Chapter 295 Intercepting is not easy: Even if it's not easy, we must go for it.
The answer is that Zhang Junfei doesn't know.
Even thirty years from now, lithography machines will be a term that everyone from eighty-year-olds to eight-year-olds can talk about.
But in 1994, more than 99.9% of people in the country did not know what a lithography machine was.
If you don't even know something, how would you know whether it exists or not?
This is Zhang Junfei's weakness; his cultural knowledge is too limited.
Bosses are all masters of PUA (Pick-Up Artist) techniques.
Last year, Wang Xiao would use Zhang Junfei to put pressure on Yang Tao. Now, Wang Xiao would earnestly say on the phone, "Manager Zhang, if it were Manager Yang, she would have figured out all the sub-projects included in this semiconductor equipment project, including which teams are leading them and what projects these teams have led before."
Even at the end of May, Shanghai wasn't cool. Zhang Junfei found the air conditioning stuffy, so he only opened the windows for ventilation, but he still broke out in a cold sweat.
If the boss were to compare him to someone else, he probably wouldn't care.
But star fruit—
Good heavens! That woman, a college student is a college student, her notebook is as thick as a brick, covered with dense writing.
Moreover, he had secretly looked at it and found that he didn't recognize many of the letters and symbols.
The boss earnestly advised, "Manager Zhang, the further you go in life, the more you value your foundation. How far you go depends on your accumulated experience and skills."
Zhang Junfei was so eager to dig a hole and disappear that he immediately patted his chest and promised, "I'll go and find out right away."
Wang Xiao sighed, "Why don't you call President Hu and ask? If you can't get an answer, then forget it. I'll go to Shanghai tomorrow to ask him in person. It's getting late, and I don't want to bother him too much."
As if in response to her words, the nine o'clock bell of Jianghan Customs House rang from afar.
Zhang Junfei immediately agreed: "Okay, boss."
Less than fifteen minutes later, just as Wang Xiao finished her millet porridge, Manager Zhang called again, giving her an affirmative answer.
Among the projects involving lithography machines, the project of Institute 45 is the research and development and production of distributed projection lithography machines.
The answer has been given, so what is Wang Xiao hesitating for? He must fly to Shanghai tomorrow.
After speaking with Zhang Junfei, she immediately called Ivanov and told him about it.
The latter had no objection.
Once they've decided to do something, they should be willing to go through mountains and rivers, especially since they're not fighting alone; the local government is helping to lead the effort.
Wang Xiao then called Vice Mayor Huang.
I'm sorry, I can't go back to Xiaozhou with you tomorrow to report to Secretary Sun. I have to go to Shanghai first.
Upon hearing that her trip to Shanghai was about lithography machines, Vice Mayor Huang immediately declared, "Go, go, you absolutely must go! We will strongly support this."
As soon as the call ended, Vice Mayor Huang immediately opened his contact list to find Sun Chengbin's phone number, and casually muted the color TV that had already been turned down.
So on the TV show "Addiction," Wang Zhiwen angrily slammed the door and left, but the scene that should have made a loud noise turned into a dud, which was incredibly ridiculous.
But Vice Mayor Huang didn't care at all.
He had turned on the TV earlier only as background noise so that he could concentrate on reviewing his work for the day.
As soon as the long-distance call to Xiaozhou connected, he got straight to the point: "Secretary Sun, it's me, Lao Huang. I have something I need to report to you immediately. Things aren't going well in Wuhan, but the Pudong Science Park Development Company has contacted Boss Wang about a lithography machine project."
After hearing his concise explanation of the matter, Secretary Sun immediately instructed: "Go, go, you absolutely must go. I'll give you the green light all the way. Go without worry."
Vice Mayor Huang laughed: "I really have to go. I want to see if there's an opportunity to bring the 45th Research Institute and the lithography machine factory to Xiaozhou."
