After watching the news, Nan Yi packed up and went to Zhao Shixian's villa.
Nan Yi started to recuperate in late September, and Zhao Shixian started even earlier, having been preparing since the beginning of this year. Now that 1993 is almost over, the two have to hurry to conceive.
During the eight days including the ovulation day, Nan Yi was exhausted from doing inappropriate things at inappropriate times and having to maintain a happy mood. Fortunately, after a check-up on the tenth day, it was found that Zhao Shixian had been implanted, and Nan Yi could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
As soon as the matter here was settled, Nan Yi went to the Intelligence and Policy Commission and announced the implementation of the retirement system. He also announced the establishment of the Anti-Corruption Commission, which, according to the naming style of the Intelligence and Policy Commission, is also called the Anti-Corruption Group, abbreviated ACC in English.
Regarding anti-corruption within the Nan Group, Nan Yi has actually always attached great importance to it. It's just that the anti-corruption work previously was handled by the intelligence team and was kept secret, and there hadn't been any serious corruption incidents in the Nan Group. And the most important point is that the Nan Group was still in its early stages of development, and it was unrealistic to rely solely on rules to operate. Things like feelings and loyalty that contribute to cohesion are still needed. Some things can only be vague and cannot be sorted out too clearly.
Things are different now. Some people have become more greedy and more daring. If we don't take drastic measures to curb the spread of the situation, the Nan family will be easily emptied. In addition, the Nan family has reached a stage where it can operate according to rules.
The anti-corruption team draws personnel from the mind control team, talent team, intelligence team, legal team, legitimate defense team, and advance defense team, and is divided into three teams: the execution team, the anti-corruption team, and the punishment team.
The disciplinary squad is divided into Team A and Team B. Team A, also known as the "Iron Law Squad", is responsible for sending people in, and Team B, also known as the "Mulayi Squad", is responsible for sending people up.
It took Nan Yi some time to set up the anti-corruption team. When the matter was completely concluded, it was already mid-January, and the new chapter of the Nan family in 1994 officially began.
On January 18, Nan Yi flew to Boston and came to the testing site of "Yingmale Technology", a company jointly established by the Voyeur Interest Group and New York Power.
Yingmile Technology has developed a sauce-flavored bionic dragonfly and a light-flavored bionic grasshopper, both of which have gone through several generations and are finally ready to be shown to the public.
The bionic dragonfly has a big blue head with a long segmented tail behind it. There are two pairs of metal skeletons on both sides of the big head and transparent wings in the middle. When the researchers turned on the switch on the remote control, the bionic dragonfly flapped its two pairs of wings and slowly flew up from the ground.
"Dad, the wings vibrate at a very high frequency, and the tail also vibrates. It consumes a lot of electricity, right?"
"It was originally an experimental version, and being able to fly is a victory."
"That's true, but the application scope of bionic dragonflies is too narrow. They are only useful in the military field."
"Don't worry about the application yet." Nan Yi waved his hand and pointed at the bionic dragonfly in the air. "As long as we want to apply, we can apply for hundreds of practical patents for this alone, and they are very advanced patents. The technology is applicable to other areas. The technology used in dragonflies can be used in cars and airplanes."
"Dad, let's not just rely on accumulation of strength for a breakthrough, we also need to have a clear goal and go straight to the heart of the matter." Nan Ruoyin said.
"Yes, of course. Isn't our Nan's Explorer No. 1 almost completed? Hello, my fellow human friends on Earth. I am Nan's Explorer No. 1. When you read this letter, I think my life has entered a countdown, because I will use up all my energy and fall into the abyss of the universe. Since 1994, when Nan Ruoyin sent me into space, I have started the exploration of Jupiter and Mars..."
Nan Ruoyin: "Dad, Explorer 1 doesn't have much of our own technology. Most of the technology is provided by NASA, and the future control will also be mainly in the hands of NASA."
"What can we do? We developed late, so if we ask others for help, we will naturally be controlled by them. Take your time. The dragonfly is out of power." Nan Yi said as he looked at the bionic dragonfly falling from the sky.
Nan Ruoyin: "Dragonflies are so small, what kind of weapons can they carry in the future? Micro bombs or biological viruses?"
"I also have genetic weapons. What kind of weapons are they equipped with? This is a reconnaissance robot. Its development direction is reconnaissance. In the future, it will just need to be equipped with a camera."
