Chapter 525 The Allure of Hong Kong (Bug Fix): Ambiguous Freedom

Chiang Shang-yi remained silent, deep in thought.

Although he is the Vice President of R&D at TSMC, he does not have a strong personality and even defines himself as a passive person.

However, he also has a strong sense of responsibility when it comes to semiconductor research and development and industry development.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have left the comfortable retirement home of HP at over fifty years old to work in R&D at TSMC.

Establishing an Eastern IMEC and gradually breaking free from complete dependence on European and American technologies would be a good thing for both him and TSMC.

Choosing Hong Kong as the location for this R&D center was indeed a wise decision.

Hong Kong has abundant capital, a highly internationalized environment, and a sound legal system and intellectual property protection. When Taiwanese singer Lo Ta-yu came to Hong Kong to develop his career, he was surprised to find that Hong Kong actually had royalties, while Taiwan had no such concept at all.

It is clear that intellectual property protection in Hong Kong is deeply ingrained. This is extremely important for semiconductor research and development.

But most importantly, Hong Kong has a special status; it is a Special Administrative Region and a recognized free port.

Everyone knows that it is connected to the vast market of the mainland, but it is Hong Kong, a Hong Kong under the "one country, two systems" principle, and a Hong Kong with a completely different ideology.

Hong Kong should step forward and become a bridgehead.

Jiang Shangyi subconsciously took a sip of water to moisten his throat before speaking: "So..."

He had barely begun to speak when Wang Xiao had already picked up a wet wipe to wipe her mouth—while he was lost in thought, she had finished her seafood porridge.

"Alright, this is my proposed solution. You can discuss how to implement it."

Chiang Shang-yi was dumbfounded. "No, Mr. Wang, we haven't even started discussing how to do it, and you're already ending it?"

Is this a plan? A plan needs specific implementation steps, down to each aspect and each person. We haven't even talked to each other yet.

However, Wang Xiao argued vehemently, his eyes wide: "Who stirred up this mess?"

Tang Yicheng was still feeling dejected, but he almost burst out laughing when he heard this.

No wonder she's his boss; no matter who it is or when, she can always stand on the moral high ground and make people work for her.

Vice President Jiang was speechless for a moment. It was indeed true that TSMC had suddenly acquired World Semiconductor and then urgently halted the Hong Kong chip factory.

As Mr. Wang stood up to leave, he didn't forget to make a request: "Gentlemen, I hope you can come up with concrete measures by tomorrow, at least enough to present them to the Hong Kong government and persuade them."

Well, that means we've dumped all the work on them.

Chiang Shang-yi felt overwhelmed and could only console himself that at least she had made a request—an Eastern IMEC.

Instead of making them guess.

Then he and Dr. Zhang need to carefully consider what cards they have in their hand and how to build this microelectronics center.

Wang Xiao was almost at the restaurant entrance when he suddenly turned around, a meaningful smile playing on his lips, and said, "Mr. Jiang, I want No. 1, not No. 2."

Chiang Shang-yi was completely stunned and stood frozen in place.

Back in 1997, when he joined TSMC from HP to head R&D, he suggested to Chairman Chang that they should just be second-in-command. Otherwise, if they wanted to be the leader, the R&D budget would be three times that of being second-in-command.

Without a doubt, his proposal was completely rejected; TSMC's goal is to remain the leader.

Although Chairman Zhang didn't scold him on the spot, he still feels embarrassed when he thinks about it now.

How can someone in the tech field be so unambitious?

Jiang Shangyi watched Boss Wang leave without saying a word for a long time.

Zhang Rujing sighed beside him, "Hurry up and eat, Boss Jiang, we'll definitely have to work overtime tonight."

Fortunately, they are both workaholics, and working more than ten hours a day is the norm for them. Working overtime is no problem for them.

Compared to the miserable senior managers, Mr. Wang is incredibly fortunate.

She went back to her room to wash her hair and take a bath, then enjoyed Lyuba's hair drying and scalp massage services.

