Chapter 546 Last Chance (Bug Fix): She wouldn't allow anyone to ruin her plans.

However, after the gong was struck repeatedly, it did not come any closer.

Not to mention the fluttering flags and banners.

As the gongs were struck, the sound seemed to gradually fade away, and then the lion dance troupe came on stage, leaping and bounding across the open space.

Tang Yicheng introduced the lion to the inexperienced boss: "That gold and white one is called the Liu Bei Lion, the one adorned with cloud patterns and bronze mirrors. The red and black one is the Guan Gong Lion; see how long its whiskers are?"

Wang Xiao chuckled. It seems he pays great attention to detail, even noting that Guan Yu has a beautiful beard.

With Liu Bei and Guan Yu appearing together, it goes without saying that the last one, with its black and blue color scheme and jingling bells, is Zhang Fei Lion.

Tang Yicheng immediately gave a thumbs up, his eyes looking incredibly sincere: "Boss, you're amazing, you saw it right away."

Mr. Wang's reaction was a chuckle, as if he thought she was a fool.

Fortunately, the lion dance performance was indeed wonderful. The lions bowed and offered blessings in various ways, and their movements were so agile that they seemed to have their own vitality.

Finally, the red silk couplet that had been spat out from the lion's mouth was unfurled.

First line: A chip shines globally, integrating collective wisdom

Second line: Skills flourish across the world, gathering talents from all walks of life.

Horizontal scroll: Science and Technology Innovation Without Borders

Wang Xiao, a businessman with limited cultural literacy, had forgotten the rules of couplets he learned in junior high school, and was even less clear whether this couplet conformed to tonal patterns and parallelism.

So she only glanced at it before clapping and cheering for the lion dance.

As soon as the performance ended, the Chief Executive went on stage to deliver a welcome speech, thanking all parties for their support of Hong Kong's technological development.

The distant drumming continued, but since the noise wasn't enough to affect the Chief Executive's speech, everyone tacitly treated it as a celebration outside the unveiling ceremony.

The lineup of guests attending today's unveiling ceremony is truly impressive.

The Vice Minister of Science and Technology personally visited, fully expressing the central government's support and expectations for the Hong Kong Microelectronics Centre.

The presence of local Hong Kong officials, including the Chief Secretary for Administration and the Financial Secretary, as well as the heads of the Innovation and Technology Commission and the Innovation and Technology Department, demonstrates the unity of the Hong Kong government.

The Taiwanese authorities did not send anyone—of course, if they had, the United States would probably have cut off their heads first.

However, the response from Taiwan's semiconductor industry was very enthusiastic.

In addition to high-profile figures like Morris Chang and Chiang Shang-yi from TSMC, Robert Tsao, the head of UMC, which has been a rival of TSMC, also attended.

These two are giants in the global wafer foundry industry, while VIA Technologies, which holds half of the global chipset market share, MediaTek, which was spun off from UMC, and Hanbang Technology, which was established this year and focuses on the research and development of USB interface control ICs, are representatives of Taiwan's IC design field.

Of course, the packaging and testing industry was not left behind either, with ASE, a world-leading semiconductor packaging and testing company, also sending its technical lead.

The Taiwan team displayed impressive momentum, showcasing its rising prominence in the semiconductor industry.

South Korea's semiconductor industry was equally unwilling to be outdone, with Samsung sending its own heir—yes, the same one who appears refined but is frequently associated with scandals involving chaebols with no moral compass.

The head of Modern Electronics came in person.

Mr. Wang felt a little uneasy when he saw the representative of Hyundai Electronics.

Because she suddenly realized that she might have ruined the famous Hynix.

After all, in real history, Hyundai Group was acquired by the South Korean government because the government forcibly transferred LG Electronics' chip division to it at an exorbitant price.

Unwilling to be taken advantage of, Hyundai Group spun off its electronics division, which later became Hynix.

However, in early 1998, Mr. Wang had already spent money to buy LG Electronics' chip division, turning it into the current contract manufacturer in South Korea.