Nan Ruoyin: “Not equipped with a microcomputer?”
"No, the future technology trend is remote computing, also known as cloud computing. The dragonfly only needs to be equipped with a camera and a control engine, and the data will be transmitted to the cloud. The AI ​​in the cloud will perform calculations and then control the dragonfly."
Nan Ruoyin: “Is it difficult to achieve?”
"The theory is not difficult. Dad can explain the theory clearly. But the implementation is very difficult. And the battery technology. The lithium battery technology that our family is currently working on is not advanced enough. We can only hope for graphene batteries or controlled nuclear fusion. Oh, and there is also wireless charging technology, which is also a direction."
Nan Ruoyin: "Dad, the space solar power station you invested in is the wireless charging technology?"
“The space solar power station is a bigger issue.”
As Nan Yi spoke, he looked at the bionic grasshopper that was already jumping around. With its two slender thighs made to imitate a grasshopper, the grasshopper pushed itself up on the ground and jumped to a height of about 60 centimeters in the air. It landed lightly on the ground and then made a second jump. After jumping several times, something seemed wrong with the grasshopper's condition and the direction of its jump seemed a little out of control. The R&D staff quickly stopped the grasshopper and checked it.
After checking and continuing the test, the grasshopper jumped dozens of times, lost power in the air, and fell heavily to the ground, with several parts of its body being thrown out.
"Let's go and encourage the R&D staff."
Nan Yi was not upset about the failure. He had already prepared himself mentally for not seeing any results for twenty or thirty years. In fact, he was already very satisfied with the progress now, which was enough to tempt him to continue investing money.
Moreover, many of Nan's technological achievements in bionics have been put into practical use. The Pillowside Company under Snow Mountain Trust has already applied many technologies to sex toys, and Pillowside's products have gained many fans.
After leaving Yingma, Nan Yi and Nan Ruoyin went to Carmen, a subsidiary of the MICS Ergonomics Institute. This company integrated Nan's technical reserves in robotic arms and prosthetics, and is mainly engaged in the research and development of surgical robotic arms and mechanical prostheses.
Carmen is now working on the "three hands" technology. The term "three hands" is derived from the word "pickpocket". It means that in addition to the two normal hands of the human body, another hand is created that is more flexible than ordinary people's hands and can perform delicate theft work.
The goal can be stated in a single sentence, but putting it into action requires decades of research, hundreds of millions of dollars in investment, and involves all aspects of technology, requiring the assistance of multiple companies.
Walking in Carmen's laboratory, looking at the semi-finished prosthetic limbs and robotic arms on the shelves and workbenches, Nan Yi felt both proud and distressed, because these were the results of money spent.
"Dad, I think we should cancel the prosthetics project. The prospects are too bad. Even if we develop practical prosthetics, the market won't be too big and it will be difficult to recover the investment."
"From the perspective of return on investment, you are right. It is not that it is difficult to recover the investment, but there is no hope of recovering the investment. This is a project that is destined to lose money. But the prosthetic project can be extended outward. Tell me , where can it be extended?"
Nan Ruoyin thought for a moment and said, "Mechanical skeleton?"
"Bingo, when one day the robotic arm can completely replace the human hand, you can imagine what level the mechanical control technology will reach. It will not be too difficult to transplant this technology to the mechanical skeleton, and further research and development of highly intelligent robots will be a natural thing.
In addition, the robotic arm will involve bioelectricity and biochip technology, which is also what my father is interested in. Maybe one day in the future, a biochip can replace the left and right brains of the human body. Cloning humans with biochips, isn’t that a gimmick? "
Nan Ruoyin's eyes lit up, "Dad, cloning tigers, cloning lions, or cloning dinosaurs with biochips would be even more promising."
Nan Yi raised his hand and flicked Nan Ruoyin's head, "Don't be so evil."
"Oh, Dad, your idea is evil. Go straight to people." Nan Ruoyin covered his forehead and said, "Dad, we talk so much about cloning, but cloning technology has not made much progress."
"Of course there is nothing. It's just that the laboratories are keeping it a secret. Just wait and see. In two years, those laboratories that value reputation will announce their cloning results. By then, cloning technology will definitely become a hot topic around the world."
Nan Ruoyin held Nan Yi's arm and whispered, "Dad, have we achieved any results?"
"It's too advanced and not convenient to display." Nan Yi said deliberately with a serious face.
“Boring.”
