28: Chapter 28: Qin Lao's endorsement – ​​a "stepping stone" to unlocking the doors to the country's top universities.

On a sunny weekend afternoon, Chen Fan and Su Qingyue once again headed towards Old Master Qin's small courtyard. In Chen Fan's hand was a carefully packaged knee brace and a small metal case. Inside the case were several samples of 'Panshi Alloy' in different forms with various surface finishes, along with corresponding simple performance cards.

"Grandpa Qin will surely be very happy to see the brace," Su Qingyue said, her eyes crinkling into crescents as she held a small fruit basket. "He's been mentioning lately that his knees feel much more comfortable."

"As long as it's effective," Chen Fan replied with a smile, his gaze sweeping over the metal case. Besides delivering the brace today, he had another objective—to let Old Master Qin experience the texture of 'Panshi Alloy' more directly. Sometimes, a thousand words of data are less impactful than holding the material in one's own hands.

Arriving at the courtyard, Old Master Qin was indeed already waiting in the yard. Seeing the two enter, he leaned on his cane, but his steps seemed steadier than last time, and the smile on his face was deeper.

"Grandpa Qin!" Su Qingyue hurried forward and handed over the fruit basket. "Chen Fan picked this out, saying you like oranges."

"You shouldn't have brought anything just for a visit," Old Master Qin said with a smile as he accepted it. His gaze then fell on the neatly square packaging box of the brace in Chen Fan's hand, a glint of anticipation appearing in his eyes.

The three of them entered the house and took their seats. This time, Old Master Qin didn't ask Su Qingyue to make tea. Instead, he enthusiastically showed off a new tea set he had just received, leisurely warming the pot, rinsing the tea leaves, and brewing the tea. His movements, though slow, exuded a composed elegance. During this process, he casually inquired about the recent situation at Chen Fan's factory, asking for details about those three small orders.

Seizing the opening, Chen Fan recounted the process of production and delivery, along with the positive feedback from the clients. He didn't deliberately boast, merely narrating plainly, emphasizing the simple business principles of 'guaranteeing quality, quantity, and timeliness.'

Old Master Qin listened, nodding occasionally. Finally, after brewing three cups of clear tea and pushing them towards Chen Fan and Su Qingyue, he picked up his own cup and said slowly, "In manufacturing, especially in foundational industries like materials, it all depends on this kind of solid foundation. It's not easy to handle these small orders so steadily."

After chatting for a while, Chen Fan finally took out the brace. "Old Master Qin, the brace is ready for you. Please try it on. After using it, if you have any suggestions, you can let me know, and I'll continue to make improvements."

Old Master Qin took it and put on the knee brace right then. The familiar, gentle warmth soon spread, accompanied by a deeper, soothing sensation that seemed to penetrate into the gaps of the joint. He stood up, walked a few steps, and performed some simple bending and stretching movements, a satisfied expression appearing on his face. "Hmm, it feels very comfortable. Little Chen, you've put a lot of thoughtful effort into this."

"Your comfort is what matters most," Chen Fan said with a laugh, deftly steering the conversation elsewhere. "By the way, Old Master Qin, I also brought a few samples of the alloy we produce—the same material supplied to those clients. They can demonstrate our current processing level. If you're interested, you can take a look at them." He deliberately spoke in an offhand manner.

"Oh? Let me see." After seeing the knee brace, Old Master Qin trusted Chen Fan even more, and his interest in the new material Chen Fan mentioned grew stronger.

Chen Fan opened the metal case. Inside, four alloy samples were arranged in compartments: one was a raw, brushed silver-gray ingot, heavy and gleaming with a cold metallic luster; one was processed into an extremely thin, glossy card that refracted delicate streams of light; one was a small, complex-curved component with a matte, sandblasted finish (a leftover corner piece from a consumer electronics mid-frame); and the last one was a small, slender strip mimicking a precision guide rail cut, with sharp edges.

Old Master Qin picked up the ingot, weighed it in his palm, carefully examined its surface and edges, and ran his fingers over the brushed texture, a look of professional scrutiny in his eyes. "The density control is good, and the surface finish is very uniform." He then picked up the thin card, held it up to the light, bent it with his fingers to feel its elasticity and toughness. "The thickness is uniform, and the flatness is very high. This processing precision really doesn't seem like something a small workshop could produce." He looked at Chen Fan. "All done in your own factory?"

"Yes, full-process control, from smelting to precision machining," Chen Fan nodded. "That guide rail-like piece is from the same batch of material supplied to the automation equipment factory."

Old Master Qin put down the samples, pondered for a moment, and instead of immediately evaluating the material itself, he asked, "It's almost mealtime. You two shouldn't rush off. I've asked the housekeeper to prepare a couple more dishes. Stay and have a simple meal with this old man."

Chen Fan and Su Qingyue exchanged a glance and did not refuse. "Then we'll trouble you, Old Master Qin."

The meal was simple—three meat dishes, two vegetable dishes, and a soup—but it was light and delicious, clearly prepared with care. During the meal, Old Master Qin no longer discussed technology or business. Instead, he asked Su Qingyue about interesting happenings at the hospital and chatted with Chen Fan about everyday matters. The atmosphere was relaxed and harmonious.

After the meal, as the housekeeper cleared the table, Old Master Qin gestured for Chen Fan to follow him to the study. Su Qingyue obediently went to the yard to look at the flowers and plants.