The Blue House naturally wouldn't need to force a marriage between the two, and Hyundai Group wouldn't have the incentive to separate its electronics division.

Anyway, Wang Xiao has never heard of Hynix before.

Wow, just like a butterfly flapping its wings, the world changes a little.

Sensing something amiss, Mr. Wang turned his head to look at the representative of the Japanese company.

Nikon, which supplies lithography machines to the microelectronics center, has arrived. Toshiba, Kawanishi's former employer, has also sent people. Even Elpida, the awkwardly restructured family, has come, and two of them have arrived.

This made Wang Xiao particularly curious: was one of them from NEC and the other from Hitachi?

To be honest, forced relationships never work. Elpida had a 17% market share when it was first established, but after more than six months of operation, everyone in the industry was certain that its financial statements this year would show a sharp drop in market share.

However, Mr. Wang's sigh was also crocodile tears.

Because human joys and sorrows are not shared, Elpida's poor integration led to the resignation of a large number of R&D personnel who originally belonged to Hitachi, which conveniently benefited the semiconductor business of Wuzhou.

With the help of Chuanxi Gang, many of them went overseas.

If the presence of the three major Asian powers and the fact that the Singapore Economic Development Board also sent officials were within Wang Xiao's expectations, then she had to admit that the presence of the IMEC Vice President showed considerable vision.

It's clear that the Hong Kong Microelectronics Centre will be a formidable competitor to IMEC.

It's not that Wang Xiao is just self-promoting; it's that Hong Kong has already taken away IMEC's ​​business.

Originally, Hua Hong NEC saw that Wuzhou and IMEC had successfully piloted a 0.18-micron process, and this year they were preparing to follow suit and had already contacted IMEC.

As a result, once the Hong Kong Microelectronics Centre was established, Hua Hong NEC wavered and turned to Hong Kong instead.

After all, there is no time difference between Shanghai and Hong Kong, making it convenient for both sides to communicate and saving a lot of trouble. Moreover, they share the same cultural background, so communication is naturally smooth.

In addition, the cost of living in Hong Kong is lower than in Belgium, and the dietary habits are more compatible. Engineers sent to Hong Kong can fly directly back to Shanghai on weekends.

With Hua Hong NEC leading the way, it's likely that other mainland semiconductor companies like Shanghai Belling, which are also here today, will follow suit.

If others can do it, why can't they? We can't always rely on our joint venture partners to provide more advanced processes, can we? That would be subject to the Wassenaar Arrangement.

It would be better to collaborate with open, non-profit research institutions, so that you can acquire your own technology.

Wang Xiao's gaze swept over the IMEC representative and then landed on the face of the ASML vice president.

That's interesting. She thought ASML would send its Asia-Pacific head to show their support, but the vice president came in person. It's clear that ASML values ​​the Asian market quite a bit.

Applied Materials and KLA-Tex also place equal importance on this. While Hong Kong's position is delicate, for capitalists, it doesn't matter who they sell to. The Asian market is so large; if Japanese manufacturers monopolize it, will they have any foothold left?

Wang Xiao's gaze swept across the faces of the semiconductor industry representatives, finally settling on the academic representatives.

Without a doubt, the heads of various universities in Hong Kong, especially those related to science and engineering, were present. Distinguished figures from renowned institutions such as the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tsinghua University, and Fudan University also attended; Wang Xiao spotted several of their presidents.

However, what truly drew everyone's attention were world-renowned universities such as Stanford, Berkeley, and MIT. They either sent their deans of engineering schools or renowned professors.

This fully demonstrates the breadth of Tian Changlin's network of connections.

On the podium, the Chief Executive passionately expounded on Hong Kong's determination to develop innovation and technology, and solemnly introduced Dean Tien Cheung-lam, calling him "a leader who brings us a world-class vision and top international talent."

In addition to expressing his gratitude for everyone's support, Dean Tian highlighted the research and development teams from all over the world at the Microelectronics Center.

Among them are mathematicians and algorithm experts who excel in low-level algorithms, numerical simulation, and physical modeling.

