Chapter 518 The Great Earthquake: Bored Humans

Ivanov still secretly wanted to visit the Yangloudong Martyrs' Cemetery.

Because he had a lingering resentment, he always felt that the reason why the Chinese fought so fiercely in the Korean War was because the Soviet Union failed at a crucial moment.

North Korea is your little brother. They consulted with you before the attack, and you didn't object.

When the war actually broke out, you didn't lend a hand, but instead left the impoverished China to fight against a coalition of 17 nations.

Is that acceptable? It's really unacceptable.

He felt he should at least send a wreath.

Unfortunately, as Wang had predicted, the officials from Wuhan and Hubei Province responsible for receiving him were not happy about this incident.

Security isn't a big issue; going there a couple of times beforehand should be enough.

The key is the environment of the cemetery for martyrs of the Korean War.

After all, who doesn't clean and decorate their home nicely before entertaining guests? A messy house isn't honesty; it's disrespectful to guests and shows a lack of respect for them.

Of course, you can't say it like that directly.

After all, the fact that the Russian Deputy Prime Minister took the initiative to express his desire to visit the cemetery for the martyrs of the Korean War fully demonstrated his goodwill.

What do you mean by rejecting them outright? Do you think the Russian leaders are unworthy?

Good heavens! That's going to cause a diplomatic incident.

The person leading the team was Vice Mayor Guo—oh no, he's now the Vice Chairman of the Hubei Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), so he should be called Vice Chairman Guo.

It's a bit tragic; he was nominally promoted, but in reality, he was relegated to the second line.

Foreign affairs reception was not originally his job, but because he was the vice mayor of Wuhan in 1994, he had received Mr. Ivanov, who was then a businessman, and even took him to eat at a night market stall.

Now that he's a vice premier, he's been specially called out to continue contributing his remaining energy and influence.

Wang Xiao felt that this guy had a good attitude; he wasn't upset about not going up and was always cheerful.

Now, when he calls her aside to talk, he can't quite manage a smile anymore.

"Hey Mr. Wang, what brings Mr. Ivanov to Chibi? It's quite hot out here."

Wang Xiao instantly realized that she had only gone to the restroom, and Ivan had already stirred up trouble. He hadn't even told her beforehand; he was probably planning to surprise her.

She could only pretend to be nonchalant: "Oh, Red Cliff! Ivan likes the stories of the Three Kingdoms, so he probably just suddenly became interested. It's alright, I'll go tell him about it."

"Oh no!" she quickly grabbed the person, "Let's not go this time. Let's go see them after we've finished, okay?"

Ivanov wanted to scoff; they really weren't tight-lipped, they'd already let it all slip.

Wang Xiao always starts by coaxing people without hesitation: "Look, the martyrs also want their homes to be nice and tidy before they entertain us again. Let's give them some time to clean up their homes and then we'll visit them, okay?"

Ivanov was stunned.

This was the first time he had heard that the cemetery was the home of martyrs.

In this home, the martyrs are no longer the ones being cared for by the living, but the masters.

Life and death have crossed the line. The martyrs, like elders in a family, have been tidied up and are waiting for the younger generation to come and play.

He never knew that a martyrs' cemetery could be so gentle and warm.

An indescribable emotion filled his heart, and he subconsciously hugged Wang Xiao tightly. A thousand words were stuck in his throat, but he couldn't say anything.

He had never hated the fact that he was a bad student as much as he did now, because in the end all he could do was whisper in her ear fiercely, "You're not allowed to dump me."

Anyway, he'll keep clinging to her.

Wang Xiao was both amused and exasperated. What was all this about?

However, she still patted his back reassuringly: "Yeah, I won't bother you, you're the most precious one."

Vice Chairman Guo, standing twenty or thirty meters away, watched as the Vice Premier finally smiled, and all the 15 buckets of water in his heart were finally relieved.

My goodness! He's already retired from the front lines, I hope nothing bad happens to him.

