Chapter 501 Don't Go Wasting Money Anymore: Today's spending quota is complete!
It's probably because these days, there aren't many people who are both wealthy and willing to spend money, so as soon as Wang Xiao agreed to work on fly-by-wire flight control technology, Deputy Director Jiang treated her like a gold mine.
The meeting had just ended that evening, and everyone was having a buffet together when Deputy Director Jiang had someone bring over a folder and warmly invited Wang Xiao: "Mr. Wang, take a look, is there anything you're interested in?"
These tech conferences, which bring together business owners, are all about attracting investment.
Whether it's a lab project looking to enter the commercial market or a struggling project looking to make a living, both require money.
Wang Xiao was munching on an egg tart when she saw such a thick stack of documents, and suddenly even the freshly baked egg tart lost its sweetness.
She frowned, like a student reluctant to open their winter break homework, took several deep breaths, and even drank a sip of freshly squeezed orange juice to calm herself before mustering the courage to start looking at the documents.
Deputy Director Jiang enthusiastically encouraged them from the side: "These are all future development directions, and they have great potential. An entrepreneur with such vision as Mr. Wang will surely be able to see their value."
Unfortunately, despite the leader's many kind words, Wang Xiao only glanced through the document briefly before putting it down and continuing to eat her half-eaten egg tart without saying a word.
Deputy Director Jiang, taking her as patient and good-tempered, waited until she finished the remaining egg tarts and wiped her mouth with a tissue before speaking: "Not interested? Please wait a moment, new materials will be delivered soon."
Zhang Rujing watched and laughed from the side; a PhD with a PhD, Deputy Director Jiang was really to his liking.
That's how you should get things done—swift and decisive.
Especially for high-tech projects, if anyone dares to procrastinate from today to tomorrow, or from tomorrow to the day after, even the best project can be dragged down and killed.
We must seize every opportunity and use every means at our disposal.
Wang Xiao waved his hand, stating directly that there was no need for such a project: "These projects are too forward-looking. They probably won't be profitable for at least fifteen or twenty years."
Deputy Director Jiang explained in a friendly tone: "For high-tech projects, the government will provide policy support and corresponding subsidies."
This is true in any country. The risk factor for cutting-edge projects is too high. Without the support of national policies, companies operating alone will basically not survive.
This time, Wang Xiao reached out and took an orange, slowly peeling it: "How much subsidy? When will the subsidy be given? What is the level of the preferential policies?"
Before Deputy Director Jiang could give an answer, she bluntly asked, "How much can the government subsidize? Where would we get so much money to subsidize? And where is it that money isn't needed?"
The government isn't exactly dirt poor, but it's certainly not extravagant either.
If it were truly wealthy, so many state-owned enterprises wouldn't have suddenly ceased production, leading to mass layoffs.
It's precisely because the government can no longer afford to subsidize them that everyone is being told to go back to their own homes, find their own mothers, and figure out how to make a living on their own.
Jiang, the deputy director, has a doctorate in communications and has also been in charge of the economy in Sanya, Hainan. He was too embarrassed to lie to Wang Xiao, so he had to back down: "Policies are all fought for. Besides, didn't you say before that we should invest in the next 20 years and not just look at the present?"
Wang Xiao was surprised.
She only said this to her subordinates, and not even during a large meeting.
Unexpectedly, it was remembered and used by local government leaders.
The buffet was open to the public. When an entrepreneur came over to greet the leader, he heard someone mention investing in the future versus the present. He then smiled and chimed in, "Investing in the present means investing in real estate. Buying land and investing in real estate now is the sure way to make a profit."
He looked at Deputy Director Jiang with anticipation, "When will you organize another land auction? I'm waiting for you, leader, so I can participate in the auction and acquire land."
When Jiang was the deputy mayor of Sanya, Hainan, he established the first land transaction center in the country, making it clear that if you want land, you should go to the market, not the mayor.
However, to date, including in Shanghai, the land auction policy has not been truly implemented.
Deputy Director Jiang waved his hand and laughed, "This area is not under my jurisdiction. However, if you are building a high-tech enterprise, I can help coordinate the land acquisition, and the standards will be the most favorable policies."
