The day of the meeting with Li Hangu finally came.
Yu Qingyu left the base early in the morning, telling Liu Wei he needs to pick up a few parts to fix the scooter. He did his shopping first after arriving at Chuxi City, and at noon, he was at the entrance of the military base.
The base was very high security, normal people couldn't enter at all. Even most of the employees had to scan their IDs, and then go through full check-ups upon both entering and leaving, to ensure they were not bringing any weapons, or taking away any confidential files.
Yu Qingyu obviously didn't have an employee ID, so he couldn't enter that way, but there wasn't any visitor entrance anywhere. He looked back at the message from Li Hangu on his device, and walked over to the security booth.
"Excuse me, I have been requested to come in here today for the recruitment assessment…"
The security guard looked him up and down. "Name?"
"Chen Rumin."
The security guard typed something on his computer, confirming the information. "Can I see your ID?"
"Umm…" Yu Qingyu bit his lip, slightly anxious. He didn't have any ID prepared. '520, what do I do?' he immediately asked the system.
[Just say you're from the slums, that would explain it.]
"Is there a problem?" The guard started getting a bit impatient.
"I am from the slums, so…" Yu Qingyu started explaining.
The guard sighed, annoyed. Without saying a word to Yu Qingyu, he took out a phone a phone and made a call.
A few minutes later, he got up from his seat with another sigh, and looked back at Yu Qingyu, who has been standing next to the window, waiting patiently. "Let's go. I will take you in."
Yu Qingyu took a deep breath, relieved. 'That went smoother than I expected.'
[Probably because you have been recommended by He Miling. She might not have any military rank, but she's still the commander's wife, so no one would dare take her recommendation lightly.]
'Is that so?' Yu Qingyu smiled. 'Your ideas are really not so bad, you know?'
[Of course. Those are not just random ideas. I analyzed all the data I have about this world, and based on that, I recommended you one of the easiest and quickest paths you could take to complete your mission.]
Yu Qingyu nodded lightly. Although the system sometimes made him a bit uncomfortable, at least it was helpful and reliable. In the stories he sometimes read, the protagonists weren't always this lucky.
The guard checked all of his belongings, and led him inside what seemed like the administrative building, filled with offices. He brought him to a small conference room, with just a table in the middle, a few chairs, and a big screen on the wall.
"Sit here and wait," he said, taking a sit on one of the chairs as well. He couldn't leave an outsider on their own in the building after all. He didn't seem to happy about it though.
Having such an unfriendly companion, Yu Qingyu didn't even try to have a conversation. Instead, he took out his device, and started browsing through the blueprints he uploaded. He already went through them the day before, and he had all the knowledge, but he needed to be sure he would be able to describe them fluently. They were supposed to be "his" inventions, so he should understand them perfectly.
Soon, the examiners walked into the room, and Yu Qingyu's assessment began.
***
Three hours later, Yu Qingyu was taken into another room, to wait for a meeting with Li Hangu.
Normally, new recruits wouldn't have a chance to speak to the commander, let alone have a private meeting with him. But Yu Qingyu's assessment was such a huge success, that the exception was made. Nobody knew where to assign him, cause his abilities surpassed all of the top military technicians. Putting him underneath them would be a waste of talent, but putting him in charge was also not a plausible solution. He was still new to the military, after all.
So, they left the decision to Li Hangu.
'Should I bring up Liu Wei during the meeting today, or is it better to wait?' Yu Qingyu chatted with 520, munching on the snack someone brought for him to enjoy while he waits.
[It would be best to do it today. You might not have another chance to have a private conversation with him anytime soon.]
Yu Qingyu nodded his head. He already decided of how to start the topic, he has imagined this conversation plenty of times during his week long preparations.
When he was finally called into Li Hangu's office, he took a deep breath, and walked in confidently.
Li Hangu sat behind the desk, reading something on a device similar to the one Yu Qingyu had. He was a tall and muscular middle-aged man with a serious face and strong presence.
Hearing Yu Qingyu walk in, he lifted his head. "Chen Rumin, I presume? Please, take a seat."
Yu Qingyu bowed slightly and sat down in front of the desk.
"I have received information about your assessment," Li Hangu continued. "I must say, when my wife told me how exceptional you are, I believed she was exaggerating, but it seems I was wrong. According to the examiners, your inventions would make a significant improvement to our technology. I assume you will make them available to us, and will want to continue on this path?"
"Yes, I want to give them all to the military." Yu Qingyu paused, and took a deep breath. He was feeling increasingly nervous about what he was going to talk about next. "However, I believe there is something even more valuable I have to offer."
Li Hangu looked at him with interest. "Oh? And what would that be?"
Yu Qingyu took yet another deep breath, steeling himself. Then, he raised his head and looked Li Hangu straight in the eyes. "Liu Wei's whereabouts."
For a moment, absolute silence has fallen in the room. Li Hangu's eyes widened, and he sat completely motionless, as if he was frozen in place.