The rain outside the window was drizzling and kept falling.

Pull back the curtains and you'll see a Hong Kong winter night, a scene of flowing light melting into gold and purple.

The Bank of China Tower across Victoria Harbour resembles a long sword piercing the night sky, a feature known in feng shui as a "sharp knife evil."

Legend has it that after this sword was drawn, Harbor City's Youde died. The HSBC headquarters building across the street was also affected, its performance plummeted, and it had to erect two 17-meter-long steel cylinder structures on its top floor to fight back against the sword.

Then one day, a typhoon blew the cannon barrel askew, pointing it at the neighboring Standard Chartered Bank. Standard Chartered was furious and immediately sent a lawyer's letter demanding the cannon be adjusted.

No matter how turbulent this feng shui arrangement may have been, at this moment, these mysterious and profoundly meaningful buildings have all been reduced to mere shadows in the wind and rain.

The Bank of China Tower resembles a giant cyan cone of light enveloped in moisture.

The outline of HSBC's headquarters was completely submerged in the night, leaving only the regular, grid-like lights on its surface, like a burning honeycomb briquette suspended in mid-air.

Wang Xiao chuckled at her own imagination and exclaimed instinctively, "Hong Kong is really interesting."

Lyuba casually picked up where her boss left off, and hummed in agreement: "Hong Kong is the most suitable place to be an intelligence center; it's a gray area."

When she was still working for the KGB, Hong Kong was one of the major hubs for international intelligence trading. There were countless intelligence brokers there, and information about East Asia and even Europe could be bought there.

Everyone in this city seems to have a stance, yet also seems to have no stance at all. Everything can be turned into a business.

Wang Xiao smiled, leaning against Liu Ba's chest, looking at the blurry shadows outside the window, and sighed softly: "That's the charm of Hong Kong."

Look, on the street outside the window, double-decker trams are clanging past, and the red roof lights of taxis are winding their way through the streets. The hustle and bustle of the night is reaching its peak here.

But as you sit here, atop the city, you are merely a silent spectator. You hear nothing at all, not the clanging of trams, the horns of taxis, or the noise of the streets—the soundproof glass blocks out everything from the outside world.

You are both lonely and safe, because the grand yet blurry display of lights outside your window is like a distant future that has nothing to do with you.

You can stay comfortably inside the house, behind a pane of glass, and enjoy all of this.

This is an ambiguous and vague freedom, and it is Hong Kong's most fatal attraction.

Working here offers both offensive and defensive advantages.

This ability to navigate both sides is the essence of IMEC's ​​success in Europe, and Hong Kong in 1999 was the only region in East Asia that could potentially replicate this model.

Semiconductor research and development can never be limited to blueprints and laboratories; it must examine whether the ecosystem that determines the direction of the blueprints and operates the laboratories is open, free, and attractive enough.

Hong Kong's history and present state give it excellent inherent conditions for building this ecosystem.

To catch up and achieve a near-impossible goal, one must be extremely pragmatic and make the most of all one's advantages.

After finishing her massage, Lyuba stroked her boss's neck and then closed the curtains: "Alright, the rain won't get in. Go to sleep."

Wang Xiao nodded, lay down on the bed, burrowed under the covers, yawned, and closed his eyes.

There's another battle to fight tomorrow.

It is said that the sound of rain is the most soothing. On this rainy night, Mr. Wang slept very soundly until dawn. When he drew back the curtains, he saw a red sun rising next to the "sharp knife" formation.

Wang Xiao chuckled. Luckily, it was still early, otherwise he would have just headed the ball.

She had slept well, her face was rosy, and she went to the restaurant for breakfast feeling refreshed.

Compared to her, the two semiconductor industry giants are simply in dire straits.

Tang Yicheng wanted to sigh after seeing this.

Even though he's already over fifty, if he were in a government agency or state-owned enterprise, let alone spending a whole day reading a newspaper and drinking tea, just showing up at the office every day would be considered giving face to the boss.

