Chapter 534 The New Century Must Be Done with Great Effort (Bug Fix): Deserves the Best

The "Dragon Soars and Lanterns Shine to Celebrate the Millennium" event was indeed a lively and exciting occasion.

People, everywhere people, heads thronging, necks stretched out everywhere.

It is said that there are 10,000 audience members today, but Mr. Wang feels that there are far more.

In fact, with so many people flocking in, probably no one will regret making the special trip to this far and going through all this trouble.

Because today's celebration was truly spectacular!

There is a large lantern festival, with the Tenglong dragon-shaped lantern being 280 meters long. The dragon head alone is as big as a mountain, and Guinness staff said it is 14 meters high.

Why are there Guinness World Records staff there? Because it's applying for a world record; it's currently the world's largest dragon-shaped lantern.

Besides the lantern display, there were also dragon dances and horse races, with seven races running from 7 pm to 10 pm. The children at the scene were incredibly excited, jumping and skipping around.

Today is a special day; normally, people under 18 are not allowed to enter the racecourse.

Wang Xiao drank the beverage that came with the ticket and agreed with Ivan that the beverage was pretty good; free things always taste good.

By 10 o'clock, the entire Happy Valley was in an uproar, and the cultural performance had reached its climax.

Jackie Chan led a parade of people from the entertainment and sports industries on horseback, causing a sensation as soon as he appeared.

While clapping his hands, Boss Wang sighed, "It's still easier to be a man."

One of the major events in the Hong Kong entertainment industry in 1999 was the Little Dragon Girl incident.

Just over a month ago, Jackie Chan held a press conference to announce that he had made "a mistake that all men in the world would make."

If it were a female celebrity, no matter how high her status or how great her achievements, she would basically be finished.

Unlike Jackie Chan, who can easily get support despite his limited influence, and who collaborated with Andy Lau on a performance of "Energetic Songs and Dances to Welcome the Millennium" after the opening parade.

When Wang Xiao saw Andy Lau, his filial piety suddenly welled up, and he exclaimed, "I should have brought my mother with me."

Ms. Chen Yanqiu is a fan of Andy Lau. Because although his singing skills are not good, he sings very seriously, so Ms. Chen likes him very much.

Ivan finished his drink, took a sip of hers, and smiled, "Then bring Mom next time."

If Dad's unhappy, just pretend you didn't see it. You have to turn a blind eye to some things to be happy.

For example, he pretended not to see Wang Zheng staring at the muscular men on stage.

After all, after she finished looking at it, she would turn to him and affirm, "You have a better figure than me."

How thoughtful!

Ivan kissed her cheek and said, "Thank you."

Wang Xiao smiled and hugged him again.

It was so lively! The deafening screams, the loud laughter, the clattering hooves, the roars of the New Year's countdown—all were lively. And when the clock struck midnight, the fireworks shooting straight up into the sky with a whooshing sound were even more lively.

Fireworks filled the sky as far as the eye could see, bursting forth in unison along the ambulance lane of the racecourse, one after another, creating a dazzling spectacle. Some people screamed, some were stunned, and others clapped enthusiastically.

Clearly, they were very satisfied with the event.

However, Boss Wang is a picky person. While looking at it without blinking, she shamelessly commented, "It's a little worse than what I arranged. Really, if we wait a few more hours, Moscow will definitely be more beautiful."

She arranged the New Year's Eve fireworks display, ensuring that Muscovites could enjoy the fireworks show on every important holiday.

Ivan chuckled and rubbed his forehead against hers, murmuring, "No one is as beautiful as you, so I want to look at you with me."

At that moment, Mr. Wang almost felt guilty.

Of course, that's only almost.

The next second, she pulled a gold necklace from her pocket, pressed it against Ivan's neck, and put it on his neck, muttering, "This is for you. This is your birth year, you're a dragon, wear this little gold dragon to ward off bad luck. And there's a bigger one too—"

She gestured to him, "That one is too big and too heavy, it'll hurt your neck if it drags on, so I'll give it to you as a paperweight."

