Chapter 530: Leave them all behind

The vast industrial park was incredibly busy.

But it wasn't the figures of researchers moving about; instead, it was workers busy with demolition and moving operations.

He had heard about this, but when she contacted him, there was clearly still room for maneuver.

Now, however, seeing such a dilapidated scene couldn't help but make Zheng Qian furrow his brows slightly. Was it... still in time?

What he needed was a place with top-tier research capabilities.

But looking at it now, it didn't seem like an institution capable of shouldering such an important task at all.

Before long, following the location discussed over the phone, Zheng Qian arrived in front of an office in one of the buildings.

"Professor Zhou, I really am trying to find a way. Please, ask everyone to wait a little longer! I know the pressure everyone is facing right now—it's very real pressure, and I understand! But... there is an investor who is very interested in us!"

"What? Someone has already boarded a plane?"

"Then... then ask the people who haven't boarded yet to wait. Give me some time; he will be here today!"

"Sigh..."

Before Zheng Qian could walk in, he heard a woman's urgent voice coming from inside.

It wasn't until a heavy sigh emerged that Zheng Qian pushed the door open and walked in.

"Junior, long time no see."

"It's you! Oh my, you're finally here! Sit, sit quickly!"

Upon seeing Zheng Qian, the girl was instantly overjoyed, and her previously gloomy expression vanished in an instant.

She patted her chest and let out a long sigh of relief.

She hurriedly invited Zheng Qian and Chen Chou to sit. The latter did not decline; after a moment's thought, he sat down next to Zheng Qian.

Chen Chou was the type of person who reacted according to the situation and the people involved.

He knew this wasn't the place for him to stand behind Zheng Qian like a bodyguard.

This girl was none other than Song Qingli, Zheng Qian's junior from university.

Hmm...

Actually, when Zheng Qian saw her, he still felt a bit awkward.

After all, she had originally been optimistic about his development and had recommended her sister, Song Yaxian, who had previously worked at a large firm, to him. But... he had ended up sleeping with her.

Furthermore, the two bore some resemblance to each other, with a special charm in their features.

Between her smiles and glances, she looked exactly like Song Yaxian.

It made Zheng Qian feel a bit restless.

He shook his head, quickly casting those thoughts aside; now was not the time to be thinking about such carnal matters.

"What was that about just now? Didn't you say before that the research institute was operating well, that research had reached a critical stage, and that it was only lacking a sum of capital? But from what I can see, that doesn't seem to be the case."

Zheng Qian didn't mean to blame Song Qingli; he was just speaking in a teasing manner.

The latter's cheeks flushed slightly, looking a bit embarrassed.

She tucked her hair behind her ear and said with a flushed face, "Oh... this... well, it's a long story! It's like this, Senior: originally, everything was indeed fine, and we had entered a very critical stage of research and development. But as you know, things like a Semiconductor Chip aren't easy to produce results with. There has always been massive funding support from above, but..."

"So... that's how things are..."

In just a few sentences, Zheng Qian understood the situation.

It turned out that this research institute was established years ago by Academician Chen. Back then, it was to support the path of independent research and development, not wanting to blindly follow the route of assembly and sales, believing that such a path wouldn't last long and couldn't form core competitiveness.

But this idea had a very fatal weakness: it was a bottomless pit, leaving people unable to see when it would generate a profit.

Yet he had persisted, on and off, for so many years.

So many years had passed. Once, in its early days, this institute had seen glory, but it was replaced by another more brutal model of assembly because that could make money faster, so the institute stalled for a time.

Once it stalled, there was no way to catch up with international advanced development.

Therefore, it never truly got off the ground.

However, with Donald Trump's increasingly severe technological blockade against Kyushu in recent years, this research institute finally began to be taken seriously.

At that time, a huge amount of money was indeed poured in, attracting a considerable number of excellent talents from home and abroad.

Just as they were about to achieve results, the Western world's blockade loosened slightly. Coupled with the fact that they had been slow to produce a product that could dazzle everyone and be highly persuasive, it led to them being on the verge of being shut down again.

In fact, this is understandable.

If you can never produce results, why pour money into this bottomless pit?

In this day and age, how many people still have ideals?

Many researchers who were once here had been receiving high compensation abroad, but they worked hard to fulfill their long-cherished wish of developing the strongest "Kyushu Chip."

However, now facing the institute's renewed shutdown, they finally despaired.

In fact, a while ago, many foreign institutions, companies, and The Group had already moved upon hearing the news.

They coveted these researchers, so they had long since started contacting them privately, promising huge rewards, and even sending people over to sign contracts, just waiting for the institute to officially close down to take them all back.

Hearing this, Zheng Qian would absolutely not blame those researchers.

They all had wives, husbands, and children, parents to support, and families of their own.

Without money, what would they use to support them?

With ideals?

As for why Song Yaxian came here, it was also because several professors from her school were involved.

Additionally, because she had a certain level of organizational and operational ability, she was arranged to come over and act in a role similar to a "manager."

It was just a pity that she hadn't been here long when such a thing happened.

Zheng Qian lit a cigarette and nodded, saying, "Actually, I don't know much about tech products personally. Because I wanted to develop the Semiconductor Chip aspect, and it just so happened that you found me through Yaxian and needed me to invest, saying you had a complete organizational framework and that as soon as capital was injected, it could immediately operate and produce results, that was why I was interested."

"I really like your honesty; you explained the whole situation before I even shelled out any money."

"You can tell the original person in charge here right now that I can keep everyone. As for salary issues... there is no need to worry at all; for these talents, I will not place any restrictions on that."

"It doesn't matter if the research institute is shut down; then I will just sign everyone over directly and establish my own private research institute."

"The compensation will absolutely crush every foreign company; there is no need to doubt this."

Hearing this, Song Qingli was completely stunned.

She didn't come back to her senses for a long time.

This... this was just agreed to?

Didn't he need to find some experts or something to conduct a test? Or an assessment?

And he didn't even ask what the major discovery was?

Even... he didn't suspect whether they were trying to scam him into investing?

"Are you... sure?" Song Qingli looked at Zheng Qian, swallowing with difficulty.

In that instant, she finally understood why her sister was so desperately in love with Zheng Qian whenever she mentioned him.