Big Data Cultivation
Chapter 1145: Perform a Grand Magic Trick

Chapter 1145: Chapter 1145: Perform a Grand Magic Trick

The current Elder Yu is seriously suspecting that Feng Jun has colluded with aliens—do you have a planet in your hands?

Feng Jun coughed dryly, "Old man, can we talk about this one thing at a time?"

"Sure," Elder Yu nodded, but then quickly followed with a slightly embarrassed comment.

"But regarding the matter with the oil, I honestly don’t fully understand. If it’s a small quantity, I can just make a phone call to settle it. But for your larger volume... it’s a bit rushed, and I can’t give you a precise answer right now. Would it be okay to wait a couple of days?"

"Fine," Feng Jun agreed without hesitation, then emphasized, "Remember, don’t expose me."

Don’t expose you! Elder Yu’s lips couldn’t help but twitch. Initially, he thought it wouldn’t be too difficult to keep Feng Jun’s identity hidden. But now that large-scale oil transactions were involved, hiding the seller’s identity had become quite the technical challenge.

Despite the complexity, Elder Yu remained optimistic that the tasks weren’t necessarily insurmountable. Redirecting the conversation, he said, "Alright, now let’s talk about the Zeus Shield warship. You don’t know how to dismantle a ship, do you?"

"Of course I don’t," Feng Jun spread his hands, "Old man, I’m a liberal arts student."

"Then I need to find someone to ask, to determine which technologies on the Zeus Shield ship are urgently needed by us," Elder Yu admitted. He didn’t fully understand the Zeus Shield system either, only knowing that it was quite advanced.

Previously, he hadn’t reached an agreement with Feng Jun, so he felt awkward about probing into the details. Now that an agreement had been made and Feng Jun didn’t know how to dismantle the ship, Elder Yu naturally needed to consult relevant experts.

Elder Yu glanced at his granddaughter, who had vacated the premises along with the life secretary earlier when the conversation began. "Qingzhu, go and contact that person..."

"Wait a moment, Elder Yu," Feng Jun interrupted him, "Why do you need to ask anyone?"

"Because you don’t know how to dismantle a ship or identify which parts are important," Elder Yu asserted confidently, "I have to consult with some experts, get recommendations, and outline the key components and dismantling techniques for you."

Feng Jun’s curiosity deepened, "Why dismantle it? Don’t you want the whole ship?"

"The whole ship?" Elder Yu inhaled sharply and instinctively questioned, "How would you bring it back? Merrick has at least double-digit satellites searching for this ship."

"How to bring it back, that’s my problem," Feng Jun said seriously. "The key is for you to arrange a concealed dock where the warship can be parked—make sure Merrick’s satellites don’t find it."

"It’s unlikely to be discovered; just don’t use an open-air dock," Elder Yu, understanding these matters well, commented. "It’s just a frigate, not an aircraft carrier—it won’t take up much space. But a military port... how would you park the ship there?"

Feng Jun pondered for a moment before replying, "Here’s the solution: first, have them make a model of the Lexington, a full-scale wooden replica. We should have data on the Lexington, right?"

"Yes, absolutely," Elder Yu nodded affirmatively. Huaxia surely possessed detailed information on any ship listed in Merrick’s naval operational roster. "A model would be easy to make, especially if your material and craftsmanship requirements are low—they could have it done within ten days."

"No requirements for materials or craftsmanship, as long as the proportions are accurate," Feng Jun said confidently. "You can use plywood; adding some metal won’t hurt. For the craftsmanship, maybe smooth it out a bit—minimize splinters—and cover it with canvas."

Elder Yu listened, dumbfounded, before finally asking, "Then what?"

"What else could there be?" Feng Jun gave him a sidelong glance and shook his head, "Nothing. Next, just wait. When the time comes, I’ll use a trick to turn the wooden frigate into a real one."

Elder Yu gave him a skeptical look, "This plan of yours—why does it sound like you’re performing magic?"

Feng Jun burst out laughing, "It is magic! A large-scale magic trick—a grand frigate transformation!"

Then, his face grew serious again. "Old man, how else could this be explained other than magic?"

Elder Yu immediately grasped the situation. Bringing the Zeus Shield frigate back would undoubtedly need to remain a secret internationally. But even domestically, he had to explain the frigate’s origins. Since Feng Jun didn’t want to make an appearance or disclose the details, "large-scale magic" became a clumsy excuse—but an excuse was better than none.

Elder Yu furrowed his brows slightly, "Is this the only option?"

"What other option is there?" Feng Jun glanced at him. "Unless you negotiate with them to clear out a military port dock—remove all personnel—and I can directly place the frigate there."

