He changed Tiwat

Along the way, from Patrick's rambling narration and complaints, Han Fulai roughly understood his experience.

Patrick is a test-taker from Petrique, Fontainebleau... a small-town exam-taker. Like most small-town exam-takers in this world and other worlds, Patrick has lofty ideals.

His childhood idol was Alan Giyodin, who founded the Fontaine Academy of Sciences, and his goal was to become like Giyodin and leave his mark on the history of Teyvat science.

So he worked hard with his dream in mind and successfully entered the Fontainebleau Academy of Sciences, becoming a scientific researcher.

But it seems that all the test-takers in small towns in any world share the same fate; Patrick soon encountered a wall called "reality." Fontaine's rigorous research system left him battered and bruised.

Take applying for research projects and funding, for example. In Fontainebleau, just applying for experimental funding and equipment requires filling out various tedious application forms and instructions, which can take up to half a month. Project proposals require researchers to convince the heads of the Academy of Sciences, to win over high-ranking technical officials from all sides, that is, various "academic bureaucrats," and to demonstrate a strong possibility of success in order to have any hope of project approval.

Even if the project and funding are approved, researchers are still required to deliver results within a specified time, or they will be penalized.

However, Patrick persevered despite all the aforementioned pressures and carried out research on "oscillating crystals," or more precisely, on "elemental force energy storage materials and their practical applications."

Patrick's ability to muster the courage to conduct such risky research in Fontainebleau's scientific environment was certainly not because he was a fearless scientific madman.

In business investment, high risk means high return, and the same principle applies to Patrick's research.

According to the laws in Fontainebleau, "upon application by the inventor or designer, on the premise that the invention or creation is made public and that it has legal benefits for society, an exclusive right may be granted to the inventor or designer for a certain period of time."

In layman's terms, scientists can apply for patents for their inventions.

Just as he had just told Francis, if the research is successful, he can attract investment to commercialize the research results, and the profits will also go to him, the inventor.

The scientists and inventors in Fontainebleau are able to innovate despite such stringent laws... mostly for money and fame.

This can be seen as a case of "a generous reward will surely bring forth brave men".

Patrick's current research on "oscillating crystals" has very high commercial value.

The so-called "vibrating crystal" is a type of mineral crystal. In the natural world of Teyvat, many minerals naturally store abundant elemental forces. By stimulating the elemental forces contained in the minerals, they can be used as an energy source. About half a year ago, someone at the Fontainebleau Academy of Sciences tried to stimulate the elemental forces in the mineral deposits and discovered that a special type of gemstone could produce a wonderful "resonance phenomenon," so they named this gemstone "vibrating crystal."

Patrick, however, keenly perceived that this special gemstone possessed the function of amplifying energy.

There are two types of "oscillating crystals": blue and yellow. He named the blue one "resonant oscillating crystal" and the yellow one "response oscillating crystal".

When the "resonating oscillator" in the "oscillator" is stimulated in a specific way, it can release energy, triggering the resonance of the "responding oscillator". The energy released by the two "oscillators" will superimpose and amplify each other, generating incredibly powerful energy. He named this resonance the "mapping" phenomenon.

Therefore, the project he was researching was named "Crystal Mapping".

According to Han Fulai's understanding, Patrick was essentially researching "high-performance elemental force batteries".

Fontaine seems to place great importance on energy; even the Academy of Sciences is named "Fontaine Kinetic Engineering Research Institute," with "energy" research prominently displayed on its gates. Therefore, Patrick's project was quickly approved, and the Academy allocated him a substantial sum of funding.

Patrick worked diligently for half a year, using the funds to purchase "vibrating crystal" ore, which was quite expensive in Fontainebleau, and conducted various preliminary theoretical studies.

According to him, he has almost figured out the mapping relationship between "resonance crystal" and "response crystal", and has also roughly studied several specific methods of excitation energy - and the "oscillating crystals" he bought have all been used up in the early research.

Therefore, the large-scale experiment he planned to use to finally verify the theoretical model could not be carried out.

