Lu Mingyu stared at the screen for a full half-minute, and only after confirming everything was correct did he straighten up.
“Begin Phase One testing.”
“Yes!”
Wu Tianlong took a deep breath and picked up the walkie-talkie.
“Mine-clearing vehicle, attention, you may enter the test area.”
“Drive along Route One, repeat, drive along Route One.”
In the distance, the engine of a heavy mine-clearing vehicle roared.
It slowly started, its heavy tracks rolling over the sand.
It drove towards the area where the landmines had been laid.
Everyone’s hearts were in their throats.
The mine-clearing vehicle, like a giant steel beast, slowly and steadily rolled directly over the six pre-buried points.
The ground vibrated slightly, but nothing happened.
The six deadly landmines seemed not to exist at all, quietly sleeping underground.
The mine-clearing vehicle safely passed through the entire area and stopped at the other end.
Phase One testing, successful.
Wu Tianlong’s fists quietly clenched under the control panel; this was just the first step.
But it was a crucial step.
Lu Mingyu’s expression remained calm as he looked at Wu Tianlong.
“Proceed to Phase Two.”
“Yes, Captain!” Wu Tianlong’s voice was now filled with undisguised excitement.
He operated the control panel, entering a series of complex commands.
As he pressed the enter key, the status indicator lights on the control panel screen instantly changed.
The six signal sources that had originally displayed “Safely Offline” all turned a dazzling red.
A line of text popped up on the screen: Area Sensing System Activated.
“Captain, the system has been activated, and the landmines have entered combat readiness,” Wu Tianlong reported.
Lu Mingyu’s gaze sharpened.
He picked up the walkie-talkie, his voice steady and powerful.
“Mine-clearing vehicle, return along Route Two, repeat, return along Route Two.”
Route Two completely overlapped with Route One.
This meant the mine-clearing vehicle would once again drive over the six landmines.
This time, the situation would be completely different.
The mine-clearing vehicle’s engine roared again, turning around and heading back the way it came.
Everyone’s eyes were fixed on the unremarkable patch of land.
As the front half of the mine-clearing vehicle just entered the minefield, a sudden change occurred.
“Boom! Boom! Boom!”
Three consecutive, violent explosions sounded almost simultaneously, deafeningly loud.
Three massive fireballs shot into the sky, and the soil and gravel thrown up scattered like a downpour.
The earth trembled violently, as if struck hard by a giant hammer.
Immediately after, there were three more explosions, completely engulfing the rear half of the mine-clearing vehicle.
The power of the explosions was precise and concentrated; the six landmines were synchronously detonated by the remote system the moment they sensed the mine-clearing vehicle.
Thick black smoke rose, and the test area was a mess.
The test result was an undeniable success.
“We succeeded! We succeeded!”
Wu Tianlong suddenly jumped out of his chair.
He waved his fists, his face filled with uncontrollable ecstasy.
The hard work and pressure of this period were repaid perfectly at this moment.
Lu Mingyu looked at the destroyed mine-clearing vehicle wreckage and the overjoyed Wu Tianlong.
The tense lines on his face softened slightly.
Wu Tianlong turned his head, looking at Mingyu excitedly, his eyes shining brightly.
This success was not just a technological breakthrough; it also gave him immense confidence.
He remembered his Captain’s previous teachings.
He remembered the heavy topics of responsibility and consequences.
And now, the technology in his hands had proven its value.
This system, which could be precisely controlled and activated only when needed.
It meant that on future battlefields, it could maximally prevent innocent civilians from being accidentally injured by landmines laid by their own side.
Lu Mingyu’s gaze withdrew from the test site where thick black smoke was rising.
He ignored Wu Tianlong, who was practically jumping for joy beside him.
He turned and walked towards the command tent, his steps steady, without any hesitation.
He picked up the encrypted satellite phone.
His fingers quickly pressed a string of numbers he knew by heart.
The call was answered almost instantly.
A strong, resonant voice came from the receiver.
“Hello!”
“Commander, it’s me, Lu Mingyu.”
Lu Mingyu’s voice was as calm as deep water, forming a stark contrast with the ecstatic atmosphere around him.
“Are the test results out?”
The Commander’s voice also held some tension.
“Reporting, Commander, the field test of the remote-controlled landmine was a complete success.”
Lu Mingyu’s wording was precise and restrained, without any exaggeration.
There was silence on the other end of the phone for a full three seconds.
Immediately after, the Commander’s voice, filled with excitement, exploded like thunder in the receiver.
“Successful? Really successful?”
“Yes, Commander.”
“The entire test had no errors, the system reacted precisely, and the detonation power met expectations.”
Lu Mingyu confirmed again.
“Good! Good! Excellent!”
The Commander said “good” three times in a row.
Lu Mingyu could even imagine him slamming his desk in his office.
“Lu Mingyu, Wu Tianlong, you are all outstanding!”
“You have rendered great service!”
The Commander’s voice was full of praise.
“This is what we should do.”
Lu Mingyu’s answer was as simple as ever.
“You must immediately write me a detailed report, the most detailed kind.”
“Include all test data, technical principles, and practical combat value!”
The Commander almost gave the instructions in a commanding tone.
The excitement in his voice had not diminished at all.
“I am waiting for your report now, and as soon as it arrives, I will immediately submit it to the higher-ups!”
“I tell you, the significance of this thing is too great.”
“We must strive for approval as quickly as possible!”
Lu Mingyu listened quietly, and only when the Commander had somewhat calmed down did he speak.
“Commander, I would like to know, if everything goes smoothly.”
“How long will it take from submitting the report to patent certification, and then to final production?”
This question was the core of what he cared about most.
The Commander on the other end of the phone pondered for a moment, clearly also quickly considering the question.
“Patent certification is easy to handle; this is a major achievement of our military industry’s independent research and development.”
“There’s a green channel; it can be approved in just a few days at the fastest.”
The Commander’s tone became serious.
“However, putting it into production won’t be that quick.”
“Any new weapon or equipment must undergo an observation period before being deployed.”
“We need to repeatedly verify its stability, reliability, and adaptability in various extreme environments.”
“This observation period, if it’s fast, will take three to six months.”
“If any issues requiring improvement are found in the interim.”
“Or if the expert panel above has different opinions.”
“Then the time is uncertain; it could be anywhere from one to three years.”
One to three years.
This time span made Lu Mingyu’s brows furrow tightly.
The situation on the battlefield was constantly changing.
One to three years was enough for too many things to happen.
He could not wait that long.
His comrades on the front lines, who were scouting with their flesh and blood, could not wait that long.
“Commander, is there any way to shorten this observation period?”
Lu Mingyu’s tone was somewhat urgent.
