34: Chapter 34: The Hidden Dragon Lurks in the Abyss, Poised to Unleash Its Power

At Spark Technology headquarters, the open office area, once filled with the buzzing of drone test flights and the simulated sounds of camera shutters, seemed overly quiet now.

Most of the desks in the drone project department, usually bustling with activity, were empty, and many sample models had been removed from the camera department's display wall.

However, this silence was not lifeless; it was the heavy stillness before a storm, a regrouping after a strategic shift.

Within the company, a profound and resolute industrial transformation was quietly engaging and beginning to run like precision gears under Su Chen's command.

Wang Ming stood inside the brand-new R&D center of the Spark-Arab Defense Company in Riyadh, with the scorching desert outside the window.

Behind him was the core team of the original drone project, transferred from back home, each of them wearing an expression of excitement and solemnity as they prepared to explore a new field.

"Everyone, the glory of xinghuo no. 1 and 2 is in the past," Wang Ming's voice echoed in the spacious laboratory.

"Here, our codename is 'Thunderbird No. 2'. Our goal is no longer consumer-grade aerial photography, but a true medium-to-high altitude, long-endurance tactical drone reconnaissance system!"

On the giant electronic whiteboard, the preliminary design specifications for Thunderbird No. 2 were presented: a required endurance of over 20 hours, a service ceiling of 8,000 meters, equipped with more powerful Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Electronic Support Measures (ESM) payloads, and featuring preliminary stealth design and anti-jamming data links.

"Engineer Wang, aren't these specifications... a bit too ambitious?" a young engineer couldn't help but ask.

"Ambitious?" Wang Ming scanned the crowd.

"Don't forget who we are! We are Spark! Su Chen has given us the highest authority to access Xingchen Heavy Industry's latest composite material processing technology and priority use of Spark Power's next-generation high-energy-density batteries!"

"Behind us is the entire group's technical heritage! What we need to do is turn this heritage into a sharp weapon that makes the enemy tremble!"

After the meeting, Wang Ming met with the newly appointed Saudi CEO, Prince Fahd.

Prince Fahd, in his forties, had studied at top Western military academies; he was capable and efficient, his eyes holding both the arrogance of an oil aristocrat and a burning desire for Spark's technology.

"Chief Engineer Wang," Fahd said in fluent English, "The Royal Family and the Ministry of Defense are very satisfied with the performance of thunderbird no. 1. For Thunderbird No. 2, we have higher expectations."

"The Saudi side will provide all conveniences regarding funding, venues, and policies. I only have one requirement—*faster, stronger, and more stealthy*."

He paused, adding meaningfully, "Our neighbors have been restless lately; we need 'eyes' that can truly control the regional situation."

Wang Ming nodded solemnly: "Your Highness, please rest assured. With Spark's technology and the Saudi side's support, Thunderbird No. 2 will surely become the sharpest eagle eye in the Middle East sky."

Meanwhile, back in the country, the original Lingmou camera department underwent the largest reorganization since its inception.

Department head Evan Chen stood before all the employees and announced the new strategic direction.

"Colleagues, pausing the consumer camera business is not the end, but the starting point for us to move toward a broader world!"

Evan's voice was full of passion. "From today on, we are officially renamed as the 'Spark Optoelectronics Division'. Our battlefield will shift to two trillion-dollar markets—mobile terminals (phones) and smart cars!"

He displayed the technology roadmap: "In the mobile phone field, we will rely on our deep accumulation in image tuning and lens modules to develop customized ultra-high-definition, ultra-wide-angle, and periscope telephoto lens modules for top flagship models, aiming to challenge the dominant positions of Sony and Samsung!"

"And in the smart car field, this is our blue ocean!"

Evan switched the PPT, which showed structural diagrams of LiDAR and high-precision cameras.

"We will concentrate our efforts on tackling vehicle-mounted LiDAR and high dynamic range (HDR) vehicle camera technology. This is not just the eyes of autonomous driving, but the core of future intelligent cockpit environmental perception!"

"We have already been in contact with several leading domestic new energy vehicle companies, and they have shown great interest."

In the laboratory, the engineers who used to debug camera colors began to bury themselves in studying the principles of laser beam emission and reception, researching how to keep cameras sharp in extreme environments such as backlighting, dark nights, and heavy rain.

The growing pains of transformation were inevitable, but everyone understood that this was a necessary and worthwhile step.

The factory park of Spark Power was a scene of intense activity. New factory buildings were rising, and production lines were undergoing upgrades.

Wu Hao and Yang Yang were in the temporary command center, discussing fiercely with the construction team while looking at a huge production capacity plan.

"Engineer Yang, the 'spark super energy No. 2' battery must be mass-produced by the end of the year. The energy density must increase by another 15%, and the charging speed must double!"

"The automation level of this new production line must reach the highest level, and I want to see a yield rate of over 99%!" Wu Hao pointed at the blueprint, his tone unquestionable.

"Don't worry, Engineer Wu! The newly purchased coating machines and winding machines are the best in the world. Su Chen specially approved them, sparing no expense!"