Wang Xiao nodded to him, indicating that everything was OK.

Then she turned to her assistant and instructed, "Please keep an eye on the cemetery maintenance, and it would be best if you could look for something else..."

She was searching for the right words when her assistant quickly and cleverly followed up, "Are you looking for the families of martyrs?"

Mr. Wang was stunned: "Isn't this a matter for the Civil Affairs Bureau? How are you going to contact them?"

One should not overstep one's bounds. What she wanted her assistant to do was, "Look around the area around the Martyrs' Cemetery and see if there are any local specialties or unique industries in Chibi."

The assistant immediately understood that the boss wanted to find sales channels for local products.

The local government lacks the funds to maintain the martyrs' cemetery, primarily due to poor economic development and insufficient tax revenue.

Once the industry takes off and there's money, the government will naturally have the time and resources to manage it.

However, Mr. Wang is quite realistic: "If you can do it, do it; if you can't, then forget it. Don't force yourself."

My online store is just starting out, and she doesn't want to ruin its reputation.

The assistant immediately nodded in agreement: "Okay, I'll follow up on this. If we can't get the goods, we'll come over once a year to oversee the maintenance."

He knew that the boss had taken this matter to heart, so he had to do it perfectly.

Wang Xiao nodded: "Alright, I'll leave this to you."

After sensing that they had finished their conversation, Vice Chairman Guo stepped forward with a smile and asked, "So, where are we going next?"

Wang Xiao nodded: "Proceed according to plan."

What's the plan? It's to visit the East Lake New Technology Development Zone.

As for whether this is the Wuhan Optics Valley that was later mentioned, Wang Xiao really wasn't sure. Times change too fast; 20 years is enough time for a city to become unrecognizable.

It doesn't matter whether it is or not.

Their destination was the Kanto and Kanan Science and Technology Industrial Parks.

Construction began here in 1991, and after eight years, it has initially formed several high-tech industrial bases, including communications, computers and software, lasers, and new materials.

Japan's Mitsui Group, Sweden's Ericsson, and Wuhan NEC have all established operations here, making it a thriving area.

The reason Wuhan arranged for them to visit the science and technology industrial park was twofold. First, what host wouldn't show off their best to their guests? It's about saving face. Visiting a high-tech industry is certainly better than visiting an old, outdated factory; the former represents hope, while the latter is still undergoing renovations and shut down.

Secondly, their true intention was not the wine itself, but rather to attract investment.

When Vice Chairman Guo was assigned to handle the reception, he immediately circled Wang Xiao's name on the list of personnel.

Back in 1994, when he was the vice mayor of Wuhan, he was eager to get Mr. Wang to invest in Wuhan Electronics Factory No. 3. However, the deal fell through because Factory No. 3 didn't manufacture lithography machines.

But look now, our science and technology industrial park has been established, so you can rest assured and invest here with confidence.

Wuhan has unique advantages; it would be a waste not to invest here.

Although Vice Chairman Guo has moved to the Hubei Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, his work location hasn't changed. Since he's physically in Wuhan, his heart is naturally with Wuhan.

Moreover, he had a clear understanding of the situation. Considering the current national situation, Hubei Province should focus on the big picture and concentrate its efforts on developing Wuhan first, so that it can leverage the radiating effect to drive the economic take-off of other cities in the province.

Unfortunately, businessmen are the most cunning creatures in the world. No matter how much Vice Chairman Guo tried to seize the opportunity and spoke eloquently, Boss Wang just smiled and resolutely refused to engage in conversation.

Midway through, Boss Wang kept her eyes on the stalls along Donghu Road. She watched as Vice Chairman Guo took the initiative to buy lotus pods. She ate a whole tender lotus seed by herself, enjoying its sweet taste.

As a result, she ate someone else's food, and she wasn't exactly stingy with her words.

Even Ivanov was curious, and when he watched the replay that night, he asked her, "I thought you would be interested."