Actually, the design for this little golden dragon necklace, which the designer submitted to him, was quite beautiful. It featured a dragon coiled around a cross, which was very imposing.

However, considering that Ivan often talks about God, even though he's only a half-baked believer, his faith still needs to be respected, so he was unfortunately passed over by Boss Wang.

Ivan smiled and leaned down to kiss her: "My Queen, I'm so happy, I'm so delighted."

It wasn't that Mr. Wang translated it wrong; he said it directly in Chinese himself.

Moreover, he frequently said these two sentences.

The final horse race of the entire celebration, which was also the world's first horse race in 2000, concluded with the Chief Executive presenting the award to the winning horse, "Joyful," marking the end of the New Year's Eve extravaganza.

Ivan was smiling as everyone walked out.

Thank goodness he was wearing a mask, otherwise people would definitely have suspected he was an idiot.

On the way back to the hotel, they encountered a road closure. Police officers were coordinating with everyone to leave, and his reaction was just a silly grin.

Xiao Gao and Xiao Zhao were discussing why Hong Kong was closing roads, since the Y2K bug was a computer problem and not a real giant worm. Could it be that Hong Kong people actually believed a giant worm was going to appear?

Wow, Hong Kong is really amazing, both advanced and ancient.

Hearing that Mr. Wang had reached his limit, he turned around and told the two of them to shut up: "The Hong Kong government is worried that the Y2K bug will cause traffic lights to malfunction and communications to be interrupted. At that time, the crowds and vehicles will be mixed together, which could easily cause accidents."

The two then gave an awkward chuckle.

However, when they saw Mr. Ivanov, they immediately stopped feeling awkward.

Because he took off his mask after getting on the bus, Mr. Ivan's silly grin was exposed.

Wang Xiao was helpless. She cupped his face, kissed him several times, and then held his head in her arms, not letting anyone else see.

When he arrived at the hotel, he didn't need to book another room; he went straight upstairs to his room because someone had taken care of everything for him.

It was fortunate that he did so, otherwise Wang Xiao would have doubted whether he could have completed the check-in procedures normally.

After all, this guy is like a drunkard right now, all he does is grin like an idiot.

She showed him the large golden dragon paperweight, and he just grinned foolishly.

She showed him the strange and unusual things she had found at the Hong Kong market, and he just grinned foolishly.

Finally, when she looked at him, he smiled and looked into her eyes: "Your Majesty, I am so happy."

Well, what else can we do? Of course, we should quickly take him for a nice bath and put him to bed!

Don't get me wrong, I was just sleeping, I didn't do anything else.

What time is it? It's almost 3 a.m. If I stay up this late and do anything else, I might just die suddenly.

Anyway, Boss Wang was very sleepy. He yawned, hugged his human pillow, and fell fast asleep.

Ivan kissed the top of her head and hugged her tightly.

He wasn't lying; he was very happy today.

She didn't rush to Moscow, and he was overjoyed.

Because the king is too clever, she can see through people's hearts. So as long as the king is willing, she can play the role of the perfect fiancée at any time, making him soak in the hot spring of happiness all the time, forever immersed in it.

Wang treated him so well that he was constantly bubbling with happiness.

Was he panicked? He should be.

But he's not panicking at all now, because if Wang plays the perfect fiancée, she'll arrive in Moscow today to celebrate the New Year with him.

The fact that he didn't do that means she never played the role of the perfect fiancée. Everything she did in the past, all the kindness she showed him, came from the bottom of her heart.

God, how could that not be love? Only when love flows can it carry true goodness.

What? You mean if Wang also went to Moscow today, what would that represent?

That, of course, represents his intense love.

Yes, Ivan is that confident; he deserves all the good things.

In any case, he could read genuine and passionate love in his heart.

He drifted off to sleep, enveloped in love.

Then, without a doubt, both of them slept until noon before getting up.

Or rather, the whole hotel, the whole of Hong Kong, is like this: a sound sleep after revelry is true happiness.

