Chapter 53 Liu Jianguo: I told you he was a genius!

In the workshop, Li Jiajun's soul-searching question, "Isn't this easier to understand than Ampere's Law in high school physics?" hit like a silent heavy blow, plunging the entire space into a more complete dead silence than any before.

All the Experts, regardless of which field they were titans in before, seemed to have been collectively struck by a freezing spell. They stood there dazed, expressions frozen, eyes unfocused. The scientific edifice they had built over a lifetime, constructed from countless rigorous formulas and precise experiments, was dismantled cleanly in just over ten minutes by a toy factory manager using "Eagle Catching Chicks" and "Building Blocks."

This wasn't a technical crushing; it was a total destruction of their cognitive system.

They felt like their decades of studying had gone to waste. The scientific research they had spent their lives on was ultimately less useful than what a young man realized from watching children play games.

Li Jiajun looked at the group of Old Experts' despondent state and his heart skipped a beat.

'Crap, I think I showed off too much and triggered these old guys,' a thought surfaced in his mind. 'If one of them can't take it and collapses here, my toy factory will really become an accident scene.'

Survival instinct took over again. He felt he had to say something to salvage this awkward situation.

So, he cleared his throat, tried hard to squeeze out an even more innocent smile, and tentatively tried to smooth things over:

"Um... leaders, everyone should be able to understand, right? As a toy factory, it's quite reasonable for us to draw inspiration from children's games for some product designs, isn't it?"

This attempt to smooth things over, rather than providing comfort, was like a precise finishing blow, stabbing once again into the Experts' hearts.

True, they are a toy factory, and finding inspiration from games seems logically sound.

But the problem is, this "inspiration" is way too over-the-top!

You call an algorithm capable of developing autonomous tactical AI an inspiration from "Eagle Catching Chicks"?

You call a flexible production system that subverted the modern industrial system a result of "Building Blocks"?

Where does that leave our national-level key project teams? Should we also organize all our researchers to play Dodgeball and jump rope for two hours every morning before work?

The corners of several Old Experts' mouths twitched violently. Their faces turned from white to green, and finally to a purplish-red mixture of frustration, speechlessness, and resignation—quite a sight. They wanted to refute him, but found they couldn't utter a single word of rebuttal. Because what Li Jiajun said was a "fact" they couldn't understand, yet had truly happened.

However, in that suffocating silence, a burst of hearty laughter, full of ecstasy and satisfaction, rang out without warning.

"Hahaha! Good! Well said!"

Liu Jianguo slapped his thigh hard. His face, which usually screamed "don't mess with me," was now filled with unabashed admiration and excitement. He was like a lonely master of an Unorthodox Sect who had finally found a junior brother; the joy of finding a kindred spirit made his whole being radiant.

He walked over to the Old General in a few quick steps, pointed at the despondent "academic" Experts, then at the innocent-looking Li Jiajun, and said loudly:

"Leader, did you see that? I was right, wasn't I! I told you this kid is a once-in-a-century genius. Now what? Are you convinced?" — A genius, a dragon born to my Unorthodox Sect in a hundred years! Wahahaha.

His words were blunt and harsh, but at this moment, not a single Expert spoke up. They just lowered their heads silently, looking like elementary school students being publicly criticized by their teacher.

Seeing they weren't speaking, Liu Jianguo got even more fired up. He turned back and continued to the Old General: "That Swarm Project of ours, it's been nearly ten years since it was initiated, right? We've poured hundreds of billions into it, haven't we? Thousands of top minds gathered together, and what did they produce? It wobbles when it flies, and the command latency is high enough to let someone take a nap! Compared to his 'Eagle Catching Chicks,' I'd say we're begging for food with a golden bowl. Isn't it embarrassing!"

These words were extremely blunt, practically exposing their shortcomings in public.

Several relevant project leaders felt their faces burning, wishing they could find a hole to crawl into. But they couldn't refute it because what Liu Jianguo said was the cold, hard reality.

...

The Old General glanced at Liu Jianguo but didn't stop him. He just listened quietly, his deep eyes never leaving Li Jiajun.

After Liu Jianguo finished venting, he gave a final summary: "Leader! This kind of talent cannot be viewed through conventional eyes or processes! His way of thinking and his creativity have exceeded all our existing systems! We can't use those rules and regulations to restrict him anymore. Instead, we need to figure out how to turn these genius ideas of his into our own!"

Liu Jianguo's words finally caused a subtle shift in the atmosphere.

Although the Experts remained silent, there was a hint of agreement in their eyes. Indeed, dwelling on how he did it was no longer meaningful. The key was that this kind of talent must be in the hands of the state.

Li Jiajun was dumbfounded. What the hell does this mean? What do you mean by "turn into your own"? And if it really means what I think it means, do you have to be so blunt and loud about it?

After hearing Liu Jianguo's words, the Old General fell silent for a long time.

He looked at Li Jiajun again, his gaze completely different from when he first arrived.

If at first it was scrutiny and suspicion.

During the test, it was shock and solemnity.

Now, his eyes held no trace of scrutiny; instead, they were filled with an appreciation for talent.

'A talent! So, are we still going to hold him accountable?'

A thought surfaced in the Old General's mind.

'Hold him accountable my foot! The question now is how to turn this national treasure—both the man and the factory—into one of our own, completely and willingly.'

'At the very least, this technology must...'

Of course, it couldn't be taken for free.

Thinking of this, his habitually tense and serious face slowly broke into a rare, kind smile.