One week later, the parts and equipment which had been shipped from China arrived at Rheinmetall AG. Xia Lei had prepared the parts to build the Thunder Dragon Intelligent Lathe in the past fortnight, and, with the help of Sylvia and her team, more or less completed the foundation work for the building of the XL2500 sniper rifle and Gust assault rifle production lines. If they continued with their current speed, Xia Lei would be able to hand in the two production lines and the Thunder Dragon Intelligent Lathe to the Germans in a month more, complete his task and return to China.
However, Xia Lei’s building speed slowed after the parts and equipment were shipped from China. This was because Ling Han had warned him not to finish the job before the Germans did. He was going to leave everything as it was for the time being.
Xia Lei had more free time now that he was not working on progress. He went to work on time, got off work on time every day, and did not work a minute of overtime. He wandered about during work hours too, going over to talk a walk around the artillery workshops, or to have a look at the armoured vehicle workshops.
Xia Lei did not go to these workshops alone, of course. He could ask Sylvia to go with him every time, and she would always go with him. She also sometimes showed him the performance of a particular weapon, its production cost and the sale for it and so on.
During this period of time, Xia Lei’s use of his X-ray vision and his brain broke through his previous limits. His left eye saw, and his brain recorded. He had all of Rheinmetall AG’s workshops in his brain.
Now, he only had to close his eyes for every machine, every cable and every optic fibre to appear in his head. These things combined to form production line after production line. Some were artillery production lines, some were armoured vehicle production lines, some tanks and armoured tank production lines, and some defence system production lines. Furthermore, these production lines in his head were complete, and all the parts, be it the most important machines or the small things like cooling water pipes, or to the smallest detail like the internal structure of the machines, the electrical engineering… all of these were ready in his head, and he missed not one optic fibre nor one screw!
Right now, if he were so willing, his brain would be able to pick a production line and build a mock product, be it artillery, tanks, or armoured vehicles!
It was also this breaking of limits of his brain that made him discover that there was a lot he still didn’t know about his own brain. If he compared his brain to an iceberg, what he knew of it now was just the tip!
How much of the potential of a human’s brain was used? And how much more could be unlocked?
Some people said 5% of the brain was utilised, and some geniuses used only up to 9% or 10%. Even if he was a genius, 90% of his brain’s capabilities would still be dormant and not awakened. If one took history’s most highly acknowledged genius, Edison, as an example, it was discovered that he had only used a third of his brain when scientists opened up his brain after his death. Two thirds of his brain had remained dormant.
Some experts believe that the limit of human intelligence was 2,000, but the reality was that a person was classed as a genius with an IQ of 150. In other words, even geniuses utilised less than 10% of their brains, and most of the human brain lay dormant.
However, the trend now was that the modern human was smarter than the ancient humans. Humans were constantly evolving, and their brains were constantly developing their potentials. According to this trend, the humans in 2,000 years would definitely be smarter than humans now, and those a further 2,000 years in the future would be even smarter. If these evolution trend continued, humans could one day utilise all of the potential of their brains.
What would a human be like when that happened?
Every person would have a superpower, and every person’s brain would be a super smart computer. Interplanetary travel, creating new life… it would be unimaginable!
Of course, that would thousands of years later. Xia Lei, however, had broken the limits of this time period, and enjoyed the benefits of evolution in advance!
He had never had his IQ measured, and he had no idea how many areas of his brain he had unlocked. Based on the abilities he had shown thus far, he was definitely even smarter than Edison!
There was no need to prove this assumption, because even if Edison were still alive, he would not be able to hold all of Rheinmetall’s workshops in his mind if he came here, much less build a prototype production line in his head!
Though Xia Lei was a ‘superhuman’, he looked normal, and was even handsome and loved by women.
And Sylvia was one of these women.
“I’ve broken up with Adolf, Mr Xia,” said Sylvia to Xia Lei as he ended work and was putting away the parts he’d been working on.
Xia Lei gave her a smile. “You made the right choice. He used you, so this proves that you were not a very important person to him. You’ll be less hurt the sooner you break up with him.”
“Yep, that’s what I think too.”
“Did you give him a call?”
“No, that number of his is not in use now. I sent him an email,” said Sylvia. “I asked for a break up in the email, but he hasn’t responded. I don’t care what he writes in response, I’ve already decided. I won’t contact him ever again, and I’ll never be with him again.”
Xia Lei thought for a bit, and said, “Miss Sylvia, could you give me his email address?”
Sylvia gave him a look. “What are you planning to do?”
“I want to write a letter to him too, asking why you two had to do this,” said Xia Lei.
