If this kind of bulletproof vest were to be produced, it would be a landmark revolution in the history of warfare!
This practically disregards all ordinary ammunition-based weapons!
Throughout human history, the spear and the shield have developed side by side. With the spear came the shield; with weapons came armor; with pistols came bulletproof vests; and with missiles came missile defense systems.
But throughout human history, the spear has always been stronger than the shield… just as destruction is always easier than construction. One can only say that there is no perfect defense. The best defense is offense.
However, this body armor is far more powerful than the commonly used "spears." While it can't stop more powerful weapons like armor-piercing and incendiary rounds... but that's still incredible! Ordinary ammunition and weapons have no effect on this body armor. Isn't that awesome enough?
"Do you think it's appropriate to produce this kind of thing?" Yi Shuihan asked timidly after a long while.
Since spears and shields are relative, if a shield is stronger than a spear, it will inevitably increase the power of the spear. For example, the appearance of more powerful firepower weapons in cities would definitely not be a good thing.
Chen Xu, of course, understood what he meant. He had already considered this issue. So he replied, "This thing naturally needs strict control; the military will definitely restrict it. The main reason for manufacturing this is for my own use. I don't have the resources to manufacture it now; it's too time-consuming. And this kind of bulletproof vest isn't invincible. If the control is reasonable, it won't have a significant impact on the outside world. Although there might be some downsides, overall it can protect our soldiers and police, so the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. We can't throw the baby out with the bathwater."
Yi Shuihan thought about it and realized that what was said was true. From the perspective of today's society, human life is very precious. The advent of this bulletproof vest can protect more people's lives, so there is no need to think too much about it.
Moreover, large-scale gunfights are extremely rare in China. Even if some malicious criminals manage to obtain these bulletproof vests through certain channels, it will only require a little more effort. As for some rampant foreign forces... well, that's none of our business. Let them cause as much trouble as they want abroad.
Thinking of this, Yi Shuihan said, "Since you have considered everything so thoroughly, I naturally have nothing to say. Not to mention a research project, my life is yours."
Chen Xu was dumbfounded, thinking, "No way, is this a confession?" Fortunately, Yi Shuihan then added, "Without you, I wouldn't be who I am today. I'm not an ungrateful person, and I will always remember this kindness."
Chen Xu breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. Yi Shuihan continued, "However, we still need to discuss this matter with the military, because we are the ones selling these products to them. What if the military wants to completely monopolize this product?"
“Say my name. I don’t care about monopolizing it. This isn’t a civilian product anyway. Let’s see what price they offer. Price isn’t the issue. It’s all about their attitude. I don’t know the value of this thing. You make the judgment. If they offer a high price, then sell it. If they offer a low price, then just give it away for free.”
Yi Shuihan understood after a moment's thought. It all depended on the military's attitude towards SMMH. If mentioning his name would make the military hesitate and offer a higher price, then they could sell it to the government at cost plus a little… The main advantage of this was that they would receive full government support. Not making money in this aspect wasn't a big deal, but the important thing was that this would immediately transform the company into a civilian organization providing military supplies, greatly enhancing its status and making it easier to request financial, technical, and even political support in the future.
If the government makes exorbitant demands, and their representatives plead poverty, saying they have no money, then we should just give them the goods... This isn't about doing a good deed, but about showing the military our stance... You want it? Fine, I won't fight you, you can have it, but this kind of behavior is absolutely unfair to me. Next time, if you have anything, forget it, no way! I'd rather keep it to myself than give it to you!
The country has no money? What a joke! How much do those people spend on public funds for food and drink every year? Why are you even talking about having money or not?
The relationship between the state, businesspeople, and scientists is no longer like it was in the early days of the People's Republic, when everyone was expected to give unconditionally whenever the country needed them… Of course, if middle and high-level cadres could be as frugal and selfless as the leaders and middle-level cadres of the early days of the People's Republic, dedicating themselves entirely to the country, then it would be reasonable for those below to follow suit.
However, Yi Shuihan only understood half of Chen Xu's thoughts this time.
