Chapter 105: A Youngster Arrives with His High-Tech Creation

The ripples of panic triggered by the Viper Group quickly faded into nothing under the iron-wall defense and thunderous counterstrike of the Qin Feng System. For an Empire already on the fast track, this was nothing more than a negligible bit of noise amid the roar of the engine.

Qin Feng's focus had fully returned to breakthroughs in core technology and the construction of the Empire's blueprint. Su Jin's Gene Optimization Fluid project, the search for energy technology, the unlock conditions for the Shadow Shuttle… each item demanded enormous energy from him.

However, just as he was focused on these grand narratives, an unexpected "little episode" barged into his view in a manner that was slightly comical yet secretly sharp.

That day, Qin Feng was in the temporary Command Center of the Future Technology Research Institute (located inside the Headquarters Building), holding a video conference with Su Jin to discuss a key parameter of the optimization fluid's energy module. Assistant Chen Ming walked in with a somewhat odd expression and reported in a low voice:

"Boss Qin, downstairs at the front desk… a young man has come, claiming to be the founder of 'Spark Technology,' named Han Xing. He insists on seeing you, saying he has an… epoch-making invention that can only be shown to you in person."

"Spark Technology? Han Xing?" Qin Feng searched his memory, no impression at all. Every day he received countless similar requests for meetings, mostly impractical fantasists or entrepreneurs seeking investment.

"Handle it according to standard procedure." Qin Feng waved his hand, preparing to continue the meeting.

"But…" Chen Ming's expression grew even stranger, even carrying a hint of helplessness, "He… he brought something about half a person's height, looking like a homemade robot, and is blocking the front desk refusing to leave. He also said… if you won't let him see you, he'll have his robot perform… chest-smashing on the spot?"

On the other end of the video, even Su Jin's cool, clear face could not help showing a trace of astonishment.

Qin Feng was also taken aback upon hearing this, then laughed. Chest-smashing? These days, people pulling investments are this desperate?

He had wanted to have security "invite" him out directly, but for some reason, his heart stirred slightly. Perhaps because he had been exposed to too much profound technology lately, he actually felt a faint curiosity toward this folk invention tinged with a bit of "nonsense."

"Let him come up, arrange it in Meeting Room Two." Qin Feng changed his mind and said to Su Jin, "Dr. Su, we'll continue later."

"Alright." Su Jin nodded and cut the video.

A moment later, Meeting Room Two.

Qin Feng sat in the main seat, Chen Ming standing attentively to one side. The door was pushed open, and the front desk supervisor, wearing a helpless expression, led a young man in.

This young man looked barely past twenty, his hair a mess as if it had just been bombed, wearing thick black-framed glasses, a T-shirt printed with a two-dimensional cute girl, and faded jeans, seemingly carrying the smell of solder and machine oil. He was laboriously dragging a rather crude-looking "robot" pieced together from various scrap metal, circuit boards, and 3D-printed parts, and a blue stone slab was actually stuck to the robot's chest, goodness knows where he got it.

This image formed an incomparably stark contrast with the elites and scientific titans Qin Feng usually dealt with.

"You… you are Mr. Qin Feng?" Seeing Qin Feng, the young man was visibly nervous, pushed up his slipping glasses, his voice trembling, but his eyes were unusually bright, even a bit stubborn.

"I am." Qin Feng nodded, his gaze sweeping over that bizarrely shaped robot, his tone even, "Han Xing? You said you have an epoch-making invention to show me?"

"Yes! Mr. Qin!" Han Xing was like a switch had been pressed, instantly excited, no longer caring about his nervousness, pointing at the robot beside him, "This is my masterpiece, 'Iron Egg One'! It's not an ordinary robot! It's equipped with my independently developed 'Adaptive Dynamic Balance and Real-Time Torque Distribution System'! And based on vision and laser composite positioning…"

He began pouring out a string of technical jargon nonstop, speaking extremely fast, his eyes fervent.

Qin Feng listened quietly, not interrupting. He noticed that although the young man's expression was somewhat messy, and his dress and demeanor appeared unkempt, some of the technical ideas he mentioned, especially the algorithmic conception about dynamic balance and real-time control, actually had quite a few unique points, even faintly touching the edge of certain advanced robotics technology.

"…So, it can not only perform regular walking and transport, but also adapt to extremely complex terrain, achieving true all-terrain traversal!" Han Xing concluded, then, as if to prove it, suddenly slapped the robot's head (a camera), "Iron Egg! Give him a show!"

