Chapter 344: The Problem of Patents!

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

Zhou Chao carefully rolled up the scroll and placed it back into the box, along with the certificate of authenticity.

At this moment, Aunt Wang also approached with a tray of tea.

“Old Master Ma, have some tea!”

“Well, I won’t be polite then!” He took the tea and sipped it. After all, he had rushed over to Zhou Chao’s place early in the morning without having eaten anything.

As the hot tea warmed his body, Ma Weidu felt rejuvenated.

“I really appreciate your help this time!”

“Oh, it’s nothing. I’m just glad I could assist you. If you had to find a painting yourself, it would have been a piece of cake!”

“Haha, you’re too kind. It’s thanks to experts like you in this field that we can get things done!”

Many hands make light work. The two of them exchanged compliments. Zhou Chao understood Ma Weidu’s intentions and didn’t mind at all. Though favors were often hard to repay, for him, it was a small matter!

After chatting for about half an hour, Ma Weidu took his leave. Before departing, Zhou Chao went to the wine cellar and retrieved two bottles of wine, one of Domaine Romanee Conti and the other of Moutai, and presented them to Ma Weidu.

Once Ma Weidu left, Zhou Chao returned to the sofa and started playing with his phone. He noticed that Shoufu had also left at some point.

He hadn’t been seated for long when his phone rang again.

“Hello, what’s up, wifey?”

“It’s chaotic, really chaotic! You have no idea how many people are here at the scene. I can’t even get in. Should I ask Lin Wu about the current situation?” Jiang Li’s voice came through the phone, accompanied by a lot of noise and commotion.

“I understand. Wifey, why don’t you come back?”

“Alright, I’ll come back right away.” Jiang Li could only reluctantly agree.

As she looked at the crowded aisle leading to C108, Jiang Li’s head started to ache.

“Sigh!” She let out a long sigh and turned to head outside.

She originally planned to come here to help Zhou Chao and learn more about the relevant knowledge. However, she didn’t expect that she would have to turn back before even arriving.

After ending the call, Zhou Chao immediately dialed Lin Wu’s number. It took a while before Lin Wu answered.

“Boss, there are too many people here. I didn’t hear the phone ring earlier.”

“It’s okay. What’s the situation at the scene?”

“Boss, there are too many people, especially employees from major companies. There are also some enthusiasts and a portion of the general public. The entire platform is completely packed, and many people are looking for you. I’m afraid your phone will be ringing non-stop soon!”

“It’s an impossible situation. As long as you guys don’t leak my phone number, who would call me? At most, it might be a bit busier for Xu Yu’s side!” As he spoke, Zhou Chao couldn’t help but think of that scene and chuckled.

Upon hearing this, Lin Wu also laughed.

“Alright, if there’s anything, call me anytime. Also, ensure the safety at the scene, and keep an eye on the machine tools. They need to be monitored 24/7.” “Don’t worry, Boss!”

After ending the call, Zhou Chao rubbed his slightly furrowed brows and thought for a moment. He decided to call Xu Yu.

“Sorry, the number you dialed is currently in use. Please try again later!”

Hearing the recorded message on the phone, Zhou Chao was momentarily stunned. He didn’t expect that when he mentioned Xu Yu would be busy, it would actually come true.

“It’s a good thing I was prepared in advance. Otherwise, I would be the one in trouble now!” Zhou Chao said with a relaxed expression.

Unexpectedly, right after he finished speaking, his phone rang, and the caller was Xu Yu.

“Boss, it’s extremely urgent! Help!” As soon as the call connected, Zhou Chao heard Xu Yu’s anxious voice.

Zhou Chao smiled and calmly replied, “What’s wrong, my dear manager Xu? What could be so urgent?”

“Boss, do you know what’s happening in Jingdu? You probably don’t know that I’ve been receiving calls since early morning – domestic and international calls, various machinery companies, capital investors, and even some domestic electronic developers have been calling me. I’ve answered no less than 20 calls this morning alone. Some well-known global companies are even planning to collaborate with our Canghai Technology. Boss, what should 1 do?”

“Oh, I see. Reject any investment inquiries without exception. Also, be cautious with the domestic requests to purchase machine tools. Do not commit right away. For international inquiries, reject them outright. And make sure Da Wu takes care of security. By the way, has Wang Feng returned?”

“He just came back yesterday.”

“Alright, if there’s anything you can’t handle, give me a call.” Zhou Chao was ready to hang up the phone.

“Boss, I’m really struggling right now. These are all high-ranking executives and vice presidents of major corporations. I’m afraid I might offend someone unintentionally, which could cause trouble for the company!” Xu Yu expressed his concerns.

“Don’t worry, relax. No one will resort to any underhanded tactics. If you do encounter such a situation, just call me. Your main responsibility now is to watch over the company and supervise the progress of Phase Two of the project.”

With Zhou Chao’s assurance, Xu Yu’s nervousness eased a bit. There was no other option; these were some of the top executives of Fortune 500 companies. If he made a mistake and brought uncontrollable disaster to the company, he would be the one held responsible.

