novelraw Chapter 1262 - 1260: Two Paths
Chapter 1262 - 1260: Two Paths
"What’s wrong? What happened to make you this upset?" Lin Feng asked as he walked up next to Chu Meng. He wanted to know what was going on.
Chu Meng didn’t respond. Instead, she suddenly reached for the TV remote, switched to a channel, and tuned into a live broadcast of a special press conference.
At the conference venue, there stood two robots that looked almost indistinguishable from real humans. Between the two robots was a podium. A man in his early thirties, with long flowing hair, striking blue eyes, and wearing gold-rimmed glasses, was giving a speech. This man was none other than Reed Rocco, the CEO of the Locke Group.
"...Our Locke Group possesses a state-of-the-art R&D team. Today’s press conference is to introduce you to our latest technological breakthrough. You’ve all seen the two humanoid robots in front of me, haven’t you? They are fully finished products. I can confidently say that anything humans can do, they can do as well. In the future, they will be widely utilized in space exploration, advancing our knowledge of the vast cosmos!"
"Now, please enjoy our demonstration..." On-screen, Reed Rocco, visibly excited, began showcasing the functions of the two humanoid robots. Remarkably, the robots’ movements showed no stiffness whatsoever—they moved just like real people! This left everyone at the scene utterly astonished.
"Wow, they’ve already made robots like this?!"
"It’s like Terminator come to life! Hopefully, there won’t be any crazy AI uprisings!"
"Amazing! Robots like these can replace humans in so many areas!"
...
Shen Yao, Ding Wan’er, and Leng Mei all chimed in, expressing their amazement at the astonishing capabilities of these robots. None of them had expected technology to advance so rapidly, resulting in humanoid robots this lifelike. Privately, they couldn’t help but marvel at how fast-paced technological developments were becoming—advancements that seemed almost beyond human imagination!
What they couldn’t figure out was why Chu Meng had suddenly shown them all this. The news didn’t seem out of the ordinary; what exactly was going on? Lin Feng, on the other hand, remained quiet. He also wanted to understand what had made Chu Meng so upset.
The scene shifted as the robot demonstration concluded, and Reed Rocco stepped back up to the podium.
"You all have seen how advanced our robotics technology is, but the real point I want to make today is that these robots could have been introduced years ago. In fact, many companies, including our own and others, had already developed similar robotic technologies. The reason these robots haven’t been brought to market until now lies in one fundamental challenge—energy!"
"Yes, that’s what brings us to our major announcement today: the unveiling of the RT Energy Box! What I’m holding in my hand is the RT Energy Box, a device no larger than a book. But the amount of power contained in this box will exceed your wildest imagination! To give you an example, a single RT Energy Box can power an electric car for five years without needing to recharge. It can supply a 70-story building with electricity for an entire month. And that’s just the beginning..."
"It’s no exaggeration to say that the RT Energy Box represents the greatest invention in human history. It completely resolves Earth’s energy crisis. With the RT Energy Box, oil will become obsolete. Technologies previously hindered by energy limitations, such as Iron Man-style robots, superconducting magnetic trains, and so forth, will now become reality..."
"Some may worry that as a military-industrial company, the Locke Group will prioritize this technology for military use. But I assure you, this energy innovation will be applied equally to both civilian and military domains. In fact, we’ve already established an electric vehicle division within the Locke Group. In the future, with our RT Energy Boxes, there will be no more car emissions, and air quality will be radically improved. Factories, too, will be able to use our specialized RT Energy Boxes for power..."
On TV, Reed Rocco continued his captivating speech, dropping bombshell after bombshell. The mighty Locke Group, known for its military prowess, had developed a peerless breakthrough in energy technology and intended to apply it broadly across civilian and military systems. Everyone could imagine the seismic shift this might bring to the global industrial landscape.
At this point, Chu Meng turned off the TV and spoke to Lin Feng and the other three women. "This energy technology is currently being researched by many nations and private organizations. Our Cloud Fund also has a dedicated R&D team working on it. Globally, the two leading forces in this race are Cloud Fund and the Locke Group, and the competition between us has been intense. What no one else knows, though, is that our Cloud Fund R&D team made a critical breakthrough just two days ago, meaning we’re on the verge of launching this new technology ourselves!"
"But now, suddenly, our competitor—Locke Group—comes out with a finished product and even holds a press conference. There’s no way this is just a coincidence. Someone from Cloud Fund must have leaked our secrets, giving Locke Group access to our core data. Otherwise, it’s impossible for them to achieve their breakthrough so abruptly!"
