Rebirth: Starting from Lighting Up the Tech Tree

Chapter 127_Star Headquarters

A week later.

Zuo Cheng led Fang Ze to the headquarters of Xingchen Technology. The building in Shenzhen was far more impressive than he had imagined, with its all-glass curtain wall gleaming in the sunlight.

"Mr. Zuo, please." The receptionist led them inside.

The elevator went straight to the 28th floor. As soon as Zuo Cheng stepped out of the elevator, he was stunned.

This was no ordinary office floor. Holographic projections floated in the air, displaying various complex data streams. The corridors were lined with transparent glass walls, and the laboratories inside contained equipment he had never seen before.

"Welcome to Star Technology." Zhao Wenbo's voice came from the front.

Zhao Wenbo, dressed in a casual suit, had a pair of deep-set eyes behind his silver-rimmed glasses. "President Zuo, let me first show you around our core laboratory."

The first stop was the neuromorphic chip laboratory.

"This is our latest research result," Zhao Wenbo said, pointing to a chip the size of a fingernail in the glass case. "A neuromorphic chip, codenamed NX-9."

Zuo Cheng leaned closer to take a look. The surface of the chip was covered with intricate circuit patterns, gleaming with a faint blue luster under the light.

"How much power does it consume?" Zuo Cheng asked the question he was most concerned about.

"0.8 milliwatts," Zhao Wenbo said.

Zuo Cheng was shocked. 0.8 milliwatts—what did that mean?

Traditional chips consume power in the watt range, while Star Technology's chips consume power in the milliwatt range. That's a difference of three orders of magnitude.

"If we use this chip..." Fang Ze murmured, "the satellite's power consumption problem will be completely solved."

Zhao Wenbo smiled slightly: "That's why we're partnering with 402."

Next, we visited the brain-computer interface laboratory.

Zuo Cheng saw a row of neatly arranged devices, each connected to a dense array of electrodes. A worker was debugging one of the devices.

"This is our brain-computer interface prototype," Zhao Wenbo explained. "It can achieve a direct connection between the human brain and a machine."

"How much accuracy can it achieve?" Zuo Cheng asked.

"99.7%," Zhao Wenbo said, "and the latency is only 2 milliseconds."

Zuo Cheng quickly calculated in his mind. 2 milliseconds latency, 99.7% accuracy. If this technology were combined with satellite communication…

Countless possibilities flashed through his mind: satellite control, drone collaboration, telemedicine... each scenario was brimming with potential.

"And this too." Zhao Wenbo led them to the last laboratory.

The room contained a massive piece of equipment that looked like a supercomputer. But unlike ordinary computers, this equipment was surrounded by a complex cooling system.

"A quantum computing prototype," Zhao Wenbo said. "Although it's still in the research and development stage, its computing power is already 1000 times that of traditional supercomputers."

Zuo Cheng stood there, silent for a long time.

He had seen many technologies, but he had never seen a company that could master so many cutting-edge technologies at the same time. Neuromorphic chips, brain-computer interfaces, quantum computing... each one of them was enough to change an industry.

"Mr. Zhao," Zuo Cheng began, "Why did you choose to cooperate with us regarding your technology? While 402 has some experience, there are many companies in the industry that are stronger than us."

Zhao Wenbo looked at him, his gaze deep.

"Because you are the perfect fit for us."

What do you mean?

"We have AI capabilities, but we lack real-world applications," said Zhao Wenbo. "Our hardware is strong, but our software and algorithms are weaknesses. 402's expertise in edge AI is exactly what we need."

He paused, then continued, "Moreover, we have a bigger plan."

"What plan?"

Zhao Wenbo walked to the window and looked at the city outside.

Are you familiar with Elon Musk's Starlink project?

"I know." Zuo Cheng nodded. He was deeply impressed by the plan, having studied it extensively in his previous life.

"The problem with Starlink is that it's too stupid," Zhao Wenbo said. "4800 satellites, but no real intelligence. They can only execute preset instructions and cannot make autonomous decisions."

"What we want is a truly intelligent satellite network." He turned to look at Zuo Cheng. "Each satellite is like a brain, capable of sensing its environment, making decisions, and collaborating with each other."

Zuo Cheng's heart raced.

This is exactly what he has been doing. Through the tech tree system, he is able to imbue satellites with intelligence. But without robust hardware support, even the best algorithms are just empty talk.

"So, you need 402," Zuo Cheng said.

"Yes," Zhao Wenbo nodded, "Hardware plus software, Starry Sky plus 402. We can join forces to create a truly intelligent satellite network."

He extended his hand: "Mr. Zuo, are you interested?"

Zuo Cheng looked at the hand and pondered for a moment.

He still had too many questions. Where did Star Technology's technology come from? What exactly was the "bigger plan" Zhao Wenbo mentioned? These questions swirled in his mind.

But he knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"I'm interested." Zuo Cheng grasped the hand, "but I need to know more."

Zhao Wenbo smiled.

"Of course. We have prepared a detailed cooperation plan, which we will send to you later."

After the visit, Zuo Cheng and Fang Ze walked out of the Xingchen Technology Building.

The sun was blazing in Shenzhen, but Zuo Cheng felt a chill in his heart.

"Brother Cheng," Fang Ze began, "this company's technology... it's terrifying."

"Mm." Zuo Cheng nodded.

"How did they do that?" Fang Ze murmured. "This technology is at least ten years ahead of the industry."

Zuo Cheng did not answer. He looked at the distant sky, his mind filled with countless thoughts.

Star Technology's technology far surpasses the current industry's understanding. Neuromorphic chips, brain-computer interfaces, quantum computing... each one seems to come from the future.

Now, this mysterious company has taken the initiative to approach 402, wanting to cooperate with them.

Is this an opportunity or a trap?

Zuo Cheng didn't know the answer. But one thing he was clear about was that the cooperation with Xingchen Technology would completely change the future of 402.

He opened his phone and saw a message from Zhao Wenbo.

"The cooperation proposal has been sent. Please check your inbox."

Zuo Cheng took a deep breath.

He recalled his past life, fighting alone and ultimately achieving nothing. Now, however, he had his own team, his own company, and most importantly, he possessed the Tech Tree System—his greatest trump card.

But the emergence of Star Technology made him realize that there were still many things in this world that he didn't know.

No matter what awaits him ahead, he must face it.

Because backing down is not his style.

The outcome of this collaboration will directly determine how far 402 can go in the future.