"Thank you for your trouble just now, Jing Rou," Mo Ruixue said, decisively employing the 'green tea' skills she learned from palace dramas. "It's getting dark and the dormitory will be locked soon. You should head back quickly."
Jing Mingqiu added, "Thank you for your help today. Once my injuries heal, Xue'er and I will come to thank you in person."
Seeing the couple acting in unison and cooperating seamlessly, Jing Rou was very understanding. She knew that if she insisted on staying, she would only be disliked. She promptly chose to bid them farewell politely.
"There's no need for you to visit. I didn't help much anyway. I'll be going now, I won't disturb your couple's time. We're classmates and partners, so if you need any help, please don't hesitate to ask!"
After Jing Rou left, Mo Ruixue sat by the bed and held up the two bottles of water. "Which do you want, the cold one or the room temperature one?"
"Of course, the cold one. I can't use my hands right now, so you feed me!" Jing Mingqiu raised his two hands, which were wrapped in bandages like mummies, and deliberately put on a pitiful act.
"Drinking too much cold water is bad for your stomach. It's better to drink the room temperature one."
Mo Ruixue gave a sly smile and held up the room temperature mineral water bottle, bringing it to Jing Mingqiu's lips.
Jing Mingqiu knew that Mo Ruixue was throwing a small tantrum because of what just happened, but he had no intention of indulging her.
Jing Rou was interested in him, but that was her idea. He had never done anything to betray Mo Ruixue.
"I want to drink the cold one, and you have to feed me yourself!"
Jing Mingqiu hooked his leg out, causing Mo Ruixue to lose her balance and fall forward, right onto him.
Then, Jing Mingqiu closed his arms, forcefully pulling Mo Ruixue into his embrace.
Mo Ruixue, still upset, extended her small fists and began to pound on Jing Mingqiu's chest...
After they made up, their earlier estrangement completely dissipated. Mo Ruixue, lying in Jing Mingqiu's arms, whispered in his ear, "Ah Qiu, according to the information released by the school, this earthquake was mainly caused by an explosion in the mechanical engineering department's laboratory."
"The mechanical engineering department is ultimately safe. They even conducted a comprehensive safety inspection not long ago. Why would such a large explosion suddenly occur? There must be something fishy about this!"
Hearing this, Jing Mingqiu's expression darkened. "This is indeed not normal. Xue'er, the two people I rescued might not have died from the fire."
"My information is limited, and I'm not very clear about the specifics. We'll have to wait. Such a major incident has occurred, the principal will definitely come to see me tonight."
Seeing Jing Mingqiu's somber expression, Mo Ruixue was very sensible. She didn't press further but subtly changed the subject, deliberately speaking in a lively tone.
"Ah Qiu, wasn't that speech I gave in front of Jing Rou just now cool! I've watched 'Empresses in the Palace' three times and studied 'Story of Yanxi Palace' thoroughly. I'm a master of palace intrigue. Someone of her caliber is no match for me."
"Empresses in the Palace? Story of Yanxi Palace? What are those?"
As Mo Ruixue had predicted, Jing Mingqiu's attention was successfully diverted...
At two in the morning, Jing Mingqiu was asleep in the hospital bed, holding Mo Ruixue. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
"Who is it?"
Jing Mingqiu reluctantly got out of bed and opened the door. Feng Weiguo, with his white hair, tiptoed in.
"Quick, close the door! Don't let anyone else find out!"
After closing the door, Jing Mingqiu grumbled in a low voice, "Principal, why are you only coming now? I've already had a nap..."
"I wanted to come earlier, but I was swamped with too many things! Besides," Feng Weiguo paused, "if I had come to you too early, it might have exposed your true identity."
Jing Mingqiu was unconcerned. "How would my identity be exposed if you came to me earlier? You sneaking over to find me alone in the middle of the night is what's really putting me in a difficult position."
Feng Weiguo patiently explained, "It's different. If I came to you directly, it would imply you're an insider, aware of the secrets behind mecha manufacturing. They might then target you for the next operation."
"But if I come to you later, in their eyes, it's just me giving you orders. You're merely an executor to them; they wouldn't need to expend significant resources to break a mass-producible weapon..."
Jing Mingqiu, confused, interrupted him.
"Political maneuvering is too complex, I don't understand. Just tell me the real reason for the laboratory explosion and fire, and how those two people I rescued actually died. That's all I need to know!"
Hearing this question, Feng Weiguo's expression grew even gloomier. He sighed deeply and slowly began to speak, "Your security clearance is higher than mine, so I won't hide it from you anymore."
"The sudden laboratory explosion this time was caused by someone deliberately detonating explosives in multiple locations. As for those two researchers, they were first subjected to severe torture, injected with a large amount of truth serum, and then had their throats slit before being thrown into the fire to be charred!"
"You! You mean to say?" As his conjecture became reality, Jing Mingqiu's eyes widened. "They were brutally tortured first, and then burned alive! Why would those people do that?"
Feng Weiguo's eyes were filled with grief, but he managed to control his emotions. "It was likely out of spite. They caused such a commotion but didn't get what they wanted."
Jing Mingqiu said word by word, "What did they want? To the extent of using such brutal methods!"
Feng Weiguo pulled out a thick stack of documents and handed them to Jing Mingqiu.
"The two researchers who were burned to death were primarily focused on the mecha's power modules. Combined with the missing data from the laboratory, they were likely trying to obtain the technology for the electric motors used in the mechas."
"If they couldn't get it, then they would destroy the relevant researchers, preventing us from continuing our research. At the very least, they would delay our research progress and stop us from developing electric engines."
Jing Mingqiu still didn't understand and continued to press, "But the mechas have already begun mass production, which means the electric motor technology is mature. Destroying the researchers involved wouldn't serve any purpose!"
"If they were truly afraid of the mechas, they should have directly targeted the chief engineer of the mecha, or even me, the creator of this new structure. Why did they slit the throats of two people researching electric motors!"
"Sigh!" Feng Weiguo sighed. "Mingqiu, you are indeed very smart, but you are still too young. Mechas are very powerful, but they don't have the capability to change the tide of war. Furthermore, with the West's strength, if they want to catch up, they absolutely can."
"Tanks have anti-tank rocket launchers, and aircraft have surface-to-air missiles. Modern warfare has always been about offense over defense. Even if they can't catch up technologically, researching a cheap and effective weapon specifically designed to counter mechas wouldn't be difficult for them."
"Their deliberate targeting of scholars researching electric motors this time, according to our experts, is because they fear we will integrate these electric motors into other applications besides mechas."
Hearing this, Jing Mingqiu's eyes lit up, and he remembered the original purpose of his research into new engines. "For example..."