Rebirth 08: Rise from copycat phones

Chapter 597 The Ultimate Luxury Life
Looking at the X3 unmanned combat aircraft in front of him, Xu Shenxue was filled with admiration. This thing was truly top-notch black technology... It was the ultimate product of multiple disciplines such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, aeronautics, and materials science.

Even if all the technical information were made public, no one could copy it... Many things cannot be learned simply by reading; without a corresponding top-tier industrial system, they simply cannot be made.

Many of the companies under Xu Shenxue's leadership, as top high-tech enterprises in China and even the world, have also been deeply involved in the research and development of the X3 unmanned combat aircraft, either directly or indirectly.

Zhiyun Group directly provides the X3 airborne artificial intelligence system for the X3 unmanned combat aircraft... It's not just about providing an artificial intelligence algorithm, but about providing a complete integrated system.

This includes the design, manufacturing, and packaging of the '7-nanometer defense-specific large-scale terminal computing chip,' which is the core of the airborne computing system. Based on this chip, the entire airborne computing system was built, providing amazing computing power for the entire X3 fighter jet.

There are also various sensors that provide various data for the system, including internal sensors and external sensors, etc. Of course, in addition to semiconductor sensors, some sensors are provided by Hailan Automotive Group or Fairy Mountain Holdings.

Only with a computing center and sensors can the onboard artificial intelligence system in the X3 unmanned combat aircraft operate efficiently and stably!
The reason why the X3 unmanned combat aircraft is so expensive is that half of its cost comes from this system.

Meanwhile, the AI ​​Research Institute of Zhiyun Group also provided the core underlying algorithm for the latest composite band phased array radar on this model. This algorithm can filter clutter with ultra-high precision and accurately find the weak radar reflection signal of stealth aircraft in the vast radar reflection wave. Ultimately, the radar can lock onto typical fifth-generation stealth targets at an astonishing range of more than 200 kilometers.

Zhiyun Satellite, a subsidiary of Zhiyun Group, provides global low-latency, low-orbit satellite communication and ultra-high-precision positioning services for the X3 unmanned combat aerial vehicle and its onboard munitions!

In addition to Zhiyun Group, several research institutes and subsidiaries under Fairy Mountain Holdings also provide a variety of new materials for the X3 unmanned combat aircraft, including a core material required for the new generation of engine blades and an ultra-high strength airframe material required to meet ultra-high maneuverability.

Even Nanmen Aerospace provided a variety of components for the X3 unmanned combat aircraft... Some things or components that can be used in the aviation field can also be used in the aerospace field.

The companies under Xu Shenxue's control are all top-tier enterprises with cutting-edge technology, so their deep involvement in projects like the X3 unmanned combat aircraft is inevitable.

The X1 unmanned combat aerial vehicle was like this before, and the X3 unmanned combat aerial vehicle is the same now!
This is not only true in the field of AI-powered fighter jets; in fact, the companies under Xu Shenxue's leadership have been deeply involved in the development and provision of many important pieces of equipment or systems.

For example, the 'Regional Artificial Intelligence Battlefield Command System,' which has an even higher level of secrecy than Project X, is a super black technology for the current command systems of various countries. It uses information collected by countless sensors and equipment, which is then analyzed in real time by the battlefield command system at the rear to provide decision-making suggestions and assist decision-makers in making the theoretically most correct decisions.

There is also the X14 low-altitude multi-rotor drone... Xu Shenxue initially intended to develop the low-altitude economy with this, but after it was developed, the low-altitude economy failed, and commercial operation remains a long way off!

On the contrary, it is extremely popular with the armed forces of various countries, who are willing to sell it even if it means going against the grain, because its ultra-low altitude and high-speed flight characteristics have made it a powerful tool for transporting supplies and personnel and for rescue on the front lines of high-risk battlefields.

Because it flies low enough... not just at treetop height, but in extreme cases, it can fly at high speeds at a height of several meters above the ground... In a sense, it is a vehicle that can fly several meters above the ground.

Its purpose is not to replace professional helicopters, but to replace some ground vehicles and ultralight helicopters.

