Chapter 163 This is not something a person can do (bug fix): It's a bottomless pit.
The New Year celebrations continue until the Lantern Festival (January 15th of the lunar calendar).
Even during the Chinese New Year, Director Wu of Longhua TV Factory was not idle.
Since returning to China, he has been busy attending various banquets and social events, building relationships with colleagues, getting closer to upstream and downstream suppliers, and cultivating good relationships with leaders from all walks of life.
He drinks so much every day that he feels like throwing up whenever he hears the words "let's have a meal together".
Factory Director Wu couldn't hide his jealousy and said sourly, "Look at you, working for yourself, you're not on the same level as someone like me who works for the government. Look how carefree you are."
Wang Xiao chuckled: "It's not that I'm not presentable, it's just that the leaders don't care to talk to me."
This statement is truly unfair to the leaders of the Jiangdong Provincial Government.
Putting everything else aside, the sheer size of her business speaks for itself. Even if the leaders are just going through the motions, expressing support for private enterprises and welcoming foreign investment, they still have to invite her to New Year's symposiums or something similar.
But you have to admire the government leadership's acumen and flexibility.
After setting up a hundred million-dollar projects at Zhimen Commercial City and a bunch of Russian scientists trying to monetize their research projects, the leaders immediately adopted a distant and aloof attitude.
It's not that the leadership opposes their involvement in these matters, but rather that the international situation is inherently delicate.
Although the Soviet Union has been dissolved for over a year, it is not completely dead. The relationship between China and Russia is still being closely watched by many eyes around the world.
The introduction of technology by the private sector is a private matter, but if the official attitude is positive, it can be interpreted in multiple ways.
To avoid being closely monitored too early, Wang Xiao even secretly leaked the information himself.
Her sudden interest in technology products stemmed from being inspired by Great Wall bonds after returning to China.
According to rumors, she complained to others in private that it was unbelievable that so many fools would rush to give money to scammers with such a low-level fundraising method.
It's clear that ordinary people these days are really naive and have too much money.
If we don't take this opportunity to make some money, it would be a disservice to everyone's pure and selfless dedication.
So, following suit, Boss Wang also wanted to develop scientific projects to gain the endorsement of national ministries and commissions, so that she could smoothly issue bonds like Great Wall Company and make a lot of money.
What? You're saying that since she's so rich, she wouldn't even look at such paltry sums?
Sigh, who would complain about having too much money?
They become richer and richer precisely because they don't mind spending any amount of money.
Believe it or not, rumors actually have a market.
In the past few days, some people have even been openly or secretly inquiring about how her family's bonds are being sold.
This left Chairman Chen completely bewildered. He vehemently denied it, repeatedly emphasizing that his daughter Xiaoxiao was single-mindedly focused on developing high-tech industries.
But the more she said that, the more the general public believed the rumors to be true, and the more eager they were to buy investment bonds.
Why? Although the Great Wall Company is very famous, it is located far away in Beijing.
It's not as reassuring as having the Zhimen Commercial City right next door, which everyone can see just by looking up.
When Chen Yanqiu tried to refute him again, everyone acted as if they were "one of us," patting their chests and promising that they would keep this good thing a secret and resolutely keep it within the family.
Chairman Chen was so angry that he went home and cursed loudly, "Who is so despicable as to spread such rumors!"
Wang Xiao was so frightened that she trembled, her chopsticks shaking in her hand. She stubbornly refused to step forward and admit that the culprit was sitting right in front of her.
Ivanov, who went to her house for a free meal, almost choked to death trying to hold back his laughter.
Wang Xiao, behind her mother's back, tried to kill a chicken and slit its throat at him, but she managed to forcibly cover his mouth.
"Ahem, there's no need to talk about these digressions with Director Wu," Wang Xiao said earnestly. "You can't compare them. You're a public entity, and I'm a private one. Our country emphasizes public ownership as the mainstay, and everything else is supplementary."
Factory Director Wu was subtly pleased.
That's right, at least he's a government employee, with a secure job.
He groaned, "We're so pitiful, we only get a fixed salary."
Wang Xiao chuckled inwardly and cut straight to the point: "So, Director Wu, how's that LCD screen thing we talked about before? I even contacted some Russian scientists."
