The Rise Of A Billionaire 1943-Chapter 54 - 57 – A Technology That Leads the Future

This was a top-billing actress lowering herself to the wages of a B-list background extra.

But for her, the money wasn’t important—the opportunity was.

No one had ever given her a chance to truly shine before.

Looking at this eager woman practically undervaluing herself, Pierre said:

"Miss, don’t belittle yourself like that. Every scientist deserves a salary that matches their worth."

He continued, without hesitation:

"Six hundred dollars per month. And full medical coverage from the company."

Six hundred dollars wouldn’t mean much to a movie star like Hedy Lamarr.

But in academic circles, that was a very high salary.

She had spoken to many scholars and shook her head, explaining:

"Sir, thank you for your generosity. But we both know that most researchers earn around four hundred, maybe just over three hundred a month. You’re offering far too much. Four hundred is more than enough for me."

Her refusal wasn’t surprising.

This was, after all, a woman who had been ready to work for $200/month just to enter a lab.

Still, Pierre replied firmly:

"Miss, I said—be confident. Trust in yourself."

Looking at this stunning woman—one who could make any man fall for her—Pierre said:

"Believe in your brilliance. You deserve this salary."

That word—"deserve"—shook Hedy Lamarr deeply.

She didn’t even know how to respond.

Since her youth... this was the first time someone had recognized her intellect, not her looks.

All her life, she had been labeled a flower vase.

Men only wanted one thing from her.

Even the military had ridiculed her to her face.

"Why don’t you use your pretty face to sell war bonds?" they said.

That’s what the world thought of her.

But now—someone was telling her:

"I admire your genius."

"Thank you... sir."

Taking a deep breath, she looked up at the man.

Only now did she realize... he wasn’t just young—he was also incredibly handsome.

"Thank you for this opportunity. When can I go to New York?"

"Anytime," Pierre answered.

"I’ll be heading back in the next day or two. You can take care of your affairs first, and we’ll meet in New York."

But Hedy Lamarr immediately said:

"Sir, I don’t have anything I need to handle. When are you leaving? We can go together..."

---

"I’m sorry for the trouble."

Just after leaving New York’s Grand Central Station and getting into the car, Hedy Lamarr took the initiative to apologize. Outside the car window, camera flashes were still going off.

She wasn’t just apologizing for the reporters blocking their way at the station, but for the news that had already begun circulating—he was now her rumored boyfriend, and she had allegedly given up her acting career for him. Their relationship had become the talk of the town.

The moment they stepped out of the station, reporters swarmed around them.

"It’s no trouble," Pierre replied as the car pulled away.

"If anything, I should feel honored. According to the papers, I’ve ’charmed the most beautiful woman in the world into coming home with me.’ They’re calling me one lucky guy."

His words made Hedy Lamarr sigh.

"That’s how the world sees it. To them, a woman’s value lies in her appearance—not in her intellect."

With a helpless, sorrowful sigh, she turned to him and said:

"But you’re different from all of them. Thank you."

"No need to thank me. I’m just doing what any smart capitalist would do. Honestly, I should be thanking you."

Glancing at her reflection in the rearview mirror, seeing her leaning by the window, looking sorrowful, he asked:

"We’re in New York now. Where should I drop you off?"

"I don’t know..."

Hedy shook her head.

"Every time I came to New York before, my agent arranged everything. Now..."

She looked at the bustling city outside the window.

"Now I don’t even know where to go. I don’t know what the future holds... not even tomorrow."

Pierre just glanced at her through the rearview mirror and didn’t say anything. It was understandable—she had given up everything.

"But I don’t regret it. Because this might be my one chance to prove that I’m more than just a pretty face."

Looking again in the mirror, he could see her determined expression. Her dazzling eyes were filled with resolve.

And somehow, that made her even more attractive.

"Why don’t... you stay at my place for now?"

The words slipped out of his mouth before he could stop them.

And instantly, he regretted it. A man and a woman living under the same roof?

That’s asking for trouble.