Another characteristic is that if this aircraft is used as a civilian product, it is quite expensive, costing several million or even tens of millions of yuan. However, if it is used as a defense equipment, it is very cheap... Tens of thousands of yuan is not a big deal for it.

Finally, and most importantly, it doesn't require pilots... it doesn't require the arduous task of training high-value pilots, and as a civilian consumer product, it's not difficult to produce, unlike fighter jets, which require a strenuous effort to produce only a few dozen or a few hundred aircraft per year.

As long as there are orders, Xiaojiang Technology can produce hundreds of thousands or even millions of these units annually... Manufacturing these things is no more difficult than manufacturing Hailan cars.

Many countries abroad have purchased this equipment, then dismantled their existing communication systems and replaced them with their own. The situation is even more prevalent in China.

They also purchased a large number of them, and during some public drills, you could see footage of the X14 low-altitude drones delivering supplies to the front lines.

Moreover, armed versions have been developed domestically, equipped with small missiles and machine guns, for ultra-low-altitude raids, and are quite effective at striking ground targets such as armored vehicles!

The X14 low-altitude drone is characterized by its ultra-low-altitude, high-speed flight, pilot-free operation, affordability, and large production volume. Unfortunately, it doesn't sell well in the civilian market.

To date, over 95% of the orders Xiaojiang Technology has received are military orders disguised as orders from shell companies!
Xiaojiang Technology turns a blind eye to this; as long as you put on a civilian order label, they'll sell it!

Anyway, there are backdoors... and the backdoors are even blatant. Xiaojiang Technology clearly tells its customers that export models can only fly abroad, but cannot fly domestically!

Even if the customer removes the communication system, the system has a built-in no-fly zone at its core, so all X14s that are exiting the country will automatically return to base if they get within tens of kilometers of the border.

Even if it were secretly transported to China, it wouldn't be able to take off... the system would refuse the takeoff command.

Of course, there are no restrictions on the operation of export models in overseas regions... If you remove the communication system, then there is no more background tracking, and you can do whatever you want with it.

However, after-sales service and the very important function of connecting to the Zhiyun satellite network are also gone.

Of course, many countries also have their own satellite communication systems, or use publicly available satellite positioning systems such as GPUs, which can be modified to work.

In addition to the X14 low-altitude drone, there are also the seemingly small Swift stealth reconnaissance drone and the Antbee drone system.

And these are all flying creatures... and then there are those that run on the ground.

Among the intelligent robot products under the Zhiyun Group are multi-legged robots, tracked or wheeled robots specifically for domestic use. These special robots can be used as short-range ground logistics tools, or they can be equipped with machine guns, grenades, rocket launchers, recoilless rifles and other weapons to go directly to the front line and directly replace infantry in performing high-threat missions.

With the advancement of technology and the maturation of artificial intelligence, in addition to shining brightly in the industrial and consumer goods sectors, artificial intelligence is also making great strides in the defense sector, possessing enormous application space and potential.

And when all these devices using artificial intelligence technology are integrated together... then it becomes the scene that Xu Shenxue described back then:

The X1 or X3 unmanned combat aircraft rely on their absolute stealth advantage to travel thousands of kilometers, or even thousands of kilometers with the support of tanker aircraft, to conduct high-altitude, high-speed stealth penetration, or to penetrate high-threat areas through ultra-low-altitude penetration...

Strike high-value targets deep within enemy territory, such as enemy early warning aircraft, refueling aircraft, fighter jets, transport aircraft, helicopters, as well as ground-based armored vehicles, air defense systems, airports, transportation hubs, logistics warehouses, barracks, arsenals, water plants, power plants, substations, and many other targets.

Thousands of Swift stealth drones hovered over the front lines, searching for any suspicious targets and covering the entire battlefield without blind spots.

It can also guide Antbee drones or other ground weapons to attack enemy targets at the front line, or guide X1/X4 unmanned combat aircraft to launch attacks after obtaining intelligence on targets hundreds of kilometers away in the depth.

On the ground at the front, various unmanned equipment moved forward automatically, searching for and striking the enemy.

