Chapter 96: The Core Theoretical Foundation of the Rules for Crossing

The result was beyond doubt; this offer far exceeded Zhang Quansheng's expectations. This young man named Chen Xie was indeed a big spender, driving a Phaeton but pretending to be a Passat owner!

All the necessary documents were in his bag, and Zhang Quansheng, without any hesitation, immediately nodded to agree to Chen Xie's offer. The next steps were simple: they checked into the hotel Zhang Quansheng had booked, and in the hotel room, they signed the agreement. With a huge weight off his mind, Zhang Quansheng offered to treat Chen Xie to a meal, but Chen Xie politely declined, saying he had many things to handle.

Zhang Quansheng was deeply puzzled; who does business like this? Doesn't he know that the person sitting across from him is the head of the bank's credit department? Despite his good manners, Zhang Quansheng left politely, while Old Li was kept behind by Chen Xie.

"Old Li, if there are no financial issues, when can production resume?" Chen Xie was straightforward, and Old Li felt a bit unreal. After hesitating for a few minutes, he said, "If the overdue salaries can be paid, production can resume in a week at most." Worried, Old Li added, "Many of the workers who quit are struggling to find jobs. They have worked at the thermos factory for over a decade."

"How much money is needed to pay the salaries? Is 500,000 enough?" Chen Xie, still the big spender, left Old Li speechless. The prepared speech had no chance to be used; this conversation was too one-sided. "Are you the boss? Can you not treat money so lightly?"

"It's enough. Repairing the equipment and purchasing raw materials will cost about 100,000. In total, 1.5 million will allow me to resume production."

"Old Li, starting today, you are the acting factory manager for one month. If everything meets my satisfaction, you will become the permanent manager. During the acting period, your monthly salary will be 8,000 yuan, and if you pass the acting period, your salary will double. One last point: from now on, only inner linings will be produced. Is that clear?" Old Li could only nod numbly, his brain unable to keep up with the rapid developments.

"Alright, Wu Qi, give him the check and have him sign the acting contract." Chen Xie finished speaking, and the cold beauty appeared before Old Li. Her emotionless eyes made Old Li shiver. Trembling, Old Li signed the document.

A check was placed before him, and a cold voice said, "This is your startup fund. If production cannot resume in a week, you know what to do."

"Boss, rest assured, I will make it happen." All doubts vanished; the check before him was too convincing.

Old Li bowed and backed out, the dramatic ups and downs of his life too intense. As he closed the door, he glanced at the check again, noting it was from the Construction Bank. Remembering Zhang Quansheng's promise, he quickly made a call. Unexpectedly, Zhang Quansheng's response was simple: "The car is waiting downstairs."

Watching Old Li get into Zhang Quansheng's car, Wu Qi spoke expressionlessly, "Without a doubt, you've been conned. Do you still trust Old Li?"

Chen Xie, full of resentment, replied, "Respected lady, my time in modern society is extremely limited, which is your doing. Fine, no more glaring, I surrender. Actually, what I mean is, I don't have the time to choose."

Wu Qi's expression suggested she found him reasonable. This woman was becoming more human, especially when they were alone. "I need a large sum of money, possibly quite substantial. According to the rules of time travel, you can refuse my loan request."

Chen Xie was frozen in place, pointing at his nose, "Lend, me, money?"

"Yes, you heard right." Wu Qi awkwardly threw a flirtatious glance, and Chen Xie's worldview wavered. Wu Qi angrily said, "If you won't lend, forget it!" Chen Xie, momentarily stunned, quickly reacted, "No problem, as long as I have it, I'll lend you any amount, interest-free, with no repayment deadline."

If anyone else asked Chen Xie for money, he would have asked their surname and laughed it off. But for Wu Qi, Chen Xie would not hesitate. The opportunities to buy her off were rare. As for what she needed the money for, Chen Xie didn't care.

"I need 100 million, which will be an advance on 20 future assistance requests." Wu Qi became serious, and Chen Xie, without curiosity, unexpectedly asked, "I want to know, what is the core definition of material crossing?"

