Did You Destroy the World Today?
Chapter 31: No Free Labor for Capitalists

Zhurong rover...

Lin Xu clearly remembered that when he asked Xu Jin this morning "Why go to Mars?", the answer was "Zhurong rover."

And the Zhurong rover was designed by his father.

Damn, so even the Mars mission is a family tradition?

No, that's not quite right.

More accurately, it was likely his father's influence that planted the idea of going to Mars in his mind.

This very idea drove him to conduct research in aerospace—specifically materials science.

This also explains how he could develop industrial production methods for two materials.

After all, if he were just an ordinary researcher at the Materials Research Institute, achieving this would be extremely difficult.

But with a chief engineer father, the situation changes completely.

The resources, equipment, and instruments he could access were virtually unlimited.

As long as he had ideas and approaches, he could make it happen.

Makes perfect sense!

Now Lin Xu had two more clues:

[Xu Jin joining Planetary Reincarnation might be related to his father Xu Qianlin (unconfirmed)]

[Xu Qianlin served as chief engineer for critical national research projects, involved in important Mars exploration missions]

Continuing his reasoning, a sudden question arose in Lin Xu's mind.

Assuming—just assuming—

If Xu Qianlin had truly joined Planetary Reincarnation, did that mean his ideology had "deteriorated"?

Or outright "defected"?

No, unlikely.

To undertake such crucial research missions, technical skills aside, his ideological awareness must have been vetted.

His dedication to the collective cause should be steadfast, with proven judgment and resistance to temptations.

Yet he still joined Planetary Reincarnation.

Could this mean the organization initially showed no "dangerous" signs?

Lin Xu had always assumed "Planetary Reincarnation" was some cult-like group.

But now it seemed different.

It was probably just a small circle within scientific research—exactly as he initially speculated!

This explained why no information about the organization could be found online—research circles are already insular, and subgroups within them would be even more so!

Lin Xu's heart pounded.

He felt closer to the truth.

Mars, Planetary Reincarnation, Apocalypse...

Did Planetary Reincarnation discover signs of apocalypse on Mars?

Or did researchers find apocalyptic clues on Mars, leading to Planetary Reincarnation's formation?

After all, "reincarnation" sounds inherently apocalyptic.

Logically, the concept should emerge after discovering apocalyptic omens.

Everything connects!

Lin Xu exhaled deeply.

Though still speculative, he sensed this theory was nearly accurate.

The remaining questions were simple:

When did they discover these omens, and what exactly did they find?

Perhaps only by contacting Xu Qianlin would he get answers.

He must accelerate the Star Voyager-1 project!

Only by advancing this project and fully involving Xu Jin could he access Xu Qianlin.

Moreover, he needed tangible results from this project to earn the right to speak with him!

Lin Xu decisively closed his eyes.

Time to work!

He tapped his bracelet and entered the other world again.

This time, instead of painstakingly gathering clues, he led mercenaries straight to Donghua Chemical Fiber Factory.

Straight to replication!

...

By 6 PM, after exhausting his last attempt, Lin Xu finally exited the Bracelet World.

He quickly compiled detailed parameter updates for M46X and PEEK-RTM materials into documents, pushing completion past 50%.

At this point, the industrial production process documentation for these materials was essentially complete.

The remaining content, even from Lin Xu's "layman" perspective, only required simple trial-and-error once equipment was ready.

Next step: leverage Xu Jin's resources to advance his plan.

Plan successful√.

Satisfied, Lin Xu saved the documents. As he reached for his phone to ask Jiang Xingye if she was off work, his apartment door suddenly rattled with knocks.

"Lin Xu! Lin Xu!"

"Awake yet?"

"Time for dinner!"

Damn, already here??

"Wait a sec!"

Lin Xu hastily changed clothes and put on shoes. When he opened the door, Jiang Xingye's fist nearly hit his face.

"Off work already today? So early?"

"Don't ask."

Jiang Xingye waved dismissively.

"Test Vehicle No.3 was scheduled for implementation today. Everyone went to the new launch site for debugging this afternoon."

"Damn, you wouldn't believe how hot that damn place is... Who knew Jinling City had such spots?"

"I couldn't take it anymore. Once things looked stable, I bailed."

"So, dinner plans?"

Only then did Lin Xu notice Jiang Xingye's sweaty face.

Strands of hair clung to her forehead, her casually tied ponytail coming loose. The lines of her neck tensed with each breath, delicate collarbones accentuating its slender curve.

...Why does she look so attractive?

Is this what heart flutters feel like?

How lethal can an ex-wife be??

Lin Xu averted his gaze. Following Jiang Xingye out, he changed the subject:

"You pick dinner—I'm the one asking favors here..."

"How did testing go today? Smooth?"

"Perfectly smooth."

Jiang Xingye entered the elevator, wiping sweat.

"We tested low-altitude recovery today—quite visually impressive. Investors loved it. Next funding round's secured."

"Next steps include high-altitude arm capture and low-altitude cable recovery, but no dates set yet. Didn't ask either."

"Might just be boss's investor bait."

"His focus is all on Star Voyager-1 now. If that succeeds, vertical recovery becomes redundant."

"Whether to abandon it or pivot remains undecided."

"But most investors backed rocket recovery tech. To sell them on new tech, we need stronger proof."

"So it's all on you now!"

Jiang Xingye's eyes sparkled.

"How about your end? That 'friend' of yours—progress?"

"Solid."

Lin Xu nodded.

"Wouldn't ask you out otherwise."

"Still haven't touched that 200,000 yuan reserve fund. Feels wasteful."

"Just ask your friend how to spend it? Buy whatever he needs. Why consult me?"

Jiang Xingye looked puzzled. Lin Xu shrugged:

"Wish I could. But Asperger's makes it tricky. Hate bringing it up."

"Wait, actual Asperger's?!"

Jiang Xingye froze.

"I thought that was just an excuse to keep company away from your resources."

"Dead serious..."

"Well that complicates things... But honestly, you should spend that money."

Jiang Xingye mused:

"It's networking funds. Even if you refuse, it should go to your friend."

"Otherwise, what? Free labor for capitalists?"

"Let's eat first."

"We'll figure it out over dinner."

"Guarantee you a foolproof solution!"