Chapter 511 Openness and Cooperation: A Factor That Affects Everyone's Fate

Deputy Director Jiang put down his wine glass and began listing the key points: "What do we have now? We have readily available ultra-precision machining capabilities, verified through magnetorheological polishing technology; we have a quality management system that has been verified by German standards; we have a team of engineers and technicians who are beginning to understand and are able to implement world-class precision requirements; and we have a mature high-end market that can generate cash flow and profits—automobiles and machinery—which can support early-stage research and development."

Xiao Gao and Xiao Zhao felt that all the leaders were naturally outgoing and friendly.

Suddenly we had it.

What does it actually have to do with him?

But this doesn't stop the leaders from being heartbroken.

Deputy Director Jiang frowned: "So we can't be begging for food while holding a golden rice bowl."

The assistants all wanted to report back to their boss on behalf of Mr. Wang. Who's going to beg for food? They've never begged for food before.

After laying the groundwork, Deputy Director Jiang offered his suggestion: "We should make full use of magnetorheological polishing technology, establish a dedicated company, benchmark against QED in the United States, and sell our own brand of magnetorheological polishing equipment."

Mayor Zhao was about to nod in agreement when he suddenly noticed that Boss Wang was expressionless and silent, so Mayor Zhao immediately retracted his tongue.

Seeing Wang Xiao's displeasure, Deputy Director Jiang sighed and said, "I know we've been severely hampered by technological bottlenecks all these years. When we want to import some good equipment, we offer them money, but they still won't sell it to us. Now that we've finally managed to make equipment that others don't have, it's just a matter of selling it to them. It's never a pleasant feeling."

But he didn't give anyone time to express their agreement and immediately switched gears, saying, "If you want to become a top student in this industry, you have to enter the industry and face the market properly. We all know that even the most advanced technology needs the market to drive it forward. Without market data feedback to keep you moving forward, over time, the once advanced technology will end up like the countless laboratory breakthroughs we made in the past, gathering dust on the shelf."

The factory manager of the optical factory was also reluctant to set aside a separate factory.

Just as a county doesn't want to be reclassified as a district, a city similarly doesn't want its districts to become counties.

So he subconsciously thought, "We also do external testing and contract manufacturing, and we get the same feedback data."

Deputy Director Jiang waved his hand: "No, no, no, such data is too small and a waste of technology. Moreover, you can't simply regard it as a processing technology. In fact, it should be a strategic asset. We can use it as the core to control materials upstream, sell equipment downstream, and dominate the global high-end manufacturing market horizontally."

Wow! That's quite a leap forward; even the factory manager of the optics plant didn't dare to utter a sound.

Deputy Director Jiang continued earnestly, "This is a rare opportunity. Most people who want to enter this industry do so in high-tech fields, which are difficult to be accepted by the mainstream. But we are very lucky now because our equipment has already been manufactured for German companies and has gained their approval. They are our first batch of customers."

"German companies expanding in Asia need reliable local partners to provide them with comprehensive manufacturing support, including core precision components. We are the most suitable candidate."

“Once we started working together seriously, we went from processing supplied materials to co-designing and manufacturing. This is because we can customize the polishing tools that our partners want, thus participating in the research and development of the next generation of products for German companies.”

The leader truly considered all aspects and was even taking care of Mr. Wang's feelings. "I know you think our country's market is big and we don't want to play with them. Our domestic market also has a lot of demand for precision processing. We can completely circulate domestically."

The factory manager almost nodded in agreement. Yes, the domestic market for precision machining is huge; there's enormous demand just by exploring it a little.

But the next second, Deputy Director Jiang poured cold water on them: "But what I want to tell you is that, given the choice, 80% or even 90% of domestic companies would choose the products of the American company QED. That's the reality."

The factory manager shook his head directly, quite optimistically: "It's unavailable. This equipment, which has technological barriers and strategic value, is subject to export restrictions by the United States."

Therefore, domestic companies have no other choice but to choose their products.

