Chapter 102: Alarming the Chinese Academy of Sciences
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
“Could there be something more crucial?” Now, Xiao Yang had placed the box with the beasts heads aside and briskly approached Zhou Chao’s side.
“Yeah, but don’t ask me anything about it. I don’t know either,” Zhou Chao replied, wary of Xiao Yang’s potential questions. After all, he couldn’t explain the matter clearly.
“Alright, I won’t ask you. Is that acceptable?” Xiao Yang could only nod helplessly.
Following that, Zhou Chao took out a USB drive from his jacket pocket and handed it to Xiao Yang.
Xiao Yang took the USB drive and examined it before asking, “What’s inside this?”
“It contains blueprints for a 5nm EUV lithography system, related component materials, and theoretical knowledge about the lithography machine,” Zhou Chao casually stated.
However, upon hearing Zhou Chao’s words, a torrent of thoughts surged in Xiao Yang’s mind. It took a while for him to recover from his astonishment.
“You’ve handed me quite the hot potato, haven’t you?” Xiao Yang managed to regain his composure after the initial shock, now sitting beside Zhou Chao.
“If you’re not at ease, you can give it back to me!” Zhou Chao pretended as if he were about to retrieve the USB drive, prompting Xiao Yang to quickly store it inside his innermost clothing, keeping it close.
“Zhou Chao, this matter isn’t something I can decide. I’ll definitely report this to higher-ups, but rest assured, you won’t face any hardship because of it.” Xiao Yang knew that what he held in his hands was extremely valuable. If certain Western countries were to find out about it, the consequences would be severe.
“If I didn’t trust you, I wouldn’t have called you and handed this over to you.”
“That Xiao Feng has quite the discerning eye. You’ve got a reliable brother.” Xiao Yang patted Zhou Chao’s shoulder.
“But for this matter, I still need to discuss it with my family. Otherwise, 1 won’t be able to bear it alone.” After saying this, Xiao Yang stood up and made a call to his family. He didn’t avoid Zhou Chao and simply made the call in front of him.
Xiao Yang directly explained the situation to Old Master Xiao. After a moment of silence, Old Master Xiao spoke, “Don’t bother asking about how these things came into his possession. The fact that he willingly handed them to you means he can be trusted. I’ll inform a few other old friends. Deliver the items to Lao Jiang at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and confirm their authenticity.” With that, Old Master Xiao hung up the phone.
“Alright, I’ve spoken to Grandfather. He said he’ll handle the situation. No one will inquire about the origin of these items. I’m going to take this thing to the Chinese Academy of Sciences now. I wouldn’t feel at ease keeping it myself,” Xiao Yang reassured Zhou Chao.
“I was actually planning to use this to get a wife,” Zhou Chao sighed, looking at the USB drive in Xiao Yang’s hand.
“Do you have a girlfriend now?” Xiao Yang was quite curious.
“Of course, and you know her too!” Zhou Chao’s face lit up with a smile.
“I know her? How is that possible? Who is it?” Zhou Chao’s words startled him, as he was taken aback. Was there really someone around him that Zhou Chao knew?
“Jiang Li!”
“How is that even possible?” Surprised by Zhou Chao mentioning Jiang Li’s name, Xiao Yang stood up.
“How did you two meet?” Xiao Yang’s curiosity was instantly piqued.
“I went on a road trip to 318, and coincidentally, Fourth Brother was in Rain City. I went to see him, and that’s how we met. Our relationship has since become official,” Zhou Chao briefly narrated his story with Jiang Li.
“You’ve really hit the jackpot, buddy. In a city like Jingdu, where there are plenty of eligible second-generation heirs, she didn’t show interest in anyone. She even had a disagreement with her family before heading to Rain City. Who could have guessed that such a valuable gem would end up being won over by someone like you? I wonder how many hearts in Jingdu will ache because of this.” Zhou Chao grasped the reason behind Jiang Li’s decision to become an intern village official after hearing Xiao Yang’s remarks.
“Listen, make sure you treat Jiang Li with care. If 1 catch wind of you causing her any harm, you’ll witness how I handle the situation.”
