Chapter 528 The Game: On the Stage and Behind the Scenes

When the group returned to the lobby, the grand finale—the auction for the opportunity to have lunch with the Chief Executive—began.

Wang Xiao saw no need to join in the fun and naturally wouldn't try to steal the spotlight. He simply sat to the side and waited for the real main event.

The banquet hall was too lively, and Zhang Rujing was afraid that she would get carried away and order the whole thing again.

So he earnestly advised again, "Boss, you absolutely must hold back. Don't worry about the funding; Professor Tian is very good at fundraising."

Professor Tian's most celebrated achievement during his tenure as the seventh president of the University of California, Berkeley in 1990 was his remarkable fundraising ability.

During his seven-year tenure, he raised over $1 billion for the school.

It's important to know that when he took office, California's economy was in a downturn, and the state government drastically cut the budget allocated to Berkeley by $70 million, while federal funding also plummeted.

This was a devastating blow to a public university. Faced with a severe financial crisis, 27% of Berkeley's faculty were forced into early retirement.

Professor Tian's efforts saved the day, resulting in a 35% increase in Berkeley's research and development budget.

Wang Xiao's eyes lit up like light bulbs. My goodness! What a treasure this is! He's an academic luminary and a fundraising expert; even Doraemon would have to admit defeat in front of him.

Zhang Rujing wanted to facepalm.

What kind of nonsensical analogies are these? Thank God, she hasn't mentioned Doraemon yet.

Wang Xiao corrected him seriously: "Little Dingdang is Doraemon, and Dingdang Cat is Dingdang Cat. But they are both amazing, and every child wants one of them."

Zhang Rujing simply couldn't keep up with the pace of the young people, and could only admit defeat: "In short, the Hong Kong government will step in to raise funds, and we will also strive for the support of the foundation. Boss, you don't need to worry too much."

The main thing is that you can't worry too much about her.

Her background is too prominent, and any slight movement she makes will be over-interpreted, which is detrimental to the purely neutral academic position of the Hong Kong Microelectronics Centre.

On the contrary, having Professor Tian take the lead in making arrangements would naturally provide a strong endorsement for the Microelectronics Center, given his background.

Wang Xiao no longer cares about the foundation. She excitedly emphasized to Zhang Rujing, "We must take this opportunity to keep Professor Tian in Hong Kong. The Microelectronics Centre needs him, and Asia Semiconductor needs him too."

Why go back to America? So what if he's an American citizen? He's already given half his life to America, that's enough!

At over 60 years old, it's time to start a true second spring in my career in Hong Kong.

Zhang Rujing also had this idea.

Whether from the perspective of the Hong Kong Microelectronics Centre or for Professor Tian's own career, it would be more suitable for him to stay in Hong Kong and remain there full-time.

When Professor Tian resigned from his position at UC Berkeley, he was considered a leading candidate for U.S. Energy Secretary. However, the Democratic Party was embroiled in a scandal involving donations from Asian Americans, and Berkeley was implicated, causing the deal to fall through.

Zhang Rujing believes that Professor Tian will most likely not enter American politics again in the future.

He would be better off continuing to shine in academia and education.

Wang Xiao immediately assigned the task, almost patting Dr. Zhang on the hand: "Then I'll leave this to you. How much of a contribution Professor Tian can make to the Microelectronics Center depends entirely on you."

Even for those in charge, the difference between being attentive and not being attentive is enormous.

For example, when you're applying for graduate school and looking for a supervisor, whether the supervisor treats you like one of their own makes a world of difference.

Zhang Rujing was dumbfounded. How did it all suddenly become his job?

Jiang Shangyi, who was listening nearby, almost burst out laughing. In the spirit of sacrificing a friend to save himself, he followed up without hesitation: "Indeed, Richard, who else but you can do this? Since you are in charge of the construction of the microelectronics center, this is naturally your job."

