Chapter 41 Mobilize All Resources to Thoroughly Investigate Zhang Fan's Background!

The poised and heroic-looking woman sneered, "Mr. Zhang's talent is evident to all the high-ranking officials in the capital."

"Otherwise, they wouldn't have dispatched us to protect Mr. Zhang."

"Mr. Zhao Tiehuai need not harbor any excessive doubts about this."

Watching the way she spoke, Zhao Tiehuai noticed that although a faint, enigmatic smile lingered on her face, it somehow exuded a bone-chilling aura.

He shook his head, swept his gaze across the villa, and suddenly felt a wave of shock.

"Wait a minute, Brother, you told me to come find you, and you said to come here."

"It's only now dawning on me—this is no ordinary villa. A place like this easily costs at least three hundred million."

"When did you buy this without even giving me a heads-up? Besides, Brother, aren't you way too filthy rich?"

Zhao Tiehuai was profoundly shaken.

Growing up, he had never seen his brother display such unimaginable wealth!

Yet, Zhang Fan merely waved his hand dismissively, acting as if the three-hundred-million-dollar villa was of no consequence.

"What's so impressive about this? In less than a month, I will become one of the wealthiest men in the entire world."

Thud!

Right then and there, Zhao Tiehuai dropped to his knees before Zhang Fan.

"Big Brother! From this day forth, we are sworn brothers!"

"You must never forget your brother here!"

"Brother!"

Seeing Zhao Tiehuai looking up at him with tear-filled eyes, acting as eager as a devoted hound, Zhang Fan kicked him straight to the floor, laughing and scolding, "Get lost, you jerk, act normal."

Meanwhile.

At the Zhu family residence.

After watching the news, Zhu Qingan rushed excitedly into her father Zhu Changshan's study.

"Dad, you said that as long as Zhang Fan could invent a picometer-level lithography machine, you would agree to let me marry him!"

Zhu Changshan was currently reviewing a stack of documents that required his personal signature. His daughter's words failed to make him even raise his head, and his expression remained entirely calm.

"Indeed, I did say that."

"However, for many years, the entire nation of Huaxia pooled its collective strength and still struggled to develop a picometer-level lithography machine. How could he possibly accomplish it?"

"You had better banish any thoughts of marrying him as soon as possible. Although our Zhu family is the foremost noble clan within Huaxia, compared to those figures in the capital, if they wish to target us, it is as effortless as turning over a hand."

"Right now, due to Logan's chip embargo, Zhang Fan could find himself in mortal danger at any moment. Dad is only doing this for your own good!"

Zhu Qingan grew immensely agitated and hurriedly protested, "Dad, Brother Zhang Fan, he has genuinely produced the blueprints for a picometer-level lithography machine!"

"Just moments ago, a friend of mine in the capital sent me a message containing a live video from the manufacturing site of the lithography machine!"

"This friend of mine would never lie to me; he is an expert who has spent years toiling in the field of lithography."

Her words finally elicited a chuckle from Zhu Changshan.

He laid down his pen at last, lifted his head, and cast a glance at Zhu Qingan.

"Sigh, I know you desperately want to marry Zhang Fan, and I know even better that you've been fond of him for many years."

"But in this matter, your father is powerless as well! He has courted such a colossal disaster that even I will find it difficult to shield him."

"Little An, stop uttering such preposterous notions; there's no meaning in it. If nothing unexpected happens, Zhang Fan is going to fall soon."

Zhu Qingan bit her lip, wearing an expression of absolute earnestness.

"Dad! As a classified project, this matter must be known exclusively to Zhang Fan and the top brass in the capital right now, and everyone in the know would have undoubtedly signed nondisclosure agreements. The only reason I received this news is because of my standing."

"You certainly have access to the upper echelons. If you truly don't believe me, just make a phone call and ask!"

"Well?"

Zhu Changshan sighed repeatedly.

It seemed this stubborn girl was truly set on marrying no one other than Zhang Fan.

