Chapter 58: Chapter 58, indeed, one must not accept fate.
Was the power under Governor Gu Hang truly a technological wasteland?
Yes, but not entirely.
In most places, the conditions were so primitive and backward that they were unspeakable.
Yet, Wu Jiarong was able to see the finest alloy steel materials here.
These were not the ones produced by the so-called Abandoned Cave Society’s alloy factories, but rather special supply alloys that the Governor had specifically had transported for her.
Others were not aware, noticing only that these two types of materials seemed more attractive and probably better to use, but beyond that, they couldn’t articulate the specific differences. But she understood clearly that this kind of alloy steel could be considered special materials.
Not to mention a dilapidated place like Rage Owl Star, even many areas with strong industrial foundations were unable to produce this type of special alloy steel. Even in the casting world where she used to stay, the production of this material was very low, and it was often a great challenge to apply for or purchase it for research or production work.
She did not believe that this was locally produced in Rage Owl Star.
There had to be some secrets unknown to others inside.
She had inquired about it, but didn’t dare make too much of a fuss.
Initially, she thought the Governor might have hoarded a batch of high-performance materials when he arrived at the planet, and they just hadn’t been used up yet. But later, when the G9 rifle began to appear, she knew things couldn’t be as simple as she had imagined.
And now, the Governor had sent her two ‘Whetstone’ Engines of different specifications.
These engines, while not particularly high in technological content at the level of the entire Star Sea, were not advanced products. However, like the special alloy steel, what was most valuable was the craftsmanship they contained.
Grindstone Engines could be made anywhere, but to make them this well was something Wu Jiarong had never seen before.
It was as if someone had dedicated their entire life to study how to properly make an engine that could only power a tricycle.
It was absurdly outstanding.
A bold idea formed in her mind.
She tossed and turned, unable to sleep, feeling at one moment that she was just wildly speculating, but at another thinking that maybe it was true, as no other explanation seemed to fit.
How could a governor without any real power on a barren planet possibly have something like a Black Box Manufacturing Machine? If you said that Mr. Gu’s family from the Tianma Star Sector, the powerful Gu Family, had treasured one, that might be slightly possible—just slightly.
Could it be that his family had brought it for him?
It still didn’t seem realistic.
Wu Jiarong still couldn’t understand it, but she didn’t dare to think further.
It could be deadly.
Indeed, she had already started to regret why she inquired about the secret factory in the first place.
What should she do next?
This restless state of mind continued into the next day, making her somewhat uneasy while at work.
Then, she heard a piece of news that made her even more unsettled.
“What? The Governor is coming?”
“Yes.” One of her apprentices, a junior commissioner, didn’t quite understand why his mentor seemed so troubled by the news.
What’s so abnormal about that?
Seeing the apprentice’s confusion, but having no desire to explain, Wu Jiarong said nothing.
What could she say? That your mentor suspects she’s stumbled upon the Governor’s secret and now fears he might silence her?
She could only hurry to prepare.
Truth be told, the new assignment given by the Governor for her to come up with two schemes to utilize the large and small ‘Whetstone’ Engines was not difficult. With her expertise and the provision of excellent materials, designing two operational vehicles was quite easy.
However, time was short and recently she had been restless, so she hadn’t been able to work on it properly.
The governor was coming soon, and she had no other choice; she couldn’t just say she hadn’t done anything lately. She gripped at straws, hoping that even if she couldn’t present a design plan immediately, at least when Mr. Gu asked later, she would have some thoughts and a few sketches to show.
As it turned out, her advance preparation was indeed valuable.
When Governor Gu Hang arrived, she could talk quite freely, and she could present small parts she had just crafted by hand with tools, along with the design diagrams, discussing her ideas.
At first, she was somewhat stuttering because the thing she hastily brought out felt a bit rough to her, only just runnable at best.
But as she saw Governor Gu Hang continually nodding, she gradually relaxed.
I still have standards, after all. Mr. Gu’s requirements aren’t that high.
With her mood lightened, she was able to more effortlessly exhibit her technical prowess to the governor.
This one aspect was her only source of pride since arriving on Rage Owl Star. In the past, whether in the forging world or on a starship with technical priests, her technical level was nothing to mention. Only on the surface of Rage Owl Star was she truly unique.
As she watched Governor Gu Hang continuously nodding and listening intently, Wu Jiarong’s mood improved even more.
She even began to feel that leaving the starship for the surface might not be such a bad thing. Here, nobody could overshadow her. She was the most trusted technical staff by the governor—of course, that was because nobody could compete with her. But wasn’t that a good thing? Why join the chaos with other technical giants when she could reign supreme and lead?
Just as she entertained such thoughts, Gu Hang spoke again:
“Specialist Wu, I have another question.”
“Please, Mr. Gu, any doubts you have, I can certainly help you with,” Wu Jiarong confidently offered.
“Why are you so curious about the secret factory?”
Wu Jiarong felt as if plunging into an ice cave.
Her only thought now: one really shouldn’t resign oneself to fate.
Every time she resigned herself, it never ended well.
The last thing she wanted to face still happened.
At that moment, she couldn’t even remember the various excuses she had agonized over when anticipating interrogation.
Seeing Wu Jiarong flustered and at a loss for words, Gu Hang revealed a gentle smile instead.
“Specialist Wu, don’t be so nervous. You have some speculations, right? Just speak your mind.”
Hearing Gu Hang ask in such a manner, Wu Jiarong seemed to deflate.
“Yes… The Black Box Manufacturer is in your secret factory, isn’t it?”
“Indeed, it is,” Gu Hang admitted with a smile.
Wu Jiarong received the answer to the question she was so curious about, confirming her speculation. But under the current circumstances, she didn’t feel happy at all.
Wu Jiarong sighed deeply: “I wish you hadn’t told me that. You could have just told a simple lie, and I would have believed it.”
“But there was no need, right?” Gu Hang said as he stood up and looked out of the window, “Look at this place, just two months ago, it was still a wasteland. And now, it already looks like a town. The Abandoned Cave Society farther away, you’ve seen it too, is thriving even more.”
“Perhaps to many people, this doesn’t seem like something a governor should be doing, but I am convinced that I am on the right path.”
“Here, I want to create a seed that will eventually take root and sprout throughout the entire Rage Owl Star.”
“The future I envision is a Rage Owl Star with production power as strong as the forging worlds, with a living environment like the Garden Worlds.”
At this point, Gu Hang turned his gaze back to Wu Jiarong:
“Do you believe in it?”