Deputy Director Jiang was quite stubborn: "But why do you have to be someone else's second choice? What makes you inferior to others? You have already gained the recognition of German companies, so why can't you stand up straight? Be open and let everyone see clearly that even the most demanding German companies recognize your products, and that your products are world-class and top-of-the-line."

Mayor Zhao couldn't help but applaud and shout, "Bravo!"

She was truly thrilled!

After shouting, Mayor Zhao remembered and quickly checked Mr. Wang's expression.

Wang Xiao was already grinding her teeth; she felt a little annoyed, just plain annoyed.

It took a lot of effort to develop magnetorheological polishing technology. This was the result of the hard work of scientists and engineers from Belarus and Russia, who worked day and night to prove that Soviet wisdom was Soviet wisdom, and that it didn't have to be nurtured by American sunshine to blossom and bear fruit.

The US is restricting exports, and she just sold it directly, which makes her feel like she lost out.

Deputy Director Jiang continued to persuade her: "So we must seize this opportunity to capture the market. Only by becoming the mainstream of the market can we evolve into the market leader. Only then will we have a voice in the market and be the ones who call the shots."

Seeing that she didn't refute him, he pressed on, "And attracting more German companies here is of extraordinary significance. Trumpf's lasers can be used for marking and micromachining on semiconductor wafers, and Schaeffler's precision bearings and linear guides are core components of the worktables of equipment such as lithography machines and etching machines."

“Once these companies settle in our Yangtze River Delta region and achieve localized production and technical support, they can greatly reduce the procurement costs and maintenance cycles of domestic chip manufacturers and equipment manufacturers, thereby improving the operational efficiency of the entire industry chain.”

"You see, if you want to buy key core components in the future, you won't have to go through all sorts of roundabout ways. Maybe we won't even need to leave the Yangtze River Delta region; we can just buy the things directly. In the long run, we might even be able to manufacture them ourselves. This will reduce costs significantly."

Wang Xiao touched his nose and reluctantly said, "Okay!"

Before she could even finish saying "ba," Mayor Zhao eagerly agreed, "Okay! Just tell me which piece of land you're interested in, and I'll coordinate it."

They were afraid that if they were even a second too slow, the magnetorheological polishing equipment factory they had just acquired would be gone.

Deputy Director Jiang was dumbfounded.

Good heavens, he's now witnessed firsthand how swiftly local leaders in the Yangtze River Delta region attract investment.

Huang Youlun's eyes lit up when he heard this. "Wow, the leaders here in Nanshan are so enthusiastic and easy to talk to!"

Deputy Director Jiang, quick-witted and nimble, immediately spoke up: "Look at Mr. Wang, I was just about to properly express Shanghai's strong support for your business, but Mayor Zhao simply wouldn't give me that chance."

Mayor Zhao smiled and said, "Now that we're in Nanshan's territory, of course I have to do my best to be a good host."

Deputy Director Jiang joked, "Boss Wang, what preferential conditions does Nanshan offer? Shanghai does too. So for the next precision technology research center, you'll have to come to Shanghai with me."

He gestured to stop Mayor Zhao, saying, "It's not that I'm trying to undermine you in front of you, but Nanshan has limitations. We've seen that the vocational education is indeed very good, but the university sector for scientific research is lacking."

Mayor Zhao was speechless. Universities can't be established just anywhere; Shanghai does indeed have a high concentration of universities.

Deputy Director Jiang then began to persuade Wang Xiao: "We need to establish a precision technology research center in Shanghai, unite with universities, and attract more domestic and international talent to make continuous breakthroughs in this field. We cannot be complacent; we must keep moving forward and always stay ahead."

Wang Xiao wanted to grind his teeth again.

Even though the pufferfish wasn't cold yet, and the fish meat still smelled delicious, she couldn't taste anything.

Deputy Director Jiang then presented the facts and reasoned with the researchers: "Half of the research topics at the research center are driven by your industry needs, while the other half encourage forward-looking and free exploration. In this way, talent is brought together, and the collision of ideas sparks countless miracles."