“This situation should be a good opportunity for Xu Yu to hone his skills. Once this matter is resolved, he should be more than capable of handling such situations in the future.” Zhou Chao thought with a smile.

Not long after, Jiang Li returned from the exhibition center. Seeing her exhausted expression, Zhou Chao quickly pulled her to sit in front of him and began massaging her shoulders from behind.

“I should have listened to you. I shouldn’t have gone to the exhibition center. It was a wasted trip, and I’m so tired!”

Zhou Chao smiled and didn’t reply.

“By the way, hubby, 1 thought of something. Have you applied for a patent for this machine tool technology? What if someone tries to copy it? Could that cause problems?”

Jiang Li’s words were like a bomb exploding in Zhou Chao’s ears. He was momentarily stunned.

“Hubby, what’s wrong with you? Why aren’t you saying anything?” Jiang Li saw Zhou Chao’s silence and stopped her movements.

With a puzzled expression, she turned to look at Zhou Chao behind her.

Zhou Chao, who had snapped out of his daze, hugged Jiang Li and kissed her. Aunt Wang, who had just come out of the kitchen, quickly retreated.

Jiang Li, who saw Aunt Wang, quickly pushed Zhou Chao away.

“Aunt wang saw it. You should be more mindful of the situation!”

“Next time, I’ll be more careful. Wifey, 1 really appreciate it. If you hadn’t brought up the patent issue, 1 would have completely forgotten about it. Even Zhou Jilong and Xu Yu didn’t remind me. I’ll have to deal with them when 1 get back!”

Zhou Chao’s face showed a hint of anger as he spoke.

“They might have been too busy to remember. Why don’t you give them a call?”

Zhou Chao nodded and took out his phone to call Zhou Jilong.

At this moment, Zhou Jilong was stealing a moment of relaxation, sitting behind the platform and smoking a cigarette.

“Buzz, buzz, buzz!”

The sound of his vibrating phone echoed from his pocket.

“Why is the boss calling now? Didn’t 1 just talk to Lin Wu?” Zhou Jilong looked puzzled as he glanced at Chai Lao.

“It must be something important. You should answer it quickly!”

“Okay!” Zhou Jilong immediately answered the phone.

“Lao Zhou, let me ask you, have we applied for a patent for our machine tool?” Zhou Chao’s words hit Zhou Jilong like a hammer.

Zhou Jilong staggered, but fortunately, Chai Lao quickly steadied him.

“B-Boss, the machine tool… the machine tool patent… we didn’t apply for it!”

“It wasn’t applied? Why didn’t you mention this earlier? If someone hadn’t brought it up to me today, I wouldn’t have known about it!”

“Boss, it’s my mistake. I’ll arrange to apply for the patent right away!”

“It’s not too late to mend the fold. You immediately return to Peng City and organize all the necessary documents for the patent application. Do it as quickly as possible. 1 don’t want any mistakes!”

“Boss, obtaining a domestic patent can be done relatively quickly, but the international process is much more complicated. Additionally, our technology bypasses the patents of other companies, so obtaining a global patent might be challenging.”

“I’ll take care of these matters. Your most important task right now is to prepare the documents and apply for the domestic patent. I’ll handle the rest.” “Understood, Boss!”

“We’ll talk in detail when I return!” Zhou Chao said before hanging up the phone.

Zhou Jilong held the phone, still in a daze.

“Lao Zhou, what’s wrong? Does the Boss have some important tasks for you?” Chai Lao, who had regained his composure, asked.

Zhou Jilong, who had come to his senses, replied with a pale face, “1 forgot to register the patent!”

Chai Lao was also stunned by Zhou Jilong’s words. He was responsible for research, while Zhou Jilong handled other aspects.

“Is there still time to apply now?” Chai Lao stammered, looking at Zhou Jilong.

“There’s still time. I’ll rush back to Peng City and prepare the documents. I’ll leave things here to you and Lin Wu. I need to go!” Zhou Jilong said in a hurry.

At this moment, Lin Wu walked in from outside and saw Zhou Jilong leaving in a hurry. Curiously, he looked at Chai Lao and asked, “Why is Zhou in such a hurry? He’s running so fast.”

Chai Lao wanted to laugh but couldn’t. He pulled Lin Wu aside and said quietly, “In the next two days, you must keep a close eye on this machine tool, don’t leave it unattended for 24 hours, and don’t let anyone else see it.”

“Is something wrong?” Lin Wu’s expression tightened.

“I won’t tell you for now. I’ll explain it to you later.” Chai Lao still felt it was better if fewer people knew. If any mishap occurred, they would be the ones in trouble.

Meanwhile, after hanging up the phone, Zhou Chao called Miles and inquired about the process and timeline for the patent application. He finally breathed a sigh of relief after receiving the answers.

“Hubby, how’s everything going?”

“It’s okay. It hasn’t turned into a bad situation yet.”

“That’s good!”