He also solemnly emphasized that "Professor Tian is not only an excellent manager, but also a chief architect and a guide. With his top international reputation, outstanding strategic vision, profound academic attainments and extensive network of contacts, he is able to attract top global talents, connect with world-class resources, design efficient innovation mechanisms, and lay out forward-looking research directions for the Microelectronics Center."

Wang Xiao was stunned.

No wonder TSMC sent Vice President Chiang to recruit Lin Benjian.

So this guy has a whole set of theories to back it up!

Zhang Rujing was speechless. He glanced at Chiang Shang-yi silently and said irritably, "TSMC just needs to not mess things up."

According to TSMC's original plan to acquire World Wide Semiconductor, Richard Chang, the general manager of the latter, would also join TSMC.

However, after the incident at the Microelectronics Center, Mr. Wang gritted his teeth and refused to budge, so now TSMC has tacitly agreed that Richard Chang is at Mr. Wang's beck and call.

Given the latter's personality, before she built her new chip factory, she would fight anyone who tried to take Dr. Zhang away.

Chiang Shang-yi smiled and nodded, promising, "Don't worry, TSMC will definitely be among the first to join the cooperation."

If he was merely excited when the concept of the microelectronics center was first introduced the day before yesterday, then he was simply thrilled.

Now that it's clear today that Principal Tien will be at the helm of the Microelectronics Center, TSMC will absolutely not withdraw from this project.

Because the development prospects of a project depend not only on whether the project's direction is right or wrong, but most importantly on the leader.

Just like when TSMC was first established in 1987, no one saw anything special about it. But Chairman Morris Chang spent 12 years turning it into the world's number one wafer foundry.

Chiang Shang-yi believes that under the leadership of President Tien Chang-lin, the Hong Kong Microelectronics Centre is expected to become a major microelectronics R&D center with significant influence in Asia and even globally in a relatively short period of time, and will profoundly change the region's technology and industrial landscape.

Such a project is certainly not something TSMC, which has always pursued technological advancement, should miss.

Dr. Zhang did not decline, and Vice President Jiang did not intend to withdraw, so everyone was happy, and it was worth a cheer.

As the wine glasses clinked, the gavel fell softly, signaling the winner of the Chief Executive's lunch auction.

The victor, in high spirits, stood up and waved to the crowd.

The Chief Executive nodded and smiled at him.

Wang Xiao glanced curiously at the commotion; the auctioneer was still praising the winner as a promising young talent.

A voice suddenly sounded beside her: "I would like to bid for the opportunity to have lunch with the Chief Executive and give it to you, but unfortunately Miss Wang, you don't seem to need it."

Wang Xiao turned her head and saw the man with the gold-rimmed glasses again, and was instantly speechless.

Who are you? Do we know each other?

So Mr. Wang simply turned around, picked up his wine glass, and left.

Isn't it impolite of her to do that?

Please, this person suddenly appeared and disturbed her, and didn't even realize how rude he was.

Why should she think that ignoring him is impolite?

The man with the gold-rimmed glasses wanted to follow, but Tang Yicheng blocked his way without hesitation, gesturing in the opposite direction for him to go away.

That's right, the business card that pretty boy handed him in Bangkok wasn't lost by Tang Ge by accident; he simply threw it away.

Why throw it away? Isn't that obvious? Don't men understand men? What's that pretty boy up to? Tang Yicheng knew perfectly well.

He had inquired about the gigolo's identity, but he was just a scion of a wealthy family, which was a completely different concept from a wealthy heir.

Besides, even if there really was an heir, so what? The Jia family in "Dream of the Red Chamber" was wealthy enough, wasn't they? Their halls were made of white jade and their horses of gold. In the end, they still ate Wang Xifeng's dowry and then suffered the loss of the Lin family line.

Besides, even if this pretty boy is rich, he's just so-so.

Is his boss, Wang Xiao, short of money? Or does he not know how to make money? What Boss Wang needs is the support of power.

Stop being so pretentious and spouting nonsense about how doing business should be purely about doing business and not getting involved with power.