Wang Xiao had completely lost her appetite; her "okay" hung weakly in the air.

Seeing Boss Wang's expression, the leaders felt embarrassed to continue urging her to eat, and could only watch as she drank the water spinach soup sip by sip with a poker face.

Mayor Zhao sighed inwardly.

Logically speaking, Mr. Wang's cold attitude was impolite.

But because she was so incredibly intelligent, almost supernatural, her emotional outbursts actually made her seem more human.

Otherwise, she would be too much like a meticulously calculated computer, precise and cold.

When Mr. Wang had drunk his fill of water and put down his spoon, the dinner finally came to an end.

Huang Youlun felt more at ease.

Judging from the fact that Mr. Wang had already lost his temper, the leaders of Shanghai and Nanshan were still not angry at all, which shows that the relationship between government and business in the Yangtze River Delta region is indeed harmonious.

So the group left the restaurant in high spirits.

Goodness, when we arrived, everyone was starving and didn't have time to appreciate the scenery along the way.

Now, as night falls and the streetlights shine brightly, the streets are bustling with life, and the night market stalls outside are incredibly lively.

There was grilled squid, fried bananas, and someone was even selling fruit shaved ice. The colorful and cool aroma combined with the sweet fragrance of fermented rice balls created a unique and delicious flavor.

Wang Xiao looked around and suddenly sighed, "Back in 1990 when I was selling snacks, the night market was basically all coal-fired stoves."

Now it's all gas cylinders.

The changes of the times are reflected in these details. Back in the 1990s, gas cylinders were still in short supply.

Deputy Director Jiang recalled that when he was looking at the documents, he saw that Shanghai, due to an excessive shortage of gas supply, had to issue bonds in 1990 to raise funds for gas construction, increase gas sources, and ensure gas supply in order to solve the gas supply problem.

If this is the case even in the greater city of Shanghai, one can only imagine what it is like in other parts of the country.

However, it has been less than ten years since then. He has not conducted research in other places, so he does not know that, at least in the Yangtze River Delta region, including rural areas, almost every household uses a gas stove.

Huang Youlun didn't think much of it; he was just curious: "Boss Wang, you used to sell snacks?"

From selling snacks to working in the semiconductor industry, that's quite a leap.

Wang Xiao nodded with a smile: "Yes, I sell braised food, and business is pretty good."

Thinking back to that time, it was quite interesting.

That's great. Every step she's taken, no matter what the circumstances, has been a testament to her efforts to make her life better.

Without saying a word, Liu Ba stuffed something into Wang Xiao's hand, and then Wang Xiao had a skewer of grilled food in her hand, the kind where a piece of pig intestine and a clove of garlic are skewered together and grilled.

Without saying a word, Boss Wang started showing off his Kuku.

Dr. Huang Youlun was surprised. He thought people from Jiangnan had a light palate, but he didn't expect them to have such a strong palate.

Deputy Director Jiang admired her for her carefree attitude; she herself had started to reuse gutter oil, yet she could still eat at roadside stalls without any resentment.

Mayor Zhao, however, was unusually tempted, feeling that the garlic sausage must be quite delicious.

Unfortunately, she can't eat, because it will leave a taste in her mouth. She's currently entertaining her distinguished guest.

Perhaps for the next few decades, she will not have the chance to eat garlic sausage, because she will be on standby at all times, and time will never be entirely her own.

I really envy Mr. Wang, who eats garlic and pork intestines all the way along the way.

She was so at ease.

Everyone continued walking forward.

Ahead, two foreigners, clearly German, stood in front of the sugar painting stall, watching with great interest as people made sugar paintings.

At the barbecue stall next door, three Slavs were sitting, drinking beer and eating skewers.

Huang Youlun asked curiously, "How is their relationship? Do they have any conflicts?"

Neither the Germanic nor the Slavic peoples are known for their moderate approach. It's not uncommon for fans of both sides to clash after a football match.

Now that they're in a foreign country, will they also find each other unpleasant?

