Chapter 292 Of course, there must be both competition and grabbing (bug fixes): CPPCC member

The rain during the plum rain season in Xiaozhou is like cotton thread soaked in glutinous rice paste, sticky and sticky to the windows of the tour bus.

But then the roof of the car started rattling and popping like popping beans—it was the sound of raindrops hitting the metal.

It is evident that the same thing can appear in vastly different ways depending on the environment it is placed in.

Secretary Sun looked out the window thoughtfully, without saying a word.

The bus, like a boat, braved the stormy waters of the torrential rain, driving all the way to the hotel.

Everyone rushed to the restaurant for the buffet, but Wang Xiao ran back upstairs to her room to change her clothes.

The rain came too suddenly and too quickly, and her trouser legs got wet.

As someone who had just broken her leg less than six months ago, she couldn't let the cold and dampness rise, so she had to change her clothes quickly.

Wang Xiao, dressed in new clothes, went downstairs again to the restaurant for a meal.

As she approached the door, she saw Secretary Sun staring blankly at the rain outside the window and exclaimed in surprise, "Secretary, you finished eating so quickly? That's too little for you!"

Secretary Sun withdrew his gaze from the pine trees in the rain and took the initiative to greet Wang Xiao: "I haven't eaten yet, let's eat together."

The tone of these words indicates that the leader wants to talk to you.

Sure enough, when everyone went into the restaurant to get their trays and help themselves to their food, Secretary Sun took the initiative to walk over to Wang Xiao.

The first thing the top official of Xiaozhou said was, "How long? How long will it take for us to become the leg in this three-way power struggle?"

The Russians in the restaurant had mostly gotten their first batch of food and were already sitting down at their tables to eat.

They clearly loved the braised beef brisket with tomatoes and braised beef brisket with potatoes; both dishes were almost empty, and the waiter pushed over a new bucket to replace them.

The aroma of freshly cooked beef blends perfectly with the tanginess of tomatoes, making your mouth water even before you start eating.

Secretary Sun really likes the idea of ​​a tripartite balance of power, because the Third World has always been the Third World.

He was afraid that Wang Xiao would misunderstand Xiao Zhou as being too eager for quick success and scare away the phoenix that he had just attracted by building its nest, so he emphasized: "I'm not saying that you have to make a pledge and achieve a breakthrough in two or three years. I'm asking this so that when we make the five-year plan, I at least need to know what's going on."

Although his words sounded nice, he couldn't help but gasp when he heard Wang Xiao's answer: "Ten years? That long?"

Wang Xiao nodded and put two prawns on the plate: "Ten years is just the beginning."

As she placed clams on the plate, she analyzed the situation for Secretary Sun.

“In the 1950s, Akio Morita of Japan spent $25,000 to bring transistor technology to Japan. In the 1960s, NEC obtained a license for technology from Fairchild Semiconductor, the pioneer of American chips. Then Texas Instruments of the United States and Panasonic of Japan formed an alliance, Motorola joined forces with Mitsubishi Electric, and IBM and Hitachi Technology of Japan cooperated.”

"Only then did Japan develop its semiconductor industry through a national system, and in the late 1970s and 1980s, Japan truly achieved its counterattack against the United States in the semiconductor field."

She gathered the clams from her plate to one side, piling them into a small mountain. "All of this has taken 20 years," she said.

Then she slowly placed slices of cold beef on the empty space on the plate. "Compared to Japan, South Korea's semiconductor industry made breakthroughs relatively quickly. In 1983, Sung formed a semiconductor working group and went to the United States to learn Micron's DRAM memory chip production technology. They also purchased a license for 64K DRAM technology, and mass-produced it a year later, in 1984."

"At that time, this technology lagged behind Japan by a full seven years. Later, with technical support from the United States, Samsung spent eight years developing the world's first 64M DRAM chip in 1992 and achieved mass production ahead of Japan."

"But South Korea can do this only if it is protected by the United States throughout the entire process."

Thin slices of beef and broccoli were arranged in a beautiful pattern on her plate, and Wang Xiao nodded with satisfaction.

"Moreover, it is only a part of the horizontal layout of the US chip industry, unlike Japan, which has a vertical system from upstream to downstream."

"You could say that if the United States were to impose sanctions on it and cut off any link in the chain, it would be unable to continue."

