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

When Su Chen and his group came out of the research base and returned to the office building in the park, the canteen had already prepared a sumptuous dinner.

"Young Su, I didn't expect you to have arranged all eight major cuisines. It seems that your park is truly full of hidden talents. But isn't this a bit too lavish?"

When Grandpa Xiao walked into the office, the first thing that caught his eye was the delicious food on the table, and he couldn't help but laugh out loud, his wrinkles at the corners of his eyes smoothing out.

As Su Chen gestured for the old man to sit down, he explained with a smile, "Grandpa, what are you saying? We were in a rush, so we just had the cafeteria prepare a few simple dishes."

"As you know, the experts and technicians in our park come from all over the country, and they have a lot of work to do. So I can only make things easier for them in terms of food. I found professional teams from the eight major cuisines for each of them so that they can have a taste of their hometown food anytime!"

Upon hearing this, Old Master Xiao nodded thoughtfully, understanding that the fact that such a sumptuous dinner could be prepared in just twenty minutes was enough to demonstrate the chefs' exceptional skills.

At the same time, they silently gave Su Chen a thumbs up for his vision. After a long day of hard work, who wouldn't want to eat something delicious to soothe their tired hearts?

Everyone took their seats, and the atmosphere was much more relaxed than in the workshop. After tasting several dishes, Grandpa Xiao praised them repeatedly, saying that the taste was not much worse than what he had eaten before.

During the meal, the conversation gradually shifted from food to Baidi City.

Grandpa Xiao wiped his mouth with a napkin and casually got to the point: "Young Su, the success of 'White Emperor' is of extraordinary significance!"

"It is not only a breakthrough in equipment, but also represents a brand new starting point for us in the aerospace field. Such a national treasure will certainly be included in the country's core strategic plan in terms of technology and subsequent development, and will form a corresponding combat system in the shortest possible time."

Grandpa Xiao paused deliberately, his gaze falling calmly on Su Chen. Seeing Su Chen's indifferent expression, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "This guy is getting more and more cunning; he's almost become an old fox."

Despite his thoughts, he continued, "What are your plans for 'White Emperor'? Do you intend to integrate all the technical data, design blueprints, and core team into the existing and mature aerospace and military industry system, or will you research and manufacture it yourself?"

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere at the dinner table momentarily froze. Li Qiwen and Wen Zhanpeng both paused involuntarily, turning their gazes to Su Chen. They naturally understood the old man's meaning: he simply wanted to recruit them.

Even Xiao Chen, who was standing to the side, had a hint of doubt on his face. He had talked about this matter with his grandfather before and explained Su Chen's thoughts. Why would his grandfather bring up this topic when he already knew the answer?

Su Chen's face still held a calm smile, as if the question raised by Old Master Xiao was just a trivial matter. He slowly picked up his teacup, took a sip, and savored it before meeting the old man's gaze.

“Grandpa.” Su Chen’s voice was calm and clear, “I know that your starting point was to help us get rid of the situation of being backward and vulnerable in the aviation field, and to enable weapons like ‘White Emperor’ to form a large-scale combat capability as quickly as possible. I and the entire park deeply admire and fully agree with this original intention!”

These words showed great respect for Mr. Xiao, while also affirming his stance.

"However," Su Chen changed the subject, his gaze becoming profound, "have you considered in depth what the existing aerospace and military industry system will face once all of 'White Emperor's' technology, blueprints, and core team are fully integrated into it?"

"Is it really ready?" Su Chen slowed his speech, but his tone became heavier.

This question was like a pebble on a calm lake, stirring up ripples. Old Master Xiao frowned slightly, but did not refute it. Instead, he looked like he was thinking seriously, and after a moment he said in a deep voice, "Tell me what you think."

Su Chen didn't rush to answer. Instead, he picked up his teacup and took several sips to moisten his throat before beginning to explain: "First of all, there are the growing pains of 'technology assimilation'."

"Whether it's the principle of the oblique detonation engine used by 'White Emperor,' the special alloy construction of integrated 3D printing, the flight control logic at ultra-high speeds, or even the brand-new design philosophy behind it, all of them are generation-delayed from the experience accumulated by the existing system, and this generation-delay is more than one generation!"

"It's like asking a sixth-grade elementary school student to solve university-level calculus. Even with a teacher to instruct them, it would be like reading a foreign language, and it would only slow down their learning progress!"

Su Chen observed the old man's expression and, seeing him deep in thought, continued, "Secondly, there's the impact of 'innovation'!"

