Luo Xuan studied it for a moment before dismissively remarking, "The craftsmanship is crude, lacks security measures, and the blueprints are easy to reverse-engineer."
"Then it's yours. Complete this assignment, and we'll poach you from Logistics. You'll get better pay and higher clearance."
Luo Xuan smiled with satisfaction. After the unfair treatment last time, he felt even more that the Logistics Department held no future. Why was Xiao specially recruited while he had to grind away at seniority? He was ready to switch allegiance to the Hawks and transfer to the R&D Department.
Once he caught the higher-ups' attention, his future would be bright. Sooner or later, he too could earn Xiao's privileges.
Cracking the folding combat blade was his chance to prove himself. Luo Xuan took it seriously. His failure to decode the light-weight power arm still gnawed at him—he'd never accepted defeat. Now, he couldn't wait to "compete" with Xiao.
...
Since establishing his independent mechanical workshop, Xiao had moved out of the repair shop, finally embracing the long-awaited bachelor life. Technically, he remained an employee, assisting Lü Qian with the shop's daily orders.
The previous misunderstanding meant they could maintain a distance-based working relationship, which Lü Qian found considerably easier.
"Hiss..."
Opening the smelting furnace, high-temperature steam erupted. Wearing heat-resistant work clothes, Xiao used tongs to pull out piece after piece of glowing-red, long-barreled steel billets from the furnace.
Under current conditions, Xiao had two methods for crafting blades. One was conventional smelting: heating the steel billet, then repeatedly forging it on an iron mat to gradually shape it. The second involved heating the billets to red-hot in a high-temperature furnace, then using machinery to stamp them directly into blade shapes in a single step. Each method had its merits: the former naturally produced finer craftsmanship, while the latter offered higher efficiency for mass production.
The selling points of the folding combat knife were portability and concealability. Xiao wasn't aiming to forge a legendary blade, so he opted for the efficient direct stamping method.
These steel billets came from Bureau 13's stockpile, boasting excellent quality. Xiao sprayed chemical agents onto the billets to remove oxides, then subjected them to another round of annealing. He placed the glowing billets onto the stamping lathe and activated the machinery.
Amidst the thunderous clanging, the steel billets took shape, transforming into sharp blades.
Next came the critical folding process—a delicate task requiring chains and magnets, which Xiao handled with practised ease.
Before long, a fresh batch of ten folding combat blades emerged.
Repeatedly manufacturing the same mechanical item reduces experience points. Unlike assembly, manufacturing experience doesn't vanish entirely but fluctuates within a narrow range. Using equipment for mechanical manufacturing reduced experience gain proportionally. Advanced Machinery practitioners inevitably set up their own assembly lines and lathes for mass-producing parts. Xiao hadn't reached that stage yet; some components still required manual polishing or purchase.
Each folding combat knife yielded 100-200 experience points. The blueprint level rose to Lv2, slightly enhancing the finished products' attributes.
Xiao shed his heat-resistant suit, wiped sweat from his brow, counted the finished blades, and completed several more orders.
He felt pretty pleased with himself.
Just then, his phone chimed with an old-fashioned ringtone—a call from Li Yalin.
"Bad news—all the agents who placed orders are cancelling them."
Han Xiao froze. "What happened?"
"The R&D Department reverse-engineered the folding combat knife blueprint. They've submitted a report to higher-ups demanding official endorsement and are spreading rumours about imminent mass production for departmental distribution," Li Yalin said, her voice heavy with frustration.
The R&D Department prioritised performance metrics and sought ownership of the blueprint's invention. Since supplying the equipment was free, the agents, though disdainful of the R&D Department's actions, had logically cancelled their pre-orders with Xiao Han.
His newly crafted batch of folding combat knives now sat unsold.
Xiao's eyes flickered. He hadn't expected the R&D Department to actually dare to poach his own business. Given the folding combat knives' unique nature (and crude simplicity), the confidentiality measures felt redundant. Xiao had anticipated counterfeits would emerge, but not this quickly. The profits he'd secured so far fell far short of his expectations.
Although the folding combat knives would eventually saturate the market, they still offered substantial profit potential in the short term. The R&D Department's meddling had cut off his revenue stream.
Submitting the blueprints might boost his faction contribution points, but it would also eliminate a source of experience. The R&D Department's forcible seizure of the blueprints clearly wouldn't count toward his contribution.
This was a multi-pronged obstruction to his growth.
Xiao narrowed his eyes slightly, dialled Feng Jun's number, and said in a deep voice, "Are you aware of this?"
Feng Jun sighed. "The R&D Department really dared to do this. Although senior management hasn't reviewed their report yet, they've already started mass production of the folding combat blades."
"Tell me the details."
Feng Jun repeated the information once, and Han Xiao committed the names Krat and Luo Xuan to memory.
"What did R&D say?"
"They haven't issued any statement."
Xiao's expression remained composed. Damn the Hawks, they didn't even bother explaining to the blueprint's owner—the subtext being that Xiao should swallow this bitter pill. It remained unclear how the conservative faction led by Old Gao would react.
This time, the R&D Department had acted on its own initiative. Higher-ups were clearly not kept in the dark. The reason for the delayed review of the R&D Department's report was likely to test his stance. If he chose to back down, would Bureau 13's stance toward him become increasingly harder in the future?
"The hawks want to squeeze and discipline me, while the conservatives lean toward friendly cooperation. Senior management won't fully back the R&D department. If I escalate this without crossing the line, they'll compromise and compensate me to some extent. There's plenty of room to manoeuvre here."
Xiao's eyes suddenly lit up. Perhaps this was an opportunity to seize advanced knowledge!
Advanced knowledge was treated as top-secret by Star Dragon, strictly controlled. Xiao had long agonised over how to complete the advancement tasks. This was the perfect opportunity to leverage the situation.
A simple plan gradually took shape in his mind.
"You don't even flinch at taking what's mine. If I don't make you suffer, you'll think I'm easy to push around."...
Research and Development Department.
The department head's secretary chuckled, "Heh, we owe this one to you. Truly the ace of the Logistics Department."
Luo Xuan offered a faint smile, masking his satisfaction.
"The Director holds you in high regard. He's already requested your resume from Logistics and added it to our database. You're officially transferred to our R&D department."
"I wonder about my compensation..."
"The Director specifically instructed that you'll lead a dedicated task force independently. Your access level will be elevated one tier. If you perform well, senior management will notice you sooner or later."
Luo Xuan smiled with satisfaction before asking, "I heard Xiao is favoured by the higher-ups. Could that cause trouble?"
"Don't worry. I know a little inside information—Xiao has no choice but to swallow his pride."
The secretary recalled the R&D Director's confident words:
"Han Xiao relies on Bureau 13's protection. If he wants to stay alive, he won't dare cause trouble!"