"That might not be impossible," Elder Yu stroked his chin, deep in thought—the magic trick idea was, admittedly, overly comical.

"Take your time considering," Feng Jun said as he stood to leave. He wasn’t in any hurry anyway.

Yu Qingzhu saw this and cautiously advised, "Grandpa, you should rest now."

"Don’t bother me," Elder Yu waved her off impatiently. He was engrossed in his thoughts and irritated by the interruption. "Bring me my phone... oh, it’s you, I thought it was Xiao Wang."

Normally, he went to bed at nine, but now, at 8:50, he was still brimming with energy.

His secretary arrived and helped him dial a call. On the other end was another elderly man, eighty years old, whom Elder Yu called "Little Du"—a fitting nickname since Elder Yu was twenty years his senior.

Little Du specialized in naval matters. Initially, he grumbled irritably, "It’s so late, Elder Yu, you haven’t gone to bed yet. What are you working on now? You may be in good health, but my frail body can’t keep up."

When Little Du learned about the possibility of obtaining components from the Lexington, he perked up instantly. "There’s news about that ship? Give me the coordinates—where’s the source of your information?"

"The source is confidential," Elder Yu replied nonchalantly. "I just want to know if you can find a secure dock for parking a frigate the size of the Lexington."

"Parking the Lexington? You’re fantasizing," Little Du exclaimed over the phone. "I don’t know how the ship thief has managed to evade Merrick, but it’s impossible to sneak the ship in with so many satellites monitoring it."

Elder Yu retorted sharply, "So you’re saying you don’t want it?"

"Elder Yu, that’s twisting my words," Little Du protested. "That’s why I need the coordinates first. We’ll start by removing all tracking devices—let’s learn from past mistakes!"

"You speak as though only you have the foresight," Elder Yu’s tone grew irate. "Can you guarantee your team can remove all trackers? How long would it take—half a month or a full month?"

Little Du believed his team could complete the job, but there was no timeline guarantee. "I can’t make promises... can you?"

"Find a hollow mountain dock with no personnel," Elder Yu said decisively. "My team will handle moving the ship. Oh, and ensure good signal blocking—don’t let its trackers transmit any data."

"An unmanned military dock... is that even possible?" Little Du shouted on the other end. "During the unguarded period, what if someone sneaks in cameras, listening devices, or even signal transmitters? Who takes responsibility—me or you?"

Military dock sensitivity is extremely high. Even temporarily closed ports are managed strictly.

Understanding these nuances, Elder Yu hesitated briefly before saying, "Then could you assist in constructing a replica of the ’Lexington’—a full-scale wooden model covered in canvas?"

Little Du’s interest surged again, "Oh, you really got your hands on that thing! Using deception to distract—Elder Yu, you’ve always been my superior; how about sharing coordinates? I can send someone to check it out for you."

"Handle your own tasks," Elder Yu said curtly. Typically, he wasn’t this difficult, but Feng Jun’s request for secrecy meant no compromises. Plus, he knew Little Du had a tendency to demand follow-ups once given an inch.

Given their frequent interactions, Little Du understood Elder Yu’s ire and sighed, "Fine. But replicating the Lexington at full scale seems unnecessary. There’s a place with a replica of the Lexington’s sister ship, the Klangbointe. Would that suffice?"

"Sister ship?" Elder Yu paused to ask, "How different is it?"

Little Du didn’t directly answer, instead explaining, "The replica was originally intended for deployment in the South Sea..."

Elder Yu caught the implication. "So, the differences aren’t significant. Let’s go with this. Just keep it stored securely in an isolated dock. And remember to block signals."

Little Du questioned skeptically, "Block signals? Even for a full-scale model?"

Elder Yu had no intention of explaining further, simply asserting, "Failing to block signals has serious consequences. I can’t share the details."

Little Du quickly grasped the political delicacy of the situation. As someone highly aware of confidentiality protocols, he knew better than to pry and opted to steer clear of sensitive topics.

Still, he chuckled, "Shouldn’t this be handled officially, rather than discussed between two old retirees?"

Aware of the importance of protocol, Elder Yu explained, "Let the relevant department propose it officially. I’ll also put in a word. It’s just a model relocation—if they don’t approve, so be it."

After hanging up, Little Du couldn’t shake off the news. Contemplating for a moment, he dialed another number. "I just heard potential intel about the Lexington—the missing Merrick frigate—might have surfaced..."

(The mention of foreign military personnel is purely coincidental. This was written in advance as part of the draft. Funny how my writing keeps aligning with real-world events. ╮(￣▽￣)╭ ... Anyway, summon the monthly votes!)