If we followed the practices of the Sumeru Academy or the Liyue Academy of Arts, we would simply submit a report to apply for additional research funding. However, this approach doesn't work in Fontaine.

In Fontainebleau, Patrick was accused of "taking Fontainebleau taxpayers' money to do research," and if the research failed, he would be "letting down the people and the water god."

Every research project requires signing a research agreement with the Chinese Academy of Sciences—the amount of funding required for the experiment and the timeframe for completion are all clearly stated in the research agreement.

Want more funding? Then they'll have to first try you for violating the agreement, and then thoroughly investigate whether you wasted the funds.

—Leaving aside other matters, regarding the funds, Patrick wasn't entirely without some personal expenses reimbursed. For example, he'd reserve a space in the *Steambird* newspaper to publicize his great achievements, and hire several well-known reporters to publish press releases promoting the commercial value of "Vibration Crystal"...

"So... you signed a 'betting agreement' with the Fengdan Academy of Sciences in order to 'get a loan for scientific research'?" Han Fulai asked.

Although Patrick didn't understand what a "betting agreement" was, he was clear about the concept of a "loan." He replied with a wry smile, "If I can't produce results, the best outcome will be that I'll be stripped of my rights as a researcher at the Academy of Sciences, and my personal assets will be confiscated to offset the research funds used..."

Han Fulai finally understood what the research environment in Fontaine was like—it was a completely "results-oriented" system.

Scientists in Fontainebleau enjoy the convenience of research funding and various academic resources provided by the society. As long as you produce results, the Academy of Sciences does not care what you do with the funding—for example, whether you use it as start-up capital for a business or to hire online trolls, or even to buy other people's research results. As long as you can deliver satisfactory results by the deadline, that's fine.

With successful research, not only does the surplus from the budget go into the researcher's pocket, but the researcher also enjoys the intellectual property rights to the research results, can collect substantial patent fees, attract investment, develop production applications and commercialization, and even arrange profit sharing. A successful scientist can, like the "King of Inventors" Edison, start a company and become a boss based on patents.

The price to pay is that a "betting agreement" must be signed before the research can begin.

The so-called "betting agreement," also known as a "valuation adjustment mechanism," is a common business agreement in modern society.

The origin of such agreements is essentially due to differing expectations between investors and investees regarding the prospects of investment projects.

For example, a director wants to make a movie that he believes will be a huge hit, grossing at least five billion. However, the film's production cost is two hundred million, which the director doesn't have enough of himself, so he brings in investors. But after evaluation, the investors believe the film will only gross a maximum of one billion.

This is where the huge gap between the investors' and the director's expectations for the film's box office performance arises.

Generally, if the two parties have serious disagreements about investment expectations, the investment cannot be reached. However, the director desperately needed the investment, so he signed a "betting agreement" with the investors.

The two parties signed a contract stipulating that if the box office exceeded 2 billion, the director would receive additional box office revenue, such as a higher share of the box office; however, if the box office was less than 2 billion, the director would have to pay 500 million to the investors.

From a business perspective, "earn-out agreements" are a form of protection for investors and an incentive for investees.

—Although using such commercial agreements in scientific research seems very incongruous, Fontainebleau has been doing this for hundreds of years, and the people of Fontainebleau are used to it…

"So your coming to Liyue and applying to enter the Laminariat is related to that 'Vibrating Crystal'?" Han Fulai asked a new question.

Patrick needs funding, so it's naturally more convenient to do so within Fontaineble. His journey to Liyue is clearly not for funding.

Patrick nodded: "Liyue is the origin of 'Vibrating Crystals,' and the experiments I need require a large quantity of them... If I stay in Fontaineble, I can still borrow money from relatives and friends, but 'Vibrating Crystals' are not so easy to find. They are expensive and scarce in Fontaineble, and most importantly, Liyue is no longer selling them..."

“Not selling anymore… Could it be…” Han Fulai’s eyes flickered, and he had already vaguely guessed what Patrick meant by “vibrating crystal”.

