234: Who Dares Play Ghost Stories in My Project?
Just like that, it was eight in the morning.
Celestial Craft Group, Special Research and Development Workshop.
The air was filled with a pungent, acrid smell, mixed with the faint scent of blood.
When Han Feng pushed open the heavy alloy doors, he didn’t see the sluggish, clock-watching scene he’d been expecting.
Instead, the place was in utter chaos.
Several interns in gray work clothes were scrambling to carry a stretcher outside. A young man lay on it, half his body scalded red by high-temperature steam, his skin festering as he groaned in agony.
Nearby, next to the X-01 Prototype, a ruptured high-pressure pipe was hissing, spewing white vapor.
Several researchers in pristine white lab coats stood beyond the safety line. With arms crossed, they pointed at the grimy interns, their faces feigning regret but betraying amusement.
"I told you, Advisor Han’s new plan doesn’t conform to the thermodynamic flow model. But they just had to force it."
"See? The pipe blew, didn’t it? It’s a good thing we got out of the way quickly, otherwise it would’ve been us ’intellectuals’ getting hurt."
"This is what you call a layman leading experts. Well, this is great. Let’s see how he cleans up this mess."
Han Feng stood at the door, his gaze instantly turning cold.
His [Spiritual Vision] quietly activated.
His world instantly desaturated to black and white. At the ruptured pipe’s connection point, several safety valves that should have been locked were glowing a violent, crimson red.
Someone had deliberately shut off the overload protection and then increased the pressure.
This was a man-made accident.
It was also a power play.
"Advisor Han is here!"
Someone shouted, and the crowd instantly fell silent before automatically parting to form a path.
A middle-aged man with gold-rimmed glasses and meticulously combed hair walked over quickly.
He glanced at the bloodstains on the floor, his brow furrowing in disgust, then quickly plastered a pained expression on his face as he approached Han Feng.
"Advisor Han, you’re finally here! Something terrible has happened!"
This man was Zhang Wei, Professor Wu Zhen’s direct subordinate and the deputy chief engineer of the structural team.
Zhang Wei pushed up his glasses, his tone heavy.
"Last night, we worked through the night to dismantle the heat dissipation lines as you requested.
But I’ve said it before: that section involves core load-bearing structures and thermal balance. It shouldn’t have been touched without at least three rounds of simulations.
But these interns... *sigh*. They were too eager to prove themselves. They rushed to meet your deadline, violated protocol, and caused a thermal backflow. The high-pressure pipe burst."
Zhang Wei pointed to the injured man on the stretcher, who hadn’t been carried away yet, and sighed.
"This kid was recruited from the Outer City. He’s got a weak foundation and doesn’t know the rules.
After this explosion, even with the best Repair Liquid, his right hand is probably ruined.
Advisor Han, even though you are the chief advisor, this... this happened because of your directive, after all.
If word gets out that our ’Bonfire Project’ disregards human life just to rush the schedule, our reputation will be destroyed."
His speech was watertight.
He pinned the blame on Han Feng’s "reckless command" while also shifting responsibility to the low-level employee’s "procedural violation," placing himself on the moral and professional high ground.
The surrounding lab coats nodded in agreement, their gazes toward Han Feng filled with mockery.
’Let’s see what this punk kid does now.’
A safety incident meant that, according to procedure, the project had to be shut down for rectification and investigation.
A shutdown like that would last ten days to half a month.
By then, Professor Wu Zhen could make a "recovery," return to save the day, and the project would be back under their control.
Han Feng ignored Zhang Wei.
He walked straight to the stretcher and knelt.
The injured intern was only a teenager. He was trembling all over from the pain, and when he saw Han Feng approach, he was so scared he tried to struggle up, his eyes filled with terror.
"Ad... Advisor, I’m sorry. I was stupid, I didn’t operate it correctly..."
The kid’s voice was choked with tears. He knew that after an incident like this, he wouldn’t just be fired; he might even have to pay a huge sum in compensation.
For his family from the Outer City, this was a devastating blow.
Han Feng pressed his shoulder, and a gentle stream of Sword Essence flowed silently into him, instantly blocking his pain receptors and protecting his damaged meridians.
"What’s your name?" Han Feng asked.
"Li... Li Tiezhu."
"Did you follow the schematics I provided?"
"Yes... I looked at the schematics, the steps were correct... I don’t know why the pressure gauge suddenly went into the red..." Li Tiezhu said, crying.
Han Feng nodded and stood up.
He turned to face Zhang Wei.
His gaze was so calm it was unsettling, making Zhang Wei’s heart skip a beat.
"Where is Wu Zhen?" Han Feng asked suddenly.
Zhang Wei was taken aback for a moment, then replied:
"Teacher Wu felt unwell last night, some heart trouble. He’s been hospitalized.
The doctor said he must rest and avoid any agitation."
"Heart trouble? More like a rotten heart, I’d say."
A mocking smile touched the corner of Han Feng’s lips.
"Good that he’s sick."
"At his age, he should be at home doting on his grandchildren. The ’Bonfire Project’ is a deadly business. An old man’s bones are too brittle for it."
The smile on Zhang Wei’s face froze for a second.
’This kid has a vicious tongue.’
Han Feng squinted, sizing up Zhang Wei, and began to speak slowly.
"Deputy Chief Engineer Zhang, you just said it was a procedural violation?"
"Ye... Yes."
Zhang Wei forced himself to remain calm. "Because we didn’t run the simulations..."