As it turned out, these two didn't know how late they worked overtime last night. Even though they washed their faces, shaved, and tidied themselves up, they still couldn't hide the bloodshot eyes and the exhaustion from working overtime.

Brother Tang quickly extended his hospitality, arranging for the two to sit down and offering to order food for them.

The two thanked them politely.

While waiting for breakfast to be served, Jiang Shangyi spoke first to report their overtime work results to Boss Wang: "If we want to benchmark against IMEC, then this microelectronics center needs to plan ahead and do research and development 3 to 5 years in advance..."

Before he could finish speaking, Mr. Wang rudely interrupted him: "We need to push the timeline forward. What can you do in 3 to 5 years? You've already done things yourselves in such a short time. For example, copper interconnects, Mr. Jiang, does TSMC need this microelectronics center to do it for you? If not, then what's the point of the center's existence?"

Chiang Shang-yi was speechless, unable to refute her words.

Chairman Zhang recruited him from HP because TSMC wanted to strengthen its R&D capabilities. The company couldn't just cut its R&D department because of this suddenly appearing microelectronics center.

Moreover, this is true not only for TSMC, but for any large-scale semiconductor company in Asia; R&D expenses have always been the largest part of their expenditures.

Therefore, if the Microelectronics Center wants to survive, it must compete in a different way. It cannot steal business from other companies' own businesses, but instead push forward and do research and development that has a higher risk factor.

Only in such uninhabited areas can people sit together with peace of mind, exchange ideas and cooperate without fear of revealing their core technologies.

Mr. Wang, who was a hands-off manager, did only half the job and didn't finish it, and then made a new request. So Vice President Jiang had no choice but to follow up and say, "Mr. Wang, what research and development directions would you like the center to focus on in the future?"

Then he received a half-smile from Boss Wang.

Okay, I understand. This is a question that he and Dr. Zhang should answer, not that the boss should ask her.

At the crucial moment, Dr. Zhang was kind enough not to abandon him and helped answer the question: "Focus on competitive research and development in advanced processes, materials, and design over the next 5-10 years."

The fact that Boss Wang didn't interrupt him again meant that this clause had been approved.

Then everyone started discussing the second point, which was the organizational structure.

The highest decision-making body of IMEC is the Council, whose members are composed of representatives from industry, local government, and local universities, each holding one-third of the seats in a 1:1:1 ratio, thus ensuring the neutrality of the organization.

Given that IMEC has achieved remarkable results in its 15 years of operation since its establishment in 1984, without any major scandals, it is worth noting that IMEC has done so well.

Everyone agreed that the organizational structure should be fine, and that Hong Kong's microelectronics center could be directly adopted.

The Hong Kong government is not at fault. Hong Kong's status as a world-renowned financial center means that the government has an excellent reputation for openness and fairness.

There are no major problems with higher education institutions either. Although Hong Kong is not large in area, it has many well-known universities, such as the University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. It can even be expanded to include higher education resources from other countries and regions.

However, this is the next step and not the most important thing at present. For now, we can focus on the three major universities in Hong Kong.

Currently, the key focus is on determining which companies will participate.

There is no doubt that TSMC will definitely be involved, and Chiang Shang-yi has no objection to inviting Hualian Electronics.

One thing at a time, their life-or-death struggle with Hualian Electronics doesn't prevent them from collaborating with the same institution for research and development.

IMEC has partners all over the world, and many of them are locked in fierce competition.

Wang Xiao looked at the list they had compiled and suddenly frowned: "But it seems you've left out Japan and South Korea."

These two countries are now firmly established semiconductor powers, with industry leaders everywhere.

Jiang Shangyi shook his head with a wry smile: "They are just too strong. They tend to do vertical, closed integration, while Intel and IBM are more inclined to form alliances for joint research and development."

Wang Xiao shook his head, his attitude resolute: "We are based in the East to build a microelectronics center. If we don't have Japanese and Korean companies, we are just playing house behind closed doors. We have no credibility whatsoever."