The two opened their eyes and stared at the ceiling, feeling dazed. Sleep was indeed very beneficial.

Then they quickly got out of bed to get ready and wait for the food delivery service.

Wang Xiao watched as the waiter pushed the food cart in, and whispered to Ivan, "Once our robot is ready, we'll have it deliver our food."

As a deputy prime minister, Ivan's first thought was about employment: "If robots deliver food, won't the waiters lose their jobs?"

Since he became Vice Premier in the autumn of 1996, one of his key tasks has been to increase job opportunities and reduce the unemployment rate.

Wang Xiao said seriously, "No, the birth rate is declining. There will be fewer and fewer people in the future, so the competition for jobs will be less."

Ivan blinked twice, realizing that what she said made sense.

However, if the birth rate continues to decline, problems will arise, namely, no one will be able to do the work, and industries will be abandoned.

Wang Xiao strongly recommended steamed grouper to him: "The big bones have been removed, so it's less likely to get stuck. You should try it; I think it's pretty good."

She didn't see his question as a problem: "Automation and automation are key. Food delivery robots will replace waiters, and automated production lines will replace workers. A factory that originally needed 1,000 people may only need 100 after automation. There's no need to worry about not having enough workers."

She watched him take a bite of grouper, then suggested he try the Typhoon Shelter Crab. "The crab shell is fried, so you can eat it like a potato chip. How is it? It's full of the aroma of garlic and fermented black beans. I think it could be eaten as a snack."

Ivan chewed and swallowed, then nodded: "That seems to make sense. Actually, when you put the two things together, they're not a problem at all."

He mentioned two things. One was the pressure to produce results. Russia has been pushing for this since the Soviet era, and it hasn't yielded any results to this day.

Moreover, Ivan felt very embarrassed.

It's unethical for a grown man to pressure women to have children.

After all, it is common knowledge that women bear 100% of the risks associated with childbirth.

As a man, what gives him the right to make a woman take such a risk? He sounded guilty even when he spoke.

Another measure is to reduce the unemployment rate in order to maintain social stability.

Now things are much better; there are fewer people, fewer unemployed people, and everyone is happy.

But while the logic made sense, he still felt that something was off.

He must have slept too comfortably, so his mind was relaxed and he didn't want to think.

So he felt completely confused.

Seeing him blinking blankly, looking completely bewildered, and struggling to eat, Wang Xiao couldn't help but laugh: "The problem isn't a lack of people to work on the production side, but rather a lack of consumers to buy our food."

Ivan swallowed the crab meat in his mouth, nodded, and sighed, "Stimulating consumption is also an important means of boosting the economy."

But the problem is that when people are short of money, if you want to create excitement, people also need to have the money to spend.

Wang Xiao picked up a small piece of roast suckling pig, dipped it in plum sauce, put it in his mouth, and said a single word: "Desire."

"Desire is the core of consumption. Without a continuous stream of demand and desire to support the supply, the economic cycle will come to a standstill, and the vitality of human society will gradually wither away."

Xiao Gao and Xiao Zhao listened expressionlessly from the side; they were truly impressed by their boss and Mr. Ivan.

People send their longing across a thousand miles with the bright moon, but these two traveled a thousand miles to finally spend a night in the same bed, only to find themselves discussing this kind of topic.

Even if you two don't say anything, just looking at each other with affection is enough.

However, these two were clearly unaware of this; they not only discussed it, but they discussed it enthusiastically.

Then they both sighed, saying that humanity's deep dependence on "ever-growing desires and consumption" is a huge systemic risk, a fragile cornerstone of contemporary civilization.

To overcome or bypass this risk, we must move away from relying on unlimited growth and consumption and instead design a new framework centered on the holistic development of people, ecological balance, and knowledge sharing.

From this perspective, urging others to participate is a form of lazy governance, a typical example of inertia and path dependence.

It does not challenge the fundamental premise that "economic growth must rely on population and consumption expansion," but instead attempts to add more fuel to this engine.