Why? Because Wuhan has a highly developed transportation system and abundant intellectual resources. It boasts numerous universities, and the starting salaries for graduates are significantly lower than in Shanghai.

For semiconductor companies that urgently need to control costs, it is quite attractive.

However, while gently patting her face to help the lotion absorb, Wang Xiao shook her head: "Then I might as well just poach the graduates here and send them to the Yangtze River Delta region."

Ivanov became interested: "Why? Don't you like Wuhan?"

But he felt that she really liked Wuhan. She had shown great liking for it since she came here five years ago, you could even say she loved it, and she still kept praising it now.

Wang Xiao turned her head and applied lotion to him as well, sighing helplessly: "Wuhan has too many traces of planned economy, and the culture of the system and the mindset of big government are deeply rooted."

Simply put, it's a poor business environment and a lack of service awareness.

Twenty years later, this problem still exists, severely hindering its development; how much more so now?

Ivanov nodded and said, "Then let's do it in the Yangtze River Delta region. At least we know the people there, and the procedures will be faster."

He said with a hint of regret, "Judging from this, although Wuhan's development zones started around the same time as Shanghai's, it is estimated that they will have a hard time catching up with Shanghai's development."

Having served as an official for so long, he naturally has a deeper understanding of the situation.

Local infrastructure development, whether it's skyscrapers, roads and bridges or subways, can be rapidly improved through policy and investment.

To put it simply, as long as you give money and favorable policies, everything will be OK.

However, the development of a city's software, whether it's the government's service awareness, the transformation of the market economy culture, or the rule of law environment, is almost like undergoing a complete genetic modification. It requires a lot of time, energy, and even a bloody price.

Why is it so exaggerated? Because the powerful inertia will desperately try to stop you.

Ivan sighed, as if talking to himself: "What a pity."

What's a pity? He thought of Moscow after thinking about Wuhan.

Both cities are conveniently located with extensive railway networks. They also boast numerous universities, producing a large number of outstanding graduates each year.

Unfortunately, urban development cannot provide enough suitable jobs for so many students, thus wasting such a wealth of intellectual resources.

He sighed once again, "If only it could be like Shanghai."

As for whether this "it" refers to Moscow or Wuhan, he didn't say, and Wang Xiao didn't ask.

Because she has a particularly wide range of thought processes, she has strangely come up with the commonalities between Shanghai and Wuhan.

It's not that both are major rivers or have dock cultures, nor that both cities have strong Republican-era influences or similar architectural styles.

But when it comes to chip manufacturing, these two are truly rotten brothers.

Shanghai was once embroiled in the infamous Hanxin chip fraud scandal. One bad apple spoiled the whole bunch, severely impacting China's semiconductor industry and even pushing it towards a situation where buying was preferable to manufacturing.

Two years before Wang Xiao's time travel, the Hongxin chip fraud scandal broke out in Wuhan. At that time, the company even brought in Chiang Shang-yi—yes, the former TSMC executive—to be its CEO. Through Chiang Shang-yi's connections, they also acquired high-end lithography machines from ASML.

However, even the well-informed Chiang Shang-yi was tricked and reduced to a mere mascot. None of the promises made by the major shareholder of Grand Semiconductor were fulfilled, and the ASML lithography machine he acquired was mortgaged to the bank for money as soon as it was delivered.

Ultimately, Chiang Shang-yi, who had been tricked and had nowhere to vent his grievances, had no choice but to resign and leave, leaving a major stain on his otherwise impressive resume.

Wang Xiao felt increasingly disheartened as he thought about it. In the matter of forging documents to fraudulently obtain loans and government subsidies, everyone was taking turns in the act.

Despite such a huge scandal, the heads of both Hanxin and Hongxin only ended up resigning, and no one received a severe punishment.

A glimpse through a tube reveals just how deep the water is.

Wang Xiao laughed: "If I were to work in semiconductors, I would do it in Moscow."

