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Chapter 463: Chapter 378 Currency Clearing Center (Please Subscribe!)_1
Although the Research Area isn’t equipped for research on dark matter or gravitational waves, Tang Qing doesn’t currently have such ludicrous needs. Besides, the Research Area is only at level one, there will likely be many more levels to come, so there’s no need to be impatient.
The functionality of the Research Area is indeed quite impressive.
Optimization and transformation.
Both are incredibly beneficial.
For instance, the weapons and various equipment in the mall, Tang Qing feels a desire to design and improve them himself. Always using these other countries’ equipment, particularly vehicle equipment, is a bit too conspicuous, something he doesn’t like. DIY is always the best.
Likewise with industrial equipment, his future industrial alliance can entirely rely on the research and development capabilities of the Research Area to compete with other contending parties at par. It won’t be constrained by technical levels, after all, many high-tech industries and laboratories aren’t just up for sale to whoever wants them, governments across the globe are watching closely.
Now it’s fine, we can entirely do without them, building things ourselves. You’re free to sell or not sell. If you don’t, we will starve you out. It can be foreseen that the Research Area will become the core tech support for the future industrial alliance, and it will be extremely powerful.
This also made Tang Qing think of another way to make money.
That is, selling those high-end industrial equipment that is banned for export to our nation.
Although he has no intention of donating anything to his motherland without any recompense, equal exchange is a pretty good method. High-end industrial equipment is not available for purchase domestically, either he sells it as-is, or else, lets scientists optimize and transform it, than sells it at a marked-up price to the nation. This would greatly assist in enhancing the nation’s power.
Moreover, it could also significantly alleviate his own financial constraints. Even though his underlings are making money fast, he’s spending it even faster. Suddenly in the future, a project requiring investment of tens or hundreds of billions might pop up. Tang Qing also feels helpless about his own ’spendthrift’ behavior, but there’s no other way, everything requires money.
However, this primarily pertains to the military industry.
If it’s about the civil industry, Tang Qing doesn’t have the slightest interest. He also won’t sell this stuff to civil enterprises. His principle is very simple, the country can increase its power, strengthen its capacity, manufacture weapons and equipment, he is willing to sell, but if those enterprises want to make money and so on, then sorry, goodbye, even he needs stuff.
Subsequently, Tang Qing, riding a flying skateboard, arrived at the Research Area.
The Research Area occupies quite a large area.
Tang Qing has been here before, just to deliver camouflage uniforms to the newly exchanged fighters here. Back then, other places were locked down and the door couldn’t even be opened. But this time, the signals at the door exhibited a green light, indicating free passage.
Little Two introduced as they walked.
"Commander, level one Research Area is currently only open to conventional research project areas, the entire conventional research project area has six hundred workspaces, seventy-three laboratories, a working area of 1.37 million square meters, and can accommodate up to six hundred scientists for working and research. The scientists are general-purpose research robots, supported by knowledge from Little Two’s database, managed and dispatched by Commander Tang Yi, and aided by Little Two."
Looking at the empty offices and science fiction-like equipment of the Research Area, Tang Qing calculated how many RMBs it would take to fill this place in his mind, which is actually easy to calculate. Six hundred research robots, priced at ten million RMB each, wouldn’t that just be sixty billion RMB?
Indeed.
A bit expensive.
But compared to their future output value, sixty billion RMB, isn’t too much, it’s acceptable.
"Little Two, what is a general-purpose research robot?" Tang Qing asked, putting the principle of asking when he didn’t understand into practice.
"A general-purpose research robot has basic theoretical knowledge in all subjects and the main knowledge framework, has in-depth understanding and certain creativity, the knowledge of each subject is equivalent to the level of postgraduates outside, but in conjunction with the support of the remote knowledge database, it can call up any knowledge it wants to know from the database at any time, therefore, after being exchanged out, it can be directionally trained or borrowed at any time." Little Two explained.
Tang Qing understood now, these scientists can fight guerrilla wars wherever needed, they can also fight positional wars. The main knowledge doesn’t rely on it being stored in the brain, but rather on ’sharing’.
Not bad.
Pretty cool.
Even bonafide humans are the same, new knowledge is really too plentiful, leading to more and more fine division of labor in various specialties, unlike before, where one person topped several titles like a physicist, biologist, mathematician.
If technology were to develop further in the future.
This kind of research method could actually be popularized among humans too, but the establishment of an entire system would take quite a long time.
Tang Qing pondered in his heart. The Command Room still had 900 million RMB. How many scientists to exchange for? If it’s too many, there won’t be much use, it’s better to exchange for ten first, and consider adding more later if not enough.
"Little Two, immediately exchange for ten scientists, by the way, how long will it take?" Tang Qing ordered.
"Replying to the Commander, it will take ten minutes." Little Two replied.