Factory Director Wu's smile vanished, replaced by a grimace: "General Manager Wang, I've really looked into this LCD panel. It's a TFT-LCD. Previously, LCD screens were used in electronic watches, calculators, and instrument panels. Last year, IBM launched the IBM 700C notebook computer, which used a color TFT-LCD display. They received an order for 100,000 notebook computers last year."
Wang Xiao was quite surprised that he could rattle off so much data so easily.
It's clear that the other party really cares; otherwise, they wouldn't have such a deep understanding of the situation.
But Director Wu immediately changed his tone: "But we can't make color TVs. Others make 10.4-inch screens, which are so small. Even black and white TV screens are bigger than that. How are people supposed to watch color TVs? Besides, they're expensive."
Computers are fine, they're expensive to begin with, costing tens of thousands of yuan a unit.
If you switch to a color TV, which company would be willing to spend so much money to buy it?
"Our only advantage now is our affordability, which allows us to compete with imported color TVs."
Wang Xiao emphasized: "This is because market demand is still insufficient. New products are bound to be expensive at the beginning. Once the industry is established, the price will naturally come down. LCD screens are definitely a good thing. If we don't make them now, CRT TVs will definitely be phased out in the future."
"I know it's a good thing."
Factory Director Wu had no idea what an LCD screen was until Wang Xiao mentioned it.
He didn't feel ashamed because he felt that his domestic counterparts were in similar situations.
Even internationally, no color TV manufacturer is competing on LCD screens.
However, after he learned more about LCD panels, he deeply agreed that they were indeed a good thing.
Haven't you seen that IBM, the blue giant, starting to use color displays in its laptops?
As far as he knew, besides IBM, there was also Microsoft. That Microsoft, which also made its fortune in computers, released its Windows 3.1 operating system last year, which supported 256-color display and also required a color monitor.
As we all know, the world order is changing, and the new era is the age of computers.
If two industry giants are going to get LCD displays, it definitely means that the future of displays is the era of LCD.
Wang Xiao listened to him rambling on and on, quite excited: "That's right, so we have to get started quickly, otherwise if we fall behind one step at a time, we'll fall behind every step at a time, and if we keep chasing after them, we'll be exhausted to death."
"It's not that simple. Let me finish."
Factory Director Wu started clicking his tongue again. "This thing isn't something just anyone can make. Developing a prototype is only the first step. You also need to master the mass production process."
Let me put it this way: I don't know if the Russians have the capability to develop a prototype. But they definitely can't mass-produce it.
It's not that he's prejudiced; after all, he's been selling color TVs in Moscow for quite some time.
The Russians' industrial capabilities are really not that great; LCD screens are not their domain.
Currently, the most advanced companies in LCD screen manufacturing are the Japanese. They imported the technology from the United States and rapidly developed and perfected it.
At this point, Japanese TFT LCD panels have captured more than 90% of the global market share.
Who else has joined the fray? South Korea has to be nominated.
Samsung, the South Korean company, yes, the famous Samsung.
They were willing to go all out, spending over 300 million US dollars to import the production line. They also established a research and development center in Japan and hired Japanese engineers to conduct research and development.
Two years ago, they built a pilot production line with dimensions of 300×300mm.
Last year, they went a step further and achieved the technology of producing two 10.4-inch LCD screens at once on a 300×400mm glass substrate.
Then they accomplished their mission and celebrated with champagne?
What kind of pipe dream are you having? To date, this business of Samsung is still operating at a loss, and the losses are quite severe.
Since 1991, they have been losing more than 100 million US dollars every year.
Please note that this is 100 million US dollars, not 100 million rubles, not 100 million lei, and certainly not 100 million Chinese yuan.
Old Wu knew his place; even if he sold off the entire Longhua TV factory, it wouldn't be enough to cover the losses of the other party for a year.
How much are they capable of, daring to plunge headlong into this pit? They're practically courting death.
Most importantly, you never know when you'll be able to fill this bottomless pit.
Heaven knows when I'll be able to make money.
Factory Director Wu had second thoughts and sincerely advised Wang Xiao, "This is not something we can take on."
Wang Xiao wasn't sure either.