Ivanov was lost in thought when she suddenly brought this up, and he couldn't keep up with her train of thought, so in the end he could only ask dumbfoundedly, "Making semiconductors in Moscow?"

“Yes.” Wang Xiao nodded, quite excited. “It would be such a waste not to make good use of Moscow’s abundant resources.”

Ivanov immediately sat up in bed, utterly bewildered: "What resources? How are you going to use them?"

"Intellectual resources!" Wang Xiao thought it over and over and found it increasingly reasonable. "We should make full use of science and engineering talent, starting with the software and IT services we're currently providing, and gradually penetrate deeper into the chip design field. Right now, the scope of their chip design work is still too narrow. We should establish more design service companies to undertake outsourcing business such as chip design, verification, and testing for European and American semiconductor companies. This can quickly monetize our talent advantage, retain talent, and allow them to learn the most cutting-edge design methods and market demands globally."

Simply put, she wants to make money.

It is simply unrealistic to expect the Russian government to make full use of this intellectual resource.

When it comes to the government's service awareness, Wuhan is lacking, while the Russian government is practically nonexistent.

However, there are some things you can think but not say, otherwise it will hurt someone's self-esteem too much.

Wang Xiao smiled and cupped Ivanov's face, expressing satisfaction with the skincare results: "Well, at least you're here to protect me in Moscow. In Wuhan, where I don't know anyone, I wouldn't dare."

Ivanov was amused by her. He reached out and carried her directly to the bed, buried his face in her hair, took a deep breath, and then hesitated before saying, "I may continue to serve as an advisor to the Kremlin after I leave the White House next year."

The president had brought it up to him several times, both openly and subtly, but he hadn't been too keen on it and hadn't responded.

But upon closer reflection, perhaps his complete departure from politics next year wouldn't be a wise choice. The work he spearheaded during his term won't be finished by next year, and many things will require ongoing support.

Wang Xiao hummed in agreement, patted his back, and asked only one question: "Does that require you to work regular hours?"

If he has to work a fixed office job, that would be a huge waste. The effort and the output wouldn't be proportional. It would be better to just find a way to make him prime minister.

It's a bit of a problem, because he was previously considered a strong candidate for the next president, which makes him susceptible to suspicion.

But there's always a way to overcome difficulties, and there's still time before the presidential election. If all the candidates are given ample opportunity to showcase their abilities, then with so many opponents, the next president will likely be too preoccupied with other candidates to worry about the future.

Ivanov was unaware that Wang Xiao had already arranged a life of hardship for him. He thought she was unhappy that he was spending all his time with the government, so he immediately smiled and comforted her: "No need. Just like you are an image consultant for the president, you don't need to work regular hours."

Wang Xiao was finally relieved; he figured he had to choose between power and time.

Seeing her visibly relieved, Ivan felt even more at ease. He simply stood up, half-kneeling before the bed, and said in a pretentious manner, "Then from now on, I will always be by Your Majesty's side. My king, my emperor, are you willing to accept my service?"

Boss Wang is quite picky. He raised his foot and pressed it against the man's chest, half-closing his eyes: "That depends on the quality of your service."

Ivanov pressed down on him fiercely, gritting his teeth: "You're definitely better than the model!"

As a result, he lost control of his emotions and, while looking up, his head slammed against the wall.

The sound was quite loud.

Lyuba hadn't fallen asleep yet; she was listening intently in the next room, ready to go over if needed.

Hearing the sound, she listened intently for a while and felt that nothing serious should happen.

Although Mr. Ivan's luggage was exempt from inspection, he still paid considerable attention to his personal image, at least this time he didn't bring any toys.

She also helped pack the boss's luggage, which contained no handcuffs.

This means that, at least Mr. Ivan won't be like he was in Moscow before, where the toy handcuffs wouldn't be locked, forcing him to obediently curl up in bed, hiding under the blanket, while his boss chuckled and came to ask for his help.

Since everything is alright, she should go to sleep.

