I can upgrade the shelter-Chapter 839 - 737: Researchers from Europe

As part of the international research project, researchers participating in the Southern Celestial Gate plan were gathered from various countries in Europe, as well as from Lucia and different regions of the Flame Country.

After all, this is a multinational collaborative research project, requiring scientists and technical personnel from various countries to come together for cooperative research. This need for gathering people existed even in the pre-catastrophe era when the internet was highly developed.

In large-scale multinational research projects like this, it is inevitable to bring together scientists and related technical personnel from all countries.

Moreover, to build the "Luan Bird" large aerospace strategic carrier platform, a new research site needed to be specifically established. After all, humanity had never created something so enormous before, nor were there facilities large enough to house such a thing.

After a comprehensive consideration of the conditions of various countries, this newly established research site was located within the borders of the Flame Country.

The site was an originally sealed-off air force base in the Flame Country, which came alive again due to being chosen as the research site.

Researchers from various countries were brought here by land ships, airplanes, and trains, most of whom only knew they were here to participate in a research project without any specifics about the project or what their roles would be.

Peter was one of those researchers who knew nothing and was requisitioned by his country, then sent on a land ship along with others.

Initially, Peter felt some fear and helplessness about his situation, but after spending several days on the land ship, he gradually calmed his mind.

After all, he had no power to resist the requisition by the state, even though his country, Belgium, was a small, insignificant nation in Europe, merely a buffer between France and Germany. Yet, a country’s power was still beyond what a mere scientist like him could oppose.

Also, upon boarding the land ship, he realized he wasn’t alone; other scientists from different European countries were also aboard, which further eased his mind.

Bringing people from so many European countries clearly showed that various European nations were involved in this matter, and since they were using the Flame Country’s land ships, this meant the Flame Country was also part of it.

In such a global environment, participating in a large project involving both the Flame Country and various European nations was indeed a positive thing for a researcher like Peter.

One must remember that Belgium was only a tiny nation in Europe, struggling in the current global circumstances. Non-official researchers like Peter were even worse off.

If it weren’t for Chen Xin forming a knight order in Europe and Peter joining one of them due to his mechanical expertise, becoming a logistics maintenance technician responsible for repairing their vehicles, Peter might have starved to death or been sent to the battlefield.

After all, he was just a moderately known researcher in mechanics within Belgium, not a renowned scholar, and his name wouldn’t be on any national list to preserve scientific strength.

In fact, before joining the knight order, Peter’s life was quite strained.

If he weren’t single, if it weren’t just himself needing to fend off hunger, though his income was decent prior to the catastrophe, he had made some modifications to his house during idle times and could employ small tricks to earn a living in this post-apocalyptic era. Otherwise, he might have starved already.

After joining the knight order, although food and drink were no longer a worry, life wasn’t as good as imagined.

Since the knight order depended on free cities for support, if the cities faced hardship, so did the knight order. Plus, Belgium, being a small country, still had relatively good public safety, so the knight order had few missions and thus little merit to exchange for more equipment, which naturally led to ordinary living conditions.

Hence, being part of a highly confidential large-scale project was beneficial for Peter, at least assuring his standard of living for the foreseeable future.

This was evident from the meals served daily on the land ship.

Even though the food offered on the land ship was just emergency rations and dehydrated vegetables, they were far superior to synthetic protein blocks, being actual food rather than industrial materials.

While synthetic protein blocks solved the plummeting agricultural production in war-torn European nations, their flavor and texture left much to be desired, even after seasoning.

Having tasted real food again after many years, Peter ate his meal with tears in his eyes, and he wasn’t the only one crying.

Even though Europe’s situation improved considerably after Chen Xin’s restructuring and the Flame Country fleet’s various construction projects and sub-mine operations benefited European countries greatly, the European Defense Line, which constantly consumed resources, kept living standards across European nations quite low.

This situation led to the newcomers being watched in the canteen as they cried after eating real food, becoming one of the few forms of entertainment for Peter and others aboard the land ship.

After all, watching others cry from eating proper food was quite amusing.

However, their joy did not last long; once all cabins were filled, the land ship turned eastward, heading back to the Flame Country.

"My god! Is that the blue sky?! The sun is rising!" As the land ship neared the Flame Country, the sky cleared gradually. Their return coincided perfectly with sunrise, leaving Peter stunned in amazement as he witnessed it.

Others aboard the land ship shared Peter’s astonishment, crowding into cabins on the sun-facing side, pressing their heads against the portholes to get a better view of the rising sun.

"I never imagined a sunrise could be so beautiful!" A researcher sincerely marveled at the fiery sun outside the window, voicing what everyone else felt.

To those who never lost it, the daily rising sun might not seem as precious and important.

But for those who have experienced darkness, the light that pierces the dark is the most treasured.

This realization struck these researchers, drafted from various European countries, as the sunlight touched their faces.