Reborn in 2010, the AI ​​in my mind is too powerful.

Musk paused, walked from the blackboard to the sofa, sat down, and thought for a moment before saying, "It's not just about money. I feel like we have many similar ideas. I don't just want money. I want deeper cooperation with Aurora Group. Tesla and SpaceX have many areas where they can collaborate with Aurora, including various mechanical parts, which Aurora can now produce."

"Deep cooperation is possible, but I'd like to discuss SpaceX first. You know about the Iridium project, right?"

The Iridium project was an ambitious blueprint conceived by Motorola engineers in 1987.

At its peak, Motorola leveraged the efficiency of its engineers, announcing in 1990 that it would begin deploying satellites into low Earth orbit in 1997. After successfully deploying 66 satellites, it officially went into operation in November 1998.

If the plan is advanced and ambitious, the results will come quickly. But in less than nine months, the project went bankrupt.

The reason is simple: the technology at the time made the project too expensive. The satellite system, which cost over five billion dollars, charged five dollars a minute for a phone call. The mobile phones were also specially made, costing over three thousand dollars each.

This case is one of the most famous technological fantasies in business history, which Musk certainly knew, but what shocked him even more was that Chen Yiran would mention it.

He said in surprise, "I actually had this idea, and after the reusable rocket was developed, I started working on my own similar project. I named it Starlink, but it hasn't really started yet."

"Indeed, we have many similar ideas. To be honest, I had considered starting an AI company before, but your company is developing too fast, making me feel that there's no point in continuing."

Chen Yiran said with a touch of mischievousness, "There's a Chinese saying, 'Great minds think alike.' You wouldn't happen to be interested in brain-computer interfaces, would you? That's my future goal."

Musk was shocked: "I've had ideas about this too! Because with the development of AI, it will definitely be able to better identify and filter brain noise. These are things I'm doing now that SpaceX is more stable. You're too ruthless, are you really going to do all of this?"

Musk is suffering. He feels like he's starting to live in Chen Yiran's shadow. Chen Yiran has clearly outpaced him in all these companies, and he can't muster any desire to catch up.

Chen Yiran comforted him, "You're not building rockets, and you can do that well. I can't handle that. Getting back to the point, the Starlink project you mentioned is very feasible. As long as your rockets can be recovered, launch costs will drop significantly."

Furthermore, satellite costs are much lower now than they were back then. As long as cost control is done well, these are not even long-term goals; they could be achieved within ten years.

My vision is that in the future we will build a sophisticated satellite internet. Not a luxury like Iridium, used by a select few, but an infrastructure providing basic internet access to billions of people worldwide.

It has a particular advantage in areas where terrestrial base stations cannot cover, such as oceans, deserts, and remote mountainous regions, all of which rely on satellites. Whoever deploys a large-scale, low-cost satellite network first will gain control of the global communications gateway.

Musk nodded: "I share your view, so we have a basis for cooperation. SpaceX is currently the only company in the world capable of reducing launch costs; no other company is doing the same thing."

Reusable rockets are a prerequisite for satellite internet, so your investment in us is only natural. Could you tell me your final vision? Your Aurora project must have a complete blueprint, right?

"Of course there are. Satellites are at the communication level; they're just information networks. Aurora will produce robots in the future, whether for industrial use, more versatile applications, or even consumer applications. In their final form, they should all be able to connect directly to satellite networks."

Brain-computer interfaces represent the gateway to the future. Imagine the scenario if we could master them.

People can directly control the actions of robots with their thoughts. This is not only a technological innovation, but also a comprehensive social revolution.

Many tasks can be transformed from manual labor into tasks performed by brain-computer interface robots.

Musk's inner child was ignited, and Chen Yiran's idea was clearly more realistic than his current advocacy of going to Mars.

Everything seemed to be progressing in the right direction, as if only one final step was needed to achieve the goal.

"Chen, I have to admit, you really are a genius! I think this chain is entirely possible, and it really could be realized within ten years."

Seeing that the time was ripe, Chen Yiran quickly began to persuade: "So, are you willing to be a link in the chain? Aurora Group currently has very sufficient funds and its annual cash flow is quite stable."

With SpaceX merging directly with Aurora, they'll never have to worry about financing again. I can tell you straight up, I currently have over 10 billion in cash.

Even if all that money runs out, I still have access to large amounts of cash financing; Apple, that cash monster, can support me.

Although I don't quite understand why Apple's board trusts Steve Jobs so much right now, it does have a lot of benefits for me at this stage. They won't refuse to provide funding if I ask.

How about it? Think about it?

Musk's enthusiasm immediately cooled down. After a few seconds of silence, he said with a hint of regret, "To be honest, I am not opposed to merging with Aurora. If this had happened a few years earlier, I probably would have agreed without even thinking about it."

But right now, I absolutely cannot accept it. I can let Aurora invest and become the second-largest shareholder, but I will never sell the company. For me, SpaceX is more than just a business; it has a deeper meaning.

In 2008, the company only had enough money left to pay the last salaries, my Tesla was losing money, and my wife and I had just divorced.

Everyone said I was crazy, everyone advised me to give up. But I didn't give up in the end. I invested all my last money, and the Falcon 4 launched successfully for the fourth time, which finally secured the contract from NASA.

After what happened back then, it's impossible for me to sell SpaceX. At least not until it's truly developed.

Chen Yiran felt that what Musk said was quite realistic, as he didn't mention his theory of turning humans into multi-planetary beings or going to Mars in his lifetime.

Instead, it revealed the real reason: Musk's SpaceX was actually his last chance to prove himself.

Prior to this, Musk was considered very successful by the public, but in the business world, he could hardly be considered top-tier.

Although he made money at PayPal, he was actually sidelined while on vacation and removed from his position as CEO because he disliked PayPal's self-proclaimed mafia-like inner circle culture.

Although Tesla was greatly influenced by him, strictly speaking, it was not a company he founded.

Only SpaceX was founded, built, and developed entirely according to his own ideas.

After a moment's thought, Chen Yiran said, "Alright then, let's just do a simple investment. But I need more shares; simply put, I'm very optimistic about SpaceX's future. Don't worry, I have no plans for management here. We can sign a joint agreement to maintain consistency in all board votes."

Then the cooperation between the two parties can be further negotiated. Tesla and SpaceX should both have many orders that Aurora can handle. Similarly, if Aurora needs to launch satellites or other devices in the future, SpaceX should provide support.

Musk extended his hand and said, "Then welcome to the new shareholder."

Chen Yiran reached out and shook hands with Musk, and then heard Musk ask hesitantly.

"Although it's a bit early to ask, I'd still like to know if you plan to enter the defense industry in the future? If needed, I have a few people I can introduce you to."