The entrepreneur who came over to say hello said, "I hope you can help me out when the time comes," but he was already walking away, clearly not planning to build a factory in the Pudong Development Zone.
Deputy Director Jiang wasn't angry. He just smiled and took over the conversation, focusing on Wang Xiao: "Mr. Wang, if you come to invest, you'll get the best of the best policies."
Someone nearby joked, "Oh, so our Boss Wang is going to come and build a house? That's definitely going to make money."
Last year, two major events in China's economy garnered significant public attention.
One is the massive layoffs caused by the reform of state-owned enterprises. Look, even laid-off workers were on this year's Spring Festival Gala. This is the first time that has happened. You can imagine how big the impact of this is.
Another thing is housing reform. The government wants to stimulate the real estate market. In the past, the housing allocated to employees by their work units was basically just the right to use the property, and they had to pay rent, though it was very cheap. Now everyone has to pay to buy the housing allocated by their work units so they can get their own property ownership certificate.
There's a lot of talk in society right now that commercial housing has been talked about for so many years, it's finally about to take off.
If we're talking about making money in the future, who else but real estate?
With a smile on his face, Wang Xiao slowly peeled off the top half of the orange and then carefully removed the orange pulp from inside.
Is this supposed to be like middle school students making little orange lanterns following the Chinese textbook?
She didn't speak, and the person who brought up the conversation didn't want to urge her, so they just laughed it off and turned to find other people to talk about other topics.
Deputy Director Jiang readily agreed and continued speaking to Wang Xiao: "So, Mr. Wang, are you planning to invest in high-tech housing? The kind with constant temperature?"
Wang Xiao shook his head: "It's too early to invest in residential properties now, unless I acquire the land and hold onto it until later when I develop it."
Someone nearby exclaimed in surprise, "It's still early! This is a golden opportunity! If we wait any longer, it will be too late!"
Wang Xiao smiled, but didn't give a proper explanation: "Good food is worth waiting for, there are advantages to being late."
After the group dispersed, Deputy Director Jiang asked with great interest, "Why is there an advantage to being late?"
“Because it’s not the right time yet,” Wang Xiao laughed. “If the real estate market in any country really takes off, the final buyers will always be ordinary people. If ordinary people don’t have money, no matter how magnificent your houses are, it’s all for nothing.”
Before she time-traveled, when she was taking an elective course at university, her teacher mentioned that the SARS outbreak in 2002 had severely impacted the real estate market, and it took several years for the market to recover before prices skyrocketed.
At that time, she felt that SARS was just a coincidence; even without SARS, other events would have burst the bubble.
Because China didn't officially join the WTO until the end of 2001, and only then did its manufacturing industry experience rapid development.
If ordinary people don't save up for several years, they can't even afford a down payment, so where will they get the money to buy a house?
Without the surge in orders brought about by joining the WTO, how could urban factories have needed so many migrant workers? And without the influx of migrants, what would support the city's real estate market?
Ultimately, ordinary people need to have money before they can afford to buy a house.
Every industry relies on consumers, and real estate is no exception.
Deputy Director Jiang nodded: "That's right. It's the manufacturing industry that stimulates the real estate market, not the other way around, where the real estate market stimulates the manufacturing industry."
The financial crises in Japan and Southeast Asia have already proven this point.
Any attempt to stimulate economic development and create a false sense of prosperity through real estate is like drinking poison to quench thirst; such a strategy will inevitably lead to significant losses in the long run.
“So we still need to focus on the future.” Deputy Director Jiang took a new folder from the panting secretary and handed it to Wang Xiao with perfect ease. “Take a look at these. They are all industries that will explode in the next ten years. They have great development prospects and also receive government subsidies.”
Wang Xiao had already emptied all the orange pith and placed it on a napkin, eating the orange while flipping through the documents.
Seeing that she didn't resist, Deputy Director Jiang simply added some explanations to her from the side: "Look at the photovoltaic industry. On January 12th of this year, the State Planning Commission and the Ministry of Science and Technology issued the 'Notice on Further Supporting the Development of Renewable Energy,' which clearly stated that support would be given to renewable energy power generation projects."
Wang Xiao admired the leader's memory; he could recite such a long notice name so easily.
But she was very picky and demanded verification: "Where is the notice? Is there an official document with an official header?"
