aircannonsinc Chapter 20: New Opportunities
Chapter 20: New Opportunities
The archives room smelled of old paper.
The afternoon sunlight streamed in through the window, making it feel less oppressive.
Nie Xiguang stared at a procurement contract from 2009, frowning.
She repeatedly pressed the ballpoint pen, making a clicking sound.
Suddenly, a fruit candy wrapped in colorful candy wrapper appeared in front of her.
She looked up and saw Yu Chen standing by the table.
He held a small, transparent candy jar in his hand, the colorful candies inside gleaming.
"I got it from the front desk. They said it was for people working overtime to stay alert. I saw you staring at the numbers so intently your eyes were practically glued to them."
Nie Xiguang paused for a moment, then picked up an orange candy, peeled it, and put it in his mouth.
The sweet and sour orange flavor spread on her tongue, and her tense nerves relaxed a little.
"Thank you." She pursed her lips, the candy making a small puff on her cheek. "What brings you here? Haven't you finished checking the information with Mr. Hua yet?"
"I've finished checking and just sent it over." Yu Chen pulled up a chair and sat down diagonally opposite her.
"I found some other things, about early silane gas supply agreements, so I'll take a look here while I'm at it."
The archives room was very quiet, with only the faint noise of the workshop and the sound of air conditioners in the distance.
Nie Xiguang looked down at the contract again, but found that the dry numbers didn't seem so repulsive anymore.
She could sense Yu Chen's presence, neither too close nor too far, like sunlight streaming through glass in winter—not scorching, but warm.
After a while, she encountered a tricky situation.
An attachment to a contract is missing, and the page numbers do not match.
"A page is missing?" Yu Chen's voice rang out.
He walked to Nie Xiguang's side, and Nie Xiguang could smell a faint scent of soap on him.
"Hmm, it's clearly not connected here, but the archive directory says it's complete." Nie Xiguang had a headache.
"Check the filing dates of the documents before and after." Yu Chen reached out and pointed to a slightly old bag. "It's possible that an attachment to another contract from the same period was mistakenly included. The person who organized these old files might have been confused themselves."
"Let me look for it."
Nie Xiguang immediately went to rummage through the old file folder.
Soon, she found the fragment sandwiched inside an unrelated technical specification.
"Found it!" Nie Xiguang's eyes lit up, but when she looked up, she found Yu Chen looking at her.
A spark flew between their eyes.
Nie Xiguang felt his ears burning, and quickly lowered his head, pretending to seriously put the page back in its place: "Thank you for reminding me."
"You're welcome." Yu Chen stood up, the smile in his voice seeming to become more pronounced.
He casually picked up a notebook lying to the side and flipped through it. "The progress is quite fast, and the markings are very clear."
Nie Xiguang still had that candy in his mouth, and the sweet taste seemed to seep into his heart.
"There are some places where you can't tell anything just by looking at the contract."
"For example, this one is priced similarly to the market price, but the payment terms are very harsh, the payment period is short, and the penalty for breach of contract is outrageously high."
"I don't understand the technology, so I don't know if it's because the material is special?"
Yu Chen took the contract and quickly glanced at the key clauses.
"EVA film is a commonly used material, and these payment terms..." Yu Chen paused, tapping his finger on the surface, "...are unreasonable. Unless the supplier had exceptionally strong bargaining power at the time, or..."
He didn't finish speaking, but Nie Xiguang already understood.
Or perhaps there are other reasons.
Time is slipping away unnoticed.
Just then, there was a knock on the archives room door, and Xiao Zhang from the administration department poked her head in: "Sister Xiguang, it's time to go home! Want to walk together? Oh, Engineer Yu is here too?"
Xiao Zhang looked at the two of them and gave them a motherly smile.
Nie Xiguang quickly packed his things, "I'm leaving right away."
Yu Chen closed the documents in his hand and stood up: "I should go back too."
---
The two went downstairs together and met Yin Jie and Wan Yuhua at the factory gate.
Yin Jie, with her sharpest eyes, spotted Nie Xiguang and Yu Chen walking out side by side. Although there was a polite distance between them, the atmosphere... tsk.
"Oh~" Yin Jie greeted her with a grin, "So that's why I waited so long without seeing you. Turns out there were some technical issues that needed further discussion?"
"Mr. Yu, are you giving Xiguang extra lessons again?"
Nie Xiguang blushed, "What nonsense are you talking about! I'm just doing normal research!"
"Can you really spend an entire afternoon researching data?" Yin Jie didn't believe it. She leaned close to Wan Yuhua's ear, her voice just loud enough for everyone to hear, "Yuhua, do you believe it? I certainly don't. The way Engineer Yu looks at Xiguang is completely different from how he looks at technical parameters."
Wan Yuhua smiled and said, "It is indeed different. When Xiguang came out just now, the tips of her ears were red."
"You're joining in the fun too!" Nie Xiguang's face flushed, and she secretly glanced at Yu Chen.
Yu Chen's expression didn't change much.
As Nie Xiguang passed by the dormitory building, he couldn't help but look around and saw General Manager Tong from the Logistics Department accompanying a young man out of the building, with someone carrying luggage next to them.
