Chapter 662: Torch Program[1]

While Peng Sijue led his subordinates to investigate and collect evidence without leaving anything behind, the two idlers, Chen Shi and Lin Dongxue, looked around everywhere. Chen Shi picked up Lu Qi’s "reserves". Although they were all convenience store foods, they were also the most expensive kind you could find among convenience store foods. There was organic hot pot, pasta, Russian sausage, German beer and a big box was filled up. Chen Shi said, "The food here is pretty good. I usually eat this one. It’s good. If I had just this for a meal, it would be considered quite good."

"Since we followed Su Chan to come here, it seems that Su Chan is really a spy in the industry. I wonder if Lu Qi knows about this?" Lin Dongxue said.

"One possibility is that Su Chan was inserted by Lu Qi next to Dong Xiao... But I think it’s unlikely. Would he give himself a green hat? It doesn't fit his character."

"It does fit his character. A woman is only a tool for Lu Qi. I think he can do this kind of thing with his character." When she thought that Su Chan was intimate with Dong Xiao, a tyrant, for a trade secret, Lin Dongxue felt that there was too much she had sacrificed. It was a humiliation she had to suck up and bear.

"No, you don't understand men. Lu Qi is a lustful man. The more lustful he is, the more conservative he is. It sounds contradictory, right? But it isn’t because conservative values discriminate and objectify women to protect men. It’s not values that determine behavior, but behavior that determines values. Whatever people do, they will find corresponding values for themselves. Therefore, criminals who are full of crimes will also justify that everything is the fault of society, which is only a numbing agent that their conscience is giving themselves and nothing more. Some people have crooked outlooks. They’re not actually crooked, but have crooked behavior. So, this kind of lecherous man is most concerned about the problem of receiving a green hat. Furthermore, I think Lu Qi likes Su Chan very much. At the very least, he’s not tired of her yet. He couldn't put Su Chan beside Dong Xiao and use beauty to get information."

"So, Lu Qi doesn't know about this?"

Chen Shi nodded. "If this is the case, I think Su Chan was inserted by another force. Perhaps a competing company."

"We’ll know if we check her background."

"I originally wanted to investigate that, but now the focus is on finding Lu Qi's whereabouts, so I put it aside."

At this time, Peng Sijue came in and said, "You guys are chatting here? Then it’s better to investigate the case."

"Do you think we’re in the way?" Chen Shi smiled.

"Go out. We have to survey this room."

The two were kicked out and smiled at each other. Lin Dongxue suggested, "We’re really just idling here. It's better to go around and investigate. Since there were people hiding here, they would definitely go out to do activities."

"Good idea!"

They went to the nearby supermarket to check the surveillance footage. Lin Dongxue felt like she almost went blind watching footage over the past few days. She joked, "Sometimes, I think that us police are just tools that watch surveillance footage."

"Although I’m not a police officer, I feel the same way."

The investigation was still slightly rewarding. They found that a man came to this supermarket every day to buy a large amount of fast food such as yogurt, beer, instant noodles, bread, etc. Each time, he brought enough to fill a large car.

They copied this piece of surveillance footage.

At this time, Peng Sijue was already done. They went back with him by car. Lin Qiupu was interrogating an executive of the company. Faced with Lin Qiupu's questioning, the executive shook his head and said, "I don't know what Director Dong wanted to buy the broken factory for."

"Do you know about this matter?"

"I don’t!"

"Did he mention anything he wanted to do?"

The executive thought for a while. "I remember he mentioned something about a torch program, but I don’t know the specifics."

This was the only information that they could get out of him. Dong Xiao seemed to have bought this factory for another purpose. After the questioning, Lin Qiupu came out and Lin Dongxue said, "Captain Lin, we found a subordinate of Lu Qi who often went to nearby supermarkets to purchase large quantities of convenience store food."

"Did you find it on surveillance footage?"

"Yes."

"Let's have a look at it later. Come with me to the Information Department."

Lin Qiupu ordered someone to search for the words "Torch Program" in the documents found in Dong Xiao’s computer, only to see a digital copy of a contract. The content was unclear and only mentioned that a company named Chengxing assisted Dong Xiao in completing a certain engineering project.

"What does Chengxing Company do?" Lin Qiupu asked.

A search revealed that this was a company specializing in the manufacturing of rockets. Several engineers of this company had participated in national rocket engineering in Jiuquan previously. Hearing the word "rocket", the three of them had a bad premonition.

"Go to that company!" Lin Qiupu said.

The three of them immediately went to the company. Although it sounded like a big company, its address was actually hidden in an inconspicuous office building. It was very dilapidated and felt like a shell corporation.

Lin Qiupu found the manager and asked, "What does your company do?"

"We make rockets... I know this sounds a bit much, but we actually do this. We mainly create private rockets to launch satellites."

"So, legally..."

"There is no problem with the law. As long as it’s approved by the state, we’re allowed to launch satellites in the name of a company. Generally, as long as it’s a small-scale communications company, the state will approve it."

"Why would you want to launch a satellite privately?" Lin Dongxue asked, very puzzled.

"Have you ever heard of the term 'satellite signal rental fee'? Everyone usually uses mobile phones and mobile phone signals are transmitted through satellites. However, you have to pay the signal rental fee to whoever owns the satellite. Of course, the communication company pays this, but the fleece comes from the sheep and the money is paid by the users in the end. In the past, our country didn’t have many satellites and we had to pay billions of signal lease fees to developed countries every year. These private communication companies also have to pay the country, unless the satellite belongs to you. Within its coverage area, you can even charge other people’s signal rental fee... Our country already has a precedent for private satellite launches. That is, Fengma Niu 1.[2] You can check it out. Our company also participated in this project.”

"I’m guessing your company's business has been bad!" Chen Shi said.

The manager smiled awkwardly. "You’re right. It really isn’t too good. We went to various telecommunications companies to lobby for recommendations. They were all unwilling. In fact, when the cost is calculated, launching satellites by yourself can save a lot of rental fees, but the risk has to be considered. You must know that private rocket launches are prone to accidents. Of course, a telecommunications company was willing to cooperate with us a while ago, and this has allowed us to survive the difficult period."

"Zhuoyuan Company?"

When the name was mentioned, the manager's eyes brightened. He even said, "Yes, yes, Director Dong has good eyes. After listening to us, he agreed to cooperate with us. After several negotiations, the contract was officially signed, and we were contracted to create the rockets and satellites. The project is funded by him..."

"How’s the project progressing?" Lin Qiupu asked.

"It was going very smoothly. We planned to launch the satellite in the first half of this year, but then there was a problem with the capital and the project was stopped..." As he said this, the manager inadvertently touched his nose.

1. A plan to develop new and valuable technology.

2. Fengma Niu 1 was launched in Jiuquan on February 2, 2018 with the Long March II Ding rocket.