Chapter 530: The Unprofessional Kidnappers

Chapter 530: Chapter 520: The Unprofessional Kidnappers

Communications technology is a very broad field.

If you want to build a satellite network, you have to launch a satellite.

This was precisely why the nation’s communications technology couldn’t vault to the top international level overnight.

Just developing a single satellite could take as long as ten years.

In ten years, who knew how much technology would have advanced.

By then, there was no telling how far other nations’ technology would have progressed.

Her grandfather had naturally considered this point. He asked, “How long do you expect the research and development to take?”

Chloe Sinclair stated firmly, “With sufficient funding, it will take at least six months. A completely successful development could take even longer.”

At this, Chloe Sinclair became a little frustrated.

She might have possessed the world’s most advanced technology, but many of the necessary algorithms and machinery didn’t belong to this era—they simply didn’t exist yet.

Conducting research that spanned across eras was too difficult, too unrealistic.

The idea of spending a year on a single project felt far too long for her.

However, her grandfather and Landon Sinclair were reeling in shock.

They had never heard of anyone who could develop a satellite in six months, much less someone who claimed they could then establish an entire satellite network in another six months.

Even her grandfather, at eighty years old, couldn’t accomplish such a feat.

And yet, the young woman before them was frowning, thinking the timeline was too long…

Her grandfather’s eyes went wide.

“Six months… can the research really be successful?”

Her grandfather couldn’t help but worry. “Besides, launching a satellite requires enormous funding. I’ll have to apply to the Central Government for that money.”

Chloe Sinclair knew it was a huge sum.

She nodded. “I can do my best to cut the costs down to thirty percent of the projection, but I need to be the team lead for the communications satellite project.”

Chloe Sinclair had her reasons for this.

If the communications satellite construction followed a conventional plan, the design and production costs alone would be at least ten billion. That’s not even counting the cost of materials scrapped mid-project or the launch fees.

If she wasn’t the team lead, she knew there would inevitably be insubordinate members questioning her methods.

Chloe Sinclair didn’t want any hindrances, so this was the only way.

Her grandfather was taken aback for a moment, but he didn’t object. Instead, he nodded. “Alright. If anything comes up, Grandpa will be here for you.”

With that said, her grandfather looked at Landon Sinclair and said seriously, “Take good care of your sister. If there’s any dissent in the team, you can handle it however you see fit. I won’t interfere.”

Landon Sinclair was stunned by his grandfather’s words.

Their grandfather was clearly taking his sister’s side.

Landon also figured his sister, being so young, would probably get pushed around. He nodded and agreed.

Because she needed to take a leave of absence, Chloe Sinclair spent three days at the research lab before returning to school.

The process for taking a leave of absence was incredibly tedious.

It was especially complicated in Chloe Sinclair’s case.

When the deans of both her departments heard that Chloe Sinclair might not return to school for a whole year, they were stunned.

“Is it for a major research project?”

For lower-level research projects, one could leave the lab at any time.

This was the first time Chloe Sinclair had requested such a long leave, so both deans had to ask.

Chloe Sinclair hummed in agreement. “A major project. I won’t be able to return to school for a while.”

Chloe Sinclair didn’t elaborate.

Her grandfather submitted the application to the Central Government the very next day. Surprisingly, the funding was approved only three days later. He was also informed that, due to this experiment, communications technology might be added to the national Outline for Science and Technology Development Planning.

In other words, this was now a classified state mission.

Chloe Sinclair couldn’t say much, only hinting at the situation.

The two deans were shrewd men, so they dropped the subject and didn’t ask any more questions.

With the two deans’ approval, the rest of Chloe Sinclair’s leave-of-absence procedures went much more smoothly.

After a full day, Chloe Sinclair finally walked out of the school with her leave-of-absence form in hand.

But as soon as she stepped outside, a few young punks appeared in front of her.

Chloe Sinclair put a hand to her forehead, a sense of déjà vu washing over her.

‘Wyatt Thorne sent people to get revenge on me?’

The punks, who had a whole slew of tough-guy lines prepared, were completely shocked. One of them blurted out, “How did you know?”

Chloe Sinclair: “…”

‘Wyatt Thorne is just pathetic. Hiring common street punks? So unprofessional.’

The punk probably realized his slip-up and hastily backpedaled. “No, no! I must have misheard you!”

Chloe Sinclair raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Then who sent you to ambush me? Don’t you know I’m pretty good in a fight? Did your client offer you hazard pay? Because hospital bills are quite expensive, you know.”

The punks: “!!!”

‘Holy shit, why does this woman seem so terrifying!’

“We…”

The punk was about to spit out a threat, as per the code of the streets, but one look at the smile playing in Chloe Sinclair’s eyes stopped him short.

GULP—

Several of the punks swallowed nervously.

‘She’s so scary!’

‘Damn it, didn’t that Wyatt Thorne guy say this chick was just a bookworm? How does she seem even scarier than our boss, Gideon?’

‘Even though there’s a hint of a smile in her eyes, it’s still terrifying!’

The punks couldn’t help but glance at each other.

The next second, they all took two steps back in unison.

Chloe Sinclair cut straight to the chase. “What’s Wyatt Thorne’s plan?”

The punk’s voice was barely a whisper. “That… dude gave us two hundred bucks each. Said to kidnap you and take you to the steel mill.”

Chloe Sinclair promptly asked, “The one in the outskirts of the city?”

The punk was astonished. “You know of it, ma’am?”

Just like that, his form of address had changed, becoming as respectful as could be.

Hearing the punk’s tone, Chloe Sinclair knew she’d guessed right.

The corner of her mouth twitched.

‘All kidnappers have the same brain.’

‘Couldn’t even pick a new spot.’

She took a deep breath. “Well? Let’s go.”

The punks froze, looking around. “Go? G-go where?”

With this terrifying woman standing right there, they didn’t dare move a muscle.

Their legs had turned to jelly; how could they possibly walk?

“Ma’am, we were wrong, okay? Please just let us go. This is our first job. We don’t want the money, we’ll give it all to you. How about that?”

The leader’s expression was fawning.

But Chloe Sinclair shook her head. “Weren’t you supposed to kidnap me?”

The leader: “We’re not, we’re not!”

But Chloe Sinclair frowned. “I told you to kidnap me, so kidnap me. You have to show some professional integrity, you know?”

The punks: “…”

Seeing them remain motionless, Chloe Sinclair’s gaze shifted, and she suddenly spotted a familiar, beat-up van.

She then walked over to the van.

“Let’s go!”

The punks’ legs grew even weaker.

Chloe Sinclair glanced around at the several youthful faces before her and couldn’t help but ask, “None of you have a driver’s license, do you?”

The punks nodded.

A vein throbbed on Chloe Sinclair’s forehead.

“Driving without a license… you guys are really something else!”