The interpretation of the "freebie" below is correct, according to Yi Shuihan. Yi Shuihan's understanding is based on the premise that this SMMH is a seasoned, meticulous, and considerate person. However, in reality, Chen Xu is just a young girl. Although she has learned some things, her thinking is still that of a relatively mature first-year university student.
Chen Xu wanted to make money, and the reason he didn't sell all his patents to the military was to make money.
However, Chen Xu was the kind of patriotic young man who felt that if it was for the country, he shouldn't make a fortune. If the military would give him face and not harm him, then it wouldn't matter if he earned less... Chen Xu was always the kind of person who would treat others with the same respect.
Chen Xu hadn't expected Yi Shuihan to misunderstand.
Next, Chen Xu sent him all the information about this liquid body armor... Was Chen Xu nervous? Definitely, but at this point, Chen Xu had no choice but to trust Yi Shuihan, and later events proved that Chen Xu's choice was entirely correct. Yi Shuihan proved to be a very reliable comrade.
Because the information on this bulletproof vest is very complete, all you need to do is follow it. The formula for the liquid, the production method, and the manufacturing method for the vest materials are all written down. If you work at full speed, it should only take about a month to complete... This is mainly because, given S Company's reputation and strength, they are qualified to invite some top talents to provide services for them.
Such a valuable product cannot be handed over to Company S to operate independently... because 45% of the shares of this company belong to Cisco. Although the bulletproof vest and Cisco cover different areas, if Company S were to operate it, then the US government behind Cisco would also be eligible to obtain ownership of the bulletproof vest.
This is not the situation that Chen Xu and Yi Shuihan wanted to see.
Therefore, the newly established laboratory named "Miracle" is completely independent of S Company. It was set up by Chen Xu himself with 100 million US dollars, and he only used Yi Shuihan's influence to recruit people.
It's important to understand that an initial investment of one hundred million US dollars, and for a laboratory with research results, is already top-tier in China... Chen Xu had already figured this out and wasn't afraid to spend the money. Since the dollar was going to depreciate anyway, it was better to turn that money into a goose that lays golden eggs than to let it evaporate abroad... Since he had already given the technology to Yi Shuihan, he didn't care about the one hundred million US dollars. So now, this miracle laboratory was completely controlled by Chen Xu and belonged entirely to SMMH. Yi Shuihan was just an employee who received a salary... Chen Xu gave him eight percent of the equity profits according to the proportion of SMMH, which made Yi Shuihan feel flattered.
Of course, Chen Xu went all the way and gave Yi Shuihan the manufacturing data for the height-increasing shoes as well. However, unlike the bulletproof vest, Chen Xu only had Yi Shuihan make one hundred pairs of these height-increasing shoes, ranging from size 36 to 46, with ten pairs of each style and type... The purpose of this was to prevent others from knowing his true information and to confuse the enemy... He would also use the same method to confuse Yi Shuihan with the bulletproof vest in the future.
As for how to deliver these physical goods to him, Chen Xu considered many methods. The most feasible one was to have Yi Shuihan place an order online and send the goods to any random place. Then, Chen Xu would hack into the courier company's system to adjust the shipping location and recipient of the goods, and more importantly, the item number... Because each package has a fixed number, once the number is changed, no one will know what the item is, and even if they want to check, they will have no way to find out.
Of course, if Yi Shuihan had placed a GPS tracking system in the package, it wouldn't matter where it was sent, but Chen Xu believed that Yi Shuihan wouldn't do such a thing.
Yi Shuihan expressed his understanding of this approach, as it was indeed the safest method. He understood SMMH's caution and said he would do his best to cooperate.
That's the downside of not having a real identity!
Making height-increasing shoes wasn't difficult. Yi Shuihan said he could produce the finished product within a month at the latest. So Chen Xu waited and waited and waited. But a week later, a shocking news item suddenly appeared in the newspaper: "Shanghai's newly emerging legendary tycoon Yi Shuihan was assassinated and hospitalized with serious injuries!"
Chapter 184 Yi Shuihan's Assassination Attempt
"Is Yi Shuihan alright?"
