242: Chapter 242 The Materials Revolution: The Storm Is Brewing

8:07 AM, outside Hall 4 of the Shenzhen International Convention and Exhibition Center.

The morning mist had not yet dispersed, and three long queues had already formed on the east side of the exhibition center.

But the atmosphere in the queues today was unusually strange.

The outermost line was for general attendees and media, with hundreds of people squeezed behind the cordon, waiting impatiently to enter. But the security gates, which usually opened at 8:30, remained motionless today.

"Why won't you let us in?" A British man wearing a BBC press pass slapped the guardrail. "I've been here reporting for three consecutive days; why are there restrictions today?"

James Wilson, a CNN reporter in his early forties standing next to him, had his blonde hair combed meticulously, but his brows were furrowed. He had received an urgent task from headquarters last night: infiltrate the Spark Materials press conference at all costs and get the scoop.

"Sir, the press conference in Hall 4 today is by invitation only." The security guard said expressionlessly, pointing to the sign next to him, "It is only open to partners, buyers, and specially invited media. Your credentials do not meet the entry standards."

"Specially invited media?" James pointed to the CNN logo on his chest, "CNN doesn't count as specially invited? Then who does?"

The security guard pointed to the electronic screen next to the VIP channel, where a list was scrolling: "Xinhua News Agency, People's Daily, CCTV, Reuters, Associated Press, Agence France-Presse..."

"Wait, Reuters and the Associated Press can get in, but CNN can't?" James raised his voice, "This is discrimination!"

The security guard remained unmoved: "This is the organizer's rule. If you have any objections, you can file a complaint with the organizer."

Just then, a commotion came from the VIP channel.

A motorcade consisting of five black Mercedes-Benz S600s drove in slowly. The small flags on the hoods indicated their identities: the first car had the American flag, the second the French flag, the third the Japanese flag, the fourth the German flag, and the fifth the British flag.

"It's the Boeing motorcade!" a sharp-eyed reporter shouted.

The doors opened. A white man in his early fifties stepped out of the first car, wearing a dark gray custom suit, his silver hair combed meticulously, and a standard business smile on his face. He was David Miller, Senior Vice President of Global Procurement and Supply Chain at Boeing.

From the second car stepped out a French woman in her forties, her light blonde hair tied in a bun, wearing a Chanel suit and carrying an Hermès Birkin bag. She was Isabelle Dupont, Procurement Director of Airbus Group.

Next was the third car: Akio Toyoda, President of Toyota, short in stature but with a powerful presence, bowing slightly to the media.

The fourth car: Karl Schmidt, President of the Materials Division of BASF in Germany, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, his expression as serious as if he were attending an academic conference.

The fifth car: William Harding, Technical Director of Rolls-Royce Aero Engines in the UK.

The image of the five people standing together made all the media frantically click their shutters.

This practically encompassed half of the high-end manufacturing industry in Europe, America, and Japan—and they were all gathered here today for one purpose: to see with their own eyes whether this new Chinese upstart really possessed disruptive material technology.

"Mr. Miller!" James shouted across the railing, "What is Boeing's evaluation of Spark Materials?"

David Miller turned his head, his smile unchanged: "Boeing is always concerned about the progress of global material science. As for a specific evaluation, I will accept interviews after the press conference ends."

A very official answer, but James caught a detail: when Miller spoke, his fingers unconsciously rubbed against his suit cuff—that was his habitual action when he was nervous.

James had worked at CNN for fifteen years and had interviewed countless business giants; he was too familiar with these micro-expressions.

The Boeing Vice President was nervous.

Why?

On the side of the VIP channel, the security check procedure was ten times stricter than the general channel. Everyone not only had to pass through security gates but also undergo handheld metal detector scans, all personal items were opened for inspection, and electronic equipment had to be tested by special instruments to see if it carried eavesdropping or video recording devices.

"This security standard is on par with the G7 summit." Isabelle Dupont elegantly placed her Birkin bag on the conveyor belt and whispered to her assistant in French, "The Chinese are very cautious."

"They have to be cautious." The assistant replied, "The technology released today may be worth hundreds of billions of dollars."

On the other side, while undergoing security checks, Akio Toyoda kept his eyes fixed on the huge poster hanging above the entrance of Hall 4.

The poster showed abstract renderings of three materials:

Left: A steel plate with a metallic luster, sparks splashing when a bullet hits it, but it fails to penetrate.

Middle: A ceramic matrix composite material remaining unchanged in flames.

Right: A magnified view of the graphene microstructure, like a black honeycomb.

