657: Chapter 652 We can't exactly kidnap them, can we?

Would he back down in the face of difficulty, or start bargaining?

Or would he say, "I'll go look for other replacements"?

But Shen Yan simply folded the paper with the three names on it carefully and tucked it into his pocket.

His movements weren't fast, yet they carried an unquestionable gravity.

"Old Fang."

Shen Yan stood up.

"The people you mentioned aren't just builders."

Fang Zhizhuo frowned slightly.

"They are sparks." Shen Yan's voice wasn't loud, but it echoed clearly throughout the empty laboratory.

"Scattered by the wind, drenched by the rain, buried by the soil."

"But as long as their cores are still hot, give them a vast enough prairie, and they can start a wildfire again."

He looked at Fang Zhizhuo with a clear gaze.

"You only need to tell me which departments and positions are needed besides these three."

"Materials, fluid mechanics, central control—those are just the skeleton."

"I need a complete list."

"From the chief Engineer to the lowest-level equipment maintenance worker in the lab."

"You set the standards, and I will fill the remaining spots."

Fang Zhizhuo was completely stunned.

He stared at Shen Yan for a full half-minute.

He had originally thought Shen Yan's ambition was "poison," but now he realized it wasn't.

It was something far more terrifying than poison.

It was a conviction that could make the dead open their eyes again.

"You..." Fang Zhizhuo's voice was a bit dry. "Do you really think you can find them? And convince them?"Check out the names on this list."

"I'll try."

What Shen Yan gave wasn't a promise, but an action.

Fang Zhizhuo suddenly laughed.

It was a heartfelt laugh, as if all his burdens had been lifted.

"Good."

"Good!"

He picked up his pen again, as if he had returned to fifteen years ago, when he was the high-spirited director of the Spark Laboratory.

"Since you want it, I'll give it to you!"

"For the structural engineering of the Energy Matrix, I need a madman named 'Xu Xiao.' Back then, to test material strength, he dared to stand next to a particle collider wearing only a lab coat!"

"For data analysis and simulation, I need a woman named 'Su Mei.' She can find traces of gravitational waves in a pile of chaotic noise!"

"And..."

One dusty name after another fell from Fang Zhizhuo's lips.

Behind every name was the pinnacle of a field.

Chen Guangke, listening from the side, had already gone numb.

He felt like he wasn't listening to a recruitment list, but rather to the "Investiture of the Gods."

And Shen Yan was going to invite these "deities" scattered across the mortal world back to their rightful places.

What kind of boss was this, for heaven's sake?

The night was deep, and the roar of Jingluo Bay was left far behind.

In the car, there was only the low growl of the engine and the sound of the air conditioning.

Chen Guangke gripped the steering wheel, his palms slick with sweat.

He felt as if he were in a dream.

A crazy dream about rebuilding a divine temple and inviting the gods to return to their positions.

He glanced sideways at Shen Yan in the passenger seat.

Shen Yan was leaning against the window, watching the lights flash by outside, his expression calm.

The list Fang Zhizhuo had written by hand lay on his lap.

A thin sheet of paper, yet at this moment, it felt as heavy as a mountain.

"Yan Zi."

Chen Guangke finally couldn't help but break the silence.

"Are we really going to find the people on this list one by one?"

There was a hint of unreality in his voice that he hadn't even noticed.

"What else?" Shen Yan asked back, his gaze still fixed outside.

"But this..." Chen Guangke struggled for words. "This isn't about money at all. You heard what Old Fang said; these people are all incredibly proud, and now their hearts are like dead ashes. What do we have to invite them with? We can't just kidnap them, can we?"

Shen Yan finally withdrew his gaze and looked at him.

"Guang Ke, why do you think Old Fang and his group gathered together fifteen years ago?"

Chen Guangke was taken aback.

"For... ideals?"

"Exactly." Shen Yan nodded. "For a common goal, a conviction that can make one's blood boil."

"Money can buy Employees, but it can't buy believers."

"Right now, the fire in their hearts has gone out, so we're going to reignite it."

Chen Guangke's Adam's apple bobbed.

"How?"

"With an even bigger, crazier ideal—one they can't refuse."

Shen Yan picked up the list.

"And, by using each other."

"Telling a genius that a group of people just as crazy as he is is waiting for him to come home... that's more effective than any promise."

Chen Guangke took a deep breath, as if trying to suppress all the doubts in his chest.

"Alright, I understand."

"I'm with you!"

Shen Yan smiled and handed him the list.

"Take a look first and see if you've heard of any of these names or if you can reach them through your network."

Chen Guangke took the list, and as he scanned it under the streetlights, his scalp tingled.

Wei Zhengxun, Lin Wanqing, Qian Liyang, Xu Xiao, Su Mei...

A series of names, each like a forgotten monument.

"Qian Liyang..." Chen Guangke read the name. "The chief architect of 'Genesis of Origin'? I'm familiar with this one; I have a friend at his company. But I've heard he has a foul and stubborn temper, completely impossible to deal with."

"Xu Xiao... I think I've seen this name in some old engineering journals. He's a tough character, but he disappeared long ago."

"As for the others, especially Wei Zhengxun and Lin Wanqing, I have no clues at all."

"It's like looking for a needle in a haystack," Chen Guangke said with a bitter smile.

Just then, Shen Yan's phone vibrated slightly.

He picked it up and looked; on the screen was a concise prompt from the system.

[Daily Intelligence Refreshed]

[Spark Project Primary Clue Pack Activated]

[Target: Wei Zhengxun]

[Current Location: Beijing Suburbs, Dawang Village, Dragon Kiln No. 3]

[Character Status: Disheartened, withdrawn from the world]

[Breakthrough Point: The unfinished final 3% of the lattice structure data for 'Poseidon Steel']

Shen Yan's fingertips glided across the screen without a hint of emotion.

"No need to search."

He said.

"I know where Wei Zhengxun is."

Chen Guangke slammed on the brakes, and the car screeched to a halt by the roadside.

"How... how do you know?"

Shen Yan put away his phone.

"I have my sources."

He looked at Chen Guangke. "Let's split up. Qian Liyang and Xu Xiao are still on the fringes of the industry; you go contact them. If money can solve it, it's not a problem. If it can't, tell them that Fang Zhizhuo is back."

"As for the toughest nuts to crack, Wei Zhengxun and Lin Wanqing, I'll handle them personally."

"Alright!"

Chen Guangke no longer asked questions; he knew Shen Yan had many secrets, but he chose to trust him.

This was a trust etched into his bones since their youth.

Two days later.

Dawang Village, Beijing suburbs.

This was a famous ceramics production area near Yanjing, and the air was thick with the scent of earth and fire.

Following the address provided by the system, Shen Yan found a kiln factory that looked quite old.