There are process experts who are skilled at integrating different equipment and process modules into a stable and reliable mass production process.

We have experts in core materials and equipment processes such as silicon wafers, photoresists, etching gases, and thin film deposition, and possess the ability to establish top-notch material analysis and process debugging capabilities.

There are experts in materials science, plasma physics, and precision mechanics who focus on the research and development of new memory materials, atomic layer deposition (ALD), and core components of etching machines.

In addition, there were chip architects, design methodology experts, and visiting scholars who attended the unveiling ceremony today.

It was only now that Wang Xiao met the legendary Masuoka Fujio for the first time.

To be honest, he was completely different from what she had imagined. He didn't look like a mad scientist at all; he was just a typical serious university professor.

His classes are the kind where you have to study hard, otherwise if you fail, you'll have to retake the course; there's no chance for a make-up exam.

Wang Xiao felt inexplicably guilty whenever he thought about the graduate courses he hadn't finished before he transmigrated.

But she was also particularly curious whether Masuoka Fujio would get into a fight with the Tokyo representative. If a conflict did occur, she would definitely have to find a way to stop him.

However, Masuoka Fujio never talks to anyone, let alone argues with anyone.

And so, everyone was happy.

After the Chief Executive personally presided over the unveiling ceremony, representatives from all parties visited the operational microelectronics center.

Apart from officials, most of the people present today are industry insiders. To expect them to gasp in amazement as if watching a science fiction movie is nothing short of wishful thinking.

Everyone's focus is on what areas of cooperation can be carried out in the future.

What Wang Xiao found particularly intriguing was that both Nikon and ASML expressed interest in the EUV forward-looking research group. This group is currently conducting fundamental research on light sources, optics, and materials.

It's normal for Nikon to be interested; the EUV LLC consortium, led by the United States, has already decisively excluded Japanese companies.

But ASML is also very interested, which shows that its position in the EUV LLC alliance is not so secure.

After all, if they hadn't had no other choice—in the 1980s, American lithography machine companies had been thoroughly defeated by Japan and were now in a hopeless situation; otherwise, how could the United States have allowed a foreign company to join their core alliance?

Of course, it's also possible that ASML is assessing its potential future competitors.

After all, last year the International Semiconductor Technology Roadmap identified extreme ultraviolet lithography as the preferred next-generation lithography technology.

At this point, anyone who dares not participate in the development of extreme ultraviolet lithography machines is essentially forfeiting in the next round of the chip race.

Kawanishi sighed softly, quite worried: "I don't know if we can build an extreme ultraviolet lithography machine."

Despite the EUV LLC consortium being established for three years, it is still answering one question: Is extreme ultraviolet lithography possible?

Even if the argument proves it's possible, how do we achieve it? That's another question altogether.

From deep ultraviolet light at 193 nanometers to extreme ultraviolet light, who will ultimately carry the banner of Moore's Law during this long process?

Wang Xiao joked, "Hasn't the 157-nanometer deep ultraviolet lithography machine already started working on it? Once it's successful, it can extend Moore's Law for a few more years."

She was also curious, "How does a 157-nanometer lithography machine work? I've never seen one before."

Kawanishi shook his head: "Japan doesn't have it yet. Nikon has just started to lay out plans to do it. Currently, the only company that can do it is Silicon Valley in the United States. Its 157-nanometer lithography machine is called Micrascan VII. It is said that it will be delivered to Intel by the end of this year."

Wang Xiao was quite skeptical: "Can the goods be delivered by the end of the year?"

In her memory, the 157-nanometer lithography machine failed to successfully leave the workshop.

Kawanishi laughed and said softly, "There are indeed rumors that Silicon Valley Group may be sold to ASML."

Once a merger or acquisition occurs and personnel changes take place, the future of the business becomes uncertain.

In terms of lithography machines, Silicon Valley's 193-nanometer lithography machine is still inferior to ASML's.

Given the unique nature and complexity of 157-nanometer lithography machines, Kawanishi Takeshi has serious doubts about whether Silicon Valley Group is truly capable of mass-producing them.