The factory manager of the optical plant casually chimed in, since the German company didn't hire any Russians, and he was the most qualified to speak on dealing with both sides.

"Fortunately, they were all very serious at first and didn't talk to each other, even those who could speak English. But as time went on, and since this place is only so big, we naturally became familiar with each other."

"There was also the East Germans. They were divided into two groups at the beginning. One group had a better relationship with the Russians and got along better with them; the other group greeted the West Germans, since they were all Germans."

"Later on, we got to know each other better through our friends' friends, and we'd drink beer together. They all really enjoy drinking."

He said it with pride, "The first time we did a deal with a German company, it was when we were drinking together. The German technician mentioned that his work wasn't going well and he couldn't get the molds right. Then our East German technicians said, 'Why don't you bring them over to our factory and try? We have the technology to fix them.'"

“From then on, more and more companies came to us. At first, we didn’t know how to collect money, so we let them decide how to pay, and then we gave them a discount.”

The factory manager recalled that because of this opening, they now had to separate a factory and set up a research and development center. He felt as if a piece of his flesh had been ripped out.

See? See? You can't be too outstanding. If you stand out from the crowd, you'll inevitably be targeted.

It's so heartbreaking I can't breathe.

Besides food, the night market stalls also sell toys and other entertainment.

An old Russian was standing in front of the stall firing an air rifle. Wow, he was killing people with every shot.

Even the factory manager was convinced: "The Russians are really good at shooting; they can blow up every single time. The Germans can't even compare to them."

Everyone chuckled knowingly. In World War II, it was the Soviet Union that ultimately prevailed. Those Russians really knew how to endure.

Deputy Director Jiang smiled and asked, "Mayor Zhao, how do you manage these companies? The more you manage them, the more companies there seem to be. You must have some tricks up your sleeve. Share them with us!"

Mayor Zhao shook his head: "Actually, there's no secret. The secret is just four words: laissez-faire. We don't need to interfere. The government only needs to do two things: approve land and provide policies. As for how they build factories, how they produce, and how they sell, that's their own business. We don't need to meddle. Each company has a designated contact person. If they encounter any problems with procedures, they can directly contact that person to coordinate and resolve the issue. If that person can't solve it either, they can just call me."

She thought for a moment and then said a term, “green channel, we don’t usually contact them unless there’s a specific reason, and they don’t contact us either.”

Huang Youlun was surprised: "You really don't look for them? I heard that you often hold tea parties to gather investors together, listen to their difficulties, and then help coordinate and resolve them on the spot?"

Mayor Zhao waved his hand: "We used to do this to let everyone feel the care and warmth of our government. But we stopped doing it later because people didn't like it."

She reflected on this model, seeing it as a typical mindset under a planned economy. Because the government leads enterprises, it is the superior of the latter. The government's concern is seen as superior-to-subordinate care.

But things are different now. People come from outside to invest here, and they're on equal footing with you, not your subordinates.

People are just bored and have nothing better to do than have a cup of tea and a break from you. Why would they waste their time coming to cooperate with your performance of government concern?

Thinking from an entrepreneur's perspective, I really want to roll my eyes.

Especially these foreign companies, they don't ask you to buy raw materials, nor do they ask you to provide sales channels, so why should they hold their noses and listen to your orders?

So just ignore it; respecting others is the greatest form of care.

But Mayor Zhao still couldn't appear too hands-off: "There are two things. One is that when they need to recruit workers, we will help coordinate. The other is that for municipal construction, we will also ask for their opinions and take them into consideration during the planning process."

Deputy Director Jiang gave her a thumbs up and praised her, saying, "You are at the forefront of the times; this is a typical example of a service-oriented government."

Mayor Zhao smiled and waved his hand: "You flatter me. It's nothing. We're just exploring and moving forward."

She subconsciously looked for Wang Xiao's figure.

As it turned out, Boss Wang was really at ease; she actually ran off again to watch people play ring toss.

She threw out a hoop, let out a shout, and then clapped her hands enthusiastically: "That was amazing!"

Wow, that's really impressive.

