9: Young man, are you interested in discussing cooperation with the country?

Qin Feng’s phrase, "He wants to speak with you directly," was like a depth charge dropped into a calm lake, instantly transmitted through an encrypted communication channel to a heavily guarded secret base in the suburbs of Jinghai City.

In the command center deep within the base, a man wearing a Zhongshan suit, with a composed face and eyes as sharp as an eagle's, stood quietly in front of a massive electronic screen.

The screen displayed real-time surveillance footage of the dark corridor outside Lu Chen’s rented apartment.

He was Long Weiguo.

The youngest Major General in Xia Country and the supreme commander of the newly established Dragon Shield Bureau.

A legendary figure who had risen from the special operations battlefields, walking through a hail of bullets, all the way to the core of national strategy.

When he heard Qin Feng's report, Long Weiguo's usually placid face showed, for the first time, an expression of extreme interest.

“Interesting.”

He murmured, a meaningful curve appearing at the corner of his mouth.

The senior staff officers and technical experts behind him all held their breath.

Having followed Director Long for so many years, they knew his temperament too well. The people or events that could make him say the three words "It's interesting" were few and far between.

“Cut the communication channel over directly,” Long Weiguo commanded without hesitation.

“Yes, sir!”

...Outside the rented apartment.

A faint static sound came from Qin Feng’s walkie-talkie, followed immediately by a steady, deep voice, carrying an undeniable sense of authority, ringing out clearly.

“I am Long Weiguo.”

Just four words, yet they seemed to contain the momentum of a thousand armies, making the air in the entire corridor grow heavier.

Qin Feng immediately stood at attention, his expression solemn.

Lu Chen’s eyes narrowed slightly.

He knew the main player had arrived.

"Student Lu Chen, is that right?" Long Weiguo's voice came through the walkie-talkie, sounding neither rushed nor slow. "I am pleased to meet you this way."

"You're too kind." Lu Chen shrugged, his tone still relaxed. "I also didn't expect my first 'client' to be someone of such high standing."

Client?

Hearing that word, Long Weiguo on the other end of the line, as well as all the staff behind him, couldn't help but twitch their mouths.

This young man really dares to speak his mind!

"Qin Feng has relayed your request to me." Long Weiguo didn't dwell on these minor details and went straight to the point. "'You provide the brains, we provide everything else.' It sounds like a very fair model for cooperation."

"However..."

Long Weiguo changed the subject, his voice taking on a hint of scrutiny.

"How can I be sure that your 'brains' truly contain what we want?"

"Or rather, how do you prove that your value is worth the price of us giving 'everything'?"

This question was extremely pointed!

This was a quality check!

It was also a warning to Lu Chen, making him understand that the nation was not easy to "fool."

Qin Feng’s heart instantly jumped to his throat. He stared intently at Lu Chen, wanting to see how this composed young man would handle this "test" from the highest level.

However, Lu Chen’s reaction once again exceeded everyone’s expectations.

He smiled.

“Proof?”

It was as if he had heard a funny joke.

“Director Long, I think you've misunderstood something.”

“From start to finish, the one who needs to prove themselves is not me.”

“It is you.”

What?!

In the command center, a young staff officer couldn't help but cry out, but was immediately silenced by the person next to him.

Everyone was utterly stunned by Lu Chen’s earth-shattering answer!

Has this kid gone mad?

He actually dared to tell the nation to prove its capability to him?

Even Long Weiguo’s sharp eyes flashed with a hint of astonishment.

"Oh?" His voice carried a trace of genuine curiosity. "I'd like to hear more."

“It's simple.”

Lu Chen raised one finger.

"What I offered you before was the theoretical direction for 'Room Temperature Superconductivity.' That represents the 'future.' A beautiful future, but one that is currently unattainable. Based on that alone, you certainly have the right to bargain with me."

He lowered his finger, changed his tone, and spoke with immense confidence.

"But what if I told you that I currently hold another gift that represents the 'present'—something that can be realized immediately?"

"A gift that... can allow Xia Country to stand at the pinnacle of the world in certain key areas, immediately, right now, today!"

As soon as he said this, everyone in the command center began breathing heavily!

Long Weiguo's pupils contracted to the extreme!

"What did you say?!" For the first time, his voice carried a trace of uncontrollable excitement!

"How about this, Director Long."

Lu Chen did not answer directly, but chose a more impactful approach.

“Let's play a game.”

"I'll say a few keywords now, and you can immediately have your top technical experts evaluate them. After the assessment, we can discuss who really needs to prove their worth to whom."

Without waiting for Long Weiguo's reply, Lu Chen spoke on his own.

His pace was not fast, but every word was like an armor-piercing shell, accurately striking the hearts of Long Weiguo and all the experts!

“The first word: Graphene.”

In the command center, a materials science expert slightly frowned, seemingly having thought of something.

“The second word: Polymer.”

That expert's face began to turn slightly pale.

“The third word: Solid-State Battery.”

With a "clatter," the materials science expert's pen dropped to the floor! He stared intently at the figure of the young man on the screen, his eyes filled with horror!

The corner of Lu Chen's mouth curled into a demonic smile as he uttered the last, and most fatal, keyword.

"The fourth word: Energy density, one thousand watt-hours per kilogram."

BOOM!!!

The moment the number "1000Wh/kg" left Lu Chen's mouth, the entire command center erupted!

"Impossible! This is absolutely impossible!"

The materials science expert who had dropped his pen earlier was now acting like a madman, rushing to the screen, pointing at Lu Chen, and shouting excitedly!

"Do you know what you're saying?! The energy density of the world's most advanced lithium batteries has only just broken three hundred! You're claiming one thousand?! That's more than three times the existing technology! Why don't you just ascend to heaven?!"

No one blamed him for losing control.

Because every technical staff member present felt exactly the same way!

Shock!

Subversion!

This wasn't science fiction anymore; this was mythology!

If... if what he said was true... what would that mean?

Long Weiguo's body trembled slightly from extreme excitement.

He clenched his fists tightly, his fingernails nearly digging into his flesh!

He could almost see Xia Country's electric vehicles breaking the ten-thousand-kilometer range, crushing all foreign brands into dust!

He could almost see Xia Country's fighter jets breaking free from range limitations, capable of round-the-clock continuous patrol!

He could almost see a new world composed of "electricity" slowly unfolding before his eyes!

"How about it, Director Long?"

Lu Chen's voice came through the walkie-talkie again, carrying a hint of a smile.

"Are you... satisfied with this little gift of mine?"

On the other end of the line, there was a long silence.

After a full minute, Long Weiguo's voice, slightly hoarse yet filled with boundless energy, finally spoke again.

This time, he no longer called him "Student Lu Chen."

His address had changed.

“Young man.”

"Are you interested in... getting in the car to chat?"