She emphasized, "Times have changed. Japan's semiconductor industry has been suppressed since the 1980s, and EUV LLC has not allowed Nikon and Canon to join. They need to find allies from outside."

Chiang Shang-yi was not so optimistic: "They may have launched a domestic technology research project alliance under the leadership of the Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry."

Wang Xiao laughed: "But the competition among them is also quite fierce. Sometimes, people are more willing to trust their neighbors than their families. We must win over Japanese companies."

Tsk!

Tang Yicheng keenly grasped the word "we".

Suddenly, it seems that Hong Kong's microelectronics center has become TSMC's, or rather, Vice President Chiang's, business.

Whether Jiang Shangyi was indifferent to this or simply didn't have time to react, he did not correct Boss Wang's statement.

Wang Xiao continued to present the facts and reason: "Putting aside other things, the R&D center needs equipment, right? We need lithography machines, etching machines, and so on. If we don't bring these Japanese companies in, who will provide us with the equipment?"

"Of course, relevant equipment manufacturers in Europe and America can also provide them, and I believe they would be willing to do so. This is a great opportunity to nurture a large number of loyal users."

"But Japan is close to Hong Kong, so there is basically no time difference. If any problems occur, we can quickly contact each other and resolve them quickly. Moreover, Japan also has a culture of working overtime."

These words really struck a chord with Chiang Shang-yi.

TSMC's technology largely originates from the United States. However, the United States is no longer the place it was in the 1960s and 70s when it was making semiconductors. The new generation of engineers are generally unwilling to work overtime.

So if the equipment malfunctions on the weekend, you'll most likely have to wait until the other party is open on a weekday before someone comes to troubleshoot and resolve the issue.

This is actually a critical problem for semiconductor manufacturing.

Chiang Shang-yi nodded and did not object further: "Then let's give it a try and see if they are willing to join."

But to be honest, he wasn't very confident.

The characteristics of Japanese culture suggest that they seem to have little interest in integrating into the world and prefer to stay on their island.

When he was in Taiwan, he read a newspaper article about the entertainment industry, which discussed the differences between Japanese entertainment culture and the now-emerging South Korean entertainment industry.

No matter how famous a Japanese celebrity is, they generally only hold concert tours in Japan, as they rarely go to other Asian countries.

South Korea has been extremely proactive in this regard, with newly popular singers and groups trying every means to hold concerts abroad to expand their influence.

This nationalistic mentality, when applied to the semiconductor field, likely means that they will still close their doors and conduct their own research and development.

As for why they want to join EUV LLC, besides the fear of being abandoned by the US market, the more important reason is probably that they believe EUV LLC can benefit from US scientific research.

After all, Japan's semiconductor technology did indeed originate from the United States, and it was only later that Japan surpassed its predecessor in development.

If they were to join the Hong Kong Microelectronics Centre instead, they would likely be seen as the ones being exploited, which they might not be happy about.

If Tadahiro Sekimoto, president of Nippon Electric, were still in office, he might have been more willing to cooperate with the Japan Microelectronics Center.

When the mainland launched Project 909, the US government blocked American companies from participating. It was President Tadahiro Sekimoto who overcame all opposition and proposed the cooperation plan, which resulted in a joint venture with Huahong, establishing Huahong NEC in Shanghai.

Unfortunately, President Tadahiro Sekimoto retired last year.

But since the other party hasn't explicitly refused, Mr. Wang might as well give it a try.

Wang Xiao had no idea that Vice President Jiang had already mentally mapped out such a complex web of relationships.

She's currently focusing on recruiting talent.

Any organization needs resident staff to function properly.

Therefore, these staff members must be top experts, the leading technical talents in the industry.

Otherwise, with such a low-level workforce at your Hong Kong Microelectronics Centre, why would our companies cooperate with you? It's hard to say whether you'll be leading us or we'll be leading you.

The first talent Wang Xiao decided to recruit was also a Japanese engineer, or you could define him as a scientist.