Zhang Rujing and the others stood by, some drinking water, some drinking juice, all watching the spectacle with smiles on their faces.
To my surprise, Deputy Director Jiang was quite well-prepared; he actually pulled the notice out from the back of the folder.
Feng Zhonglin came from Xiaozhou with a mission: to prevent his boss from spending too much money in Shanghai and forgetting about Xiaozhou.
Even so, he couldn't help but give a thumbs up and praise, "As expected of our Director Jiang, Shanghai has managed to attract cadres like Director Jiang. It would be strange if Shanghai didn't develop well."
Deputy Director Jiang replied with a smile, "We still need your support to get our work done."
He pointed to the document and showed it to Wang Xiao, saying, "For renewable energy power generation projects that receive basic construction loans from banks, a 2% fiscal subsidy will be provided, and priority will be given to arranging loans, with the repayment period also being appropriately extended."
Wang Xiao read it from beginning to end, then shook his head: "It seems that the word 'photovoltaic' is not mentioned here."
Deputy Director Jiang explained: "The price of photovoltaic power generation is guaranteed. As you can see, it is clearly stated here that renewable energy grid-connected power generation projects implement the pricing principle of principal and interest repayment plus reasonable profit during the repayment period. The portion exceeding the average electricity price of the grid is shared by the grid."
Wang Xiao shook his head again: "I'm talking about subsidies specifically for photovoltaic power generation. The cost of making this is very high. At the internationally advanced level, the production cost of photovoltaic modules is about $3 per watt. And the cost of photovoltaic modules in our country is about $4.2 per watt."
Xiao Gao and Xiao Zhao have very sharp eyes; even standing at a distance, they can clearly see the contents of the document.
Even if the project writer's point is, "Look, the price difference between domestic and international markets is so large, which fully demonstrates that this project is very profitable."
The reason why our country has such high costs is because of small production scale, low technology level, and high dependence on imported raw materials.
This is precisely the key to the great potential of the photovoltaic industry in my country!
But when it came to their boss, it became evidence presented in court.
Wang Xiao continued to express his disdain: "The cost of generating one kilowatt-hour of electricity is several tens of yuan. Who can afford such expensive electricity? After generating the electricity, you still have to transport it out, and the losses during transportation will be added to the cost. This is not generating electricity, it is bestowing blessings."
Deputy Director Jiang could only smile wryly: "You see, the power grid will subsidize the excess portion. The government will also provide interest subsidies for project construction."
However, this gave Wang Xiao another opening: "But the notice clearly states that central government projects will be subsidized by the Ministry of Finance, while local projects will be subsidized by local governments. Local governments are all waiting for central government support, so where am I supposed to get the subsidies?"
Feng Zhonglin feared that his boss might act recklessly and offend the leaders of the Shanghai Municipal Government—the saying goes, even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake; in any business, it's always good to maintain a good relationship with the government.
He laughed and said, "Look, Director Jiang, Shanghai has made such a huge contribution to the country, handing over so much money. The boss is worried about the Shanghai Municipal Government. But I believe the Shanghai Municipal Government won't have to worry about this little bit of money."
Wang Xiao shook his head again: "I'm not worried about the Shanghai municipal government, I'm worried about the governments in Xinjiang, Tibet and Inner Mongolia, they might not be able to come up with the money."
Oh, how did we suddenly jump to the border regions? We were talking about projects in Shanghai.
Wang Xiao, however, said seriously: "The most important factor for developing photovoltaics is long hours of sunshine. In Shanghai, with this kind of weather, photovoltaics are idle for at least half the year. It can't compare to the border areas, where photovoltaics can be fully utilized."
That makes sense, but the problem is, Mr. Wang, didn't you just say that the longer the electricity is transported, the greater the loss?
Wang Xiao said casually, "The electricity generated will be used locally."
Feng Zhonglin even suspected that his boss's business had been too smooth over the years, so he was taking things for granted.
“The local area probably doesn’t need that much electricity,” he reminded his boss. “There are fewer factories there, so they use less electricity.”
However, his boss had his own logic: "Therefore, energy-intensive enterprises should be located near power plants, such as electrolytic aluminum, polysilicon, and industrial silicon. Production costs can be significantly reduced if they are located in areas with high power generation. In such areas, investment attraction should fully leverage their energy advantages."