In fact, history has long told us that when productive forces develop to a certain level, the relations of production must be adjusted, otherwise they will hinder the development of productive forces.

Faced with this predicament, we should thoroughly redesign our economic system, distribution methods, and values ​​to adapt to the development of the new world.

Unfortunately, this requires tremendous political courage and social consensus, and is far more difficult than providing subsidies to encourage childbirth.

Lyuba suddenly chimed in, "If men had children, or if there was a 50/50 chance that men and women would have children after sleeping together, then everyone would probably reach a consensus quickly."

This was a bit convoluted, and Xiao Gao and Xiao Zhao looked at each other, feeling like they couldn't keep up.

Ivan covered his face with his hands: "Oh God, ma'am, I'm so sorry."

What could he say? To put it bluntly, he said that women bear the risks of childbirth, and that the fundamental reality of how this society operates is patriarchal thinking.

If men bear the risks of reproduction, they will naturally have the motivation to redesign economic systems, distribution systems, and values.

He felt ashamed because he had seen through this.

Wang Xiao pulled down his hand that was covering his face: "Okay, let's eat, let's not talk about this anymore. You have to catch your flight after we finish eating."

Yes, although theoretically, Russia has a two-day holiday for New Year's Day.

The problem is that a one-way flight takes more than ten hours, so he simply cannot stay in Hong Kong for long.

Forget about shopping or exploring Hong Kong. After this meal, he has to head to the airport to catch his flight back to Moscow.

Ivan finished a bowl of rice with gusto, then contentedly picked up his milk tea and followed them out.

Tang Yicheng only returned to Hong Kong this morning. He had watched the famous fireworks festival in Tokyo last night before leaving Japan satisfied.

Now, watching Mr. Ivan emerge from the room, he took the opportunity to lecture his secretary: "See? A man's time is flexible; he always has time if he wants to."

Even if we spend more than 20 hours on the plane together, and even if we only spend a dozen or so hours together from beginning to end, so what?

If you love someone enough, it's perfectly normal to make a plate of dumplings for a dish of vinegar.

If he doesn't like it, even if a plate of dumplings is placed in front of him and he's asked to make some vinegar, he'll find it too much trouble.

The secretary didn't really want to talk to her boss. He acted like he was some kind of expert in love, but wasn't he just a single dog himself?

Ivan saw Tang Yicheng, took the initiative to come over and shake his hand, and said with a smile, "Brother Tang, you've worked hard."

Wow, the way this vice prime minister shakes his hand is definitely different from when he's just a boss.

Tang Yicheng felt a warm sensation on half of his body and couldn't help but grin: "It's not hard work, it's not hard work, it's serving the people."

As soon as he said it, he paused, and Ivan paused as well, then burst into laughter.

Wang Xiao had no choice but to urge them, "Let's go! Let's go! Don't miss the plane."

They followed him all the way to the airport, and Tang Yicheng enthusiastically shared the key to recruiting Chuangang.

In fact, Fujio Masuoka was initially unwilling to come to Hong Kong, even if it was just as a consultant and he didn't need to be stationed there permanently.

No matter how much Tang Yicheng and Ishida Ichiro pleaded and begged, it was no use.

"Guess how we finally convinced him?"

Both Boss Wang and Ivanov were very cooperative, actively adding emotional value to the storyteller: "I don't know, how exactly did it happen?"

Tang Yicheng clapped his hands, beaming with excitement, and said, "It's Brother Hanitov. I originally arranged to meet him in Hong Kong, but I was stuck in Sendai for the past few days, so I asked him to come to Japan first. In the end, he didn't talk to me for long, but he had a very pleasant conversation with Professor Masuoka. When we went to the professor's office to find them this morning, there were empty bottles all around, and the two of them were fast asleep, completely drunk."

Who is Khanitov? He was a Soviet materials scientist from Ukraine.

Although they initially recruited talent through their connections with Russia, recruiting Russian scientists who were not satisfied in Europe and America.

However, after arriving overseas, the scientists and technologists in the former Soviet Union found themselves with close relationships, so Hanitov applied for a job in Hong Kong through the introduction of his Russian colleagues.