In her memory, plasma TVs were popular for a period of time when he was very young.
Later, in 2023, when "Raging Waves" became a hit, she watched the show and confirmed that she was not mistaken; the show also mentioned plasma TVs.
This means that LCD TVs still have a long way to go.
It's really hard to say how much time, effort, and, more importantly, money will be required.
Ignoring her rebuttal, Director Wu quickly pressed his advantage: "That's right, you can't rush things, and you can't get fat in one bite. We still have to take the technology-industry-trade route, exchanging the market for technology. We can't get it done by ourselves slowly."
Upon hearing this, Wang Xiao immediately retorted, "Can our country's joint venture, Huaxia Fang, independently design and produce CRT picture tubes?"
Factory Director Wu got stuck.
These technology-based joint ventures are essentially at the mercy of others.
As far as he knew, no matter how much the officials praised them, in reality, as soon as foreign technology left, those boastful electronics factories immediately collapsed.
"Okay, let's take a step back. This time we found that the foreign partner in the joint venture didn't play any tricks. They honestly taught us the technology and helped us digest and absorb it."
Good heavens, what an amazing partnership! It's practically true love.
"But what's the use of that?" Wang Xiao emphasized, "Like semiconductors, liquid crystal technology evolves on a monthly basis. By the time we've digested and absorbed their technology, their domestic new technologies will already be mature. If we want to learn their new technologies again, that's just another cost."
This is only natural; she's a businesswoman, and she wouldn't hand over new technology to her competitors.
Even if you're trying to emulate Lei Feng and do good deeds, this isn't how you should do it. What I can give away are things I no longer need.
What you truly want, I can never give you. I still need it to make a living.
As Director Wu listened, he felt a chill run down his spine, increasingly realizing that this was a bottomless pit.
He quickly called for a halt: "Wang Xiao, my dear CEO, this is really not something we can handle. If the technology is upgraded, won't we have to switch to another production line? This is endless, when will it ever end?"
Wang Xiao instinctively wanted to deny it, because the display screen wasn't a chip and didn't need to be upgraded repeatedly.
But when she got to the point, she stammered.
Obviously, it needs an upgrade. At the very least, top manufacturers are currently making 10.5-inch screens, which are still a long way from the standard of large-screen TVs.
To reach that level, you have to upgrade again and again.
Factory Director Wu has been indulging in excessive eating and drinking lately, and his teeth are bothering him. He started sucking on his teeth again: "If this were easy to make, we would have made it ourselves long ago. We wouldn't have waited until now. It's not like we've never done it before."
Wang Xiaozhen asked curiously, "We've also made LCD screens?"
"That's right." Director Wu really went all out this time, digging deep into the industry. "Going back several decades, the Ministry of Electronics Industry's 774 Factory, 770 Factory, 713 Factory, and Shanghai Electronics Factory all made TN-LCD liquid crystal panels with four-inch substrate glass."
Wang Xiao pressed further, "Then why didn't you continue?"
More than ten years ago, in the late 1970s, at least a beginning was set.
"How do we continue? And what can we do with it after we finish it?"
Factory Director Wu couldn't help but sigh, "The Japanese have mastered it; LCD screens can be used to make calculators, digital watches, and computer screens. What did we have back then? The screens we made were useless."
This is also the biggest problem in the transformation of scientific and technological achievements. Without industrial support, no matter how amazing your sample is, it will only remain a sample.
The only purpose is to save face—look, we can actually do that too.
This is also a characteristic of crash-style scientific research; it primarily aims to protect self-esteem and emphasize that we are no worse than you.
The economic benefits are all negative.
Wang Xiao emphasized, "Things are different now. The screens we make can be used in calculators, digital watches, and laptops."
Don't be fooled by the fact that computers are incredibly expensive these days, considered a luxury item.
But selling computers is incredibly lucrative right now, with shockingly high profits; it's definitely a period of market boom.
She also painted a rosy picture: "Our country has so many people and such a huge consumer market. If we can make LCD screens, we can make our money back just from domestic sales, not to mention anything else."
Factory Director Wu couldn't take it anymore and immediately went into "Oh my god!" mode, exclaiming, "That's something that would cost at least 1 billion US dollars!"
