Chapter 531: Satellite (Patreon)

Transformers Begin : Table of Content/Chapter List

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Sun Cheng was unaware that on the evening he returned to South Capital, a group of individuals with seemingly high status had gathered in a workshop under Shen Cheng Precision Instrument Manufacturing Company.

Leading them was an elderly general dressed in military attire, who appeared to be in his sixties.

"Wu Dong, how are the test results for these two Photolithography Machines?"

The elderly general was General Chen Jichang from the Equipment Department, one of the key figures responsible for Xia Country's defense equipment development. The arrival of two advanced Photolithography Machines that could significantly impact defense equipment innovation had compelled him to rush from South Capital to Shen Cheng as soon as he heard the news.

It was no surprise that the elderly general was so eager. With the rapid advancement of military technology, electronic products with various application chips had become more than just consumer goods. In the field of national defense and military, there was an increasing demand for cutting-edge military equipment, and this demand extended to chips.

For example, various air defense and fire control radars used by the land, sea, and air forces required high-quality chips. In the past, Xia Country had a noticeable gap with European and American powerhouses in radar production due to the inadequate precision of Photolithography Machines.

Precision Instrument Manufacturing Company's own Photolithography Machines were not advanced enough, and Amis, the company's owner, had implemented strict security measures for every machine sold to Xia Country. They had installed numerous sensors within the Photolithography Machines, capable of remotely locking them if any attempts were made to disassemble or use them for military purposes, rendering them useless.

Amis not only refused to provide after-sales service for such machines but would also freeze any Photolithography Machine sales agreements with Xia Country. Therefore, Xia Country had a significant demand for advanced Photolithography Machines, even elevating their importance to a national strategic level.

Moreover, behind these two Photolithography Machines lay a secret channel that could potentially change the control of Xia Country's cutting-edge equipment. This was a matter the elderly general could not ignore.

The person being questioned by the elderly general was a man in his fifties, wearing a brown suit with a faint smell of alcohol.

He was Dong Qizhen, the chairman of Precision Instrument Manufacturing Company. He had been attending an event in Sichuan Province for the establishment of a new production base under his company when he received a notification to hurry to Shen Cheng.

Upon arriving in Shen Cheng, he was informed by the National Asset Management Bureau that there were two pieces of equipment, secretly procured by the state, soon to be delivered to Precision Instrument Manufacturing Company. They needed him to send someone to receive and test them.

Though his schedule was disrupted by the sudden arrangement, Dong Qizhen had been at the helm of Precision Instrument Manufacturing Company for many years. As the leader of this well-established state-owned enterprise, he had encountered such situations before. Therefore, despite the alcohol still in his system, he handled the situation without any fuss.

"General, the laboratory has conducted a comprehensive test, and the results match exactly with the initial assessment from this afternoon. These two Photolithography Machines, procured through an undisclosed channel by the National Asset Management Bureau, are indeed advanced 14nm-level equipment..."

Dong Qizhen arrived in Shen Cheng by plane three days ago and had been at the laboratory ever since, witnessing most of the testing process himself. While Precision Instrument Manufacturing Company was not directly involved in the production of defense military equipment, many instruments and equipment used by Xia Country's defense enterprises and laboratories needed to be procured through them.

Dong Qizhen was aware that defense units would also require such advanced equipment. Therefore, he asked, "General, should we follow the same procedure as before, keeping one for research and letting another one be received by other units?"

After receiving a confident answer from Dong Qizhen, the elderly general's mood improved, and a smile appeared on his face.

He nodded, "Let these two Photolithography Machines stay with your company for now. There should be several more to come in the future, and we've been waiting for them for many years. Waiting a few more months won't hurt."

However, the elderly general had an unspoken meaning.

The National Security Bureau had been investigating Sun Cheng and his connections to PCF, but they hadn't found any substantial evidence yet. For national security reasons, the Equipment Department couldn't easily allow these untested devices into the production of defense equipment.

After receiving the answers he wanted to hear and witnessing them personally, the elderly general soon returned to South Capital.

"...Yes, Mr. President... The equipment has passed the performance test at Precision Instrument Manufacturing Company. They are indeed two advanced 14nm-level Photolithography Machines... However, due to time constraints, the security tests have not begun yet. I will arrange for them as soon as possible..."

"...We are not sure about the results of the National Security Bureau's investigation, so we still have some concerns..."

"Oh? Are you suggesting we can trust them a bit more..."

"I understand. I will prepare a detailed procurement list for this year's special equipment purchase from the Equipment Department and submit it to you..."

"Yes, we cherish this opportunity!"

Sun Cheng was clearly unaware of how busy this night had become because of him. In fact, he was equally busy himself.

He had only spent a short time tinkering with the Sleep Capsule, resolving some minor issues he had recently discovered. After finishing these tasks, he still had some time left.

Sun Cheng reached into his pocket and took out Xiao Wu. "Xiao Wu, activate satellite number one. I need to assess the situation of the disaster on Nubra Island as soon as possible..."

The black market was a treasure trove where one could find things beyond the imagination of ordinary people. This included satellites!

While most satellites orbiting the Earth belonged to various countries, there were also many privately launched satellites by commercial corporations, with a significant number dedicated to meteorology, hydrology reconnaissance, and communication.

Satellites in outer space had very short lifespans and were extremely costly. Therefore, many European and American commercial corporations would sell them on the black market when their lifespans were nearing completion. They didn't care who they sold the satellites to, whether it be black-market warlords or drug lords. By publicly announcing that a satellite was scrapped due to a malfunction, they could earn hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars, making good use of what would otherwise be wasted resources.

Since realizing the convenience of satellites in the Transformers Universe, Sun Cheng had been pondering how to acquire several satellites for his own use upon returning to reality.

Through a fortunate turn of events, one of his miniature Decepticons, while conducting reconnaissance on major darknet networks worldwide, stumbled upon a Satellite black market. This discovery led Sun Cheng to a deeply hidden and specialized trading market.

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Next Chapter >>Chapter 532: New Ideas