novelsite Chapter 6 Loans
Chapter 6 Loans
At 5:30 a.m., the Berlin skyline was just beginning to show a bluish-green hue, and the entire city was still immersed in the chill of late autumn.
Wang Zhengyang stood in the center of the apartment's living room, eyes closed and focused. There was no light source in the room, yet his perception of the world was exceptionally clear. The low-frequency hum of the Caldova gene engine was remarkably distinct in the absolute silence; the sound didn't resemble mechanical operation, but rather the slow heartbeat of some deep-sea behemoth—stable, deep, and imbued with a primal power.
After six hours of high-quality sleep, the mental exhaustion from last night's extreme training had completely dissipated. What caught his attention even more were the subtle changes in his body: the muscle fibers seemed to be arranged more orderly, the nerve conduction speed had a perceptible improvement, and even his five senses had become more acute—he could hear the hissing sound of the hydraulic system of the street cleaning truck releasing pressure downstairs, and he could smell the aroma of freshly baked rye bread wafting from the bakery three kilometers away.
The activation level remained stable at 0.38%, but the precision and depth of control were significantly improved. If the previous ability was like touching metal while wearing thick gloves, now it's like putting on a surgeon's latex gloves—the touch is more direct, and the feedback is more delicate.
His goal today is to solidify the sense of "resonance" he gained last night and explore its boundaries.
I walked to the east-facing window and slowly placed my right palm against the cold aluminum window frame. My mechanically intuitive senses, like a high-precision scanner, began their first round of probing:
Material composition: 6063-T5 aluminum alloy, silicon content 0.48%, magnesium content 0.52%, copper content 0.12%—this is the standard architectural profile formula. Profile wall thickness: 1.82 mm (design nominal 1.8 mm, positive tolerance 0.02). Internal structure: two longitudinal reinforcing ribs, I-shaped cross-section, rib plate thickness 0.9 mm. Surface condition: anodized layer thickness 12 microns, good uniformity, but there is a fine scratch about 3 cm long and about 0.2 mm deep in the lower right corner, the oxide layer has been damaged, exposing the underlying metal.
These are static, structured pieces of information. Next, he turned his attention to a deeper perception of "state"—the dynamic changes of metal under the influence of time and environment.
He sensed the subtle, almost unmeasurable creep that the material underwent after bearing the weight of the window for seven years (based on the building's age)—a creep rate of approximately 0.003 millimeters per year, directed vertically downwards; he "saw" the residual stress patterns, like tree rings, left inside the profile by the diurnal temperature cycle—expanding in summer and contracting in winter, creating layers of stress gradients within the material; and he "felt" the micron-level displacement stress at the connection between the window frame and the concrete wall caused by slight building settlement, a stress that radiated outwards from the connecting bolts.
These are not defects, but proof that the metal is "alive"—it changes continuously, slowly, but irreversibly under the influence of time and environment. Just as human skin wrinkles and bones wear down.
Then, he tried to "touch" it.
With his consciousness highly focused, he condensed his mental energy into invisible fingers, gently plucking the "strings" of the residual stress field. This was not a physical force, but an intervention of information and frequency. The humming frequency of the gene engine subsequently underwent an extremely subtle adjustment—slowly increasing from the basic 37.4 Hz to 37.7 Hz, forming a complex harmonic resonance with his brainwave alpha band (8-12 Hz).
At first, there was only silence. Metal is inert and heavy; the physical laws formed over millions of years make it almost impervious to the touch of consciousness. But Wang Zhengyang remained calm and composed, maintaining a rock-solid focus and flowing patience. He could feel his mental energy, like melting snow in spring, continuously seeping into every microscopic corner of the window frame: grain boundaries, dislocations, vacancies, substitutional atoms…
Four minutes, seven minutes, nine minutes and twenty seconds... Just when the focus reached a certain critical point, the feedback appeared.
It wasn't a physical movement, but rather that the stress lines in his perceived scene rippled slightly, like the surface of water tossed with a pebble. Immediately afterward, a vague yet real sense of confirmation traveled back along the nerve endings in his palm—not the sensation of touch, not the temperature difference, but a deeper, almost intuitive response: the window frame "knew" he was trying to communicate and gave an extremely faint, nonverbal answer.
resonance.