It's well known that Russian scientists are heavy drinkers, and Masuoka happens to be one of them as well. So even though their research areas differed, their shared love of alcohol made them feel like they'd known each other forever.

Thanks to Hanitov's persuasion, but how exactly he persuaded him is unknown. The speaker didn't mention it, and the listener remained silent, so Tang Yicheng didn't know.

Xiao Gao and Xiao Zhao listened intently for a long time, and this is what they heard?

Both of them rolled their eyes: "Brother Tang, that's not fair!"

Tang Yicheng laughed and said, "Well, there's nothing I can do about it. They're all scientists. We have to respect knowledge and technology."

Wang Xiao smiled and nodded: "That's fine too. Even if it doesn't solve the problem, finding someone who can solve it is fine too."

No one person can do everything. The most important quality of a leader is being able to find people who can do the work.

Ivanov immediately gave a thumbs up and praised Tang Yicheng: "Our Brother Tang knows how to use people well, he truly deserves to be a leader."

Good heavens! Tang Yicheng had to clutch his heart.

No, no, just thinking about how Mr. Ivan was already the Deputy Prime Minister and how he was being praised by the Deputy Prime Minister made him feel dizzy.

He drove the person to the airport in a daze, and then, a few days later, he drove the person back in a daze again.

Don't get the wrong idea, it's not Mr. Ivan. New year, new look. The Russian Deputy Prime Minister isn't that free to keep running around.

It was Mr. Kawanishi Tsuyoshi. He went back to Japan and actively liaised with equipment and material manufacturers. He finally got some initial results, so he had to rush back to report.

The production equipment for etching, deposition, cleaning, and testing is not a big problem. He has found a way to bypass the restrictions and obtain equipment that is compatible with the 0.18-micron process.

He has also established connections for materials including silicon wafers, photoresist, electronic specialty gases, and sputtering targets, ensuring a stable supply.

However, the problem lies with the lithography machine. As we all know, the lithography machine is the most important for chip manufacturing, so its export restrictions are also the most stringent.

Kawanishi sighed, "Actually, Nikon and Canon are both very willing to help build the Shanghai factory, but we can't get around the export restrictions."

Sometimes he also hated the Wassenaar Arrangement, and even all export restrictions.

Their export markets have been strangled, and they are not getting any real benefits. They can only watch helplessly as the markets that originally belonged to them are squeezed out step by step, which is really infuriating.

He no longer expects Japan's chip manufacturing to make a remarkable comeback in the short term.

He hopes that Japan will temporarily withdraw from the competition in the final chip manufacturing sector and retreat to the "industrial public water" sector—materials and equipment—which has the highest technological barriers and the highest added value at the very upstream of the industrial chain.

This allows them to avoid fierce cost wars, establish an unshakeable "hidden champion" status, and guarantee long-term, stable high profits.

In this way, Japan's semiconductor industry can accumulate strength and, when the opportunity arises, rely on its high-end materials and equipment, as well as the Japanese talent that has been trained overseas, to one day be able to make a comeback in the entire semiconductor industry chain.

Wassenaar's current export restrictions are cutting off Japan's path.

It would be strange if Chuanxi Gang could be happy.

Boss Wang seemed much calmer than him. She nodded and said, "Everyone has their own difficulties; it's not easy for anyone."

This has escalated to a political and diplomatic issue, and cannot be resolved by individual efforts alone.

She was more concerned about something else, "So, is the 193nm ArF lithography machine at the Hong Kong Microelectronics Centre up to the task?"

Kawanishi nodded: "Nikon originally wanted to donate a 248-nanometer KrF lithography machine, but after coordination, the higher-ups have now agreed to a 193-nanometer ArF lithography machine. I will keep an eye on this matter until the machine is delivered."

ArF lithography machines were only put into mass production in 1999, and they were aimed at more advanced processes in order to meet the definition of Hong Kong Microelectronics Centre.