Fearing his superiors would think he'd gone crazy from the heat in Wuhan, he quickly offered a reason why he might have successfully poached the project: "The 3,000 mu of land in the high-tech park has already been allocated to Wang Xiao. The semiconductor equipment project needs to establish itself quickly, so they should prioritize finding other land. Wang Xiao didn't ask the development company to help find projects, so why are they eyeing these 3,000 mu? Let me analyze it—"
He tapped his fingers on his notebook. "I guess the land acquisition for the project in Pudong isn't going well."
This is perfectly normal.
Times have changed. A few years ago, when Pudong was first being developed, land grabbing was rampant, with everyone using their own methods, and anyone with a little bit of connections could get land.
The basic conditions at the time were indeed poor, and transportation and other aspects were inadequate.
But as soon as the bridge opened, savvy people immediately realized that Pudong's land had enormous potential for appreciation, so there were many more people vying for it.
What about projects led by higher-level committees? Local governments also have to consider their own interests, otherwise so many people will starve.
Pudong is currently too expensive and doesn't care about people settling down there, which is a good opportunity for Xiaozhou.
Secretary Sun laughed heartily: "Old Huang, I knew we'd be at ease with you shouldering the burden of industry."
Why not seize the opportunity? If they can seize a chip factory, they can also seize a lithography machine project.
Vice Mayor Huang chuckled, "That shows your firm stance, leader. During my visit to Wuhan, I sensed that the general direction of reform in these old industrial bases is similar to the trend in Europe and America: shifting away from manufacturing and developing the service sector."
To outsiders, this might seem a bit strange. Why would an outsider like you be talking about Wuhan's future development trends?
What does this have to do with you?
But Secretary Sun was no outsider. As soon as Lao Huang brought up the topic, he understood that what the other party was referring to was the policy set at their first meeting of the municipal party committee after New Year's Day: that Xiaozhou would not give up on manufacturing and would not retreat from secondary to tertiary industries.
This is not to say that Xiaozhou should not have a service industry; of course it should.
Without the service industry, why would outsiders come to Xiaozhou to spend money? Even locals would go to other places to spend their money.
Therefore, the service industry must be vigorously developed.
But if you don't retreat from the second tier and advance to the third tier, and instead expend resources from industry, where will you find land and labor?
It's okay, Xiaozhou also has vast rural areas where township enterprises, village-run enterprises, and even family workshops can engage in manufacturing production.
The workers are also former farmers; they farm the land while working, effectively supplementing the shortage of industrial workers caused by the development of the service industry.
The situation is similar with land; land use in towns and villages below the township level does not count against urban land use quotas at all.
This is Xiaozhou's advantage. If they don't make good use of it and make sure they succeed in both areas, then they will truly be letting down the people of Xiaozhou.
As for why they don't follow the crowd and refuse to give up manufacturing?
On the one hand, as Wang Xiao mentioned in his conversation with them, manufacturing is the foundation of the service industry. Manufacturing can accommodate the maximum number of employed people and ensure a stable basic income for residents.
When ordinary people have money in their hands, they have the confidence to spend it.
On the other hand, hehe, you're all so busy giving up, but the market won't disappear just because you've given up. The market that's vacated will then be ours, won't it?
Don't call them cunning; they deserve to make that money.
In 1994, the tax system was reformed. The majority of the taxes paid by factories went to the central government; what local governments could retain were the taxes paid by the service industry.
Under these circumstances, Xiaozhou still focused on developing the manufacturing industry, not only grasping the labor-intensive industries of the past decade, but also planning ahead for the next decade's focus on high-tech industries, particularly in the electronics industry.
If this money doesn't belong to them, then who should earn it? They earn it with a clear conscience and without any qualms.
Both city leaders, who came from the industrial system, reiterated that the decisions made by their municipal party committee were sound. When doing things, you have to think three steps ahead; if you act impulsively and make decisions on a whim, you'll be condemned by your descendants.
