CHAPTER 385: CHAPTER 182: TURTLE STRATEGY

To Chen Jian, the merchants of the Ring Chamber of Commerce were like a dispersed reconnaissance team that he couldn’t control but often brought unexpected surprises nonetheless.

They had once provided the initial leads about Fu Xi and offered equipment and weapons to the Huaxia Army that weren’t immediately useful but indeed valuable.

This time, during their exploration outside, they discovered a strategic-grade resource that was urgently needed.

Chen Jian was very curious about what kind of organization they were, how they operated, who their so-called "leader" was, and just how much information about the cataclysm this leader possessed.

He had tried multiple times to uncover the Ring Chamber of Commerce’s bottom line, but they always maintained an ambiguous cooperation with the Huaxia Army at a perfect distance.

Truly, the most mysterious organization in the Wasteland World.

Chen Jian had to admit that, no matter how lacking they were in other aspects, they were impeccable when it came to secrecy.

Of course, perhaps it was exactly this overly stringent secrecy requirement that prevented them from developing further, relegating them to backstage organization relying on hired forces for security?

----Regardless, the current Ring Chamber of Commerce indeed had some value to the Huaxia Army.

As long as they didn’t overstep the line, Chen Jian was willing to allow them some degree of autonomy.

Whether it’s a black cat or a white cat, a cat that catches mice is a good cat.

They haven’t yet displayed the obvious social hazards like the Mechanical God Sect, so what would be the point of cutting off their livelihood?

Thus, after receiving news about solid rocket fuel from Lei Jie, Chen Jian didn’t press for details but immediately decided to proceed upon confirming the credibility of the information.

What he didn’t expect was that while he didn’t inquire further, Wang Lizhi came to explain on his own.

The very next day after the call with Lei Jie, Wang Lizhi hurriedly arrived at Base 011.

Upon meeting Chen Jian, he didn’t immediately dive into the topic of rocket fuel but instead remarked with a sigh:

"In such a short time, the Jinling Ruins have become completely unrecognizable to me."

"Mr. Chen Jian, you indeed have a unique touch when it comes to city management."

"If we had such capabilities, perhaps the fate of the Ring Chamber of Commerce would have taken an entirely different path..."

"Even if you didn’t have such management skills, building a city with the information and resources in your possession wouldn’t be a difficult task."

Chen Jian shook his head and said:

"But I don’t understand why you haven’t done so."

"It’s for security reasons."

Wang Lizhi replied unabashedly:

"We don’t possess powerful military forces like yours. In fact, according to our leader, the Ring Chamber of Commerce was pitifully weak when it was first established."

"Although we have a large amount of weapons, those capable of using them are extremely limited."

"Our ancestors once tried to conquer the world with military might, but it ended in a painful failure."

"Thus, we eventually took this path — perhaps it’s the right one for us, isn’t it?"

"Maybe."

Chen Jian nodded thoughtfully.

Weapons without the ability to wield them?

So exactly who are these "ancestors" who founded the Ring Chamber of Commerce?

Scholars?

That would indeed make sense, considering the organization’s apparent disconnect between high-level and grassroot knowledge, which seems to align with the characteristics of high-level scholars. It’s also understandable for people engaged in long-term scientific research not to have sufficient military force.

Could they be the descendants of some research institute staff?

Chen Jian didn’t pursue the matter further but directly stated:

"We received your message."

"So, are you certain that you’ve found the solid fuel we need?"

"I can’t guarantee it one hundred percent."

Wang Lizhi nodded and replied:

"But what we found is indeed a batch of powdered explosives stored separately in a sealed chamber."

"According to your description, that would be unmixed solid rocket fuel."

"We tested some, and a portion can be ignited, likely the primary rocket particles."

"Another portion couldn’t be ignited, which should be the binder."

"The ingredient ratios seem to be complete. We even found some testing equipment in the storage room, but we don’t know how to use them."

"However, we’ve taken everything with us, and you can study it yourselves once you receive it."

"Understood."

Chen Jian sighed in relief.

He was almost certain that Wang Lizhi had found the right materials.

In fact, what they were searching for wasn’t pre-processed propellant columns — not to say these were readily available, but the Rocket Army base’s DF-26 was indeed full of them.

Once cast, solid fuel basically couldn’t be maintained further.

The oxidation and erosion brought by long durations had already rendered those propellant columns ineffective. Even if they could be ignited, the rockets would become completely uncontrollable like skyrockets.

Therefore, what they were always looking for was powdered propellant in its uncast form.

If they could find explosives with completely separated components, even before the premixing process, it would be ideal.

And now, that’s exactly what the Ring Chamber of Commerce had found.