As independent non-executive directors, Sung and Mr. Yung arrived relatively late, and like Professor Chan Run, Vice-Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor of HKU, they only receive a salary of HK$100,000 a year from NB Electric Group.

It is not involved in management, but is only responsible for supervising the management, participating in the formulation of the direction of the company's business and affairs, and expressing positive or objective opinions on the issues faced by the board.

A new discovery in the basic research lab made the first board nearly an hour late.

"If C60 is the leader of nanotechnology, then carbon nanotubes are the banner of nanotechnology. We are so lucky to have seen it in front of the vast majority of people in the world! ”

Professor Chen Run was the most excited, watching the film made of nanocarbon, which was thinner than light yarn, flying in the air, imagining a crystal with only a layer of atoms, and wondering how much he liked the little thing of carbon nanotubes.

Councillor Shen and Barrister Yung, who came in a hurry, didn't know why, and asked suspiciously, "C60?" ”

"A type of fullerene," he explained with a smile, "including the carbon nanotubes we saw, carbon in elemental form other than diamond and graphite. ”

Mr. Yung looked up at the carbon nanotube membrane flying in the wind and asked curiously, "Mr. Zhang, is this carbon useful?" ”

Without waiting for the charter to speak, Chen Run introduced with a fluttering eyebrow: "This is a very remarkable discovery, and it is also a very forward-looking and pioneering research. If the optical fiber extracted by President Gao changed the way of communication, then the carbon nanotubes we see will change the whole world! ”

In fact, carbon nanotubes were discovered in carbon fibers produced by arc discharge the year before last, and as the research deepened, Guo Junru and Dr. Cai's team became more and more aware of their great value. So much so that the composite insulation was thrown aside. Concentrate on theoretical analysis and doing various experiments.

Especially in preparation. Arc discharge method from the beginning. Later, the laser ablation method, solid-phase pyrolysis method, and the current polymerization reaction synthesis have made progress one after another. Last year, it even cost nearly 10 million yuan to invite colleagues from the Technology Application Laboratory and the NB Laboratory in Berlin to design and manufacture a set of preparation equipment.

However, the pure array growth of carbon nanotubes is too rich in its own properties, which determines that the chiral change is a different kind of carbon nanotubes. And it can be transformed between metallic and semiconductor. Make a bunch of samples and come out, and there may be various properties in them, even non-tubular carbon nanomaterials.

After thousands of tests, it was finally admitted that despite its excellent properties, it was difficult to achieve mass production, at least not with the existing strength of NB Labs.

The uncharacteristically brought in Vice President Chen to see the charter meant that he was ready to give up the project. Let it be like the "giant magnetoresistance effect", a "pure discovery" and "pure achievement".

Although Guo Junru and Shen Xinru clearly understand that if they want it to be mass-produced and want it to reflect its due value, more scientists need to participate. It will take years or even decades. But they were still very uncomfortable, as if they were going to give away their own children. Leaning against the glass door, he didn't say a word.

The charter could understand his feelings, and waited for his brother-in-law Liu Siwei to accompany Chen Run and others out of the laboratory, before patting him on the arm and saying meaningfully: "Lao Guo, Sister Shen, scientific research, especially basic research, is like the tip of a needle, at the forefront, it seems to be the sharpest, but it is actually the most vulnerable part, and it is the tip of the needle that bends first when encountering hard objects. But if a needle does not have a needle tip, then it loses the role and value of the needle. You are the needle point of NB Electric, you can't bend or bend at any time!

Although it failed to be applied twice in a row, it has trained the R&D team and established the status of NB Lab in the academic community. What's more, it's normal, look at those Nobel laureates, look at those accomplished scientists, how many people didn't find out about his contribution to the world until decades, or even after his death? ”

Guo Junru sighed lightly, took off his glasses and smiled bitterly: "You misunderstood, we just can't bear those funds." If you think about it, you spent tens of millions of dollars on researching it, but in the end you still didn't achieve anything. If you invest in other topics, this will certainly not be the result. ”

"Who says nothing can be accomplished?"

The charter smiled and said seductively: "Did you hear what President Chen said, this greatest discovery at the end of this century is possible to win the Nobel Prize." This advertising effect, let alone tens of millions, even hundreds of millions can't be bought. ”

Shen Xinru glanced sideways, and saw that Cai Yangzhi was chatting happily with his colleagues, and couldn't help muttering: "You set the direction, and you put forward so many opinions during the period, but you didn't even give up your name." Charter, although you are not a person who sells fame, you can't always be like this. ”

Due to its various excellent properties, the scientific and industrial circles have made a variety of predictions, including fantasy, about its application prospects. The charter clearly remembers that NASA even approved a project to use it to make a space elevator.

As soon as it is made public, it will not take a week for this discovery to be hyped up, and Cai Yangzhi and Chen Wushou will become popular scientists everywhere. There will be various honors and even various awards.