The robot named "Iron Egg" had red light flash in its eyes (two LED lights), emitted a hum of motors turning, and then… it really started swaying and moving!

It first clumsily walked a few steps, then suddenly stumbled, about to fall, but at the moment of losing balance, its limb joints rapidly adjusted at an unreasonable speed and angle, creaking as they stabilized its body! Then, it tried to step over a file folder Chen Ming deliberately placed on the ground; although the movements were still stiff and comical, it actually lifted its leg, adjusted its center of gravity, and planted its foot, completing the step in one go! Finally, it walked to the wall, faced the smooth surface, extended its mechanical claw, the claw tip ejecting a suction cup, seemingly wanting to try climbing!

Throughout the whole process, the robot's movements were far from elegant and smooth, even somewhat awkward and funny, but the "tenacity" and "adaptability" it displayed—frantically adjusting at the edge of imbalance, striving to maintain balance and complete commands—caused a flash of surprise in Qin Feng's eyes.

This was absolutely no chest-smashing gimmick. This young man named Han Xing really had something in the underlying control algorithms of robots! Although the technology was very crude and the implementation could only be called rudimentary, the core idea contained a wild, unconventional creativity!

"Alright, that's enough." Qin Feng spoke up and stopped Han Xing, who still wanted "Iron Egg" to perform chest-smashing.

Han Xing immediately stopped, looking at Qin Feng nervously and expectantly, like a student waiting for a teacher to critique his homework.

Qin Feng did not immediately evaluate his invention, but asked: "What was your major in college?"

"I… I didn't go to college." Han Xing scratched his messy hair, a bit embarrassed, "After high school I just tinkered at home, read papers, took things apart… this 'Iron Egg' was made with scrap I picked up and money earned from odd jobs."

Self-taught? Made from scrap?

The surprise in Qin Feng's heart grew even greater. Without systematic scientific research training, relying only on interest and self-study, he could tinker out something at this level? This could no longer be called interest, but true talent!

He seemed to see an uncarved jade, a strange talent full of all kinds of bizarre ideas, possibly deviating from mainstream scientific research paradigms, but might erupt with astonishing energy in certain specific fields.

"Your algorithmic thinking is very interesting." Qin Feng finally gave his assessment, his tone carrying a hint of praise, "Although the implementation is still very rudimentary, the direction is correct."

Han Xing's eyes instantly lit up, so excited his face turned red: "Mr. Qin! You… you understood?! That's great! I knew you were different from those people! They all said I was wildly unrealistic!"

"Wildly unrealistic, sometimes is precisely the beginning of a breakthrough." Qin Feng smiled slightly, then changed the subject, "However, merely this is still far from 'epoch-making.'"

Han Xing's emotions calmed slightly, he nodded forcefully: "I understand! This is just the basics! I still have many ideas! For example, adding stronger artificial intelligence to it, letting it truly understand the environment! And more efficient energy systems…"

Looking at the pure love for technology and unreserved enthusiasm in his eyes, Qin Feng had already made his decision.

"Spark Technology… not a bad name." Qin Feng looked at Chen Ming, "Chen Ming, take Mr. Han to handle the onboarding procedures. For now, arrange him under the Institute's subordinate 'Innovation Incubation Project Department,' equip him with a standard laboratory and necessary resource support. His 'Iron Egg One' will be listed as an internal research project."

Although Chen Ming was somewhat surprised by the Boss's decision, he immediately responded: "Yes, Boss Qin!"

Han Xing was completely stunned, mouth agape, no reaction for a long time. He… he was just hired like that? And directly entering the legendary "Future Technology Research Institute"?

"Mr… Mr. Qin! You… you mean it?!" His voice trembled, he could hardly believe his own ears.

"I never joke." Qin Feng stood up, walked over to that still-humming "Iron Egg One," patted its cold metal shell, and looked at Han Xing with deep eyes:

"I'll give you a platform, give you resources. Let me see how big a flame this bit of 'spark' of yours can ignite."

"Remember, here, imagination has no boundaries."

Han Xing looked at Qin Feng, looked at those eyes that seemed able to contain the stars and the sea, an unprecedented excitement and sense of mission welled up in his heart. He forcefully wiped his face and nodded heavily:

"Yes! Mr. Qin! I… I will definitely not let you down!"

A seemingly unreliable youngster, carrying his crude high-tech "toy," just like that, bewildered yet utterly resolute, stepped into Qin Feng's rapidly expanding Empire territory.

Perhaps even Qin Feng himself had not anticipated how this casually picked up, seemingly unremarkable "spark," in the future, would ignite a prairie fire in his grand Tech Empire.