If that's the case, then why are representatives of the four major families and leaders of various British and Chinese conglomerates gathered together in the Government House banquet hall tonight?

Are these business tycoons just looking for a late-night snack and coming over to freeload?

It's because the Chief Executive will be attending a dinner tonight.

Therefore, Ivan, who is already the Deputy Prime Minister of Russia, is of great importance to Mr. Wang, and is also of extraordinary significance to Tang Yicheng, whose career and future are deeply intertwined with those of Wuzhou.

How could Brother Tang let a pretty boy like the guy with the gold-rimmed glasses get close to his boss?

What if the boss gets bored and plays around, damaging his relationship with Mr. Ivanov?

This would be detrimental to the stability of the five continents.

Tang Yicheng has no intention of retiring early or changing allegiances. He is determined to nip the danger in the bud and will absolutely not let such a turbulent situation cause any trouble.

This shows that as long as a company offers good benefits and a promising future, employees are more afraid of the company going bankrupt than the boss.

The main character on stage had changed from the Chief Executive to Principal Tin, who began to introduce the Hong Kong Microelectronics Centre.

Wang Xiao was also mentioned because she generously donated the most core hardware asset of the Microelectronics Center—the cleanroom.

Mr. Wang clasped his hands together, nodded slightly, and smiled gently.

In a corner of the banquet hall, two men stood, their gazes shifting from her to Tian Changlin on the stage.

The man on the left, dressed in a three-piece suit and vest, swayed slightly in his wine glass, the liquid inside shimmering gracefully under the light.

He curled his lips into a smile and lowered his voice: "So it was Principal Tian who came out to clean up the mess for the Hong Kong government."

His companion, dressed in a plaid suit, was also laughing: "Otherwise, Silicon Harbor will really become a joke. No chip factories, no silicon wafers, what kind of Silicon Harbor is that?"

Taiwan's Worldwide Corporation (WGC) partnered with someone in Hong Kong to build a chip factory, which was a major event for Hong Kong's Cyberport project.

From the moment it began digging its first shovel of earth, countless eyes were fixed on it, and consequently, on the investors behind it.

So after the news of Worldwide Transformer's acquisition broke, those who were paying attention to the Hong Kong Silicon Harbour project immediately wondered what would become of this first chip factory in Hong Kong.

Chiang Shang-yi himself may not have realized that, in fact, from the moment he and Chang Ru-ching landed at Hong Kong Airport, countless silent eyes were watching their every move.

Those following this matter generally believe that TSMC is unlikely to take over the Hong Kong chip factory.

In December of last year, TSMC, Philips, and the Singapore Economic Development and Investment Authority jointly funded the establishment of SSMC to advance the construction of an eight-inch chip fab.

Construction has begun this year, with mass production scheduled to start at the end of 2000.

At the same time, taking over another chip factory under construction in Hong Kong would not be in TSMC's best interest.

Therefore, this unfinished Hong Kong chip factory is in an awkward position.

The man in the suit and vest scoffed, "Even if they did set up a chip factory, it would be a million miles away from Silicon Harbour. Singapore already has five or six chip factories, and they don't call themselves Silicon Port."

He mentioned Singapore because if we're talking about making chips, not to mention Asia, looking at the whole world, the only country with objective conditions comparable to Hong Kong is Singapore.

Both face objective limitations such as land scarcity and resource scarcity.

But Singapore is actively betting on manufacturing.

Not long after separating from Malaysia, when it was still a desolate rural area, it still actively undertook the global industrial transfer by "building nests to attract phoenixes".

The Jurong Industrial Complex was completed in 1968, centrally planning industrial land and providing unified infrastructure such as water, electricity, and even cleanrooms. Texas Instruments was the first to move in and set up a packaging and testing plant, followed by other giants such as Fairchild and HP.

Once the cluster effect is formed, the path of foreign investment driving technology implementation and manufacturing solidifying the industrial foundation becomes feasible.