Sylvia laughed, quite evidently disbelieving of what Xia Lei had said, but she still took out a pen and note paper, and she wrote Adolf Hillman’s email address on it.
Xia Lei picked up the note and glanced at it, then put it in his pocket. “Thank you, Miss Sylvia. You have accompanied me to the various workshops and expanded my horizons.”
“Forget it. I know you’re using me. I have the authority to enter those workshops, and that’s why you asked me to go with you, right?” said Sylvia.
Xia Lei paused, and shook his head. “It’s definitely not what you think.”
But it was the truth.
Sylvia shrugged. “If you say so. I don’t mind. I don’t think you can learn something from walking around and looking around in those workshops anyway. The higher-ups wouldn’t have let me take you to wander about those workshops either, even if I had the authority to do so.”
Sylvia and the higher-ups in Rheinmetall AG were of that opinion, but they would change that opinion quickly if they knew that Xia Lei had recorded all of Rheinmetall’s workshops in his brain.
Humans were like that. One would assume that others would not be capable of something which one could not accomplish himself or herself. This feat was also quite unbelievable.
“No matter what it is, I am still thankful to you. Goodbye, Miss Sylvia.” Xia Lei was done putting away the parts he had processed that day. He left the precision processing workshop.
Sylvia chased after him. “Mr Xia, could I invite you to a drink?”
Xia Lei looked back at her. “Thanks, but no thanks. I can’t go out now.”
“Because of what happened the last time?”
“Yes. The higher-ups on our side are not allowing me to go out for my own safety,” said Xia Lei.
Sylvia sighed in disappointment. She wanted to go with Xia Lei to the guest area but the sight of Long Bing and Tang Yuyan waiting by the side of the road quashed her thoughts. Those two women’s eyes were so cold that they terrified her whenever she saw them. She would rather avoid them than spend time with them.
“If that little German slut dares to follow, I’ll drag her to the bathroom and beat her up,” said Tang Yuyan.
“I can be your backup too,” said Long Bing flatly.
Xia Lei walked towards Long Bing and Tang Yuyam. His gaze suddenly went to the artillery workshop before he got to the two women. His eyes and his brain clicked instantly, and they sorted out what he saw immediately. A black man entered his field of vision.
That black man had been looking over at him, but he lowered his head when Xia Lei looked at him, and increased his pace. He mingled with a group of workers getting off from work, and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
This disappearance was only relative, however, and the man thought he had done well, but Xia Lei had his gaze locked on him, and had not lost sight of him for one second.
‘Wasn’t this the guy who was spying on me with binoculars when I’d just arrived in Rheinmetall AG? He’s turned up again,’ thought Xia Lei.
Long Bing sensed something, and asked in a low voice, “What did you discover?”
“I mentioned a black man to you before, right? The one observing me with binoculars? He’s turned up again,” said Xia Lei.
“Where?” sad Tang Yuyan. “I’ll take him down!”
Xia Lei grabbed Tang Yuyan’s wrist. “Don’t go. You’ll scare him away. Besides, he’s just observing and he hasn’t done anything else. This is Germany, and we can’t arrest whoever we want, or we’ll draw trouble to ourselves.” He took Tang Yuyan with him before she could speak. “Come, let’s go back.”
Tang Yuyan struggled half-heartedly, then stopped resisting completely. She became quiet when Xia Lei pulled her by the hand.
Long Bing followed behind them, and she let out a soft sigh. She muttered, “What’s with the noble young lady act? Isn’t she tired of it? Just be together if you like him, why try to replace Shentu Tianyin? Even if you replace her, are you going to expel me too? Idiot.”
One would wonder what Tang Yuyan would feel if she had heard Long Bing say that.
Tang Yuyan then pretended to be annoyed after they entered the guest accommodation area, and said, “Let go of me, you pervert.”
Xia Lei then let go of Tang Yuyan. “You impulsive woman. I was really afraid that you would run up to her and arrest her. You think I want to touch your hand? I’ve got better things to do.”
Tang Yuyan was rooted to the spot.
Long Bing walked past her and shot her a line too. “What a great act you put on.”
Tang Yuyan was speechless.
Xia Lei received a call from Ling Han over his satellite phone when he got to the stairwell.
“Xia Lei, you can start building your Thunder Dragon Intelligent Lathe tomorrow, but control your speed. It’s best if you take two months to complete it,” said Ling Han.
“Two months more?” Xia Lei groaned. “I’m getting bored to death in Rheinmetall AG.”
“Hang on for a while longer. The Germans are progressing quickly, and our people have done some calculations. They’ll be able to finish the production line in two months, and you can come back when they’re done. I’ll hold a celebratory feast for you.”
“All right, I’ll tolerate two months more,” said Xia Lei.
