A nation's industrial development begins with junior engineers.

Chapter 880 Stealing a Half-Day of Leisure.

Just as the rescue force, originally intended as a backup, was being put to use, Jiang Xia was squatting in front of a mudflat, watching Staff Officer Xie lead two soldiers, wading through the mud with their feet sinking deep into the mud.

Staff Officer Xie felt it was wonderful to hear the old man say his name!

With a trembling heart and excited hands, unable to express his feelings, he insisted on dragging Jiang Xia to taste the sea cucumbers he had just mentioned.

As for the little black fish No. 418 that the silly boy forgot, the meticulous Staff Officer Xie had not completely forgotten this little guy who volunteered.

After confirming that the "Yuejin" had corrected its course and restored communication, Staff Officer Xie specifically asked the communications officer about the latest location of the 418 boat.

"Report to staff officer: We received a routine report from submarine 418 half an hour ago. They have changed course, but their speed is slow. Their estimated position is still quite a distance from the coordinates last reported by the 'Yuejin'. The signal is weak, but communication is normal."

Upon hearing this, Staff Officer Xie pondered, "With 418's speed, by the time we get there, it'll be too late. But it's fine, let's treat it as a navigation training exercise. Let them take their time, and call them back once we make contact again."

So he confidently handed over the routine communication tasks with the 418 boat to the duty communicator, and then completely relaxed.

Having made a name for himself in front of the highest levels, he was in a great mood. Looking at Jiang Xia, who had relaxed after being under intense pressure and looked somewhat dejected, he decided to take the kid out to relax and prepare some "hard dishes" to celebrate.

He put his arm around Jiang Xia's shoulder and said with a grin, "Little brother, you're a lucky star! Come on! Stop thinking about it! The matter is settled! Come with me to the beach and get some of the freshest stuff to calm your nerves!"

Today I'll show you what true freshness means—'from the sea to the pot in no more than an incense stick's time'!

"From the sea to the pot, it takes no more than an incense stick's time?"

Jiang Xia's curiosity was piqued, and he temporarily cleared his mind of the blueprints and data. With his signature tuft of hair sticking up, he followed Staff Officer Xie toward a muddy tidal flat exposed after the tide receded.

On the way, Staff Officer Xie also asked two soldiers on leave to accompany the silly boy, just in case the kid did something that could get him killed.

The ocean is not like the inland; there are countless things in the ocean that can take a person's life in an instant.

"Brother Xie, where's the wildness in this...?" Jiang Xia looked at the wet mudflat, somewhat bewildered.

"Just you wait and see!" Staff Officer Xie chuckled, took off his shoes, looked down at his trouser leg that had been torn in the excitement and was now fluttering in the wind, and found it in the way, so he simply took off his trousers and, wearing only the faded military undershirt underneath, prepared to go down to the mudflats with his hairy calves bare.

Jiang Xia was stunned for a moment, but the young soldier accompanying him seemed to be used to it. He smiled and shook his head, then magically pulled a small sewing kit from his satchel, sat down on the spot, picked up the trousers that Staff Officer Xie had thrown down, and skillfully threaded the needle to begin mending them.

Jiang Xia's attention was involuntarily drawn to the soldier's nimble fingers. He watched as the soldier moved the needle swiftly, quickly mending the tear in the trousers.

The soldier noticed Jiang Xia's curious gaze, looked up, revealed a set of white teeth, and grinned憨厚ly: "Jiang, want to learn? I know more than ten kinds of sewing techniques. I sew up all the torn clothes of the comrades in the squad! The leaders say that's what self-reliance is!"

Jiang Xia gave a thumbs up, and thinking of the old clothes he had stuffed into his space, he was actually a little tempted.

Although I try to save money wherever I can, I still feel a little embarrassed to go out wearing clothes with exposed openings.

"Look over here! The real skill is right here!" Over there, Staff Officer Xie, who had already stepped into the cold mud, laughed heartily, drawing Jiang Xia's attention back.

"See that? Right here!" He gestured for Jiang Xia to look over, then held his breath, and with his small shovel in hand, he aimed carefully and quickly scooped the sand from the side and below. With a flick of his wrist, a large chunk of mud and sand mixed with sea cucumbers was cleanly and neatly lifted out!

A pink and transparent sea cucumber, shaped like a large earthworm, was suddenly seen in front of us!

"Look! Sea cucumbers! Ever seen them? This is top-quality fresh seafood!" Staff Officer Xie proudly picked up the still wriggling "trophy" and threw it into the small iron bucket. "These things are very clever; they burrow deeper as soon as there's any movement. You have to be quick!"

Jiang Xia stared at the slippery, fleshy, and wriggling creature, his lips twitching. "Brother Xie, this... this thing is edible?"

Staff Officer Xie laughed heartily and continued searching for the next target. "This thing dies as soon as it leaves the water, and once it dies, most of its freshness is lost. It has to be caught and cooked fresh to be truly delicious!"

At this moment, the young soldier next to him had already skillfully sewed up the trousers, neatly folded them, and placed them on a dry rock nearby, preparing to go down and dig a few shovelfuls of them as well.

Staff Officer Xie quickly shoveled out a few more.

Jiang Xia found it interesting and was eager to try, but unfortunately his technique was clumsy. He either couldn't find the hole properly or was too slow in digging, so he either dug too deep or too shallow. He finally dug one out, but because he was too slow, the sea cucumber was startled and shrank even deeper, so he could only scoop out half of it.

This prompted Staff Officer Xie to make jokes repeatedly.

After working on the mudflats for a while, the group managed to collect about half a bucket of fresh ingredients.

Back by the small coal stove, Staff Officer Xie put his trousers back on, the ones so well-patched they were almost invisible. He quickly cleaned the sea cucumbers and dumped them, along with the small fish, clams, and kelp he had gathered earlier, into the bubbling, milky-white fish soup. The sea cucumbers curled up instantly as soon as they hit the pot, releasing an indescribable, rich, and delicious aroma.

Just as he scooped up a skewer and put it in the bowl, a large hand reached out and snatched the bowl away. Jiang Xia looked and saw that it was none other than Old Wang.

"Oh, you're done with your work?"

Old Wang remained silent, only continuing to put food in his mouth: "It's hot! You can eat it later!"

Jiang Xia naturally understood what Lao Wang was referring to. Although he felt that Staff Officer Xie in front of him would not harm him, Jiang Xia decided to play it safe, remembering the instructions that Company Commander Tang had given him before leaving.

"Hey, have you found the person who drew the sea chart?"

Old Wang remained silent.

Okay, I understand...

In fact, while Jiangxia was focused on the "Yuejin" project, Lao Wang was not idle.

Just as the investigation was making progress, the key figure, the staff officer in charge of drawing the nautical charts, mysteriously "disappeared" after leaving the Maritime Bureau!

If it were according to Old Wang's usual temperament, he would have dug three feet into the ground to find this thread.

However, remembering what Company Commander Tang had told him before he left, Old Wang decided that the safety of the silly boy should be the priority.

So, despite his reluctance, Lao Wang suppressed his desire to relentlessly pursue the matter and efficiently compiled the clues he had gathered and the new developments regarding the "missing person" into a detailed report, which was then formally handed over to the specialized department designated by his superiors for handling.

She quickly returned to the side of the adorable boy.

Look, everyone is growing, and everything is thriving...