Meanwhile, Wang Xiao was still stroking Ivan's big head. Thank goodness, the headboard of the presidential suite was thick and soft. He bumped into it until his eyes were watering, but he wasn't hurt.

Wang Xiao took the opportunity to scold him: "Be careful, what if you hurt your neck instead of your head next time you're this busy?"

Ivan's eyes were watery, and he was still stammering, "You're touching the male model's abs, I'm jealous."

That's why they say a man's tears are a woman's stimulant.

Boss Wang had to admit that she was indeed excited, and she even softened: "I was just helping Xiang Dong out by picking models and checking if their abs were drawn on. Let me tell you, they really know how to draw them."

Taking advantage of the lingering sour smell of his hometown, Ivanov threw a tantrum with tears in his eyes, clearly showing his disbelief.

Wang Xiao hugged his big head and sighed, "You're such a fool. I love you. There is no one in this world more important than you. No one but you."

Ivan instantly felt as if the world had turned into a giant fireworks display, with fireworks blooming in all directions. He even felt as if he himself had become a firework, exploding in the sky, and his whole body felt light and airy.

His voice trembled slightly, tinged with a lack of confidence: "Really?"

Unfortunately, Lyuba was already in bed, and she wasn't really eavesdropping.

Otherwise, the former KGB agent would definitely roll her eyes and say with exasperation, "Sir, can't you be a little more confident? Do you know what you mean?"

You represent half of the boss's wealth.

Given how much the boss loves money, there really isn't anyone she could love more.

The richer she is, the more she will love you, and the more excited she will be when she sees you.

The night was as thick as brown sugar, sweet to the taste. The stars in the sky were veiled in mist, but that did not diminish their beauty.

The people under that night sky were equally sweet and beautiful.

Wang Xiao and Ivan's group did not stay in Wuhan for long and set off for the airport the next day.

Vice Chairman Guo was quite disappointed, but he felt embarrassed to keep the distinguished guest any longer. After all, the autumn heatwave in Wuhan had been intense these past few days, and people were afraid of getting heatstroke even while walking on the street with an umbrella.

If we actually keep them here, what if they get sick from the heat while sightseeing? How will we handle that?

However, the next stop Wang Xiao and his group went to wasn't much cooler either. Xi'an in September was just as unbearably hot. Especially at midday, when the sun was shining brightly, it felt like an inescapable canopy of heat.

But Xi'an is a famous historical city, and in ancient times it was the renowned Chang'an.

Anyone who knows a little about Chinese history would be missing out if they came to China and didn't visit Xi'an.

When you arrive in Xi'an, what's the first thing you should see? It has to be the Terracotta Army! It's a genuine wonder of world history, and everyone who sees it is awestruck.

Ivanov watched and sighed, thinking, with so many terracotta warriors sleeping alongside me underground, who would fear death? Death has become a grand theme.

However, perhaps because of the hot weather or the unfamiliar climate, he seemed a bit distracted. He hastily ended the visit, took only a few group photos, and then asked to sit in the car and enjoy the scenery.

This is a good thing for security work. It's not that foreign guests are bored; the real concern is if they suddenly decide to immerse themselves in local customs and culture, which would put immense pressure on security.

He sits quietly in the car like this, just looking at the scenery outside; he is truly a model foreign guest.

The car followed the road, passing the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor and the ruins of Liyang City, where Shang Yang's reforms took place, and then crossed the ancient Liyang Bridge, all the way to Yanliang District.

Why did she come all the way to Yanliang District? Because Ms. Wang heard that there was a restaurant here that served particularly authentic mutton hot pot and delicious mutton stew, and she wanted to eat there.

Thank goodness, she didn't choose a small roadside shop, but a famous old restaurant.

Although locals in Xi'an think these are all scams designed to fool tourists.

But the restaurant's fame means that security work is easier, which is a good thing for their security personnel.

The local Xi'an police officer sitting in the car chuckled and remarked to his acquaintance at the Ministry of Public Security, "Now that we've had dinner and gone back to the hotel, things will be a bit easier."

