293: Chapter 293 Bad News

"If it really falls into your hands... that would simply be a complete waste of a treasure."

Chen Guangke felt a pang in his chest. He clutched his sternum and said to Wu Ya, "Hey, Wu, aren't you ashamed to say something like that?"

"Heaven and earth can bear witness, I always treat these high-tech items with the utmost care and respect!"

Wu Ya chuckled lightly, looking at Chen Guangke as if he were an idiot. "What I mean by wasting a treasure is that if you take these high-tech products back, you'll just display them as decorations and never actually use them."

Chen Guangke was about to retort, but then he realized Wu Ya was right.

If he really took those high-tech products back, he would definitely hang them up and worship them like ancestors the moment he got them.

Wu Ya: "What? Realized I was right?"

Chen Guangke: "...Even if you are right, is there any law stating that someone who buys a high-tech product must understand high-tech products!"

Shen Yan: "..."

There was no law stating that someone who buys a high-tech product must understand high-tech products.

But the problem was, no one would worship a massive high-tech product like an ancestor!

Just as he was about to argue with Chen Guangke, Jiang Yuan walked out of the laboratory.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, everyone?"

Hearing the question, the three shook their heads in unison.

"No, we just got here."

Jiang Yuan nodded, walked up to them, and said, "You must already know about the project breakthrough, right?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Guangke anxiously asked Jiang Yuan,

"So what exactly had a breakthrough? Was it the chip or the model?"

A breakthrough in the chip was different from a breakthrough in the model.

If it was the chip breakthrough, it meant their project had advanced another great step.

Looking at their expectant eyes, Jiang Yuan smiled warmly at them and replied, "It's the chip. We successfully created the most crucial chip for the project."

As soon as this was said, Wu Ya and Chen Guangke couldn't help but cheer softly.

"Ahhh, that's wonderful!"

"After throwing hundreds of millions at it, we finally see some results..."

While Wu Ya and Chen Guangke were still cheering, Shen Yan stepped forward two paces and asked Jiang Yuan, "How much longer until we complete the project's first phase?"

Jiang Yuan pondered for a moment, then answered seriously, "I don't know."

Shen Yan, Chen Guangke, Wu Ya: "..."

What should they do?

It seemed they had just gotten happy for nothing...

Thinking about it, Chen Guangke couldn't help but ask Jiang Yuan, "Why don't you know? Haven't you already made the chip?"

Hearing the question, Jiang Yuan looked even more confused than Chen Guangke.

"But making the chip doesn't mean we can smoothly complete the project's first phase, does it?"

Chen Guangke's fingers trembled, and a bad premonition rose in his heart.

"You, you, you... you mean... this project still requires more money to be poured in?"

Jiang Yuan lowered his head and smiled somewhat shyly.

"Originally, this project was quite capital-intensive..."

Before he finished speaking, Chen Guangke waved his hand, "Impossible! Absolutely impossible! We've already poured nearly five or six hundred million in total, and you're telling me that's not enough for the project's first phase!"

Jiang Yuan pursed his lips and remained silent.

Seeing the atmosphere gradually solidify, Shen Yan patted Chen Guangke's shoulder and said to him, "Projects involving Artificial Intelligence are generally quite costly..."

Wu Ya interjected, "Mine isn't that costly either. The money we earn is far less than the money we invest. If this continues, our company will definitely be bankrupted by this project..."

As she finished speaking.

Jiang Yuan turned his gaze to Shen Yan.

He remembered Shen Yan telling him not to worry about the money problem a while ago.

Shen Yan thought the same now.

Regardless of whether the subsequent cooperation went smoothly, he was sure to receive that five hundred million.

"It's alright. We will have more funds coming in later. No matter what, we have to survive the project's first phase first. Only by surviving the first phase can we secure more investment."

Chen Guangke and Wu Ya knew Shen Yan was right.

If they stopped halfway now, it would mean all their previous investments would go up in smoke.

Knowing it was right, and feeling the pain of losing money were two different things.

Chen Guangke, with reddened eyes, said to Jiang Yuan, "You must study hard, don't let us down!"

Jiang Yuan nodded firmly, "Successfully completing this project is my lifelong goal. I guarantee that as long as you don't stop this project, I will continue researching it."

Hearing this, Chen Guangke felt no comfort; instead, his mood became even heavier.

The reason was that he heard Jiang Yuan say that successfully completing this project was his lifelong goal.

If he really had to wait a lifetime, he would rather give up now and cut his losses immediately.

However, he also knew he couldn't persuade Shen Yan, so he said nothing, just sighed two more times silently.

After a brief exchange, the three of them bid farewell to Jiang Yuan.

Originally, Chen Guangke and Wu Ya wanted to invite Jiang Yuan to have dinner with them, but Jiang Yuan said he had to go back to his research.

Having no choice, they gave up the idea.

Walking out of the laboratory building.

Chen Guangke and Wu Ya's emotions had still not settled down.

Seeing the two of them looking dejected, Shen Yan waved his hand in front of them and asked them, "Where are you planning to eat?"

Wu Ya looked up and replied, "I've been handling company matters all day and haven't had time to look for a restaurant. Do you want to join us?"

Shen Yan glanced at the time and realized it was already six-thirty.

"No, I have to go somewhere else at eight."

"You two go eat. Remember to send me the bill after you're done, and I'll reimburse you."

With that, he hailed a taxi and headed to the address Gu Hui had sent him.

Watching the retreating taxi, Chen Guangke composed himself, smiled, and turned to Wu Ya, who was still staring blankly in the direction Shen Yan had left, asking,

"Where are you planning to eat?"

...

On the other side.

Shen Yan was stuck in rush hour traffic and was delayed for over half an hour.

By the time he arrived, he was already fifteen minutes late.

"Sorry, I'm late."

Hearing the voice, Gu Hui looked up, opened the car door, got out, and replied, "It's fine, no rush anyway. Let's go."

Shen Yan blinked and asked Gu Hui, "Where are we walking to?"

Gu Hui tilted his chin toward the front.

"See? Right here."

In front of them, a sign reading "Imperial Heaven" was flashing continuously.

Next to the sign was a half-open wooden door.