A line of text below the poster:

"Material Revolution: Redefining the Limits of Manufacturing"

Spark Materials Global Launch.

"President, do we really need to come in person?" the accompanying Toyota technical director asked in a low voice, "Sending a procurement manager would have been enough."

Akio Toyoda shook his head slowly: "Suzuki-kun, you don't understand. If Xinghuo's materials are as powerful as rumors say, whether we are present today or not, the bargaining chips for future negotiations will differ by ten times."

He paused, and said in a voice only the two of them could hear: "Three years ago, we missed the opportunity to invest in spark super energy. Today, we cannot miss materials again."

8:35 AM, Observation Room on the second floor of Hall 4.

This was a completely enclosed room, with one-way glass facing the main stage and auditorium below.

Su Chen stood in front of the glass, holding a cup of warm water.

He was wearing a simple white shirt and black casual pants today, looking like an ordinary spectator who had come to visit, but everyone in the room knew that the fates of those giants outside, who could shake the global manufacturing industry with a stomp of their feet, were partly in the hands of this young man today.

"Is everyone here?" Su Chen did not turn his head.

Behind him, Wu Yi, President of Spark Materials, handed over a tablet: "47 of the top 50 global material buyers have arrived. The remaining three—Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Raytheon—were rejected by us on the grounds of 'commercial secret protection'."

"The three American arms giants." Su Chen chuckled, "They must be having a headache right now."

Administrative Director Lin Wan stood on the other side, watching the surveillance screen: "The Pentagon sent three diplomatic notes last night, through diplomatic channels, demanding that we 'carefully consider the military application risks of the material technology'."

"And the reply?"

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' standard reply: Chinese enterprises operate legally, and technology exports strictly comply with international agreements and domestic laws." Lin Wan smiled, "But privately, Minister Wang asked me to tell you: The country supports Xinghuo, go ahead and do it."

Su Chen nodded, his gaze sweeping across the auditorium.

His gaze lingered for a moment on a few positions: the middle-aged man in the third row on the left wearing glasses and recording; the woman in the middle of the fifth row with an Eastern European face but calluses on her hands from long-term gun handling; the reporter on the right of the eighth row pretending to take photos, but whose lens was actually aimed at the Boeing representative.

"Is Golden Shield in position?" Su Chen asked.

In the shadows of the corner of the observation room, Lei Zhan's voice sounded: "In position. Seven suspicious targets have been discovered and locked onto. Three of them are confirmed to be CIA technical assessors, two are MI6, one is the French DGSE, and one... is suspected to be Mossad."

"The Jews are here too?" Wu Yi raised his eyebrows.

"They have always been very interested in Chinese aerospace materials." Lei Zhan said, "Especially if our CMC can really be used in engines, Israel might try every means to get samples."

Su Chen took a sip of water: "Ensure they can only look, not touch. After the press conference ends, all display samples must be put into storage immediately, and the security level must be raised to the highest."

"Understood."

"Also," Su Chen added, "If anyone is found trying to steal technical data, handle it according to Chinese law. Arrest them if necessary, deport them if necessary."

A cold light flashed in Lei Zhan's eyes: "What if the other party resists?"

"You are a professional, judge for yourself." Su Chen turned around and looked at Wu Yi, "President Wu, are you ready?"

Wu Yi took a deep breath and adjusted his tie: "Prepared for half a year, just waiting for today."

This 45-year-old Ph.D. in Materials Science had studied at MIT in his early years, and later worked at Dupont for twelve years, rising to become the Technical Director of the Asia-Pacific region. Two years ago, he was personally recruited back to the country by Su Chen to build Spark Materials from scratch.

8 billion in R&D funding invested over 2 years, more than a thousand failed experiments, finally about to bear fruit today.

"Remember our strategy." Su Chen said, "Do not boast, do not exaggerate, speak with data and actual measurements. Everyone who came today is a top global technical expert, any bit of fluff will be magnified."

"I understand." Wu Yi nodded, "All our data has been certified by at least three international authoritative organizations and can withstand any inspection."

Su Chen took one last look at his watch: 8:48 AM.

12 minutes until the press conference starts.

Downstairs, the auditorium was full. In the front row VIP area, representatives from Boeing, Airbus, Toyota, BASF, and Rolls-Royce sat side by side, with almost no communication between them, the atmosphere as subtle as an international meeting during the Cold War.

In the technical staff area in the back, engineers from various countries had already opened their laptops, ready to record every parameter.

The media area's long lenses and short guns were all aimed at the stage.

The air was filled with a complex emotion mixed with anticipation, suspicion, and anxiety.

Everyone was waiting.

Waiting for the person who might change the game to appear.