Ren Yuanyang was slightly taken aback, then gave a thumbs-up. "That’s a great idea. Implement it immediately. As long as it can speed up our research progress, we should use every method we can think of!"
"Yes, Master!" Ji Yizhi responded.
After ending the call, Ji Yizhi immediately contacted Wei Jing, the captain of the Iron Wing Fleet.
"Captain Ji, you’re contacting me right after our trade. Is there a problem with the scientists?" Wei Jing asked with a smile.
Ji Yizhi shook his head. "There are no problems with the personnel for now. I’m contacting you this time to propose a pilot program. We’re hoping to trade Evolution Potions or other supplies for some of your research data."
"Trade for data?" Wei Jing was taken aback, his brow furrowing.
"Yes, exchanging data. We’ll be posting an announcement on the regional channel shortly. Your Iron Wing Fleet is the first to know," Ji Yizhi confirmed with a nod.
Wei Jing mulled it over for a moment, then asked, "Can we provide just any research data?"
"Of course not. We’ll be selective!" Ji Yizhi immediately shook his head.
"What about the price?" Wei Jing continued to ask.
"After all, the difficulty of each research project is different, so a fixed price wouldn’t be appropriate. We’ll have to negotiate it between us," Ji Yizhi replied after a moment of thought.
Wei Jing nodded. "That’s true. Do you have any specific data in mind right now?"
"We do. We want all the research data from the projects that the personnel we just traded for were involved in," Ji Yizhi replied. "It will also save some time if they can continue their previous work."
"Hmm, we’ll sort through the data on our end first, and then we can determine the specifics of the trade." Wei Jing didn’t agree immediately, finding an excuse to delay.
After all, some of the research data was a state secret and couldn’t be sold so easily.
"Alright, I’ll wait for your good news!" Ji Yizhi didn’t act overly eager either.
That’s how deals are made. The moment you show you’re too desperate, the other party might deliberately take advantage of you.
After his call with Ji Yizhi, Wei Jing immediately convened his senior officers to discuss trading research data for supplies.
"Captain, I don’t think we should trade that research data to Dragon Base. Their technological strength already surpasses ours. If we just hand over our tech data, we’ll never be able to catch up to them!"
"Even if we don’t hand over the data, we still can’t catch up! Setting other things aside, just look at Dragon Base’s naval technology. Do you really think we have a chance of catching up?"
The crowd fell silent. During the previous trade for personnel, they had all witnessed the speed of a Dragon Base ship. Even if they were given another ten years, they couldn’t possibly get a large vessel like that to reach speeds of over a hundred kilometers per hour.
"Exactly. Rather than clinging to this data, we might as well get some last bit of use out of it. Don’t forget, our fleet’s food supplies are already critically low!"
"Our relationship with Dragon Base has always been very good. As long as we maintain that good relationship, so what if their technology surpasses ours?"
"Actually, we don’t have to trade all of our data. We can start with some less critical research projects, especially those that consume a lot of manpower and resources but haven’t yielded any significant results!"
Hearing this person’s suggestion, everyone nodded in agreement.
Wei Jing made the final decision. "Alright, everyone, follow that line of thinking and sort out which research data we can trade with Dragon Base. Have it for me before six o’clock this evening!"
"Yes, sir!" the group responded in unison.
In Peach Blossom Base, Xin Wan was already starting to prepare lunch, with her mother, Guo Yao, helping her out.
Seeing the kitchen refrigerator filled with all kinds of vegetables and meats, Guo Yao was once again stunned.
"Peach Blossom Base is so prosperous!" Guo Yao exclaimed.
Xin Wan smiled faintly. "Why else would it be called Peach Blossom Spring?"
Guo Yao nodded. "It seems your luck is quite good, to have met a great benefactor like the Leader!"
"It is, but your luck isn’t bad either!" Xin Wan replied with a laugh. "You have a lucky daughter like me!"
Guo Yao was taken aback for a moment, then she started to laugh. "That makes sense. I guess my status is all thanks to my daughter now!"
The mother and daughter chatted as they prepared a large feast.
Meanwhile, Xin Yu was chatting casually with Hua Lingfang and the others.
Soon, a variety of delicious dishes were placed on the table.
Lu Jiamei gently knocked on the door of Ren Yuanyang’s office.
"Leader, it’s time for lunch!"
"Alright, I’m on my way!" Ren Yuanyang answered and walked out.