Wu Qi, like a spring-loaded puppet, sat up straight, her large eyes fixed, and her expression as rigid as a statue. After a long moment, she returned to normal and coldly said, "I warned you not to ask questions that consume a lot of my energy. This question requires me to activate the core calculation program, consuming a lot of energy. The high-level assistance settlement program has been triggered. The fee for this question is 80 million."

Chen Xie felt as if struck by lightning, his mind filled with a single thought: "I really am a fool!"

"According to the core theoretical foundation of the rules for time travel, the core basis for material crossing is technology and law. This means that both conditions must work simultaneously. Any material crossing cannot affect the basic technological level of another time. For example, the flintlock musket; the Ming Dynasty could actually produce flintlock muskets, just without rifling. The rifles you bring, with their steel and rifling, are beyond the technological capabilities of the Ming Dynasty. From a legal perspective, without gunpowder, lead bullets, and unassembled rifles, the time travel rules classify them as parts, not weapons, so there is no legal issue. For example, if you proposed to carry a diesel engine, it would violate the core technological basis."

Although this explanation didn't fully clarify things for Chen Xie, he decided not to provoke this woman further, especially after seeing her obvious joy after answering the question. He didn't believe her claim about energy consumption. His foolishness had merely given her an excuse to take a large sum of money from him.

To vent his inner resentment, Chen Xie decided to risk being conned a bit more and asked a new question, "Can I ask what you need so much money for?"

"This question doesn't require a fee, and I can answer you. It's simple; I need a human-like body, not a virtual one. In other words, I need to purchase some high-tech materials in this time and make some appropriate upgrades and improvements to create a body that is indistinguishable from a human in terms of sensory experience."

"Like an inflatable doll?" Chen Xie, once again, was being a fool, though it was actually a secret desire of his. As a pioneer in self-pleasure, he had always hoped for a tireless, non-complaining substitute for his right hand.

"I can sense that your adrenaline is increasing. Can I boldly assume that you want to have intimate contact with the body I create? No need to assume; that's exactly what you want. Congratulations, your wish can be granted, but I can't guarantee that I won't crush your thing."

Chen Xie decisively stood up and opened the door, "I'm going to eat."

Despite the company's name, "Zhangwang Company," being quite rustic, it didn't stop the company from buying an entire floor as office space. This decision was made by Yang Lili on her own, as the 100,000 yuan monthly rent in the city center was unbearable. After failing to negotiate with the original landlord, Yang Lili decided to buy a fully renovated office floor in a commercial building in a nearby county center.

When Chen Xie arrived, the company was moving. No one noticed him, so he confidently walked to the general manager's office. He was about to knock when he heard Yang Lili's voice, "Don't think too much! The rent here is too high, and I can't afford it."

Just as Chen Xie was about to push the door open, he heard Yang Lili's playful scolding, "Go to hell, I have a man. Do you want to borrow him for a few days?" Her voice was very intimate. Chen Xie decisively pushed the door open, and the two women were sitting together, legs intertwined, chatting happily.

Soon, Qiu Lihua fled, but she didn't leave. Instead, she pressed her ear to the wall to eavesdrop for a while, then slowly moved with her legs crossed, her expression somewhat abnormal.

Having watched countless action movies, Chen Xie finally had the chance to experience a scene he had often fantasized about.

Outside the window was a bustling city, and inside, a woman was biting the curtain, trying hard not to make a sound.

An hour later, everything was calm. Chen Xie leaned on the sofa, lazily smoking. Yang Lili, still flushed, was cleaning up with a wet towel.

"Did you see it?" Yang Lili suddenly asked with a suggestive smile. "See what?" Chen Xie, being wiped, had another reaction. "The thong, Qiu Lihua. Hmm..."

Qiu Lihua, at the door, checked the time; it had been an hour and a half. So, she knocked.

Yang Lili decisively looked up and said, "Come in." Chen Xie, sitting on the sofa, had no time to react. The water dispenser next to the sofa blocked the view, and Qiu Lihua only saw what was happening when she was five steps away. Just as she was about to turn and leave, Yang Lili said, "Come help, I can't handle it alone."

As if under a spell, Qiu Lihua, with her model-like long legs, slowly moved forward, seeing the impressive size. If he remembered correctly, Yang Lili had said: 18 centimeters in a normal state.