20: Like a biological son, I cherish him.

The day before the press conference, the interior of Xinghai Biotechnology was suddenly thrown into chaos by a bombshell dropped from the sky.

The news first spread from the Finance Department and quickly exploded within the company's internal employee chat group.

[Holy cow, brothers and sisters, something huge happened!!! I just heard from Finance that the company account suddenly received a transfer from the National High-Tech Industry Development Fund. Guess how much?]

This was followed by a string of blinding emoji reaction packs.

[Spill it! I hate it when people keep me in suspense.]

[Ten million or one hundred million?]

[Could it be one billion?]

[Ten billion! The official big daddy just transferred the money directly!!!]

The group chat went dead silent for about three seconds.

[How much?]

Messages flooded the screen like a nuclear explosion.

[????????????]

[Which 'daddy' is it?]

[Today isn't April Fool's Day.]

[Finance bigshot, come out and say something! This is no joking matter!]

[Oh my god, ten billion! Does our company even have that valuation right now?]

Before everyone could recover from this earth-shattering news, another even more explosive piece of information followed immediately.

The receptionist nervously sent a voice message to the group chat, her voice soft and weak.

[A group of people arrived downstairs. They said they were the leader of the Shanghai High-Tech Enterprise Special Service Team and brought their team directly to our door, saying they would provide us with comprehensive, one-stop government service guarantees.]

The group chat fell into deadly silence once more.

If the ten billion support fund was like gold bricks falling from the sky, it only served to make everyone dizzy.

The City Government specially forming a service team to proactively come to the door and offer nanny-like servicethis kind of treatment was absolutely unheard of, too explosive, truly outrageous, practically the level of care given to a favorite son.

On the day of the press conference, first floor of the Shanghai Municipal Hall.

Written on the massive backdrop was [Xinghai Technology Appointment Press Conference].

Below the stage, hundreds of seats were completely filled.

Cameras and microphones were lined up in anticipation, and reporters from major official authoritative media outlets looked exceptionally focused.

Entrances to major live streaming platforms online had long been pinned to the top, and countless eyes globally were focused here.

Exactly ten o'clock in the morning.

Amidst a burst of incredibly warm applause, a group of people slowly walked onto the main stage.

Leading the group was none other than Academician Chen Guoyuan.

He was dressed in a Zhongshan suit, his hair was gray, but he looked vigorous and energetic.

Following closely behind him were Chen Wanwan, Jiang Zhonghua, Lin Dong, and the full-of-presence Zhang Kaiwen.

A person walking shoulder-to-shoulder with Chen Guoyuan caught everyone's attention.

His face was kind, yet he possessed an aura unique to a person of high status.

Someone recognized him... The highest-level leader!

At this moment, all speculation regarding Xinghai Technology's background was completely confirmed.

The government providing the venue was already an exception.

A top leader appearing at such an event was unprecedented, maximizing the prestige.

Below the stage, flashlights flickered frantically, and the sound of camera shutters was dense as rain.

The top leader delivered a brief and gentle opening address.

"Dragon Country has always maintained that technology is the primary productive force, talent is the primary resource, and innovation is the primary driving force."

"We warmly welcome and support the birth and growth of outstanding enterprises like Xinghai Technology that are ambitious and capable of scaling the peaks of global science and technology."

"We are even more pleased to see outstanding scientists like Academician Chen Guoyuan continue to contribute his strength to our nation's scientific and technological endeavors."

The speech was brief but conveyed an incredibly clear signal, immediately triggering thunderous applause across the venue.

Subsequently, the press conference was handed over to the Xinghai team.

Jiang Zhonghua suppressed his excitement and introduced Xinghai Technology's vision and the structure of the two companies.

Chen Wanwan gracefully outlined the future direction of Xinghai Material Technology.

Zhang Kaiwen announced Xinghai's future brand and strategic direction.

Everyone's focus remained entirely on Chen Guoyuan.

When it was Chen Guoyuan's turn to speak, he walked to the front of the stage and scanned the audience.

"Thank you for the nation's trust, and thank you all for your attention."

"There is only one reason why I chose to join Xinghai Technology: It is extremely worthwhile."

Chen Guoyuan paused, and the audience fell silent.

"At Xinghai, I have seen a highly forward-looking and important technology, and I have seen a clear path for it to become a reality."

"In the future, I will work hand-in-hand with Xinghai to strive for the ultimate implementation and application of this technology."

Chen Guoyuan's words were very reserved, but the knowing industry insiders and scholars in the audience revealed unspoken shock and excitement in their eyes.

Dragon Country's high level of attention was fully displayed at this moment.

This was no longer just about the success or failure of a single enterprise.

It concerned the strategic layout for the future development of Dragon Country's cutting-edge technology.

Overwhelming applause erupted again, lasting for a long time.

As the press conference drew to a close, the stage was star-studded, and the audience thundered with applause.

In the shadow of a corner, Lily noticed He Ming.

She took a few steps closer, her gaze sweeping over the Xinghai employee badge clipped inside his chest pocket.

"He Ming?"

Lily's tone carried a hint of uncertainty and surprise.

"What are you doing here?"

He Ming turned his head upon hearing the voice, looking at the elegantly made-up woman in front of him. She looked familiar, but he couldn't immediately recall who she was.

He frowned slightly and nodded as a response.

Seeing that He Ming hadn't recognized her, Lily immediately spoke up.

"It's me, Lily, Group Leader's best friend."

Lily specifically mentioned Group Leader, then scanned He Ming again.

"You came to Xinghai too? Which department are you in?"

A flash of realization crossed He Ming's eyes.

But he wore no expression on his face.

"The Information Department."

"The Information Department, huh?"

Lily raised her eyebrows, and an expression of envy appeared on her face.

"I heard your department is incredibly relaxed. Everyone says a god-like supervisor came, whose technical skills are ridiculously strong, and now the employees there are even more idle than the security guards."

He Ming was silent for two seconds.

"It's alright."

Lily changed the subject.

"Hey, I heard you broke up with Group Leader?"

"It's probably for the best that you broke up. I've been getting tired of seeing it for a while now."

He Ming did not speak, merely watching Lily quietly.

The atmosphere suddenly became awkward.

Just then, the host on stage announced the end of the press conference.

"Well... the press conference is almost over. I need to get back to the front. Let's chat another time."

He Ming watched Lily's retreating figure, marveling inwardly at how small the world was, running into an acquaintance even at his own company.

After the press conference concluded, Chen Guoyuan's vehicle, escorted by police cars, drove unimpeded directly into the core research and development base that the Shanghai government had cleared out and fully equipped in advance for Xinghai Material Technology.

This R&D base was located in the suburbs of Shanghai, heavily guarded, with security comparable to national-level research institutes.

Jiang Zhonghua, Lin Dong, and Zhang Kaiwen felt incredibly nervous at this moment, following the motorcade into this R&D center, which was filled with a sense of futuristic technology.

Jiang Zhonghua tightly clutched his briefcase, which contained a USB copy of the [longevity water Complete R&D Log].