Virtual Classroom

If development relied solely on Chen Feng, the Elementary Artificial Intelligence would need a long time to search the entire internet for relevant knowledge and put it to use. But if some of Zhang Yuanqing's disciples gave him the green light, he could rapidly accumulate technical knowledge. Perhaps this Elementary Artificial Intelligence could soon advance to Intermediate Artificial Intelligence and solve a great many problems for him.

"Besides that, we'll provide you with substantial financial support, and naturally, we won't take any shares. We'll help you establish a modern industrial production park as quickly as possible. Once that production park is in place, with your team's capabilities, you should be able to develop a more advanced Virtual Reality Helmet."

This was simply an irresistible temptation. To Chen Feng, it was even more tempting than Goose Factory's offer. Goose Factory would merely help him establish an ecosystem—in plain terms, develop their games.

But Professor Zhang could help him in far too many ways. In particular, when Liu Qiuya heard Professor Zhang's words, her eyes immediately lit up. With this series of assistance from Professor Zhang, their factory could be built in an instant.

Their Corona Technology Company could expand into an industrial park in a very short time, and that industrial park would be entirely under their company's control.

Yet this also made Liu Qiuya suspicious. In her view, Professor Zhang was being far too enthusiastic. Even if their Virtual Reality Helmet could simulate experiments and stimulate researchers' imagination, it was nowhere near enough to make him pay such a high price to help them. So Liu Qiuya quietly said to Chen Feng,

"Boss, what do you think? I don't believe there's such a thing as a free lunch."

This was also what worried Chen Feng. Professor Zhang was simply being too enthusiastic, so he still had some doubts.

However, Professor Zhang's next words directly dispelled Chen Feng's misgivings. Chen Feng then heard Professor Zhang sigh and say to him,

"It's like this. Do you know how many students there are in China's Impoverished Mountain Areas? How many students have no access to equal educational resources?"

"I really haven't thought about it, but there should be a lot, right?"

"Yes, an enormous number of students have no access to proper educational resources. If your Virtual Reality Helmet could be provided to them—or if you made a simplified version for them—and then built a software-based educational resource library, they could use this Virtual Helmet to attend classes anytime, anywhere. Whether they were herding sheep or at home, they could attend class through this Virtual Reality Helmet."

After hearing this, Chen Feng considered it carefully and realized it really could work. It was like the smart classroom concepts people had proposed before. By setting up blackboards with large-screen projections in remote mountain areas, students could gain access to the educational resources of cities such as Ning City.

"Those previous ideas were nothing more than ideas. The investment needed to create a smart classroom was simply too huge, and it was too limited in scope. That's why it was nowhere near as convenient as your Virtual Reality Helmet."

After Zhang Yuanqing said this, he looked at Chen Feng, sighed, and said disappointedly,

"I was being too idealistic. Your helmet must be very expensive to make, right? If you wanted to provide it to children in remote mountain areas, the cost might be even more outrageous than those projected blackboards."

This made Chen Feng feel somewhat ashamed. The production cost of his Virtual Reality Helmet was only 2,500 yuan. If it were simplified further, the cost could be reduced to 2,000 yuan, while its functions would not differ much. It could absolutely be equipped for those children.

He could also use Artificial Intelligence to build a Virtual Classroom, just like the Virtual Family, allowing children from those remote mountain areas to gather together—or even attend classes directly with children from major cities and broaden their horizons.

Having thought that through, Chen Feng made up his mind and said to Zhang Yuanqing,

"No problem, Professor Zhang. I can reduce the production cost of our Virtual Reality Helmet and give it a function called the Virtual Classroom. As the name suggests, the Virtual Classroom would simulate a classroom inside the Virtual Helmet, allowing children wearing the helmets to enter that classroom. In other words, as long as the teacher wore one helmet and different students wore our helmets, they could all study together in the same room..."

Chen Feng explained his vision for the Virtual Classroom to Professor Zhang in detail. Professor Zhang widened his eyes and listened intently, applauding and praising him as he listened. Naturally, Professor Zhang strongly supported Chen Feng's idea and its application.

"As long as you make this happen, I wouldn't mind using my own human resources for free to help you build several Production Lines specifically for manufacturing these Virtual Reality Helmet devices."

Thus, Chen Feng and Professor Zhang hit it off immediately and launched the first Hope Project, named Rising Star.

Professor Zhang would fund the production of several Production Lines for them and equip them with other necessities, doing his best to fully launch the first phase of the Rising Star project.

In addition, he would use his most accomplished disciples to help Chen Feng open up domestic and overseas markets. The full version of his Virtual Reality Helmet could also enter mass production at the same time.

After bidding Professor Zhang farewell, Chen Feng remained in the office with Liu Qiuya. Liu Qiuya was still somewhat unable to believe it.

"I never expected Professor Zhang to be this kind of person. I originally thought professors like him were nothing more than researchers, but they really think about many things. Still, President Chen, don't stray from our production direction. We're businessmen, not great philanthropists. We should engage in charity, but we must also do business. Otherwise, we won't be able to sustain ourselves, and we won't even be able to do charity."

Chen Feng naturally understood that. With Zhang Yuanqing's help, Corona Technology Company would thrive. Once he completed the one-hundred-million target, new technology would emerge. After this industrial park was established, that new technology might be able to enter mass production as well. It was all benefit and no harm, so why not do it? Besides, he also hoped to give children in those remote areas an opportunity to receive an education.