Chapter 168
"So like I said, the raw material issue isn't a problem." Lucinda's tone remained calm.
Sawyer stared at the report for several seconds. Then he suddenly smiled. "Ms. Wipere, you're really… Every time we think we've hit a dead end, you pull out a solution."
His voice caught slightly, but he couldn't suppress the smile tugging at his lips.
For weeks, the entire technical team had been suffocated by this bottleneck.
But now, Lucinda had casually produced a test report—and just like that, all their problems were solved.
Lucinda looked at him, her lips curving slightly. Then she turned her head toward Niamh, who was sitting on the couch munching on snacks. "Niamh, go to the warehouse and bring back the materials."
Niamh was in the middle of popping a strawberry into her mouth. She froze for a second, then her eyes lit up instantly.
She tossed the strawberry back onto the plate and sprang up from the couch, her pretty face brimming with excitement. "Got it! Master, don't worry—mission guaranteed complete!"
She clapped her hands and walked over to Sawyer, tilting her head up to look at him with a bright smile as she extended her hand. "Mr. Carter, let's go. I'll take you to get the materials. And while we're at it, I'll show you what real quality looks like."
Sawyer couldn't help but laugh at her confident demeanor. He nodded repeatedly. "All right, all right. I'll follow you."
He turned back to Lucinda and bowed deeply. "Ms. Wipere, thank you. With this batch of materials, our project can move forward. All those critical bottlenecks we were stuck on—we can break through them now."
His voice trembled with barely restrained excitement. "And it's not just the new materials project. The smart control system, the energy storage module—several projects currently in R&D will all benefit. The purity of these materials is so high that we can now attempt technical approaches we didn't dare consider before."
Lucinda nodded. "Once the materials arrive, arrange testing as soon as possible and run the data. I'm holding a small exhibition later. Have the tech department organize your latest results to present to our partners."
Sawyer immediately straightened up, energized. "Understood! I'll arrange it right away!"
Niamh had already reached the door. She turned back and waved at Lucinda. "Master, we're off! We'll be back soon!"
Lucinda gave a slight nod.
The two figures disappeared down the hallway, their footsteps fading into the distance.
Soon, the multipurpose hall at the research institute was set up as a small exhibition venue. The attendees were all heavyweight partners.
Executives from several top domestic tech companies. Representatives from two national-level research institutions. And an inspection team from Europe.
These were people who normally managed countless affairs daily. Yet now, they sat quietly in the audience, waiting for Ridgeway Tech's technical presentation.
Backstage, Sawyer's palms were slightly damp with sweat.
Behind him, the large screen displayed presentation materials the technical team had pulled countless all-nighters to prepare.
Every page of data, every parameter, every technical milestone—it was all crystallized from their blood and sweat.
But what truly gave him confidence wasn't these materials. It was the batch of Crimson Star Crystal they'd just brought back from the warehouse.
He glanced at the samples displayed in transparent containers on the side stage. His eyes brimmed with assurance.
Lucinda stood in the front row of the audience. Beside her was Reginald.
She didn't know when he'd arrived, but there he was, standing at her side.
He leaned down slightly, his voice close to her ear. "I heard you solved the technical bottleneck this morning?"
Lucinda glanced at him. "Your intel's pretty sharp."
"When it comes to you, my intel's always sharp." Reginald's gaze rested on her face, undisguised admiration in his eyes.
Lucinda ignored him and turned her attention back to the stage.
The presentation officially began.
Sawyer stood behind the podium, narrating the project's development process word by word.
His pace was measured, but his data was thorough and his logic clear. The audience listened intently.
When he reached the section on the key technological breakthrough, he took a deep breath. His voice rose several notches.
"The reason we were able to achieve these breakthroughs—the most critical factor—is that we solved the raw material problem."
He walked to the display table and picked up several transparent containers, holding them up to the light.
Under the illumination, the samples inside shimmered with an almost dreamlike luster—crystal-clear, so beautiful they seemed unreal.
"This is our newly acquired high-purity raw material sample. Its purity reaches ninety-nine point nine-seven percent. This level of purity is the first of its kind domestically and ranks among the world's top standards internationally."
A wave of barely suppressed gasps rippled through the audience.
"Ninety-nine point nine-seven percent? How is that possible?"
"We've spoken with several top international labs about materials at this purity level. None of them could do it."
"How did Ridgeway Tech manage it?"
Sawyer didn't explain much. He simply smiled and continued.
He presented each technical achievement one by one. With every slide he advanced, the room grew quieter.
When he reached the final project, he set down the remote and scanned the room, his voice steady and powerful.
"The above represents all the achievements Ridgeway Tech has made to date. Moving forward, we hope to deepen our collaboration with all of you across even more fields."
As his words fell, the room went silent for a beat—then erupted into thunderous applause.
The first to stand was the head of a top domestic tech company, his voice trembling with excitement. "Ms. Wipere, today I've truly witnessed Ridgeway Tech's technical prowess. Our company is willing to establish a comprehensive strategic partnership with Ridgeway Tech. You name the terms."
The moment he finished speaking, someone else stood up.
"Ms. Wipere, we're willing as well! That smart control system project—we'd like to co-develop it with Ridgeway Tech. All resources prioritized, unlimited funding."
"Ms. Wipere, we specialize in energy storage. Ridgeway Tech's new materials are critical to us. Could we schedule a separate meeting to discuss this in detail?"
"Ms. Wipere…"
Voices surged from all directions. The entire multipurpose hall buzzed like a high-stakes auction.
Lucinda stood and walked onto the stage, taking the microphone.
She stood under the spotlight, composed and understated—yet the entire venue fell silent.
"Thank you all for your trust. Ridgeway Tech has always upheld the principle of open collaboration and is willing to move forward hand-in-hand with every partner here. Our technical team will communicate with you in detail regarding specific technical approaches and cooperation models."
She paused, her lips curving slightly. "Mutual benefit and win-win cooperation—that's the path to lasting success."
Thunderous applause erupted once again.
After the presentation ended, the crowd gradually dispersed.
Sawyer was surrounded by partners, his hands stuffed full of business cards. He was swamped.