Patrick, meanwhile, pulled out two fragments of "vibrating crystal" from his person as if they were precious treasures. "Look, this is it. It's a specialty of the Layered Rock Abyss."

The two fragments, one yellow and one blue, in his hand looked very familiar to Han Fulai.

The yellow piece is amber, a precious rock element concentrate known as the "Heart of Geo," which is restricted from export under the Liyue Strategic Materials Embargo Act.

The blue piece... is "Lumenite". If Han Fulai is not mistaken, this is amber that has been transformed into "Lumenite" by the light energy of the "Layered Rock Nail".

Han Fulai couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed—could it be that his "Liyue Strategic Materials Embargo Act" almost killed Patrick?

No, no, no, if Pantalone hadn't collected amber to make counterfeit money, none of this would have happened, so this should be blamed on the Fools...

Patrick, of course, was completely unaware of his thoughts and continued, "With the deadline given by the Academy of Sciences fast approaching, I decided to take a gamble and try my luck in Liyue with the remaining research funds and equipment... Of course, I didn't report to the Academy of Sciences. You know, taking experimental equipment out of the country is very troublesome; they might not be able to get it approved for several months, and the deadline has long passed..."

"The unfortunate thing is, I've been in Liyue for a while, but the Laminaria Gorgon has remained closed. Now that I've heard it's finally open, I've almost used up all the funds I brought, and I have no money to buy materials, rent experimental staff, or find a place to work... That's why I was thinking of asking my fellow countrymen for help..."

"Wait, you didn't report to the Academy of Sciences?... So you're actually... sneaking off to Liyue?" Han Fulai smirked.

From the perspective of the Fontainebleau Academy, Patrick's actions could be considered "absconding with funds." If Fontainebleau wanted to arrest him, Han Fulai should have cooperated with the Academy to repatriate Patrick.

Now it was Patrick's turn to be embarrassed: "Well, you can't say that. If I can produce results, then I'll call it 'exerting my initiative and overcoming all difficulties to complete the research.' If I can't produce results... I can travel the world..."

Faced with Patrick like this, Han Fulai didn't know whether to call him courageous or a desperate man...

He patted Patrick on the shoulder: "Don't worry, I've provided all the materials, facilities, and manpower for your research project. There are only two conditions: First, I hope you can prioritize providing the research results to Liyue merchants for development. Second, you have to help me with the construction of the Guili Plains water conservancy project."

Chapter 354 Talent Introduction and "Data Prediction Machine" [4k]

In the General Affairs Department's conference room, Patrick carefully read the original plan for returning to the original territory provided by Han Fulai.

When it comes to "water conservancy projects," Patrick's reaction is probably something like, "I'm not sleepy anymore when you talk about this."

"I see, Liyue also has a 'water level crisis'... Well, water conservancy project maintenance is a routine business of our Academy of Sciences, you can leave it to me."

"Oh, does the kingdom ruled by the water god also experience a 'water level crisis'?" Han Fulai asked curiously.

The so-called "water level line" is a height indicator of surface water or groundwater. Generally speaking, the water level line of a river will have different heights in different seasons, but under normal circumstances it should be stable within a certain safe range.

For example, the Yellow River in China has dedicated hydrological stations to monitor water level changes. Under normal circumstances, the water level will be stable at around 24 meters, while the warning water level is 29.76 meters. Once the water level reaches the warning height, it means that a flood may occur. In the Huayuankou section of the Yellow River, the water level once reached as high as 96.8 meters during the flood, making it a true "suspended river above ground".

As is well known, Fontaine, ruled by the water god, is a country built on water, much like the "water city of Venice" in the world Han Fulai used to live in.

In Fontainebleau, there is also a dedicated organization responsible for monitoring river levels, and scientists at the Fontainebleau Academy of Sciences do related work on a daily basis.

After all, no one wants to see their home flooded.

Given Fontaine's geological environment, flooding is not unexpected. But why doesn't the water god intervene?

