Judging by their past dealings with Xu Fan...
It really was extremely likely!
After all, Xu Fan had previously given the country two mechas for next to nothing.
Then he had donated the synthesis method and formulas for carbyne alloy to the country free of charge.
How could money measure such a man's magnanimity and breadth of spirit?
Measuring a patriotic scientist who served his country and its people in terms of money was a desecration of Xu Fan.
It was an utterly deranged insult!
A single leaf had blinded them to Mount Tai!
They understood.
They understood completely.
Their earlier thinking had been the real insult to Xu Fan.
Had a great patriotic scientist done anything wrong by wanting to contribute to his country in such an unobtrusive way?
He simply felt that the country would surely be embarrassed to accept an outright gift, so he had asked for a token amount.
In every single thing he did, he was considering the country.
What was wrong with that!
Was that not allowed?!
Was a scientist supposed to talk money in everything he did?
An inexplicable surge of awe rose from the depths of their hearts and rushed into their brains, almost shattering their skulls.
Elder Wang and Elder Hua both understood everything now.
They had thought Xu Fan was on the first level while they were on the second.
As it turned out, Xu Fan was up in the atmosphere!
A long while passed.
Both elders let out long sighs.
So they had been caught up in appearances.
Facing Xu Fan, they truly had no idea what to say beyond feeling ashamed.
"Let's go. We were the ones being vulgar!"
Elder Wang gave a wry laugh and pushed the door open first.
The instant he opened it, he looked at Xu Fan.
Under the light...
Xu Fan's figure somehow seemed to have grown several dozen feet taller.
His upright bearing was towering and imposing.
Serving his country and its people-he truly was a peerless pillar of the nation!
Seeing Elder Wang and the others enter, a trace of hesitation flashed through Xu Fan's eyes.
He was just thinking that perhaps he should give them a slightly bigger discount.
After all, business was slow these days.
The country had its own difficulties, too.
But Elder Wang spoke first.
"Young Xu, you really are a fine comrade of ours!"
"All right, we'll do as you say!"
"All the carbyne alloy will be priced at 498 yuan per jin."
Xu Fan finally let out a long breath of relief.
Getting rid of a few scraps really was too hard.
Fortunately, they had finally reached a deal.
He had not worn out his tongue for nothing.
The profit was not much, but it was decent enough. There was money to be made.
Just then, Elder Hua, who was crouching beside the scrap pile, suddenly picked up a silvery-white wire a few millimeters thick.
He asked in puzzlement,
"Young Xu, is this another new alloy you developed?"
Xu Fan nodded.
"Yes, that's a room-temperature superconducting alloy. There should be close to a tonne of scrap, too," Xu Fan said casually.
"Oh, a superconducting alloy... huh???"
"A superconducting alloy? At room temperature??"
Elder Hua froze.
He glanced at Elder Wang, who was also dumbfounded.
Both of them turned to look at Xu Fan in unison.
Elder Wang's emotions, which had only just settled, surged again.
"Young Xu, are you saying this stuff superconducts at room temperature??"
A foreign scientist had once discovered low-temperature superconductivity and won the Nobel Prize in Physics for it!
Room-temperature superconductivity was far more impressive than low-temperature superconductivity!
The difficulty of achieving them was on entirely different orders of magnitude.
Yet Xu Fan had developed it?
"That's right. Used for circuitry inside the mechas, it can basically transmit energy without any loss, and it won't overload because of the hydrogen engine's high temperatures."
As Xu Fan spoke, he thought for a moment, then continued,
"I remember there should be about a tonne left altogether. It's all in this pile of scrap."
"Would you..."
"Buy it?"
Elder Hua and Elder Wang were speechless.
Their aged faces were as blank as wooden chickens.
Their lips trembled slightly, and they looked at Xu Fan as though they were looking at a monster.
Xu Fan saw that they were not speaking.
Then there was probably a chance!
"Ahem..."
"I can give you a bigger discount on this."
"We're making friends, after all. How about 498 per jin?"
Elder Wang nodded woodenly and looked at Elder Hua.
Elder Hua's face twitched wildly. Towering waves had long since risen in his heart.
A room-temperature superconducting alloy, sold dirt cheap at 498 yuan per jin.
He truly did not know what to say.
This was something that could absolutely win the Nobel Prize in Physics.
And Xu Fan was donating it to the country at this cabbage price.
He asked for nothing for himself.
Such selfless dedication moved Elder Hua nearly to tears.
And!
Elder Hua was almost certain that, just as before, Xu Fan would hand over the formula for synthesizing the superconducting alloy free of charge.
He was all but convinced that, for the country and its people, Xu Fan would surely find an excuse to do so!
Sure enough, Elder Wang had only just nodded his agreement to the deal.
Xu Fan rested his chin on his hand and said,
"How about this? I'll write down the synthesis method and the relevant chemical formulas for you."
"But like the carbyne alloy, this superconducting alloy requires fairly demanding manufacturing conditions. Without this integrated platform of mine, you'll have a very hard time making it."
Elder Hua's eyes reddened and grew a little moist.
If he had not been so old and truly unable to swallow his pride...
He really wanted to kowtow to Xu Fan right then and there!
Such a great man, such a vital pillar of the nation, deserved that bow!
Elder Wang stepped forward and abruptly pulled Xu Fan into a bear hug.
Then he gripped Xu Fan's arms.
He voiced his heartfelt admiration.
"What a fine young man. Truly a peerless pillar of the nation!"
Beside them...
Tong Yao also understood what the two elders were saying.
Her heart was filled with boundless admiration for Xu Fan.
He was a lofty mountain she could only gaze up at.
Tong Yao had always thought it remarkable that she was already a major and battalion commander at such a young age.
Now, standing before Xu Fan, she could not help paling in comparison.
Compared with Xu Fan, she was simply... forget it. There was no comparison!
Xu Fan was a peerless pillar of the nation who served his country and its people, while she was just a young woman with passable talent.
Between them lay a heavenly chasm that could never be crossed.
Xu Fan was destined to be someone she could never reach in this lifetime.
At that thought, a resolve like a rebound from rock bottom gradually arose in Tong Yao's heart.
Though I can only follow in your footsteps, I want to become someone who serves the country and its people, just like you!
Meanwhile, Wang Yixue had looked utterly bewildered from start to finish.
Why had Grandpa suddenly started praising someone out of nowhere?
And with such lavish praise!
He had even used the words "peerless pillar of the nation."
Words with that much weight were certainly not spoken casually.
He definitely meant it.
And Grandpa Hua was acting strangely, too.
Why were his knees bending a little?
With that stance, you're not thinking of kneeling, are you?
Even Tong Yao was staring at Xu Fan like a lovestruck fool.
Sure, that guy is a little handsome, but you can't just express your feelings so directly!
Even if you do, you'll have to get in line behind me!
I met him first. Hmph!
Even Xu Fan himself found it absurd.
Why was this old man's old habit acting up again?
He had started praising people again.
Just like always, he praised them to death.
It was downright embarrassing.
Since you two elders like scrap so much, don't blame me for being blackhearted.
Besides these two materials, we've got others!
Lots of them!