However, the comrades from the Ministry of Public Security were quite nervous, their eyes fixed on the convoy ahead.

What is he watching? He's afraid something bad might happen.

Where would trouble arise? Yanliang District is home to Xi'an Aeronautical Technical College, and this college has a special place called the Expert Village.

Where did the experts come from? Ukraine.

Although relations between Russia and Ukraine were not bad in 1999, it seemed strange that a Russian deputy prime minister would go to such lengths to visit the Ukrainian expert village.

Of course, all of this is just speculation from the Ministry of Public Security. It's quite possible they're overreacting; it's very possible that even the Russian Deputy Prime Minister doesn't know about this "expert village," or if he does, it doesn't matter.

After all, since the collapse of the Soviet Union, a large number of technical talents have left the CIS countries. Why would a Russian deputy prime minister care so much about this?

That's how security work is; you have to consider all possibilities and then find ways to prevent any crisis.

The convoy passed the wall from a distance; inside the wall were typical Soviet-style buildings. This is nothing unusual for an old industrial city like Xi'an.

Here, or rather throughout the entire land of China, there are countless Soviet-style buildings.

If there's anything particularly different about it, it's that the Soviets could immediately tell it had a more Ukrainian style and that it had linden trees planted.

The sun had already set, and the sky was gradually turning gray.

Groups of two or three white people walked toward the neighborhood, and Ivan couldn't even tell whether they were Ukrainians or Russians.

During the Soviet era, they were a family, a family that had become one.

Perhaps at this moment, even if he knew their ethnicity, he wouldn't be able to distinguish them as Ukrainians or Russians.

Perhaps because, for them, they only identify as Soviet citizens.

And at this moment, he went to great lengths to come and visit them, also as a former Soviet citizen.

Unfortunately, he didn't even dare to get out of the car, didn't dare to greet them, and didn't even dare to let them know he had arrived. He could only glance at them briefly before turning his gaze away as if nothing had happened.

He knew they were living well here because they were surrounded by an aura of tranquility.

He thought of the saying, "Home is where my heart is at peace."

This is already very, very good.

Wang Xiao took his hand and gently stroked it.

He smiled gratefully at her without saying anything.

Ivan's trip to Xi'an was also rushed; he only visited a few famous attractions before leaving.

He didn't even visit the aircraft manufacturing plant, which everyone had assumed he would.

The comrades from the Ministry of Public Security were almost certain that his purpose in coming to Xi'an was to take a look at the "expert village." The reason he avoided the aircraft manufacturing plant was also to avoid them.

I'm afraid of feeling awkward.

The collapse of the Soviet Union did not result in widespread bloodshed; however, the Soviet people who experienced it suffered internal wounds, and may still be bleeding inside to this day.

The bond between the two former Bolshevik brothers even made the police officers in charge of security feel a little sorry for the Russian deputy prime minister.

He was even worried that the other person would be depressed and wouldn't be able to enjoy the rest of the trip.

But as it turned out, the comrade from the Ministry of Public Security was overthinking things. After watching a drone show with latte art, he was all smiles again.

Wow, this drone show must have been prepared by the local government. If it had, it probably wouldn't have had this effect.

It was arranged by Ms. Wang, the fiancée of the Vice Premier. The two drones even left a heart-shaped trail of colored smoke.

I have to admit, young people know how to have fun and be romantic.

No wonder they were all smiles.

The comrade from the Ministry of Public Security thought the couple was romantic, but after arriving in Xinjiang, he realized they were actually quite boring.

How boring is it?

It's not that they're bored watching solar power generation, nor that they're bored watching sheep and ducks grazing under the solar panels one after the other—frankly, everyone is quite curious; it's the first time they've seen someone do something like this.

It's not that they're going to pitch tents on the grasslands, look at the stars, and then crawl into sleeping bags inside the tents at night—they've come all the way to Xinjiang, staying in a hotel is indeed a bit monotonous.