He is Fujio Masuoka, the inventor of flash memory, and many people believe he is fully deserving of the Nobel Prize.

The advent of flash memory has revolutionized the way information is stored and processed globally, driving explosive growth in key areas such as mobile internet, big data, and artificial intelligence.

Without a doubt, this guy is an absolute genius, and he knows he is.

His catchphrase is "The earth revolves for me."

So, the claims about Japanese anime and manga are no exaggeration; they are completely realistic.

Masuoka lived up to his boastful words; he worked at Toshiba for 22 years and applied for approximately 500 patents, which is roughly two per month.

Which R&D engineer could resist the trembling of admiration upon seeing such a genius?

Unfortunately, given the nature of Japanese corporate culture, an arrogant genius like Masuoka was completely out of place.

So after his leader, who had always supported and understood him, suddenly passed away, he faced difficulties at Toshiba. He was reassigned to a sinecure and could no longer conduct research and development. He had no choice but to resign and go to teach at Tohoku University in Japan.

Wang Xiao hoped to recruit him to the Hong Kong Microelectronics Centre because forward-looking research and development over the next five to ten years requires arrogant geniuses and unconventional eccentrics.

Chiang Shang-yi and Chang Ru-jing had no objection to the proposal, and they both agreed that bringing Masaoka to Hong Kong would be of great significance.

This will send a signal to the outside world that the Hong Kong Microelectronics Centre can accommodate all kinds of talents, and that all kinds of specialists and eccentrics can shine here.

Chiang Shang-yi looked at Chang Ju-ching and said, half-jokingly and half-seriously, "Shouldn't you also invite your company's chairman, Mr. Kawanishi Takeshi, to come over?"

Who is Tsuyoshi Kawanishi? He also came from Toshiba and was a research and development leader. Later, he went to Samsung and made indelible contributions to the rise of Samsung Semiconductor.

He was just nominated as the chairman of Taiwan World University this year, which is why Chiang Shang-yi asked this question.

After all, it's a done deal that Worldwide is being acquired by TSMC, and his tenure as chairman is coming to an end.

It's not that TSMC doesn't have a research genius, but rather that someone who has been a chairman might not be willing to continue working under someone else's command.

Switching to a different track, moving from a foundry to a microelectronics center to continue leading a team in R&D, is also a pretty good option.

Tang Yicheng, listening nearby, felt his heart pounding. He seriously doubted that Vice President Jiang would be severely reprimanded by Chairman Zhang after returning to TSMC.

This is another instance of sending talent out.

However, this won't do any harm to the Hong Kong Microelectronics Centre, so he'll just have to listen.

Everyone took turns announcing their names, and a preliminary list of the research team leaders was compiled.

Chiang Shang-yi stared at the list of names for a long time, becoming more and more satisfied, but in the end he couldn't help but worry: "I'm afraid the Hong Kong government won't agree."

Why?

Because Hong Kong is characterized by making quick money.

Look at the 1997 Asian financial crisis. The battle to defend the Hong Kong dollar was so fierce, and the stock market and housing prices plummeted, causing many people to jump off buildings. But it didn't affect the fact that after the crisis, the financial sector and housing prices continued to thrive.

Semiconductor research and development is a money-burning project that requires long-term investment and is not easy to see results in the short term.

The establishment of IMEC in 1984 was made possible by a huge investment of 62 million euros, jointly funded by the Belgian federal government and the Flemish regional government.

Every year since then, the government has not abandoned its responsibilities, but has provided stable and gradually increasing funding. Initially, the annual funding was about 10 million euros, and this year the figure is approaching 30 million euros.

Given the large and long-term investment required, would the Hong Kong government be willing to spend the money on such a project?

This isn't a simple deal where you just give someone the right to use a piece of land for free and call it a day.

Wang Xiao didn't care about the details and spoke with a strong sense of justice: "We are planning for the future of Hong Kong. If the Hong Kong government doesn't agree, we have to talk until they do."