Singapore has gradually developed a complete chain from design and manufacturing to packaging and testing.

He has now established his own company, Chartered Semiconductor, filling the last gap in self-reliance.

It can be said that Singapore's semiconductor industry is an inspirational story of human determination to overcome nature.

Compared to it, Hong Kong is simply not worth looking at.

Also in the 1960s and 70s, thanks to the advantage of cheap labor, they took over the packaging business of Fairchild and Texas Instruments. But later, both the government and Hong Kong tycoons were busy with finance and real estate, and no one had any intention of cultivating the real economy.

Therefore, during the era of the rapid and unregulated growth of the semiconductor industry in Asia and even the world, Hong Kong's semiconductor industry actually went from having nothing to having none.

The new millennium is almost here, and the global semiconductor landscape has begun to take shape, with everyone betting on semiconductors. Hong Kong has expensive land and labor, and the government's policies aren't strong enough. How can they squeeze in and get a piece of the pie?

The man in a three-piece suit and vest shook his head as he spoke: "Even if TSMC withdraws and this Mr. Wang insists on continuing to build the Hong Kong chip factory, it will be difficult to get orders in the future."

It's not simply a matter of technical support; it involves industry consensus.

TSMC has become a giant in the chip foundry industry. By abandoning its Hong Kong plant and simultaneously busy building a chip plant in Singapore, it is silently declaring to the industry: I am not optimistic about the future of Hong Kong's semiconductor industry.

With such an experienced bigwig making a statement, who would still be willing to come to Hong Kong to throw money down the drain in semiconductor manufacturing?

Moreover, the reason this chip factory was able to start construction was because the land on which the construction was being carried out originally belonged to this Mr. Wang.

The Hong Kong government ultimately only granted her an additional five acres of land use rights, and the houses built could only be used as corporate dormitories and could not be sold on the market.

Otherwise, how could Hong Kong property developers agree? They would definitely do everything in their power to obstruct it.

If it were someone else, or the next factory, where would they get the land to build it?

If the government provides land to chip manufacturers for free, it would be suspected of using public funds to subsidize businesses, which could easily lead to protests by Hong Kong citizens.

Whether it's Taiwan or Singapore developing semiconductors, providing land for free or at low prices, and the government offering long-term, low-interest loans are all unspoken rules.

The man in the striped suit swirled the wine in his glass and sneered, "Hong Kong, from top to bottom, is busy making quick money. They only have eyes for the money on the ground. What are they doing with semiconductors? The idea of ​​Silicon Harbor is a joke."

His companion, dressed in a suit and vest, sighed: "What can Hong Kong do if it doesn't do semiconductors? It has to transform. Otherwise, how will the Chief Executive end things? He's already halfway through his term. His first policy address clearly stated that Hong Kong needs to develop high-value-added technologies and get rid of its dependence on finance and real estate."

The man in the striped suit smiled meaningfully: "Too many pretty words, they're making my ears calloused."

The man in the three-piece suit and vest shook his head and said, "This time he really has to grit his teeth and do it, otherwise what if there is another Asian financial crisis? Don't forget, it's already 1999."

What does this mean? It means Hong Kong's status, of course.

During the 1997 Asian financial crisis, the Hong Kong dollar was attacked by international short sellers, and the Hong Kong stock market plummeted, resulting in heavy losses. It was the central government in Beijing that stepped in to support Hong Kong, and with the US stock market also crashing, the international short sellers were unable to fight on two fronts, allowing Hong Kong to escape unscathed.

This is the danger of being overly reliant on finance and real estate.

If the core issues cannot be resolved, then if another crisis occurs, Hong Kong will also be doomed.

But if Hong Kong continues to rely on its own path and always expects the central government to clean up its messes, won't Beijing be disappointed?

It's already 1999, and on December 20th of this year, Macau officially returned to China.

Indeed, Macau's international standing is not as high as Hong Kong's, and its objective conditions are far inferior to Hong Kong's.