Upon seeing the news, Chen Xu immediately went to find Hao Aiguo, asking, "Who did this? How is Yi Shuihan?"
Chen Xu was furious. Yi Shuihan was someone he had truly nurtured, the most powerful figure in the real world... Chen Xu had already given him 150 million US dollars to help him set up a company and laboratory, and he needed Yi Shuihan's help to solve many of his problems. But at this crucial moment, Yi Shuihan suddenly got into trouble. How could Chen Xu not be furious?
Hao Aiguo was also very nervous about this matter.
Just a few days ago, they received news that Yi Shuihan had received a mysterious injection of funds to establish a cutting-edge laboratory... The initial funding for this laboratory was as high as one hundred million US dollars, and such a large-scale transfer of funds would inevitably attract the attention of the country... After investigation, they discovered that this huge sum of money came from a Swiss bank account.
This account is the one the military opened for SMMH in a Swiss bank!
So the military quickly realized that SMMH had made its move again, allocating a huge sum of $100 million to allow Yi Shuihan to establish a laboratory. What this laboratory was researching was still unknown, but SMMH's actions were no small matter. So the military immediately sent people to contact Yi Shuihan to find out the details.
The result was quite surprising.
Liquid all-around body armor – a product that could change the history of warfare!
Although there is no finished product yet, the military immediately attached great importance to this product based on the detailed descriptions available.
And it wasn't just the military; this news also elicited strong reactions from the Armed Police Headquarters and public security organs at the highest levels… Everyone agreed that this liquid body armor could greatly improve the survival rate of soldiers and police officers in combat and significantly reduce casualties. Especially in today's peaceful era, when war is unlikely to break out in the near future, this body armor represents a very solid protective shield for the Armed Police and public security forces throughout China!
In modern warfare, with its ever-evolving array of bizarre and deadly weapons, a few bulletproof vests are simply not enough. However, in urban crime, the significance of such bulletproof vests is far greater!
Especially in Hong Kong, Macau, and some coastal areas of China, or in the southern regions near the Golden Triangle of Myanmar, where gun-related crimes are rampant and police casualty rates are high, how many police officers can be saved from death while on duty by this type of bulletproof vest? How many families can be protected?
Therefore, the military and high-ranking officials reached a preliminary conclusion in almost a day of meetings. A representative specifically approached Yi Shuihan and said: "The country respects and understands your company's position. We also ask that you understand the country's position. This product must be included in the export control regulations' control list. Moreover, the product's distribution channels will be entirely the responsibility of the state."
Yi Shuihan laughed upon hearing this: "We understand that perfectly well. After all, liquid body armor is definitely not a civilian product. This kind of product was originally designed for military use."
The military representative breathed a sigh of relief. However, according to instructions from higher-ups, his mission wasn't over yet. Because of this, the higher-ups most wanted complete control of it. But they also knew that Yi Shuihan wouldn't easily relinquish such a large piece of the pie… More importantly, there was the SMMH behind them. According to some intelligence, the world-renowned X organization's attempt to contact the SMMH ended in failure. This demonstrated that the SMMH was another powerful organization. Besides its leading-edge computer technology, this organization also had outstanding achievements in other areas!
Such underground organizations require the state to establish a good cooperative relationship. Furthermore, the organization has consistently maintained a positive attitude towards the state. Both sides have very broad prospects for development.
Therefore, after an urgent analysis by experts, the production of SMMH, a valuable technology, was entrusted to Yi Shuihan instead of being directly given to the state like previous firewalls. This was likely because they wanted to obtain funding through this route… After all, any research requires money, and the organization behind SMMH is very mysterious; the state has been unable to detect any suspicious financial flows within the country. The current situation suggests that their research may have encountered problems and may require funding. In that case, the military absolutely cannot compete with these people for money!
Therefore, the idea of a complete acquisition was directly overturned. The military representative's idea was for the state to establish a military supply enterprise specifically responsible for producing this type of bulletproof vest, as well as all military supplies that SMMH would provide in the future. This enterprise would be state-owned and responsible for all sales channels... In other words, the sales of all bulletproof vests produced must be handled by the state.
