Chapter 36: Tell Song Qi, spend whatever he wants!

Dragon Nation, Imperial Capital, Heavenly Sword Laboratory.

Amidst a pile of design blueprints, Elder Zhao leaned down, focusing intently on the engine blueprint in front of him, his expression shifting between tension and relief.

Ever since Song Qi handed him the blueprints, Elder Zhao had returned to the Heavenly Sword Research Institute and immediately convened a technical meeting.

He had many copies of the blueprints printed and distributed to the institute's researchers.

The researchers at Heavenly Sword were all top-tier experts in the field of fighter jet technology, but the moment they saw the blueprints, they were instantly frozen in place.

The fighter jet designed on the blueprints was simply a product of the future world, completely exceeding everyone's imagination.

Just like that, the entire Heavenly Sword Research Institute fell into a state of unparalleled fanaticism.

Even Elder Zhao, who had one foot in the grave, studied the blueprints until he forgot to eat and sleep.

He practically lived in his office.

*Thump! Thump! Thump! *

Outside the office, a rhythmic knocking sounded.

"Come in!"

Elder Zhao, who was bent over his desk processing documents, lifted his reading glasses and looked toward the door.

"Elder Zhao!"

"We received a procurement application from the Xijing Third Institute, made by a person named Zhou Yonghui."

"Many items on the procurement list belong to lethal raw materials. We were just about to refuse, but the person said it was needed by Song Qi and asked us to explain the situation to you..."

Song Qi?!

Upon hearing this name, Elder Zhao's eyes widened immediately.

"Quick, let me see the procurement list!"

Taking the procurement list, Elder Zhao put his reading glasses back on. As soon as he saw the contents, he froze.

"Wait!"

"You didn't take the wrong list, did you?"

"Are you sure this isn't the procurement list for the mushroom cloud bomb research institute over there?"

The assistant shook his head silently.

"Elder Zhao, this is indeed the Third Institute's procurement list..."

?

A large question mark slowly floated over Elder Zhao's head.

What kind of plane is this Song Qi trying to fly now!

High-purity heavy water?

This stuff is a material used for making hydrogen bombs!

And he also wants high-strength chromium-nickel alloy; do you know how hard that is to get?

The National Space Administration can't even get much in a year, and you come to me asking for a ton right off the bat?

The most fatal thing is this zirconium element!

This stuff can be used to make bulletproof armor, and it's also the metal material for nuclear reactor structural cores!

Never mind the price; within the Dragon Nation, these three things can't be bought even if you have money!

Even in the Heavenly Sword Research Institute, which has the highest security classification in the country, there isn't much of a quota for these three things in a year.

The quantity requested on Song Qi's procurement list is not small.

Taking this much would directly take away half a year's supply for the Heavenly Sword Research Institute...

Seeing Elder Zhao's struggling expression, the assistant said softly: "Elder Zhao..."

"Should I... reject this procurement application?"

The assistant's tentative voice came, and Elder Zhao hurriedly waved his hand upon hearing it.

"No!"

"Send the materials over as soon as possible! Don't delay Little Song's time!"

Heartache is heartache.

As a scientific giant, Elder Zhao still had the necessary courage.

Those materials would probably not amount to much if kept in his Heavenly Sword Research Institute anyway!

If they are handed to Song Qi, and this kid manages to build another new type of fighter jet!

That would be a real massive profit!

"But!"

The assistant appeared extremely hesitant: "Elder Zhao, if we give the materials away, what will our institute do..."

"Even if our institute is poor to the point of starving, we cannot treat Little Song poorly, understand?"

Elder Zhao seemed to have suddenly thought of something and continued: "Also, send an additional 50 million in funding to the Third Institute! Tell him, spend whatever he wants!!"

"Do you understand?"

Upon hearing this, the assistant's heart skipped a beat.

He instantly realized that this Song Qi at the Third Institute was an extraordinary figure!

A young man who could receive such high praise from Elder Zhao—perhaps not a second one could be found in the entire Dragon Nation.

"Understood!"

The assistant nodded and hurriedly prepared to withdraw.

But just as he reached the door, he was called back by Elder Zhao.

"Wait a moment!"

The little assistant turned back and asked: "Elder Zhao, is there anything else?"

"How is the assembly of the sixth-generation fighter jet production line going? The specific construction blueprints have already been issued; how long is it expected to take before mass production?"

Elder Zhao had also been keeping the construction of the fighter jet production line in his heart.

It was just that he was old and unable to run around, so he could only leave such an important matter to his subordinates.

However, the Dragon Nation was the number one manufacturing powerhouse on the Blue Planet, and Elder Zhao was still very confident about the construction speed of the production line.

"Reporting to Elder Zhao."

"The preliminary planning for the sixth-generation fighter jet production line has been completed, and the downstream manufacturers required for various supporting equipment have also been preliminarily tendered."

"A specialized fighter jet production line has already been opened at the Liaoyang Aircraft Manufacturing Plant."

"It is expected that the first new type of fighter jet will be produced in three months."

"After the new fighter jet passes testing, it will be produced at full capacity, and it is expected that it can be equipped to the Dragon Nation Air Force within two years..."

"Three months?"

A rare look of excitement appeared on Elder Zhao's face.

This expression hadn't even appeared on Elder Zhao's face when the J-20 test flight was successful.

"Good! Good! Good!"

Elder Zhao said the word 'good' three times in a row; his mood at this moment was already joyful to the extreme!

Elder Zhao had waited for this day for far, far too long.

Throughout his decades-long scientific research career, Elder Zhao had always held his breath.

Why should the Dragon Nation's fighter jets be suppressed and beaten by the Free Nation, and not even be able to compete with the Northern Bear Nation!

For these past decades, Elder Zhao had worked conscientiously to forge swords for the nation!

Batch after batch of fighter jets, such as the J-11B and J-20, were built by Elder Zhao's hands.

In Elder Zhao's generation, the Dragon Nation's fighter jet level had advanced by leaps and bounds, from third-generation jets, fourth-generation jets, to the final J-20 fifth-generation jet!

In just twenty years, the Dragon Nation had completed the great miracle of fighter jets leaping from the third generation to the fifth.

But even so, the Free Nation's F-22 Raptor and F-35 still loomed like two great mountains over the hearts of the Dragon Nation's scientific researchers, leaving them breathless.

However! ===== CHAPTER 38 =====