723: Chapter 718 My Team's Journey

Shen Yan's gaze condensed slightly.

Super Material Generation Matrix?

This thing was far more precious than any monetary reward.

It meant he could break free from the limitations of current material science and 'design' entirely new materials with specific physical properties out of thin air.

Used in aerospace, it could create lighter and stronger spacecraft hulls.

Used in chips, it could manufacture wires with near-zero resistance.

Used in Artificial Intelligence robots, it could even create flexible structures that mimic biological muscle.

The System's rewards were always so timely and so beyond imagination.

He collected his thoughts and dialed Lin Zhiyao's number.

The call was answered almost instantly.

"Mr. Shen! Good morning!"

Lin Zhiyao's voice was filled with irrepressible enthusiasm and a hint of nervousness.

He had waited for this call all night.

"General Manager Lin, good morning."

Shen Yan's tone was calm.

"I have decided to establish the global headquarters and R&D center for Tiangong Intelligence right here in Lingnan."

Lin Zhiyao's mind went blank for a moment.

He had envisioned countless opening lines, but never had he imagined Shen Yan would directly drop such a 'trump card'.

What did this mean?

It meant Shen Yan wasn't treating this place as merely a site for technological cooperation, but intended to make it the most crucial core piece in his Artificial Intelligence empire's territory!

It meant countless investments, top-tier talent, and future policy tilts would flood into the ancient city of Lingnan!

The Lin family, as the departure port for this behemoth, would gain unimaginable long-term dividends.

"Mr. Shen... Mr. Shen, are you... are you serious?"

His voice was slightly distorted with excitement.

"My core team will begin assembling today. The advance party will arrive in Lingnan next week."

Shen Yan ignored his shock and continued speaking.

"I have already instructed my team to scout for land. The preliminary intention is near Xuanwu Lake. This matter might require the Lin family's help in communicating with the local government."

"No problem! Absolutely no problem!"

Lin Zhiyao almost shouted.

"Forget communication, Mr. Shen. Whichever piece of land you fancy, our Lin family will secure it for you even if we have to sell everything we own!"

"As for funding, that won't be necessary."

Shen Yan stated calmly.

"Do you have time this afternoon at three o'clock? I'd like to meet with you and Old Mr. Lin to discuss the design concepts for the R&D center and the first step of the data collection plan."

"I have time! I always have time!"

Lin Zhiyao quickly agreed.

"We will wait for you at Wuyin Mountain. I'll arrange it immediately!"

"Good, see you this afternoon."

Shen Yan hung up the phone decisively.

On the other end, Lin Zhiyao stood frozen, clutching his phone, for a full half minute.

Then, he rushed into Lin Boyuan's study like a gust of wind.

"Dad! Dad!"

Lin Boyuan was practicing calligraphy when the noise made his hand tremble, ruining the entire piece with a drop of ink.

He looked up with some displeasure.

"So flustered, what kind of bearing is that!"

"Mr. Shen called!"

Lin Zhiyao, his face flushed, waved his phone excitedly.

"He said he wants to build the global headquarters of Tiangong Intelligence in Lingnan!"

"His team assembles today! They arrive next week!"

"He wants to come over this afternoon to discuss the R&D center's design and the data collection plan with us!"

Plop.

The brush in Lin Boyuan's hand fell onto the expensive Xuan paper, spreading a large blotch of ink.

The helmsman of the Lin family, who had weathered countless storms and remained composed even if Mount Tai collapsed before him, now had his mouth slightly open, his eyes filled with shock.

He knew Shen Yan's efficiency would be high.

But he never imagined it would be this high!

This wasn't setting up an office.

This was launching a war!

A lightning war against the future, calculated in hours!

"Quick..."

Lin Boyuan snapped back to reality, his voice somewhat dry.

"Quickly go and summon Chuxue and every master craftsman in the family who understands craftsmanship!"

"Also, mobilize all the resources in our storeroom—all grades of silk threads, needlework pattern atlases, and data on historical embroidery pieces—and organize them!"

"Furthermore, use all the family connections to contact the city's top leader. Tell him Lingnan... is about to change!"

One hour later.

Shenyan Group, top-floor conference room.

The atmosphere was grim.

Dozens of technical giants, who were usually independent leaders in their respective fields, sat upright, not daring to breathe heavily.

They had all been urgently summoned from their beds, laboratories, or gyms by a single call from Chen Guangke.

No one knew what had happened, only that this was the highest directive personally issued by Shen Yan.

The conference room door was pushed open.

Shen Yan walked in, followed by Chen Guangke.

He surveyed the room, skipped any pleasantries, and spoke directly.

"Everyone, I need you to pause all your current projects."

"Starting today, you have only one mission."

He walked to the massive holographic projection screen and tapped it lightly with his finger.

Two ancient seal script characters appeared on the screen—'Tiangong' (heavenly craft).

"We are going to use Artificial Intelligence to resurrect and surpass millennia-old handcrafts."

"We are going to teach cold code how to understand what beauty is, what artistic conception is, and what it means to be 'understood implicitly but not expressible in words'."

"In other words, I want to give Artificial Intelligence the heart of an artist."

Silence descended upon the room.

Everyone was stunned numb by Shen Yan's fantastical vision.

A chief Engineer responsible for algorithms couldn't help but raise his hand.

"Mr. Shen, this... this violates the underlying logic of current Artificial Intelligence. AI is based on data and logic, whereas art is perceptual and cannot be quantified."

"You are correct."

Shen Yan nodded.

"Therefore, we must create new logic."

He looked at everyone, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching every ear.

"I don't care what method you use—deep learning, neural networks, or inventing an entirely new algorithmic model."

"Within three months, I want to see the prototype of tiangong no. 1."

"It must be able to pass the artistic version of the Turing Test—to be unable to distinguish whether a piece of Suzhou embroidery was made by it or by a master from a century ago."

"Within one year, it must be able to independently create works of art with its own style."

"This project is code-named 'prometheus'. Our goal is to steal that flame of creation that belongs exclusively to the 'Gods'."

"The budget is unlimited."

"Resources, within the Group, globally—you can deploy them as you wish."

"I have only one requirement: success is mandatory."

With that, he turned and left, leaving behind a room full of stunned faces, though their eyes were gradually igniting with flames of ambition.

They were geniuses.

Geniuses never fear challenges.

What they fear is mediocrity, the lack of a goal worth going crazy for.

And today, Shen Yan had given them such a goal.

A crazy and magnificent goal worthy of being recorded in the annals of human science and technology.

Chen Guangke followed Shen Yan, unable to help but ask in a low voice.

"Brother Yan, this... is it possible? Three months is too tight."

Shen Yan did not slow his pace.

"Others cannot."

"My team can."