Everyone took a seat, and Qin Haonan brought over a section of a bamboo stalk.
"Uncle Xin, you’ve been abroad for so long, I wonder if you can still handle baijiu!" Qin Haonan said with a smile. "This is a specialty of our Peach Blossom Base—bamboo wine. It’s brewed entirely by the plants themselves, with no artificial additives! You have to try some!"
"Is that so! Then I must give it a try!" Xin Yu didn’t stand on ceremony and replied with a smile. "Even though I was abroad, I’d still have a drink or two now and then. Baijiu is what’s most suitable for us men of the Dragon Country!"
Qin Haonan immediately nodded. "Exactly! I used to only drink beer, but after trying this bamboo wine, I’ve realized baijiu is better!"
He chiseled an opening in the bamboo stalk and began to pour for Xin Yu.
Xin Yu hurriedly said, "How could I trouble Minister Qin to pour for me? I can do it myself!"
"This is a family dinner today. There is no Minister Qin. Among everyone here today, I’m the youngest, so it’s only right that I pour for everyone!" Qin Haonan immediately shook his head and replied.
Just then, Hua Wen suddenly raised his hand. "And me! I’m the youngest!"
Qin Haonan glanced at him. "But you can’t drink, so it still has to be me!"
Hua Wen stuck out his tongue and put his hand down.
"Haonan is right. Consider this a family dinner. After everything we’ve been through, we’ve long since become a family!" Ren Yuanyang said with a smile. "Everyone, please be casual. We don’t have so many rules in our home!"
"Exactly! Let me fill everyone’s glasses first!" Qin Haonan said with a smile as he poured for everyone.
"Please, sir and ma’am, help yourselves. Everyone, let’s eat before we drink!" Ren Yuanyang urged.
Eating the delicious food, Xin Yu couldn’t help but sigh with emotion. "I thought I would never eat a meal like this again in my life!"
"That’s right. On the Iron Wing Fleet, we only got two bowls of thin porridge a day. Just barely enough to survive!" Guo Yao lamented as well.
"Dad, Mom, those days are over. From now on, we can eat like this every day!" Xin Wan immediately replied.
"How can we eat like this every day? It’s too wasteful!" Xin Yu shook his head slightly.
"As long as we finish it all and don’t waste any, there’s no problem eating like this every day!" Ren Yuanyang added. "Food is not an issue for our base!"
Xin Yu was taken aback, then nodded and raised his glass. "Thank you for saving my daughter and for giving her such a good life!"
Ren Yuanyang waved his hand dismissively and raised his own glass. "You’re too kind, Uncle Xin!"
"And thank you for bringing us here!" Guo Yao also raised her glass.
"Alright, enough with all the thanks. Let’s all drink together!" Ren Yuanyang said.
Everyone raised their glasses together and downed the drink in one gulp.
With a glass of wine down, the atmosphere at the dinner table became even livelier.
"Leader, I was wondering... will the Iron Wing Fleet be willing to sell my research data to us?" Xin Yu couldn’t help but ask.
He was getting impatient. Firstly, he wanted to prove his worth, and secondly, he really wanted to know if Ren Yuanyang could enhance the gravity wave regulator their lab had created.
Ren Yuanyang shook his head slightly. "Captain Ji has already spoken with them. They will likely weigh the pros and cons before they agree to a trade. Did you have any research breakthroughs over at the Iron Wing Fleet?"
Xin Yu shook his head slightly. "To be honest, I haven’t succeeded yet, but I do have a few leads!"
"If that’s the case, they might just trade your research data to us!" Ren Yuanyang analyzed. "They’ll most likely trade us the research data that hasn’t produced any results!"
Xin Yu was taken aback, then said with a wry smile, "So you’re saying it’s a good thing I didn’t get any results?"
Ren Yuanyang replied with a smile, "Indeed. If you had already achieved a breakthrough, the Iron Wing Fleet would definitely not be willing to trade your research data!"
Xin Yu nodded. "I hope they’re really willing to part with the research data."
"I believe they will," Ren Yuanyang said, then urged again, "Let’s eat for now!"
After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Xin Wan took her parents back to rest.
「At that moment, 300 kilometers west of Dragon Base, a large number of ships were gathered together. It was the joint fleet that Mike had assembled.」
They had already rendezvoused and were just waiting for Mike’s live broadcast of the attack on Dragon Base.

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