Chapter 232: Burning Money

"This was taken covertly by one of our people. It wasn’t easy to bring back. Take a look at this. Isn’t the data disparity with what we’ve developed huge? And then there’s the material."

"Director Geng wants to know if you can crack it and analyze the data parameters?"

Fu Mingxue: ...?

’Just from this one photo? How am I supposed to analyze the data parameters?’

’Do they think I’m some kind of god?’

"I can’t."

"Group Leader Fu, what about this material? It looks a little different from ours! Can you tell what it is?"

Fu Mingxue took a closer look.

She held it up to the light. "Alright, leave the photo with me for now. By the way, is there anything else? Is this the only picture? No blueprints or anything?"

The deputy group leader’s mouth twitched. "Group Leader Fu, what are you thinking? It’s a miracle we even got this. How could there possibly be blueprints?"

Fu Mingxue figured as much.

"Fine, I’ll go analyze it."

’But there’s no guarantee I’ll be able to figure anything out.’

’It would be great just to have some rough reference data.’

Still, she believed the engine her team was developing was definitely no worse than the one in the photo.

Their current limitation was the materials; they needed a technological breakthrough in that area.

That was precisely what they were working on. If they could make that breakthrough, it would mean success.

Back in her office.

Fu Mingxue consulted a book on material science and began flipping through it, searching for information—

Without realizing it, a great deal of time passed, yet she remained completely immersed.

’This was a precious item someone risked their life to bring back. I have to find a way to identify and analyze it.’

She drew many diagrams.

She scribbled notes and sketches all over the documents.

Surprisingly, after toiling away for most of the night—and having a good chunk of money deducted—it was still very useful.

She managed to identify it by cross-referencing the materials in the book.

However, the specific data—like the required proportions of various materials and the stress tolerance of the final product—would all require experimentation.

Just then, a knock came from the door.

Fu Mingxue was startled. She glanced at her watch and was shocked.

It was already midnight.

’Good heavens, did time fly by that fast?’

Suddenly, a RUMBLE came from her stomach.

Fu Mingxue: ...?

’Wait, does this mean I skipped both lunch and dinner?!’

She went to open the door and found Xu Ming there.

"What are you doing here? You haven’t left work either?"

Xu Ming immediately replied, "I was just about to leave when I passed by and saw your office light was still on. Group Leader Fu, you haven’t been in here all day, have you?"

"No. Come in for a second. I need you to run some detailed calculations for me."

She had already written out a fair bit, originally planning to do the calculations at home that evening.

But now that she had a readily available helper—she had to make use of him.

"What is it?" Xu Ming asked as he followed her inside.

Fu Mingxue straightened up the stack of papers on her desk and handed them to him.

"Don’t take these back to your dorm. Leave them in your office and come in early tomorrow to calculate them—I want the results by noon, preferably."

Xu Ming flipped through them a couple of times and replied cheerfully, "Got it."

As he was about to leave, he added, "Group Leader Fu, it’s very late. Be careful on your way home."

Fu Mingxue nodded.

After he left, she closed up the office and left on her bicycle—

Fu Mingxue arrived home.

She went straight to the kitchen.

Just as she was about to see what there was to eat.

Mrs. Fu appeared.

"What are you looking for?"

Fu Mingxue immediately asked, "Mom, is there anything to eat? I’m starving."