America's No. 1 financial conglomerate

Chapter 555 Seeking a Marriage

Redwood City was where Ernst came from after leaving Cupertino.

Bell Labs is located here, and Helios Labs will also relocate here in the future to be managed and integrated with Bell Labs.

This land will become the core research base for the Garfield family in the future, and it is the trump card he has built for the Garfield family.

As long as Bell Labs remains standing, it will always be a sanctuary for scientific research, and no matter what setbacks the Garfield family may experience in the future, they will have the resources to make a comeback.

Therefore, he cannot afford to be negligent in the slightest.

Outside the car window, the street scene of Redwood City gradually transitioned from a residential area to a bustling construction zone.

However, unlike the above-ground work in typical construction, most of the work here is underground.

As the massive excavators swung their iron arms, soil and rocks were continuously hauled out, and the roar of heavy trucks rose and fell, creating a powerful and dynamic scene of construction.

The sheer depth of these pits makes it seem like they're laying the foundations for a skyscraper.

Ernst got out of the car, and Carl Weller, who was waiting there, quickly came to greet him with construction drawings in hand.

The two exchanged brief greetings, and Ernst asked, "Could you please provide details?" Weller nodded slightly, and with the help of his assistant, he unfurled the blueprints in the air. "According to our final construction plan, a four-story main building will be constructed in the front area of ​​the entire research base, serving functions such as administrative offices, academic exchanges, and exhibitions of research results."

His finger moved along the blueprint, pointing to the area behind the main building. "As for the various research and development departments of Bell Labs and the core research area of ​​Apollo Labs, they will be arranged in a fan shape around the main building."

"Each laboratory unit adopts a composite structure design with two floors above ground and four floors below ground. The above-ground part is mainly used for routine experiments, sample testing, and offices for researchers."

Before he could continue, Ernst suddenly interrupted him, "14.5 meters high, two stories?"

It was clearly marked that the building was 14.5 meters high above ground. If Carl Weller hadn't told him, he would have thought it was a four-story building.

"That's right," Carl Weller explained. "The ceiling height will exceed 6 meters, mainly to accommodate the installation requirements of some large experimental equipment. Although not every laboratory department needs such large equipment, I think it's better to do it right the first time to avoid trouble later."

Ernst was thinking, no wonder people say that scientific research is all about throwing money at it, throwing money at it from the inside out.

The construction cost of this one laboratory alone could build a twenty-story residential building.

He gestured for the other person to continue.

"The fourth underground floor is the core area of ​​the entire research base, mainly housing precision instrument rooms, data centers, hazardous materials storage areas, and emergency shelters. The fourth underground floor is 30 meters deep and will adopt the highest earthquake-resistant building standards, equipped with independent ventilation systems, power supply systems, and emergency water supply facilities."

This is why the foundation was dug so deep on site, because the underground usable space is higher than the ground level.

Not only must we defend against natural disasters like earthquakes and torrential rains, but more importantly, we must prevent war. This statement seems a bit far-fetched for the United States today.

With the Russian bear gone, the United States has happily embraced the status of the world's leading power. It has already laid low, yet it still needs to prepare for war.

In the United States, however, you have no choice but to build such a system in any research field that is related to the country's core competitiveness.

It wasn't a national regulation, but rather the scientists' resistance.

The reason is simple: in the event of a conflict, research facilities will become key targets. Only by establishing a sufficiently secure protection system can the continuity of research and the security of core technologies be ensured.

However, Ernst's evaluation was just two words.

fear death.

"What about the construction period? When will it be completed?" Ernst looked up from the blueprints and asked Weller.

Although Bell Labs currently has temporary office space in Redwood City, the cramped space and numerous inconveniences have seriously hampered the progress of scientific research.

The most prominent problem is data storage and retrieval.

Bell Labs has accumulated millions of documents, including academic papers, experimental data, and patents, over the past century.

When they moved, seven planes were used just for transport. Now, due to limited space at the temporary site, most of the data can only be packed and stored in a rented warehouse. Researchers have to spend several hours traveling back and forth to access a single document.

Furthermore, the placement and use of large-scale experimental equipment are also severely restricted.

Many precision instruments cannot be unpacked and installed due to insufficient space, and can only be temporarily stored in the warehouse.

This also means that some equipment requires multiple research teams to take turns using it, greatly reducing the efficiency of research and development.

Ernst did consider renting a larger temporary space, but there were simply no suitable options in Redwood City; there were hardly any office buildings to be seen.

This is why the warehouse storing data and equipment is so far away, because it is located in a neighboring city.

When Ernst first discovered this problem, he thought it would be better to move to San Francisco, where there was enough office space available.

