Chapter 28: A Heavenly Construction Site? Starting with Luxury Dormitories!

The public invitation issued by Academician Sun Jianguo was like a depth charge dropped into a calm lake; the ripples it stirred up were sweeping across the country with unstoppable momentum.

On the backend of the Longhai University official website, the figures representing the total donations were ticking upward with a near-frenzied intensity.

Nine hundred million!

Nine hundred and fifty million!

Finally, after a dizzying flurry of refreshes, the number settled firmly past the one-billion mark, and it was still steadily climbing!

Every donation, large or small, represented a burning flame of trust.

In He Yu’s mind, the system’s cold, mechanical voice now seemed to carry a hint of warmth.

[Ding! Your project has received public recognition from a national-level strategic scientist, reaching a new peak in credibility. Reward: 30,000 Reputation Points!]

Meanwhile, dozens of kilometers away from Jinling City, the "Valley of Hope"—a place of silent mountain forests—was thoroughly awakened by an unprecedented flood of steel.

Several national-level elite engineering teams, coordinated personally by Academician Qian Liqun, had marched into the valley in a massive procession, carrying the nation’s most advanced heavy equipment. Tracks ground into the earth with a dull roar, and giant crane booms reached toward the sky, as if to tear a rift through the clouds.

This would be the birthplace of a miracle.

However, the birth of a miracle is often accompanied by the most realistic of hardships.

As night fell, the moisture in the valley began to rise, condensing into a cold fog that seeped into the marrow.

Hundreds of elite workers, summoned from across the country, finished a day of high-intensity labor and dragged their exhausted bodies back to their "home"—a patch of temporarily erected tents.

These crude, military-green tents looked exceptionally desolate on the damp ground. Inside, the air was stifling, thick with the smell of sweat, the raw scent of mud, and an inescapable mustiness. The bedding was so damp it could be wrung out, and lying on it, the chill crawled up their spines. The mosquitoes in the valley were vicious, buzzing incessantly and infiltrating every corner.

"Damn it, this place is no place for humans! I think I’m growing mushrooms on my back!"

"Don't even mention it. I was bitten awake in the middle of the night last night, and half my face is swollen."

"This work is suffocating. We’re tired like dogs during the day and can’t even get a decent sleep at night. How are we supposed to keep up the pace like this?"

Complaints were everywhere.

The morale of the workers was visibly plummeting; the spirit and energy that belonged to the national elite during the day were being completely eroded by the dampness and oppression of the night.

This low morale was directly reflected in construction efficiency. The originally planned schedule began to show signs of lagging.

The news soon reached He Yu’s ears.

Without a moment’s hesitation, he drove to the construction site. When he saw with his own eyes the tent area, which looked cold and depressing in the night, and heard for himself the complaints filled with suppressed anger, his brows furrowed tightly.

He saw a young worker video-calling his family, the lens carefully avoiding the environment behind him. The worker forced a smile on his face, saying "everything is fine," but the reddened rims of his eyes betrayed everything.

He Yu’s heart was pierced by something sharp.

"The people who build our Longhai University are heroes!"

He Yu’s voice was not loud, but it was incredibly firm; every word struck the heart of the project manager.

"They must not be allowed to sleep in tents!"

He made the decision on the spot.

Returning to his temporary office, He Yu immediately opened the system store.

In his field of vision, a pale blue light screen unfolded, revealing a dazzling list of goods. His eyes locked directly onto the construction category. Looking at the 30,000 reputation points that had just arrived in his account, he didn't hesitate for a second.

[One-Click Rapid Deployment Integrated Dormitory Complex]

[Description: Uses a modular design to rapidly deploy a modern, complete dormitory complex. Includes full internal facilities such as independent air conditioning, comfortable beds, a 24-hour hot water system, private bathrooms...]

[Redemption Price: 30,000 Reputation Points]

"Redeem."

He Yu thought silently.

[Ding! Redemption successful!]

That night, the dead of night.

Aside from the chirping of insects and the sound of the wind, the valley was silent. The workers had long since fallen into a deep, exhausted sleep.

No one knew that a lone figure had come to the designated living area of the site, silently and all by himself.

He Yu stood on a patch of empty flat ground and extended his palm.

"System, begin deployment."

Following his low command, a soft, non-dazzling light spread out from his palm.

The light enveloped the entire area; it made no sound, yet it seemed to possess the power of creation.

The ground began to vibrate with extreme subtlety, like the pulse of the earth.

Then, an unbelievable scene occurred.

The modular building structures seemed to come to life, condensing from the ethereal light as if growing out of the earth, silently splicing, assembling, and rising from the ground!

Foundations, walls, floor slabs, roofs...

Everything took shape rapidly, in a mode that transcended current human engineering, with a precision that bordered on art.

One building, two buildings, three buildings...

In just a few moments, a modern dormitory complex consisting of several two-story buildings stood miraculously on this barren land. The exterior walls were a clean, minimalist off-white, the windows bright and clear, gleaming with a soft luster under the moonlight.

The light dissipated, and He Yu’s figure vanished into the night, as if he had never appeared at all.

The next morning, the first rays of sunlight pierced the valley’s mist.

Hundreds of workers were called out of their damp tents by their respective foremen, rubbing their sleepy, exhausted eyes, and led to the place that had been an empty lot just yesterday.

When they saw the brand-new dormitory buildings before them, everyone was utterly shocked.

The air seemed to freeze at that moment.

The crowd fell into a deathly silence, so quiet one could hear a pin drop.

Everyone’s eyes were wide, their mouths agape, unable to believe what they were seeing.

"Is... is this..."

A young worker rubbed his eyes and pinched his thigh hard; the intense pain told him this was no dream.

"This building... is it for us to live in?!"

In the crowd, someone asked in a trembling voice what everyone was thinking.

The project manager stood in front of the building, his face showing the same shock, but he suppressed his inner turmoil and announced loudly, "That’s right! President He coordinated these dormitories for everyone overnight! From today on, this is your new home! Two people per room, go get your keys over there!"

Boom!

The crowd erupted instantly!

"My god! Is this for real?!"

"These conditions... this is better than a five-star hotel! It’s really a double room!"

The workers rushed toward the dormitory buildings like a swarm, using their keys to open the doors.

A cool, refreshing breeze hit their faces, dispelling the damp heat of the valley.

Inside the rooms, there were two comfortable soft beds with snow-white sheets, a clean and tidy desk, a brand-new LCD TV on the wall, and a spotless, private bathroom in the corner...

As soon as the faucet was turned, warm, clear water flowed out.

A worker named Old Liu, the oldest mason on site and one of the most senior members of the national team, stood in the center of the clean room. His rough, dark hands gently touched the soft mattress and then the cool exterior of the air conditioner.

This man, who had traveled north and south, spending his entire life working on countless dusty construction sites, felt his eyes redden without warning.

A surge of heat rushed to his eyes, and his vision instantly blurred.

He thought of the bridge tunnels he had slept in when he was young, the crowded communal bunks he had squeezed into for years, and the countless nights he had endured in leaky sheds.

He had never imagined that he, a construction worker who sold his labor for a living, would ever live in a house like this in his life.

He was shaking slightly with excitement, taking out the old phone he had used for years—the one with a scratched screen and pixels that were no longer up to date.

With trembling hands, he turned on the video function and aimed the lens at every corner of the dormitory.

The air conditioner, the TV, the soft bed, the clean bathroom...

He filmed a short video without any technical skill and uploaded it to his social media account.

After thinking for a long time, he added a plain, simple, yet heartfelt caption.

"The dormitory at the site. Thank you, Longhai University! I’ve never lived in such a nice house in my life!"