“Brother Yang, you can count on me,” Zhou Chao immediately assured.
“By the way, did you back up this data?” Xiao Yang shifted the topic back.
“I did back it up. 1 initially thought of starting my own company, but upon further consideration, it seemed unlikely. So I called you.”
“Where did you make the copy?” Xiao Yang was now part of the security department, and these details needed to be clarified.
“Yes, it’s this computer.” Zhou Chao nodded towards the computer on the desk.
“I’ll take this computer back. You can buy another one for yourself. Make sure you keep the backup safe. If anything goes missing, you know the consequences!” Xiao Yang didn’t confiscate the USB drive copied by Zhou Chao. Perhaps it was a sign of trust in Zhou Chao.
“Alright.” Xiao Yang made a call to the people waiting in the car, and soon Lin Wu and two men in casual clothes entered the room.
“Disassemble this computer and take it back. Also, the two boxes on the desk, bring them along too.” The two men quickly disassembled the computer and carried away the boxes from the desk. Not a word was exchanged throughout the process.
“Alright, I should be on my way as well. I’ll come by when I have time. Sit tight and enjoy some good wine!” With most matters sorted out, Xiao Yang believed it was time to head back and report. He was aware that there were individuals even more eager than him.
“Brother Yang, be sure to visit when you’re free. I’ve got plenty of good wine!” Zhou Chao saw Xiao Yang off as he left the room.
“Alright, I’m off.” After saying this, Xiao Yang boarded the Jeep at the entrance. Soon, the two Jeeps vanished from Zhou Chao’s view. He knew that a storm was about to unfold.
“Sigh, time to take a breather.” Zhou Chao returned to the room after speaking.
“Director Xiao, where are we headed now?” The driver, who was currently behind the wheel, interrupted Xiao Yang’s contemplation.
“Directly to the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Also, once we arrive, have someone arrange to deliver those two boxes to the Palace Museum! No, better leave them for now. I’ll handle it later.” Xiao Yang thought of Zhou Chao. He wanted to use these items as a talisman for Zhou Chao’s safety.
Meanwhile, in the meeting room of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, several academic elites were already seated, anxiously waiting.
“Lao Jiang, what do you think this is all about? They suddenly summoned us to the meeting room, claiming there’s a major announcement to be made. Yet, here we are, waiting without any word. Isn’t this wasting our time?” A middle-aged man, whose hair had turned half white, spoke with a sense of frustration.
“Lao Yang, just be patient and wait. There must be something significant going on. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have gathered us old folks here and kept us waiting like this,” the elderly man with the surname Jiang responded. Although he was also perplexed, he understood that being anxious wouldn’t change anything.
At that moment, the door to the meeting room swung open, revealing none other than Xiao Yang.
“Xiao Yang, what brings you here?” Lao Jiang looked surprised to see Xiao Yang enter. He knew which department Xiao Yang belonged to, and the fact that he had personally come indicated something significant.
“Lao Jiang, Lao Yang, Lao Li, today’s matter is of the utmost secrecy.” Xiao Yang closed the door behind him and spoke with solemnity as he looked at the few individuals before him.
The mention of utmost secrecy surprised everyone present. Matters deserving such classification were those involving critical national developments.
“Xiao Yang, you know all of us here. Just tell us directly.”
Xiao Yang carefully took out the USB drive from his inner pocket.
“Lao Jiang, I’ll need your assistance for what comes next.” After saying this, Xiao Yang handed the USB drive to Lao Jiang.
Without a word, Lao Jiang accepted the USB drive and plugged it into the projector. He swiftly opened the files, and the first page displayed the header, boldly stating “5nm Semiconductor Lithography System Blueprints and Related Manufacturing Processes.”
“This… Is this… 511m semiconductor lithography system???” Lao Jiang, who was operating the equipment, was momentarily stunned when he saw the text on the computer screen, followed by an outburst of excitement.
“What? 511m semiconductor lithography system.” Lao Yang and Lao Li couldn’t help but exclaim in amazement..