Wang Xiao argued confidently, "If we make fifty US dollars per display panel, ten million units would be five hundred million US dollars. How many color TVs does our country produce in a year? Twenty million units would be one billion US dollars. Not to mention computers, which will definitely be one for everyone eventually. There's bound to be some profit."
Listen to what people are saying.
That's a flippant statement, as if 1 billion US dollars is just a string of zeros on a piece of paper.
Director Wu wasn't going to indulge her madness. As the director of a large state-owned factory, he was responsible for all the factory's employees.
Just when everyone could finally catch their breath, he dragged them back into the fire. Was he joking? Was he afraid of getting sacked and pelted with bricks if he went out?
He immediately called a halt, turning the tables on Wang, saying, "Well, Mr. Wang, I fully support you in making LCD screens. As long as you can make them, and as long as the price is right, our Longhua TV factory will use your screens to make LCD TVs."
Wang Xiao quickly objected: "What would I do with LCD screens? I've never made them before."
“Our Longhua TV factory has never done that before. Even IBM, when making laptops, doesn't set up a separate production line to manufacture displays. There's no logic in doing business like that; everyone gets their components from upstream manufacturers.”
Factory Director Wu helped the man up, saying, "Really, Mr. Wang, you're the most suitable person for this job. I definitely support you."
Suitable my foot! Support me for a second!
I'm better at saying nice things than you.
Am I crazy? I'm going to spend $1 billion on LCD screens? That's a bottomless pit.
It feels like the chip industry: if you don't get on board, you'll be eliminated by the entire supply chain; but once you're on board, you can't get off.
Once you make money, you have to keep investing it, adding more and more, endlessly adding more and more, without ever seeing the end of the world.
Factory Director Wu was too lazy to argue with her anymore: "Well then, President Wang, I'll wait for your good news. I have some things to attend to here, so I'll hang up now."
After hanging up the phone, Wang Xiao was still muttering to himself, "What is this? Is this some kind of attempt to shift the blame?"
Hearing her muttering to herself, Ivanov asked her bodyguard curiously, "What's going on?"
Why did he ask the bodyguard instead of the translator?
He didn't have a translator specifically assigned to him during this trip to China. His main communication partner is Wang Xiao, and when Wang Xiao isn't around, he can rely on his bodyguards.
After all, KGB's reputation isn't just for show; they're genuinely awesome.
They possess both the ability and the right attitude to learn, and are also exceptionally proactive.
When they became bodyguards, no one required them to learn Mandarin. In fact, even today, their boss's level of speaking is only at the level of saying "hello," "goodbye," and "have you eaten?" with a broken accent.
The bodyguards are very strict with themselves. Even Liuba, who was the last to join Wang Xiao's side, can now have basic daily conversations with Chinese people.
The most astonishing thing is that they can not only hear it, but they also recognize hundreds of Chinese characters now.
When Wang Xiao learned this, his biggest feeling was that it was a pity.
The fact that so many KGBs have become part of the mafia is a further destruction of the Soviet legacy.
It takes ten years to grow a tree, but a hundred years to cultivate a person.
Material wealth, once lost, can be quickly recreated once conditions are restored.
However, the losses caused by the loss and gap in talent are incalculable.
They should have shone brightly, using their wisdom and courage to create a better future for themselves and their country.
But saying such things now is meaningless.
Their intelligence, at the moment, is of greatest use as a translator for the boss.
I'll also take this opportunity to give myself another raise, since I'm already doing the work of two positions.
The bodyguard dutifully translated the female boss's phone conversation.
The boss tried to get someone to make LCD screens, but the boomerang backfired, and the other person told her, "If you can do it, then do it."
Ivanov, unaware of the depth of the waterway, said rather nonchalantly, "Then let's do it and see."
Wang Xiao glared at her: "Entering the industry means earning 1 billion US dollars, and who knows how long it will take to fill out the forms?"
Honestly, she now feels that Director Wu has a really good temper; he was able to argue with her for so long.
If it were her, she probably would have already kicked him out.
"We're not developing the oil field anymore? We still have to inject $150 million in March. We don't even know when we'll see any returns."