"Hahaha, if you have time, go to Gruina Island and see for yourself. There is an identical Yizai there."
"Really?"
"Fake."
"snort."
The father and daughter left Carmen's laboratory while playing. Nan Yi went to Nan Ruoyin's villa for a while, and soon went to New York. He stayed in Scarlett Manor for a few days, then flew back to Xiangkeng and established a new company called Xiaoxiangyu under Xueshan Trust.
As soon as Xiaoxiangyu was registered, Nan Yi personally purchased 500 kilograms of gold from outside and filled it into the company's warehouse. This was not the end yet, and he would continue to purchase. Then he designated a piece of land from the original poultry research institute, now the lavender paradise, to establish a kingfisher artificial breeding base.
Then, Nan Yi called Zhao Jinshui again and asked him to use the convenience of Yiwan International to visit experts and set up an embroidery workshop in Hangzhou, a kesi workshop in Suzhou, and a zhuanghua workshop in Jinling.
Smith Company was given an order to find a leader for Xiaoxiangyu Company. The applicant must be Chinese, female, have studied abroad in a fashion design school, and have in-depth research on traditional Chinese clothing, especially cheongsam. Once hired, the applicant will receive preferential treatment (starting from a monthly salary of 10,000 yuan).
After doing all this, Nan Yi flew to the capital and took back "our courtyard" which had lost its presence. He planned to clean it up and use it as the headquarters office of Xiao Xiangyu's company.
Nan Yi asked Fang Chong to do the job of tidying up the courtyard. It was more convenient for the Housing Management Office to contact the ancient building construction team, and the courtyard can still maintain its ancient charm after renovation.
After the construction team came to evaluate, they said that the job was not big, but it would still take three or four months, and there was no way it would be completed before the New Year. Nan Yi didn't know anything about the restoration of ancient buildings, so he could only take what others said. Fortunately, the construction team did not ask for an exorbitant amount and listed a very long quotation list. There were a lot of materials that needed to be purchased, but the quotation was only 20,000 yuan.
Nan Yi showed the quotation to Li Xiangrong and got a reasonable price. Nan Yi then signed a contract with the construction team and kept a copy of the material list. If the material types and quantities did not match, he would ask him to settle the bill later.
After dealing with the construction team, Nan Yi went to the National Museum and carefully observed the Phoenix Coronet of Empress Xiao Duanxian. He used three rolls of film to take all-round photos of the Phoenix Coronet. He also asked someone knowledgeable at the museum about the origins of the pearls and gemstones on the Phoenix Coronet.
The fourth act of "Xiaoxiang Rain" by Yang Xianzhi of the Yuan Dynasty: "Is it easy to lock up my wife wearing a phoenix coronet and a bridal robe? Let me do it."
The four words "Phoenix Crown and Xiapei" were first found in "Xiaoxiang Rain", which is also the origin of Nan Yi naming the company Xiaoxiang Yu. Yes, one of the purposes of establishing Xiaoxiang Yu is to make Phoenix Crown and Xiapei, as well as the Queen's Zhaiyi of the Ming Dynasty.
To put it bluntly, Nan Yi began to prepare wedding dresses and dowries for his daughters. The phoenix corona and bridal robe were just the first step, and he had a lot more to prepare. Xiao Xiangyu could also be called the "Daughters' Wedding Preparation Office". The reason it was registered as a company was because Nan Yi wanted to earn back the money he was about to spend.
After visiting the National Museum, Nan Yi went to Li Xiangrong.
"Xiangrong, do you know anything about the eight-man sedan chair?"
"Master Nan, are you talking about the sedan chair that the bride used to ride in?"
"Yes, pick the best one."
"The best sedan chair among the eight bearers in the past was the Wangong sedan chair. Wangong means 10,000 workers, and it takes skilled craftsmen more than 30 years to complete it. The materials used in this sedan chair are carefully selected. The patterns of camphor and basswood must be even, without any worm holes, and the luster must be warm. Only such materials are suitable for the frame of the sedan chair.
Countless lifelike wood carvings are carved on these precious woods, including twenty-four phoenixes, thirty-eight dragons, fifty-four cranes, seventy-four magpies, ninety-two lions, one hundred and twenty-four pomegranates, two hundred and fifty human figures, and countless flowers, birds, fish and insects.
