Invasion of America

Chapter 61 Destined
Jeff Connelly sat in his spacious office. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows was the silhouette of Miami's skyscrapers. The afterglow of the setting sun shone on the solid wood desk, casting a warm golden color.

He habitually opens the latest issue of The Economist on his computer. This media outlet, known for its in-depth analysis of global economic, political and business trends, always provides him with valuable insights.

As a paying subscriber, he particularly values ​​industry research aimed at professionals - the articles are of high quality, have a broad perspective, and the trend forecasts are often to the point.

However, today's headline made his fingers tremble slightly: "'Electric flight' attracts attention in Panama."

Recently, in addition to AI, the industry's leading trend is the low-altitude economy.

The reason is simple: 'electric flight' has sparked a new business topic in just two months, and has frequently appeared in major financial pages.

"Has the tide turned? I wasn't optimistic just a while ago." Jeff narrowed his eyes, staring at the headline, feeling a mixture of emotions. "How fast!"

The Economist has always been harsh in its comments on the economy of the University of Tokyo.

Especially in recent years, as the growth rate of "Todai" has slowed down, harsh criticism has almost become commonplace.

But this time, this usually picky media broke with its usual attitude and praised "electric flight" highly, even using flattering words such as "logistics revolution" to praise it.

Before he clicked on the article, Jeff had a premonition: "It's good news, but not good news for me."

The report sent a columnist to Panama to record the testing and operation of "electric flight" in the local area in an almost close observation manner.

The article starts by listing the data:
"Electric low-altitude aircraft have increased the transportation efficiency of time-sensitive goods such as fresh cold chain and emergency supplies by 300%.

Half a ton of load capacity is equivalent to 1500 standard express parcels (calculated at 0.3 kg per piece). Combined with the intelligent sorting system, a single machine can cover 5 community delivery points in a single day.

This will directly impact the existing express delivery network layout, and is expected to reduce terminal labor costs by 40%, while also solving the "last mile" delivery problem in mountainous areas and islands.

Just reading these two paragraphs gave Jeff a dull pain in his chest, as if being gripped by an invisible hand. He rubbed his temple and muttered, "The valuation won't go down any more; it'll only go up."

As the chairman of Pioneer Holdings, he is well aware of the importance of this cutting-edge first-hand research report - everyone in the financial circle must read it and will take the initiative to investigate.

The chairman also has KPI performance requirements, which are no joke - if good opportunities are missed, shareholders will not be satisfied, and the company's stock price will probably fall.

Jeff forced himself to continue reading, but the words on the screen were like sharp knives piercing his heart.

"The carrying capacity of the 'Warthog' far exceeds that of current agricultural drones, and a single operation can cover more than 2 mu of farmland (based on spraying liters of pesticide per mu).

Its time efficiency is 12 times higher than that of existing models.

After large-scale deployment, the cost of applying pesticides in major grain-producing areas will drop from 8 yuan per mu to 3 yuan per mu, and the pesticide utilization rate will increase to 60% (the industry average is only 45%)."

Jeff's hands scratched the paper on the table, and his heartache intensified - that ugly 'Warthog' can not only engage in freight, but also get involved in agriculture?
Scrolling further down, the report's vision is even more ambitious.

"In grassland scenarios, the Warthog can transport ten tons of hay or transfer 200 lambs in a single day.

The efficiency of material turnover in pastoral areas has increased by more than 8 times, and livestock mortality is expected to drop by 15%, completely solving the difficulties faced by traditional trucks in navigating grassland wetlands.

Jeff's eyes widened and he nearly slipped off his chair.

Oh my god, it can be used in animal husbandry?
Yes, the vertical take-off and landing feature is tailor-made for the grassland. Trucks have difficulty passing through wet and soft ground, but herders also have transportation needs.

Not to mention disaster scenarios:

"A fleet of 50 such drones can deliver 24 tons of supplies in 250 hours, equivalent to the carrying capacity of 100 trucks.

Disaster relief costs are only one-tenth of traditional airdrops and one-hundredth of vehicle transportation, and are not affected by road damage, offering significant advantages in timeliness."

Will the emergency relief department pay for it? The answer is obvious.

Disaster relief is a race against time. In the face of disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and mudslides, a few minutes can determine life or death.

The research report also dropped a bombshell about military applications:

"On a land battlefield, three Warthogs can meet a mechanized infantry company's daily fuel, ammunition, and transport the wounded.

An armored division consumes 2000 tons of supplies per day, and 4000 Warthog sorties can complete the supply. They are also flexible and maneuverable, avoiding the weaknesses of traditional transportation lines.

Jeff gasped. How could the military not be interested? He could even imagine the generals scrambling to sign the purchase order.

Finally, the article focuses on the industrial upgrading of "Dongda":
"The industrial chains of electric vehicles and electric aircraft are highly overlapping - batteries, motors, and electronic control technologies can be fully shared.

