Who would still be a social slave when they are so rich?

Everyone stared in disbelief at the data transmitted back to the big screen and the images that had been enhanced by technology.

Even the old master Xiao, who had experienced countless grand occasions, was so shocked by the scene on the big screen that he couldn't close his mouth. He had expected Su Chen to give him a surprise, but he never expected it to be such an earth-shattering surprise!

"This...this feels like a dream?"

Someone muttered something under their breath, and although the voice was very soft, it was exceptionally clear in the extremely quiet space, instantly snapping everyone out of their daze!
"How is this possible? The speed is consistently at Mach 16.5! And the altitude has reached 80000 meters!" The bespectacled aviation expert's voice trembled, almost unable to believe his eyes. "No existing materials or technology could support such speed and altitude!"

"This has exceeded the limits of what we know about aircraft!" His voice was filled with excitement and disbelief that his understanding had been completely overturned.

"The energy signal is frighteningly stable, with no signs of decay! Its power system... this is not any kind of engine we understand at all!" The power system expert was so excited that his face turned red, and his hands gripped the edge of the control panel tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force.

"Report! After circling over the northeast, the target suddenly changed direction and is now cruising south!" The operator's voice, filled with disbelief and shock, echoed through the hall once again.

"What?" Old Master Xiao suddenly stood up from his seat, his tiger eyes wide open, staring intently at the silver-gray figure on the screen. It was sweeping across the airspace of several regions at an extremely fast speed, and seemed to be traversing the entire map.

"Does this kid really want to tear the sky apart?" Old Master Xiao muttered to himself, his voice hoarse without him even realizing it, and a hint of burning passion and anticipation hidden in his heart.

But he quickly thought of something and immediately shouted, "Check the northeast region immediately to see if any abnormal information has been detected. I need the results within one minute!"

"Yes!" The control panel immediately erupted with the sounds of rapid keyboard typing and communication calls.

The atmosphere in the entire control center instantly became extremely tense. Everyone understood the deeper meaning behind Old Master Xiao's order—it was to verify the stealth capabilities of this futuristic spacecraft and whether it could evade the all-encompassing surveillance network.

Time ticked by, and on the big screen, the silver-gray spacecraft continued its astonishing southward speed, now almost reaching the airspace over the central region.

On the other split screen, real-time feedback data from various monitoring stations in the Northeast and related regions scrolled rapidly.

"Report! The Northeast Regional Air Situation Center reports that no abnormal air situations have occurred!"

"Report! The long-range early warning radar array has not detected any persistently stable targets!"

"Report! The space-based infrared detection system has not captured any high-energy signals matching the characteristics!"

"Report."

A series of "not found" statements struck the hearts of everyone present like a heavy hammer.

Those sophisticated systems that could normally detect a bird flying hundreds of kilometers away suddenly became "blind" in the face of a behemoth speeding at Mach 16.5!

The only valid source of data was the BeiDou data link that Su Chen had proactively shared, which they had accessed through the highest level of privileges!
"hiss"

Inside the main control center, a collective gasp filled the air. Those present were all seasoned professionals in the aerospace field, including some leading figures in the field, and they naturally understood what "undiscovered" meant.

The burning desire hidden in Old Master Xiao's eyes had now filled them and was beginning to spread across his face, but he still ordered in a deep voice, "Expand the scope. Inquire about all the relevant areas that it has passed through!"

The results came back quickly: in the areas that the spacecraft had passed through, just like in the Northeast, no information was found.

The aviation expert adjusted his glasses and said in a slightly hoarse voice, "This aircraft not only surpasses our imagination in terms of speed and altitude, but its stealth technology is also far beyond our reach!"

"This is absolute stealth across the entire spectrum! All our existing detection methods are practically useless against it!"

Another expert in charge of electronic warfare turned pale and muttered to himself, "If we hadn't known in advance and had data link support, we might not have known even if it flew right over our heads. This...this has completely overturned the cornerstone of modern air defense systems!"

Grandpa Xiao slowly sat back down in his chair, the heat on his face gradually replaced by an extremely complex emotion, which included amazement, solemnity, and an indescribable excitement.

He had a premonition that Su Chen would make a big fuss, but he didn't expect that the fuss would be big enough to redefine the rules of modern air warfare and even the strategic balance.