After the carving is completed, it is decorated using three techniques: gilding, gold plating, and gold lamination. More than 100 taels of gold are needed. The finished sedan chair is decorated with wood carvings, gold, and vermilion lacquer, and is embellished with countless pearls and jadeite. It is so luxurious that it is almost impossible to describe it in words.
After listening to Li Xiangrong, Nan Yi said, "Xiangrong, this is the case. My daughter is about to grow up and will be getting married in a few years. I want to prepare some dowry for her while there is still time. According to ancient customs, she must ride in a sedan chair carried by eight people and have a step-out bed as a dowry. I will also prepare other necessary things.
The antiques, calligraphy and paintings, copper coins and Yuan Datou coins that were hidden in the bottom of the box, the shop, the land, the business, the personal maid, the cook, the security guard, the wet nurse, the maid and the wet nurse, they are all gone now, that's what I mean, when the time comes, find one or two caring nannies or confinement nannies.
I only have a limited understanding of the rules of the past, and you are more knowledgeable about history, so I would like to trouble you to make a list for me of what to prepare, as long as it can still be found and is not a rare piece. "
Li Xiangrong pondered for a moment and said, "Master Nan, you have to think it over carefully. It's not that easy to prepare for the Ten Miles of Red Makeup in the past. I know Master Nan is not short of money, but I still want to remind you that if you want to get everything ready, ten million may not be enough."
Nan Yi waved his hand, "We can skip the money, the key is time. The first dowry must be prepared within five years, so the list you help make should take time into consideration. Of course, you can also list some things that will take more time to prepare. I have more than one daughter, and the youngest hasn't even come out of her mother's womb yet, so there's time to wait."
"Master Nan, Shili Hongzhuang is making a lot of noise and is very ostentatious." Li Xiangrong reminded him again, thinking of Nan Yi's low-key personality.
"I understand. Preparations don't have to be flaunted. There are ways to conceal it. For example, if we're filming a costume drama, we can say that it's a prop borrowed from the crew. Ordinary people can't understand that a vase is worth tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands. Similarly, they can't imagine that a sedan chair is so valuable. We can cover it up by not giving people who understand the situation a chance to take a closer look."
"Since Master Nan has figured it out, I won't say anything more. Speaking of dowry, it includes almost everything a bride needs in her life, which is equivalent to moving into a small home. In the past, people used to say "a thousand acres of fertile land and ten miles of red dowry" to describe a woman's large dowry. Red dowry is easy to talk about, but what about fertile land?"
"It's hard to do it in China, but we can find a way abroad. In many countries, you can buy land freely. Not to mention thousands of acres, even tens of thousands of hectares is fine."
Li Xiangrong nodded. "The dowry includes everything from wardrobes, clothes, bedding, gold and silver jewelry to needles and thread, toilets, etc. These daily necessities are all there. They can be divided into three categories: furniture, jewelry, and clothing. You can bring one or two antiques, but most of them must be newly made. It is not appropriate for the newlyweds to use old items. And among the items at the bottom of the box, there must be "Daughter's Picture"..."
Nan Yi was surprised and asked, "What is "Daughter Picture"? I have never heard of it."
"That's what Tang Yin and Tang Bohu are best at."
"Oh, 'Spring Palace'? Forget about that. Let's take two paintings of Tang Bohu's ladies as a replacement. Can we collect eight paintings?"
"It should be possible, but the price is not expensive now, how about I pay attention to it?" Li Xiangrong asked.
Nan Yi nodded, "It would be best if we could find a solution from outside."
"Jewelry must include bracelets. In the past, there was a saying that a marriage cannot be completed without bracelets. This is prepared by the mother. In the past, when marrying a daughter, before the daughter gets into the sedan chair, the mother would often personally present a brocade bag embroidered with a unicorn. Inside the bag would be a pair of jade bracelets, one large and one small, symbolizing that the male and female are a pair, and the two hearts depend on each other and grow old together.
When women wear bracelets, some wear one and hide the other, while others keep both at the bottom of a box and take them out to wear during festivals. When they wear them, some wear only one, some wear one on each hand, and some wear both on the same wrist.
Nan Yi: "So, the bracelet must be a heavy weapon?"
Li Xiangrong: "Among all the jewelry I wear, bracelets must be the most expensive."
"Understood, please continue."
"Also, the jewelry must include jade ruyi and couple rings. Gold inlaid jade is the best, but this is usually sent to the woman's home when the man proposes marriage. There are also earrings and hairpins. Jade hairpins are best. In ancient times, if you could have a jade hairpin, it could represent your identity and status. Especially in the Qing Dynasty, if you were not born into a prominent aristocratic family, you would not have the chance to get a jade hairpin..."