Secretary Sun then delegated more authority: "When you get to Shanghai, go find the leaders you need to find, and do the public relations work where necessary. Don't be timid. I think General Manager Hu of the Science Park Development Company isn't a fool. If he hadn't really run out of land, he wouldn't have actively sought out the 3,000 mu of land that had been allocated."
How could he know what kind of person Mr. Hu was? He was the top official in Xiaozhou, and he had never even dealt with Mr. Hu of the Pudong Science and Technology Park Development Company.
The two sides' work had absolutely no overlap.
Haha, who said we have no connection?
When Secretary Sun visited Wang Xiao, who had broken his leg, in Jinning during the Spring Festival, everyone tacitly agreed that the chip factory was located on Wang Xiao's 3,000-mu plot of land in Pudong.
If Secretary Sun is already poaching talent, wouldn't he need to research his potential competitors beforehand?
Whether a war breaks out or not is one thing; whether you have done preliminary research and fully understood your potential opponents is another.
Going into battle unprepared without any prior knowledge is not called bravery, it's called recklessness.
Secretary Sun believed that they had won easily last time without any bloodshed.
So this time, even if the process is difficult, their chances of winning are still very high.
The city leaders of Xiaozhou were confident and prepared to fight.
Before he even arrived in Shanghai, he was still in Wuhan, at Wuhan's Nanhu Airport—in 1994, Tianhe Airport was still under construction.
As soon as Vice Mayor Huang brought up the topic, Wang Xiao immediately poured cold water on it: "Mayor, I think this matter is unlikely!"
Oh dear, in the middle of summer, those words really chill one's heart.
Vice Mayor Huang emphasized, "The preferential conditions that Pudong can offer, Xiaozhou can also offer. Moreover, we are investing in the future, not necessarily in terms of results within two or three years. We are looking at long-term development."
The leader's statement was indeed quite tempting.
But Wang Xiao still shook his head: "A Shanghai household registration and a Xiaozhou household registration carry different weight."
She gave just one example: "Last year, what percentage of students in Shanghai were admitted to top-tier universities, and what percentage were admitted to universities in Xiaozhou?"
This isn't to say that the candidates from Xiaozhou were incompetent. What a joke! Jiangnan has been renowned for its talented candidates since the days of the imperial examinations.
Even if you're a top scorer, there are only so many spots available in your province, so what can you do?
Vice Mayor Huang opened his mouth, then opened it again, but in the end, he couldn't say a word.
Yes, what companies value is efficiency and future development prospects.
But a workplace is made up of employees, and every employee has to consider their own children's education.
Unfortunately, this is a matter that the Xiaozhou municipal government simply cannot resolve.
After much deliberation, Vice Mayor Huang gritted his teeth and made up his mind: "I'll go with you to Pudong to broaden my horizons first. We'll talk about the rest later."
Hey! If a lithography machine project wants to be located in Shanghai, then Shanghai has to be willing to accept it.
The prevailing idea now is that it's better to buy than to make. Lithography machines are just tools for manufacturing chips. Perhaps the higher-ups think that instead of wasting time and energy, it's better to import ready-made tools from abroad first, set up the production line, and then consider the issue of domestic production later.
After all, COCOM is already dead, and the international embargo on Chinese equipment has been relaxed. So, it's not impossible to import the equipment we want in the future.
But does that mean we shouldn't produce our own products if we can import them? Japan offers you color TVs, refrigerators, and air conditioners separately for import, so why do your state-owned factories collectively close their doors and just buy them instead of manufacturing them themselves?
How could that be!
Besides, what you really want, they might not give it to you.
Equipment and simple consumer goods are two completely different concepts.
The plane took off from Nanhu Airport and landed at Shanghai Hongqiao Airport in less than two hours.
Shanghai wasn't cool at the end of May, but the environment at Hongqiao Airport was clearly much better than that at Nanhu Airport.
