My Dream Connects to 3000 Years in the Future

Even if Z’s emotions were just a simulation for now, she would one day become a true artificial intelligence. The way they treated her now would ultimately determine whether they would reap the rewards or face the consequences in the future.

After a long moment of staring, Lin Xia nodded. "Okay!"

He cleared his throat, his expression turning grave. "Let me introduce myself properly, niece! I’m Lin Xia, your father Chu Bamboo’s best bud! If there’s anything I can help you with... uh, I don’t know if I’ll be much help, but still, feel free to ask!"

"I do! I do need help." Z was quick to reply, her voice pitiable. "If Uncle makes a lot of money, can Uncle buy Z a big house?"

Lin Xia: "?"

"What she means is, buy her some computer chips. And if you can, get her a supercomputer," Chu Bamboo translated for him.

"The moment I make the money, absolutely!" Lin Xia picked up the tissue he’d used on his sweat moments ago and wiped his brow again. ’Wait, she can actually ask for things out loud? An AI is actually expressing desire for something... Even if Chu Bamboo said it was just a simulation, this is still terrifying!’ He felt a creeping sense of the uncanny valley.

"Alright!" Chu Bamboo glanced at the time. "It’s time to go meet the principal!"

Even though Lin Xia had offered to handle everything, Chu Bamboo himself still had to be present to sign the loan contract. Besides, there was a series of trivial matters, like establishing the company and dividing shares, that Lin Xia couldn’t completely handle for him—

Of course, the main reason was that with his new Divine Techniques, he no longer had to be cooped up at home, grinding away at a keyboard all day. Signing the contract was just a good excuse to get out and have some fun!

...

Three in the afternoon.

A black sedan pulled up to the entrance of the Industrial Development Bank.

Li Quanyuan stepped out of the car, then watched as Chu Bamboo and Lin Xia got out from the other side. He glanced at the time. "Yesterday, I spoke with the bank’s Chairman Cai."

"They’ve already had their experts test the battery, and the results are in. So there shouldn’t be any major issues with the loan. You just need to exchange a few pleasantries and then sign the contract. I’ve already smoothed everything over on my end. Of course, despite all that, you should still read it carefully before you sign. Do you want to get a legal consultant to look it over first?"

"I already have one," Chu Bamboo said, his expression unchanged.

Principal Li was a little confused. ’Brought one? Where?’ But since Chu Bamboo had said so, he didn’t press the issue and continued, "Right, I also got the interest rate pushed down to the absolute minimum. It’s partly a favor to the university, and partly because in this economic climate, it’s not easy to find solid investment projects. Yours is... more than solid! Basically, they’ll lend you as much as you want..."

"Of course, if you ask for tens of billions, that’s probably not going to happen!" Li Quanyuan finished with a dry joke.

"Money isn’t the issue," Chu Bamboo said calmly, walking shoulder to shoulder with Principal Li. "The main thing is the factory. Which manufacturers... are available for us to acquire directly?"

To put it bluntly, money sitting in an account is just a string of numbers.

Only when it’s converted into tangible assets, into an industry capable of production and operation, when it truly starts to flow... that’s when you see the real, unstoppable power of capital!

"Outsourcing production is the most logical step in the beginning. And I’m also leaning toward you taking this approach..." Li Quanyuan glanced at Chu Bamboo, his tone unreadable. "Even with the university’s protection, if you don’t farm out some of your orders, you’ll seriously offend Biyadi, which is at the top of its game right now. If they decide to cause trouble for you, it will be a huge headache!"

"If they resort to illegal means, we can certainly help you fight back. But if they stick to purely commercial tactics..."

"What’s there to be afraid of if it’s just business tactics?" Lin Xia chimed in. He was walking a step behind Chu Bamboo and the principal, his voice brimming with confidence.

"...Sigh. Being around you young folks makes me feel young again myself," Li Quanyuan said, shaking his head with a wry smile.

Chu Bamboo understood the double meaning. On one hand, it meant young people are full of vigor and drive. On the other, it meant they lack a healthy dose of fear for industry giants.

