"As long as the technical barriers are overcome and some capital is brought in, it couldn't be easier for Uncle."
Independent research and development?
Trying to conquer photolithography machines solely by an individual or even a single corporation is almost impossible!
"That sounds easy to say."
Ning Xiangtian had thought Ye Fan would come up with something astonishing, but instead, he was just spouting empty words.
He wasn't a fool—he obviously knew that the biggest challenge of the investment was overcoming the technical barriers.
As Ye Fan said, once the technical barriers of photolithography machines were broken through, countless investors would be scrambling to join in.
After all, once the technology was in place, investing money would be a guaranteed profit.
Who wouldn't want to invest in such a sure-win deal?
Unless they were brain-dead!
Ye Fan picked up the kettle on the coffee table, poured two cups of water, and placed one in front of Ning Xiangtian, smiling as he said, "Uncle, aren't you already preparing to give it a try?"
"According to the news reports, Baiyi Group has recently been acquiring research teams and offering high salaries to attract technological experts. With so many preparations already made, even if I didn't mention it, would you really give up, Uncle?"
Ning Xiangtian remained silent, and for the first time, a rare look of hesitation appeared on his face.
Ye Fan had hit the nail on the head.
His Baiyi Group had already spent a considerable amount of money, making full preparations for the transition.
The photolithography field was deep and unfathomable—once he stepped in, it would be difficult to pull out.
But if he didn't even have the courage to step in, it would mean… losing without even fighting!
"You don't need to concern yourself with these matters."
Ning Xiangtian said with a serious expression, "The college entrance exam is approaching. You should focus on your studies, or at least help Xiaoxi with her weak subjects."
"Uncle is right."
Ye Fan responded with a smile. After pausing for two seconds, he spoke again, "Uncle, let me just say one last thing. My intuition tells me that you will definitely succeed in independently developing photolithography machines!"
He didn't provide a reason.
Because...
Even if he did, Ning Xiangtian wouldn't believe him.
Rather than explaining, it was better not to say anything at all.
After saying this, Ye Fan took out his phone to check the time. "Uncle, Xiaoxi should be finishing up soon. I'll head to the study room, you carry on with your work."
"Mm."
Ning Xiangtian nodded expressionlessly. Watching Ye Fan's departing figure, he fell into deep thought.
This decision would determine the future direction of Baiyi Group—he had to be careful.
Inside the study room.
Ning Xi's posture remained exactly the same as when Ye Fan had left, without the slightest change.
Ye Fan quietly closed the door, sat down across from Ning Xi, as if he had never left.
Looking at the girl in front of him, a faint smile appeared in his eyes.
Time was peaceful, the moment was pleasant, and the warmth was comforting.
"Knock, knock—"
When the clock hit 10:30, Ye Fan tapped the table, reminding her, "Xiaoxi, time's up. Have you finished writing?"
Ning Xi bit the pen cap with her delicate teeth, her eyebrows furrowed, her expression filled with uncertainty. "I... I'm not sure if it's good or not..."
"Let me see."
"You—you're not allowed… to make fun of me."
"Of course not."
The amusement in Ye Fan's eyes deepened as he picked up Ning Xi's draft paper. When he saw the content, a hint of surprise flashed across his face.
In an entire hour, this girl had only written one paragraph?
Her efficiency was a bit concerning!
"Outside the window is a beautiful view, beneath the pen lies a promising future. Looking down, we see an ocean of books; looking up, we see our dreams ahead. Holding your hand in my left, gripping my pen in my right, we will not disappoint our youth nor each other. We move toward each other, saving each other, overcoming every challenge, achieving every goal. We embark on a grand banquet of the world, witnessing its majestic beauty."
The paragraph was short, but exceptionally stunning.
Even more commendable was that it perfectly captured the essence of love during student years—very fitting.
The draft paper was covered with edits and corrections, clearly showing how much Ning Xi had agonized over every single word.
No wonder her efficiency was low—she had poured all her energy into quality.
With that in mind, her slow pace was understandable.
Seeing Ye Fan silent, Ning Xi's bright eyes, filled with countless stars, blinked repeatedly as she hesitantly asked, "Is my writing… really bad?"
Ye Fan put down the draft paper and gave a sunny smile.
"On the contrary, you wrote it very well. You perfectly conveyed the feeling of love during our student years."
"Really?"
"Of course!"
Hearing Ye Fan's affirmation, Ning Xi's eyes curved into joyful crescents, brimming with excitement.
Seeing this, Ye Fan's lips moved slightly before he teasingly added, "Don't be too happy yet. While your writing is great, your efficiency is really concerning."
"You only wrote this much in an hour. In the college entrance exam, that won't work—there's a word count requirement."
Ning Xi muttered softly, "Who told you to give me such a strange prompt? You can't have both speed and quality. If you want quality, you lose speed; if you want speed, you lose quality. It's not my fault..."
Ye Fan shook his head with a chuckle. Looking at her like a doting father watching his daughter, he ruffled her hair and said, "Fine, it's all my fault. You did really well this time. Now, all you need to do is improve your efficiency—keep working hard."
"No problem!"
The girl's smile bloomed like a field of flowers.
In that instant, her radiant beauty lit up the entire study.
By lunchtime, Ning Xiangtian was nowhere to be seen.
As Ye Fan ate, he asked, "Aunt Lan, where's Uncle?"
Lan Xi put down her chopsticks and sighed helplessly, "He went back to the company to work again."
Saying this, she couldn't help but chuckle. "Ye Fan, before you started tutoring Xiaoxi, your uncle had already planned to accompany her through her final sprint before the college entrance exam. But ever since you arrived and took over his job, he's gone right back to his old ways—working all the time."
Ye Fan smiled without saying anything.
Although he didn't know what decision Ning Xiangtian would ultimately make regarding the photolithography project, he sincerely hoped that Ning Xiangtian would seize this opportunity because…
He could help Ning Xiangtian!
The afternoon passed in the blink of an eye. By the time Ye Fan returned home, the sky was already dark.
Just as he was about to start cooking, his phone suddenly rang.
Seeing the caller ID, he immediately answered.
"Mom, you should be having dinner right now. What made you think of calling me at this time?"
"How are things progressing with Xiaoxi?"
At the dining table, upon hearing his wife's question, Luo Shan's eyes widened in shock, and three words immediately popped into his head.
"Something's up!"
Ever since his wife returned from the capital, she had been showing an inexplicable smile from time to time.
Luo Shan had asked her multiple times, but Ye Xian never revealed anything, and in the end, he had to give up.
He never expected to overhear a clue by accident this time, so he quickly pricked up his ears.
"We're about the same as before. This can't be rushed. Xiaoxi is very innocent—if I push too hard, I might scare her. It has to be step by step."
"It's been so long, and it's still the same as before?"
Hearing her son's report, Ye Xian's smile immediately froze. She scolded in frustration, "Xiaoxi is a girl! Are you expecting her to take the initiative? You're the guy—what are you afraid of? Just go for it!"
_____________________________________________________________________________________
stay ahead of the public release join us on patreon / more than 100 advanced chapters are waiting for you+2 chapters a day.
(avoid subscribing through the iOS Patreon app—it adds about 30% extra, so you'll end up paying more than the usual $5, $10, or $20. To save money, it's best to subscribe using your browser or computer or Android device instead!)
patreon.com/jodex7