She glanced at her watch and smiled, "Gentlemen, please rest. We have an appointment to meet Professor Sun from the Hong Kong Innovation and Industry Bureau at 3:30 this afternoon."

Chiang Shang-yi's scalp tingled. This Boss Wang really did set an incredibly tight deadline, leaving no room for maneuver whatsoever.

But isn't life all about contentment? At least they can go to sleep now that they've finished breakfast.

Poor Mr. Wang's assistant had to transcribe their conversation and then, within just a few hours, produce a complete proposal that could convince the Innovation and Industry Bureau.

This shows that life for working people is always getting harder at each level.

The two hurriedly finished their breakfast and rushed back to rest.

If they can't convince the Hong Kong government this afternoon, it means their proposal will have to be revised again, which will cause even more trouble later.

The two elderly gentlemen, both over fifty, slept until one o'clock in the afternoon. After washing up and getting ready, they quickly went to have lunch, and took one last look at the plan before heading to the Industrial Bureau.

Professor Sun, the head of the Innovation Industry Bureau, was very accommodating, personally greeting them at the building entrance and leading them to his office.

But just as Chiang Shang-yi had always harbored that concern, the other party's politeness was directed at major investors, who were looking forward to their chip factory being established as soon as possible, so that it could become a core calling card for Hong Kong Cyberport.

When they heard that they had decided to stop operating the Hong Kong chip factory, Professor Sun's smile froze. When he heard that they were going to turn it into a microelectronics center and recruit talent from all over the world, Professor Sun's expression became serious. When he heard that the microelectronics center needed financial support from the Hong Kong government, his face looked like it was covered with a dark cloud.

Professor Sun strategically took a sip of coffee—the guests had arrived just in time for afternoon tea, so the secretary had served them coffee and refreshments.

Setting down his coffee cup, Professor Sun strategically repeated, "To build a microelectronics center?"

Chiang Shang-yi quickly nodded: "Yes, we have studied it repeatedly. Compared to building a chip factory, building a microelectronics center can better leverage Hong Kong's unique advantages. Hong Kong's openness and freedom have an unparalleled attraction for global talent."

With his exceptional memory, he recalled the advantages of the plan one by one: "Hong Kong is a crossroads of Eastern and Western cultures, full of vitality, with a fairly free international environment and cultural atmosphere. Nowhere in Asia is more suitable than Hong Kong for R&D and building this Eastern microelectronics center."

However, from Professor Sun's perspective, he certainly does not object to Hong Kong having another microelectronics center, and he also knows the significance of IMEC to Belgium and even the entire European semiconductor industry.

The problem is that IMEC's ​​rise was based on the booming development of Europe's semiconductor industry.

Hong Kong, and the neighboring Pearl River Delta region, do not currently possess such industrial advantages.

Moreover, it's incredibly expensive; once established, it means a continuous influx of money. Without a corresponding industrial support system, how far can it go? It's hard to say.

It is highly likely that it will become a beautiful concept, blooming a tree full of beautiful flowers, but ultimately bearing no fruit that can be eaten.

Professor Sun does not want to create such a superficial project under his supervision, as it would turn Hong Kong's Cyberport into a joke.

Wang Xiao suddenly laughed: "So, if Hong Kong isn't going to become the Hong Kong Microelectronics Centre, what does Hong Kong Cyberport plan to focus on as its core development direction next?"

Professor Sun, of course, did not answer the question directly; his answer was vague: "We are open, and all digital technology industries are welcome to come in."

Wang Xiao smiled and nodded: "Mainly software and internet startups, right?"

Professor Sun did not deny that Hong Kong's characteristics do indeed dictate its focus on the technology industry, which is also primarily asset-light.

Building an Asian Silicon Valley, developing the software industry, and fostering internet startups are indeed very suitable for Hong Kong.

However, Wang Xiao shook his head: "If that's your choice, then please allow me to say that you've most likely chosen the wrong path. At the very least, Hong Kong is simply not suitable for internet startups."