Though faint as a candle flame in the wind, flickering and fleeting, it undeniably exists. This signifies that the boundaries of mechanical affinity are expanding—from one-way perception and understanding, it is beginning to explore two-way, rudimentary interaction. There is still a long way to go before true mind-controlled metal manipulation, but the door has been pushed open a crack, and light has pierced through.
Wang Zhengyang withdrew his hand and found that his entire right arm, from shoulder to fingertips, was trembling slightly. Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, quickly turning cold in the morning chill. This attempt consumed far more mental energy than simple perception, about three times the load of simultaneously perceiving five targets. He noted down key data: resonance required extremely high concentration, was currently only effective on stationary, structurally simple metal objects with obvious stress, provided weak feedback (intensity coefficient estimated at 0.02-0.03), lasted only 3-5 seconds, and had a long cool-down period (estimated to be at least an hour before another attempt). But this was the starting point for a qualitative change.
I glanced at my watch; it was 6:12. The morning light had already illuminated half the sky. Today's schedule was packed; every minute had to be carefully counted.
At 8:40 a.m., in the conference room on the third floor of the Corporate Banking Department of Deutsche Bank.
Ms. Ella Schmidt pushed a neatly bound formal document in front of Wang Zhengyang, her face bearing a standard, professionally trained smile, but with a hint of barely perceptible relief in the corner of her eye—this business deal was very important to her performance evaluation this quarter.
"Mr. Wang, congratulations. Your loan application has been approved after review by the credit committee. This is the loan disbursement notice and related agreements; please take a look."
Wang Zhengyang took the document, which was about twenty pages long, and instead of immediately flipping through it, he quickly scanned the cover and table of contents. This was a habit he had developed over the years: look at the framework first, then the details. The document used a standard bank template, but there were many handwritten annotations and signs of revision, indicating that it had undergone multiple rounds of review.
He flipped directly to the key page: Approved Amount: €35 (slightly lower than the €40 he applied for, but acceptable). Term: Six months (starting from the date of disbursement). Interest Rate: 8.5% per annum (about 2 percentage points higher than the current market benchmark, but already a preferential rate given the lack of physical collateral and reliance solely on project prospects and cash pledge). Repayment Method: Lump-sum repayment of principal and interest at maturity. Guarantee Conditions: €20 in the company account as collateral, frozen during the loan period. Fund Supervision: Funds will be transferred to a designated escrow account; single expenditures exceeding €5000 require corresponding purchase contracts or service agreements and formal invoices as proof of fund usage.
"The funds will arrive in the escrow account by 3 p.m. today," Ella added, tapping lightly on a clause in the document. "Also, we have received a scanned copy of the feasibility study report from the Mechanical Engineering Laboratory at the Technical University of Berlin that you mentioned. Professor Klaus's signature and the laboratory's official seal are clearly visible, which greatly enhances the credibility of the project."
Professor Klaus, one of Wang Zhengyang's academic contacts, visited last night with two bottles of fine red wine, requesting a non-binding technical opinion that did not involve specific parameters, under the guise of "project cooperation consultation." After paying a consultation fee of 1500 euros and two hours of technical discussion, the professor readily signed a well-written but flexible opinion letter—a routine procedure for the professor, but an important risk control basis for the bank.
"Very efficient, thank you for your professional support." Wang Zhengyang showed no emotional fluctuation as he took out the company seal and his personal signature stamp from his suit pocket and stamped and signed them in the seven designated places on the agreement. His movements were fluid and without hesitation, as if this were just a routine paperwork task.
After completing the formalities, he shook hands with Ira Schmidt again. Her hand was dry and warm, with a comfortable pressure. "I look forward to continuing our cooperation, Mr. Wang. Please feel free to contact me if you have any further needs regarding fund management or foreign exchange."
"Definitely." Wang Zhengyang put away his copy of the agreement, got up and left.
Stepping out of the bank, the morning sun was a bit too bright. He stood on the steps, seemingly waiting for his car, but his mind was racing.
With €35, plus €20 pledged in the company account (which cannot be accessed during the loan period), and approximately €10 in cash he has personally reserved, he now nominally has over €45 at his disposal. However, this money must be managed meticulously, with every step controlled like operating a precision machine tool.
- Electromagnetic reactive armor blueprint transaction: Expected to require 8-12 euros in cash, which is an expenditure that cannot be accounted for.
