196: An empty shell remains

A mixed feeling of sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy surged in his heart.

"This..." The words reached his lips but were swallowed back.

Suddenly, Chen Dongchao hesitated.

Should he reveal Xu Ning's true identity?

Looking at the frustrated old experts present, if they learned that this young man had reached such a level after only two months of contact with the aircraft carrier, they would probably be even more shocked.

If this were to cause several academicians to feel unwell, the responsibility would be immense.

However, "Uncle Chao."

Xu Ning spoke first, interrupting his contemplation, "Let me continue.

There's still a lot to cover, and it won't be finished in a short while."

"Oh... alright."

Chen Dongchao nodded mechanically, walked to the side, found a seat, and sat down.

As Xu Ning continued to explain in a simple yet profound manner, Chen Dongchao was inwardly astonished.

It turned out that Xu Ning hadn't been exaggerating before; his understanding of this aircraft carrier had actually reached a state of perfection.

Facing Yu Huainian's continuous questions, Xu Ning calmly answered them one by one, as familiar with every detail as if he were the designer of this giant ship.

"How did he do all this?

Could it be that he was in seclusion cultivating in some secret base during these two months?"

Chen Dongchao muttered softly, his voice so faint only he could hear it.

At this moment, on the dock, apart from the occasional seagulls flying overhead and calling out, only Xu Ning's clear and strong voice echoed in the air.

Meanwhile, at the Blue Harbor Hotel not far away, Xiao Jianhao and others were temporarily settled, waiting for the next step of the plan.

By the time Tang Ziwei hurried from North Sea Industry, it was already two days later.

She pushed open the door to Xiao Jianhao's hotel room, her gaze eagerly scanning every corner of the room, but failed to see Xu Ning's figure.

A surge of anxiety immediately welled up in her heart.

"What's going on?

Didn't you say Little Xu has returned?

Where is he?"

Tang Ziwei said anxiously.

Xiao Jianhao leaned against the window, one hand propping his chin, his face full of helplessness: "He's still giving lectures on the aircraft carrier."

"Giving lectures?"

Tang Ziwei looked at her friend in surprise, as if her ears were malfunctioning, unable to believe what she heard.

"That's right."

Xiao Jianhao sighed, "I heard that kid was surrounded by a group of academicians who wouldn't let him go, insisting he finish his lecture."

Tang Ziwei was speechless for a moment, and only spoke after a brief silence: "If it's Little Xu, it's not surprising."

The two exchanged glances, both reading the same complex emotions in each other's eyes.

Time skipped to December 15, 1990.

The cold wind was biting, and the air was filled with a bone-chilling coldness.

Xu Ning wrapped his coat tightly and walked down the airplane gangway with steady steps.

Closely following behind were Tang Ziwei and Xiao Jianhao; and after them were Zhao Zhide and the members of the Hunter Vulture Squad, the personnel Uncle Chao had specially arranged to protect Xu Ning.

After imparting all the knowledge about the aircraft carrier to those eager experts, Xu Ning finally felt at ease to depart from Qingdao.

Although he also wanted to be able to join Yu Huainian's team and contribute his strength to a series of tasks ranging from expanding the shipyard and upgrading the gantry cranes to modifying the docks, when he thought of the Wafer project waiting for him to tackle, his heart was full of conflict.

After careful consideration, Xu Ning finally organized the materials in his hand and handed them over to Yu Huainian.

To this day, Xu Ning still clearly remembers Yu Huainian's expression when he received that thick stack of materials:

Gripping the documents tightly, tears welled up in his eyes.

For this elderly senior, Xu Ning was not just a young person; he was an existence carrying the hope of the future!

As long as he was there, it seemed all difficulties could be resolved.

However, despite Yu Huainian's strong efforts to keep him, Xu Ning still adhered to his own choice.

After returning to Shanhai Industry, Xu Ning did not immediately plunge into new challenges.

He first spent two days carefully inspecting the entire factory, and only after confirming there were no major issues did he slightly relax.

One evening, after finishing a round of inspection work, Xu Ning returned to his familiar office.

Sitting at his desk, he gently rubbed a fountain pen in his hand.

For some reason, he had recently felt a slight stagnation on the production line.

He had originally planned to ask Tang Ziwei for her opinion on this matter, but considering the urgency of the Wafer project, he decided to temporarily set aside this doubt and devote himself wholeheartedly to the more important task.

"Xiao Wei, how is the matter of contacting Mr. General Manager Zhang Jianxia that I asked you about before progressing?"

Xu Ning's eyes held a hint of anticipation.

Tang Ziwei's expression seemed to freeze for a moment: "Ah, that... Little Xu, Chen Dongchao mentioned that he wants to take you to Jiuquan to visit the satellite launch base."

"I know about that, you just mentioned it.

My meaning is, we go after meeting Mr. General Manager Zhang Jianxia."

Xu Ning's voice revealed a hint of anxiety.

"Oh, I see... Then when are we leaving for Jiuquan?"

Tang Ziwei's words seemed evasive.

Xu Ning frowned and said, "Xiao Wei, ever since I asked about Mr. General Manager Zhang Jianxia this morning, your behavior has been a bit off.

Is there something you're hiding from me?"

"Regarding General Manager Zhang Jianxia..."

Tang Ziwei responded hesitantly.

Xu Ning pushed up his glasses and looked directly into Tang Ziwei's eyes: "Xiao Wei, what exactly happened?"

Tang Ziwei took a deep breath and slowly said, "Mr. General Manager Zhang Jianxia... he has passed away."

"What."

Xu Ning suddenly stood up, slapping the table in shock, "How is that possible!

How did he pass away?"

In Xu Ning's memory, General Manager Zhang Jianxia was a legendary figure who founded SMIC, and should have been enjoying her later years, but he never expected her to die prematurely.

There must be a hidden reason.

"Xiao Wei, what exactly is going on?"

Xu Ning's gaze was firm and urgent.

Tang Ziwei sighed: "Chen Dongchao originally didn't want me to tell you about this, fearing you'd worry.

But... alas, Mr. General Manager Zhang Jianxia accidentally fell down the stairs not long ago and unfortunately passed away."

Tang Ziwei continued: "His apprentice Gu Cheng took this opportunity to seize control of all the resources and took people back to Baodao.

Now Zhongxing Microelectronics is almost just an empty shell."

Xu Ning was silent for a moment, his heart in turmoil.

Finally, he said in a deep voice: "I understand.

Let's go to Jiuquan as originally planned first."

"Little Xu, will we still consider taking over Zhongxing Microelectronics in the future?"

Tang Ziwei asked tentatively.

"Since that's the case, let's do it ourselves.

Don't we still have an electronics factory?

I don't believe we can't achieve something great without them."

Xu Ning's words were full of determination.

Immediately, Xu Ning added: "Xiao Wei, I want to know the truth."

Tang Ziwei looked at this young but determined young man, nodded, and agreed: "Okay, I'll go do it now."