The circle landed perfectly on the head of the largest plush toy, right in the middle.

Wang Xiao pounced on Lyuba with a roar, showering her with sweet words like they were free: "Lyuba, you are my super idol, the most handsome man in the universe!"

The stall owner sighed and handed over the doll covered in a blanket. Lyuba took it and immediately shoved it into her boss's hand: "Here you go."

He's incredibly handsome.

Seeing Mr. Wang jumping around, Mayor Zhao couldn't help but laugh. How carefree he was, so carefree!

Deputy Director Jiang secretly breathed a sigh of relief. "Alright, alright," he thought, "Mr. Wang's frustration has probably dissipated. Things will go much smoother from here on out."

He smiled and said goodbye to Mayor Zhao: "Thank you so much for your trouble today. It's getting late, so we'll be going now."

Mayor Zhao tried to persuade him to stay, saying, "It's already so late, don't rush back. Sleep at our municipal party committee guesthouse and leave tomorrow morning."

Deputy Director Jiang shook his head: "No, I have a meeting tomorrow morning and can't take leave. Besides, we weren't prepared when we came; we all came naked."

This is indeed a problem.

In May, anyone who's been out all day in Nanshan is drenched in sweat. Taking a shower and changing clothes are the most basic necessities of life.

Mayor Zhao couldn't insist, so he could only see them off to their car, wave goodbye, and repeatedly invite them to come to Nanshan if they had time in the future.

After that, she hugged Wang Xiao goodbye.

They were in a rush today, and the two women couldn't exactly whisper amongst themselves.

Next time, if she has time, she definitely wants to have a good chat with Boss Wang. She has very few people who can share the joys and sorrows of these past five years.

The engine started, the clutch was released, the steering wheel was turned, and the car drove all the way back to Shanghai.

Just as Wang Xiao arrived at the destination, he received a call from Zhang Junfei, whose voice sounded rather helpless: "Boss, where are you now? I just dropped someone off at the airport and ran into Zhang Bo. He's looking for you."

Wang Xiao was stunned.

When I called in the morning, Zhang Bo said he would come right away, but I thought that "right away" would be tomorrow at the earliest.

And sure enough, they hung up the phone and boarded the plane right after.

"Where are you now?" Wang Xiao quickly gave the coordinates. "We just came back from Nanshan. Where are you? I'll come find you."

Zhang Bo said something to Zhang Junfei, and Zhang Junfei immediately replied to his boss, "No need, I'll just take Zhang Bo to the lithography machine factory. He's eager to see the lithography machine."

What could Wang Xiao do? She couldn't stop the chief consultant's enthusiasm, so the car had to be turned around.

She also made a phone call to greet Deputy Director Jiang. It was the first time she had encountered such a hardworking senior colleague, and she was also helpless: "Zhang Bo just came from Taiwan. We are going to the factory, so we won't travel with you."

Huang Youlun, who was in the car, was stunned. Only after the call ended did he exclaim, "No wonder Zhang Bo is so efficient. I heard he sleeps on the plane and then immediately gets to work as soon as he gets off."

Deputy Director Jiang smiled but remained silent.

Isn't this basic practice? Everyone who gets things done should do it this way; there's no time for procrastination. If you put it off until tomorrow, and then the day after, by the time you actually start, it'll be too late.

Dr. Zhang Rujing is clearly not someone who wants to see daylilies go cold.

He was travel-worn and carrying a travel bag. He rushed out of the car and looked around anxiously: "Is the immersion lithography machine here?"

Looking into his eager eyes, Wang Xiao was a little afraid of disappointing him, so she had to emphasize, "This is really just an experimental machine, a purely experimental machine."

The engineer who was temporarily brought in also looked helpless: "We can't make a dry prototype with a wavelength of 193 nanometers right now. This experimental machine can only work for a short time, it's very unstable, and it stops working after a while."

In fact, everyone felt that being able to build this experimental machine was a stroke of luck, a coincidence within a coincidence.

It's very likely because the incense at the temple here is quite efficacious.