The study was furnished in a simple, classical style, with bookshelves mostly filled with books on engineering, history, and military affairs. Old Master Qin had Chen Fan sit down, then walked to the desk and picked up the alloy ingot Chen Fan had brought, rubbing it in his hand.

"Little Chen," Old Master Qin began, his voice lowered slightly from before. "Just looking at the surface finish and processing precision, this is already very convincing. You said earlier that the performance data can also withstand testing?"

"Absolutely, Old Master Qin," Chen Fan sat up straight. "All test reports, including those from third-party authoritative institutions, can be provided."

"Hmm." Old Master Qin nodded, gently placing the ingot on the table with a soft 'tap.' "I mentioned to you before that I have a former student working with materials in the aerospace sector. They're currently facing a difficult problem: a critical small component on a special type of drone requires extremely demanding material properties. It needs to be as light as a feather, yet as hard as bone, and also exceptionally resistant to 'fatigue,' not prone to cracking easily. All existing solutions are stuck."

Chen Fan listened intently, nodding from time to time.

"Last time I spoke with him on the phone, I mentioned you, saying you were working on some new alloys and that your approach might be different. He didn't pay much attention at the time." Old Master Qin shifted the direction of the conversation. "However, after seeing these pieces of yours today, especially this processing level, I think I can talk to him about it again. Sometimes, the success or failure of a component depends not only on the material itself but also on whether you can 'make' it and make it 'accurately.' Your processing capability is a significant plus."

Chen Fan immediately understood Old Master Qin's intention. He wasn't just making an introduction; he was providing an 'endorsement,' using these tangible, touchable samples to be more persuasive.

"Here's what we'll do." Old Master Qin opened a drawer, took out a notepad and a pen, and wrote down an encrypted email address and a complex communication key. "This is his confidential contact method. After you return, compile a report with the most solid and concise core performance data of your material, especially regarding lightweighting, strength, fatigue resistance, and... if there are any special vibration-damping or impact-absorption characteristics. No frills, just the essentials. Send it to him via this method. Remember, the data must be true, tell it exactly as it is."

Old Master Qin pushed the notepad towards Chen Fan, his gaze serious. "If he looks at the data and thinks there's potential, he might arrange an online technical exchange. Those people have sharp eyes and high standards. If the product is good, your market will naturally open up. If it's not, no amount of talking from me will help."

Chen Fan accepted the notepad with both hands, as if receiving a weighty measure of trust and expectation. "Old Master Qin, I understand. The data is absolutely true and reliable, exactly as it is. Thank you for giving me this opportunity!"

"The opportunity isn't given by me; you created it yourself." Old Master Qin pointed at the samples on the table. "Without these pieces, I wouldn't be making this call today. Prepare well."

By the time they left Old Master Qin's home, it was already evening. Su Qingyue could tell Chen Fan was preoccupied. She said softly, "Grandpa Qin seems to think very highly of you."

"It's Old Master Qin's undeserved favor," Chen Fan said, looking at the deepening twilight ahead. "And I must thank you too, Qingyue. Without you, I wouldn't have had the chance to meet an elder like Old Master Qin."

"No need to be so formal with me," Su Qingyue laughed. As they walked along the road, a silent understanding and support flowed between them.

"I think I should buy a car. With frequent business trips now, not having one is too inconvenient," Chen Fan said in a tone of discussion with Su Qingyue.

The money Chen Fan got from selling the raw stone was originally intended to be spent on the most critical needs—used as the factory's initial startup capital and research funding. Now that the factory was up and running, Chen Fan did a quick calculation. Good heavens, he had only spent about 50,000, mainly on purchasing scrap raw materials and covering daily factory expenses like utilities.

With the factory visibly getting on track and starting to receive orders and business, Chen Fan now thought he could allocate a portion of the funds to buy a car, making it more convenient for business travel and meetings.

"I think that's a good idea," Su Qingyue said, feeling a bit happy to hear Chen Fan discussing it with her. She felt Chen Fan had her in mind.

Chen Fan called a ride to take Su Qingyue home, then returned to the factory and immediately shut himself in the laboratory.

"Xiao Zhi, retrieve all the original test reports for the key performance metrics of 'Panshi Alloy.' Organize them according to the highest standard military/aerospace briefing format, highlighting: density, specific strength, fatigue limit, fracture toughness, and damping characteristics. The data must be absolutely accurate, conclusions clear. Remove all embellishing language, keep only the essentials." Following Old Master Qin's arrangement, Chen Fan immediately returned to prepare the materials.

"Bee King, prepare standard test specimens, and... attempt to design and machine several simulation verification parts of different configurations based on the general requirements Old Master Qin described for the 'drone's key connecting bracket.' The requirements are extreme lightweighting and ultra-high precision."

He knew that a report capable of making an expert in that field "think there's potential" had to be, as Old Master Qin said, full of hard, solid "essentials." And the materials he possessed, enhanced by the system, were anything but lacking in hard, solid data.

The night grew deeper, but the lights at "Panshi Foundation" remained on. Chen Fan knew that what he was about to attempt to present was no longer merely a report or a few samples. It was a 'door-knocking brick' attempting to crack open that 'high wall' representing the pinnacle of domestic industrial demand. The hardness of the brick would directly determine whether he would hear an echo.