Li Xiangrong counted every piece of jewelry to be prepared with Nan Yi, and then talked about clothes. Basically, the clothes in the dowry should be enough to wear until death.
In ancient times, when a girl got married, the dowry was based on not relying on the husband's family. The bride would bring all the food, clothing and daily necessities with her. Thousands of acres of fertile land would solve the problem of food, and rent from tenants was also an income.
Nan Yi had the same idea. In addition to their own properties, each of his four daughters (including Fan Hongdou) would be given an additional property when they got married, so that they would not have to rely on their husband's family. The dowry alone would be enough to ensure a worry-free life for three generations.
For the next three days, Nan Yi reported to Xinrongzhai every day and learned how to identify Yuan Datou and Sun Xiaotou from Master Zhang Weiqun, an expert in ancient coins invited by Li Xiangrong.
Over the past few decades, even up to 1994, whether marrying a daughter in the city or in the countryside, as long as conditions permit, the bride will prepare one or a few Yuan Datou coins as a treasure for her daughter. Therefore, the popularity of Yuan Datou coins is very high, and many families can afford at least one Yuan Datou coin.
The significance of Yuan Datou is slightly different from other items hidden in the bottom of the box. Nan Yi plans to find a few special ones himself, and then divide the 200 Yuan Datou coins that were dug up from Nan's house among his four daughters.
Zhang Weiquan is truly an expert on ancient coins. Not only is his appraisal skills first-rate, he also has a large number of ancient coins, including Yuan Datou coins. His method of teaching Nan Yi is also relatively simple. He first tells Nan Yi what kind of performance a normal Yuan Datou coin should have.
Then he took out Yuan Datou coins of various versions and qualities for Nan Yi to observe, and told Nan Yi why some Yuan Datou coins were very thin, as well as the reasons for the formation of various rust stains, such as being buried in the ground, soaked in water, etc.
It also includes how the Yuan Datou was counterfeited, where it was counterfeited, and who probably counterfeited it. Zhang Weiquan will tell Nan Yi every detail without getting tired of it.
After three days, when Nan Yi was able to make a living in the big-name industry, Zhang Weiquan, with a teachable expression on his face, asked Li Xiangrong for a Xianfeng Tongbao Baoquan Bureau carved mother coin, encouraged Nan Yi, and left calmly.
"Bah, grandson, you are pretending to be a master."
As soon as Zhang Weiquan left, Li Xiangrong spat. He was heartbroken.
The ancient coin expert was willing to come and teach Nan Yi, a fool, of course, not because he thought Nan Yi was savvy, but Zhang Weiquan, as an ancient coin expert, did not have many mother coins. Li Xiangrong took out the mother coins and fished for them. The other party came to Xinrongzhai calmly and said in a neither humble nor arrogant manner: "I can only teach you one mother coin for three days!"
Looking at Li Xiangrong's behavior, Nan Yi could only say, "Xiangrong, don't worry. I should have a few carved mother coins. I'm not sure if they are good or not. I'll send them to you another day."
"Uncle Nan, I'm not heartbroken about the carved mother money, I just can't stand Zhang Weiquan's grandson." Li Xiangrong explained.
"Well, I'll go first. I'll go to the ghost market tomorrow to verify what I learned."
After saying goodbye to Li Xiangrong and leaving Xinrongzhai, Nan Yi returned to the old villa. In a blink of an eye, it had been a long time since he had done a thorough cleaning. Nan Yi spent most of the day cleaning the old villa upstairs and downstairs, wiping what needed to be wiped and repairing what needed to be repaired.
Although the winter in Beijing is very dry, the temperature difference between indoors and outdoors is large. When the south wind blows, the room will become damp, and mold will inevitably appear on the walls and cabinets. Nan Yi took a lot of effort to clean up every corner.
It was almost time for dinner, so Nan Yi cleaned up the house, went to the bathroom to tidy himself up, and then went to .
At Lai Biao's house, Wen Wan was cooking in the kitchen, Lai Biao was sitting in the living room watching TV, and Nan Yi collapsed on the sofa as soon as Lai Biao let him in.
"Old Nan, I'm going to New York in a few days." Lai Biao closed the door and said while sitting next to Nan Yi.
"Business?"