Based on an estimated annual production of 10 aircraft, electric flight will directly drive 500 billion yuan in aircraft manufacturing output value.
It will spawn a 2000 billion yuan service market (maintenance, training, data services, etc.) and create high-paying jobs."

Finally, the research report also gave an unacceptable conclusion - due to the problem of industrial chain supporting, it is difficult for other countries to break away from the "Eastern University" and develop low-altitude economy.

Once the low-altitude economy of the "Eastern University" develops, it will be a dimensionality reduction blow to the automobile and general aviation industries of other countries.

Jeff's eyes went dark when he read this—an annual production of 100,000 units? This was probably just the initial production capacity.

As an old father of two daughters, he wanted to fly to Zhou Qingfeng immediately, take out his checkbook, put a knife to his neck and force him to accept the investment.

"One billion dollars... no, two billion dollars!" He calculated in his mind, gritting his teeth and thinking, "I'm not greedy, 40% of the shares will do!"

The office was silent, with only his heavy sighs echoing.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the city lights of Miami gradually light up, and the lively nightlife is about to begin.

Jeff's heart was filled with anxiety. He leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and a terrifying picture emerged in his mind: he was afraid that he would miss this feast of wealth.
-
Jeff Connelly sat in his office chair, his finger hovering over his phone screen for several seconds.

He took a deep breath and decided to call the brat's number no matter what and have a good chat about the investment issue of "electric flight".

This is a very serious matter.

Pioneer Holdings has always been known for its accurate investments and lucrative returns.

Everyone in the industry knows that Jeff has a "good" relationship with Zhou Qingfeng, and believes that he will definitely be the first to catch the "electric flight" bandwagon.

If shareholders' expectations are not met, they will immediately vote with their feet, causing a sharp drop in the share price of Pioneer Holdings, which will in turn affect the company's reputation.

Just as Jeff was about to press the dial button, his phone vibrated first and a strange yet familiar number popped up on the screen.

The caller ID clearly read: His Excellency Parker, Acting Governor of Florida.

He was stunned for half a second, then immediately adjusted his sitting position, cleared his throat, and forced a cheerful tone when he answered the phone: "Good evening, Mr. Parker."

Even though his heart felt like it was on fire at the moment and he was so angry that he wanted to smash something, he still had to pretend to be the most decent in front of this new political upstart.

A vibrant voice came from the other end of the line, and Governor Parker was in a good mood. "Jeff, have you read the latest research report from The Economist about 'electric flight'?"

Jeff leaned back in his chair and responded enthusiastically, "I saw it. It's a very interesting research. I heard the interview team spent over a month traveling to several countries."

They even visited Dongda's supply chain. Their professionalism is truly admirable." "Right, especially the supply chain part!" Parker's tone suddenly rose, his voice as excited as a child. "Jeff, did you see the accompanying video?
The footage is so clear, with batteries, motors, electronic controls, and all the supporting industries all included. It's truly a model of industrial development."

Jeff raised his eyebrows and muttered to himself: What stimulants did the governor take to make him look so happy today?

However, he continued, "Yes, the video is indeed very intuitive. Even a layman like me can see the power of that system."

Parker didn't hear the perfunctory tone and couldn't wait to throw out the next question: "Jeff, how much do you think it would cost to build a similar supply chain in Florida?"

What? !

Jeff almost dropped his phone as he spoke. He stared out the window at the gradually brightening lights of Miami, a string of questions running through his mind: "What are you thinking about?"

"How much? It's hard to estimate, perhaps hundreds of billions of dollars. But," Jeff drawled, "Mr. Parker, I'm afraid this isn't something that can be solved by just throwing money at it."

"Hundreds of billions of dollars?" The governor found it incredible. "I don't think those factories are advanced. They're just small factories."

Jeff continued, "Dongda spent 30 to 40 years and endured countless hardships to develop this supply chain.

Money should be the easiest of all troubles to solve.

Land, infrastructure, skilled labor, supply chain management, and environmental approvals—those are the real headaches.

Do you know how difficult it is to deal with Florida's wetlands and environmental regulations? If you really want to build it, you might as well buy it in Mexico or Vietnam."

There was silence on the other end of the phone for two seconds. Parker seemed to be poured with a bucket of cold water and refused, "No, if it is built abroad, it will not be my political achievement.

As far as I know, Electric Flight is controlled by Holy Light, which is a US-owned enterprise registered in Florida.

So I still have jurisdiction over it, right? I should be able to force Holy Light to hand over Electric Flight, right?

Jeff was speechless and could only respond formulaically: "Governor, theoretically, this is indeed possible.

But the controller of Holy Light is not an American. The research, development, and production of Electric Flight are all done at Dongda.

If you really want this company, the best way is to invest money to control it. But I must remind you that the CEO of 'Holy Light' is not short of money and will definitely not give up the controlling stake easily."

The Governor was silent again. After a long while, he said coldly, "It seems that there is only one last solution.

Check that guy's taxes, or investigate his illegal operations and arrest him. Force him to sell 'electric flight'. We need a real American company."