Li Quanyuan continued, "Say what you will, but industry giants control vast resources. They can influence the supply chains for raw materials, both upstream and downstream. Your technology is certainly powerful, but what will you do if you can’t get raw materials? Or what if their prices skyrocket?"

"’Those are all legitimate business tactics... Even the university couldn’t step in to deal with that. After all," Li Quanyuan said, his words deliberately vague, "they’re also responsible for millions of jobs.’"

Lin Xia fell silent.

"I’m leaning toward buying a factory while also outsourcing production," Chu Bamboo said, choosing his words carefully. "After all, buying and operating a factory requires a massive investment of time and energy. We’d be lucky to get it producing within six months. With outsourcing, we can start immediately."

"However, we’ll only outsource the production of the optimized battery from the paper. Our own factory, in the future, will produce..." Chu Bamboo didn’t finish his sentence, but a flash of understanding lit up Lin Xia’s eyes. "I get it! You’ve thought of everything!"

"It’s not that I’ve thought of everything, it’s just that you have absolutely no experience in this area," Chu Bamboo said, his face blank but his tone earnest. "In the future, if you’re ever unsure about something, you should ask your niece... I think she’s probably more reliable than you in these matters."

Lin Xia: "..."

’Wasn’t that a little harsh?’

Li Quanyuan faltered for a second. ’Niece?’ He figured it must be a nickname. After all, given Chu Bamboo’s age, how could he possibly have a daughter old enough to be advising Lin Xia?

As for Chu Bamboo’s decision... he didn’t really mind either way. He was very clear about his role in all this: he took shares in exchange for providing coordination and protection. Pure and simple.

Frankly, even if Chu Bamboo had rejected his suggestion and decided to go head-to-head with an industry giant, Li Quanyuan would have just had to go home and figure out which of his connections and resources to leverage.

There’s no such thing as easy money these days.

"Alright, I’ll start looking for factories you can acquire. The economy has been so rough lately... The last time I looked, I do believe there were a few battery plants on the verge of bankruptcy. It shouldn’t be too difficult to find one."

...

"Principal Li, and this must be... Mr. Chu?" Chairman Cai had been waiting at the entrance for a while. Upon seeing the group, he hurried over with a smile. But as he looked Chu Bamboo up and down, a flicker of confusion crossed his face. ’Isn’t his appearance and demeanor a bit too remarkable? He seems more like a movie star than a genius entrepreneur.’

Chu Bamboo was already handsome to begin with, and even more so after reaching the First Realm of Cultivation in the Dream World. Although he hadn’t yet reached the First Realm in the Real World, he was still feeling the positive effects, and his features had become subtly more refined. The change wasn’t obvious yet, which was why Principal Li and Lin Xia, who saw him often, only felt that he seemed to have a bit more energy and spirit today.

However, for Chairman Cai, who was meeting Chu Bamboo for the first time, the impression he made was entirely different.

"Let’s dispense with the pleasantries." Chu Bamboo spoke with serene confidence, looking Chairman Cai directly in the eye. He no longer held back, unleashing his full aura. "I imagine you’re not a fan of overly formal exchanges either, are you, Chairman Cai?"

Chu Bamboo had already developed the aura of a powerful figure from his experiences in the Dream World. But now, he had layered his Divine Thought on top of that. Even if the version of Divine Thought he could manifest in the Real World was significantly weaker than in the Dream World, when combined with his inherent presence, the oppressive pressure he exerted was several times more intense.

Chairman Cai found his own presence completely suppressed. As if he were facing a superior, he subconsciously straightened his posture. "Of course. We’ll proceed as you wish..."

Chairman Cai suddenly choked on his words. He glanced at Chu Bamboo, his expression a mixture of shock and disbelief. "?"

’He was certain now—this was definitely no celebrity.’ Then, his gaze shifted to Li Quanyuan, now filled with awe. ’To think this young man was one of Academician Li’s students... to create such an invention at his age, and to possess such audacity and presence... Academician Li has truly struck gold this time...’

But then he noticed that Li Quanyuan seemed to have been taken aback as well, and was sizing up Chu Bamboo with a look of bewildered surprise...

Chairman Cai: "?"

’What gives, man?!’