"You, sir, have seen the test flights and tests of the 'White Emperor' and know how big the gap is between it and the domestic aviation industry. If these data were presented to those experts and researchers, it might not be a stimulant for them; on the contrary, it could be a poison that crushes their fighting spirit."

"Imagine the hard work of countless aviation professionals who have dedicated years, even decades, to creating something that pales in comparison to Bai Di. How can they accept this fact? Who would still have the mind to immerse themselves in the ocean of exploration?"

"Finally, and most importantly!" Su Chen's expression became extremely serious, and his tone became much more forceful, "It's about the risk of 'dependence'!"

“The existing system is undoubtedly powerful on its familiar technological path, but ‘Bai Di’ represents a completely new path. Its power is very likely to cause the existing system to develop technological dependence and innovation inertia.”

“If we fully incorporate ‘Baidi’, I worry that the existing system will unconsciously abandon the exploration of other possible paths, and will over-concentrate its future focus and resources on the ‘Baidi’ path, trying to patch things up on it, thus losing the courage and motivation to achieve original innovation and breakthroughs in more directions!”

"In the end, it may develop into a situation where we rely on the technological foundation of 'White Emperor' and live off our past achievements, which is exactly the opposite of our original intention."

Su Chen's words struck Old Master Xiao's heart like a heavy hammer. He had previously been more concerned with how to quickly transform the success of 'White Emperor' into combat power to get out of the current predicament.

However, they failed to deeply consider the effects of this "shadow of giants," which could stifle the budding of other possibilities within the system.

A healthy and vibrant technology ecosystem should be one where all kinds of technologies flourish, rather than one where nothing grows under a single towering tree.

The old man's originally sharp eyes became even more profound, and his fingers unconsciously tapped lightly on the table, making a rhythmic sound.

The food on the table still emitted an enticing aroma, but at this moment, everyone's attention was no longer on the dishes.

Li Qiwen and Wen Zhanpeng exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of relief in each other's eyes. They knew that Baidi was just the beginning, and if they left, they might never be able to see it again.

At this moment, the most nervous person was Xiao Chen. He could be said to be the most knowledgeable person at the table. Su Chen had explained so many principles to the old man, but it was all for the sake of his own agenda. He opened his mouth, wanting to remind his old man, but in the end, he didn't say it.

He knew in his heart that the matter was already settled, and even if he made it clear to the old man, it wouldn't change anything. On the contrary, it would leave a faint scar between him and Su Chen.

"You're right!" After a long silence, Old Master Xiao spoke slowly, his voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible admiration. "This was something I hadn't considered carefully. The worst thing in technological development is to stick to one path to the end, especially in this rapidly changing era." "Then let's go with your plan. The White Emperor will still be produced by your military industrial enterprise. We'll purchase directly from you. When can you achieve mass production, and what will the cost be?" When he mentioned the price, a hint of tension flashed in Old Master Xiao's eyes.

For him, the cheaper the better, so that he could purchase more and form a complete strategic system. However, Old Master Xiao also knew in his heart that such a product that transcends the times would definitely not be cheap, and he was prepared to be ripped off by Su Chen.

"Mass production?" Su Chen's voice trailed off, tinged with regret. "Grandpa, I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you. Mass production probably won't be possible in the short term!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Chen glanced at Su Chen with a meaningful look, inwardly exclaiming, "He's here! He's here! He's coming with his tricks!"

As expected, Old Master Xiao immediately frowned and asked in confusion, "How could it be impossible to achieve mass production?"

"Don't think I don't know that your industrial park has the most complete industrial manufacturing system in China and even the world, and all kinds of ultra-high-end industrial machine tools. As long as the resources are sufficient, you can build the corresponding production line at any time!"

As he spoke, Old Master Xiao looked at Su Chen with a serious expression, as if trying to discern Su Chen's true intentions from his face.

Seeing this, Su Chen couldn't help but smile wryly, "Grandpa, would I lie to you about something so important?"

Old Master Xiao frowned slightly. He knew that Su Chen would not lie to him: "Then explain to me properly what exactly happened!"

"Sigh~" Su Chen sighed with a melancholy look on his face and said, "Grandpa, you know that any aircraft needs to be tested countless times to obtain relevant data to confirm the problems that the aircraft may face."

"The Zhengdao Industrial Park is located on the coast of the Bohai Sea, and the eye-catching Darian Shipyard is right across the water. This place is already particularly eye-catching, so it's impossible not to attract attention. You see, I specifically arranged this test flight to be at night to reduce some trouble."

