Chapter 54 Technology Requisition?

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

Thinking... the Old General's face, which had been tense and serious, slowly broke into an extremely rare, kind smile. He said no more, only waving his hand gently at Sun Danian and the others.

Sun Danian felt as if he had been granted a great pardon. He led the group of Experts, who looked as if their souls had been sucked out, out of the workshop one by one with unsteady steps. They needed to find a place to quiet down and piece back together their worldviews, which had been torn to shreds by a Toy Factory Director.

"Comrade Li Jiajun," the Old General's voice was very gentle. He pointed toward the office. "Shall we go back and chat some more?"

Li Jiajun watched those Experts leave dejectedly like defeated roosters. He looked at the kind smile on the Old General's face, then thought about what Liu Jianguo had said before. Instead of relaxing, his heart skipped a beat, and his alertness instantly shot to the maximum.

'What's the play here?' he thought. 'A slap followed by a sweet date? Or... is this the legendary final meal? A good meal before being sent on his way?'

He didn't believe these big shots would be so kind. But right now, he had no choice. He could only bite the bullet and follow the Old General and Liu Jianguo—who had been excited from start to finish—back into his office.

...

With only the three of them left in the office, the atmosphere became even more subtle than when dozens of people were squeezed together.

Li Jiajun was feeling uneasy, calculating whether he should confess voluntarily to seek leniency or keep his mouth shut to fight for an acquittal. Then, the next scene made him freeze completely.

He saw the Old General, whose aura had been so powerful since he appeared that Li Jiajun didn't dare look him in the eye, actually walk to the water dispenser himself. He took a disposable paper cup, filled it with steaming tea, and then steadily handed it to him.

Li Jiajun instinctively took it with both hands, the warmth of the paper cup transferring through his fingertips. He stared blankly at the Old General, his brain crashing once again.

What kind of treatment was this?

In all his life, forget a general pouring him tea, he hadn't even received the treatment of a village chief offering him a cigarette.

When things are this strange, there must be a catch!

'It's over. If I drink this tea, I'll probably spend the rest of my life...' Li Jiajun thought pessimistically.

Just as his thoughts were racing, the Old General finally spoke. His voice was very calm, even carrying a hint of reassurance.

"Comrade Li Jiajun, don't be nervous. We didn't come here to hold you accountable."

Not here to hold him accountable?

Li Jiajun's ears caught these keywords, and the heavy stone hanging in his heart finally fell with a thud.

Safe!

'If it's not accountability, then...' a certain conjecture surfaced in his mind.

After confirming he wasn't in immediate danger, his peculiar brain immediately switched from "survival mode" to "business mode." Before the terrified expression on his face could fully fade, his eyes began to flicker with the light of "calculation."

The Old General saw every subtle change in his expression and chuckled inwardly, but he didn't call him out. Instead, he changed the subject, his tone becoming incredibly serious and sincere:

"Your technology is of immeasurable significance to the country and national defense. Therefore, on behalf of the state, I formally request you and your factory to allow us to 'requisition' this technology."

"Requisition?"

Li Jiajun heard those two words, and his eyes instantly lit up.

He immediately interpreted a wealth of meaning from that word.

"Requisition" wasn't "confiscation," which meant... they had to pay!

Since money was involved, there was room for negotiation!

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In that instant, all previous fear, anxiety, and hesitation vanished. In their place was the excitement and thrill of being about to make a killing. He felt as if he had returned to the time he faced that sucker, "A White Cloth on the Head," and every business cell in his body was activated.

And Li Jiajun had already begun his Oscar-level performance.

He suddenly sprang up from his chair, his face once again wearing a look of sheer terror, waving his hands repeatedly as if he had heard something unbelievable.

"No, no, no! Leader, please don't say that! You can't! You absolutely can't!"

He looked at the Old General with a panicked face and said with great distress, "It really is just a toy! You're all Experts; you saw it just now. The materials for that thing are just ordinary Engineering Plastics and Carbon Fiber, not military-grade materials at all! It's fine for flying ten or so minutes, but what if it disintegrates in the sky? If this is used for national defense, isn't that a joke? People will die!"

Seeing the Old General unmoved, he added more fuel to the fire.

"And that Control Program! I wrote it randomly; it's full of bugs! The fact that nothing went wrong in front of you today is purely due to my ancestors' blessings! This thing is fine for an artist to do some performance art occasionally, but if it really goes to the battlefield, isn't that just handing kills to the enemy? Leader, you must think twice! For the safety of the country, this thing really can't be used! Absolutely cannot be used!"

Li Jiajun spoke with tears and snot, looking like a loyal official worried about the country and the people, determined not to let inferior products harm the nation. It was enough to make anyone who heard it sad and anyone who saw it weep.

Liu Jianguo, sitting to the side, watching Li Jiajun's performance, which could be described as extravagant, finally couldn't hold it in. A surge of laughter rose from his stomach to his throat. He quickly picked up his teacup, wanting to drink some water to suppress the laughter, but in his haste, he ended up choking.

"Cough... cough cough cough!"

He coughed violently, his face turning bright red.

Damn, he was truly blown away by the performance.

While coughing, he complained in his heart, 'This acting, this thick skin, this vibe of talking nonsense with a straight face—it's exactly how I was when I was young! He even dares to play these little tricks in front of the Old General!'

He knew Li Jiajun's little scheme all too well: it was nothing more than calling the product worthless first so he could ask for an astronomical price later. He was very familiar with this tactic!

Li Jiajun, however, ignored Liu Jianguo and decided to add some more spice.

"Besides, Leader, you've seen our production line. It's just a ragtag crew, like a joke. The yield rate of what we produce is terrifyingly low—eight out of ten units are defective! We can't waste the country's precious resources on such a small matter!"

After he finished speaking, Liu Jianguo's cough, which had just subsided, showed signs of making a comeback.