Besides, what a joke! Even without the Sakhalin oil deal, with that $1 billion for investment, there are so many things I could do.
Putting everything else aside, if I were to buy property or land in Hong Kong now, in three or four years at most, given the soaring property prices before Hong Kong's return to China, my $1 billion investment could multiply several times over.
I've read Genesis several times.
The surge in Hong Kong property prices has a real basis.
When the two governments signed the agreement in the 1980s, in order to prevent the British government from auctioning land recklessly and depleting Hong Kong's finances before its return to China, China stipulated that the Governor's government could not auction more than 50 hectares of land each year.
But Hong Kong is developing so rapidly that this amount of land simply cannot meet the demand. Land prices don't even need speculators to drive them up; the supply can't keep up with demand, so prices will naturally rise.
In fact, land prices in Hong Kong have been rising since the 1980s.
If land prices rise, housing prices will definitely follow suit.
Ivanov was puzzled: "Then why don't we invest in Hong Kong real estate?"
His Marxist tendencies are quite limited; once it comes to making money, his businessman nature immediately takes over.
He is also optimistic about the rise in Hong Kong property prices because he feels that there are still too few places for ordinary Chinese people to spend their money.
If it weren't for this, there wouldn't have been the previous stock market frenzy, or the current crazy surge in Great Wall bonds and Hainan real estate.
Ultimately, these issues stem from the fact that ordinary people cannot find more suitable investment channels, are unwilling to keep spare cash on hand, and have an overly strong desire for money to generate more money. Naturally, they end up like headless flies, bumping into whatever they see.
Compared to these projects, investing in Hong Kong real estate is clearly more promising.
At least it was one of the Four Asian Tigers; at least it had a developed economy; at least it still leads the trend in half of Asia and is well-known throughout the world.
Wang Xiao was speechless after hearing what he said.
She didn't know how to explain the frustration of being blocked by others because she didn't have access to this technology.
She knew very little about LCD screens, but she did know about chips; she was being made a fool of.
Do you think you can buy things just because you have money? The things are in other people's hands, they control them, and they can do whatever they want to you.
Ultimately, online celebrities make their living from public sentiment, so they are particularly sensitive to the emotions of the masses.
As for those who weren't perceptive, they all messed up, so there's no need to mention them.
Therefore, in some aspects, her emotions are particularly subtle, subtle even her business acumen cannot suppress.
But her rationality told her that this was not something she could accomplish simply by "going all out".
It involves the upgrading of the entire industry; to exaggerate a bit, it's a problem that can only be solved at the national level.
Wang Xiao took a deep breath, regained his composure, and calmed his gaze: "Are there any other projects?"
While she was busy making phone calls, Ivanov was reviewing project materials compiled by his subordinates.
“Yes.” Ivanov wanted to cheer his partner up, so he immediately picked out something to emphasize, “The instant translator you wanted is here. It can be put into production now. They’ve tested it, and it can basically meet the needs of tourists and small businesses.”
Wang Xiao's eyes lit up instantly.
Hehe, even without fish and shrimp, a translator is still a project that can be developed.
————————
There's a story about LCD screens, the information of which comes from the internet.
Following the outbreak of the 2008 global financial crisis, Taiwanese LCD manufacturers were on the verge of production shutdowns. From January to June 2009, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council jointly organized two trips for nine major Chinese color TV manufacturers to purchase LCD panels from Taiwan, totaling US$4.4 billion and exceeding 12 million panels. This pulled Taiwanese LCD panel companies out of the financial crisis. The reward for these mainland companies was being stabbed in the back by the Taiwanese.
Starting in February 2009, South Korean companies suddenly purchased 4 million LCD panels from Taiwanese companies Quanta and Chi Mei with cash, signing a 2009 procurement agreement. This control over market supply immediately led to a severe shortage of panels in mainland China. Simultaneously, South Korean companies reduced their LCD exports to China and began raising prices. Prices increased by over 30% from March to August 2009, plunging Chinese TV manufacturers into further difficulties. Taiwanese companies, however, watched this situation unfold, controlling production and profiting handsomely.
In short, Chinese color TV manufacturers at that time were begging for survival, having to pay money to buy products while having to be subservient to others.
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