Her ideas were wildly imaginative, and she even actively encouraged Deputy Director Jiang, saying, "Doesn't Shanghai also provide aid to Xinjiang and Tibet? Why not install photovoltaic projects in the areas you are specifically assisting? This is also a major trend for future development."
Deputy Director Jiang was completely confused by her words.
He felt that she really talked about how, 20 years from now, the cost of photovoltaic power generation will be greatly reduced, and how to use all the electricity generated.
Now, he didn't know whether to praise Boss Wang for his foresight or for thinking too far ahead.
However, Wang Xiao's thoughts were like a wild horse that had broken free of its reins.
She either stared blankly, looking dejected, or went straight into fantastical mode, excitedly asking Deputy Director Jiang, "Is this the only subsidy for new energy? Are there any subsidies for improving the environment, promoting green development, and combating desertification?"
Her train of thought jumped so rapidly that no one present could keep up with her train of thought.
We were just talking about photovoltaics, how come you suddenly switched to talking about desertification control?
They didn't know that Wang Xiao was a time traveler, nor did they know that before she traveled through time, photovoltaic desertification control had already gone viral.
Deputy Director Jiang could only reply, "There are subsidized loans for desertification control. I'm very certain about this policy; it's been in place for several years. But I need to find the relevant documents; I really can't give them to you right now."
"Then please look for it as soon as possible." Wang Xiao fiddled with the orange peel she was going to use to make the little orange lamp, a smile on her face. "Whether there is any subsidy in this regard is very important."
Deputy Director Jiang had no choice but to ask, "Excuse my bluntness, I'm not trying to pry into your business secrets, but what does your photovoltaic power generation have to do with desertification control? Or is it another new project? What I mean is, if I understand this, I can then apply for policy support from higher authorities."
“It’s not a secret,” Wang Xiao said with a smile, waving his hand. “It’s very simple. Solar panels are natural sunshades. In many places, the reason they become deserts is not because they don’t get rain at all, but because they can’t retain water. The sun is strong, the wind is strong, and the evaporation is too great. With these sunshades, a large portion of the water can be retained. And as long as there is water, plants can grow. The banks of the Huangpu River are all sand, but the plants still grow lushly.”
Everyone then realized that this was indeed the case.
If we can retain water, we can retain life.
Wang Xiao smiled and said, "In addition, the photovoltaic poles, buried in the sand, also act as sand-fixing piles, which can effectively stabilize the sand dunes. Rows of photovoltaic panels can block the wind and reduce wind speed, preventing sand and dust from rising, thus playing a role in windbreak and sand fixation."
Well, now that you mention it, photovoltaic power generation can indeed help control desertification at the same time.
Wang Xiao picked up a bright red strawberry, took a bite, and continued, "This grass can be used to raise sheep and ducks. Sheep and duck manure are natural organic fertilizers that can also improve the soil's nutrient structure. Over time, the quality of the land can be greatly improved."
Xiao Gao had been listening with great interest, but when he heard this part, he couldn't help but be stunned: "Why raise ducks?"
He could completely understand raising sheep, because in his view, whether it was Xinjiang, Tibet or Inner Mongolia, the grasslands were lush and the cattle and sheep could be seen.
This duck must be raised in an area with a dense network of waterways; ducks are the first to know when the river warms in spring.
“Ducks are very good at eating insects,” Wang Xiao explained. “In drought conditions, locusts can easily cause locust plagues, and ducks can control insect pests in grasslands by eating insects. In drinking water areas, they can also eat mosquito and fly larvae to ensure water quality.”
This is indeed true; everyone has seen related news reports.
Wang Xiao explained at length: "Ducks eat different grasses than sheep. They eat the tender leaves and seeds of various weeds, which complements the diet of sheep. Ducks like to use their feet to graze, which plays a role similar to tilling the land, effectively preventing soil compaction and improving the soil climate."
She talked about ducks and then sheep, using a series of rhetoric that made everyone feel that it would be a waste not to develop photovoltaic power generation in the desert and raise ducks and sheep to control desertification.
Deputy Director Jiang, in particular, was extremely excited, saying several times, "This idea is excellent, absolutely fantastic! Mr. Wang, you're a genius!"