At the steak grill, the chef was sizzling the steaks, the aroma of the oil and the spiciness of the black pepper sauce rising in the steam, making one's mouth water.

"What we need to do is to establish a vertical system like Japan's. If we can lay the foundation in 10 years, that would be quite an achievement."

The rain outside the window is still pouring down, as if it will never stop. I wonder when I'll finally see birds chirping in the sunshine.

Secretary Sun sighed. Despite the abundance of delicious food in front of him, he couldn't find any joy. He was quite distressed: "We've taken the wrong path. We stopped developing semiconductors in the 1980s, and now it's difficult to catch up."

When he said his ancestors were wealthy, he was indeed very wealthy.

China's semiconductor industry used to be quite strong.

Even after a decade of turmoil, in 1979, scientists including Wang Yangyuan from Peking University successfully developed 4K DRAM, reaching the world's leading level at the time.

Including lithography machines, in 1980, Tsinghua University successfully developed the fourth-generation distributed projection lithography machine, with a lithography precision of three micrometers, which is close to the international mainstream level and comparable to Nikon of Japan and GCA of the United States.

This is no exaggeration. The ion implanter developed by the Shanghai Institute of Metallurgy has been exported to countries and regions such as Japan due to its excellent performance.

It fully demonstrates what it means for capitalists to be the most pragmatic.

However, after entering the 1980s, with the overall shift in direction, these advantages rapidly declined and even disappeared.

Given the current global landscape, it is indeed difficult for those who have fallen behind to catch up.

After deciding to oust Wang Xiao and recruit him to set up a chip factory in Xiaozhou, Secretary Sun learned about the history of semiconductor development in China, and the more he learned, the more heartbroken he became.

Now, when I think about it, a cup of rice wine fills me with sorrow.

Wang Xiao was afraid that the plum wine would have a strong aftereffect, so he didn't dare to take it and only made himself some fermented rice balls.

This is good; it has a sweet and refreshing aroma.

She put down the large soup ladle and said seriously, "I don't think there was anything wrong with the direction of the 1980s. Even if we wanted to develop back then, we couldn't."

After downing a mouthful of rice wine, Secretary Sun felt a surge of heat in his stomach and began to get carried away: "Why can't it develop? It certainly has a solid foundation."

May is the season for locally grown cherries in Xiaozhou, and they taste quite good.

Inside the restaurant, a folk song cassette was playing: "Cherries are delicious, but the tree is hard to grow; with those thoughts (brother), I can't bring myself to speak."

It's quite fitting for the occasion.

Wang Xiao picked up a few small cherries and placed them in the fruit bowl: "The development of the semiconductor industry, whether in Japan or South Korea, required a national system to succeed. Before the 1980s, our country also developed its semiconductor industry in the same way. And it proved to be effective. But—"

The plump cherries were so slippery that they kept slipping back into the pile of fruit after being picked up. Wang Xiao patiently picked them up slowly. “Japan and South Korea are in a different situation than us. They are focused on civilian applications, with a monthly production capacity of millions and a yield rate of over 80%. We used to supply chips to the military and aerospace industries, so our production volume and yield rate were both low.”

She put another cherry into the bowl. "In 1980, I saw the data that our country's chip factories could only produce a few hundred CPU chips a month, and only a few of them were qualified. In other words, the yield rate was less than 1%."

"To put such a product into the civilian market is tantamount to humiliating oneself."

After she had enough cherries, she started putting mulberries into the bowl. These are truly seasonal fruits, and you really can't get them if they're not in season.

"To gain a foothold in the civilian market, you first need a consumer market, a broad consumer market for electronic products."

She pointed to the rice on Secretary Sun's plate, "Our country only abolished grain coupons last year. Cloth coupons were abolished in 1983. For most people in our country, the main task in the 1980s was to have enough to eat and wear. At that time, we thought we should try to support the semiconductor industry, but we couldn't."

She pointed to the plates, soup bowls, and fruit bowls, saying, "To develop the chip industry, talent, market, and capital are all essential. Japan and South Korea only achieved success in this industry when their economies recovered and people had more money to spend."

