Just as Gao Yuan was about to get something to eat, a newly refreshed post on the forum made him pause.
"Breaking news! Kunlun Company's Silver Frost bulletproof fiber, developed from the X3 type, has officially been designated for the PLA's next-generation body armor!"
"Seriously? The X3 type has a bulletproof variant too?"
"How could that be fake? The General Armament Department's first order alone was for a full two hundred thousand sets, including body armor and helmets. They say there will be more orders to come, as well as large-scale armor plating for tanks and armored vehicles. The entire supply chain is already preparing frantically."
"Tank armor too? What kind of performance does Silver Frost Fiber have?"
"The specific parameters are unclear, but they say it will surpass the third-generation PE bulletproof fiber that has yet to be released. At the very least, it's at the level of generation three and a half."
"Generation three and a half!?"
"Stronger than bulletproof PE that hasn't even hit the market yet!?"
"Hahaha, bulletproof PE is already obsolete before it has even been released. All I can say is, Kunlun Company did an amazing job! Boss Gao is awesome!"
"If this news is true, the impact will be enormous. It would mean the PLA has entered the next generation of individual defense systems ahead of the entire world!"
Gao Yuan had not expected the news to spread so quickly.
But it was inevitable. No wall was airtight. The military's very first order had been for two hundred thousand sets. Production on such a massive scale involved at least dozens of factories throughout the supply chain, making secrecy nearly impossible.
"Tank armor? Do you people seriously expect Silver Frost to stop 155mm howitzer shells?" Gao Yuan pressed a hand to his forehead and said with a laugh, "Silver Frost may be strong, but it's still just fiber, okay? Stopping artillery shells requires alloys and ceramics. Fiber taking artillery shells? Internet users really have wild imaginations."
The forum's claims about using Silver Frost to make tank armor were clearly exaggerated, but they also proved just how popular Kunlun Company had become. Everyone believed that anything produced by Kunlun was bound to be top quality.
The post quickly drew everyone's attention, and comments flooded in at an astonishing pace.
Gradually, some more levelheaded users began to spot the hidden danger.
"We can't just celebrate blindly. Pandora's box has already been opened. The other side of the Pacific definitely won't let this go."
"Yeah. Boss Gao making body armor for the PLA has gone beyond the scope of commercial competition. This is no longer a contest between companies."
"If I were in charge of the Pentagon, I would absolutely mobilize the power of the state. First, the next generation of body armor cannot lose to China. Second, Kunlun Company must be crushed without mercy!"
"Mobilize the power of the state? That's shameless. As far as I know, Kunlun Company is a one hundred percent private enterprise."
"Come on, what era do you think this is? How can the person upstairs still be so naive? Since they massacred Native Americans, when have they ever cared about having any shame?"
"I think Kunlun Company has been riding high in the chemical fiber industry lately and stealing all the spotlight. But the more that happens, the more careful it needs to be. North America's dimensional strike could arrive at any moment."
Gao Yuan was touched by the users' concern, but he was not actually worried about being targeted.
As the old saying went, the tallest tree in the forest was the first to be battered by the wind. Things had already reached this point. Being targeted was unavoidable; it was only a matter of sooner or later.
There was no point worrying about something certain to happen. He would deal with it when the time came.
After spending some time browsing the forum, Gao Yuan arrived at the cafeteria after dinner hours had already ended.
Fortunately, the company had more and more employees, and since it was far from the city, most of them lived on company grounds. To make things convenient for everyone, the cafeteria had now switched to twenty-four-hour service.
Gao Yuan ordered a plate of dumplings, two small side dishes, and a bottle of Tsingtao beer, then drank alone.
He quickly finished the dumplings. Gao Yuan wiped his mouth in satisfaction, returned to his office, and focused on organizing his papers. It was not until late at night that he finally fell into a deep sleep in the lounge next to his office.
Early the next morning, it was time for a conference call with the strategic partners.
As agreed, conference calls were held every Tuesday and Friday. Gao Yuan mainly listened to everyone's progress and, incidentally, mediated any conflicts that arose within the group.
It sounded as though Gao Yuan intended to control them, and in practice, that was exactly what he did. He tightly restrained every move his strategic partners made, always ready to kick them out of his camp.
Just as Gao Yuan had never believed in letting some people get rich first, he had never believed in the conscience of capitalists either.
After all, capitalists had no homeland. A few clever financial maneuvers could turn a Huaxia person into a foreigner and transfer money held in China into foreign banks.
