Chapter 91 A feeling of liquid rising in the stomach.

"Zhu Ao, the core technology you have now is a gold mine. Not to mention those giants are eyeing it covetously, I'm envious myself."

Zhou leaned forward slightly, picked up the purple clay teapot, and poured seven-tenths of the tea into the teacup next to Zhu Ao. "Just pry off a piece, modify and upgrade it, and that's a market worth hundreds of billions or trillions."

As the ripples on the water subsided, Zhu Ao picked up his teacup, took a sip, and remained silent.

Besides the admiration in Zhou Xian's eyes that proclaimed "Zhu Ao, you are a genius," there was also a deeper meaning: "The key is that it doesn't need rest, it doesn't complain, it doesn't ask for a raise, and it never delivers to the wrong floor. This isn't just a guide dog; it's clearly the 'ultimate deliveryman' that can completely revolutionize the entire logistics industry!"

Zhu Ao gently put down his teacup, slightly lowered his brows, and asked, "Do you think that if everyone is chasing after projects that make money, will no one continue my original aspiration of 'Star Technology'?"

"How big is the visually impaired population? You're only sticking to that small market, and you have to be responsible for lifelong maintenance—it's not easy money. Zhu Ao, you're not doing business, you're practically doing charity. You don't really just want to cling to this tiny piece of the pie, do you?"

Zhou Xian felt that Zhu Ao didn't seem like that kind of person. So many business giants wanted to acquire "Star Technology," but Zhu Ao had never given in. Wasn't that because he wanted to start his own business? If he wanted to start his own business and make it bigger and stronger, he had to pry open this gold mine himself.

“You all think the same way… Two months ago, I was still planning a high-end product line, hoping to use the profits from the high-end business to support the research and development and donation of guide dogs. But suddenly, a thought popped into my head: If in the future… I’m gone, will anyone still protect our ‘original aspiration’? Capital has always been profit-driven, pursuing a larger market. It may become a logistics robot, an industrial robot, a delivery robot, or even a street cleaning robot in the future… but its original mission will be abandoned.”

Zhu Ao's words were heavy, leaving Zhou Xian momentarily at a loss for words. Perhaps this is the kind of foresight that only a true entrepreneur who has managed the livelihoods of tens of thousands of people would have—in the prime of his life, already contemplating the inheritance of his business and beliefs.

Unlike these people, they are more concerned with how to safely transfer their wealth after they leave and how to continue the business value.

Zhou Xian had initially thought Zhu Ao was an "ambitious man," but only at this moment did he realize that Zhu Ao still retained the "pragmatism" of an industrialist at heart.

Zhu Ao originally had an "idea" or rather a "request" for this trip, but in the end he swallowed his words.

In mid-January, as the year drew to a close, Zhu Ao accomplished a major feat. After obtaining unanimous approval from the board of directors, he spun off the "electronic guide dog" public welfare business from the profitable commercial entity and established a wholly-owned subsidiary called "Star Wish," injecting the entire team, patents, brand, data, and legal obligations of "lifetime maintenance" into the project.

The company's sole mission is to research, develop, produce, and maintain electronic guide dogs, and to provide inclusive services to the visually impaired. Furthermore, it has secured the right to lock away the company's core intellectual property rights, preventing their sale or mortgage.

In the same month, Zhu Ao quickly transferred 100% of the equity of "Star Wish" subsidiary to an irrevocable trust of the "Zhu Ao Foundation" he established.

*

After a week of continuous snowfall, Lanchuan finally welcomed sunny weather today.

The sky was clear and blue, and there seemed to be not a single speck of dust in the air. Looking around, the entire city was still shrouded in a silver-white blanket.

Qin Qiao took a deep breath in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, as if she could inhale the clean and refreshing air.

A knock was made on the glass door.

Qin Qiao turned her head and saw her assistant open the door for Chen Jiashu, who was holding Tug's hand in one hand and carrying a coffee bag in the other.

"Coffee again?" she greeted.

The door slowly closed behind him. Hearing the sound, he tilted his head slightly and casually picked up the coffee bag: "Unsweetened hot Americano."

Qin Qiao took the bag; it was heavy, which made her both annoyed and amused: "Chen Jiashu... your job is in the chairman's office, don't you come here to 'drop by' every day?"

This should have been a cause for celebration, as he thought his initial enthusiasm would only last a week. However, half a month has passed, and the key issue is that his subordinates are almost at their breaking point.

The employees were all complaining bitterly, fearing that Chairman Chen would come to "inspect" again. They dared not say it aloud, so she had to express it tactfully.

"Qiaoqiao... guess who bought this coffee?"