But what if the eldest son remains hopeless and incompetent, while the younger son is ambitious and enterprising? With one rising and the other falling, who will ultimately be the most cherished? It's really hard to say.

The transformation of Hong Kong's economy is imperative. The slogan of "Silicon Harbour" has already been proclaimed. If chip factories cannot be built, the Hong Kong government must seize the lifeline of the microelectronics center.

The man in the striped suit took a sip of red wine, looked at Principal Tian Changlin on the stage who was still introducing the Microelectronics Center, and said with a playful smile, "Then we'll see how much money our Principal Tian can raise for the Microelectronics Center."

Without burning money, the microelectronics center cannot survive.

How far can it go? More than half depends on the amount of money spent.

The man in the three-piece suit and vest laughed, his words carrying a hidden meaning: "How about we make a bet? I bet he'll win big tonight and make a fortune."

The man in the striped suit raised an eyebrow in surprise and glanced sideways at his companion: "Oh, you have so much confidence in Principal Tian?"

The man in the three-piece suit and vest smiled and shook his head: "No, I have confidence in the Hong Kong government and in Hong Kong's real estate developers' pragmatism. Not building a chip factory, but only a microelectronics R&D center, is actually the Hong Kong government making concessions, making concessions on land."

The cleanroom in the microelectronics center is already in place. Further expansion for R&D will likely involve building new, higher-specification cleanrooms. This is a completely different concept from a chip factory capable of mass production, and the land requirements are also very different.

The Hong Kong government has already backed down to this point. If real estate developers still don't know when to back down and are still aggressive, they are completely going against the Hong Kong government.

Although Hong Kong has consistently pursued a policy of active non-intervention in the economy and is known as a free port, angering the Hong Kong government can lead to severe difficulties for even one person in the approval process.

Therefore, in return, the Hong Kong government took a step back, and the local forces in Hong Kong naturally had to be sensible and generous in expressing their support for the Hong Kong government.

Upon hearing this explanation, the man in the striped suit suddenly realized, "That makes perfect sense."

As expected, after Principal Tien Chang-lin finished his introduction, before he could even elaborate, the Hong Kong celebrities who had been invited to the banquet one after another expressed their interest in investing.

Some wealthy individuals also stated that although they do not understand semiconductors, they trust Principal Tian's vision and are willing to donate money to support the future of Hong Kong's semiconductor industry.

Principal Tian expressed his gratitude for the trust placed in him and promised to remain in Hong Kong to fully support the establishment and development of the Microelectronics Center.

The atmosphere at the banquet grew increasingly lively, finally reaching its true climax.

One promise after another, one check after another, made the still-unfinished microelectronics center seem to radiate brilliant light at this moment.

It illuminated everyone in the venue.

Wang Xiao smiled and turned to Zhang Rujing, instructing him, "Zhang Bo, Principal Tian has already made his stance clear, you can't let him go back."

Zhang Rujing was all smiles, as if he had found something he had been searching for everywhere without any effort.

Since Principal Tian has already made this promise, there's nothing more to say. Let them both stay in Hong Kong from now on, so that the Microelectronics Center can open as soon as possible.

Because of this incident, the banquet didn't end until late at night.

Zhang Rujing was worried about Principal Tian's health and insisted on sending him back.

Wang Xiao and the others took another car and returned to the hotel to rest.

As I was leaving, the man with the gold-rimmed glasses followed me again.

Unfortunately, he couldn't get close to Boss Wang this time; Xiao Gao, Xiao Zhao, and the others didn't give him the chance at all.

Once in the car, Tang Yicheng finally couldn't help but complain, "I've never seen such a clueless person! They're practically asking for death!"

Boss Wang has already said that she has a fiancé. If this pretty boy with gold-rimmed glasses had any brains, he would definitely ask around to find out who her fiancé is.

Mr. Wang’s identity is no secret. How could he not find out when he was in the banquet hall?

Having found out, why keep coming over? Aren't you courting death? What are you trying to do?