Although the airport does not currently have central air conditioning, its underground terminal room is equipped with chiller units that can deliver cool air to certain areas through pipes. In addition, the cross ventilation created by adjusting the angle of the metal louvers also makes the air in the airport much fresher and cooler.
Vice Mayor Huang recalled that he had just been at Nanhu Airport less than two hours earlier—oh my, it was a hall with thousands of people and the smell of sweat everywhere.
In this comparison, the gap between coastal and inland areas is truly evident in every aspect.
However, Wuhan is about to start construction on the new Tianhe Airport, which might be much better than Hongqiao Airport.
No one can see the future; you can never predict what will happen next.
Zhang Junfei was already waiting to pick up his boss.
He was afraid he wouldn't see his boss right away, so he didn't dare stand near the ventilation opening. Sweat beaded on his forehead and nose, and his white shirt clung to his back, becoming almost transparent.
Wang Xiao was a bit unethical, actually thinking of the infamous cattle and horse special train.
Dear elites, in the morning in Shanghai, it was General Manager Li, General Manager Zhang, and General Manager Wang who were giving people a good scolding; but in the afternoon at the Beijing headquarters, it was just junior managers Li, Zhang, and Wang, who were bowing their heads and waiting to be scolded.
Now, Manager Zhang is at least a well-known figure in Pudong, and he still feels uneasy standing in front of the boss.
Instead of scolding him, Wang Xiao nodded and smiled at him, saying, "Thank you for your hard work, Manager Zhang."
Zhang Junfei narrowly escaped kneeling down.
He wasn't afraid of hard work; he didn't want to end up like Yang Tao, who was sent to Beijing and her boss even hired two other people to form a three-way power struggle with her.
"It's not hard work at all, thank you for your hard work, boss."
Wang Xiao chuckled and introduced him, "What's so hard about me? It's Mayor Huang who's really working hard. He traveled all that way, taking me to Wuhan to scout out the route and then helping me get things done in Shanghai."
Zhang Junfei did not know Vice Mayor Huang.
Because when he left Xiaozhou with Tang Yicheng, Vice Mayor Huang had not yet joined the municipal party committee leadership team.
After that, we never interacted again, and we really didn't have much contact with each other.
But he had already memorized the names of the main leaders of Liangjiang Province, and since his boss introduced him in this way, he immediately confirmed that the other party was Vice Mayor Huang of Xiaozhou.
But this only made him more confused.
What are the leaders from Xiaozhou doing in Shanghai? This matter doesn't seem to have anything to do with them.
Wang Xiao didn't know how to explain it. Could she say that a high-ranking deputy mayor was there specifically to poach talent? It wouldn't sound good.
Fortunately, despite his lack of cultural knowledge, Zhang Junfei was self-taught in sociology.
In less than three seconds, after he had warmly shaken hands with his boss, his heart began to skip a beat.
Really?
Right before the Chinese New Year, Vice Mayor Sun—no, Secretary Sun—had poached a chip factory from Pudong that was a sure thing.
Not even half a year had passed since then, just over three months later, a new Vice Mayor Huang arrived and set his sights on the lithography machine project again.
Honestly, for the first time in his life, Zhang Junfei felt empathy for Secretary Fang—it was truly unsightly, their eating habits were truly unsightly, they were fighting and grabbing at each other.
Vice Mayor Huang can't read minds, otherwise he probably would have laughed out loud.
Thank you for the compliment. If a local official in charge of attracting investment is described as someone who is both competitive and eager to grab, then that's practically a badge of honor.
Wang Xiao and others ate breakfast in Wuhan—one bowl of hot dry noodles each.
Is it delicious? To be honest, Vice Mayor Huang, who is from Jiangnan, is not used to eating dry hot noodles for breakfast.
But he has to admit that hot dry noodles are indeed suitable for dock culture, especially for filling the stomach.
They arrived at the airport at noon, and by driving from Hongqiao Airport to Pudong Science and Technology Park Development Zone, they would have already passed lunchtime.