Qin Qiao didn't want to guess, but looking at his smiling face, which was as bright as the sun outside, she decided to guess: "Assistant Zhang?"

He shook his head.

"Ye Zhu?"

He shook his head again.

Chen Jiashu revealed the answer directly: "I went to buy it myself. Tug and I are working together very well now, and we arrived at Wanshang Commercial Plaza smoothly. We only had to ask a lady on the first floor of the mall for directions to the main entrance of Starbucks."

Wanshang Commercial Plaza is located on Huazhi Street. To get out of the headquarters, you have to cross the road and then turn left and right through two commercial streets. The road has a lot of pedestrian traffic, and there are various problems such as signs being displayed outside, vehicles being parked haphazardly, and trucks unloading goods. This is nothing to sighted people, but for visually impaired people, it is undoubtedly an ordeal.

A while ago, news reports mentioned a blind man who crashed into a truck that was reversing to unload goods, resulting in a head injury and bleeding profusely.

The dangerous images flashed through Qin Qiao's mind, and she was still shaken: "Jia Shu, next time you want to go out, call me in advance and I'll go with you."

Simply "patrolling" the headquarters is no longer enough for him; he's eager to "expand his territory." But the unknown risks outside are too high, and as chairman, he can't afford to be constantly bruised and battered.

Looking at Chen Jiashu's still smiling face, she suddenly felt like a mother interfering with her 'child's' spirit of exploration and innovation.

Concern can cloud judgment.

Chen Jiashu didn't mind her words and was still very excited: "You forgot? We did travel training there before. I've gained a lot of experience this time." As he said this, a glint of light flashed in his usually dark and vacant eyes. "I won't talk to you anymore. I need to go and talk to Chen Cheng about something. Oh, by the way, take out your coffee, give me back the bag, and I'll take the other cup to him."

"Tug, go to the R&D department office." A man's clear, pleasant voice came through the glass door.

As Qin Qiao watched the tall, dark figure on the door gradually shrink until it disappeared, she suddenly realized that she could keep her worries to herself, but she shouldn't stop him. Besides, Jia Shu always acted with discretion; he would protect himself.

Qin Qiao picked up the coffee, examined the cup carefully, and smiled knowingly.

It seems like buying this Tug was definitely the right decision. It has brought Jia Shu back to his most primal joy.

*

On the other side, Chen Cheng had just come out of the R&D department of the main factory when he received a call from Chen Jiashu.

He ended the call with a few brief words and immediately drove back.

Chen Jiashu reached out and touched the inside of the coffee cup; it was completely cold. He then touched the edge of his watch, and a voice timer sounded:

3:25 PM.

Forty-five minutes have passed. The main factory and headquarters are in the same large city; it usually takes about thirty minutes by elevated highway. Are we stuck in traffic?

When he still had a sliver of vision, he was accompanied by an assistant every day, and he didn't think much of it. Perhaps deep down, he still saw himself as a "commander".

Until his eyesight completely failed, causing him to lose his vague perception of the world, he would sometimes feel a complete disconnect from reality.

Thus, the idea of ​​"independence" quietly emerged, perhaps simply a desire to prove that one still truly exists in this world.

Of course, most of the time it was just a thought. On the one hand, the boundless darkness was daunting; on the other hand, within the corporation, he couldn't slowly grope his way to the right room like he would at home. If the directors or subordinates saw him like that, it would certainly damage his image.

It's a kind of "image burden," I suppose.

Therefore, over the past five years, the place he has spent the most time has been his office. When he needs to go out for meetings or to receive important clients, his assistant will guide him.

The advent of Tug truly allowed him to "go wherever he wanted." During this period, he continuously tested it, visiting more than twenty departments without ever making a mistake. Its precision was so great that he felt he had gained a pair of "eyes."

That sense of excitement, accomplishment, and joy filled his heart.

That is something that those who possess light will never understand.

"Chairman Chen, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting." Chen Cheng walked in quickly and sat down opposite Chen Jiashu. "I encountered a car accident on the way and was stuck in traffic for more than ten minutes."

Chen Jiashu nodded slightly and went straight to the point: "How is the analysis of that device going?" He was referring to the "guide dog" that he had handed over to Chen Cheng's team a week ago for disassembly and research.

Chen Cheng shook his head and said, "The other party's core algorithm and perception fusion module are hardware-level encrypted. It's like a Russian nesting doll, with one layer after another. Forcibly cracking it will directly erase the core key and render all critical code invalid."

He paused for a moment, then said, “Chairman Chen, with the technical expertise they’ve demonstrated, the team is fully capable of starting their own business. As far as I know, there are no fewer than ten giants, both domestic and international, eyeing them, but the founders have never given in. It seems that what they’re after… isn’t money.”