Regarding profits, there's no specific breakdown yet. But everyone knows that the profit margin for these military supplies isn't actually that high, especially for something directly controlled by the state. Basically, it's just maintaining the cost price slightly above it. However, these bulletproof vests will ultimately be exported overseas, and the profits abroad will be astonishingly large.
Hearing the military representative say this, Yi Shuihan had no objections. As the plenipotentiary representative of SMMH, he agreed to this preliminary plan, which relieved the military... because they were really afraid that SMMH would make exorbitant demands.
In this deal, Yi Shuihan knew he would benefit the most, because once he became a member of the military industry, he would be regarded as a valuable and important person by the higher-ups. Even if he didn't earn a penny from the bulletproof vest, its potential value was limitless.
Just as Yi Shuihan began to cooperate with the military, he was suddenly assassinated, which put the entire military on high alert!
When Yi Shuihan went to the parking lot to get her car after get off work, a motorcycle suddenly drove up and fired six shots at her through the window before speeding away.
The parking lot's surveillance cameras recorded everything.
After the shooting, the building's security guards rushed to the scene. They called the police and took Yi Shuihan to the hospital. After examination, it was found that fortunately, the car window had blocked the bullets, and Yi Shuihan reacted quickly, hiding under the seat. Four of the six bullets missed their mark, one hit his left arm, but the other entered his abdomen.
Yi Shuihan was rushed to the hospital and underwent surgery. Fortunately, he hadn't been fatally wounded and survived. However, this incident greatly angered the military and the entire public security system. The military specially dispatched high-ranking special forces guards to protect him, while the public security system issued a strict order to the Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau... to find the perpetrator and their motives at all costs!
Because once this liquid body armor is available, the biggest beneficiary will be the entire public security system. This is something that could save countless police officers' lives! How could there be any mishap?
Therefore, almost without Chen Xu saying anything, the military took this incident very seriously. And by reviewing the slow-motion replay of the surveillance footage, the identity of the person riding the motorcycle, completely covered in racing gear and a helmet, could be identified… because at one minute and twelve seconds into the footage, when this person fired the gun, half of their wrist was exposed… and that wrist was black!
This is a Black man!
The fact that a black assassin shot Yi Shuihan, a very important figure, within China is extremely sensitive. The military immediately defined the incident as an act of foreign agents endangering China's national security, with the aim of obtaining that liquid bulletproof vest!
So, given how far things have escalated, the Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau is no longer sufficient, and the investigation has been taken over entirely by special agents from the National Security Bureau.
The National Security Bureau didn't overlook any clues. Their first target was Zhang Bo and his son.
Upon hearing the news of Yi Shuihan's assassination attempt, Zhang Bo's father, Zhang Hong, was stunned. His first thought was, could it be that his unfilial son couldn't bear the blow and had hired someone to assassinate Yi Shuihan? Given Zhang Bo's temperament, he might very well do such a thing!
Last time, Zhang Bo tried to acquire Yi Shuihan's Violet Company. Unexpectedly, this led to the emergence of SMMH, resulting in S Company's meteoric rise. With the help of influential figures, Yi Shuihan skyrocketed to become a rising star in Shanghai, while Zhang Hong was forced to step down in disgrace. All of this was a huge blow to Zhang Bo! It's perfectly understandable that he wanted revenge on Yi Shuihan!
Although Zhang Hong had been demoted, he was still a former ministerial-level official, and he retained some connections. Despite his loss of power, he wasn't completely destitute, and even some of his former subordinates remained polite to him. However, the people who came to investigate this time were anything but polite. They treated him like a suspect. Zhang Hong, having held his position for so long, couldn't tolerate such treatment, even though he was now out of power. So, after being questioned a few times, Zhang Hong lost his temper, slammed his hand on the table, and stood up, saying, "I need to make a phone call to Director Lu!"