However, when Carl Weller went back and asked around, most people refused.

Bell Labs will be located in Redwood City in the future. Many of their families have already bought houses here. They would rather endure the hardship of going to San Francisco again.

Weller had already planned it out, saying, "The construction of the laboratory will be given priority. Currently, the construction of the underground main structure is 60% complete for some and 30% for others. It is expected that a batch will be completed and delivered before May next year."

"At that time, we can move in a batch of people first, and the space pressure of temporary office space will be basically relieved."

"As for the construction of the remaining areas, Leon Chandler assured me that it would all be completed by the end of the year." Ernst nodded in satisfaction after hearing the report.

Leon Chandler, the builder, took off by taking orders from Ernst, starting with his first project with Google.

This guy is very dedicated to his company's projects, and Ernst is willing to let him make that money.

Just as I was about to ask if he was in Redwood City, my phone suddenly rang in my pocket.

Taking out his phone, Ernst saw Larry Ellison's name on the caller ID and couldn't help but smile knowingly. He muttered, "Slow to react. What time is it? Did he just wake up?"

Weller couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle, finding it hard to understand why these two wealthy men behaved so childishly.

Two days ago, Larry Ellison bought up a local tabloid in Cupertino. He had heard about Ernst's disgusting behavior, and it was all on the local news.

Both are from Silicon Valley and not far from each other; Larry Ellison is also a well-known local entrepreneur in Redwood City.

Add to that Ernst, a super tycoon, and it's no surprise he's in the news.

He just didn't expect Ernst's revenge to be so swift; when he saw the contents of the newspaper this morning, he immediately vomited milk.

Seeking a spouse.

Ernst actually wrote a handwritten letter in the newspaper under the name Larry Ellison, seeking a husband for "himself." He still remembers the contents of the letter to this day; it left a deep impression on him, and he can't forget it even if he tries.

"My name is Larry Ellison. I've been divorced for over ten years. I'm successful in my career and have substantial assets. However, the nights are long and I feel empty and lonely. I desperately need a gentle and virtuous woman to accompany me."

As for his requirements for choosing a partner, those are even more bizarre.

She must be older than him so that Larry Ellison feels like a mother.

He even said he likes women with big butts, who are good at bearing children, and ideally, who can give him five, seven, or eight kids after marriage.

Weller had one feeling at the time: this didn't look like a marriage proposal at all; it looked more like a boar looking for a sow to breed with.

The most outrageous thing is that Ernst had someone create a computer-generated photo of Larry Ellison lying on his side.

The physique in that poster clearly belongs to a bodybuilding champion, paired with Larry Ellison's alluring face, exuding a flamboyant charm.

Larry Ellison must be furious after seeing this news.

Just as he expected, when Ernst pressed the answer button, a roar came through the receiver instantly, which he could hear clearly.

"You bastard, Ernst, you bastard, you actually published my phone number."

Carl Weller was taken aback. So, the marriage proposal didn't matter to him? Could it be that the requirements above had hit the nail on the head?

Carl Weller felt a chill run down his spine just thinking about it.

Ernst held his phone away, didn't reply to a word, and just listened to the other person venting and cursing.

He unleashed a torrent of profanities, including "fxxk," "bitch," and "ass," for a full two minutes. Anyone who didn't know better would have thought he was some kind of thug swearing in the street.

After he had finished his tirade, Ernst put the phone back to his ear and said, "Who the hell are you calling a bastard?"

"That bastard is cursing you," came the reply over the phone.

"Oh," Ernst said calmly, "so it was that bastard who insulted me."

silence.

Ten seconds later, Ernst put the phone away again, and Larry Ellison's even louder roar came through.

This time it's not just about hurling insults; it's also about dueling Ernst.

Ernst acted as if he hadn't heard him at all, hung up the phone, and then complained to Weller, "What kind of person is this? I see he has no one to take care of him, so I'm thinking of finding him a wife. This is just a friend's concern."

"Not only are you ungrateful, but you also insult me." "..."

Carl Weller said, "I don't want to get involved in your affairs."

Seeing the phone Ernst put in his pocket, he couldn't imagine how Larry Ellison on the other end of the line would vent his frustration.

"By the way, are you going to the California Internet Summit tomorrow?" Carl Weller changed the subject.

"You were invited too?" Ernst looked at Karl Weller in surprise.

But I quickly came to terms with it; isn't this normal?

Although Bell Labs was not known for its expertise in the internet, its contributions to the internet industry cannot be denied.

Given the lab's prominent position in the United States and its recent relocation to California, it's only natural to invite him.

"I'm definitely going. That's one of my core supporters, so I'll definitely give them face."