Wang Xiao smiled without saying a word, because she seriously doubted that Nikon would respond positively, since ASML, under the leadership of TSMC, had also expressed interest in the Hong Kong Microelectronics Centre and was also willing to donate lithography machines.

ASML today is not the giant it will be 20 years from now. Right now, it is still struggling to survive between Nikon and Canon and urgently needs to expand its market.

After all, the lithography machine industry is also a winner-takes-all industry; the number one player can thrive, while the number two player can starve.

After listening to him finish speaking, Boss Wang nodded and said, "Okay, let's finalize what we can first, and we'll figure out a way to handle the rest later."

The acquisition of a 193nm ArF lithography machine by the Hong Kong Microelectronics Centre is good news for Wuzhou's own lithography machine factory. Their engineers can travel between Shanghai and Hong Kong to closely observe and test the 193nm ArF lithography machine and accumulate experience.

Its subsequent use in the development of their own 193-nanometer immersion lithography prototype is of great significance.

Sigh, I really hope they can make their 193nm immersion lithography machine soon, so they won't have to beg for money and still not be able to buy it.

Mr. Wang gritted his teeth inwardly, then invited Tsuyoshi Kawanishi with a beaming smile: "If you have time, I'd like to invite you to Shanghai. Dr. Zhang is looking for a site to build a chip factory, and I hope you can come and help him with your opinion."

Kawanishi smiled and shook his head: "I wouldn't call it being an expert, but if I had the opportunity to learn from them, that would be my honor."

Tang Yicheng listened from the side, feeling quite impressed.

In the 1980s, Mr. Kawanishi led a team of 10,000 people from Toshiba and achieved incredible semiconductor sales.

At the time, he had a nickname: "The man with ten thousand yuan bills pasted on his back."

With such a glorious history, they can still be flexible and resilient now; they truly deserve to be called an immortal bird in the industry.

In any industry, those who persevere to the end are often the winners.

Chuanxi didn't object, and Wang Xiao actively invited them, so in just two days, the large group headed to Shanghai.

Upon arriving in Shanghai, Chuanxi Gang immediately sensed the mainland's determination and determination to develop the semiconductor industry.

Because the mayor personally went to the airport to greet them.

Even though Kawanishi had once been a high-ranking executive at Toshiba, he felt somewhat flattered when the mayor of Shanghai took the initiative to shake his hand.

This is a concrete manifestation of the government's strong support for the semiconductor industry.

What surprised him even more was that during the subsequent site inspection process, not only did Director Jiang Shangzhou accompany them, but Mayor Huang of Shanghai also accompanied them from beginning to end, and he knew almost everything about each piece of land.

In the end, it was Zhang Rujing who made the final decision on a piece of land. The mayor immediately nodded in agreement and emphasized with a smile, "You don't need to worry about the water and electricity; we will do our best to ensure that."

Zhang Rujing smiled and thanked the mayor, but when he looked at Boss Wang again, his face was full of unspeakable resentment.

Yes, yes, the owner of Kawanishi introduced him to many experienced Japanese factory builders. By discussing things together, they could avoid some detours and get the 12-inch factory up and running as soon as possible.

But the problem is, without a lithography machine for the 0.18-micron process, isn't this 12-inch chip factory a joke?

The more knowledge a person has, the more troubles they have; fools are the happiest.

Mr. Wang is much more optimistic than Dr. Zhang: "What are you afraid of? Just get the stamp done properly first. Anything can happen in two years. Maybe you won't even want 0.18 micrometers anymore and will go straight for a 193-nanometer lithography machine."

Zhang Rujing had a sudden realization. Yes, he remembered that they also had the secret weapon of a 193-nanometer immersion lithography machine.

"Better to die than to die myself," he thought, and went to urge Lin Benjian.

God is urging us on.

I've already started building a 12-inch chip factory, so why don't you hurry up and bring out the 193-nanometer immersion lithography machine?

This is the Lord's guidance; you will definitely be able to feel it.

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[Starry-eyed] See? PUA is contagious! [Flattery]