Chapter 331: Surprise Inspection

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

When Zhou Chao arrived at the industrial park, there were only a few people around. After a brief look around, he headed straight to the research institute, preparing to have a discussion with Zhou Jilong about the situation and then meet with Lan Ling.

“Today is a good day, and everything 1 hoped for seems to be coming true!” Zhou Jilong walked briskly toward the office. He had a few drinks with Lan Ling last night, and their conversation lasted until almost midnight before they went to sleep.

As soon as he entered the office, Zhou Jilong saw someone sitting in his seat. He was about to call security when he heard a voice from behind, “Lao Zhou, you’re here! The boss has been waiting for you!”

“The boss?” Zhou Jilong was momentarily stunned. The person speaking was Lin Wu. He turned around and saw his boss, Zhou Chao, sitting in his office chair.

“Boss, why did you come so early?” Zhou Jilong, who had just regained his composure, hurriedly approached.

“Of course, I came early. Professor Lan Ling left, and who am 1 going to talk to if not you? So, how is it? Have you given him some hints?” Zhou Chao looked at Zhou Jilong with a smile.

“Hehe, nothing can be hidden from the boss. Yesterday, 1 gave Professor Lan Ling a simple tour of our industrial park, avoiding the confidential areas. But I did show him the machine tools we’ve independently developed. By the way, boss, the production speed of our machine tools has significantly increased. Chai Lao has already started designing the production line, so it won’t be long before we can mass-produce them!”

“Let’s put the machine tool matter aside for now. Tell me about Professor Lan Ling’s current situation. Is he willing to join our team? We can’t keep dragging this out!”

“I had a conversation with him last night. He is quite interested in what you told him earlier, and after seeing our independently developed machine tools, his interest has grown even more. We’re just one step away now!”

Zhou Chao understood. He held a trump card in his hand and believed that as long as he offered some incentives, it wouldn’t be a problem.

“Where is Professor Lan Ling now?”

“He’s at the hotel, not far from here. Should I go and pick him up?” Zhou Jilong spoke and was about to get up and leave.

“Why the rush? Patience is a virtue, especially in situations like this. Let’s wait until this afternoon. It’s too early now, and I also need to check on how Xu Yu is doing.”

Zhou Jilong hesitated for a moment, but quickly understood and refrained from saying more. Some matters were best left unsaid.

“Lin Wu, call Xu Yu and ask him to come over,”

“Sure, boss,” Lin Wu replied and left the room to make the call.

In the office, Zhou Jilong immediately opened his tea cabinet and started brewing tea. Soon, the scent of West Lake Longjing tea filled the room.

“Lao Zhou, how’s the progress with Xiong Lao’s research?” Zhou Chao asked as he gently swirled the tea in his cup.

“Boss, Xiong Lao has temporarily suspended the research on the 16-inch wafers. Currently, the main focus is on overcoming the issues with the wafer production line. We’ve made initial progress, and 1 believe it won’t be long before we can start mass production!”

Zhou Chao knew that under Canghai Technology, there were only two laboratories, run by Chai Lao and Xiong Lao. The remaining projects in the research institute were relatively small, and some of the researchers had been transferred to the two laboratories. As a result, there hadn’t been significant research breakthroughs in other areas.

“Lao Zhou, didn’t we have some graduate students sent over by Ling Chen’s side? Are there any promising talents among them?” Z

Zhou Jilong hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

“What does that nod mean?”

“Boss, these students have a solid foundation in knowledge, but they still lack practical experience. However, some of them are making rapid progress. So, at the moment, we don’t have any outstanding talents, but I believe we will in the near future.”

“You should have said so earlier!” Zhou Chao scolded Zhou Jilong half-jokingly.

Zhou Chao understood that unless someone was a true genius, it would take time for them to integrate into the research team.

He shook his head and stopped speaking, focusing on enjoying his tea.

The two of them sat in the office like this, sipping tea.

After about ten minutes, the office door was pushed open, and two people entered. They were Lin Wu and Xu Yu.

“Boss!”

“Yes,” Zhou Chao nodded and signaled for Lin Wu to pour him a cup of tea.

“Xu Yu!”

“Here!” Xu Yu, who had just sat down, immediately stood up.

“Take a seat, don’t stand!” Zhou Chao waved his hand, indicating for him to sit down.

“How did the tasks 1 assigned to you when 1 left Peng City go?”

“Boss, we’ve signed the contracts. Currently, I’ve already contacted the construction teams from Sany Construction to enter. However, there’s one issue – we currently have insufficient funds. 1 was just about to call Ling Chen to discuss it, but 1 didn’t expect you to arrive so soon!”

Zhou Chao pondered for a moment, his mind racing. After a while, he turned his gaze towards Xu Yu.

“I understand this matter now. How much is the current shortfall in the company?”

“Approximately 300 million.”

“I’ll have Ling Chen transfer five billion to you later. The construction progress must be fast, but safety and quality are essential. If 1 find anyone trying to profit from it personally, they won’t get away with it!”

