Volume 1, Chapter 61: Who Did It?

His finger slid across the virtual redemption list and finally stopped at the entry labeled "S-Type Radar-Absorbent Coating."

Three thousand points.

This was nearly half of the chips he had won from a high-stakes gamble by risking everything. Yet, he did not hesitate.

"Redeem."

He issued the command in his mind.

[Confirm redemption: Basic chemical principles and laboratory preparation process for the S-Type radar-absorbent coating?]

"Confirm."

[Points deducted: 3,000.]

[Current total points: 5,500.]

A massive stream of information instantly surged in. Countless chemical formulas, reaction pathways, process parameters, and equipment requirements constructed a complete laboratory within his mind. From the most basic polymer selection to the doping of nanoscale magnetic particles, and onward to the curing curve for multi-layer spraying.

Everything was exceptionally clear.

He turned around and said to Shen Qingyun, who was still standing in place:

"Old Shen, get me a list."

"What list?" Shen Qingyun had not yet fully recovered from the recent shock.

"All technical personnel in the factory related to materials science. List those with a master's degree or above separately." Du Yuze's instructions were clear and direct.

"You want to work on materials? Our factory's foundation..." Shen Qingyun left his sentence unfinished. Plant 303 excelled in final assembly and system integration, while basic materials research had always been its weak spot.

"If there is no foundation, we will build it starting today." Du Yuze interrupted him. "I need it now."

"Alright, I'll head to the personnel department right away." Shen Qingyun nodded and strode off.

An hour later, Shen Qingyun returned. He did not bring back a list; instead, his face wore an expression that mixed anger with awkwardness. He pulled Du Yuze into an empty corner of the workshop.

"Something's happened."

Du Yuze looked at him without speaking, waiting for him to continue.

"Funding... Our project funding has been cut." Shen Qingyun lowered his volume, but every word carried a suppressed grievance.

"Cut by how much?"

"Seventy percent." Shen Qingyun spat out the figure. "A notice just came down from above, stating they want to 'reassess project risks and control budget expenditures.' Bullshit! The proposal was approved only yesterday, and they're reassessing it today?"

Du Yuze's expression did not change at all. He simply asked:

"Who did it?"

"Who else could it be?" Shen Qingyun's fist clenched at his side. "I asked around through connections. Wang Dezhong, the vice plant director in charge of technology at Plant 112, made a call to the ministry. He claimed that Plant 303 engaging in preliminary research is a farce, redundant construction, and a waste of national resources. He also said our proposal is impractical, extremely high-risk, and bound to fail."

Wang Dezhong, the technical vice plant director of Plant 112.

"Could just one person wield that much clout?"

"Of course not by himself. But behind him stands the entirety of Plant 112, decades of industry standing. A single word from them carries more weight than a hundred shouts from us." Shen Qingyun's teeth were tightly clenched. "These people, incapable of achieving anything themselves, stab us in the back the moment they see us secure an entry ticket."

"When does the funding get cut off?"

"The official document hasn't been issued yet, but the finance department has already received verbal notice. Aside from personnel salaries, all procurement and construction funds are frozen."

This meant that the technology Du Yuze had just redeemed did not even have the funds required to set up a most basic laboratory. His stealth materials team was dead before it was even formed.

"I'm going to see Plant Director Song," Shen Qingyun said.

"It's useless." Du Yuze dismissed the idea. "Plant Director Song has to answer to the higher-ups as well. This matter cannot be resolved at the plant level."

His brain was operating at high speed. Stripping away the foundation—this move was indeed ruthless. Without money, the J-XX project would become empty talk, smothered to death in its cradle.

Meanwhile, in that windowless room.

A hand clad in a white glove was flipping through a new intelligence report. The intelligence came from an operative with the codename "Vulture."

[Target (Du Yuze) has completed project initiation and demonstrated extraordinary organizational capability and technical foresight. Preliminary assessment indicates that the source of his threat may not stem from Plant 303's existing technical reserves; the existence of an unknown technology source is suspected.]

[ supplementary intelligence: Word from the capital indicates that Plant 112 has intervened in the J-XX project through high-level connections, resulting in a substantial slash to the project budget.]

The finger beneath the white glove paused.

A moment later, he tapped a new line of commands onto the keyboard.

["Vulture" clearance upgraded.]

[New directive: Budget cuts are merely preliminary measures and cannot eradicate the project. The core lies within the supply chain. Infiltrate all potential material, equipment, and component supply chains for the J-XX project. Control, contaminate, sever. Ensure he cannot manufacture a single thing.]

