"How did you do it?"
Shao Zhiwen stared, having already circled Luke Field three or four times. He was once a technological expert himself. Although he lost a lot after venturing into business, and his knowledge base had fallen behind this era of technological explosion due to his focus on commerce and company management, his foundation, basics, and understanding were still there!
He knew perfectly well how difficult the Single-Pilot Drift System was! Even Dr. Catherine Lightcap, the creator who, relying on her accumulation in the field of neurobiology, created and improved the Drift System in just a few months, couldn't achieve this.
This was because a single person's neurons simply couldn't bear the mental load of controlling a Jaeger, unless the Jaeger's size was reduced.
But how could that be possible?
The size and upgrades of a Jaeger were directly correlated to the size and strength of a Kaiju.
If the size were reduced, many things, many weapons, and even the damage to the Kaiju would be greatly insufficient.
Therefore, at least a two-person Drift, jointly bearing the mental load of controlling a Jaeger, was currently the only option.
Even ten years later, Jaegers seventy meters or taller still required at least a two-person Drift operation.
That's why Stacker Pentecost, the only one publicly known to have independently controlled the damaged Gipsy Danger for three hours and ultimately defeated the Kaiju Witch after his partner fell unconscious, commanded such immense prestige and renown!
Everyone knew that what limited Jaegers from being widely deployed, apart from practical issues like funding, was the difficulty in finding pilots.
It wasn't as simple as any two people teaming up to pilot a Jaeger.
It required incredibly resilient mental fortitude, strong physical qualities, outstanding combat abilities, and, most importantly, absolute trust and tacit agreement with their partner!
The former points were easy to address, but the latter—trust and tacit agreement with one's partner—was the most challenging.
Under the Drift System, both parties could see each other's privacy, their most guarded memories and secrets.
Not everyone could accept someone entering their mind and browsing through their entire being.
And once resistance occurred, it would affect the stable connection of the Drift System.
This alone eliminated countless individuals.
Therefore, whether active, retired, or deceased, the Jaeger pilots either had a blood relationship, such as father-daughter, siblings, etc., or a deep bond, like lovers or comrades-in-arms.
But if a safe Single-Pilot Drift Technology truly emerged, then, at the very least, the PPDC could immediately double its Jaeger pilots.
And all of them would be excellent pilots with extremely rich combat experience, and at least highly tacit agreement and cooperative with another!
Although Shao Zhiwen had been repeatedly defeated by Luke Field over the past three years, to the point of questioning his own scientific talent two years ago and completely abandoning research a year ago to focus on cultivating his daughter, every time Luke unveiled a new Technology, it still made him feel a pang of bitterness.
However, the moment Shao Zhiwen remembered that all these Technologies were stored in Shao Industries' intelligent core, and Shao Industries also held a share of the ownership, that hint of bitterness in his heart instantly vanished.
The environment indeed changes a person; he was no longer the somewhat research-oriented person he was three years ago.
Now, he was a businessman!
"Dr., the PPDC wants to take the Kaiju Hatchet's corpse," a woman in a White lab coat rushed in, holding a phone.
"Reject them," Luke Field said without hesitation.
"Kaiju Hatchet was killed by Shao Industries' Jaeger, so Shao Industries should rightfully own and have the right to dispose of its corpse."
"I'm afraid that won't work.
Anything involving Kaiju falls under PPDC management and decision-making.
If they insist, there will be some trouble," Shao Zhiwen interjected from the side.
Although he also really wanted a Kaiju corpse.
To use Luke Field's words, while a Kaiju wasn't entirely valuable, at least most of its tissues were.
Especially its blood; the very first use discovered was its potential as a primary ingredient for a powerful fuel propellant!
Why was Kurtulu able to reach the battlefield so quickly?
It was by using this fuel propellant made with Kaiju blood.
As long as there was enough of this propellant, then when Jaegers were deployed again, they wouldn't need to be slowly airlifted to the scene by at least eight heavy transport helicopters.
In other words, in terms of deployment and response to Kaiju attacks, the PPDC and the coalition nations behind it would have more ample response time and faster support than before.
This meant greatly reducing the Kaiju's destructive power and speed of advance.
Of course, this was still undisclosed new Technology.
But it would be eventually, wouldn't it?
At least Shao Zhiwen, upon learning of the potential effects of this Technology, immediately went to the black market and the PPDC to acquire a significant amount of Kaiju blood at a high price, also known as the famous toxic blue blood, and stockpiled it.
"Give them a sum of money.
Consider it bought.
Anyway, Marshal Stacker won't use all of the Kaiju's body for research; most of it will have to be sold off by someone," Luke Field shrugged.
"Also, tell Marshal Stacker that I will visit him at the PPDC sometime soon, perhaps in a few days, to discuss cooperation between Shao Industries and the PPDC.
I imagine he's very eager to see me now too."
"Alright, it seems you think the time is right," Shao Zhiwen's tone was somewhat Feelings.
Over these three years, Luke Field had not hidden his intention of using Shao Industries as a stepping stone.
From the very beginning of their cooperation, Luke had made it clear to him that his goal was the PPDC.
Of course, Shao Zhiwen believed Luke would not cut ties with Shao Industries, as their relationship was already inseparable.
What benefit would Luke, as a major shareholder of Shao Industries, gain from cutting ties with it?
Being a major shareholder and Chief Technology Officer of Shao Industries didn't prevent him from going to the PPDC.
...
In the following days, Shao Industries clearly received more attention, both from the outside world and from high-level officials.
Shao Zhiwen had been almost constantly busy these days; he needed to explain things to various parties above and, in doing so, publicly release a batch of Shao Industries' technological accumulations.
This included unmanned factories, sixth-generation Jaeger research and development, and the technological application of Kaiju blue blood, among others.
As he complained to Luke one evening: "I have to attend all sorts of meetings every day, and give four or five-hour speeches at these meetings; my throat is almost giving out."
But Luke could hear the irrepressible excitement and elation in his slightly hoarse voice.
Clearly, with the Wall Faction holding absolute sway, the Jaeger faction severely weakened, and supporting factories either shut down, mothballed, or abandoned, he, as the head of Shao Industries on the front line of the Jaeger industrial chain, had evidently received some promise or support.
And while Shao Zhiwen was experiencing this painful joy, Marshal Stacker Pentecost at PPDC Headquarters was facing a storm of criticism from the current alliance administrators of the PPDC's member nations.