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Chapter 293: Star of Asia
🕑 Added 2023-07-05 09:37:49 +0000 UTCTransformers Begin : Table of Content/Chapter List
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They didn't walk far before reaching a low-rise newly constructed office building. To say it was low-rise was not a compliment.
In fact, the buildings within the Nandu Supercomputing Center, although dense, did not exceed eight floors in any of the different sections completed from Phase One to Phase Four.
The architectural style in this area, Area D, followed the established practice of the Supercomputing Center. For example, the building they arrived at, Building No. 4, had only five floors.
However, one shouldn't underestimate it just because it had five floors, as it had a basement, a unique two-story basement at that.
"A basement?"
Sun Cheng looked at Xu Chun in surprise. After Xu Chun led him into Building No. 4, they continued walking along the ground floor corridor until they reached the middle, where they encountered a rather spacious staircase.
However, this staircase didn't lead upstairs but instead to the basement.
"Well, it's surprising..."
Xu Chun smiled and nodded. Even he was taken aback when he first came here.
Not only supercomputers but even regular servers have very specific requirements for their placement environment.
Stable voltage, good ventilation, and a dry, non-humid environment are ideal. Therefore, it is rare for companies or research institutions to build their expensive servers or supercomputers in basements.
And let's not forget that Nandu is located near the Yangtze River, which makes it more humid than the northern regions.
"Hehe, don't be surprised, Mr. Sun. This is actually a brand-new supercomputing application solution that our Supercomputing Center is currently experimenting with..."
Just as Sun Cheng was wondering, a slightly hoarse male voice suddenly rang out, answering his questions instead of Xu Chun.
The voice came from a short distance ahead. Sun Cheng turned to look and saw two middle-aged men standing at the end of the staircase. One of them was Shen Peiyuan, the familiar president of Nandu University. The other man, who appeared to be in his early forties, with a standard crew cut and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, spoke up and provided the answer in place of Xu Chun. He exuded an intellectual vibe commonly seen in TV dramas.
Seeing Sun Cheng and the others approach, Shen Peiyuan smiled and beckoned to him. "Xiao Sun, come over here. Let me introduce you. This is Director Zheng Jun from the Nandu Supercomputing Center. He is also an outstanding alumnus of our Nandu University of Technology and is currently in charge of the [Asian Star] series of supercomputer projects. Director Zheng has been of great help to you this time..."
Being a director was nothing remarkable for Sun Cheng, who had already dealt with the top leaders of several countries in a different world. Even before returning to the Transformers world, he had set his sights on Brazil. Barring any unexpected circumstances, the next time he returned, Sun Cheng would spare no effort to vie for control over the largest country in South America.
So, not to mention that Zheng Jun is just a director of the Nandu Supercomputing Center, even if the Minister of the Ministry of Computer Industry stands in front of him, Sun Cheng wouldn't be intimidated.
But the words 'Star of Asia' made his face slightly change.
Shen Peiyuan deliberately tried to get closer, and Sun Cheng didn't miss the opportunity. He quickly put on a bright smile and praised, "Director Zheng, I didn't know you were my senior and mentor. Mr. President, you shouldn't have kept it from me!"
Zheng Jun smiled ambiguously, but upon closer inspection, one could see that his eyes behind the lenses were continuously examining Sun Cheng.
After a while, he nodded slightly and asked in a hoarse voice, "Let's skip the pleasantries for now, Mr. Sun. The principal didn't just consider me when he didn't elaborate earlier, but it's also for your own good. This is the Supercomputing Center, not only the largest supercomputer research center in China but also in the whole world. Therefore, our requirements for equipment procurement go beyond the latest and best equipment; they also demand the highest quality."
In other words, don't bother trying to make connections for now. Our supercomputing center only procures the best things. If your products don't meet the standards, it's pointless to say anything. Sun Cheng encountered a setback, and the smile on his face faded slightly.
He wasn't angry; in fact, this worked out better for him.
From the beginning, Sun Cheng never considered making money by dealing with the supercomputing center. It's not that there's no profit here, but compared to the multibillion-dollar DRAM market, it's like the difference between a piece of meat with a bone and a mountain of meat.
As long as the supercomputing center is willing to purchase Cybertron Technology's storage devices, he can use this opportunity to enter the global DRAM market.
Since Zheng Jun was being straightforward, Sun Cheng responded in kind. He raised the briefcase he brought with him, looking composed, and said, "I have full confidence in our Cybertron Technology products. Today, I've brought a series of diverse products that you're welcome to test as you please!"
"Alright, follow me."
His eyes were drawn to the briefcase in Sun Cheng's hands. Zheng Jun nodded slightly, apologized to Shen Peiyuan, who had a subtle change in expression, and then extended his hand forward, inviting them to proceed to the laboratory.
The basement of Building No. 4 wasn't simply renovated after construction; it was specially designed beforehand.
Sun Cheng followed behind Zheng Jun, observing his surroundings as he walked, lost in thought.
The underground area of Building No. 4 exceeded expectations. Normally, the basement of a building has limited usable space due to factors such as load-bearing capacity and foundation issues. However, this place was an exception. Although it appeared to have only one floor underground, it was surprisingly large.
While Sun Cheng was trying to estimate its size, Zheng Jun, who was leading the way, came to a halt in front of a laboratory.
"We're here..."
He said softly and then pushed open the door to the laboratory, taking the lead.
Sun Cheng's gaze flickered. He turned to look at Shen Peiyuan and Xu Chun, lowering his voice with a hint of jest, "Principal, it seems this senior isn't too thrilled about my arrival...
After finishing speaking, he smiled lightly and immediately pushed the door open and walked in.
However, as soon as he entered the laboratory, Sun Cheng quickly realized that he might have been mistaken.
"Director Zheng, are these the manufacturers of the two hard drives you brought last time?"
"...Oh? Are they really the manufacturers of the 50T hard drives? Where are they?"
"Hey, Director Zheng, what do you think of my last proposal... Let's redesign [Asia Star] and order custom-made higher-capacity hard drives to replace these cabinet storage racks. I think we can reduce the size of [Asia Star] by 15%..."
Amidst the commotion, the moment Sun Cheng pushed the door open, he suddenly felt as if he had entered a marketplace. Behind the door was an office of about sixty square meters, and at that moment, several researchers in white coats had surrounded Zheng Jun, who had just entered.
The moment he pushed the door open, dozens of gazes immediately fell upon him.
Simultaneously, Zheng Jun's hoarse voice resounded once again, "Mr. Sun, President Shen, welcome to our [Asia Star] supercomputer project laboratory..."
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Next Chapter >>Chapter 294: Order Completion (Part 1)
