Chapter 70

On a train traveling from Jinzhou City to Shazhou City, Luo Zhong, with a look of panic, was closely watching the time on his wristwatch, mentally counting down the moments until the train started moving...

The few assistants who had defected with Luo Zhong from Hengyang Laboratory were also looking around nervously, especially keeping an eye on the figures moving on the platform outside, fearing they might be caught and taken back!

The past two days had been a nightmare they would never forget! Who would have thought that the standards of the biological laboratory of Sujiang Group were far below even half of Hengyang Laboratory's requirements? Many advanced instruments were simply not found in Sujiang Group's laboratory!

It was impossible to fully restore the experimental data, which had been tampered with, without those advanced instruments! Yet, Wu Shunchun kept putting pressure on them, calling at least three or four times a day to inquire about the progress!

Not only did Luo Zhong feel his liver and gallbladder about to burst under this pressure, but the assistants were also on the verge of being scared to death... As the agreed time drew near, they had made no progress and did not dare to request additional instruments.

Initially, they had planned to bluff their way through by creating something that seemed plausible, but then Wu Shunchun called again last night, mentioning Song Peng'an's high regard for the matter and subtly indicating the consequences if they failed to meet the requirements.

This offhand remark completely shattered Luo Zhong's courage.

They finally managed to escape this morning, taking advantage of the opportunity when the guys who were supposedly protecting their safety went out for breakfast. Just thinking about it made Luo Zhong break out in a cold sweat...

Finally, the train let out a long whistle and began to rumble forward.

Luo Zhong, like a deflated balloon, slumped into his seat, finally escaping... At this moment, he even felt he should find a temple to light some incense and thank the gods for their protection!

An assistant sitting diagonally across from him, with a gloomy expression, asked, "Teacher Luo, where are we going now?"

Luo Zhong calmed himself and said, "Restoring the experimental data is just a matter of time. If they don't want us here, there will be other places that do... The capitalists of Sujiang Group only know how to exploit us. If we stay, we'll eventually be kicked out. I know the owner of a pharmaceutical company in Beihexian Province. We'll go to him!"

The assistants exchanged bitter smiles. At this point, they seemed to have no other choice.

...

The arrival of Zhu Rongqiang and his entourage marked a perfect end to the welcoming ceremony for the day.

Yang Chen, dressed in a well-tailored suit, was standing at the entrance, dragged down the steps by Jin Meifeng. Zhu Rongqiang, still vigorous, laughed heartily as he got out of the car, "President Jin, congratulations..."

"Thank you, Mr. Zhu. Your presence today is a great honor for us," Jin Meifeng said gratefully, stepping forward to shake hands with Zhu Rongqiang, expressing her sincere gratitude.

But Zhu Rongqiang only exchanged a few pleasantries with her before moving toward Yang Chen.

"Mr. Xiao, it's rare to see you dressed like this," Zhu Rongqiang said with a smile, extending his hand to lightly shake Yang Chen's. "It's been a while, and you look even more handsome..."

Being praised by an old man in his seventies, Yang Chen didn't feel particularly honored. He glanced at Jin Meifeng, who was shaking hands and chatting with several officials from the province, and asked in a low voice, "Is Zhu Shishou not coming today?"

"He will return from Russia tomorrow," Zhu Rongqiang said with a smile. "Thanks to your help, our Zhu family has seen significant improvements in all our ventures recently..."

"Everyone gets what they need," Yang Chen nodded. The Zhu family had never stopped showing their goodwill, and Yang Chen never refused such expressions of kindness.

Looking at Zhu Rongqiang's smiling face, Yang Chen suddenly had a thought and paused before asking, "If I remember correctly, the Zhu family is also involved in the materials industry, right?"

"That's one of our main businesses, but we focus mainly on metallurgy and have limited involvement in other sub-sectors," Zhu Rongqiang said, initially surprised, then his face lit up with joy. "What? Do you have any suggestions for this area?"