As Grandpa Xiao glanced at the silver-gray figure still cruising steadily on the screen, countless thoughts raced through his mind. The significance of this spacecraft far exceeded that of an advanced weapon.

It is a nightmare that keeps all potential rivals up at night! At the same time, it is also an incredibly tempting cake, a treasure that can give them a qualitative leap in strength.

"Good lad, he's really opened people's eyes this time! But... this brat actually dared to scheme against this old man!" The old man muttered to himself, a half-smile on his face.

Having experienced so much hardship, and seeing the capabilities of that spacecraft, he knew that this time he wouldn't just have to clean up Su Chen's mess, but might even have to "work hard" for him!
"Let me see what you're really up to, you brat!" After muttering a few words, Old Master Xiao's eyes instantly sharpened.

"Pass on my orders!" Old Master Xiao's voice rang out again, carrying an unquestionable decisiveness: "The highest level of confidentiality agreement is to take effect immediately. The main control center is to enter a state of full martial law. Everyone must hand over their communication equipment and is not allowed to have any contact with the outside world. At the same time, all information monitored by the Beidou system is upgraded to top secret!"

Originally, Mr. Xiao wanted to notify the relevant security departments to activate the highest level of emergency plan to ensure the safety of the Zhengdao Park, but after thinking about it, he gave up. After all, such a high-profile move might expose the Zhengdao Park.

As for the security of the Zhengdao Park, having learned from previous lessons, the park's security has been greatly improved. Now, it's harder than climbing to heaven for outsiders to sneak in. He believes the park has the necessary security measures in place, and he has confidence in Su Chen's abilities in that regard.

"Huang Feng!" Old Master Xiao called out slightly, and Huang Feng, who was standing not far behind him, immediately stepped forward. "Go and arrange a private plane immediately. It will fly directly to Zheng Island later!" "Yes!" Huang Feng did not dare to delay at all and immediately went to the side to take out his phone and make a call.

At this moment, several aviation experts in the main control center exchanged glances and walked to Mr. Xiao's side, asking, "Mr. Xiao, we just heard that you are planning to go to the site. We wonder if you could take a few of us with you? We would like to learn more about this aircraft!"

"Nonsense!" Old Master Xiao glared and refused without even thinking. "Do you think this is a museum visit? Have you forgotten the orders I just gave? What does 'highest level' mean?"

Disappointment and anxiety immediately appeared on the faces of the experts. The bespectacled aviation expert, still unwilling to give up, quickly explained, "Professor Xiao, listen to us! The technology of this aircraft... it completely exceeds our existing theoretical framework! Its propulsion, materials science, and stealth technology—any one of them is enough to trigger a technological revolution!"

"If we could see the actual object with our own eyes, or even just obtain some basic data, it could potentially lead to a breakthrough in our research!"

Another aerodynamics expert excitedly added, "Yes, Professor Xiao! Even just a glimpse from afar, to get a feel for its aerodynamic layout and manufacturing process, would definitely give us tremendous inspiration!"

"This is crucial to our development in the aerospace field for the next few decades!"

Looking at these usually calm and composed top experts, who were now pleading like children, Old Master Xiao knew all too well the value of this aircraft.
But he knew Su Chen better. He hadn't forgotten how he'd been trying to recruit experts everywhere. If he were to bring these big names in the aerospace field along, it would be like throwing good money after bad—a one-way trip!
There was another reason. He didn't want Su Chen to misunderstand that he had come to ask him for technical data related to the aircraft.

If Su Chen produces something good and he immediately asks for it, their relationship will inevitably develop a rift sooner or later. Moreover, according to his guess, Su Chen is playing a game of chess, and this mysterious flying machine is the pawn that crosses the river!

"I understand your thoughts!" Old Master Xiao's tone softened considerably, but remained firm. "But it's not the right time yet. We'll discuss everything after I return from the Zhengdao Industrial Park!"

Seeing that the experts wanted to say more, the old man raised his hand to stop them and added earnestly, "Don't worry, if conditions permit, I will try my best to secure opportunities for you to study and conduct research."

"But you must stay here now and cooperate in completing all the data analysis and confidentiality work. This is your mission!"

Hearing Mr. Xiao's words, the experts, though still unwilling, understood that this was the best possible outcome.