Following her gaze, Yin Jie couldn't help but pout and say, "Those are new employees from the purchasing department. They moved into a whole building as soon as they arrived. It's infuriating! Yu Hua and I applied at the beginning of the year, saying there were no vacant rooms. But these people just cut in line as soon as they arrive."
Nie Xiguang frowned: "Isn't this against the rules? Doesn't the application system clearly state that applications are submitted in the order they are received?"
"Rules are rules, but people are flexible," Yin Jie shrugged. "They have uncles, after all. But to be honest, a building just means more private bathrooms and balconies. We're used to living in old buildings, and it's quite nice; it's lively."
"It's just that this feeling of unease is stuck in my throat, why should I?"
Yu Chen listened without offering any opinion.
This kind of thing happens everywhere.
He was more concerned about Nie Xiguang's reaction.
Sure enough, Nie Xiguang was silent for a while before saying, "I want to go to the logistics department tomorrow to ask about the situation."
"Xi Guang, forget it," Wan Yuhua advised. "You won't get anything out of them anyway. Director Tong will definitely have his own explanation. It's not worth offending someone over this."
"I'm not trying to offend anyone," Nie Xiguang said seriously. "I just want to ask if the system still applies. If anyone can cut in line, what's the point of queuing? Everyone might as well try to find connections."
Her earnestness shone brightly in the afternoon sunlight.
Yu Chen looked at her slightly tense profile and clear eyes, and his heart stirred slightly.
"It's good to ask," he suddenly said, his voice steady. "Once you've found out, you'll know what's going on in your heart. As for the result, there's no need to force it."
Nie Xiguang looked at him, somewhat surprised that he would support her.
Yu Chen nodded slightly to her, his eyes seeming to say: Do what you want to do.
Yin Jie glanced at Yu Chen, then at Nie Xiguang, and suddenly chuckled, nudging Wan Yuhua: "Yuhua, I think we shouldn't worry about the dorms anymore. Some people's minds are already elsewhere."
"Yin Jie!" Nie Xiguang was furious and embarrassed.
The smile in Yu Chen's eyes finally spread out, like spring water breaking through the ice.
He didn't linger, nodded to the three of them, and said, "I'm leaving now. Take care on your journey."
He turned and left, his back straight and tall.
Nie Xiguang watched him walk away. The candy in her mouth had long since melted, but the sweet aftertaste seemed to linger on her tongue.
---
In the evening, Yu Chen worked late into the night in his study at his new home.
At exactly midnight, the system notification sounded in my mind:
[The system store has completed its daily automatic refresh.]
Today's product list has been updated.
Yu Chen habitually brought up the online store interface.
He has accumulated quite a few achievement points recently, but hasn't seen anything particularly worth redeeming.
His gaze swept across the regular section—energy potions, skill experience cards, fragments of industry information… Suddenly, his eyes fixed on something.
In the "Today's Specials" section, there is an item that emits a soft golden glow:
[Title: Key Technology Path Guide for Perovskite/Crystalline Solar Cells (Initial Validation Version)]
[Type: Technical Information Pack (Adapted to this world's timeline)]
[Outcome: Provides core material formulation strategies, key process breakthroughs, and preliminary stability solutions for achieving >28% laboratory efficiencies in perovskite/TOPCon tandem solar cells. The information depth is equivalent to a summary of 3-5 years of preliminary research findings from top laboratories in this field.]
[Note: If this technology can be successfully developed and mass-produced, it can increase the power output of photovoltaic modules by 15%-20% at a similar cost, significantly reduce the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE), and create a generational advantage over existing mainstream technologies.]
[Original Price: 22000 Achievement Points]
[Special Price: 12000 Achievement Points]
[Inventory: 1]
Yu Chen held his breath; this was exactly what he wanted.
This information is powerful enough to shake up the industry landscape and change the rules of the game.
Perovskite/crystalline silicon tandem layers, with an efficiency potential of over 28% and controllable costs, are almost one of the holy grails of next-generation photovoltaic technology.
12000 achievement points.
The current score is 11340 points, and it is still 660 points short.
He completed a small process optimization consultation today, but the achievement points haven't been settled yet.
It should arrive this afternoon, but the special offer is only valid for 24 hours.
We must get it.
Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately began to take stock of the ways he could quickly obtain achievement points.
In the system's daily tasks, there is a reward of 300 points for "completing a valid technical solution delivery". He can complete the final draft of the technical proposal for a welding strip factory by tomorrow morning.
Another reward is 200 points for "daily income exceeding 5000 yuan". This is not difficult either, as he has a final payment that should arrive tomorrow.
160 points to go.
He might be able to accomplish the task of "conducting an in-depth exchange of industry information".
He was quick-witted, figuring out how to accumulate 660 points in the next 24 hours.
Meanwhile, the outline of a grander plan gradually became clear at midnight, with the golden text on the mall interface becoming increasingly apparent.
This technology will be the key for him to enter the core power layer of the dual remote region.
Not as an advisor, but as a technical partner.
He closed the system interface, but did not shut down the computer.
The screen displayed Shuangyuan Photovoltaic's equity structure, as well as fragments of Shengyuan Group's recent strategies that he had collected over this period.
He raised his head, his gaze seemingly piercing through the wall, landing on the distant Shuangyuan factory area.
The chessboard is set up, and he not only wants to win this game, but also to redefine the rules.