What's boring about them is that they stare at the heads of old men in Xinjiang.

What are you looking at? Are they bald or not?

It seems that Mr. Ivanov was worried about going bald. Well, that's perfectly normal; baldness is common among white people.

Look at Prince Charles of Britain, he still has a receding hairline. Even the famous Prince William, who's especially popular with young women and wives, will most likely end up bald.

So Mr. Wang probably heard that the Usman grass from Xinjiang could promote hair growth and darken hair, and recommended it to Mr. Ivanov.

But legends aside, what about the actual therapeutic effects? We need real evidence to prove it.

So what can we use to prove it? We can use the head of an old man from Xinjiang to prove it.

If this Usman grass were effective, there wouldn't be any bald old men in Xinjiang.

The problem is that the ethnic minorities here all wear hats, so you can't tell at a glance whether an old man has hair or not.

So the two of them secretly stared at the other person's head, trying to figure out what was going on.

This left the people at the Ministry of Public Security speechless. One of them is a high-ranking official, and the other is a big boss. Are they really that bored every day?

But the two of them were really enjoying themselves, having a great time. They rode camels, soaked in the sand, and went grass skiing. They were shouting and laughing all day long.

As the days went by, and the security personnel were worried that they would extend their trip, one day, while everyone was eating and watching the news together, Mr. Wang suddenly stood up.

Why? Taiwan experienced an earthquake.

The morning news anchor was still reporting: "This is the largest earthquake to hit Taiwan in a century. The earthquake has created a rupture zone of about 100 kilometers on the ground. Currently, Taichung and Nantou counties are the most severely affected..."

The Ministry of Public Security officials were somewhat surprised. Why was Ms. Wang reacting so strongly? They hadn't heard that she had any investments in Taiwan.

With a serious expression, Wang Xiao immediately called Zhang Rujing in front of everyone: "Zhang Bo, how is the situation now? If you need anything, just let me know."

The earthquake occurred in the early hours of the morning, and Zhang Rujing, upon receiving the news, could only rush back to Taiwan this morning.

He was about to leave for the airport, and his voice sounded tired and anxious: "The Hsinchu Science Park is currently without power, and I don't know when it will be restored. I have to go there to find out."

Wang Xiao reiterated, "If you need anything, just let us know. We'll coordinate whatever supplies you require."

After hanging up the phone, she turned to Ivanov and said, "I'm afraid we have to go back."

Why? Because an earthquake in Taiwan signifies an earthquake for the global semiconductor industry.

Since Taiwan now accounts for 50% of the world's semiconductor production capacity, a shutdown of Taiwanese production lines would directly trigger a global semiconductor supply shortage.

Is this bad news?

No, for other semiconductor companies, this is major good news. It means that they will receive a large number of orders in the short term, and the price of international chips will soar.

What is poison to one is honey to another. This has become a tangible reality at this moment.

It sounds incredibly cruel, but that's just how the semiconductor industry is.

The pioneer of memory manufacturing in Taiwan, or rather, the first company to make a name for itself, was Deqi. Yes, that's the Deqi that was acquired by TSMC, and Wang Xiao also recruited many of its engineers.

It suffered heavy losses before it started making money, and it took three years to finally turn a profit.

What was the catalyst for this breakthrough? It was the explosion at the Sumitomo Semiconductor epoxy resin plant in Japan in 1992, which triggered a surge in global memory prices from their lowest point, allowing Deqi to make a fortune.

It was precisely because of Degi's profits that Taiwanese investors became envious and rushed to invest their money in the semiconductor industry, which led to the current boom in Taiwan's semiconductor industry.

The recent earthquake in Taiwan is likely to give the international semiconductor market another boost.

She had to seize this opportunity to open up the market.

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[Cracked] Good morning! [Evil grin] Note: Everyone should know about the Hanxin chip fraud, right? It's that infamous scandal where they took Motorola chips, changed the logo, and called it Hanxin.