They looked at each other and finally nodded. "Mr. Xiao, we understand. We will stay here and ensure that all the data is accurate. Please do your best to help us!"

Grandpa Xiao nodded, said no more, and turned to walk towards the exit. Just as he took a step, he heard a staff member call out, "Chief Engineer Wang of Shenfei has activated Level 1 clearance and is requesting to contact the highest level of clearance!"

Upon hearing this, Old Master Xiao paused. As one of the highest-ranking officials, this matter naturally fell to him. He immediately turned around, walked to the control panel, nodded to the staff member who had spoken earlier, and picked up the phone in front of the control panel.

"I am Xiao XX!" Although Old Master Xiao's voice was not loud, it carried an imposing and dignified air.

Immediately, Chief Engineer Wang's excited voice came from the other end of the phone, "Old Xiao, we've made a breakthrough! We've finally broken through the engine's limitations!"

"Based on the engine we brought back earlier, we developed a more efficient experimental machine with a top speed of Mach 8! That's three times faster than the engine we developed ourselves!"

Upon hearing Chief Engineer Wang's excited voice, a hint of relief flashed in Old Master Xiao's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a complex emotion.

Under normal circumstances, the breakthrough to Mach 8 would be a tremendous achievement that would be celebrated nationwide, enough to propel the entire aviation industry to a new level.

But at this moment, listening to the barely suppressed excitement on the other end of the phone, and comparing it with the silver-gray aircraft cruising steadily at Mach 16.5 on the screen just now, Old Master Xiao couldn't help but feel a subtle bitterness and emotion.

It's like your own child finally gets a 90 on a test, and you're overjoyed, only to suddenly discover that the neighbor's child has easily gotten a perfect score and even won a gold medal in the International Mathematical Olympiad.

"Chief Engineer Wang, thank you for your hard work! This is a huge breakthrough, and you have made a great contribution!" Old Master Xiao composed himself and first affirmed the other party's achievements. His tone was steady and powerful. "The relevant data and reports should be compiled and submitted at the highest level of confidentiality. The subsequent testing and verification work must be carried out flawlessly."

"Of course, it would be best if we could make further breakthroughs on this basis!"

Chief Engineer Wang, on the other end of the phone, was clearly still immersed in immense joy and didn't notice the subtle change in Old Master Xiao's tone. He quickly replied, "Yes! Please rest assured, Old Master Xiao! We will complete all the verifications as soon as possible and strive for finalization! Now, we finally have a foothold in the ultra-high-speed field!"

Grandpa Xiao didn't let him continue, gently but firmly interrupting him: "Alright, let's discuss the specific details after you submit your detailed report. I have urgent matters to attend to!"

"Understood! Mr. Xiao, you're busy!" Although Chief Engineer Wang was still eager to continue, he knew the proper etiquette and immediately ended the call.

"Mr. Xiao, is it Old Wang who called?" The bespectacled aviation expert stepped forward and asked cautiously.

The other experts also cast curious glances. They had just heard Old Master Xiao mention the confidentiality agreement, which meant that Shenyang Aircraft Corporation must have made a technological breakthrough, and not just a minor one, otherwise they wouldn't have used the highest level of confidentiality agreement.

Grandpa Xiao sighed softly, not hiding anything from these experts, since they would eventually be involved as well. "Sigh~ Chief Engineer Wang just called to report that they have developed an experimental engine that can run at Mach 8."

The experts fell silent after hearing this, their expressions becoming somewhat complicated.

If it weren't for the appearance of that mysterious aircraft with a speed of Mach 16.5, the Mach 8 engine technology would also have been unparalleled. But it was only after witnessing the superhuman performance of that silver-gray aircraft that...
This stark contrast weighed heavily on the hearts of every expert present. They wondered if Old Wang would be devastated if he knew about the existence of that silver-gray aircraft.
"Alright! We'll talk about everything when I get back!" Old Master Xiao glanced at the big screen, watching the silver-gray aircraft that had already circled the map and was returning. Without lingering in the main control center, he turned and walked towards the exit.

Watching Grandpa Xiao's departing figure, the experts exchanged glances, abandoning their other concerns, and turned their attention to the large screen. Seeing the aircraft still maintaining a cruising speed of Mach 16.5, a flicker of excitement crossed their faces. (End of Chapter)