The order was transmitted via quantum channel.

A receipt quickly popped up on the screen.

[Understood.]

Plant 303's No. 2 Cafeteria, dinnertime.

Originally, this was intended as a celebration feast for the successful establishment of the J-XX project. Although alcohol was absent, the head chef at the cafeteria had deliberately added two extra heavy dishes.

At this moment, however, the cafeteria was shrouded in dead silence.

The news that funding had been slashed by seventy percent had spread like a virus throughout the project team within half a day. Dozens of people sat together, silently poking at the food in their bowls without uttering a word. The initial joy and excitement were swallowed by a layer of gloomy clouds.

Du Yuze and Shen Qingyun sat at the same table.

"Everyone's morale..." Shen Qingyun looked around, filled with worry. "Once the momentum leaks out, trying to lift it back up will be difficult."

Du Yuze ignored him and simply continued eating. He did not eat fast, but steadily, bite after bite.

Finally, someone could no longer hold back. A young engineer in charge of avionics put down his chopsticks.

"Director Du, what... what do we do next? Without money, let alone building an aircraft, we can't even afford the license for a simulation software."

Everyone stopped using their chopsticks and looked at Du Yuze.

Du Yuze swallowed his final mouthful of food and wiped his mouth with a napkin.

He stood up and swept his gaze across the crowd.

"Are you done eating?"

No one answered.

"If you're done eating, we'll hold a meeting," he said.

Instead of heading to the conference room, he stood right in the center of the cafeteria.

"I know what everyone is thinking. The money is gone, so the project must be finished, right?"

"I'm telling you. It's not finished."

"Starting today, the project enters a wartime state. All budgets will be replanned, and every single penny must be spent where it counts. If we can't afford to buy equipment, we'll build it ourselves. If we can't afford software, we'll write it ourselves. If we don't have enough manpower, one person will do the work of three."

His words failed to comfort anyone; instead, they made the expressions of several people turn even darker. This was sheer fantasy.

"Director Du, we can't just rely on grit..." another person whispered softly.

"I know," Du Yuze said, looking at that person. "That's why I am now announcing the first order."

"Establish the 'J-XX Project Stealth Technology Assault Team.' The objective is to produce a qualified sample of the S-type radar-absorbent coating within three months. I will personally serve as the team leader."

This order startled everyone.

No money, and yet they were opening a new front? And in materials science, which was the plant's weakest area?

"This... without equipment, without a venue, and with even raw material procurement being difficult, how can we pull this off?" Even Shen Qingyun felt this was unrealistic.

Just then, a crisp female voice rang out.

"Reporting."

Everyone turned toward the source of the sound.

A young woman wearing clean blue work overalls and black-rimmed glasses stood up. She looked to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, her face entirely unfamiliar.

"Who are you?" Shen Qingyun asked.

"My name is Zhou Yuwei. I just completed my onboarding procedures today," the woman replied, her demeanor composed. "Ph.D. in Materials Science from RWTH Aachen University in Germany. My research focus is polymer composites and electromagnetic wave absorption."

The entire cafeteria instantly fell silent.

Everyone stared at the female doctor who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Zhou Yuwei paid no mind to their gazes; her eyes remained fixed solely on Du Yuze.

"I read the project proposal for the J-XX, given to me by Plant Director Song. Your plan is bold, but it grasps the core."

"Stealth performance is the lifeline of the J-XX, and the stealth coating is the most critical link in that lifeline."

She paused and pushed up her glasses.

"Director Du, does your stealth technology team still need people?"

The air seemed to freeze.

At a moment when the project had been undermined at its roots, when panic reigned and everyone believed the future was pitch black, a newly hired Ph.D., a top-tier talent who surely had better options, was voluntarily asking to board a ship that appeared to be sinking.

Du Yuze looked at her for several seconds.

"We do," he said.

"I need someone who can use the barest minimum of funds, the poorest equipment, and the shortest timeframe to turn what belongs only in a laboratory into a coating that can be painted onto an aircraft."

"I'll do it."

Zhou Yuwei's response came without the slightest hesitation.

Du Yuze nodded.

He turned to face everyone.

"Now, let me make an introduction. This is Dr. Zhou Yuwei, the first member of our stealth technology team."

"And a core member," he added.

Having said that, he turned, picked up his tray, and walked toward the return station.