Wang Xiao laughed along: "If we really manage to buy it, ASML won't have to worry about being left behind by the EUV LLC alliance."

Why? Because Silicon Valley is now the only remaining lithography machine manufacturer in the United States. It's been sold off, so what other options does the alliance have besides further binding itself to the buyer, ASML?

Wang Xiao was still asking, "Did they say how much it costs?"

Kawanishi shook his head: "I don't know, but I estimate it won't be cheap. After all, it has mature 157-nanometer lithography technology."

Wang Xiao smiled and said meaningfully, "It's so good to be in America."

Kawanishi Tsuyoshi laughed along. Yes, is Silicon Valley Group's value really in its 157-nanometer lithography technology? No, it's in its status as the last lithography machine manufacturer in the United States.

At this point, the United States' powerful lithography research capabilities were no longer supported by a complete manufacturing industry.

Besides photolithography, what about other fields? Will they follow the same path, or will they eventually reach this point?

At the turn of the millennium, countless possibilities exist, and no one can provide the answer.

After the tour, the unveiling ceremony came to an end, and the reception followed.

The Hong Kong Microelectronics Centre was originally an unfinished chip factory, so there was no suitable venue to hold a reception.

The bus picked up the distinguished guests and was going to take them to Government House.

As soon as the car drove off, the commotion of gongs and drums grew even louder.

This isn't some kind of peripheral celebration; it's clearly a demonstration, with banners hanging high that read, "No more 85,000, give us back our homes and assets!" and "Stop the rampant construction of public housing and protect homeowners' rights."

So it turns out that homeowners who oppose the 85,000-unit housing plan and are desperately trying to preserve the value of their properties are staging a protest.

In front of the surging crowd, a human wall of police officers held hands, desperately using their bodies to block their advance.

Even so, the demonstrators continued to shout through loudspeakers, and some even threw a stack of leaflets in the direction of the bus.

However, because it was so hot, everyone was in the car with the air conditioning on and no one opened the windows, so the flyers were scattered all over the ground.

Jiang Shangzhou frowned slightly as he watched.

Given the scale of today's ceremony, such a disturbance would be impossible to occur on the mainland.

Which place would want to stir up such a storm? Let alone the local police chief, even the top official is probably prepared to lose their job.

But Hong Kong is a well-known free port, and the government simply cannot stop people from taking to the streets to protest.

Moreover, precisely because there are foreign guests present today, the Hong Kong government is hesitant to take harsh measures. Otherwise, if mishandled, it could escalate into a more intense conflict, resulting in negative international news.

The organizers probably saw this as an opportunity, which is why they acted so recklessly.

He subconsciously turned to look at Wang Xiao, wanting to say a few words to Boss Wang, but he was really afraid of causing a big commotion.

As it turned out, Mr. Wang seemed to enjoy watching the drama unfold, staring intently at the crowd outside the window without a trace of worry.

Jiang Shangzhou couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "What are you looking at?"

This time, Boss Wang sighed and feigned concern: "Why don't they go under the shade of the trees? With such a bright sun, they're prone to heatstroke."

We've already been used as pawns, so let's be kinder to ourselves.

Jiang Shangzhou sighed and whispered, "If someone really suffers heatstroke and faints, the Hong Kong government will be in trouble again."

See! It's driven someone to their death, hasn't it?

Wang Xiao wanted to join him in sighing, but she couldn't keep it up after a couple of sighs.

What's there to sigh about? Sighing ages you prematurely.

She's reached the age where she should be drinking goji berries in a thermos; she really can't handle the hassle.

Not only did she not sigh, but when she got out of the car and saw the Chief Executive, she was all smiles.

The Chief Executive's expression was quite subtle. After all, the distinguished guests had seen the demonstrations and protests in the streets, making such a racket. If he were to smile and act as if nothing had happened, it would seem inappropriate, inhumane, and unethical.

But since one of the biggest investors in the Hong Kong Microelectronics Centre was smiling like that, and the person was a distinguished guest, he could only smile and shake hands with him.

