Chapter 2: The Pillar of the Nation!
“Really?! Quick… let him in!”
An excited voice rang out through the intercom, followed by the click of a door lock opening.
The woman in black stockings glanced at Jiang Jin with a strange expression, then opened the door and led him inside.
Inside was the living room. Before Jiang Jin could take in the furnishings, an elderly man eagerly approached him.
“Hello, Mr. Jiang, I am Liu Zhi, director of the Dragon Science Institute. I’ve been waiting for you to arrive!”
Jiang Jin instinctively shook Director Liu’s hand, his mind nearly blank.
(Could it be? This man really is the director of the Dragon Science Institute?)
(A figure of such stature eagerly shaking my hand—this is something I wouldn’t even dare to dream of!)
“Cough!”
The woman in black stockings nudged Jiang Jin with her foot and cleared her throat to get his attention.
Snapping out of his daze, Jiang Jin gave an awkward smile and respectfully said to the elderly man, “Director Liu, are you here about the X Alloy?”
Hearing this, the woman’s curiosity grew: “What is X Alloy?”
Liu Zhi glanced at her and said calmly, “Xiao Wu, please step outside for now.”
The woman nodded and left the room.
Once she was gone, Liu Zhi began slowly, “Mr. Jiang, the mysterious metal you sent me is called X Alloy?” His eyes revealed a mixture of curiosity and anticipation.
It turned out that Dragon Nation had been researching sixth-generation satellite engines for years but had been stuck on the turbine blade materials, unable to make a breakthrough, much to the frustration of the academy’s scholars.
Then, three days ago, Liu Zhi received a package.
Inside was a piece of metal, about the size of a baby’s fist, along with a note.
The note clearly stated that this metal possessed extraordinary properties and could be used to manufacture the blades for sixth-generation satellite launchers.
Upon receiving the metal, Liu Zhi immediately gathered experts to test it.
The results were astonishing—the metal’s performance exceeded the world’s most advanced standards by more than double, perfectly meeting the requirements for sixth-generation satellite launcher blades!
Overjoyed, Liu Zhi decided he must meet this mysterious sender in person.
So, he arranged for Jiang Jin to come here.
Jiang Jin nodded with a smile. “Yes, it’s called X Alloy.”
(The system really pulled something off, sending the X Alloy directly into the hands of the director of the Dragon Science Institute.)
(But when exactly did the system send the package? The timeline doesn’t quite add up!)
(This system is truly impressive!)
Liu Zhi invited Jiang Jin to sit and personally brewed him a cup of tea.
“Mr. Jiang, could you tell me how X Alloy was discovered?”
Jiang Jin replied, “Director Liu, don’t misunderstand. X Alloy is not a natural product; I synthesized it myself. As for how it was made… it’s not convenient to say at the moment.”
(Once the Eastern City Special Materials Company is secured, the system will probably fill in the logical gaps, right?)
(Now, I really can’t say anything!)
Liu Zhi’s eyes widened in surprise as he exclaimed, “What?!”
He had assumed X Alloy was discovered by chance, never expecting it to have been artificially synthesized!
Truly, appearances can be deceiving.
Looking at Jiang Jin with great anticipation, Liu Zhi said, “Mr. Jiang, how much X Alloy do you have left? I’d like to buy some for experiments.”
Jiang Jin raised an eyebrow and asked, “May I ask what price you’re considering, Director Liu?”
After a moment’s thought, Liu Zhi said, “Since you know X Alloy can be used for the sixth-generation satellite launcher blades, you must have some sense of its value.”
Jiang Jin nodded absentmindedly, then suddenly froze.
As a top graduate in materials science, he fully understood the immense value of materials used to make satellite launcher blades.
For example, the cost of manufacturing a single first-stage blade for a fifth-generation satellite launcher could buy a luxury car. Calling it more valuable than gold wouldn’t be an exaggeration.
Of course, that price included design and manufacturing costs; the material alone was worth less than gold.
But X Alloy could be used for sixth-generation satellite launcher blades, so its value was at least equal to that of gold!
This was the path to wealth!
Liu Zhi continued, “However, the Dragon Science Institute’s budget is limited…”
Hearing this, Jiang Jin secretly cursed in his heart: Damn, is the Dragon Science Institute really that poor?
