Jing Mingqiu casually picked up a chip, weighed it in his hand, and sighed softly before tossing it back, "The performance of this lithography machine has been pushed to its limit, but the quality of the chips is too poor."
"Even the best chips from the laboratory can only support engraving at an angstrom-level precision, which is still an order of magnitude short of the limit of my modified drone."
"What... what did you say?" Xuan Mingliang's heart raced, nearly skipping two beats. "Still an order of magnitude short. From nanometers to angstroms, that's already a leap of one order of magnitude. Still one more, do you mean he can reach picometers, or femtometers?"
Jing Mingqiu replied without looking up, "The materials are still too poor, barely reaching twenty to thirty picometers. To achieve femtometer-level chips, we need to use special alloys made under strong molecular forces to construct the lithography machine."
"Enough, it's more than enough!" Xuan Mingliang's face turned red with excitement, his breathing heavy. "One nanometer equals a thousand picometers. The highest precision of other countries' lithography machines is only one nanometer. A gap of nearly a thousand times is enough to crush them into dust."
"Let's see who dares to choke our throat!"
Seeing Xuan Mingliang's emotional state, Jing Mingqiu saw no point in correcting his flawed arithmetic. He raised his hands high, stretched his arms in a big yawn, and greeted Wei Deze and Fang Haosi, who had just entered.
"Dean Wei, Dean Fang, I've finished modifying the lithography machine. If there's nothing else, I'll be heading back."
Upon hearing Jing Mingqiu wanting to leave, Xuan Mingliang quickly called out to stop him, "Do you have something urgent that requires you to leave so abruptly?"
"It's nothing urgent," Jing Mingqiu explained while packing his belongings, "My dad took my mom on a trip, leaving the shop to me. I need to go back and mind the store."
Xuan Mingliang pressed on, "What does your family's shop do? Why the rush?"
"It's not exactly a rush, but my shop is the only appliance repair shop nearby. If I'm not around, they'll have to carry their appliances all the way to the city to get them fixed."
As he spoke, Jing Mingqiu had already taken off his lab coat and changed back into his own clothes.
"Big Ox, He Yongwen, and all the other brothers, the cooperation during this period has been very enjoyable. I'm heading back now. I'll come back to hang out when I have time."
With that, Jing Mingqiu pushed open the door and strode away.
Xuan Mingliang wanted to call Jing Mingqiu back. He opened his mouth several times but couldn't utter a sound.
Jing Mingqiu wasn't a researcher at the institute, nor even a specially appointed expert, but just someone helping out. He had doubted his capabilities earlier, and now he felt too embarrassed to ask him to stay.
After Jing Mingqiu's back disappeared from view, Fang Haosi approached with the inspection report. "Chief Engineer Xuan, according to the statistics, the lithography machine modified by Jing Mingqiu has completely surpassed all current mainstream lithography machines in terms of performance."
"To put it more accurately, even the lithography machines they've hidden in their labs, which spared no expense, are far inferior to Jing Mingqiu's modified one."
"From today onwards, our Dragon Country's chip industry has finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel and has truly stood up."
Wei Deze scoffed, "As if this is all your credit. If it weren't for that kid Jing Mingqiu, with your level, you wouldn't have reached this level even after another hundred years of research."
"Yes!" Fang Haosi didn't refute; instead, he nodded vigorously. "I used to not believe in so-called geniuses until I met Jing Mingqiu. Only then did I realize what true exceptional talent and innate knowledge are!"
"No matter the cost, I must bring Jing Mingqiu into the Chip Research Institute. Old Wei, you've seen his talent in lithography machine manufacturing. For the future of Dragon Country, don't compete with me!"
Sensing Fang Haosi's vigilance, Wei Deze was very displeased and let out a forceful snort. "Fang Haosi, we've been classmates for fifty to sixty years. Don't you know me?"
"I might have slacked off a bit, but I'm clear about the bigger picture. Chips are the brains of industry. Since Jing Mingqiu's talent in chips is extraordinary, I naturally won't compete with you for him."
"However, getting him to join your institute won't be that easy."
"Once this lithography machine is released, Jing Mingqiu's reputation will spread instantly across the globe. Be careful that other chip research institutes don't poach him then."
"That's absolutely impossible," Fang Haosi said confidently. "My laboratory is the most advanced chip research institute in Dragon Country. In terms of resources and talent, other laboratories have no capital to compete with me."
Xuan Mingliang's leisurely voice chimed in, "There are indeed none domestically, but what about abroad? Many of our scientists who went abroad for further studies and never returned, they are not few."
Wei Deze patted his chest. "Chief Engineer Xuan, you don't need to worry about this. Jing Mingqiu is not the kind of trash who fawns over foreigners and worships foreign things. He will definitely not go abroad."
"With his talent, if he doesn't go abroad, he might invite a fatal disaster!" Xuan Mingliang sighed deeply. "Many of our country's exceptionally brilliant scientists have died from assassinations abroad."
"If they can't have it, they'll destroy it; that's their usual tactic..."
Hearing this, Wei Deze became anxious. "Then what should we do! Should I call him back immediately?"
"No," Xuan Mingliang refused decisively. "Jing Mingqiu hasn't joined the research institute; he's just a high school graduate. We have no reason to restrict his freedom."
Concern made Fang Haosi panic as well. "Then what should we do?"
"Chief Engineer Xuan, can't we arrange for someone to protect him? I'm willing to send my personal bodyguard to him!"
"Nonsense!" Xuan Mingliang roared. "He is important, but are you not important? If something happens to you, who will oversee so many projects at the Shuimu Chip Research Institute."
"I've already retired, my bodyguard can..."
Wei Deze began to speak but was immediately interrupted by Xuan Mingliang. "No! Your safety is equally important. Moreover, if news of this lithography machine leaks out, your few bodyguards alone will absolutely not be able to protect Jing Mingqiu's safety."
"Now, Wei Deze, Fang Haosi, immediately gather all knowledgeable personnel, cut off the internet cables, activate signal jammers, and block all contact with the outside world."
"Okay!"
After Wei Deze and Fang Haosi left quickly, Wei Deze called for a security guard. "You, immediately pass on my order to seal off the entire research institute under the guise of an accident!"
"Yes!"
After the security guard left, Xuan Mingliang took out a satellite phone and dialed a string of asterisks.
"Secret order: Sunrise river flowers redder than fire, spring river water greener than blue."
On the other end of the phone, a serious voice of a middle-aged man replied, "Password correct, Chief Engineer Xuan, how may I be of service?"