Ordinary people, meanwhile, were destined to be tied to this land, unable to leave it even through generations of poverty.
Things appeared to be going smoothly. As the strategic partners continued expanding across the world, Kunlun Company's market share also rose rapidly like a rocket.
Besides its strategic partners, Kunlun Company also had ordinary business partners. The moment a strategic partner failed to perform well enough, another candidate would immediately take its place.
Though this system of eliminating the lowest-ranked players was somewhat cruel, it greatly heightened everyone's competitive awareness and strengthened their fighting spirit.
The conference call went extremely quickly and ended after only around forty minutes.
That afternoon, Cao Feiyu came eagerly to find Gao Yuan and told him that he had found suitable office space—and it was right next door.
After hearing this, Gao Yuan frowned. "Yunmei Knitwear went bankrupt? How come I haven't heard about it?"
Cao Feiyu smiled. "The procedures are still being processed. It will probably be officially announced in a few days."
Gao Yuan could not help but sigh. Yunmei Knitwear next door had once been one of the region's notable star enterprises, yet now it was collapsing just like that. Manufacturing really was difficult, and the world was unpredictable.
Cao Feiyu said animatedly, "You keep telling me to look for office buildings in Hangzhou, but have you considered how expensive property is in a major city?"
"Our area may be an industrial zone, but it's only a few dozen kilometers from Hangzhou. We're right in the middle of the triangle formed by Xiaoshan Airport, Hangzhou South Station, and Shaoxing North Station, right beside the highway. It's convenient to get anywhere."
"Besides that, there's one huge advantage that even you probably haven't considered."
Gao Yuan scratched his head. "What advantage are you talking about?"
"Bankrupt businesses mean land consolidation!" Cao Feiyu said. "Manufacturing has been struggling these past few years, and many factories can no longer hold on. Meiyun Knitting Factory next door is one example. When the time comes, we can buy the land and office buildings, tear down the walls, and merge the two factories into one."
"As for the cost, even if we demolish the old factory buildings we don't need and build a brand-new experimental base, it would still be far cheaper than buying office space in a big city."
"Just look around. How many factories are going bankrupt, have already gone bankrupt, or are preparing to go bankrupt? That's the foundation for our rapid expansion through acquisitions. I've spoken with the industrial zone management committee, and they would be delighted to have us take over bankrupt companies."
"After all, things are different now. Locally, we're already one of the biggest taxpayers and profit contributors. No matter which government office our people visit, they're treated to fine tea and water. The local authorities aren't afraid that we'll ask for land anymore—they're afraid we'll leave."
Uh...
Gao Yuan was slightly surprised. Believing that seeing was better than hearing, he went with Cao Feiyu to inspect the idle Meiyun Knitting Factory next door.
It covered seventy thousand square meters. Added to their own fifteen thousand square meters, it would become a huge area once opened up. There were two office buildings, one dormitory building, and the rest were factory workshops.
Although it looked rather shabby now, it had enormous potential. At worst, they could demolish the workshops and rebuild them. Compared with office buildings in major cities that cost tens of thousands per square meter, reconstruction would be a trivial expense.
"Fine, then." Gao Yuan stopped insisting on his original plan. He nodded and said to Cao Feiyu, "We'll buy the factory next door, keep the office buildings and dormitory, and demolish the workshops for reconstruction."
After returning to the office, the two carefully discussed the matter. Traditional concrete buildings took too long to construct and created too much noise, so they decided to go straight for modular construction.
"By the way, how is our website coming along?" After discussing the office building, Gao Yuan asked Cao Feiyu again.
Cao Feiyu frowned. "Are you really planning to start from scratch? How about thinking it over again?"
Gao Yuan shook his head firmly. "I've already thought it through."
"That will offend a lot of people." Cao Feiyu sighed softly.
Gao Yuan did not care. "My own papers belong on my own website. That is only natural."
"Anyway, my mind is made up. I've even thought of a name for the website. The arrow is already on the bowstring—I'm definitely launching it."
Cao Feiyu curled his lips. He knew there was a stubborn streak in Gao Yuan's temperament. Since Gao Yuan had made up his mind, no amount of persuasion would likely matter.
But this way, Gao Yuan was not only ignoring Western academic circles, he was also refusing to give China's academic circles any face. It meant offending both sides at once.
Sorry, sorry. I ran into a bit of trouble today, so I could only update this one chapter. My apologies!
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