Yang Yang replied, his eyes flashing with the brilliance of technical breakthrough. "Orders from Tesla and BBA are still increasing, and domestic companies like Geely and Changan are also urging us. Our production capacity is currently the biggest bottleneck restricting market expansion. This expansion must be done right the first time!"

Spark Power, currently the group's most stable cash cow, was running at full capacity, providing a steady stream of "ammunition" for the entire group's strategic transformation.

In the more secretive Xingchen Heavy Industry park, another form of synergy was taking place.

In a temperature- and humidity-controlled precision assembly workshop, Lu Qiming was leading several engineers, surrounding a motor rotor being assembled.

"See this? This is a core component machined using our own 'Beichen No. 1' five-axis machine tool."

Lu Qiming's tone was filled with pride. "The precision fully meets aerospace standards. In the past, this kind of high-speed, low-noise permanent magnet synchronous motor rotor either relied on imports or had abysmal yield rates."

Beside him, the person in charge from the newly established "Spark Industry (Motor Division)" sighed: "Old Lu, with the 'industrial mother machine' you provide, we have a foundation for independently developing high-performance new energy vehicle motors!"

"We have initially completed the design of the drive motor, the efficiency map is very beautiful, and we are currently conducting joint debugging with Spark Power's battery packs and our self-developed motor controllers."

"Su Chen's goal is very clear: we want to build full-stack self-research capabilities from batteries and motors to motor controllers!"

Xingchen Heavy Industry, a new company once questioned internally as a "gold-swallowing beast," was now using its top-tier manufacturing capabilities to feed back into the group's other businesses, becoming the most solid foundation for Spark Technology's technical depth.

Guancheng, Xinghuo Chip manufacturing base.

The huge factory skeleton had already taken shape, and inside was a scene of busy equipment installation and debugging.

Luo Qinghe, Jiang Jing, and Anderson Li were practically living on the construction site.

"The foundation for the dual-workpiece stage of the lithography machine has been poured, and vibration control must meet the highest standards!" Anderson Li emphasized to the construction manager in accented Chinese.

"The cleanliness level of the cleanroom cannot be lowered; particle counting must be strictly controlled!" Jiang Jing, wearing a cleanroom suit, pointed at the environmental monitoring data, her tone stern.

Luo Qinghe spent more time in the temporary R&D laboratory, repeatedly deliberating on the architecture with members of the design team while looking at the complex circuit simulation diagrams on the computer screen.

"Power consumption must be reduced, and performance must be improved! 16 nanometers is just the starting point; our architecture must leave redundancy for future 7 nanometers and 5 nanometers!"

Su Chen occasionally arrived here secretly.

He used the system's remaining funds to exchange for some key subsystems and special material formulas, handing them over to the three scientists in the name of "special overseas procurement" or "internal technical breakthroughs," solving one bottleneck problem after another.

The R&D of Xinghuo Chip was advancing at an extraordinary speed under absolute secrecy and resource allocation.

Riyadh, Spark-Arab Defense Company CEO office.

Lin Wan was conducting the final handover with Prince Fahd.

The desk was covered with documents, from financial reports and personnel structures to core project progress.

"Prince Fahd, this is all the production data and supply chain list for thunderbird no. 1, and this is the initial budget and R&D milestones for the Thunderbird No. 2 project..." Lin Wan introduced them one by one, clearly and logically.

Fahd listened carefully, nodding from time to time.

Finally, he stood up and reached out to Lin Wan: "Ms. Lin, your professionalism and efficiency have left a deep impression on me."

"Please tell Mr. Su that the Saudi side will keep its promise. Leave this to me, and please tell him to rest assured. I look forward to longer-term cooperation with Spark."

Lin Wan shook his hand and smiled: "I believe that under the Prince's leadership, Spark-Arab Defense Company will surely become the premier defense solutions provider in the Middle East."

"I will continue to coordinate headquarters resources back home to support the development here."

The handover was completed successfully.

Lin Wan was relieved of her management responsibilities for the overseas company, allowing her to put all her energy back into the group headquarters to assist Su Chen with more macro-level strategic coordination.

Outside, news about Spark Technology gradually cooled down.

In the eyes of many, this once-dazzling star enterprise seemed to have fallen silent under the blow of the chip supply cutoff, forced to shrink its battle lines, and even making some "desperate" layouts.

But they could not see that beneath the seemingly scattered business segments, a powerful synergy was forming.

Drone technology empowered the military industry, optical technology shifted to automotive and mobile phones, battery technology continued to evolve, high-end machine tools supported precision manufacturing, and the future of all this was tied to that "spark core" that was quietly gestating.

Su Chen stood in front of the strategic map on the top floor of the headquarters, his eyes scanning the various project nodes marked on it.

Spark Technology was like a giant dragon diving into the deep sea, temporarily retracting its claws and teeth, but accumulating more terrifying power in the undercurrents.

The storms outside could no longer disturb him in the slightest.

"Silence is for a louder explosion."

He whispered to himself, his eyes calm and deep.

"The moment the 'spark core' lights up, the world will understand what today's silence means."