I can upgrade the shelter-Chapter 801 - 699: An Interlude in the Office

"This plan won’t work either! Damn it!" Frowning, Chen Xin crumpled a piece of draft paper in front of him, and tossed it aside, feeling immensely frustrated.

The office floor was littered with similar paper balls, clearly indicating that Chen Xin’s work was not going well.

"What’s going on here, throwing away so much waste paper, have you run into some problem?" Knocking twice on the already ajar door with his finger, Qin Lan looked at the mess of paper balls on the floor of Chen Xin’s office and couldn’t help asking him curiously.

While asking, Qin Lan also picked up a broom from the doorway of Chen Xin’s office and started sweeping up the paper balls on the floor. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

As she swept up the paper balls on the floor, Qin Lan couldn’t help but scold Chen Xin: "Not to nag, Xin, but you really need to change this habit of casually tossing waste paper. After all, you’re a department leader now. What does this look like if your subordinates see it?"

"When I’m upset, I can’t be bothered with all that." Chen Xin looked at Qin Lan, paused the task at hand, leaned back in his chair, and tiredly rubbed his forehead.

Qin Lan efficiently cleaned up the paper mess in Chen Xin’s office, stuffing everything into the trash can. Although this made the trash can overflow, almost forming a small mountain.

After clearing away the trash, she came up behind Chen Xin, massaged his temples, and caringly asked, "Why are you so upset? Is work not going well? Or have you hit a tough spot?"

Enjoying Qin Lan’s massage with his eyes closed, Chen Xin finally sighed and explained: "The military needs a heavy weapon that can be used in underground caves and tunnels. The current weapons aren’t suitable, and I can’t find a solution for now, which inevitably makes me frustrated!

You know the tunneling project has already started, and there’s less than four months until the military’s advance. I must come up with a feasible plan before the tunneling is completed, so the military has a suitable weapon for underground clearing operations!"

"Don’t push yourself too hard." Hearing Chen Xin’s explanation, Qin Lan wasn’t sure what comforting words to offer.

Of course, she knew how important Chen Xin’s duty was. Producing a feasible plan a day earlier could mean fewer casualties.

In this situation, naturally, the sooner Chen Xin can deliver results, the better. Qin Lan also hopes he can come up with a plan sooner.

But as Chen Xin’s girlfriend, seeing him so tired and troubled, Qin Lan felt more heartache and hoped Chen Xin wouldn’t exhaust himself so much.

The conflicting positions and emotions left Qin Lan only able to advise Chen Xin to take care of himself and not push himself too hard.

With Qin Lan softly massaging his temples, Chen Xin gradually felt more comfortable, reached out to hold Qin Lan’s left hand that was massaging his forehead, pressed her palm against his cheek, feeling the softness of Qin Lan’s hand, he couldn’t help but relax.

During this period, to solve the problems in the Dongting Lake Battlefield, Chen Xin had been on edge, working overtime in the office for many consecutive days, not even going home.

Since returning from Europe, he had only spent a few days at home, then devoted all his energy to work.

First, he revised the military’s offensive plan, then adjusted and upgraded the tunnel boring machine, and now he had to think about new weapons...

It could be said that since Chen Xin returned from Europe, he hadn’t had a moment’s rest.

Facing Chen Xin’s hectic and heavy workload, how could Qin Lan not feel heartache for her beloved?

But both she and Chen Xin understood, especially now, there was no time for breaks.

After spending some warm moments with Qin Lan, Chen Xin finally pulled her into his embrace, letting her sit on his lap, and asked, "Why do you have time to visit me today?"

"Because you revised the counterattack plan, most of the troops have been idle, just training and studying tactics, so it’s relatively relaxed now." Qin Lan, resting in Chen Xin’s embrace, consciously adjusted her posture to avoid her metal prosthetic from poking him: "Zhu Luan had a minor issue due to intense combat recently, and now that there are no combat missions, it’s the perfect time for repairs, so I got a couple of days off.

I initially planned to visit your parents, but they said you haven’t been home for a week and asked me to check on you, so here I am."

"Thanks to you, during the time I wasn’t around, if it weren’t for you and Qingyan accompanying my parents, I’d really be worried about them," Chen Xin said with emotion upon hearing Qin Lan mention his parents.

Though he knew the state would take care of his parents’ lives, even assigning staff to handle their daily needs, not being there himself still made him uneasy.

Besides, elderly people need companionship, especially now, unlike before, they couldn’t contact relatives or friends, had no entertainment, and could only stay at home in silence. If it weren’t for Qin Lan and Mo Qingyan visiting regularly, Chen Xin would genuinely worry about his parents facing issues out of loneliness.

"What are you talking about! This is what should be done." Qin Lan’s face blushed a little upon hearing Chen Xin’s words: "Besides, it’s mainly Qingyan who’s keeping them company; I previously had combat tasks and rarely found time to visit your parents, unlike Qingyan, who often chatted with them."

"Still, thank you. When I wasn’t around, my parents were fortunate to have your care." Chen Xin smiled at Qin Lan, suddenly joking, "Speaking of which, when are you and Qingyan going to change how you address them? You’re closer to my parents than I am yet still call them uncle and aunt, doesn’t it feel distant?"

Hearing Chen Xin’s teasing, Qin Lan shyly punched his chest, coquettishly saying, "What are you talking about! We aren’t married, why change how we address them?"

Qin Lan’s punch was gentle, causing Chen Xin no pain, yet this playful banter inexplicably lifted his mood, prompting him to promptly kiss Qin Lan on her cheek.

This made Qin Lan even shyer. She nervously glanced at the office door before breaking free from Chen Xin’s embrace to stand up, saying, "Not in the office! If someone sees, it wouldn’t be good for your reputation!"

Qin Lan’s shy demeanor immediately made Chen Xin laugh. If it were the past, he couldn’t imagine Qin Lan showing such shyness in front of him.

However, just as he was about to say something more to Qin Lan, a knock suddenly came at the office door, and a researcher walked in, a few degrees of excitement on his face as he said to Chen Xin, "Academician, the Laser Weapon project has made a breakthrough!"