Chapter 125: Peddling Black Gold

Li Fu once again arrived at the Tianfu Aviation Research Institute in the land of Huaxia. He could not help but savor the atmosphere; everything here felt incredibly peaceful, devoid of the frantic pace of modern society. Whether it was the pedestrians walking at a leisurely stroll or the surroundings themselves, everything seemed unhurried, making one yearn to spend the rest of their life in such a place.

"Little Li, it's been a long time. What wind has blown you, such a busy man, over to us?"

Just as Li Fu was lost in thought while gazing at the scenery, the hearty voice of Liu Shiying reached him. Li Fu had come specifically to visit Liu Shiying, and naturally, to promote a new material—Black Gold—from his own materials company.

"Old Liu, it has indeed been a while, and I've missed you. Since I happened to have business nearby, I made a special trip to see you. Last time I was in the capital, my mentor, Liu Yi, asked me to convey his regards and invite you to visit when you have the time. He recently acquired a bottle of fine liquor and is saving it specifically to entertain you."

Seeing Liu Shiying again, Li Fu was delighted and smiled as he relayed his mentor's message.

"Your mentor? With that stingy nature of his, it would be a miracle if he were truly willing to share fine liquor with me. If he were sincere, he would have called me long ago."

"I still remember when we were in school together; your mentor was notorious for his miserliness. He used to hide a pack of cigarettes so securely that no matter how we looked, we could never find it. Guess where he hid them in the end?"

"He hid them inside his underwear! Ever since then, we wouldn't even dare to accept a cigarette from him, haha!"

Liu Shiying was very talkative, and when it came to Li Fu’s mentor, Liu Yi, he didn't hold back in recounting his past embarrassments.

"Haha, I never knew that about my mentor. It seems I should prepare more high-quality cigarettes as a gift for him in the future."

Li Fu laughed along with him. Although there was a significant age gap between them, the two had become close friends since working together last year on the plasma engine and the aerospace fighter project.

In the backyard of Liu Shiying’s residence at the institute, the two sat drinking tea and chatting happily. Naturally, their conversation drifted from the plasma engine they had once developed to the current global space race.

"With the overwhelming superiority of our aerospace fighters, Huaxia has been traveling to and from space frequently since the second half of last year, transporting massive amounts of supplies. Now, even scientists, not just astronauts, can go up into space to conduct experiments."

"Our Tiangong station is now larger than all other man-made objects in space combined. There are over thirty astronauts or scientists living there at any given time, and they can return to the ground quickly whenever they need to."

Speaking of Huaxia's current progress in space, Liu Shiying beamed with pride. These achievements were entirely due to the aerospace fighter—a craft built by his team.

"Indeed, the advantages of the aerospace fighter are clear. It is safe, cost-effective, convenient, and fast. Surpassing other nations is simply a matter of time."

Li Fu nodded, fully aware of the advantages of this epoch-making product, which far outclassed the rocket-launched spacecraft of the past.

"The country has already sent numerous detection devices to the moon. I estimate that the Chang'e lunar landing mission will begin very soon. Just thinking about it is exhilarating; we, the descendants of Yan and Huang, will be the first to land on the moon this century."

Liu Shiying brought up the hottest topic in Huaxia. Last year, the government's grand space plan explicitly stated that a manned lunar landing would occur in 2019, followed by the establishment of a permanent, manned base. It was now late April 2019, and the mission would likely be underway soon. As top scientists in the field of aviation and aerospace, both Liu and Li would certainly be invited.

"With the aerospace fighter, Huaxia will create countless 'firsts.' Landing on the moon is just the beginning. In the future, we will land on Mars, occupy it, mine asteroids, and perhaps even colonize the universe."

Li Fu smiled indifferently. Having seen countless powerful cosmic civilizations through the Seeds of Civilization, landing on Earth's satellite was trivial. The universe was full of powerful civilizations governing vast star systems; humanity was still very small.

"Landing on Mars, colonizing the universe—those are still too far off. Although we have the aerospace fighters, their production cost is prohibitively high. So far, Huaxia has only built four. The original plan for 2019 was only for ten."

Liu Shiying shook his head. While he longed for such a future, technological progress was a step-by-step process. The astronomical cost of the aerospace fighters alone was a major headache for Huaxia.

"Old Liu, to be honest, I came here today to promote a product to you."

Li Fu said, feigning mystery.

"Promoting a product? To me? I'm quite curious now—what kind of good stuff do you have that you need to pitch to me? I assume it’s another piece of high-tech gear?"

Liu Shiying’s eyes widened, and he began to stroke his chin in contemplation.

"To be precise, I am pitching it to the government—a product that can reduce the construction cost of the aerospace fighter by tenfold."

Li Fu continued to build suspense.

"What? Ten times cheaper? How is that possible? What is it?"

Liu Shiying stood up abruptly. A product that could cut the cost of an aerospace fighter by ten times was no joking matter. Each fighter cost over thirty billion, and that was just the base cost. Even with heavy government investment, the plan was limited to ten units a year. Any more would be unsustainable.

If this were true, the cost would drop to three billion—a figure easily manageable for Huaxia. Instead of ten, they could build a hundred. This would be a game-changer for Huaxia's space industry, military strength, and the goal of dominating space.

"Yes, ten times lower. My company's materials research institute recently developed a brand-new material. It can perfectly replace the core material currently used in our aerospace fighters, and it costs only one-tenth of the original. That is how the total cost can be reduced tenfold."

Li Fu nodded solemnly and handed over the data on the Black Gold material. He sipped his tea and waited. He knew the government would never allow a material like Black Gold to leak abroad, so selling it to the state was his only option if he wanted to profit from it.

"This... this is incredible! You have managed to develop yet another new material, and it’s so inexpensive? You truly deserve the title of a 'genius of the century' bestowed upon you by Time Magazine!"

After meticulously reviewing the data, Liu Shiying sighed in awe. As the chief designer of the aerospace fighter, he knew exactly what materials were required. The data confirmed that Black Gold was a perfect substitute.

"I’m just lucky, just a blind cat finding a dead mouse. Old Liu, see if the government needs to procure this. If so, I can provide it. The price is negotiable."

Li Fu smiled and shook his head. It wasn't genius or luck; it was the technology from the Great Han Science and Technology Empire’s seeds. Without those, he would be an ordinary person.

"Of course we need it, and in large quantities! I will report this to my superiors immediately. Someone will contact you soon. Little Li, there is truly no problem you cannot solve. Just as the nation was worrying about the high costs, you arrived with this new material like a gift in the snow. You are truly a national treasure."

Liu Shiying nodded vigorously. This new, affordable material was vital. With the costs slashed, Huaxia’s space ambitions could finally take flight.

"Only a tenfold reduction? If the government allows me to build the aerospace fighters, I can lower the price even further. In the future, I could sell them to the state for just one billion each."

Li Fu’s heart stirred, and a thought crossed his mind. He spoke with confidence, not out of arrogance, but with a clear goal: he wanted to secure the licensing to manufacture the aerospace fighters himself.