Upon hearing this, the investigators laughed: "We are not under Director Lu's jurisdiction. Please sit down. We are special envoys from the National Security Bureau."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Hongdi's face immediately turned green. He hadn't expected that the investigation would be conducted by people from the capital. Could it be that Yi Shuihan was already on the wanted list? Did the higher-ups value him so much?
For many officials, the National Security Bureau is a more terrifying entity than the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, because they are directly under the jurisdiction of Zhongnanhai and report directly to the higher authorities... They are like imperial envoys in ancient times! The kind who wield the imperial sword!
Seeing Zhang Hong's distraught appearance, the National Security Bureau comrade smiled: "Don't be nervous. We have no interest in what you and your son have done. Our purpose this time is not in that regard. Please tell me the whereabouts of your son Zhang Bo. We need to talk to him... Also, it's best if it wasn't Zhang Bo who did it, otherwise, you will really be dragged down by your son."
Just as the National Security Bureau approached Zhang Hong and his son, Chen Xu was also talking to Hao Aiguo: "I need the full surveillance video of this shooting incident."
This request is extremely unreasonable. To give an analogy, imagine Yi Shuihan is Chen Xu's underling. If the underling is shot, and the boss goes to the police station demanding surveillance footage and evidence to investigate himself, the police will absolutely not agree.
However, after discussing it with others, Hao Aiguo sent the surveillance video to SMMH... because this guy is very resourceful, and he might have some solutions.
After obtaining the surveillance video, Chen Xu immediately opened it. The video showed a shot taken from a 45-degree angle. In the video, Yi Shuihan entered the car and turned it around. A red motorcycle slowly drove up. The rider on the motorcycle was completely covered up, but it was still possible to tell that he was indeed very tall.
He slowly drove up to Yi Shuihan's car, suddenly pulled out a pistol, fired six shots at the car window, then stuffed the gun back into his clothes, started his motorcycle, and fled.
The National Security Bureau had analyzed this video many times, but because the surveillance camera had a very low resolution and the footage was very unclear, they found nothing except that the person was very likely black... So, with his naked eye, Chen Xu could not possibly have drawn a more detailed conclusion than the National Security Bureau... If they hadn't reminded him, Chen Xu wouldn't have even been able to tell that the guy was black.
Because video recordings are actually composed of a series of still images, the rapid playback of these images causes a phenomenon called visual persistence. Videos like surveillance footage, which don't require high-resolution images, generally only have about fifty frames per second, meaning fifty images are captured per second. Furthermore, because the image quality is not clear enough, it's difficult to see clearly.
Of course, this is from the perspective of the human eye, but it's hard to define for other things.
Chen Xu tapped his fingers rhythmically on the table: "Xiao Min, analyze this."
Chapter 185, Boss, what's wrong?!
Xiaomin's technology includes specialized software for analyzing criminal cases.
Through technological judgment, Xiaomin can automatically select the perpetrator's body, then magnify and restore it... This kind of technology already exists; for example, some point-and-shoot cameras can automatically focus on a person's face and make autonomous judgments.
Chen Xu saw a box on the screen that selected the black man riding a motorcycle. He then cropped the image and zoomed in, but it was very blurry... because the surveillance video had very low resolution, and zooming in would result in a lot of pixelation.
But as a beam of light swept across the screen, the image of the black man on the bicycle immediately became clear... This was Xiaomin automatically filling and completing the image to restore a realistic picture.
Then, many red dots appeared on the person's body. The red dots were placed on the person's main body parts, such as the head, shoulders, waist, and legs.
"Based on analysis, the perpetrator is approximately 191cm tall and has a robust build. We are now creating a three-dimensional model of him."
A spinning black man appeared on the screen. He was indeed tall and strong, but his face was covered by a motorcycle helmet, so his real appearance was not yet known.
Chen Xu asked, "Is it possible to find out what he looks like?"
"The chances are very small. I am scanning and analyzing the person frame by frame to see if any part of the person's face is visible, and then restoring it."
Chen Xu leaned back in his chair, lit a cigarette, took a puff, and then called Hao Aiguo through his communicator: "Did Zhang Bo hire someone to do this?"