However, everyone agreed that they could skip eating and go directly to the science park, since everyone was full and not hungry at all.
Fortunately, the boss knew she couldn't be too ruthless, otherwise her subordinates would curse her behind her back.
Wang Xiao was very considerate and shared the shaomai she brought from Wuhan with Zhang Junfei and the drivers, letting them have some to eat first.
Once they arrived at the development company, they went to have a proper meal.
But how could Zhang Junfei agree to that? He was afraid that the boss would promote a newcomer to a higher position.
Moreover, looking at Vice Mayor Huang, he felt a chill run down his spine, always suspecting that the other party could move all the projects away.
Therefore, no matter what, he had to stay by the boss's side to be able to adapt to changing circumstances.
If subordinates are willing to work like beasts of burden, even skipping the time of eating grass, would the boss object?
No, don't assume your boss is too conscientious.
She agreed without hesitation: "Then you should eat more shumai; the shumai in Wuhan is really good."
The car drove onto Pudong Road and then onto Nanpu Bridge.
The Huangpu River was bathed in sunlight, its surface gleaming white. When the windows were opened for ventilation, a salty, fishy smell wafted out.
Cargo ships slowly sailed across the river, while on the opposite bank, the Oriental Pearl Tower in Lujiazui had completed the installation of its sphere. The tower, wrapped in scaffolding, pointed straight into the sky, also bathed in the bright white light of the sun.
Wow, that's fast!
It wasn't like this when she arrived in Pudong in February.
She casually asked, "When will the Oriental Pearl Tower be completed?"
Zhang Junfei quickly replied, "I heard it's in October."
Wang Xiao nodded and closed his eyes to rest.
The news blaring from the car radio: "In February of this year, Lenovo successfully listed in Hong Kong..."
Wow, he really is a role model and a paragon of the times. Very successful.
By the time the news broadcast ended, the car had crossed the Nanpu Bridge. Once in Pudong, farmland stretched as far as the eye could see. The rapeseed and wheat, yet to be harvested, were a golden yellow, while the fields already planted with rice were a vibrant green. Closer to the construction site, however, everything was dusty and gray, leaving us covered in the dust that swirled from the site.
Don't ask why Pudong has no land available for semiconductor supporting projects when there are still large tracts of farmland.
The answer is that whenever the development company acquires land, construction starts in the afternoon, and people are planting vegetables and crops in the morning.
Because the entire route was a construction site, and there were still places where roads were being repaired, by the time the car arrived at the Science and Technology Park Development Company, Wang Xiao's wristwatch was already showing 2:10 PM.
Perfect timing! I'll go to the company's conference room for a cup of tea. It'll be about 2:30 PM, and the daytime nap time should be over by then.
As soon as Wang Xiao got out of the car, General Manager Hu hurriedly came downstairs and strode to the door to greet the guest.
Upon meeting Wang Xiao and Ivanov, he repeatedly apologized, "I'm so sorry to have troubled you two to make this trip in this sweltering heat."
He explained the whole story in a few words.
The current situation is caused by a variety of factors.
The Pudong Semiconductor Equipment Base project did indeed start operating last year, but at the time there was no clear answer as to where the specific project would be located.
Furthermore, there is still no clear plan regarding how Factory 700, Factory 709, Factory 767, and Institute 45 will be relocated, or where they will be moved to.
With three factories and one institute involved, so many units have come from afar. They're not just moving empty-handed; they're bringing their instruments, equipment, and production facilities with them. It's a huge undertaking, and the other units also need to consider the relocation costs and future plans.
In any case, all these factors combined meant that the project's progress was sometimes fast and sometimes slow, and it never reached a critical point.
However, President Hu is a decisive and efficient person. From the moment he took office, he was committed to developing and utilizing the land allocated to the science park as soon as possible.