Upon hearing this, Xu Yu immediately stood up and assured, “Boss, please rest assured. I will supervise it closely and ensure that nobody takes advantage of the situation.”

Seeing Xu Yu speak so candidly, Lin Wu and Zhou Jilong rolled their eyes simultaneously.

“All right, get to work. Your main task now is to develop those two pieces of land!”

“Yes, boss!” Xu Yu stood up, bowed slightly, and left the office.

Zhou Chao checked the time; it was already past 10 o’clock.

“Lao Zhou, let’s go visit Chai Lao’s laboratory!” Zhou Chao stood up from his chair and walked towards the door, with Lin Wu and Zhou Jilong following him.

When they arrived at Warehouse No. 5, they saw a hive of activity inside. In a corner, Zhou Chao spotted several finished machine tools.

“Lao Zhou, are these the qualified finished machine tools?”

“Yes, boss. Currently, we have produced five of them. They are still in the testing phase. Once the tests are completed, Xiong Lao’s research will make significant progress!”

Zhou Chao nodded. He understood that without ultra-precision machine tools, many devices couldn’t be manufactured or would have accuracy issues. So, for now, they had to wait. Once the machine tools passed the inspection, they could fully unleash their capabilities.

The three of them stood by the glass curtain wall, watching the busy scene inside.

After a while, Zhou Chao withdrew his gaze.

“Let’s go, Lao Zhou. I’ll return to the hotel first. In the afternoon, arrange a meeting with Professor Lan Ling at my hotel, and we’ll have dinner together. You should join us!”

Without further delay, Zhou Chao walked straight to the parking lot, leaving Zhou Jilong momentarily stunned as he watched his boss’s departing figure.

Back at the hotel, Zhou Chao pulled Lin Wu into playing a game, specifically the popular mobile game “Honor of Kings,” which had gameplay similar to League of Legends (LOL) with some differences.

“Lin Wu, can you even play? Every time, you’re the one giving away first blood, and during team fights, 1 can’t even see where you’ve gone. How about you play a tank hero, like Arthur, and go all out on tanky items!”

“Boss, a man can’t say he can’t do something! You can say I’m not good at playing, but you can’t say 1 can’t do it!” Lin Wu retorted with a serious expression. Zhou Chao couldn’t help but twitch his lips.

“We’ve lost five games in a row, and you’re here arguing with me. Start the game already. If we lose this one, I’ll deduct your salary!” Zhou Chao threatened, half-jokingly.

Lin Wu was stunned for a moment, then quickly started the game. “Boss, 1 haven’t played this game before. It’s already good that 1 can play it now. If you threaten to deduct my salary for playing games with you, 1 won’t play anymore!”

“Play, you must play. I’ll get bored without you. Alright, 1 won’t deduct your salary!” Zhou Chao chuckled. He had been joking, and he wouldn’t really deduct Lin Wu’s salary for playing games poorly.

Lin Wu followed Zhou Chao’s instructions and started playing the game. They managed to win the next few matches, although it was quite challenging.

“Boss, take a break. We’ve been playing for hours. By the way, you haven’t eaten yet, have you? Let me arrange lunch with the hotel!” Lin Wu suggested, then got up and walked out.

“No fun, you’re not going to play with me anymore? But now that you mention it, I am a bit hungry!” Zhou Chao glanced at the time; it was already 1:15 PM.

After about 20 minutes, Lin Wu returned, accompanied by a hotel room service attendant pushing a food cart.

Lin Wu and the attendant carefully placed the dishes on the dining table, and then the attendant left, pushing the cart away.

“Lin Wu, do you have a passport?” Zhou Chao sat at the dining table and asked Lin Wu, who was nearby.

“No, I’ve never traveled abroad. Why would I need that?” Lin Wu looked a bit puzzled. Was the boss planning to go abroad for some reason?

“Take some time to get one. You never know when we might need to travel!”

“Understood, boss. I’ll get one as soon as possible.”

“Good,” Zhou Chao nodded and began to eat.

To be fair, most Cantonese dishes tend to be on the sweeter side. For someone who enjoys spicy food like Zhou Chao, sometimes it feels a bit bland.

As a result, dishes like roast chicken and roast goose had become must-order items for him to add some flavor to the meal.

“To be honest, this roast goose is really good. Although the meat is a bit chewy, it doesn’t significantly affect the overall flavor,” Zhou Chao commented as he looked at the bone rack on the table and wiped his greasy mouth with a tissue.

After a satisfying meal, Zhou Chao brewed a pot of tea and reclined on the sofa, allowing his food to settle.

Lin Wu finished cleaning up the dining table and went out for a walk, claiming it was for exercise. Zhou Chao couldn’t help but suspect that he was trying to avoid being asked to play games again.

With no other options, Zhou Chao lay on the sofa, scrolling through videos on his phone.

He had no idea how much time had passed when Lin Wu returned and pushed open the door.

“Boss, Zhou Jilong and his team have arrived!”

“Where are they?” Zhou Chao quickly sat up.

“They’re on their way up!”