"I have a new project that might require a large-scale company to collaborate," Yang Chen thought for a moment and said, "The initial investment will be substantial, but if your family is interested, we can discuss it in more detail later."

The Zhu family was generally supportive of any move Yang Chen made, regardless of its merits.

How could Zhu Rongqiang let such an opportunity slip away? Although the cooperation with Hengyang Group was profitable, it was largely due to Yang Chen's influence. Establishing a deeper relationship with Yang Chen would be a tremendous boon for the Zhu family!

Zhu Rongqiang had heard that Wufeng Temple, where Yang Chen was based, had been making significant moves recently, becoming a rising star in the metaphysical community of Huaguo. For a newly rising family like the Zhu family, this was an irresistible attraction!

So, without waiting for Yang Chen to suggest a later meeting, Zhu Rongqiang enthusiastically said, "There are still a few minutes before the celebration starts. Why don't we find a place to talk now?"

After a moment's hesitation, Yang Chen nodded, "Alright."

Thus, under the astonished gazes of Jin Meifeng and others, Yang Chen led Zhu Rongqiang into the hotel.

The Health Department Director Wang from the province, his eyes following Yang Chen's back until he disappeared into the hotel, turned to Jin Meifeng and said with deep meaning, "That's Yang Chen? President Jin, you have a fine son!"

Jin Meifeng knew that the Zhu family's overtures were directed at her son, but this did not diminish her pride! After all, Yang Chen was her son.

So, in response to Director Wang's comment, Jin Meifeng smiled, "Young people can be impulsive. Director Wang, please bear with him..."

...

With fourteen minutes to go before the celebration began, they found an empty private room and had a pot of tea prepared. The old and young men sat down.

Zhu Rongqiang poured tea for Yang Chen and asked, "Mr. Xiao, what project has caught your attention so much?"

"It's a type of nano-ceramic coating material," Yang Chen said, though he was not entirely familiar with the field. "It has a wide range of applications, with crystal particle sizes below 30 nanometers and a hardness of at least 9HB after sintering. The specific parameters are still unclear, but mass production should not be difficult..."

"Nano-ceramic powder below 30 nanometers?!" Zhu Rongqiang, though primarily involved in the pharmaceutical industry, was also somewhat knowledgeable about materials. He sat up straight. "Do you have any samples?"

"Not yet," Yang Chen thought for a moment and said honestly, "I discovered this ceramic powder accidentally while refining a spiritual treasure. I've also looked into its potential applications and believe it has significant development value."

"Materials obtained through metaphysical means?" Zhu Rongqiang's interest waned slightly. He smiled bitterly, "I'm sure the applications are wide-ranging, but the production volume must be low, right?"

Saying "low" was already being polite. For Zhu Rongqiang, while the metaphysical community could produce unique materials that current technology couldn't, there were only a few people in that community. It was unrealistic to gather them to produce materials daily.

This was simply a pipe dream, even a delusion!

However, to Zhu Rongqiang's surprise, Yang Chen shook his head and smiled, "If it required human labor, I wouldn't be discussing it with you... This material can be mass-produced with minimal human intervention."

"Can it be replicated using modern equipment?" Zhu Rongqiang's eyes lit up.

Yang Chen shook his head again, "With current technology, it's not possible to replicate it..."

"Then what do you mean?"

"I plan to refine a machine that mimics the trajectory of Daoist techniques, creating a suitable energy environment within the machine to mass-produce this reconstructive nano-ceramic powder," Yang Chen explained. "If all goes well, the initial daily production should be around 300 kilograms, and it could eventually reach one ton, or even ten or a hundred tons per day..."

"Use... use metaphysical techniques to refine a machine?!" Zhu Rongqiang was thoroughly stunned by Yang Chen's radical idea. This was unprecedented! He couldn't help but ask, "Is it possible?"

"The key technology has been calculated, and it's entirely feasible," Yang Chen said. "I estimate that we can maintain a monopoly in this industry for at least ten years..."