What’s it like living with a beautiful woman?

Honestly—nothing special, as long as they slept in separate rooms. Sure, it was nice to have something pleasing to the eye, but Pierre had already transcended such "basic pleasures"—at least during his startup phase, all his energy was going into the grind.

Like now—just after returning to New York, he threw himself into the company, setting up the radio research lab.

Although most of the radio talent in America had been scooped up by major companies, there were still a few "leftovers"—like Zhou Hongzhang, Cheng Shian, and a few other Chinese international students. They had earned their degrees, but because they were foreign nationals, they couldn’t participate in sensitive military research. Instead, they were stuck doing basic civilian-level work.

That gave Leap Radio Lab the perfect chance to recruit them.

When Zhou, Cheng, and the others entered the lab, like everyone else, they were stunned to see a Hollywood star working there.

But when Hedy Lamarr began explaining her invention, the astonishment quickly turned into admiration.

"Frequency-hopping spread spectrum technology is fundamentally different from traditional communication systems. It uses 88 channels, and interference only affects a single one. You can think of it like a player piano—automated switches controlled by encoded punch tapes dictate frequency changes..."

As she explained her thought process to the team, Pierre stood nearby. Initially, he was just observing—but the technical jargon quickly made his head spin. It was beyond him.

Feeling a bit lost, he picked up a nearby book on a whim—a radio engineering textbook. Flipping through the dry, technical pages, his system interface suddenly flickered to life.

[New skill detected: "Radio Engineering." Would you like to learn it?]

Just holding the book had triggered the prompt!

Surprised, Pierre immediately selected yes, and a rush of information flooded into his mind.

When the system exited, what had previously been gibberish suddenly became crystal clear.

"...The actual method involves installing synchronized encoded drums in both the torpedo’s receiver and the ship’s transmitter. When both run in tandem, their frequencies shift in sync according to the preset code. That way, the enemy won’t be able to jam or intercept the signal..."

Listening now, Pierre realized why the Navy had rejected her invention.

Aside from trust issues, a major reason must have been the bulky size of the mechanical components. There was simply no way to fit them inside a torpedo.

But his attention had already drifted elsewhere—he was now completely immersed in the world of radio engineering.

For someone who came from the liberal arts, this was an entirely new universe. He even walked into another room, where the table was covered with all kinds of electronics—dozens of radios, the U.S. military’s newest radio transceivers, and one particularly eye-catching piece:

A giant wooden-cased electronic device, 50 cm wide and 70 cm tall.

In the middle of its upper panel, a palm-sized grayish-white screen.

A television.

A model from 1943.

"That’s huge for a seven-inch screen..."

Television had been invented before the war and was already on the market. In fact, TVs were one of the only electronics that didn’t require ration coupons.

Still, very few people could afford one—a single unit cost $200.

An average U.S. soldier made $50 a month!

But honestly, that wasn’t so bad.

Back in China, people had spent several years’ wages just to buy a TV.

If nothing else, it showed that the demand and desire for television existed.

"Two hundred dollars..."

Staring at the bulky TV, Pierre’s eyes glimmered.

"It’s expensive now... but you are the future."

A company’s products must be geared toward the future!

While establishing the Leap Radio Laboratory, Pierre didn’t focus all his attention on Hedy Lamarr’s frequency-hopping technology.

That technology was far too cutting-edge—essentially a pre-research prototype. As for radio sets, which the military needed in large quantities, he didn’t even bother thinking about them. He completely passed on the idea.

That market was already monopolized by giants like Motorola.

Forget someone like Pierre—a foreigner—trying to break in. Even American companies would have to face brutal suppression from entrenched players. Capitalist conflict has always been brutal and barefaced.

Why did Truman never consider replacing the M3 submachine gun with the Avenger SMG when he intervened? Partly to protect himself, and partly to avoid harming powerful internal interest groups.

So for someone like Pierre, a yellow-faced newcomer running a startup, dreaming of getting a bite of the military’s fat contracts was wishful thinking.

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