"Is Tang Yi also clear about this matter here?" Tang Qing asked again, he was already accustomed to seeking Tang Yi whenever there was a problem.
"Yes, in addition to being proficient in everyday affair management, the intermediate commander is also proficient in theoretical knowledge in all subjects." The answer that Little Two provided made Tang Qing feel once again that the two billion spent earlier was well worth it.
"Well, in that case, I’ll go back to the platform and wait for him. There’s no one here, and it feels gloomy." Tang Qing lost interest after wandering back and forth. There were only cold rooms and machines everywhere, no signs of life, like something out of a horror movie. The sound of a semi-artificial intelligence’s voice echoed in the hallways.
Subsequently, Tang Qing returned to the cylindrical platform.
"Tang Yi, would there be any issues if I modify my mobile phone and computer to use the communication server for data transfer?" Tang Qing asked directly. He had asked this question before, and Little Two had confirmed it was possible.
Truth be told, after witnessing the hacking skills of the analysts, he thought the internet was full of loopholes. For the sake of his own future communication safety, Tang Qing planned to route his and his family’s mobile data entirely through his own devices - it would be faster, and also more secure.
Besides, the internet speed of the outside world was dreadfully slow. They were still in the 2G age, which was a constant worry.
"Commander, there will be no issue. Given ten scientists and half a day, a solution can be developed to install concealed quantum communication modules on external mobile phones and computers, thus realizing data transmission services." Tang Yi answered.
Tang Qing responded satisfactorily: "Hmm, that’s good. And surprisingly fast too. Notify me when the design is ready."
"Yes, Commander."
Having finished his visit here, Tang Qing was ready to inspect the final changes brought about this time by the upgrade.
"System, activate the Currency Clearing Center." Tang Qing recited mentally.
"Host, activating the Currency Clearing Center requires a billion RMB. Please confirm," the System replied.
"Confirm; deduct it from Little Two’s account," Tang Qing instructed. After the deduction, Little Two would only have seven hundred million left. He wasn’t sure if this Currency Clearing Center would be another gold-devouring beast like last time - the Command Center had drained his wallet before he could even flaunt it for long; oh, how ’poor’ he had felt.
All Tang Qing could do now was pray.
However, it was only a second before...
"Host, the Currency Clearing Center has been activated. Would you like to be teleported there?" the System inquired.
"Agreed," Tang Qing replied.
His mood was a bit excited.
The name itself suggested it had something to do with money, though he had no idea what its actual function was.
The moment his voice fell...
Tang Qing felt the scene in front of him change.
He found himself standing on... a street? Despite the street being a bit long - over two kilometers - and the buildings on either side were huge, this place couldn’t be described as anything but a street.
What the hell is this?
"System, what are you up to? This is just a street; how is this supposed to be a ’center’?" Tang Qing couldn’t help himself anymore. The Command Center had been so grand and badass; the Training Area was even bigger, covering thousands of square kilometers.
But this Currency Clearing Center...it didn’t seem like a place worth a billion. Although the architecture was unique and futuristic and quite tall, he felt it was almost smaller than the vegetable field in the Training Area.
"Host, this is indeed the Currency Clearing Center. Its main function is not the same as the Command Center. It’s the information hub for currency settlements, regulation, manufacturing, etc. All currency transactions occur in the external world, so the Currency Clearing Center does not require a large area," the System explained.
Tang Qing nodded. Indeed, due to different functions, it didn’t need to be so vast. The Command Center was an exception, as it housed a large number of fighters, analysts, weapons, and equipment. It looked a bit empty now, but if he procured an aircraft carrier or some fleets in the future, there would be a need for parking space. Even airplanes needed a spacious area for take-off and landing.
"So all of these buildings, why are they so dark? Are there people inside?" Tang Qing asked.
"Host, no, not at the moment. To activate the entire Currency Clearing Center takes five billion RMB," the System replied.
"Give me a reason, System. Why would all this cost five billion? Are you trying to rob me?" Tang Qing growled, pointing at the buildings in front of him. He couldn’t complain anymore; the System would never inflate prices, but he wanted to know where his money was going.
"Host, the space occupied by the Currency Clearing Center is exactly as you see it. Each building has a different function, naturally hosting control systems and staff. The five billion RMB serves to activate the main control system and provide all necessary staff for the Currency Clearing Center, allowing all functional areas to operate normally," the System replied.
"So you’re saying it’s a one-off payment and there will be no further charges from then on?" Tang Qing’s eyes lit up. If that was the case, five billion didn’t seem too much. Looking back at how much money he had poured into the Command Center, it must’ve hit at least twenty or thirty billion by now. 𝓷ℴ𝓿𝓅𝓊𝒷.𝓬𝓸𝓂
"No, that’s not it. You will still have to pay for additional services," the System replied, shamelessly.
"Damn you, you’re barefaced!" Tang Qing barked.
PS: End of Chapter 1.