Wang Xiao smiled even more broadly: "Sir, I was originally worried that Hong Kong's property prices were rising too fast, and that the fabless design companies and other businesses brought in by the Microelectronics Centre would eventually choose to withdraw because they could not bear the high costs."

Hong Kong's low tax system, free flow of international capital, sound common law system, and protection of intellectual property rights are the environments that design companies value most.

Therefore, when this microelectronics center was initially being built, everyone regarded the integrated circuit design industry cluster as the most direct and advantageous industrial growth point for the center.

Furthermore, the center's cutting-edge research will generate a large number of licenseable circuit modules (IP cores). In response, Hong Kong will see the emergence of specialized IP development, licensing, and legal service companies. Going further, Hong Kong may become a semiconductor intellectual property trading and arbitration center in the future.

Wang Xiao counted on his fingers: "Besides, cutting-edge packaging and high-end special logistics all require land. If land prices are too high, the industry may not be able to settle down. Unfortunately, Hong Kong's housing prices fell for a period of time in early 1998, and then rebounded from the second half of 1998, rising higher and higher."

She smiled broadly, "I was very worried about this when I was in Hong Kong at the end of last year. The people from the Innovation and Technology Commission told me not to worry, that 85,000 houses would be put on the market this year, and that housing prices would definitely be stabilized step by step. I was a little skeptical at first, but today I see that housing prices are indeed falling. How can this not be good news for me?"

The Chief Executive couldn't really say it was bad news. High property prices in Hong Kong have severely impacted the city's development and significantly hindered its transformation.

Wang Xiao smiled broadly: "If housing prices continue to rise, I'm really afraid that Hong Kong's tycoons will no longer be willing to support Hong Kong's technological transformation and will turn back to real estate."

She gently clasped her hands together, her smile deepening. "Now it seems there's no danger. Hong Kong's technological transformation will surely continue steadily until it becomes a true Cyberport."

The Chief Executive smiled at her and said, "Thank you for your kind words. Let us look forward to the future of Cyberport together."

He had already read the previous report about the Hong Kong Microelectronics Centre very clearly.

It will make Hong Kong a participant in semiconductor industry rules, a value allocator, and a source of innovation.

It will also help upgrade Hong Kong's traditional industries.

For example, the financial industry will develop more sophisticated valuation models for technology companies, intellectual property pledge financing, semiconductor supply chain finance, and other new products.

For example, the legal industry will develop top-tier global law firms and advisory companies specializing in technology patent litigation, technology licensing contracts, and cross-border mergers and acquisitions.

Working in finance and becoming a lawyer are the most popular professions among young people in Hong Kong.

Miss Wang was reminding him that technological transformation is irreversible and will help Hong Kong find a core advantage that is far more sustainable than real estate and traditional finance in the knowledge economy competition of the 21st century.

Wang Xiao nodded, smiled, and walked away.

Once inside the Government House, Tang Yicheng quietly voiced his doubts: "I feel like something's not right. This commotion is a bit excessive."

Although this year marks the first year of the implementation of the 85,000-unit plan, the impact of the houses released to the market on housing prices is, strictly speaking, not as significant as it was in early 1998.

It's normal for homebuyers to complain, but to take it to the point of protesting and creating such a huge commotion seems a bit excessive.

To put it bluntly, how long has it been since the 1998 financial crisis? Look at Thailand's housing market; have prices rebounded since they plummeted? No, not at all.

Is the fluctuation in Hong Kong property prices really enough to excite Hong Kong residents to this extent? This is illogical.

Wang Xiao greatly admired Tang Yicheng's keen insight, as this intuition often came closer to the truth than conclusions drawn from various analyses.

She swirled the red wine in her hand, showing no interest in tasting it. She simply preferred sweet and sour wines, so what? Why should she conform to others' pronouncements on terroir and craftsmanship?

After listening to Tang Yicheng's rambling, Boss Wang laughed: "Eight of Hong Kong's top ten richest people are in real estate. If the Hong Kong government shifts its focus to high-tech industries, will they be willing to accept it?"