Jeff felt a surge of anger when he heard this, and thought to himself, "If this method is going to work, do you really need to come up with it?
I'm about to invest some money, hoping to capitalize on the surge in wealth. Are you trying to be mean to me?
"You idiot, do you still want to be governor? Blocking someone's financial path is like killing their parents. Millions of investors won't allow you to do anything like that."
-
At the moment in the test farm, it is loose on the outside but tight on the inside.

At night in a tropical coastal city, the air was filled with oppressive heat. In the distance, one could hear the low conversations of Mexican guards, which gave off a hint of solemnity.

Xiao Jinlang, Chen Rui and others had all their communication tools confiscated and were taken into this so-called "private room" - a secret room that the Chris family used to detain illegal immigrants in the past.

The walls were mottled and emitted a faint musty smell. Apart from a rusty iron door, the room only had a few shabby beds and a bathroom so narrow that it was difficult to turn around.

The light was dim, and there were still wet water stains in the corners. There were some black blood stains on the sheets and walls, as if silently telling of the despair that once existed here.

Time is cut mechanically and coldly.

At a certain time every day, the guard would push open the iron gate, throw down a few simple meals - hard bread and a bowl of bland soup, and then slam the door shut.

Apart from eating and sleeping, there is nothing extra to do here.

Xiao Jinlang sat on the cold floor, leaning against the wall, his eyes gloomy. He had never expected Zhou Qingfeng to turn against him so decisively, without even a moment's hesitation.

What's even more terrifying is that the kid has a large number of Mexican guards in his hands.

These people were completely devoted to Zhou Qingfeng and almost regarded him as their savior, obeying his every word without a second thought.

In other words, if anything happened to Zhou Qingfeng, everyone in this "private room" would be buried with him.

"Chief Xiao, what on earth did you give that kid?" Chen Rui's voice broke the dead silence. His sturdy body of 1.9 meters tall squeezed into this cramped space seemed particularly uncomfortable.

After being disarmed, his toughness seemed to be drained away. He now hung his head with a hint of reluctance in his tone.

Old Xiao glanced at him, his eyes as cold as a knife, and asked, "Do you know why you were exiled to Miami?"

Chen Rui opened his mouth and let out a dry laugh, as if mocking himself: "Because I talk too much and my temperament is not calm enough, I am not suitable for a high-level, high-pressure position."

"So..." Xiao Jinlang stretched out his tone, his voice full of reprimand, "Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask."

These words seemed to light a fuse. Chen Rui suddenly raised his head, his eyes blazing with anger. He slapped his thigh and his voice suddenly rose:

"I've been exiled, and you're still putting me down? Didn't I come here across the ocean just to get away from you bureaucrats?

Are you still putting on airs in front of me?
Do you think you can still make things happen now? I don’t care what you gave that kid, but if he dies, we’re all doomed!

There were several other "insiders" who were under house arrest in the room. They were all young faces and were sent here under the name of engineers.

They thought it was an easy job, but they became prisoners overnight.

At this moment, their life and death were not in their own hands. They huddled by the bed, inevitably a little panicked, and had not yet recovered from the sudden change.

Zhou Qingfeng had no intention of using any tricks to test these people, let alone torture. This wasn't a test, but a gamble—he had staked everything on it, and the outcome was already decided.

Chen Rui became more and more excited as he spoke. He simply stood up, took a few steps in front of Xiao Jinlang, and shouted condescendingly:
"Do you know who identified us? It was that former CIA employee, Luxor! Do you think that guy only distrusted those two American bodyguards?
Wrong, he didn't trust anyone! But he was bold enough to control several parties.

Those Mexicans rely on him to make a living in this damn place, and those two American agents rely on him to make money.

Now it’s the same for us. We can only hope that he’s alive. Otherwise, he’d be sent here without knowing why, and he’d die without knowing why! "

He gasped for breath and glared at Xiao Jinlang, as if he had given up everything: "I don't care, I have to die knowingly!
What on earth did you give him? Is it poisonous? Does it work? If you have any questions, just tell me earlier. I don’t want to die unjustly!

Old Xiao's face turned ashen, and veins throbbed slightly on his forehead. He knew that bringing up rules and regulations at this moment would have no deterrent effect on Chen Rui, and any perfunctory or evasive actions would only add fuel to the fire.

After a moment of silence, he finally said the truth, "I'm only responsible for delivering messages and communicating this time. I don't know what's in the injection or what its effects are.

I believe that the stuff in the injection is real, because people in China really have a good impression of that guy, so there is no need to tamper with this matter, and I have never thought of killing him.

But no one expected that guy to use himself as the first experimental subject, because the experiments in China have only been conducted on animals. So the results are unpredictable.

The room suddenly fell into silence, with only Chen Rui's heavy breathing echoing.

The dim light cast crooked shadows, like an invisible chain, trapping everyone tightly.

Life and death are really unpredictable now!
(End of this chapter)