Chapter 6: The Supercomputing Center

"I'm quite interested in the treasures on this list, but it's not the right time to buy them. However, I have another proposal.” Jiang Chen looked at Li Dawei, testing the waters as he spoke, “My current studio is no longer sufficient—I need to establish an entirely new one, which means I’ll require a great deal of equipment, as well as a plot of land…”

Within any base city, the population density far surpassed that of the so-called ‘super metropolises’ before the Great Nirvana. Land was truly worth its weight in gold. Restricted by the city’s internal planning, acquiring a plot wasn’t simply a matter of money. Of course, such things were difficult for most, but for Li Dawei, it was simply a matter of saying the word.

Li Dawei pondered for a moment, then replied, “That’s certainly not a problem! As for the price, I’ll make sure you get the best possible deal. However, land in some special locations might be a bit tricky.”

In truth, if Jiang Chen was interested, Li Dawei would have liked to have the military directly fund the construction of his studio. After all, once the military invested heavily, not only would they gain a certain amount of influence, but even if they couldn’t obtain the studio’s research results, merely nudging Jiang Chen’s research direction would be of tremendous benefit.

Unfortunately, maintaining complete independence was Jiang Chen’s bottom line. To avoid pushing him into the arms of other factions, Li Dawei had no choice but to restrain his ambitions. Providing a favorable price to strengthen their relationship was the best he could do. As for attempting to meddle inside Jiang Chen’s studio, Li Dawei would never make such a foolish move.

“It would be best if it’s near the Mingyue Residential District; I don’t want to be too far from home. The place should also be large, as I plan to build a supercomputing center, and there may be some major projects in the future that require ample space,” Jiang Chen stated his requirements.

From what Jiang Chen described, Li Dawei immediately realized this studio would be exceptionally advanced. The cost of the land itself was minor; the real expense would be in the high-standard construction and all the specialized equipment.

To say nothing else, the cost of building a supercomputing center alone would be astronomical.

“There just so happens to be an abandoned, outdated factory on the outskirts of Yangzhou District scheduled for demolition. If you’re interested, I can help you try to secure it. It covers roughly two hundred mu, with well-established infrastructure for water, electricity, and transportation. But if you intend to build a studio of that size, the costs will be staggering,” Li Dawei cautioned.

Jiang Chen was immediately intrigued by the basic details, but Li Dawei’s reminder of the costs gave him a bit of a headache. After hesitating, he said, “I’m not skilled at engineering budgets. Could I trouble you, Elder Li, to connect me with a professional in that field? Also, I’d like to go and inspect the site myself.”

“That’s certainly no problem,” Li Dawei agreed at once, then smiled. “In fact, with any project, as long as you have the initial funding, construction can begin. The rest can be paid in stages. With the dividends from the Reaper rifle, as long as your studio isn’t too extravagant, your payment ability should be more than sufficient. I’ll contact the appropriate company, and we can go inspect the site together and settle on a basic plan.”

“Alright.” Jiang Chen nodded, then pointed at the tablet in his hand. “Could you send me a copy of this treasure list?”

Li Dawei nodded. “Of course. I’ll email it to you. If you need anything, just have Lu Gang help you contact us.”

——

After inspecting the abandoned factory in person, Jiang Chen quickly decided to establish his new studio there.

However, once the professional company provided a budget estimate, Jiang Chen realized that the dividends from the Reaper rifle alone would be insufficient to cover the size of the studio he envisioned. He would have to either lower the specifications or build it in phases, improving it gradually.

Without hesitation, Jiang Chen chose the latter.

For the time being, constructing a supercomputing center to advance the Jarvis AI project would suffice. As for other functional areas, those could be added as funds became available.

This phased construction plan would also save considerable time. As long as he was willing to spend, the supercomputing center could be up and running within a few months.

While Jiang Chen was busy planning his new studio, the location for the first Reaper rifle production line was also finalized. Perhaps for Jiang Chen’s convenience—or maybe due to Li Dawei’s own preferences—the line wasn’t placed in the highly prioritized Capital Base City but was instead set up in Jiangnan Base City.

Both projects were crucial, and Jiang Chen began shuttling between them—helping Chief Engineer Chen solve all manner of technical problems while constantly communicating with the construction team to fine-tune the supercomputing center’s design.

He also had to make time to negotiate with the bank, using the Reaper rifle’s patent dividends as collateral for a massive loan to serve as the center’s initial construction fund.

Billions upon billions flowed out like water. The abandoned factory on the outskirts of Yangzhou was swiftly demolished. With the arrival of heavy machinery, the site buzzed with noise, transforming almost daily.

Meanwhile, the construction of the first Reaper rifle production line also began. With Jiang Chen’s technical support and Chief Engineer Chen’s management, the line was built at an astonishing pace.

It had to be said: even in this new era after the Great Nirvana, “Chinese efficiency” remained one of the nation’s most remarkable traits.

In less than three months, the first group of engineers had completed their training, and the Reaper rifle production line passed its inspection. After a successful trial run, the first batch of one hundred standard Reaper rifles was produced. Testing confirmed that all parameters met the required standards.

Though costs were still a bit high, they would inevitably be reduced to ideal levels once production scaled up.

This good news almost made Li Dawei want to throw a lavish banquet in Jiang Chen’s honor, but Jiang Chen, who disliked such occasions, politely declined, and the idea was dropped.

Then, less than half a month after the Reaper line’s trial run, word arrived that Jiang Chen’s supercomputing center was complete and ready for inspection.

Taking the elevator deep underground, Jiang Chen entered the futuristic supercomputing center, unable to suppress a surge of emotion.

The technology of this center might not have been cutting-edge, but for Jiang Chen, it held extraordinary significance.

Computing power—those two words were of utmost importance in every field of research.