How could he leave the land empty while waiting for a project that hasn't definitively decided whether it will come or not? If you can't reach a conclusion in three or five years, am I supposed to just leave the land empty for three or five years?
Semiconductors are high-tech, but does that mean other technological projects don't rely on technology? That doesn't make sense.
Last week, he suddenly received a notice to attend a meeting at the Pudong New Area Management Committee. At the meeting, the leader mentioned the semiconductor equipment project and asked the science park to find a way to allocate land for it.
The reasons are readily available: semiconductors are high-tech, so if we don't go to the science park, are we supposed to go to Lujiazui? That would mess up the positioning.
Mr. Hu was furious. "Where were you all this time? The land has already been allocated. Where am I supposed to conjure up more land for you?"
But the leaders don't care.
You must implement the policies of your superiors whether you understand them or not.
This is the task. Whether you change it, rob it, or steal it, you have to come up with 50 acres of land.
Of course, Mr. Hu couldn't say that in front of Wang Xiao. Out of respect for his superiors, even if he was internally criticizing his leader, he couldn't possibly speak ill of him to a businessman.
His explanation was brilliant: "The relocation of the three factories and one institute represents a major consolidation of R&D resources in the domestic semiconductor industry, a truly rare opportunity. To put it simply, whether our semiconductor industry can achieve a breakthrough hinges on this."
He warmly invited Wang Xiao upstairs for tea, which was herbal tea. He specifically mentioned Wang Xiao's condition and then asked the old Chinese medicine doctor to prescribe a medicinal tea recipe.
It has to be said that if a leader wants someone to feel like they're basking in a spring breeze, then even in the sweltering summer, you can feel the coolness of a patch of green.
Look at this specially prepared herbal tea, how comforting it is!
Listen to what this leader is saying; how sincere and heartfelt he is.
"After much thought, I've concluded that this project is best suited for close collaboration with you. If you're developing chips, you absolutely need a lithography machine."
The brown herbal tea had a faint bitter aroma. When Wang Xiao took a sip, it wasn't particularly bitter, and he could drink it anyway.
After swallowing her tea, she smiled and said, "I think so too. I really need a lithography machine factory. Could you show me the information for the 'Three Factories, One Factory' project?"
Unlike 30 years later, in 1994, a large amount of non-classified information would be made public online.
Now, unless you're an insider, you basically have no access to the information, regardless of whether it's kept confidential or not. The only way you can understand someone is through their publicly published papers.
That is clearly not enough.
Mr. Hu, knowing her style, directly showed her the materials: "Take a look, this project is indeed very meaningful. For one thing, the 45th Research Institute has already developed a prototype of the BG-102 lithography machine, which has reached international standards, and the probability of achieving a breakthrough is very high. The next step is mass production."
Wang Xiao shook his head: "Mass production requires collaboration across the entire supply chain; components like photoresist and photomasks are indispensable. Our BG-102 prototype only reaches 1.5 micrometers so far, which is far behind international standards. We can't compare our lab data with their mature products; their lab data is even more alarming. No way—"
She put down the documents in her hand and shook her head again. "I don't have a good feeling about this project. I think it's going in the wrong direction."
Even Mr. Hu didn't know how to comment.
What does it mean to be fearless in ignorance? This is a perfect example.
As a businessman with a background in chemistry, I admire your ability to explain the working principle of a lithography machine.
You actually dare to give unsolicited advice, nitpick at semiconductor experts, and comment on their research directions?
Hey, my comrade, you've only just begun! Don't get carried away!
President Hu is truly well-mannered; he was even able to calmly ask, "Then tell me, which direction is the right one?"
Wang Xiao said seriously, "The right direction is to have them work for me, follow my orders, and I'll set the direction for them."
Mr. Hu had nothing more to say.
She didn't want to cooperate with the people from the Third Factory and the First Institute; instead, she directly hired them to be her bosses!
Why doesn't she just fly to the heavens?!
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[Let me see] Good morning!
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