Professor Sun was getting restless, feeling that he had been directly humiliated.

But Mr. Wang's next words left him speechless.

"Because I work in the internet industry myself, I buy and I net are both things we do."

The former is now a well-known e-commerce website with a market value higher than eBay and approaching that of Amazon, and is recognized as a dark horse in the internet industry.

The latter mainly focuses on online social platforms, which have seen explosive growth in users and are now a phenomenon-level website.

There's a long line of professionals researching the development of these two websites alone.

Therefore, as an internet tycoon, Mr. Wang is fully qualified to give pointers to a bunch of internet startups in Hong Kong.

"Doing internet business in Hong Kong is a complete market mismatch. The local market in Hong Kong is small, while the internet and software require a huge user base to support them. Where are you going to find so many users here?"

Professor Sun instinctively retorted: "The Internet is global; it doesn't mean that only Hong Kong people can become users of Hong Kong Internet companies."

Wang Xiao smiled and shook his head: "I understand what you mean. You mean to leverage the influence of Hong Kong culture to attract a large number of users from mainland China, Southeast Asia, Japan, and South Korea, right?"

Professor Sun nodded generously: "Asia is a very large market."

But Wang Xiao shook his head: "Professor, it's 1999 now, not 1988. Hong Kong culture doesn't have that much influence anymore. In 1988, Koreans were crazy about Hong Kong movies, but in 1999, they aren't. The Korean Wave is rising. Concerts by Korean idol groups have already caused a frenzy in mainland China."

"Besides the Korean wave, Hollywood movies have also been in the mainland market for several years, and each time they cause a sensation. The influence of Hollywood culture on the mainland is now no less than that of Hong Kong culture, and it is likely to become even more profound in the future."

"Because China and the United States have reached an agreement on China's accession to the WTO, it is clear that China will soon join the WTO. At that time, the market will be further opened up, including the cultural market."

"So, under the impact of global popular culture and a large number of world-class internet companies, how can Hong Kong culture, including Hong Kong internet startups, attract audiences from the mainland?"

"Attempting to replicate Silicon Valley's software/internet model in Hong Kong is, in fact, using one's own weaknesses to attack another's strengths."

Wang Xiao had to take a deep breath and then slowly exhale.

Because she was really emotional, because she was angry.

Before she traveled through time, if she were to rate the Hong Kong government after 1997, very few of them would even pass the test.

Hong Kong, from top to bottom, is too reliant on established paths.

To put it bluntly, Hong Kong has never figured out its true strengths or its own position.

The central government's tolerance towards Hong Kong and its firm commitment to the "one country, two systems" principle are aimed at enabling Hong Kong to become a talent pool based on its unique cultural positioning, rather than allowing Hong Kong to feel superior and consider itself better than others.

It can be said that Hong Kong has gradually lost its advantages.

So, who bears the greatest responsibility? It's the Hong Kong government, of course.

Knowing Mr. Wang's personality, I'm entrusting this matter to you. How you handle it is up to you. If you do it well, the credit is yours. If you mess it up, you'll definitely bear the responsibility.

It's impossible for me to take the blame for you.

After catching her breath, she smiled again and said to Professor Sun, "On the contrary, Hong Kong is very suitable to be a microelectronics center. Hong Kong's position as an international financial center makes it easy to raise global capital. Sound rule of law and intellectual property protection are the most critical prerequisites for attracting top companies and talents. A free business environment and information flow facilitate cooperation with top international partners. And its location backed by the mainland allows it to connect with the mainland's market and manufacturing needs at the first opportunity."

She took a deep breath and concluded definitively, "This is a golden opportunity for Hong Kong to become a source of semiconductor technology. Hong Kong must overcome its cognitive limitations and withstand geographical pressure with extraordinary vision and courage to resolutely choose to build this microelectronics R&D center. Professor Sun, as long as you make this correct choice, you will definitely be grateful for your courage and determination in the future."

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Okay, good morning.