Just as the techniques of ore forging and weapon making in Liyue were taught by the Geo Archon, he originally thought that in the kingdom ruled by the Water God, everything about water might be under the Water God's jurisdiction, and the water conservancy technology in Fontaine was also taught by the Water God.

However, judging from Patrick's tone, it seemed as if humans were managing this aspect of the work.

“Lord Water Goddess, she… um…” Patrick averted his gaze, changing the subject, “Speaking of which, our Fontaine Academy of Sciences has made many attempts to deal with the ‘water level crisis,’ and has a set of effective engineering solutions…”

Indeed, every family has its own troubles. It seems that Fontaine also has its own unique circumstances. Han Fulai thought to himself, that "Sky Isle civil servant" named Fukaros doesn't seem very enthusiastic about going to work. These civil servants on Sky Isle are all incredibly good at slacking off.

Patrick looked at the data, muttering to himself, "...Based on the conditions of the Biyue River, building a dam along the Guili Plain would suffice. Hmm, considering past records of flood levels and wave rise, plus the safety clearance, a height of twenty meters is more than enough. I still need to conduct a survey of the dam's base width based on the actual local soil conditions... It's great that we don't need 'Arkhium'..."

"'Prime Mine' is...?" Han Fulai heard another new term.

“Well, it’s a special mineral that the Academy of Sciences is researching for a water control method. It contains… uh, explosive energy.” Patrick scratched the back of his head. “Simply put, the principle is to use ‘explosions’ to dredge blocked river channels and change the course of rivers and stuff…”

Han Fulai shook his head, “...This sounds too dangerous.”

“Yes,” Patrick agreed. “Edwin Eastinghouse, a senior technician at the Academy of Sciences, conducted an experiment using primordial ore… In short, the result was disastrous, and the experimental accident has turned the Academy of Sciences into a famous landmark in Fontainebleau.”

“And it seems that Istinghouse hasn’t found them all yet… I mean, found them.”

...Is your initial mine abbreviated as TNT? Han Fulai thought to himself.

When the topic turned to the Academy of Sciences, Patrick couldn't help but complain a couple more times: "But even though Eastinghouse disappeared, the Academy's redundant and strange processes and overly complex management system didn't disappear in the explosion. In fact, they've become even more 'refined' now."

Han Fulai smiled knowingly, thinking to himself, "No wonder Eastinghaus hasn't 'collected' everything yet; academic bureaucrats are truly hated..."

He tapped the planning map on the table with his finger and said in a highly enticing tone, "Speaking of which, we in Liyue recently established an institution similar to the Fontaine Academy. The benefits are quite good in all aspects, and it doesn't have as many rules as the Fontaine Academy. If this collaboration with you, Mr. Patrick, goes well... perhaps we can consider a more 'close' collaboration in the future..."

The system and bureaucracy of the Fontaine Academy are deeply resented by scientists—but this is precisely Liyue's opportunity.

Among the seven kingdoms of Teyvat, apart from the very closed-off Nata and Inazuma, which has issued a lockdown order, the other five kingdoms have very frequent exchanges, at least among civilians. Many of Fontaine's scientists and engineers also work or conduct research overseas. Han Fulai remembered seeing Fontaine's scientists helping Inazuma repair equipment in a previous storyline.

Logically, a system like Fontaine's should easily lead to a brain drain. However, in this world dominated by elemental forces, technology isn't highly valued, and Fontaine is the only place these scientists can develop their skills; in other words, they have nowhere else to go to make a living...

But now, Han Fulai is going to give them a reason to "Run Liyue".

The Liyue Celestial Academy is still in its development stage and lacks a large number of technical personnel. Moreover, the teaching staff of its subordinate Celestial Preparatory School is not sufficient. After all, the Celestials cannot often teach mortals, and it is already quite good that they are willing to select a few promising talents to cultivate.

For Liyue to develop its industry, technology import is a necessary step—and compared to simply purchasing equipment, talent import is undoubtedly more important.

Ultimately, technology is something that people learn and create.

