25: Chapter 25: I'll Go Crazy With You

Jiang Ning's single sentence threw the entire camp into chaos.

"What? Start it now?"

"You've got to be kidding, right? Chief Engineer Wang just failed, and we're going to start now? Isn't that just asking for trouble?"

"The cement for the foundation hasn't even dried yet. What if it collapses?"

The dozen or so engineers under Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo were all panicking.

They had already felt this project was unreliable, and with Chief Engineer Wang Heshan's defeat, they were even more uncertain.

If the country's top team had fallen, could this superstitious nonsense actually work?

If they failed again, the "Kuafu Project" would truly become the laughingstock of the entire nation.

"What are you all making a racket for!" Seeing his team losing morale, Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo quickly roared, "The Chief Consultant said to start, so we start! You are engineers, not here to watch the fun! Get to work!"

He was also anxious inside, but there was no other way; things had reached this point, and he had no choice but to push forward.

Dr. Li was mixed in the crowd, head bowed, his smugness barely contained.

Start it! Start it quickly!

He couldn't wait to see how this ridiculous project would collapse right before everyone's eyes.

But Jiang Ning's next sentence left everyone stunned.

"Who said we were starting here?" She swept her gaze across the crowd.

Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo was stunned: "Chief Consultant, what do you mean? Isn't the 'Water Diversion Array' already set up?"

"The array is ready, but it's missing something." Jiang Ning said, walking off the foundation and heading straight out of the camp.

"Missing… missing what?" Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo quickly followed.

"It's missing a 'fuse'." Jiang Ning didn't look back, "Let's go, we need to bring Chief Engineer Wang Heshan back."

"Huh?"

Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo and the group following behind were all dumbfounded.

Bring Chief Engineer Wang Heshan back?

He had just gambled his entire life's reputation and was preparing to return to the capital to take responsibility. Going to find him now wasn't that just rubbing salt into his wounds?

"Chief Consultant, this… this isn't appropriate, right?" Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo urged anxiously, "Chief Engineer Wang is… his mood must be terrible right now."

"I know." Jiang Ning didn't stop walking, "But this 'fuse' must be him."

Everyone was confused, unable to figure out what Jiang Ning was planning. But seeing how determined she was, they could only follow her.

Two off-road vehicles kicked up clouds of dust as they drove toward the main camp.

In the main camp, the atmosphere was as somber as a funeral.

Chief Engineer Wang Heshan had already packed his things and was preparing to board the helicopter that had come to pick him up.

Chief Engineer Sun Hai and the other veteran experts were surrounding him, their eyes red and unable to speak.

"You all should go back." Chief Engineer Wang Heshan waved at everyone, his smile uglier than crying, "I'm leaving, and you… should also evacuate quickly. We can't figure out this hellish place."

Just as he was about to step onto the helicopter, two off-road vehicles kicked up dust as they rushed over, braking sharply at the camp entrance. Jiang Ning led Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo and the others out.

Upon seeing Jiang Ning, Chief Engineer Wang Heshan's body stiffened, and his face dropped.

The person he least wanted to see had come after all.

Was she here to watch him make a fool of himself?

Chief Engineer Sun Hai and the others glared at Jiang Ning, fearing she might say something unpleasant at this moment.

"What are you here for?" Chief Engineer Wang Heshan turned around, his voice icy.

Jiang Ning completely ignored his attitude, walked up to him, and said directly: "Borrow me your drilling platform for a moment."

When these words came out, the entire scene fell silent.

Everyone looked at Jiang Ning with an expression as if they were looking at a lunatic.

Chief Engineer Wang Heshan trembled with anger, thinking he had misheard.

"What did you say? Say it again!"

"I said, move your drilling platform to the place I specify." Jiang Ning repeated it again, her tone as calm as if she were talking about the weather.

"You!" Chief Engineer Wang Heshan felt dizzy with anger and swayed, "Are you here to humiliate me? Let me tell you, even if I, Chief Engineer Wang Heshan, have lost, it's not up to a yellow-haired girl like you to teach me what to do!"

"Chief Engineer Wang, please calm down!" Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo quickly stepped in to smooth things over, "The Chief Consultant didn't mean anything else…"

"That is exactly what I mean." Jiang Ning interrupted Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo. She looked into Chief Engineer Wang Heshan's eyes and said word by word, "I need your drilling team to drill a well in the place where you think it is most impossible to have water."

These words were simply outrageously arrogant!

Chief Engineer Sun Hai could no longer hold back, pointing at Jiang Ning and scolding: "Young lady, don't go too far! We just spent hundreds of millions proving that underneath is a solid block of granite! You want us to drill a well on that rock now? What are your intentions!"

"Exactly! You are insulting our entire team!"

"Chief Engineer Wang, don't waste your breath on her, let's go!"

Chief Engineer Wang Heshan's team exploded.

Chief Engineer Wang Heshan himself had a face of iron-blue, glaring at Jiang Ning, looking as if he wanted to swallow her whole.

But Jiang Ning remained the same, without any reaction at all.

She just looked at Chief Engineer Wang Heshan and slowly opened her mouth:

"I know you don't believe me. You believe in your science, your data."

"And I don't need you to believe me."

"I only need you to use your most trusted equipment, on the territory you know best, to drill a hole for me. A very shallow hole."

"Thirty meters."

"Your people, use your best drilling rig, aim at the place I point, and drill down thirty meters. Just thirty meters."

"If after thirty meters there is no water, I will immediately return to the capital with you and admit to the superiors that the 'Pangu Project' is a scam. I will take all the responsibility myself."

"But if… there is water?"

"Then this 'Kuafu Project' must listen to me."

The entire desert seemed to fall silent all at once.

Everyone was stunned by these few sentences from Jiang Ning.

This bet was even crazier and more terrifying than the one Chief Engineer Wang Heshan had made before!

Chief Engineer Wang Heshan stared fixedly at Jiang Ning, wanting to find even a hint of guilt or fear on her face.

However, there was nothing.

Her eyes were terrifyingly calm, filled with certainty—a kind of certainty that made his heart creep out.

Thirty meters?

Drilling thirty meters on granite and expecting water?

This isn't science, this is a fairy tale!

However, looking into her eyes, Chief Engineer Wang Heshan's heart, which had already gone cold, somehow sparked a small flame again.

He thought about how he had lost, remembered the words cursing him online, and thought that his life was probably over anyway.

He had already lost everything anyway.

What else was there that he wouldn't dare to gamble on again?

"Fine!"

He stared at Jiang Ning for a long time and finally spat out one word.

"I will go crazy with you once!"

He turned his head and, facing his dumbfounded subordinates, roared out the order he shouldn't have given again today.

"Pass on my order! Deploy the No. 3 mobile drilling platform! Everyone, follow me to the place specified by that little girl!"

"I want to see how she can conjure water for me on that rock!"