The boss has no descendants, but he encounters four smaller versions of himself

Su Chaoji stood quietly to the side watching, thinking of his parents, his brothers, and his sister.

He took out his personal pocket watch, opened the cover, and inside was a small family photo.

Daddy and Mommy are laughing side by side, with their younger siblings huddled together in front of them, against the backdrop of the sun-drenched garden of the Su family's old house.

It was so warm and out of place in the world around it.

He gently stroked the smiling eyes of his mother in the photo.

He knew the news would soon get back through various channels.

Mommy will worry and cry, but in the end, she will understand and be proud.

The war is over.

In the future, more children like Sofia will be able to safely return home, see flowers in the garden, and listen to stories under the stars.

Instead of hiding in shipping containers counting explosions, instead of searching for food in the ruins, instead of secretly crying in the dark because of homesickness...

The night breeze carried the aroma of food from the distant mess hall, along with the relaxed laughter of the soldiers.

The smell of gunpowder still lingered in the air, but it was faint and was being replaced by the cool night breeze and the scent of grass.

He looked up, took one last look at the starry sky, and turned to walk back to the command tent.

Because he still has a lot of work to do: preliminary planning for postwar reconstruction, refugee resettlement, infrastructure repair...

I was busy until late at night.

"elder brother?"

A very small voice sounded behind me.

Su Chaoji turned around.

Sofia, wearing pink pajamas and her grandfather's military overcoat, stood at the tent entrance.

With the hem of her coat dragging on the ground, she looked even smaller, like a kitten that had stolen an adult's clothes.

Sofia rubbed her eyes and whispered, "I can't sleep. Grandpa is asleep, and he's snoring so loudly."

Su Chaoji looked at her, remained silent for a few seconds, and then walked over: "I'll take you home."

"Can I stay here for a while?" Sophia tilted her little face up and held up a little finger. "Just for a little while. I feel very safe here with my brother around."

Su Chaoji paused for a moment, then finally nodded.

He walked back to the table, tidied the documents to one side, and then patted the empty space next to the table.

Sofia climbed up, wrapped herself tightly in her military coat, and only her small face was visible.

She watched as Su Chaoji sat down again and continued working.

The tent was quiet, with only the tapping of a keyboard and the faint chirping of insects in the distance.

Sophia looked at Su Chaoji's profile, watching him focus on his work, and her eyelids grew heavier and heavier.

After some time, she asked softly, "Brother, are you thinking about your family?"

Su Chaoji neither answered nor denied it.

Sophia's voice was tired and muffled, "I just saw you take out your pocket watch. My mother also had a pocket watch with a picture of my father inside. She would take it out and look at it whenever she missed him, but he's in heaven and will never come back..."

Su Chaoji paused for a moment.

After a while, Sofia fell asleep completely, her little head nodding little by little, until she finally leaned back in the chair and her breathing became even.

Su Chaoji put down his pen and looked at the little girl beside him.

Sleeping Sofia looked even smaller, her eyelashes casting small shadows on her cheeks, and she was still tightly clutching the corner of her military coat in her hand.

He quietly got up, took his blanket from the cot, carefully covered her with it, and then returned to his seat to continue working, only now he moved even more gently.

Outside the tent, the stars gradually slanted westward; the darkness before dawn was the deepest, but also the shortest.

......

half a month later.

Post-disaster reconstruction is proceeding in an orderly manner, and the destroyed bridges and houses are being rebuilt.

The temporary camp has been transformed into a reconstruction command post.

During this period, Su Chaoji turned this place into his personal studio.

It was filled with all sorts of parts, as well as various wrecks salvaged from the battlefield ruins.

After finishing his official duties each day, Su Chaoji would spend his time in this room.

People can often see the lights on there late at night and hear a faint metallic scraping sound.

At first, everyone thought he was just looking for something to do to pass the time.

Until everyone saw him use these parts to assemble all sorts of amazing new gadgets.

Among them is a mini early warning device, which can detect the close movement of armored vehicles and infantry, with an effective range of fifty meters, closer than the detection range of modern military radar, and cannot be detected by any counter-reconnaissance equipment.

In addition, he also created a lightweight gas mask. This new type of mask not only protects against poison but also against dust and smog, and its filtration efficiency surpasses that of professional equipment.

In addition, it contains peppermint leaf extract, which gives a slightly cooling sensation when you breathe in it.

Several workers at the reconstruction site tried them on and were surprised to find that they were indeed comfortable. Not only did they block the dust from the construction site, but the light coolness also made it easier to breathe.

Subsequently, Su Chaoji made several other small items:

Flower pots made from artillery shell casings were used to plant seedlings rescued from the ruins of a garden.

Assistive devices made from discarded parts were given to teachers at local schools, enabling children with disabilities to resume their studies.

This even includes advanced filters for purifying drinking water.

These are all things made from parts of ruins. Each one is simple, but each one is actually useful.

The news spread quickly.

The soldiers and the local people affectionately called him the little inventor.

What touched everyone the most was that Su Chaoji was never stingy in sharing the production method.

When someone asks a question, he patiently explains and even teaches them step by step.

When asked why he so readily taught these inventions to others instead of applying for patents, he simply said, "These are nothing to brag about; they are simple and easy to learn. Once everyone learns them, they can do them themselves or improve them even better."

After this statement spread, people's respect for him deepened even further.

He is not only a genius, but also a low-key, humble genius who is willing to share.

Late that night, Bart finished processing the documents and went outside to get some fresh air.

He saw that the light in Su Chaoji's room was still on, so he went over.

Su Chaoji was standing in front of a makeshift whiteboard.

The whiteboard was covered with formulas, circuit diagrams, and symbols that Barth couldn't understand at all.

Su Chaoji had his back to the door, holding a marker, and was adding new content to the whiteboard.

"What are you doing?" Bart asked.

Upon hearing this, Su Chaoji paused in his work: "Build the framework."

Bart approached, trying to understand what was on the whiteboard.

He saw terms like quantum computing, neural networks, and immersive interactive interfaces, as well as many complex mathematical expressions.

As an old-school soldier, these things were beyond his knowledge.

What framework?

“The framework of a new world.” Su Chaoji finally turned around, put down his marker, and his eyes shone with an astonishing light, the kind of light that only someone immersed in a grand vision would have.