How could she possibly believe something so absurd—that Zhang Fan, entirely on his own, could invent a lithography machine?

Simply impossible!

Let alone a picometer-level lithography machine that outpaced the entire world.

How ridiculous was this? It was equivalent to a three-year-old child conquering the entire world without any outside assistance.

That was the level of absurdity.

Yet, judging by his daughter's expression, she put complete and utter faith in Zhang Fan!

Zhu Changshan had always doted on his daughter, and at this moment, he could only let out a heavy sigh and retrieve his phone.

"Fine. Since you refuse to give up and believe Zhang Fan possesses such absurdly god-like intelligence, I will make the call."

"However, remember this: once I finish this call, you must break up with him, understood?"

"While this affair won't directly implicate our Zhu family, the moment you marry him, it becomes an entirely different story. Beneath the Zhu family, countless other clans are waiting to step into our shoes."

With that, Zhu Changshan unlocked his contacts, located the number of a high-ranking official in the capital, and dialed.

It took a few moments for the call to connect, likely because the recipient was busy with pressing matters.

Zhu Changshan got straight to the point.

"My daughter claims that Zhang Fan has engineered a picometer-level lithography machine? Furthermore, you've already mobilized people to work around the clock on it?"

Despite the recipient's exalted status, a hint of incredulity laced their voice as they replied.

"That is correct."

"At first, I didn't believe it either. Something the entire world failed to achieve was somehow accomplished by someone like Zhang Fan, who had never even touched the field of lithography. But reality is such—he truly did it."

"The picometer-level lithography machine is already in development, and confidentiality directives have been issued one after another. The personnel participating in this research and development project number a staggering one hundred thousand."

"It will be manufactured within a month."

Zhu Changshan's eyes widened in disbelief.

He bolted upright, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets, struck by a wave of ultimate shock.

"No, that can't be? Old friend, are you pulling my leg?"

"Or did my daughter contact you beforehand just to marry Zhang Fan? Did she ask you to cover for her? This..."

Given the other party's position, the words spoken could not possibly be false.

Therefore, Zhu Changshan could only deduce one possibility: his old friend was joking.

Otherwise, how could one possibly explain the terrifying phenomenon of Zhang Fan single-handedly pulling off a picometer-level lithography machine?

The person on the other end chuckled a few times.

"How could I joke with you about a matter concerning the overarching destiny of Huaxia?"

"Old Zhu, you might as well let your daughter marry Zhang Fan!"

"This young man's future is boundless!"

With that, the person stated they were rather busy and abruptly hung up.

Zhu Changshan collapsed back into his chair, utterly paralyzed, drawing in a sharp, deep breath.

His mind went numb as he stiffly turned his head to stare at Zhu Qingan.

"Is... is all of this true?"

Zhu Qingan felt a surge of elation and threw a triumphant little punch into the air.

"Dad, you thought I was lying to you, but would the high-ranking officials in the capital lie to you?"

"Besides, they have genuinely begun manufacturing and assembling the lithography machine right now!"

"It'll be built within a month!"

Zhu Changshan gazed blankly at his daughter's radiant, excited face.

As the head of the Zhu family, he possessed countless industrial chains, some of which naturally touched upon the semiconductor and chip sectors.

With his level of insight, not a single nation in the world—not a single one—could independently complete the generational leap of a lithography machine from the nanometer scale to the picometer scale!

Not one!

The sheer volume of disciplines and intricate technologies involved was far too vast and complex.

Yet now...

It had actually been brought to life by Zhang Fan, entirely by himself?!

Zhu Changshan could not help feeling a chill run down his spine. Shock no longer sufficed to describe his state, and he hastily issued an order.

"Little An, mobilize every single resource the Zhu family has at its disposal once more."

"Conduct a thorough investigation into Zhang Fan!"

"Dig up all of his background information, immediately!"

An hour later.

When the neatly compiled dossier was placed before Zhu Changshan, he merely glanced at Zhang Fan's personal profile, and his scalp instantly tingled with dread.