SMACK!
A loud slap landed squarely on Zhang Wei’s face without any warning!
He didn’t use any Sword Essence for the slap, but the pure physical force was still enough to send Zhang Wei spinning in place twice. His gold-rimmed glasses flew off, and half his face swelled up like a steamed bun.
The entire room fell dead silent.
Everyone stared, wide-eyed, unable to believe what they were seeing.
’He... he hit someone?’
This was a High Level Engineer from the Celestial Craft Group!
"You... you dare to hit me?!"
Zhang Wei clutched his face, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, his eyes filled with venom and shock.
"This is a research institute! Not your personal arena! I’m going to report you to the council! I’ll..."
"Report me?"
Han Feng sneered, then shot out a hand and grabbed Zhang Wei by the neck, lifting him off the ground with one hand like a chick.
"Zhang Wei, I think you’ve misunderstood something."
"This is the SSS Level top-secret project team for the ’Bonfire Project’.
Under wartime regulations, if the project is subjected to ’man-made sabotage,’ I have the right to use any means necessary against the suspects."
Han Feng’s fingers tightened slightly. Zhang Wei’s face instantly turned the color of pig liver, and his feet kicked wildly in the air.
"Man... man-made sabotage? That’s a baseless accusation..."
"That’s pressure relief valve number 34."
Han Feng pointed to the burst pipe with his other hand, his voice as cold as shards of ice.
"The valve’s electronic lock was manually disabled. The physical switch was twisted shut by hand.
A new intern like Li Tiezhu wouldn’t know how to do that.
But you ’experts’ are quite familiar with it, aren’t you?"
Zhang Wei’s pupils contracted violently.
’How does he know?!’
That spot was well hidden, and the traces should have been destroyed by the intense heat of the explosion.
Unless you dismantled the valve for flaw detection, it would be impossible to see with the naked eye!
’Does this kid have X-ray vision?!’
Han Feng released his grip. Zhang Wei collapsed to the floor like a pile of mud, gasping for air and coughing violently.
"Trying to put me in my place?"
Han Feng scanned his surroundings. Wherever his gaze fell, the once-arrogant lab coats lowered their heads, daring not to meet his eyes.
"Trying to prove I can’t do this without you?
Hoping for a shutdown and investigation?
Trying to force me to hand over my authority?"
Han Feng took a handkerchief from his pocket and methodically wiped the hand that had touched Zhang Wei, as if he had touched something filthy.
"You’ve all gotten one thing wrong."
"I didn’t come here to play office politics with you, nor did I come here to beg you to do your jobs."
"You need to understand something clearly. All of you were assembled here to support *me*. Don’t get it twisted."
He tossed the handkerchief onto Zhang Wei’s face.
"Zhang Wei, you are a suspect in the deliberate sabotage of military facilities and the framing of a colleague.
I will notify the Inspection Corps to come and pick you up.
You can explain the matter of that valve to the judge at the military tribunal."
Hearing the two words "Inspection Corps," Zhang Wei completely fell apart.
If it were an internal investigation, he had ways to get out of it.
But if he ended up in the Garrison Army’s military court, his chances of survival were next to none!
"No... don’t! Advisor Han, it’s a misunderstanding! It’s all a misunderstanding!"
Ignoring the sharp pain in his face, Zhang Wei scrambled over and clung to Han Feng’s leg.
"I’ll fix it! I’ll fix it right now! We’ll start work immediately! I’ll never do it again!"
Han Feng kicked him away.
"Too late."
"And you."
Han Feng looked at the researchers, who were now as silent as cicadas in winter.
"Anyone else want to pull stunts? Step forward now.
I’m a very fair person.
If you want to work, even if you’re the cleaning lady, I’ll give you A Level treatment.
If you want to cause trouble, I don’t care if you’re a professor or an expert. I have plenty of ways to make sure you never set foot in a lab again for the rest of your life."
"Now, listen up."
"Clean up this site within ten minutes. As for Li Tiezhu, it’s a work-related injury. His medical expenses will be deducted from Zhang Wei’s stipend until they’re paid in full."
"Isn’t Wu Zhen sick? Notify the personnel department. Since he’s so gravely ill, have him take medical retirement. His position is now vacant."
"Do you all understand?!"
His final roar, laced with the pressure of a Meridian Passage Realm Perfection cultivator, vibrated through the workshop, making the glass panes hum.
"Un... Understood!"
This time, no one dared to slack off.
Watching Han Feng walk toward the X-01 Prototype with his hands behind his back, everyone realized one thing:
This young man was no pushover.
He was a man-eating tiger.
...
Half an hour later, in the deputy chief engineer’s office.
Zhang Wei had already been taken away by the Inspection Corps, leaving Li Mo alone in the office.
He stood before the blinds, watching the workshop below bustle with activity once more. He pushed the black-framed glasses up the bridge of his nose, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.
"Interesting."
"More ruthless, more perceptive, and more... unconventional than expected."
He took out his communicator and composed an encrypted message:
[Target is extremely assertive. Possesses unknown reconnaissance abilities (suspected High Tier Perceptual Spiritual Sense). Conventional methods are ineffective. Recommend initiating Plan B.]
After sending it, he deleted the message.
"Since the hard approach won’t work..."
Li Mo turned around and looked at the file on his desk regarding the West Suburb Abandoned Base.
"Then we’ll just have to change the cage and play the long game."
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