C7 200000 in Pain!

"On behalf of Huaqing, I extend a warm welcome to all the new students! I hope you'll embrace the spirit of Huaqing and strive to become valuable contributors to our nation!"

Xu Wenn's speech was a jumbled mess, and the students hardly absorbed a word. Some had even resorted to dozing off out of sheer boredom. Had they not been surprised to learn that this unassuming man was an Aerospace professor at Dinghai University, Xu Wenn might have been booed off stage long ago.

At last, Xu Wenn concluded his remarks, and the audience erupted into thunderous applause. Clearly, the students were more thrilled about the speech ending than anything else. Xu Wenn acknowledged the applause with a slight hand gesture, oblivious to Principal Ni Zhongwen's scowl beside him.

But considering Lu Ming's significant investment, Ni Zhongwen bit back his frustration. After all, it's not every day a student shows such promise. And with Old Bei from the neighboring institution eyeing Xu Wenn for a potential steal, Ni Zhongwen dared not show his irritation.

He swallowed his pride; keeping Xu Wenn at Huaqing was worth any personal discomfort.

Xu Wenn returned to his seat, and Lu Ming eagerly took the spot next to him. "Teacher! About that question I asked you last time..."

Xu Wenn gestured for silence, took a swig from his water bottle, and exhaled deeply before giving Lu Ming a measured look. "Little Lu, you're an entrepreneur now. Why this impatience?"

"Teacher, I'm sorry... it's just that the fate of my company hangs in the balance. I can't help but be anxious!" Lu Ming mopped the sweat from his brow.

Back when Lu Ming first started at Dinghai University, Xu Wenn had always maintained a cool detachment, as if nothing could faze him. Lu Ming, like the new students, hadn't initially taken Xu Wenn seriously. After all, every student at Huaqing considered themselves exceptional, a touch of arrogance almost a given.

Yet Xu Wenn's undeniable talent had earned Lu Ming's deep respect, and now, he pinned all his hopes for his company's salvation on Xu Wenn's expertise.

It's quite the tale...

Lu Ming's Aviation Technology Company was a rare gem in the industry, a large-scale enterprise that encompassed research and development, assembly, air logistics, and passenger transport. Its status as a "domestic heavyweight" allowed it to swiftly capture a significant market share, solely through its commercial aviation operations, quickly elevating it to a multi-billion-dollar valuation.

But that success was only skin-deep. Beneath the surface, the reality was far grimmer. Aviation Technology faced a concerted blockade from established international airlines, both in the domestic market of Great Zhou and on the global stage of Blue Star. Despite its claims of independent passenger plane development and assembly, what could a fledgling two-year-old company genuinely boast in terms of proprietary models? For the past two years, their primary role had been to assemble planes for a commercial airline from A Country.

Now, with Aviation Technology daring to vie for a slice of the international market, A Country's Ming Hang Company pulled the plug, severing ties and cooperation. Relying on Aviation Technology's aging fleet, challenging international competitors was a pipe dream, let alone maintaining a foothold domestically—where numerous airlines were slashing prices to corner the market.

Moreover...

Great Zhou's aviation sector was almost entirely dependent on foreign-made passenger planes. While the nation might hold its own in military aviation, it lacked any domestic airline with the capacity for independent development and production. To make matters worse, A Country's aviation manufacturers threatened to cut off plane supplies to Great Zhou's airlines.

This left Great Zhou's airlines in disarray, facing the prospect of grounding their fleets of antiquated planes. After all, what is an airline without aircraft to take to the skies?

Reluctantly, even those who were hesitant to oppose Lu Ming's Aviation Technology found themselves coerced onto A Country's bandwagon. How could such a nascent company stand a chance against the might of established industry giants?

Aviation Technology was left with a singular, daunting path forward: to engineer their own passenger planes—models that would outshine A Country's in safety, operational cost, and overall performance.

With this move, Great Zhou Country's civil aviation would no longer be choked by A Country, and Aviation Technology could breathe easy about their future.

Months ago, Lu Ming had laid it all out for Xu Wenn, his mentor, who had agreed to supply a fresh design for a passenger aircraft. Today, Lu Ming wouldn't have bothered with the tedious new student orientation ceremony if he hadn't been so impatient. He was there primarily to find Xu Wenn.

Seeing Xu Wenn's composed demeanor, Lu Ming was convinced his all-capable mentor had something up his sleeve. He was eager to see what Xu Wenn would unveil.

Truth be told, Xu Wenn's tech system wasn't devoid of aircraft blueprints, but acquiring them was costly. Lu Ming had subsisted on steamed buns and tap water for months, scrimping to save up enough Contribution Value.

"System, display my Contribution Value," Xu Wenn silently commanded, and a holographic screen visible only to him materialized.

Host: Xu Wenn

Technology Ceiling: Level 2

Contribution Value: 218,541

Each point of Contribution Value signified a dollar Xu Wenn had donated to charities like Hope Project, the Red Cross, and social welfare funds. 218,541 points meant he had given away $218,541—nearly a year and a half's earnings.

For the sake of more points, Xu Wenn had contentedly lived on buns and water. Now, he allowed himself a moment of satisfaction, a smile of relief spreading across his face.

"It's just a passenger plane blueprint. You're too worked up over it..."

"System, exchange for the Black Vajra Jet blueprint!"

[Beep! Black Vajra Jet blueprint exchange complete. 200,000 Contribution Value spent!]

"Damn it!"

Xu Wenn's face twisted in agony.

He shot Lu Ming a look of deep reproach.

[Why couldn't you just hand me that billion directly, instead of donating it to the school? Such a waste!]

[Could Ni Zhongwen have provided you with a passenger plane blueprint?]

Xu Wenn grumbled inwardly.

200,000 gone in an instant!

But securing a set of blueprints for a passenger plane was priceless. Developing a new model was no small feat; the design phase alone could run into the tens of millions.

At 200,000 yuan, the price couldn't get any lower—it was practically a giveaway.

Yet for Xu Wenn, a professor, it took a year and a half of saving from his monthly salary and allowances to scrape together that amount.

This feat was achieved through Xu Wenn's relentless dedication to teaching, countless hours of overtime, and even persuading the university president, Ni Zhongwen, to give him a raise.

"Let's move this conversation elsewhere," Xu Wenn suggested.

Lu Ming caught Xu Wenn's remark about it being "just an airplane blueprint" but failed to register the wince of pain that crossed Xu Wenn's face.