Compared to Tang's anger, Boss Wang felt more amused. She joked, "It's even more exciting because Ivan is my fiancé."

There are always some people in this world, regardless of gender, who are particularly keen on stealing other people's partners, especially when the other person is of a higher status or has better conditions than themselves.

It's as if once you successfully pry it open, you can prove that you are better than that other person.

Why did Iago in Othello steal Desdemona? Who she was didn't matter; she was simply Othello's most cherished possession.

Destroying her is to destroy Othello's personality and honor.

That's what will truly excite Iago.

Tang Yicheng chuckled, but didn't dare to continue.

For men, the identity of being a wife has a built-in stimulant effect.

Wang Xiao disliked the clumsy man with the wire-rimmed glasses even more.

There's no other reason than that no one likes to be seen as someone's subordinate.

She yawned, immediately putting aside the unimportant people, and asked her exhausted assistant, "Did you take notes of Principal Tian's conversation with the presidents of the University of Hong Kong today?"

The assistant quickly perked up: "I've written it down. Principal Tian is planning to personally oversee the thermal management of the chips."

Principal Tian is an authority on heat transfer.

His research interests include thermal radiation, thermal conduction, aerospace thermal control, and microscale heat transfer (micro-heat transfer).

Don't ask what these directions specifically include.

Asking was useless, because Boss Wang didn't know. She did look at the information, but she forgot it almost immediately.

All she knew was that in the field of microelectronics, thermal management of chips is a crucial technology.

Why is a large amount of clean water needed to make chips? Besides cleaning, the main function of water is cooling.

As chip size shrinks and power consumption increases, heat dissipation becomes an increasingly prominent issue.

Principal Tian's expertise perfectly addresses this core challenge, and his focus on cutting-edge areas such as chip heat dissipation and thermal management, micro-nano scale heat transfer, and optoelectronic heat transfer is entirely appropriate.

Besides his personal involvement, his assistant overheard him chatting and laughing with university presidents tonight, discussing plans to implement interdisciplinary research in fields such as microelectronics, materials science, physics, chemistry, and even biomedicine to open up new technological pathways.

Wang Xiao listened and nodded, her eyelids practically glued shut with glue.

But when her gaze swept across the rearview mirror and she caught sight of Tang Yicheng's thoughtful face, she still perked up and asked her capable subordinate, "What's wrong, Brother Tang? What are you thinking about?"

Tang Yicheng waved his hand: "It's nothing, I was just thinking nonsense."

Wang Xiao laughed and said, "Feel free to share your wild thoughts, but let's not talk about anything restricted to men and women. There are differences between men and women."

Tang Yicheng was both amused and exasperated: "Boss, you're wrong about me. I was thinking about work. I'm worried that while the R&D center is thriving, the supporting upstream and downstream companies won't be able to keep up."

He couldn't help but take it seriously.

He is currently based in Hong Kong, and the success or failure of the group's development in Hong Kong directly affects his future.

When they were building the chip factory, being the first chip factory in Hong Kong, it was naturally of extraordinary significance. Moreover, because of the large investment, the group would not easily give up, which naturally created more opportunities for them.

But now it's a microelectronics center, which is closer to scientific research.

As a mediocre student and outsider, it was already difficult for him to get involved. If the supporting industries of the microelectronics center did not perform well and could not be sustained, then his career would also be ruined.

He couldn't say these things directly, otherwise it would be suspected that he was complaining about the boss.

But what kind of person is Boss Wang? He understands the underlying meaning of what he says and comprehends his melancholy.

Which worker doesn't consider their own career development? If you don't consider it yourself, how can you expect others to consider it for you?

Mr. Wang laughed, saying meaningfully, "Then you underestimate our country. Yes, the semiconductor industry is high-tech, not the same as making clothes or shoes, where you just need people. But Brother Tang, don't forget what our country accomplished in just 30 years, from 1949 to 1979?"