The laboratory has an academic committee, and the entire discovery and research process is recorded in a diary, and thousands of experimental data are piled up in an entire office. Not only did it come earlier than the Japanese physicist, but it was also studied more systematically and deeply, and a series of breakthroughs were made from theory to technical application.

With its own arrival, history has changed. If you're lucky, you can win a Nobel Prize.

The reason why he was the first to tell Vice President Chan of HKU was to let the Hong Kong academic community help with the hype. How can the charter care about the honor of racking their brains to establish NB Labs' status in the international academic community, trying to ensure that NB Electric will not be accused of being a "grabber" of advanced technology?

"I still want people to settle on the moon, but can I do it?"

He smiled casually, and continued, "It's one thing to think about it, it's another thing to be able to do it. If an idea can become a pioneer in a certain field, then the inventor of the airplane will not be able to take the turn of the Wright brothers, because there are more people who want to fly. This matter ends here, Yang Zhi and Wu Shou I also said hello, who mentioned me and who is in a hurry. It's not easy to have a good reputation, and I don't want to be seen as a fame seeker. ”

If the laboratory wants to develop, it depends on everyone's efforts, not on one person.

It is not a bad thing to have a few more famous scientists, and Cai Yangzhi and Chen Wushou are indeed very good, Guo Junru nodded slightly, and urged: "You go to the meeting, we still have to sort out the information, maybe we will use it tomorrow." ”

The headquarters is too small, and holding an academic report here will also affect the normal work, and the charter muttered: "Be well prepared, as for where the academic report will be held...... Arranged by Principal Chen, and another phone call to Principal Gao, such a big matter can't be the last to let him know. ”

"Okay, I'll call him."

Before the charter arrived, the board of directors became a science popularization meeting.

Chen Run's intentions are still unfinished, and he is popularizing nano knowledge. In simple terms, everyone listened to it with relish, and Wu Jinhua, the newly appointed CEO of the group, started to record like a primary school student.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

Councilor Shen put down the cup and asked with a smile: "Chairman Liu, Mr. Zhang, how many achievements have not been revealed in the laboratory?" ”

Liu Siwei glanced sideways and said with a smile: "Councilor Shen, the laboratory has its own system and has a strong independence, if you want to know, you have to ask the charter." ”

"Tell me, Mr. Zhang, I also want to know."

Seeing that Barrister Rong was also curious, he smiled and said, "There are indeed a few, but they are all in the application of technology. For example, for the planar right-angle picture tube project, it is precisely because of the breakthrough progress in research and development that we decided to establish NB Electronics Group and NB Computer. ”

Cao Xuming and Wu Yingzhe introduced this situation, Wu Jinhua was not too surprised, and the others were different, especially Councilor Shen, who had been engaged in the electronics industry, couldn't help asking: "What about the clarity, like it is not as distorted as a tube?" ”

"The clarity is higher than all color TVs and monitors on the market, the colors are more beautiful, and although the distortion problem has not been completely solved, it is much better than the" music sound "color TV."

"Musical sound" is Panasonic, called "international brand" in Taiwan, and Councilor Shen realized how much economic benefit the launch of this product would bring, and couldn't help but sigh: "Either you don't make a move, and you will have an absolute advantage as soon as you make a move." Chairman Liu and Mr. Zhang, as long as there is a laboratory, NB Electric can't be underdeveloped. ”

For President Chen, who is dedicated to his studies, compared to the carbon nanotubes he just saw, the right-angled plane picture tube is really nothing. Without waiting for Liu Siwei and the charter to speak, he asked with interest: "Mr. Zhang, what other achievements are there?" ”

All of you are directors or INEDs who have signed confidentiality agreements, and they are all well-known figures in their respective fields, and there is no doubt about their credibility and professional ethics, and there is really nothing to hide.

"The Institute of Optoelectronics, which we established in cooperation with Xiangjiang University, has also achieved some results, and successfully developed a GaN blue light-emitting diode, that is, LED, with a sapphire substrate half a year ago, and developed a white light emitter on this basis. The technology application laboratory is following up, and it is believed that not only in the future, but also this wide bandgap semiconductor will become a new profit growth point for the group.

Because its service life can exceed 100,000 hours, it can save 5 to 10 times more electricity than incandescent lamps. And it is widely used, such as traffic lights, color video billboards, such as high-frequency, high-power electronic devices, and is even expected to play an important role in aerospace, high-temperature radiation environment, radar and communications. ”

Wide bandgap semiconductors, another amazing achievement!

Looking at Vice President Chen's stunned appearance, the charter continued: "There is also an amorphous alloy project in Hong Kong, and due to insufficient conditions, the progress is not very large. So next year anyway, a small smelter will be on the road, which is the planned NB New Materials Co., Ltd. (To be continued......)