- Procurement of "gray" materials through Zhang Yiqiang's channels: The first trial purchase is expected to be 2-3 euros in cash, and may exceed 10 euros if the quantity is large in the future.
- Procurement of materials and equipment through legitimate channels (for escrow account transactions): Initial amount approximately €5.
- Team compensation: Chen Yishang's five-person team earns approximately 4000 euros per week, or 1.6 euros per month; if Lin Luo'er joins, she will earn approximately 800 euros per week, or 3200 euros per month, based on the research assistant standard. This is just the initial estimate and may be adjusted as the work progresses.
- Miscellaneous expenses such as venue rental, utilities, equipment rental, and transportation: estimated at 1-1.5 euros per month.
- Emergency reserve fund: at least 5 euros should be reserved.
A rough estimate suggests that the funds only need to last for one month; once the apocalypse arrives, the currency will become worthless.
He took out his phone and called Chen Yishang. The phone rang six times before being answered, with the sharp hissing of an angle grinder in the background.
"Master Chen, the funds are in place." Wang Zhengyang raised his voice. "Starting today, you and your apprentices will work on the blueprints we discussed yesterday to process the first batch of connectors for the front bumper beams and the mounting bases for the cab protective panels. I've already arranged for the supplier to deliver the materials to the workshop; they should arrive at 10:30."
"Understood, Dr. Wang!" Chen Yishang's voice was laced with the clanging of metal. "We arrived at 7:30, and we've thoroughly studied the blueprints. Xiao Liu is programming the cutting of the first batch of plates; the precision is perfect!"
"Also, about that matter you inquired about... is there any news?" Wang Zhengyang changed the subject, lowering his voice.
There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone, and the background noise decreased, clearly because Chen Yishang had moved to a quiet place: "My fellow villager replied last night. He said that Boss Zhang's company can indeed do it, and the price is about 40% lower than the regular channels, but there are a few conditions: at least half of the payment must be made in advance, all transactions must be cash, no invoices will be issued, no formal contracts will be signed, and... there is no guarantee of 'complete compliance'."
"What about the quality? What about the source?"
"He said it depends on the specific batch. Some are 'substandard' products from local factories—meaning they didn't quite meet the inspection standards, but their actual performance is almost the same; some are 'channel goods,' which may have come from Eastern Europe and the documentation may be incomplete; and some are even more vague, only saying 'surplus materials from the project.' My fellow villager said that if you can inspect the goods on-site and pick and choose, most of them are usable and have a high cost-performance ratio."
Wang Zhengyang pondered for a moment. The Zhang Yiqiang line presented both risks and opportunities. If used well, it could significantly reduce costs and accelerate progress; if used poorly, it could backfire.
"Okay." He made the decision. "Have your fellow villager pass on a message that you have a friend who works in steel structure engineering and urgently needs a batch of Q390C low alloy steel plates and ER50-6 gas-shielded welding wire. The quantity isn't large; he just needs two or three tons to test the waters. Ask Boss Zhang when he can see the goods, what the price is, and what the transaction process is. Remember," he emphasized, "just 'ask about the market.' Don't reveal our project, and don't seem too eager. Just say your friend is still comparing prices and might not necessarily buy from him."
"I understand, I understand." Chen Yishang understood. "I'm familiar with this line of questioning. I used to do it this way when I was helping the factory inquire about materials. I'll have my fellow villager deliver the message this afternoon."
"Also, you and I will go tomorrow. Take two apprentices with us, and drive that old pickup truck. Make it look like a normal construction site purchase. We'll only bring a small amount of cash and say we'll look at the samples first. Large-volume purchases will have to wait for the boss's approval."
"Understood. Which two should I bring?"
"Li Zhenhua and Zhang Haitao. One is a fitter and the other a welder; they are more professional at inspecting materials. Have them wear work clothes, talk less, and observe and listen more."
"OK."
Hanging up the phone, Wang Zhengyang headed towards the nearest subway station. Next stop: the main campus of the Technical University of Berlin. He needed to add a crucial role to his team for long-term survival—not a skilled worker, but a professional who could ensure their survival within the steel fortress.
The subway car was packed with commuters and students during the morning rush hour. Wang Zhengyang stood in a corner, his eyes closed, seemingly resting, but actually organizing his next contact strategy in his mind.