If a group of scientific and technological talents from Fontainebleau could be attracted to Liyue, whether as teachers or researchers, it would bring great benefits to Liyue's industrialization. Moreover, researchers' dissatisfaction with Fontainebleau's system has been accumulating for a long time, as evidenced by Patrick's experiences.

If necessary, he wouldn't mind taking a portion of those four trillion to create a research fund like the "Liyue Young Thousand Talents Program" or the "Overseas Outstanding Young Scientists Program," to attract all the research talents on the Teyvat continent to Liyue.

This collaboration between him and Patrick is not only for the construction of the "Guili New Area," but also an attempt to attract talent. If it goes well, Patrick will become the "wooden log" that helps him establish credibility.

Having not only secured funding and experimental facilities, thus avoiding death, but also gained a significant opportunity to showcase his abilities, Patrick naturally wanted to demonstrate his loyalty to Han Fulai.

"Please rest assured, Mr. Han. As long as you give me some time and manpower, I will definitely be able to produce results that will satisfy you. Just as the people of Liyue are good at business, the people of Fontainebleau are no less knowledgeable about water than the people of Liyue are about Mora."

Han Fulai believed that Patrick was capable of handling the demands he had made.

As the saying goes, people live off the mountains and rivers. The people of Fontainebleau have not only developed a shipbuilding industry that is unparalleled on the Teyvat continent, but also a unique "diving industry" in the world. In their thousands of years of coexistence with water, they have accumulated a wealth of experience in water conservancy engineering.

When it comes to engineering technology in areas such as dam construction and drainage pipelines, Fontainebleau undoubtedly deserves the crown, and the Fontainebleau Academy of Sciences is the jewel in that crown of engineering technology.

Fontaine has a dense network of waterways, with various water systems crisscrossing its land like a spider web. Depending on the terrain, there are significant differences in elevation between many of these waterways, making its water conservancy projects far more complex than the management of the Bishui River.

Although Patrick wasn't an expert in water conservancy at the Academy of Sciences, Han Fulai didn't need him to build a Three Gorges Dam for Liyue.

He only asked for two things:

First, to prevent the Bishui River from overflowing, a dam was built to protect Guiliyuan.

Second, to lay pipelines for the original plan of "underground salt drainage".

Although Han Fulai had grasped the basic knowledge related to geography, it was mainly theoretical. He could draw a map and talk about methods without any problem, but when it came to practical operation, he really had no experience.

We need to consult experts on this matter.

Given Patrick's expertise in engineering and his experience studying in Fontainebleau, he should be more than capable of meeting these two requirements.

"So, what are your thoughts on Guiliyuan's 'secret salt drainage'?" Han Fulai asked.

The so-called "secret pipe salt discharge" is part of the "water conservancy improvement" that Han Fulai once introduced to Ke Qing.

The reason why Guiliyuan became a saline-alkali land is that it was flooded many times, and the soil contained too much salt. In textbook terms, "salt comes with water".

The corresponding solution is called "salt removal with water," which means washing away the salt in the soil with water and draining it away.

The Bishui River is near Guili Plain, so there is no problem with water for irrigation and salt washing, but irrigation alone cannot solve the problem.

Irrigation can only be applied to soils with good permeability and aeration. However, the soil conditions in Guiliyuan have become quite heavy and sticky over thousands of years. Natural drainage cannot solve the problem. Simply put, watering the land but not draining it will only make salinization more and more serious.

This requires the "concealed pipe salt drainage" technique he just mentioned.

In some large saline lands, "underground pipe drainage" is a common method of soil improvement - laying underground pipes to drain the salt in the soil with water and control the groundwater level below the critical depth, so as to achieve the purpose of soil desalination and prevent salinization.

This technology was once implemented in Shengli Oilfield in China, successfully transforming more than 100,000 mu of barren saline-alkali land into fertile fields.

In modern China, there is a specialized piece of equipment called a "trenching and pipe-laying machine," which can simultaneously dig trenches and lay pipes. However, Tewat does not have such advanced industrial equipment. And asking Han Fulai to direct workers to manually dig and lay pipes—he had not learned such professional skills.