"You've shocked me," Zhu Rongqiang said after a long silence. "If everything you say is true... I can guarantee that within ten years, you will be the richest person on Earth!"

What a joke? A nano-ceramic coating with a hardness of 9HB, second only to diamonds, had wide-ranging applications in various fields! Zhu Rongqiang could easily list numerous promising applications!

A ten-year monopoly... meant that the price of this material would be set by the producer, with no competition!

Monopoly meant huge profits, and huge profits meant immense wealth!

Zhu Rongqiang took a deep breath, calmed himself, and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. "For such a large project, have you estimated the initial investment?"

"Within one hundred million yuan," Yang Chen calculated and said. "The main cost will be in extending the product line after the powder is produced. Producing the powder itself won't be very expensive."

Zhu Rongqiang coughed and asked, "Can you produce a sample for me to take back and have tested for detailed parameters?"

"Of course," Yang Chen nodded and, under Zhu Rongqiang's nearly stunned gaze, stood up and picked up a small, elegant vinegar dish on the table...

A surge of energy particles instantly gathered in front of Yang Chen, and with a blinding flash of white light, Zhu Rongqiang heard a series of crackling sounds...

"Done," Yang Chen said, pointing to a pile of white, fine powder on the table, to the completely dumbfounded Zhu Rongqiang. "Here it is."

"I..." Zhu Rongqiang opened his mouth but found himself speechless!

The production process for reconstructive nano-ceramic powder was extremely simple and brutal. Any cultivator of the fourth stage or higher, with the right techniques, could easily produce it. The challenge lay in mass production!

As Zhu Rongqiang had feared, fourth-stage cultivators were all high-ranking figures. Could you really expect a group of fourth-stage cultivators to work like factory workers, spending their days in a workshop producing ceramic powder? It was completely unrealistic!

Moreover, a fourth-stage cultivator could produce no more than a pound of nano-ceramic powder per day. To achieve daily production of hundreds of kilograms, or even tons, would require how many fourth-stage cultivators?

The energy particle collider that Yang Chen planned to create was a simplified version of a "particle cannon"! All the energy collection and release could be handled by a cultivator of the second or third stage, and as long as the internal materials were strong enough, it could operate 24/7!

Witnessing the birth of the reconstructive nano-ceramic powder, Zhu Rongqiang finally understood why Yang Chen said they could maintain a ten-year monopoly... Because such a creative idea, even if others thought of it, they simply couldn't achieve it!

He stood up with a bitter smile, bowed to Yang Chen, and said, "Mr. Xiao, you are truly a divine being..."

"So, is your family interested in collaborating to make this a success?" Yang Chen pinched a small amount of powder, rubbed it between his fingers, and asked with a smile, "I provide the raw materials, and your family handles the product development and sales."

"Thank you, Mr. Xiao, I am deeply honored..." Zhu Rongqiang responded. "You are giving the Zhu family wings, lifting us up! Your kindness will never be forgotten!"

At this moment, Yang Chen suddenly thought of a phrase: "Taking you to the next level, flying with you!"

Finding it amusing, he smiled even more, playing with the small amount of powder and said, "My suggestion is to establish a new company, with your family contributing manpower and capital, and I contributing materials and technology. The share distribution after the company is established..."

"Our family will take only 20%!" Zhu Rongqiang declared firmly.

He knew that this project was entirely led by Yang Chen. Without the raw powder he provided, no matter how big the pie, it would be nothing but an illusion!

Yang Chen had intended to give the Zhu family 30%, but after Zhu Rongqiang's declaration, he nodded in agreement.

20% was fine; if there were any other good projects in the future, he could bring the Zhu family along.

After all, Zhu Shishou was his classmate.

Far away in Russia, Zhu Shishou shivered for no reason, feeling as if he was being watched.

He scanned his surroundings suspiciously and muttered, "Strange, who wants to harm me?"

After thinking for a while and finding no one he had wronged, he laughed and ran forward, his fat body moving like a large bird, and with a splash, he jumped into the steaming hot spring...

"Refreshing!"

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