Wang Xiao shook his head. "In the 1980s, our country really didn't have these conditions. There weren't enough new engineers joining the workforce. There wasn't a sufficiently large consumer market. Even the national system wouldn't work, because the country was broke, dirt poor, and the ministries couldn't even allocate funds."

Secretary Sun was amused by her words.

In 1994, the first year of the reform, these words resonated deeply with him.

That's why we changed it, precisely because we didn't have the money.

Secretary Sun sighed, trying to console himself: "It seems we really didn't take the wrong path."

At the buffet restaurant, a chef was flipping lamb skewers with a five-foot-long iron skewer. The charcoal fire grilled the lamb until the skin was golden and crispy, and cumin powder rose in the heat. The sizzling sound of oil and the rich aroma of grilled meat filled the air.

Many Russian experts came and lined up for lamb skewers.

Seeing Wang Xiao sniffing so hard, Ivanov immediately went out to get some kebabs.

While adding cold pork head meat to the plate, Wang Xiao shook his head: "Who says there aren't any detours? Shougang took a detour, didn't they? They put in two or three billion to cooperate with NEC, and they might not even make back two or three hundred million in the end."

Secretary Sun picked up a braised duck from the braised food section: "Hey, speaking of Shougang NEC, I was just thinking about something. It's currently the only six-inch production line in this area, and it can actually do OEM manufacturing, like TSMC. Since it's doing processing trade, let's just go all the way with processing trade. If we make it big and strong, we'll become the leader in this part of the manufacturing chain."

After saying this, he felt that he was boosting the morale of others and diminishing his own.

What a joke! The chip factory they're selling has only just started construction, and this Party Secretary is already cheering them on.

If he weren't over fifty and the top official in Xiaozhou, he would have really wanted to spit it out and take back what he said.

The sushi in the snack area was sold out, and the staff were busy restocking.

Wang Xiao simply picked up a chicken strip: "Shougang wants to be an OEM manufacturer, but we can't."

The lighting effect is truly powerful. The newly served sushi, despite its extremely simple ingredients, looks exquisitely beautiful, almost like a work of art, all enhanced by the soft lighting.

"Nippon Electric's decision to cooperate with Shougang Group, using a processing trade model, is not only aimed at opening up the Chinese mainland market, but more importantly, at supplementing its insufficient domestic production capacity."

She couldn't resist the temptation and picked up a piece of sushi and put it on her plate. "Shougang doing contract manufacturing for other companies means they are working for NEC's competitors."

“You’re using my technology and my production lines to help my competitors with their production. This is completely contrary to my business strategy and interests.”

She shook her head as she spoke, "There's no way Nippon Electric would agree to that."

Hey, this pancake looks pretty good, I'll have a small piece.

Secretary Sun comes from an economic background and has visited many of the contract factories in Xiaozhou.

So he immediately expressed his doubt: "Oh my, really? I remember last year Lao Feng found a lot of factories, invited experts from Japan's Tomen to completely renovate the factory buildings, and even installed new machinery and equipment. But these factories seem to be doing OEM for many companies, and you don't object to that. Shougang does OEM for other companies, and the money they earn from joint ventures still goes to NEC, doesn't it?"

Wang Xiao dared not add any more carbohydrates and shook her head, saying, "It's different. Clothing and shoes have high brand premiums."

"Even for the same product, the price can differ by tenfold depending on the brand label. The different sales market segments are not competitors."

“Chips are different. It’s a highly standardized industry with low brand premiums, so people don’t care that much about brands. The Japanese beat the US in the semiconductor industry by controlling costs and keeping prices low.”

Secretary Sun took a cup to fill with a drink, shook his head and said, "If Nippon Electric is unwilling, Shougang will not do it? Shougang Electric owns the majority of the TV business, so Shougang has the final say."

Wang Xiao grinned, finally succumbing to temptation, and bought himself two more fried dumplings.

She put down the clip, a subtle smile appearing on her face: "Just wait and see, I estimate that the shareholding ratio will change in a short time."

She shook her head. "The technology is in their hands. If Shougang wants to introduce a more advanced production line, it has to be mindful of their wishes. At that point, Nippon Electric might say, 'Do you want new technology?' Then we'll have to renegotiate the equity issue. Otherwise, according to international regulations, we can't transfer more advanced technology to you."

"Shougang has already invested so much and tasted the sweetness of making money, can it say no?"