The X14 low-altitude drone, under the control of the system, provides forward supply materials to various front-line forces, or simply carries various unmanned devices such as robot dogs to cross high-threat areas at ultra-low altitudes and high speeds, dropping the robot dogs into enemy deployment areas so that the robot dogs can launch attacks nearby.

In the rear, a regional battlefield AI command system comprised of massive computing centers monitors and analyzes the battlefield, provides decision support, and transmits orders.

Personnel only need to monitor the battlefield situation and make decisions from the air-conditioned rear room!
To achieve zero casualties in combat... there are no people on the front lines, so there are naturally no casualties to speak of!
This is where the immense value of artificial intelligence technology lies in the defense field!
However... at present, only in China, due to the existence of Zhiyun Group, is this cutting-edge combat system being explored in its initial stages!
In other countries, it might take decades before they can develop it!
The reason is simple: their artificial intelligence technology is inadequate.

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With a sense of awe, Xu Shenxue later watched the maiden flight of the X3 unmanned combat aircraft... The ceremony was simple, with few participants, but it was extremely important.

The first test flight was relatively simple. The X3 unmanned combat aircraft took off smoothly and flew in the air for about twenty minutes before landing.

The overall test flight went smoothly, but Xu Shenxue also heard that the R&D team discovered some minor issues during the test flight, which will require continuous improvement.

And that is the significance of test flights.

Even if you conduct extensive wind tunnel testing and thorough ground tests, many hidden problems will still go undetected if the aircraft doesn't take off.

Many problems can only be discovered after the aircraft has flown and undergone various flight maneuver tests. Therefore, aircraft test flights generally last a long time, with improvements made as they are flown. It is considered very successful if the entire test flight phase can be completed within a few years.

After completing the test flights and resolving the numerous problems that emerged during the test flights, it will be officially finalized and put into service.

The X1 project took about three years, which is considered very fast... mainly because a lot of technology was used in the research and development process, and the early high-frequency wind and ground tests saved time.

As for the X3 project, this process will likely last about three to four years!

However, it is worth noting that after these two projects are finalized, the airframe will not change, especially the aerodynamic layout.

However, some sensors and computing chips that undergo rapid technological innovation will continue to be upgraded and replaced.

Especially computing chips!

In the early days of Project X1, it used EYQ series chips, but now it uses 7-nanometer defense-specific computing chips, which have greatly improved computing power.

However, they have already begun developing a matching 3-nanometer equivalent computing chip for defense purposes, which means that in a few years, these aircraft will need to replace their chips to further enhance their computing power.

After all, for Project X, computing power is combat power.

While computing chips may seem expensive, Zhiyun Group assisted in developing a new computing chip specifically for national defense based on order requirements. The design and tape-out costs were around several billion yuan, but this amount is nothing compared to the cost of expensive fighter jets.

The manufacturing cost is even lower. Once the chip is successfully taped out, the subsequent production cost is actually very low, only tens of thousands of yuan per chip.

The reason why this top-of-the-line computing chip is so expensive is mainly because of the research and development stage!

Of course, this is on the premise that we don't need to build a chip factory specifically for it... If we do need to build a chip factory specifically for it, then it will be very expensive, starting at tens of billions of dollars!
For defense-specific computing chips, there's no need to build a dedicated chip factory. Zhiyun Microelectronics' advanced semiconductor factory can handle the production on the side without any additional costs.

Meanwhile, the core airborne artificial intelligence system's algorithm model is also continuously trained and improved, so it will also be updated.

With continuous updates and upgrades, the lifespan of the X1 and X3 components will be longer, and their combat power will continue to improve.

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After reviewing the X3 unmanned combat aerial vehicle project, Xu Shenxue returned to Shenzhen by private jet.

After returning to Shenzhen, while handling daily work matters, he also spent a few days with his family... Lin Yaxian already knew about Xi Wanqing's existence and even asked if she wanted to bring her to Zhihai Garden, but Xu Shenxue politely declined on her behalf according to Xi Wanqing's wishes.