Chen Jiashu lowered his head and smiled silently. There was a hint of understanding in his smile, and then he said softly, "Then let's forget about it."

After a moment of silence, Chen Jiashu spoke again: "We've made the compressor, but an appliance's 'heart' can't have just one component. We need to take a long-term view. After the New Year, lead a team to Munich to investigate the feasibility of hydrogen-powered home appliances and see if we can come up with a solution in three years."

As soon as he said it, Chen Jiashu remembered Tian Jiayue and immediately changed his mind: "Let's arrange for someone else to go."

Chen Cheng really wanted to spend more time with his wife, so he replied, "Okay, I'll make the arrangements."

Chen Jiashu nodded.

Four years ago, after observing Chen Cheng's team for a full year, Chen Jiashu decided to acquire the company, which was valued at one billion yuan. Chen Cheng himself was very happy about this, admitting that he was not good at business management and hoped to focus more on technological research and development in the future, only requesting that the entire team be retained.

Chen Jiashu agreed to his request, not only allowing Chen Cheng to continue as the team leader and independently operate the "Intelligent Technology Business Unit," but also granting him the high position of Group Chief Technology Officer (CTO), thus entering the core decision-making level.

*

Zhu Ao usually stays at his parents' villa when he returns to Lanchuan.

He and Tao Ting have been divorced for almost six years. Their two children live with their mother, and he pays three million yuan in child support every month.

The glow of the sunset spilled over behind Zhuo, casting his shadow on the exquisite white door. Zhuo raised his hand, but before he could knock, the door opened from the inside.

"Dad!" It was the eldest daughter, Zhu Rui, who opened the door.

Zhu Rui is seventeen years old this year. She went abroad to study during junior high school and used to come home twice a year. Zhu Ao would often fly over to see her. But since Zhu Ao and Tao Ting divorced, the father and daughter have mainly communicated via video calls.

It's been two years since they last actually met.

When Zhu Rui saw her father's half-gray hair, her eyes immediately welled up with tears.

During a video call early last year, she noticed that Zhu Ao had some gray hairs. However, with the screen in front of her and the lighting obscuring the view, the white hairs weren't very noticeable, so she thought to herself that it was normal for her father to have a few gray hairs at his age.

It wasn't until she saw it with her own eyes that the shock of that half-white head gave her a real, overwhelming sense of awe.

My father's face was so full, and there wasn't even a fine line at the corner of his eyes, so how could... he have so much white hair?

Zhu Ao wasn't oblivious to his daughter's gaze fixed on his hair. He smiled slightly and casually asked, "Where are Grandpa and Grandma?"

"It's inside."

After dinner, Zhu Ao went into the study, took out his laptop from the backpack he had brought back, and placed it on the table.

He opened the backend management interface, found the device entry for "Chen Jiashu Tug", which showed the usage time for today: 3 hours and 45 minutes. The green status indicator light indicated that Tug was working normally.

Every electronic guide dog they sell requires real-name registration. Two months ago, when "Star Technology" opened a booth in Lanchuan, he specifically instructed that if Chen Jiashu or Qin Qiao came to purchase one, they must notify his assistant immediately.

That afternoon, just after Chen Jiashu completed the order, Zhu Ao received the message and then accurately located the corresponding device from the backend data.

"Jiashu, how about we adopt a guide dog?"

That was the fourth time Chen Jiashu had gone out for training alone since his vision had dwindled to 0.04, and the night he was scratched on the cheek by a tree branch. When Zhu Ao arrived at the hospital, he was sitting on the edge of the bed with gauze on his face.

"How long can it stay with me?" Chen Jiashu asked listlessly.

Zhu Ao pulled out a chair and sat opposite him. All that came to mind was the scene from the day before yesterday when he secretly followed Chen Jiashu and witnessed him waving his white cane and hitting cars, bicycles, and passersby.

“But it’s too dangerous for you to go out like this. A guide dog can stay with you for at least seven or eight years… and then…” He wanted to say that they could get another one in the future, and they were perfectly capable of changing them all the time.

"And what about seven years from now?" Chen Jiashu raised his eyes, his dark pupils fixed on him with unwavering gaze: "So, you'll change it again?"

Zhu Ao was slightly startled by something in his gaze.

Seemingly realizing his tone had been too harsh, Chen Jiashu pursed his lips and gave a very faint smile: "Zhu Ao, go back. Keep the company safe. I'll figure something out myself."

"puff!"

A mouthful of blood suddenly sprayed onto the keyboard, splattering everywhere.

He immediately turned the computer upside down, and then a dizzying sensation swept over him, causing him to fall backward uncontrollably...