"When we were fighting the Korean War, we were simultaneously fighting the French, aiding Vietnam, paying tribute, and also suppressing bandits. These three things would be incredibly difficult for any country, especially a newly established, impoverished, and devastated nation. But we accomplished them all."

"We have also established an independent industrial system with a complete range of categories, and built important transportation facilities such as the Chengdu-Kunming Railway, the Yingtan-Xiamen Railway, and the Yangtze River Bridge, which have improved the national transportation network."

"We developed the atomic bomb and the hydrogen bomb, and launched the Dongfanghong satellite into space. We also developed the J-7 and J-8 fighter jets, the Type 051 destroyer, and other equipment, and built our own basic national defense system."

"The hybrid rice we promoted has enabled the construction of water conservancy projects across the country, feeding 1.2 billion people. We have basically achieved universal medical coverage and popularization of basic education."

"We have restored our legitimate seat in the United Nations, established diplomatic relations with more than 110 countries around the world, and become an important representative of the Third World."

"These were all accomplished despite external difficulties and internal blockades. Which one of them didn't require technology? It's no exaggeration to say that it's a miracle of human history, a miracle we accomplished."

"Who but the Soviet Union and us could create such a miracle?"

Lyuba listened with a slight smile at first, but when the boss suddenly mentioned the Soviet Union at the end, she was caught off guard and her eyes instantly welled up with tears.

Boss Wang grasped her hand, his eyes fixed on Tang Yicheng with a smile: "So, Brother Tang, have some confidence. We're going to be even more amazing than we imagine. Instead of worrying about that, you should think about how to go out and recruit talent. Don't forget, there are plenty of geniuses in the scientific community."

Tang Yicheng felt a chill run down his spine, because he thought of the Japanese eccentric genius, Mr. Masuoka, who said, "The earth revolves for me."

Honestly, the fact that such an arrogant person hasn't been killed to this day can only prove that he is indeed a genius.

But how do you recruit such geniuses? That's a real headache. And how do you keep them after you've recruited them? That requires just as much effort.

Tang Yicheng fell into deep thought.

Mr. Wang closed his eyes with satisfaction.

See, that's how unethical bosses are. They're satisfied as long as their subordinates are miserable.

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The following information is from the internet. In 1999, the "Silicon Harbour Project" reached a stalemate and ultimately failed. The core issue was the fundamental conflict between the project's promoters (Xu Dalin and Zhang Rujing) and the Hong Kong government and local interest groups regarding land policy, industrial perceptions, and interests. The specific process can be broken down into four stages: "project initiation - core demands - conflict eruption - final shelving."

I. Plan Launch: Leveraging the semiconductor boom, aiming to replicate the "Hsinchu model"

In the late 1990s, East Asia became a trend to receive the transfer of the semiconductor industry from Europe and the United States (Taiwan's Hsinchu Science Park and Singapore's wafer fabs both rose rapidly). Tung Chee-hwa, then Chief Executive of Hong Kong, also proposed "Technology-Driven Hong Kong Development," hoping to reduce Hong Kong's dependence on real estate and finance. In July 1999, Hsu Ta-lin, chairman of Han Ding Asia Pacific Group (who had introduced venture capital to Taiwan and was familiar with the semiconductor industry), together with Chang Ru-ching (a Texas Instruments factory construction expert, then a senior executive at World Semiconductor, and later founder of SMIC), formally proposed the "Silicon Harbour Plan." The core of the plan was to build six wafer fabs in Hong Kong, along with supporting R&D and living areas, replicating the "government concessions + industry agglomeration" model of Hsinchu, Taiwan. The goal was to make Hong Kong the semiconductor manufacturing center of Asia, and it was expected to create 195,000 new jobs and HK$30 billion in GDP by 2008.