"To avoid such trouble, and also considering the long-term development of military enterprises, the military industrial system in the Zhengdao Park must be relocated to another safe location. This would require the construction of a new headquarters, which takes time."

Su Chen spread his hands, revealing a helpless yet slightly sly smile: "As for the timeline, it's really hard to say. Site selection, planning, infrastructure construction, equipment relocation, personnel resettlement—aren't all of these time-consuming and labor-intensive projects?"

"It will probably take at least a year and a half for the new base to even take shape. Before the new base is fully completed and operating stably, the 'White Emperor' production line cannot be effectively deployed, and large-scale mass production will be out of the question."

He paused, his gaze lingering on Old Master Xiao for a moment, before his tone became sincere and solemn: "Old Master, it's not that I, Su Chen, am unwilling to speed up the process, nor that I'm reluctant to invest. It's just that this matter concerns the long-term development and absolute security of the future military industry."

"We can't rush it, and we can't be careless!"

"We must find a place that is sufficiently secluded, secure, and capable of supporting our future development, and steadily build this 'base'!"

Grandpa Xiao fell silent. He finally figured out what Su Chen was up to. It all boiled down to his ambition for the future headquarters of his military industrial enterprise. He never expected that Su Chen would be tricked into doing the same thing. And what's more, it was an open conspiracy.

Upon closer reflection, Su Chen's words did indeed make sense. Once the White Emperor were to emerge, it would attract the attention of the entire world. If the military industrial system were to continue to be located in the Zhengdao Park, the problems they would face would be enough to give them a headache.

If Su Chen knew what the old man was thinking, he would definitely cry foul, saying that he only had this little idea on a whim after hearing Xiao Chen talk about the plans in the Western Frontier.

Grandpa Xiao picked up his teacup, took a sip, and subtly gave Xiao Chen a look while glancing at the others. Xiao Chen immediately understood and greeted them, "Engineer Li, Engineer Wen, it's getting late. You've all worked hard today, so go back and rest early."

Upon hearing this, Li Qiwen and Wen Zhanpeng immediately understood that what was about to be said was not something they could listen to. They immediately got up, greeted Old Master Xiao and Su Chen, and left the office under Xiao Peng's guidance.

"Alright~ Now that there are no outsiders here, tell me, where do you plan to move your military industrial enterprises?" Old Master Xiao looked at Su Chen with a half-smile, knowing that this guy must have already thought of a backup plan, otherwise he wouldn't have gone through so many roundabout ways and finally waited for him here.

Having said all that, Su Chen naturally didn't keep anyone in suspense and directly stated, "Grandpa, I plan to move the entire military industrial system to Western Xinjiang. I've already sent a professional inspection team and found a good place—the Altay region."

Upon hearing the words "Western Frontier," Old Master Xiao subconsciously raised an eyebrow, glanced at Xiao Chen beside him, and seeing the evasive look in his eyes, he immediately understood what was going on. He couldn't help but sigh at how sharp Su Chen's "sense of smell" was.

Especially considering that they found a suitable location to build a military industrial enterprise in such a short period of time, their courage is something that not everyone possesses.

"You've said and done so much, kid, tell me what you want this old man to do?" Old Master Xiao wasn't going to play games with Su Chen anymore, so he simply laid his cards on the table.

Baidi will definitely be mass-produced; that's beyond doubt. And to achieve mass production, the future headquarters of the military industry enterprise will need to be addressed.

Moreover, Old Master Xiao had also figured out that Su Chen was holding back a big move, otherwise he wouldn't have tried so hard to get this old man involved.

Seeing the old man's directness, Su Chen's smile faded, replaced by a rare solemnity. He leaned forward slightly, his voice low but clear:

"I hope to get your full support to build a relatively hidden 'base' in the Altay region within three months!"

The room fell silent instantly. Xiao Chen and Huang Feng looked at Su Chen as if he were crazy. Building a massive military industrial base that met Su Chen's needs in three months—not to mention whether it could be completed, the cost alone was enough to make people look up to him.

Seeing Su Chen's determined gaze, Old Master Xiao fell silent for once, and after a long while, he asked, "Does it have to be within three months?"

"The sooner the better!" Su Chen nodded emphatically.

Grandpa Xiao tapped his fingers lightly on the table, his sharp gaze falling on Su Chen's face. "Give me a reason why it has to be this fast!"

“Three months isn’t just about building a base; it’s about creating a miracle. You need to show me that this miracle is necessary!”

Su Chen met the old man's gaze without flinching, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable authority: "Because..."

"'The White Emperor' is just the beginning!" (End of Chapter)