The next day, at ten in the morning.
Chen Yi went down to the first floor and greeted Qin Xiaoyu and Xia Keke.
"Xiaoyu, Keke, have you had breakfast? Come on, it's on me."
Xia Keke was speechless. She looked up and said, "Boss, it's ten already. We've been working for an hour.
"We knew you hadn't eaten, so Xiaoyu packed you some morning tea."
"Brother Yi, I'll heat it up."
Qin Xiaoyu went over, took out the insulated boxes of shrimp dumplings, braised chicken feet, glutinous rice chicken, and other dim sum, heated them in the microwave, and then brought them to Chen Yi.
"See? Xiaoyu's the thoughtful one."
Chen Yi praised her, then picked up the still-warm breakfast without ceremony and started eating.
When he had returned yesterday, he had eaten lunch and slept until the early hours of the morning.
After waking up, he had ordered several servings of crayfish and barbecue, dug out his game console and played Cyberpunk for a few hours, then gone back to sleep at four in the morning.
Now that he was awake, it was exactly the time to replenish his energy.
After Chen Yi finished breakfast, Qin Xiaoyu approached with several reports and contract documents.
"Brother Yi, the laboratories you had Manager He acquire on our behalf were handed over yesterday. How should we handle them next?"
"The lab staff don't have any problems, right? I mean the kind who slack off and coast through their days." Chen Yi picked up a toothpick and asked.
"According to the laboratories, there aren't any. I'm planning to investigate and verify it again over the next few days."
"Verify it thoroughly. Fire every one of that kind."
Chen Yi glanced through the reports, then picked up the laboratories' performance report and flipped through it. "Average monthly working hours exceed 230 hours...
"Are these researchers, or research laborers? Has 996 become popular in laboratories too?"
"Maybe the employees themselves are just highly competitive. I looked at their previous recruitment reports. Two years ago, a master's degree was enough. Now they selectively recruit even PhDs."
"After firing the slackers, hire more fresh graduates and raise the base salaries and bonuses by 30 percent.
"Replace the normal work schedule with flexible clock-ins and a task-based system.
"As long as they put in eight hours or finish their assigned tasks, they go home. No overtime, even if they want it.
"If research is going to produce results, it depends on inspiration and thought, talent and luck.
"Blindly working overtime like this leaves everyone mentally exhausted. All they can do is brute-force research, numb, mechanical research.
"The times have changed.
"You can't make big money through exploitation.
"If you want to make real money, you can only rely on core technology and stronger research capabilities."
Chen Yi closed the report and looked at Qin Xiaoyu and Xia Keke. "So we can't manage, and shouldn't manage, other companies. But Yifei refuses to get caught up in this rat race.
"If you two work yourselves so hard, how am I, the boss, supposed to have the nerve to slack off?"
"Long live the boss!"
Xia Keke shouted excitedly from the side.
"Thank you, Brother Yi."
Qin Xiaoyu looked at Chen Yi, and a hint of admiration showed in her eyes.
"I'll draw up some research plans for these laboratories.
"I'll also send them research tasks from time to time.
"But I won't interfere with their daily management. You two will be responsible for that.
"Later on, Yifei will have more and more laboratories. It's time for you to improve your management abilities too."
With just a few words, Chen Yi set the tone for the future management and development of these laboratories.
From then on, aside from the black technology he developed privately for his own use, any technology intended for the public or open release—
Chen Yi would break it down into individual research tasks and assign them to these laboratories.
Then, through brainwave devices, he would secretly intervene and provide guidance, allowing those technologies to be researched and refined step by step.
This way, he could preserve humanity's research potential while concealing the source of the technologies he kept producing.
Chen Yi chatted with Qin Xiaoyu and Xia Keke for a while.
At that moment, someone knocked on the door and came in from outside, standing tall as he gave a salute.
"Hello, are you Mr. Chen Yi?"
"I am. What is it?"
Chen Yi stood up and looked at the man curiously.
That stance had something to it.
"Hello, Mr. Chen. This is my identification."
The man who had entered took out an ID and handed it over.
His movements were practiced and without the slightest hesitation. He clearly already knew Chen Yi.
The question just now had merely been a routine opening.
Chen Yi opened the ID, his gaze lingering on the red official seal. After comparing the photo, he asked, "What do you need from me?"
"The eagle we fought at sea yesterday was injured. We need to ask Mr. Chen to help treat it."
"I understand that the eagle is injured. Let me make a call to confirm first."
Chen Yi understood, but he did not immediately agree.
He took out his phone and called Professor Zhang.
After the call connected, Chen Yi gave the unique identification number on the ID, confirmed that the man's identity was genuine, instructed Qin Xiaoyu and Xia Keke, and then left with him.
"Where is the eagle now?"
After getting into a Mengshi outside and seeing that they were heading straight toward Echeng, Chen Yi asked curiously.
"Report: because this eagle is relatively rare, it was transported overnight to Rongfei after being brought back last night to provide the best treatment."
"Then we're going in the wrong direction, aren't we? If we're going to Rongfei, we need to fly."
"Report: commercial flights have too many people. To ensure Mr. Chen's safety, we'll be taking a private aircraft."
Two hours later.
The Mengshi arrived at a remote base in Echeng.
Looking at the two-seat No. 20 Master Wei parked on the runway, its engines already warming up as a group of ground crew surrounded it for preflight inspections, Chen Yi was dumbfounded.
This private aircraft...
Wasn't it a little too badass?
"Brother, are you sure someone built like me can ride in that thing?"
Chen Yi turned around, looking at the brother who had brought him here. He could not tell whether he was doubting his life choices or feeling thrilled.
He might have had a blast flying drones, casually pulling supersonic maneuvers, making hypersonic dashes, racing near the edge of space, or even charging into outer space.
But when it came to actually riding in one himself—
Chen Yi knew his limits.
He would not even need supersonic speeds or aerial maneuvers.
A simple subsonic acceleration or turn would be enough to make his vision go black on the spot and leave him dizzy.
"Please rest assured, Mr. Chen. Our pilots are professionals and will not allow any harm to come to you."
The brother who had come to pick him up reassured him with a serious expression.
Soon, the aircraft inspection was complete.
A pilot in his thirties walked over and saluted Chen Yi.
After checking the aircraft and confirming that there were no problems, the pilot helped Chen Yi change into a flight suit, explained the precautions for the flight, and began boarding.
"Brother, I'm boarding now. Thanks for bringing me here."
Chen Yi patted the brother who had picked him up, then climbed into the rear seat, both excited and nervous.
Riding in a fighter jet.
And the latest two-seat No. 20 Master Wei, at that.
That experience was definitely far more thrilling than any drop tower, pendulum ride, or vertical roller coaster.
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