"Boss, buy it, it’s clear that from the silicon carbide chip production line to the SC09 system is a complete set of technology, which can only play its fullest role when combined together."

"Yeah, ternary computing should have a significant advantage for artificial intelligence learning, which will be extremely needed for the complicated deep space manned spacecraft of the future."

"Stop, stop, stop," Lin Ju interrupted the engineers who had already started to persuade, and scolded:

"We’ve just spent 4 billion, 11 billion on the launch site construction, and more than half of this year’s budget of over 30 billion is gone! SC09 and X32035 will cost another 2 billion. If we keep spending like this, we won’t have enough money, and besides, where do we have that many projects? Our current technology is completely sufficient."

Lin Ju was really getting fed up. He had just received tens of billions of funds, and in the blink of an eye, half was already gone. Who could withstand that?

Moreover, buying so much technology isn’t like buying food that you can just eat; there are no plans to even use it!

Although there are still plenty of funds left, if the B-level Base starts operating, just maintaining the personnel and machinery will cost an astronomical amount; especially the chip production line, typically a huge consumer of electricity and water, which cannot be stopped once it starts running.

Moreover, judging by the system’s track record, the next mission would probably be landing on the Moon or Mars. Without the funds, all talk is worthless.

A few system engineers looked at each other and exchanged glances. After a brief silent communication, they pushed Androff forward.

The big-bearded Tatar cleared his throat, "Boss, as a large company, we need to have a sense of social responsibility; we can always make more money, but technological advancement is imperative for all of mankind, and moreover, these technologies are not without the capability to produce returns."

Lin Ju glanced at him, then turned away: "There are only so many rich people willing to spend money on space travel, and they can’t all go up in batches. We don’t need such complex technology to make money from them."

"No, it’s not about space tourism," Androff shook his head. "Software technology is also profitable. Our research institute has strong research capabilities. Although all of the technology we can purchase is in the aerospace field, many principles are transferable.

For instance, artificial intelligence based on ternary chips would be more advanced with stronger learning abilities than binary, and would be very useful for data processing or for the intelligent driving of transportation vehicles, and it can coexist with binary computer systems; there is a lot of such technology, it just takes some time to convert it.

We don’t need to personally enter the product market; by controlling the core technology, we can obtain the highest profits with the least risk and minimal management costs."

"This..."

Seeing Lin Ju’s resolve softening, Androff continued to press on:

"Just like China’s lagging chip architecture, manufacturing is actually not the biggest problem. The main issue is that the patents for the binary architecture are held by others, and the future is already carved up. Ternary systems, on the other hand, are still an open ocean of opportunity.

As long as we enter the market with a mature Ternary System, we might even be able to relegate binary computers to the dustbin of history and embrace quantum computing even earlier."

Speaking of the possibility of overtaking in the chip race touched precisely on the itch in Lin Ju’s heart, as that has always been a perpetual sore point for the Chinese.

Manufacturing capabilities in China have been improving and it is only a matter of time before breakthroughs in high-tech processes are made, but the design aspect is indeed quite troublesome.

The largest civilian market has been largely divided between the two ancient architectures, ARM and X86, and what’s left either consists of closed systems or has a smaller audience. To enter the market, one must compromise with these two systems.

However, the most fundamental design capabilities are restricted by patents, and without authorization, you can’t produce them in today’s peaceful era unless you want to exit international trade.

But the Ternary System is different. Humans are on a developmental trajectory transitioning from binary to quantum computers, yet a truly universal quantum computer is still a distant dream.

If it really is as Androff says...

"You guys are really giving me a hard time."

Lin Ju sighed and pulled out his notebook, laboriously listing the system store’s hundreds of items, and simply let the system engineers decide which ones to purchase.

Once he finished, the engineers crowded in, squashing together to browse through the various precious technological data.

"A 800-ton class hydrogen-oxygen engine, want to buy a set?"

"What do you need that thing for? It’s just the old gas generator cycle technology, useless except for thrust."

"Having the turbopump technology on hand would be good, wouldn’t it? Can our technology handle the embrittlement caused by liquid hydrogen?"

"Look what I’ve found, an M3 lunar mobile base vehicle! And a step foot style robot? This one is only 500 million, we must buy it!"

"A 300-ton class liquid oxygen and methane engine? It’s just a staged combustion cycle, but it’s valuable." 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

"I think this one is better, the S700 single-stage solid rocket engine. One stage has 700 tons of thrust, string four together and that’s 2800 tons of thrust!"

"What would need something so big? Liquid rocket engines are the real deal!"

"Combination power engines! They still are great stuff that can start at Mach 3, why not buy them immediately?"

"..."

Lin Ju nearly fell asleep listening to all this, and simply left to let these engineers pick something out the next day; anyway, he was determined to save on the budget.

The group of engineers argued back and forth, took three days to select technologies, and a week later, they submitted a research plan for the coming year from the institute.

The technologies purchased included: the SC09 smart control system, X32035 ternary chip technology, a 380-ton class liquid oxygen and kerosene engine with technology originating from the K120, a 500-ton class liquid oxygen and hydrogen engine with rich oxygen combustion cycle, a 200-ton class liquid oxygen and methane engine, a 90KN combination power engine, a nuclear-thermal rocket engine, an 11-meter class giant recoverable rocket body, a telemetry satellite blueprint, a large satellite platform, and others.

As technology enriched, the research tasks at the institute were significantly changed:

New Yuan-2 and New Yuan-3 would be redesigned based on the new engines and rocket bodies. As the scientific research strength greatly improved, the maiden flight progress would not be delayed;

The H1 type aerospace plane would remain unchanged for now, while the H2 type would be put into production. H2 would be improved based on the newly acquired technology, increasing the launch weight to 100 tons and at the same time strengthening the exterior to try and discard the heat-resistant tiles, reducing the cost per launch;

Based on the X32035 chip and the SC09 system, by absorbing ternary computer technology, research the possibility of commercialization and conduct preliminary research on artificial intelligence;

Using system technology, develop various types of advanced rocket engines including liquid oxygen and hydrogen, liquid oxygen and kerosene, liquid oxygen and methane, and high-thrust reusable solid rocket engines with thrusts ranging from 8 to 1000 tons;

Develop highly modular and universal liquid rocket families, with diameters of 3.5 meters, 6 meters, and 11 meters, flexibly configuring launch missions;

Research small, fast-maneuvering solid rockets with liftoff weights of less than 100 tons;

Conduct preliminary studies of giant rocket schemes with near-Earth orbit transport capacities of 100 to 300 tons;

Conduct overall aero-space plane scheme studies;

Conduct spaceport scheme studies;

Conduct improvement projects for nuclear-thermal rocket engines, preparing for deep space travel;

...

The funding required for these system purchased technologies is about 3 billion. The other expenses for research plan activities, personnel expansion, technical training (buying skill cards), and various other costs are expected to total about 90 billion over three years, with about 40 billion invested in the first year.

It is expected that in a year, New Yuan will have more than 2000 permanent staff and become a world-leading space company.