Although Lin Yaxian seemed calm on the surface, she had been calling Xu Shenxue from time to time these past few days, clearly indicating that she was feeling some sense of crisis.

After all, Xi Wanqing is different from the previous secretaries... The previous secretaries were just life assistants at best, and they weren't much of a threat.

To prevent Xu Shenxue from causing any romantic troubles, Lin Yaxian even proactively stuffed a whole bunch of women into the secretariat: with so many women, it would be impossible to remember them all.

She wanted to make Xu Shenxue unable to even remember the names of those secretaries...

But Xi Wanqing is different. She is not a personal secretary, but a senior assistant in the board of directors' office, a top business elite, and even a candidate for future senior management.

Most importantly, they got together on their own...

This made Lin Yaxian feel a sense of crisis!

Xu Shenxue didn't want Lin Yaxian to overthink or worry too much, so he stayed home with her for the past few days and hinted that although Xi Wanqing was living outside and would be working later, all her benefits would be paid according to those of Zhihaiyuan.

Lin Yaxian was in charge of all the salary and benefits distribution at Zhihaiyuan.

Although Xi Wanqing is a bit special, Xu Shenxue doesn't want to change the current structure of this big family. He is still very satisfied with Lin Yaxian's current management: the family is harmonious, there are no petty squabbles or jealousy, and he can relax and have his own life easier.

Without Lin Yaxian, Xu Shenxue will have to handle many things on his own.

The thought of dozens of women chattering around him annoyed him!
So, regardless of how others see it, he actually values ​​Lin Yaxian very much. After spending so many years together, he has developed feelings for her, but it has nothing to do with romantic love; it's more like familial affection.

Lin Yaxian knew about Xu Shenxue's shady dealings with women before they got married and tacitly approved of them. She even arranged things for him later on.

Now that Xu Shenxue is implying that everything will remain the same and there will be no real changes, she feels relieved.

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After staying at home for a few days, Xu Shenxue went to Xi Wanqing's seaside villa. Xi Wanqing was currently on vacation and planned to rest for two or three months before going back to work at Xinyun Technology after the Spring Festival.

I used to start working right after graduation, and I didn't have much time to rest. This time, I'm taking this opportunity to rest for a few months.

Xu Shenxue's arrival made her very happy. Although she was just a mistress who might not be very respectable in the eyes of outsiders, as long as Xu Shenxue treated her well, she didn't care about that.

To be realistic, in the past two weeks she has experienced a life she had never experienced before... Although she still feels that she is not with Xu Shenxue for money, it does not mean that she does not enjoy it.

At home, she has a dozen servants to wait on her; when she goes out, she has a driver, an assistant, and security personnel. When she travels long distances, she can take a private jet. She doesn't have to worry about anything; she can just give an order.

If she wants to buy clothes, she can freely choose from the latest styles of top luxury brands, or even styles that haven't been released yet... If she doesn't want any particular brand, the family office can also contact top personal fashion designers to design clothes specifically for her.

She had just learned that this was possible a few days before, and out of curiosity, she gave the order. As a result, several top fashion designers flew over specifically to design clothes for her.

Each of our designs is unique in the world, ensuring you'll never see someone else wearing the same thing!

Needless to say, jewelry is no exception. As long as it's not a rare gem, she mentioned wanting to buy some jewelry, and representatives from a top jewelry company specially arrived in a transport vehicle with several boxes of top-tier jewelry for her to choose from.

This kind of ultra-luxurious lifestyle is something even the super-rich characters in online novels wouldn't dare to write about... It's not that the authors can't imagine it, but rather that it's too far removed from the lives of ordinary people.

If I wrote it out, the average reader would lack a sense of immersion, and there wouldn't be any plot involving going to a luxury shopping mall to show off and get humiliated, so nobody would read it!
Who wouldn't want this kind of ultra-luxurious lifestyle!

Although her income was already quite high before, with an annual salary of several million, it was absolutely impossible for her to live this kind of life.

However, this extremely luxurious lifestyle completely changed her lifestyle in just half a month...

To be honest, she's not even sure if she can still endure that kind of 'impoverished' life from now on!

(End of this chapter)