Any country or region, regardless of its system, needs government policy support if it hopes to make a fortune through real estate.

What if the policy wavers? Then real estate developers will definitely try to pull the policy back.

Tang Yicheng frowned: "This is a bit troublesome. I'm afraid it will escalate."

According to the boss's analysis, the dot-com bubble has only just begun to burst, and the entire internet industry will undergo a major reshuffle. Hong Kong's financial sector is deeply intertwined with the US stock market, so further declines in property prices are to be expected.

However, the "85,000-unit plan" continues to push houses out year after year, which will inevitably exacerbate the downward trend in housing prices.

Real estate developers are unwilling to bear such losses and will definitely try to stop this from happening.

Unfortunately, Hong Kong's media outlets are mostly controlled by the top ten richest people, so whenever the media launches a concentrated attack, public opinion can easily be ignited.

If the situation escalates further, coupled with the pressure of the bursting dot-com bubble, the Hong Kong government won't be able to withstand it.

Hong Kong is a free port, unlike the situation on the mainland.

But if housing prices continue to rise, Hong Kong's microelectronics hub won't be able to attract enough talent. Because, under normal circumstances, engineers' salaries are lower than those of finance professionals or lawyers.

If housing prices are reasonable, engineers can afford to buy houses with their income. So, if they don't earn more than others, they don't earn more either—the poor have their way of living, and the rich have theirs.

But if housing prices continue to rise, under immense pressure to survive, engineers will have to grit their teeth and switch careers, even if they don't like it. Otherwise, how will they survive? Sleep on the streets?

No, if housing prices continue to rise, it will be detrimental to the future of Hong Kong's microelectronics center.

And this Hong Kong Microelectronics Centre is already tied to Brother Tang's business, how could he not be worried?

Seeing his worried expression, Wang Xiao encouraged him, "Think carefully about what to do. This is actually not difficult to solve."

Tang Yicheng is even trying to defend the Hong Kong government. Boss, do you want to hear what you're saying? The Chief Executive has already been made to look bad, but he still has to hold his nose and bear it.

But when Boss Wang adds responsibilities to his subordinates, he is never lenient.

She only repeated one sentence: "Think carefully, the answer is right in front of you."

She looked up and glanced around, muttering to herself, "Choosing to act when the dot-com bubble burst was pretty smart."

Before Tang Yicheng could react, his boss had already left with his wine glass.

The person Wang Xiao went to see was Tian Changlin.

As the absolute protagonist of the day, Dean Tian was surrounded by a group of people.

However, everyone still gave Boss Wang a lot of face and automatically made way for her to go and toast with Dean Tian.

However, Dean Tian is currently strictly following his doctor's orders and abstaining from alcohol, so he is drinking soda water instead.

Even so, it didn't dampen his spirits: "Let's toast to the future of Hong Kong's technology."

Wang Xiao smiled and clinked glasses: "Cheers to our wise investment in Hong Kong now!"

Someone nearby laughed: "Is it wise to invest in Hong Kong now? Wouldn't it have been wiser to do it earlier?"

Wang Xiao's smile remained unchanged: "Ten years ago, it was too late; ten years later, it's too late. Now is just right; it's the best time."

Ten years ago, what could she have done? Without even thinking about it.

What will Hong Kong have left ten years from now? Soaring property prices, ever-increasing cost of living, and young people who hate the mainland?

Ten years later, Hong Kong has nothing to offer anymore, including the once wildly popular Hong Kong movies and TV dramas, which are now largely ignored.

Therefore, the present moment of the new millennium is the only opportunity left for Hong Kong, the only opportunity to reshape the soul of Hong Kong's economy.

Whether it can soar to new heights, find its new place in the new millennium, and firmly establish itself, or be swept away by the tides of time, leaving only a disgruntled remnant, remains to be seen.

But Wang Xiao wouldn't allow the latter outcome.

Because the Hong Kong Microelectronics Centre is what she wants to build, it occupies an important position in her semiconductor business empire.

She will not allow anyone to sabotage her plans, including Hong Kong itself.

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[Starry eyes] Good morning!