At this time, Richard Chang was at a turning point in his career—the World Integrated Circuits Corporation, where he worked, was sold to TSMC by its major shareholder without his consent. He rejected TSMC's offer and was determined to build another chip factory in a Chinese-speaking region. Hong Kong was the first choice because of its "developed financial sector and obvious geographical advantages." Xu Dalin's capital resources complemented Richard Chang's experience in building factories. The plan also received support from Tung Chee-hwa in its early stages (Tung Chee-hwa had previously hired former UC Berkeley Chancellor Tien Chang-lin to lead a science and technology innovation project to pave the way for "Silicon Harbour").

II. Core Contradiction: The demand for "free land" is met with obstruction, with both the Hong Kong government and interest groups opposing it.

The key obstacles to the project's progress are land supply and policy support, which are also the core demands of Zhang Rujing's team in establishing the semiconductor factory.

1. Richard Chang's "Free Land" Logic: Semiconductor factories require extremely high upfront investment (a single wafer fab needs billions of Hong Kong dollars), have long payback periods, and have strict requirements for land specifications (large, single-story plots are needed to avoid vibration affecting equipment precision). Referring to the "government-provided land at low prices/free rates + tax breaks" model in Hsinchu, Taiwan, and Jurong Industrial Park, Singapore, Chang's team requested the Hong Kong government to allocate 200-250 hectares of land (later reduced to 20-30 hectares, allowing for dispersed site selection), with no land price or a significant discount, while also providing long-term low-interest loans and preferential import tariffs on equipment—these were key to reducing factory construction costs and attracting technical teams.

2. The Hong Kong government's "policy hesitation": Although the Hong Kong government supports "technology-driven Hong Kong development," it is constrained by the traditional economic philosophy of "positive non-intervention" and limited in its say over land (land in Hong Kong is mostly controlled by real estate developers, and the government needs to balance the interests of multiple parties when allocating land). At the time, there was a division within the Hong Kong government, with two of the three secretaries explicitly opposing it. They believed that "free land supply" was "using public funds to subsidize enterprises" and were worried that semiconductor factories would pollute the environment and drive up surrounding land prices. They only agreed to "market-based land leasing," which could not meet Zhang Rujing's core demands.

3. Public Opinion Barriers from Local Interest Groups: The biggest obstacle to the plan came from Hong Kong media and real estate developers. The media portrayed the "Silicon Harbour Project" as "Tsui and Cheung using technology as a pretext to speculate on land," questioning whether the government's low-price land supply was a form of "transfer of benefits," and even sparking public protests. Real estate developers worried that the semiconductor factory would occupy scarce land resources, drive up land prices, and affect their own real estate development (for example, real estate giants such as Whampoa and Sun Hung Kai exerted pressure at the time, believing that "the semiconductor industry is not as profitable as real estate in the short term"). Under this public opinion environment, the Hong Kong government dared not make any rash concessions and was caught in a dilemma of "wanting to move forward but fearing to take responsibility."

III. Deadlock and Stall: From "Concessionary Negotiations" to "Complete Abandonment"

Zhang Rujing's team made concessions multiple times: reducing the land requirement from 200 hectares to 20-30 hectares, agreeing to "dispersed site selection" and "only renting, not buying," and even promising not to get involved in real estate after the factory was built. However, the Hong Kong government was unable to break through the double shackles of "land policy" and "public opinion pressure"—it could neither give a clear commitment to provide land for free nor coordinate with real estate developers to release suitable plots. Even equipment imports were blocked due to "US restrictions on semiconductor equipment exports to Hong Kong" (at that time, the United States was cautious about Hong Kong's high-tech industry, and key equipment such as lithography machines were difficult to obtain approval).

After weighing the pros and cons, Zhang Rujing abandoned the idea of ​​building a factory in Hong Kong and instead went to Shanghai for inspection, which led to the establishment of SMIC. At that time, Shanghai recruited Zhang Rujing to build a factory, with the mayor personally accompanying him to choose a plot of land. Whichever plot he chose, he would be given to him. The land cost for SMIC to build its factory in Zhangjiang at that time was only 169 yuan per square meter, which was practically a free gift.

The novel also mentions that the land for Boss Wang's chip factory in Hong Kong was mainly provided by her.