In August 2002, Chen Jin had his younger brother purchase 10 chips from the United States. Upon receiving the chips in October, he discovered the Motorola logo on them. So, Chen Jin rolled up his sleeves and personally took matters into his own hands, sanding off the logo. Afterward, he found obvious sanding marks—clearly, Chen Jin wasn't a professional at sanding. Therefore, he contacted the contractor who had renovated his research center and company—Shanghai Hanji Construction Decoration Engineering Co., Ltd.—and asked them to hire some laborers to sand it off before reapplying his own logo.

Ironically, this company was quite proud of contributing to China's chip industry, brazenly declaring on its official website that the "Hanxin No. 1" DSP chip, developed by a research team led by Dr. Chen Jin, a 2003 Shanghai New Long March Pioneer and a PhD graduate from the US, at a university's Chip and System Research Center in Shanghai (the center's offices were built by Hanji Design), was born in Shanghai… Hanji, leveraging its design experience and strength, undertook the task of "product definition and styling design" for the industrial application of the DSP chip, and various high-tech products designed by Hanji would be launched on the market within the year. Later, the company confirmed that this styling design actually referred to chip polishing, and the workers polishing the chips were hailed by netizens as "the most innovative migrant workers of the 21st century."

The exposure of the Hanxin chip scandal can be considered one of the earliest acts of internet justice. The whistleblower initially had nowhere to turn, but later, in 2006, he angrily exposed the matter online. It escalated and could no longer be suppressed, which is why the incident came to light.

When Chen Jin returned to China in 2001, his resumes to two universities in Shanghai honestly stated that his work experience was primarily in the field of chip testing. Upon receiving Chen Jin's resume, one of the Shanghai universities was overjoyed. At that time, the country was strongly supporting the chip industry, and chip projects were springing up across the country, with hot money pouring into the chip concept. The university urgently needed a PhD like Chen Jin, who had studied abroad, to help them apply for research funding.

Thus, through the recommendation of a computer science department head, Chen Jin smoothly entered the university. After a complete makeover, Chen Jin's resume changed his title from "Senior Electronic Engineer" to "Senior Chief Engineer," and added the title of "Chip Design Manager," along with work experience categorized as "primarily engaged in the development of high-speed wireless communication chips and DSP core circuits" and "serving as the design and development leader for multiple major SoC system chips." It's important to understand that testing is the final step in chip manufacturing and a relatively low-tech area. To gain national attention, he had to gravitate towards chip design. Therefore, the embellished Chen Jin quickly obtained a professorship, established a chip and system research center, and easily secured the national 863 Program's research and development task for the "Hanxin DSP chip."

So, probably because of this situation, Chen Jin didn't receive any severe punishment in the end.

As for Hongxin, it's even more bizarre. None of the three ringleaders had ever worked in the chip industry, and one of them only had an elementary school education. They managed to completely fool a group of experts and the government.

Founded in 2017, Wuhan Hongxin claimed a total investment of 128 billion yuan, aiming to master 14nm and 7nm chip manufacturing processes. It even hired former TSMC COO Chiang Shang-yi as CEO and purchased an ASML lithography machine, touted as "the only one in China capable of producing 7nm chips," and was once listed as a key provincial project in Hubei. However, this was merely a meticulously planned scam: the operators behind the project had no experience in the semiconductor industry, and the major shareholder was a shell company specifically set up for the project; the core objective was to "get something for nothing."

In 2020, the project was exposed to have a huge funding gap and was essentially stalled. The brand-new lithography machine, which had been lavishly presented with an arrival ceremony, was mortgaged for a loan of 580 million yuan less than a month after it arrived at the factory. By February 2021, the company directly notified all employees to resign, the project was completely abandoned, the on-site factory was shut down, and some vacant land was even turned into vegetable gardens. The actual loss was approximately 10 billion yuan, and the relevant responsible persons only resigned without being severely punished.