Liu Zhi hesitated, then added, “What if we price it at the going rate for gold?”
Jiang Jin nearly choked on his own saliva, staring wide-eyed at Liu Zhi, thinking: Could you please stop breathing so heavily when you speak? I’m about to throw out my back!
Seeing no response, Liu Zhi worried Jiang Jin was unhappy with the price and hurriedly added, “If you think the price is inappropriate, we can negotiate.”
Jiang Jin put on a mock expression. “Do you think, Director Liu, that I, Jiang Jin, am a petty person driven solely by profit?”
If anyone else had been present, they would have been stunned by his attitude.
This was Liu Zhi, a titan in the scientific community of Dragon Nation, whose disciples were spread across the country.
Even the most renowned figures spoke politely to him.
But Jiang Jin simply put on a stern face, as if ready to leave at any moment.
Liu Zhi’s expression instantly turned awkward. “Uh… I don’t quite understand your meaning, Mr. Jiang.”
Jiang Jin looked at Liu Zhi seriously and said, “Director Liu, I am a citizen of Dragon Nation and want to contribute to my country.”
“Since X Alloy can be used for the sixth-generation satellite launcher blades, as its developer, I will supply it to the Dragon Science Institute even at a loss.”
“Isn’t it insulting to assume I’m dissatisfied with the price?”
For him, producing X Alloy was virtually costless. By making a small concession, he could both contribute to the country and leave a good impression on Liu Zhi—a win-win.
Liu Zhi was immediately filled with respect!
To be willing to take a loss for the country—Jiang Jin’s self-sacrificing spirit was admirable to all!
Looking at himself, who only talked about money, he felt utterly ashamed.
Shameful—deeply shameful!
Liu Zhi quickly apologized: “I’m sorry, Mr. Jiang. That was my mistake. Please forgive me.”
“This is our first meeting; misunderstandings are understandable.”
Jiang Jin’s voice carried a hint of boldness and ease: “Let’s set the unit price of X Alloy at 300 Dragon Coins per gram. Consider the loss as a contribution to the country.”
“But I have one condition: you must pay 30% of the order as a deposit.”
Liu Zhi nodded in agreement: “A deposit is reasonable. By the way, do you have any more samples?”
He couldn’t trust Jiang Jin based on just a small piece.
Jiang Jin was well aware of this and pulled three pieces of silver metal from his backpack—3 kilograms of X Alloy samples awarded by the system after completing the initial mission.
Liu Zhi’s eyes lit up. This was clearly a refined product, not a natural mineral!
“I’ll take these three pieces. Additionally, I want to pre-order 100 kilograms of X Alloy. How soon can you deliver?”
After a moment’s thought, Jiang Jin replied, “About half a month.”
After spending one million, the production capacity of X Alloy could increase to 10 kilograms per day.
Once the deposit was received, Qin Ming could quickly complete the task!
Liu Zhi nodded in satisfaction. “Very well, let’s sign the contract.”
He soon drafted the contract, and after both parties signed, 9.9 million Dragon Coins were promptly transferred to Jiang Jin’s account.
Soon after, Liu Zhi called the woman in black stockings back into the room.
“Mr. Jiang, let me introduce you. This is Wu Qingya. She was assigned to protect me.”
“I’m usually busy, so I’m sending her to Eastern City to handle the follow-up transactions.”
“If you have any security needs, you can let Qingya know. She’ll protect you.”
Wu Qingya glanced at Liu Zhi in surprise. Why would Jiang Jin need her protection?
Liu Zhi seemed to notice her doubt and quickly explained, “Mr. Jiang developed X Alloy, which can make sixth-generation satellite launcher blades. He’s a pillar of the nation!”
Wu Qingya had worked alongside Liu Zhi for nearly a year and had never heard him call any young person a “pillar of the nation” before.
But once she thought about what Jiang Jin had done—solving the researchers’ urgent problem and greatly increasing the chances of success for the sixth-generation satellite launcher—she understood.
If someone like him didn’t deserve to be called a pillar of the nation, very few would.
“Mr. Jiang, hello, I’m Wu Qingya. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Wu Qingya extended her hand, her gaze toward Jiang Jin filled with newfound respect and warmth.
Jiang Jin smiled and shook her hand. “Miss Wu, the pleasure is mine.”