She couldn't stay any longer; the restaurant smelled delicious everywhere. If she stayed any longer, she was afraid that her eyes were too big and her mouth too small, and she would end up taking too much and not being able to handle it all.

Seeing that she was preparing to leave, Secretary Sun suggested, "Let's eat in a private room inside. There are fewer people there, and it'll be easier to talk to each other."

Before today, he believed that the target of Xiaozhou chip factory was Shougang Electric.

Don't look back at the time when he led a team to Beijing to negotiate with the ministry on the level of Beijing's electronic chip industry, where he confidently assured that his own chip project would never compete with Shougang Electric.

In reality, that was just something to fool the higher-ups.

Why shouldn't we compete? If we didn't compete and fight, Jiangbei Province would still be struggling to survive today, unable to develop its economy at all.

After listening to Wang Xiao's analysis today, he couldn't help but feel sympathy for Shougang.

A ship needs a helmsman to navigate the ocean. What good is a large and successful business if it goes astray? Once it goes in the wrong direction, it will head straight for decline.

The private room was clean and bright, with amber lights shining on the dining table, making it look like flowing honey.

Ivanov is very perceptive; when he was queuing up to get lamb skewers for Wang Xiao, he certainly didn't forget Secretary Sun.

So now, Secretary Sun, sitting down, took a bite of a meat skewer, his mouth full of cumin aroma, which prompted him to exclaim: "Sometimes, choices are much more important than hard work."

Wang Xiao was also munching on a kebab when a voice suddenly drifted into his ear: "So? Interested in becoming a member of the CPPCC in Xiaozhou?"

Before the Southern Tour in 1992, members of the CPPCC (Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference) were a very prestigious position, and those who could hold it were definitely social celebrities.

The fact that someone like Wang Xiao doesn't get accused of speculation and profiteering in business is because the economic savvy of Liangjiang Province is so quick-witted. As for the prestigious title of CPPCC member, that's clearly irrelevant to her.

But times change.

With economic development now the focus, the social status of businessmen will naturally rise accordingly.

Therefore, Wang Xiao did not feel flattered. His only question was: "I am from Jinning!"

She was already fed up with Secretary Sun; it was one thing for him to poach projects, but now he was even poaching people!

The waiter knocked on the door and came in to serve them Buddha Jumps Over the Wall.

Because this thing is really expensive and extremely difficult to make, each person is limited to one.

Buddha Jumps Over the Wall is simmered in a small earthenware pot. The moment you lift the lid, the rich aroma of abalone, fish maw, and dried scallops mixed with the mellow flavor of Shaoxing rice wine wafts out.

No wonder it's a delicacy that would make even Buddha jump over the wall.

Secretary Sun took a deep breath of the rich aroma, and only after the waiter had respectfully left did he laugh out loud: "The CPPCC members don't look at the place of origin. You've built such a great business in Xiaozhou, you're a leader in the industry, you're fully qualified to be a CPPCC member. Don't worry, this has been approved by our municipal committee, everyone unanimously agrees to you becoming a CPPCC member of Xiaozhou."

He extended a warm invitation, "Mr. Wang, come on over!"

Just kidding, if we don't snatch people now, when will we?

Secretary Sun is more than 70% confident that he can successfully recruit the person.

As a member of the Standing Committee of a major economic province and the head of a major economic city, he naturally has his own channels to obtain more information from the outside world.

For example, the mainland media didn't mention the Zhao Xiuzhi incident in Tokyo at all, but Secretary Sun knew more about its progress than the citizens of Tokyo.

Secretary Sun knew every detail about the princess's murder, the love triangle, and every single point in the story.

Moreover, he was well aware of the forces behind these changes.

If you asked him to write an analysis, he could write a whole book.

So what was the biggest lesson he learned from this experience? It's that parents should never overestimate their children's abilities.

Take Zhao Xiuzhi's case for example. If Secretary Fang had seen through his son's seemingly virtuous nature from the start and transferred him away from Japan earlier instead of letting him handle things on his own, things wouldn't have gotten so out of control.

Yes, yes, Secretary Sun understands Secretary Fang's idea: using Zhao Xiuzhi as a whetstone for his son to practice on.

After all, children raised in a pampered environment cannot grow up without experiencing things.

The problem is, this Xiao Wu isn't cut out for it.