The engineer then demonstrated their experimental machine to Dr. Zhang Rujing again.

Thanks to all the gods, today must be an auspicious day. The lab was very cooperative, demonstrating twice without giving up.

Dr. Zhang's eyes were wide open, and his whole body was tense, as if he dared not even breathe, for fear of affecting the demonstration of the lithography machine.

Only after the entire demonstration ended did he slowly exhale: "It really worked."

Then he fell into a long silence.

No one dared to disturb him, for fear of disrupting his train of thought.

Time crawled forward, and the white noise made people drowsy. The engineer, who was already exhausted, almost fell asleep standing up.

Suddenly, he heard voices and quickly perked up.

However, Dr. Zhang was not speaking to him, but to his boss: "Let's fly to the United States ourselves and have a good talk with Dr. Lin."

This is not a problem that can be solved with an email or a phone call; it requires a face-to-face meeting and detailed discussion, because it will affect the entire history of semiconductor development.

Because dry lithography machines have reached their limits, changing the wavelength of the light source means that, in addition to the lens material, the entire lithography system must be adjusted, and a matching photoresist also needs to be developed.

The cost is simply too high.

If immersion lithography is successful, these issues can be disregarded for now, as it can directly utilize a large portion of the existing dry lithography technology.

This is a path to overtake on a curve; it may lead to success, or it may result in total financial ruin.

But technological progress always involves taking risks. No scientific giant can guarantee that a project they dedicate themselves to will succeed.

It is because of the tireless efforts of generations of researchers, and because of the countless lives lost, that science and technology have been able to advance to where they are today.

The same will be true in the future.

Dr. Zhang repeated: "We are going to the United States to meet with Dr. Lin in person, and we must express our utmost sincerity."

Wang Xiao felt a chill run down his spine the moment he heard the word "America".

The reason is simple: fear of death.

She cheated the US government and the US president. She's guilty and afraid that if she goes to the US, she'll be arrested.

Don't say it's impossible; her life is still quite precious, and she should cherish it.

Wang Xiao immediately looked troubled: "I would like to go, but I don't know when the visa will be issued."

The long lines of people waiting in front of the embassy are a testament to the restrictions imposed by the United States on Chinese citizens traveling to the country.

Given that so many Chinese people illegally immigrate to the United States every year and stay there illegally, Zhang Rujing cannot say that the US government is wrong to do so.

But Zhang Rujing, who was always impatient, simply couldn't bear to wait for Boss Wang to get his visa and then go to the United States with him to find Dr. Lin.

The pace of semiconductor equipment upgrades also follows Moore's Law; everyone is racing forward.

Having finally glimpsed a glimmer of advantage, Zhang Rujing felt he would never forgive himself if he missed this opportunity.

Without hesitation, he took the initiative to speak: "Then I'll go. I'll bring him over so he can see our immersion lithography machine with his own eyes."

Wang Xiao smiled broadly: "I'm so sorry to trouble you again, Zhang Bo."

To be honest, this consultant did the work of three, no, four people all by himself.

He had to oversee the chip factory in Xiaozhou, manage the team in South Korea, and personally supervise the construction of the chip factory in Hong Kong. He was also the general manager of World University.

Now we have to persuade the technical experts on his behalf.

Mr. Wang felt that they should be given two more villas. Whether the person wanted them or not was one thing, but whether their good intentions were expressed was another.

So Dr. Lin Benjian, who was far away in the United States, had just finished breakfast and hadn't even entered the company gate when he was stopped by Zhang Rujing, who looked travel-worn: "Burn, I'm Richard. We met at the annual meeting before. I don't know if you remember me?"

"Of course, of course." Dr. Lin, with a gentle personality, smiled and shook hands with him. "Richard, is there anything I can do for you today?"

Zhang Rujing said with a serious expression, "Burn, you must come with me because there is something very important that you must witness firsthand. It will affect the fate of you, me, and even the entire semiconductor industry."

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[Starry-eyed] Good morning! It's Monday, time to go to work or school! [laughing emoji]