Chapter 1371: Technological Progress_3

It’s not on the territory of the legion.

Besides the fact that the legion lacks similar stars, it’s also because the Fan Chao Research Institute, the Fourteenth Legion, and Chen Ming signed an agreement.

The Fan Chao Research Institute is directly under the Empire, so it can also be seen as an agreement between Chen Ming and the Empire with the legion.

It can even be directly seen as an agreement between Chen Ming and the Empire.

Initially, it was the Fan Chao Research Institute that actively approached Chen Ming, wanting to collaborate.

They offered people, money, and effort, while Chen Ming provided samples for them to research, and they shared the results together.

There was a sort of feeling that Chen Ming might break away from the legion to become independent.

The legion remained silent throughout.

Because the legion’s research resources indeed couldn’t match Fan Chao’s, using Bai Quan’s goodwill to communicate with Chen Ming wouldn’t be a good choice, so they simply waited for Chen Ming’s decision.

Of course, Chen Ming rejected the type of collaboration proposal offered by the Fan Chao Research Institute.

Not only because of the relationship with the legion but also for other reasons.

He wanted the cooperation to follow the previous model, centering on his laboratory and based on his research center.

At most, he would provide some scraps to the Empire for research, but he must keep the main resources in his own hands.

He wanted to cultivate his own research personnel.

Of course, Chen Ming wasn’t entirely against giving others opportunities.

He still agreed to fully open his research center in the Primordial Star System to the Empire; anyone who passes the review could participate in projects under the guise of academic exchange.

For the Fan Chao Research Institute, Chen Ming was even willing to offer some privileges previously agreed upon with the Fourteenth Legion, which was considered preferential treatment.

His reason for doing so was quite simple.

It was because the research center he was building on Gaia Star, which nearly covered an entire planet, couldn’t have only his project team.

He had to construct a research center that could operate independently despite the resources he provided, full of academic atmosphere.

To this end, during the early operation of this research center, he had to somewhat relax conditions to recruit external members to fill the planet.

Preparing for a transition to the future.

Thus, Chen Ming was privately creating a scientific fund to support some independent research institutes with potential within the Empire.

Once the research center opens, those research institutes he supported will become part of it.

So the agreements Chen Ming wanted to sign with the Empire were all prepared for this purpose.

Neither Fan Chao nor the Empire could do anything to Chen Ming.

Because Chen Ming possessed the truly advanced research resources.

Ultimately, Fan Chao had to sign this agreement; at least Chen Ming gave some preferential treatment, and researchers from the Fan Chao Research Institute would be among the earliest members when the institute first opened internally.

As for how many returned after going to Chen Ming’s side, that depended on the capabilities of both Fan Chao Research Institute and Chen Ming.

After all, Chen Ming consistently kept himself seated firmly in the Empire’s chair.

He never wanted to be independent, so the flow of researchers was just considered mutual job-hopping, without strange titles getting involved.

Whether researchers could be retained purely depended on the treatment.

Additionally, within the past half month.

In a newly established research Space Station near a star within the Empire.

Research on the Star-Eating organism and the Star-devouring Fluid material was officially underway.

Research on other forms of life has shown signs of advancing to frontline technology.

Even the Empire’s previously attempted Dyson Sphere plan, halted due to insufficient technology, was revived from the grave by the Star-Eating components Chen Ming brought back.

The appearance of the Star-Eating entity indirectly supported countless researchers.

Aside from newly initiated Star-Eating research projects, multiple projects on the Plane Nightmare had initial progress after half a month.

The project Chen Ming cared most about is the research progress on Spiritual Shields.

This is a project exploring how Plane Nightmare uses its own Spiritual Energy to construct passive Gravity Shields near its body.

Gravity Spiritual Energy is unique to the Plane Nightmare, and using it to construct Gravity Shields is part of its abilities.

But if the principles can be clarified, the theory of Spiritual Shields can be extended outward.

Other Psychics or Spiritual Ability Devices could construct similar shields.

Chen Ming previously felt the Insect Race Fleet needed shields, and this idea was further confirmed during its attack on the Star-Eating entity.

Therefore, he has been focusing on this project, constantly increasing investment.

He needs this technology.

Aside from the research supported by Chen Ming’s investment and Empire’s support.

Some research projects under Chen Ming’s complete responsibility also made progress.

Regarding Scavenger Robots projects.

Nanorobots on the Scavenger have, over tens of thousands of years, self-iterated and updated a kind of digital-level optimization program.

It can analyze and optimize its functions based on its utilization, achieving a result similar to Chen Ming’s deep Maintenance Spiritual Energy, continuously adjusting itself towards functional “perfection.”

Although Chen Ming masters such Spiritual Energy, he knows he can’t optimize everything within the Empire.