Yes, yes, Secretary Sun can understand why Secretary Fang thinks so highly of his son.

After all, compared to people like Zhou Beifang, who only have a primary school education, Secretary Fang's son, Xiao Wu, is a top student who was admitted to the Foreign Affairs University on his own merit. He also had excellent grades in school and fully deserves the title of a young talent.

But having good grades and being able to shoulder responsibilities are two completely different concepts.

Look at what Xiao Wu has done! He's made a complete mess of things, forcing his mother, Secretary Fang, to rush to Beijing overnight to see the leaders.

Yes, yes, yes, with Secretary Fang's ability and courage, Sun Chengbin believes that she can definitely turn the tide and even take this opportunity to suppress Zhao Jiahe and her rivals in Jiangdong.

However, even though Secretary Fang could clear her son's name after this incident, everyone also saw through his weak nature.

If the higher-ups were to cultivate someone capable of taking on a major role in the future, Comrade Wu Haoyu would basically be excluded.

If the third generation of the Wu family fails to rise, then the decline of the Wu family is inevitable.

Those who actually make it to the top are no ordinary people. The Zhao family's move is truly a case of "even if it means death, they'll still take a piece of your flesh."

Secretary Sun's gaze fell on Wang Xiao's face, his expression unchanged, but his heart was filled with mixed emotions.

He had to admit that Secretary Fang had good judgment; he had chosen Wang Xiao to be his daughter-in-law, so that the third generation of the Wu family could be supported.

It's a pity you took a liking to her, but she didn't like you back. She even publicly distanced herself from your son in front of Japanese reporters.

And you can't get angry; instead, you have to thank her for considering the bigger picture. Even as things progressed to this point, in order to get his son out of the public eye, Secretary Fang himself had to swallow his pride and distance himself from Wang Xiao, emphasizing that there was no ambiguity between the two young people.

Secretary Sun didn't know if Wang Xiao was involved.

Even if not, given her ability to assess situations, she would have certainly made full use of the changes in public opinion.

What a pity.

Secretary Sun sighed inwardly. His own children were all married, and besides, he didn't come from any prominent family and had a humble background, so he couldn't offer any decent marriage partners.

But it doesn't matter, we can use political resources to further bind her to Xiaozhou.

Does it matter where you're from? No. What matters is where you shine and contribute.

Wang Xiao looked at the smiling Secretary Sun and chuckled inwardly.

See? Those who become high-ranking officials are all cunning old foxes; they all know how to seize opportunities.

Indeed, under other circumstances, she should have politely inquired about Secretary Fang's opinion.

According to policy regulations, since she became a member of the CPPCC in Xiaozhou, she could not simultaneously serve as a member of the CPPCC in Jinning or even Jiangdong.

But what was she asking at this moment? She needed to avoid suspicion.

Otherwise, there would be rumors that she was a homewrecker who interfered in the relationship between the young master and the princess.

Bah! She wouldn't defile herself.

Wang Xiao nodded with a broad smile: "I am honored to be a member of the CPPCC because of the favor shown to me by Xiaozhou."

Ivanov, who was listening nearby, was moved to tears for Secretary Fang.

See? See? In the blink of an eye, the hen turned into a duck, and the duck that was almost in your hands flew away.

It's clear that raising sons and daughters is the same; they're all just troublemakers.

Never think that because you're the son, you can't suffer any losses.

In reality, if he doesn't handle things well, he could cause his parents a lot of trouble, and they wouldn't even have anyone to complain to.

The door to the private room was knocked on again, but this time it wasn't a waiter who came in, but the vice mayor of Xiaozhou City who was in charge of industry.

He was soaked from the rain, the water stains on his raincoat forming a map on the carpet. His hair was wet, but he didn't seem to care.

After greeting everyone upon entering, he smiled at Wang Xiao, Secretary Sun, and Ivanov while drying his hair with a towel: "Perfect timing, all the decision-makers are here. I have something to tell you. There's an electronics factory in Wuhan that's going bankrupt and undergoing restructuring. It makes lithography machines and has been around for over twenty years. Now it can't hold on and has to close down. Leaders and bosses, are you interested?"

Wow, this is like a dream come true, the lithography machine manufacturer has delivered itself to our doorstep.

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morning!