As Chu Meng spoke, her heart clenched with grief. Cloud Fund had long regarded this energy technology as their ultimate trump card, investing immense amounts of funding and resources into its development to stay ahead of the competition. But now, Locke Group had beaten them to it, delivering a heavy blow to Cloud Fund.
"Lin Feng, what do we do?"
"We can’t just let this slide!"
"Lin Feng, you must help me figure this out. At the end of the day, this is a family matter."
After hearing Chu Meng’s account, Ding Wan’er and the other two women were enraged. They thought the Locke Group’s actions were despicable—stealing Cloud Fund’s core data and then publicly claiming the innovation as their own. It was utterly shameless! They all felt that the Locke Group must be made to pay for this.
"Let me take a look first," Lin Feng said calmly. He then grabbed Chu Meng’s laptop. His fingers flew across the keyboard at an astonishing speed, mesmerizing the three women who watched in stunned silence, unsure of what he was doing. Nevertheless, they didn’t interrupt him, trusting that Lin Feng must have a clear reason for his actions.
Lin Feng didn’t stop until quite some time later. Turning to Chu Meng, he said, "I’ve just compared our research data with Locke Group’s. Based on the information I’ve analyzed, I don’t believe they stole our core research."
This was Lin Feng’s most objective evaluation. He had thoroughly reviewed both sets of research data and found significant differences. Even if Locke Group had access to Cloud Fund’s files, it wouldn’t have been useful to them. Lin Feng concluded that this was likely just an unfortunate coincidence—not an instance of corporate espionage.
Hearing Lin Feng’s assessment, Chu Meng froze in disbelief. She had not anticipated such a verdict. Looking at Lin Feng, she earnestly wanted to understand how he had reached this conclusion. Likewise, Ding Wan’er, Leng Mei, and Shen Yao were all equally stunned. None could comprehend how Lin Feng had arrived at this explanation. From their perspective, the timing was far too coincidental to be anything but suspicious.
Seeing the puzzled expressions on their faces, Lin Feng explained further. "From what I’ve observed in the data, the two teams are pursuing entirely separate technological paths. Your findings wouldn’t benefit them at all, and vice versa. The reason things unfolded this way is simple: they must’ve figured out their own solution, and the overlap in timing is purely coincidental."
Lin Feng understood why Chu Meng suspected Locke Group of theft. Nonetheless, he felt compelled to reveal the truth. Clearing up the misunderstanding was the only way for Chu Meng to see the situation clearly.
"How could that be? Two entirely different approaches? And yet the timing is so perfect? We just made our breakthrough, and they immediately release their product? How could anyone believe it’s just a coincidence?" Chu Meng retorted as soon as Lin Feng finished explaining. Although Lin Feng had clarified things, she couldn’t accept the idea that this was pure chance. The odds seemed impossibly slim. Why release it now, at this very moment?
Seeing Chu Meng’s reaction, Lin Feng smiled. He understood her doubts as he had shared them earlier himself. But after examining the data, he had to acknowledge that coincidences truly did happen. With a composed demeanor, he said, "Senior Sister, believe it or not, it really is just a coincidence."
"Believe it? How could I believe that?! Junior Brother, do you even realize that the Locke Group’s project was stagnant for over three years? They made no progress at all, while we were clearing hurdle after hurdle, getting closer to success! And now, out of nowhere, they roll out a finished product? Who could possibly believe in such a coincidence?"
Chu Meng’s voice trembled with emotion. It wasn’t that she distrusted Lin Feng; rather, the situation itself defied belief. How could the Locke Group, after years of inactivity, suddenly achieve a breakthrough in such a short timeframe? This wasn’t a child’s play project; in scientific research, outcomes couldn’t simply be conjured out of thin air.
Chu Meng’s passionate protest prompted nods of agreement from the other three women. They, too, found the story unlikely. A stalled project that suddenly yielded results? It wasn’t something they could easily accept.
Watching their disbelief, Lin Feng chuckled. He fully understood their skepticism. The timing was undeniably uncanny. Pausing briefly to collect his thoughts, he finally said, "Actually, it’s not as improbable as it seems. What if they employed a leapfrog approach to streamline their research? Imagine taking a century-long scientific endeavor and compressing it into just a few months. That’s the impact of introducing the right talent at the right moment. I believe they encountered such a pivotal figure—someone who shattered the previous stalemate."