CHAPTER 80: CHAPTER 58: DEFENDER, PROTECT THEM [REQUEST FOR MONTHLY TICKETS]

The Tianfeng Research Institute is located in the South Suburb of the Imperial City.

The call was made just two hours ago, and the investor Zhu Lie rushed over, pushing aside his original schedule.

"Chang Geng, is there a problem with the project?"

Navigator Technology, a subsidiary of Zhu Group solely held by Zhu Lie, is currently steadily conquering the intelligent home market, continuously building reputation and flagship products.

And Zhu Lie’s annual investment in Tianfeng Research Institute now amounts to 2 billion.

This amount of money is of course a drop in the bucket for scientific research, insignificant. However, this is merely a part of Zhu Lie’s personal investment. Besides, Tianfeng Research Institute also receives investments from the Zhu Group.

After all, in a big family, everyone wants to gain more say, so even the simplest investment becomes complicated.

And this huge sum of money has also yielded substantial returns.

But now, all the projects that had only shown preliminary results last quarter are to be stopped. Even a wealthy person like Zhu Lie can’t help but come to find out the truth.

Director Chang Geng was sitting in the office—he was actually usually absorbed in research and rarely formally waited in the office like this. Generally, it was only when Zhu Lie arrived that someone would notify him, and he would then rush out from the laboratory.

Now...

This unusually serious attitude gave Zhu Lie a faint premonition of something amiss.

"Where exactly is the problem?"

From the initial tens of millions to the current billions invested, each project conducted by Tianfeng Research Institute is critical, capable of changing the world.

Now these projects are stopping just like that...

...

However, when he finished asking, he realized that Chang Geng was still sitting upright in his chair, looking at him warmly.

Somehow, his anxiety and uncertainty dissipated instantly like bubbles in the sunlight.

...

Compared to his unstable mood, Chang Geng, who made such a major decision, seemed aloof from it. Seeing Zhu Lie regain composure, he tapped lightly on the table with his finger.

After a short while, an assistant silently brought two cups of hot tea.

Zhu Lie reached out to hold the hot tea, feeling that there was something different about the person in front of him.

After all, serving tea was something the research-obsessed Chang Geng had never thought of.

And the other party spoke now:

"Over these years, you’ve poured quite a bit of money into Tianfeng Research Institute, big and small projects alike. Have these yielded returns now?"

Zhu Lie chuckled: "In research, what talk is there of returns? It’s three parts fate, seven parts effort. Isn’t that what you say?"

If you talk about direct profits, there definitely aren’t any.

After all, although the research results are gratifying, the research process is also costly.

Research is a bottomless pit.

But if you say there are no profits...

The skyrocketing stock prices wouldn’t agree.

Moreover, there are their various research results and resource exchanges with other partners, as well as the various implicit benefits brought about by cooperation with the government...

Zhu Lie pressed his hands on the table, looking steadily at him: "You know the significance of these studies to the group, right?"

"I know." Chang Geng replied lightly.

"Currently, I have five projects at hand, with the main one being bulletproof materials—you plan to contact the military in the second half of the year."

With Chang Geng’s calm demeanor, Zhu Lie also calmed down. He even leisurely took a sip of tea.

"So what do you plan to do?"

The other party smiled, his originally elegant features appearing somewhat mad and dangerous at the moment.

"Defense has never been my nature; I have no interest in bulletproof materials."

"Moreover, while each project is progressing, compared to the mental and resource investment, the research results severely lack cost-effectiveness."

"If it’s about deepening cooperation with the military, what could be more suitable than developing weapons?"

Weapons!!!

Zhu Lie almost jumped up.

Since he dared to invest, he naturally isn’t a complete novice and now paced the office continuously.

Honestly, if weapons can truly be developed, this business would undoubtedly be profitable without losses.

After all, there lies the potential of a global market.

And their Zhu Group is already a very well-known big enterprise domestically, yet internationally, it truly lacks some recognition.

But the problem is, military research and civilian technology development are entirely different realms!

Even if Chang Geng is the genius he’s always known, the leap is indeed huge!

The greater the gap, the more tempting the opportunity.

Zhu Lie, changing his usual steadiness, now had his thoughts floating to the surface. After making an "internal decision," he leaned forward on the desk and asked: