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

Petroleum, a naturally occurring, flammable, viscous liquid mineral primarily composed of hydrocarbons, is the world's most important energy and chemical raw material.

Kissinger once said, "Whoever controls oil controls the world." He said this back in the 1970s, when oil hadn't even demonstrated its full power.

Today, oil has become far more than just a source of energy in human society; it is not only the world's largest energy source but also the foundation of the modern materials industry.

The downstream products of crude oil after refining are incredibly diverse.

Plastics, synthetic fibers, synthetic rubber, fertilizers, asphalt, paraffin wax, lubricating oil, and solvents—these cornerstone materials of modern society—all originate from petroleum.

Modern society would collapse immediately without oil. Even though humanity desperately tries to distance itself from it and has started developing electric vehicles, these efforts are ultimately ineffective. Oil's importance to human society is irreplaceable; it is the lifeblood of industry, black gold.

Therefore, the oil industry is far more than just oil extraction; the related service industries also constitute a very large market.

Baker Hughes is a diversified oilfield services giant and one of the world's three largest oilfield services companies. In 2013, it had revenue of over $20 billion, 60,000 employees, and operations in more than 80 countries.

In 2009, they acquired BJ Services for $5.5 billion, expanding their pipeline inspection business.

In this niche project, TD Williamson, Lawson Group, and NDT Global each have their own advantages, and they basically monopolize the market for this project.

Pipeline inspection gauge, abbreviated as PIG, is actually a term that is applied rather than used.

In the early days of pipeline cleaning in the oil industry, straw bundles with wire or leather were stuffed into the pipes, producing a high-pitched squealing sound similar to a pig's squeal when dragged. So, every time workers did cleaning, they would just make a pig-like squeal. As the business became more specialized, businessmen simply retained the abbreviation.

There are many kinds of pigs. There are ordinary practical pigs, which are usually solid round balls cast from water foam and used for cleaning pipes, sealing, dewaxing, and descaling.

There are also special breeds of pigs, usually known as "sealant pigs," used to seal pipes for maintenance.

After the start of the new century, all four companies launched "smart pigs," which are small balls that drift along with oil pipelines, collecting pipeline data such as temperature, pressure, corrosion, metal loss, diameter, and bend curvature. They then use magnetic flux leakage and ultrasonic technology to determine the damage points.

However, compared to Chen Yiran's Watcher D1, their current products really feel like pigs, completely meaningless except for being strangled.

Aurora Group has already released the supporting components on its official website. The D1 can be replaced with a special pipe-type quadruped, which is specifically responsible for inspecting the inside of pipes. It can also be customized into an ultra-small mechanical dog for operation.

Martin Craighead was extremely annoyed. They were the third largest in the industry, and had always been walking on thin ice with extreme caution. Now, instead of being defeated by the top two, an unexpected enemy from outside the region had appeared. Where could they possibly complain?

Houston, Texas, is the largest city in Texas, home to the NBA's Houston Rockets, and a core base for U.S. manned spaceflight, earning it the nickname "Space City."

This is also a major medical city, with Texas Medical Center being one of the world's largest and most renowned medical research and clinical institutions.

Of course, this place also has another name: a global energy industry hub and the world's energy capital.

Houston’s West Side, also known as the Energy Corridor, is home to more than 40 publicly traded oil-related companies across the United States.

In the heart of the energy corridor, a rather old-fashioned five-story building is the headquarters of Baker Hughes.

An emergency executive meeting was held in the conference room on the fifth floor. Martin Craighead was slamming his fist on the table and saying, "Aurora Group has gone too far! Can't they just give us a heads-up before each product release, like a normal company? This is a surprise attack, and it's at the end of the year. What are we supposed to do now?"

The business manager standing nearby said with a helpless expression, "Long-term framework agreements are fine, but specific project work orders and daily service orders will definitely require us to update our technology. Should we go and purchase from Aurora Group now?"

The technical director immediately objected: "Isn't this too passive? We've just spent so much money to gain a foothold in the smart pig market. We can't just give up now. We have to see how it performs first. Let's buy a few units and test them to see how much better they are than ours."

Then, the meeting room began its usual process of discussion, arguing, and even attacking each other. Different departments had different ideas; some thought a direct kneeling approach would be better, some believed they could lobby the client, and others were just offering bad advice for fun.

Martin Craighead's head throbbed with pain as he listened, and he slammed his hand on the table: "Alright, let's talk to TD Williamson, Lawson Group, and NDT Global first, and then we'll issue a joint statement."

Pipeline inspection is a crucial safety issue in the oil industry. We are pleased to have fresh blood focusing on oil safety and have great confidence in Mr. Chen Yiran's technical capabilities. However, this is an area that Aurora Group has never ventured into before.

Furthermore, the oilfield safety services sector allows no room for error, so we have reservations about Aurora Group's Watcher D1. We hope to conduct some routine testing first before releasing it to the industry.

The PR manager nodded and said, "Okay, I'll write a press release based on these guidelines. Hopefully, that will buy us some time."

After everyone left, Martin Craighead's secretary came over to massage his shoulders and back, and then he was pulled away to relieve his pent-up frustration.

After a while, the secretary asked while rinsing her mouth, "You've always admired Chen Yiran, so why are you so angry today? Will this affect us? I listened to you and bought a lot of Apple stock."

Martin Craighead lit a cigarette and said, "Calm down, just keep buying. It's understandable to be angry. For the company, Aurora's press conference today could directly cause our company's market value to drop by 20% or 30%. Fortunately, it's Saturday, so we can have a couple more days to recover."

Sigh, there are some things you don't know, and I can't tell you. Go out now, and go buy me a necklace later. I was supposed to stay home with my wife today, but she's probably unhappy that I'm at the company meeting."

"Hmph, I know, why are you being so secretive with me? It's annoying."

After the secretary left, Martin Craighead cursed under his breath, "You little bitch, do you think I don't know you were sent by Halliburton?"

Martin Craighead pulled out his phone, found a number, and dialed: "Oh, my dear niece, you have to help me. I saw on Chen Yiran's Twitter that their company's employee number 002 is getting married and will be holding it on Lanai Island."

"Could you get me a ticket? I want to go have some fun and maybe even try to get to know Chen Yiran a bit?"

A young girl's voice came from the other end: "Uncle, don't worry, Catherine sent me an invitation. I'll take you there without any problem!"