Although many people are sour, saying that those who got rich first were just lucky.
But if she didn't have any skills, why was she the one who got lucky?
Look at how clever they are, they've built a ranch using solar panels.
This top-tier model, integrating "light-agriculture-livestock-ecology," creates a complex agricultural ecosystem with greater species diversity, a more stable structure, and richer output.
Wang Xiao accepted the compliment with a smile.
Does she feel guilty about being praised as a genius?
She's not guilty at all!
Geniuses stand on the shoulders of giants, and what aspect of her solar-powered ranch doesn't fit that definition? She's completely adopting what she's learned.
Deputy Director Jiang's mind was racing, frantically listing the key points.
This is not just a new energy industry, but also a model of efficient land use and a paradigm of smart agriculture and ecological agriculture.
Even if the photovoltaic system cannot support itself, it may still be able to maintain the operation of the photovoltaic ranch through the income from raising ducks and sheep and desertification control.
and--
Deputy Director Jiang made up his mind: "President Wang, you write a report that clearly introduces the project. I'll submit the report to you."
He was at least 70-80% certain that the project would receive special subsidies.
Because it solves several problems at once, and if the pilot program is successful, it can be rolled out on a large scale.
Most importantly, once it is successfully promoted, it can effectively reduce the production cost of photovoltaic modules, forming a positive cycle.
When the overall cost of photovoltaic power generation is low enough, energy-intensive enterprises can move to the border areas without worrying about serious environmental pollution, because it is a green energy source.
In this way, the economy of the border regions is also stimulated, which can effectively ensure the stability and prosperity of the country.
Deputy Director Jiang emphasized once again: "Write it well, you must write it well. After you finish writing it, we will try to organize experts to review it and strive to get it approved in one go."
Feng Zhonglin was initially excited, but then suddenly realized what was happening.
Oh dear, this is terrible.
This project doesn't necessarily have to be done in Shanghai; Xiaozhou could easily take the lead.
It doesn't matter if solar panels are installed in the border region; the solar modules can be produced in Xiaozhou, right?
With government subsidies, how can we not hope that industries will develop?
Impossible. The Communist Party has never failed to accomplish anything it sets its mind to.
Feng Zhonglin sighed with regret.
Despite being a native of Jinning, he has lived in Xiaozhou for a long time and is highly respected and valued by local leaders. Therefore, he has long considered himself half a Xiaozhou native and subconsciously considers local interests when doing things.
Unfortunately, since Deputy Director Jiang had already made his stance clear, what could he say? He couldn't very well offend the leaders in Shanghai.
It's a missed opportunity; we can only wait for the next chance.
Because he couldn't possibly complain in his heart about why his boss hadn't informed him beforehand. He knew Boss Wang too well; it was very likely that before seeing the photovoltaic industry today, although she had the knowledge in her head, she hadn't even thought about doing it.
Whoever can trigger her trigger will reap great benefits.
As everyone was discussing and marveling at the situation, a voice suddenly rang out: "Hey, wait a minute, if electricity is generated and used only where it's generated, how are we going to use electricity in a place like ours? We can't rely on burning coal to generate electricity all the time."
Why develop green and new energy sources? It's because environmental pollution is so severe.
Wang Xiao spent a sum of money and seemed to receive a government subsidy along the way, so he was in a good mood.
Upon hearing this, she casually replied, "In places like the Yangtze River Delta, where the population is dense and there is a lot of garbage, incinerating garbage for power generation is the most suitable option."
She remembered that before she traveled through time, there wasn't enough garbage in this area, so they had to dig out all the garbage that had been buried before and send it to be incinerated for power generation, which sounded incredibly surreal.
Before Feng Zhonglin could speak, Deputy Director Jiang interjected again: "This is also a direction for development, which the country encourages and supports, and provides policy support for."
Actually, this isn't about new energy sources; it's entirely about solving the problem of garbage piling up in cities. Where to dump garbage? This is a major headache for every rapidly developing city, especially those that are large and densely populated.
Waste incineration power generation has been developing abroad for decades and is a typical example of waste recycling.
Deputy Director Jiang pressed his advantage: "There are related projects here too, Mr. Wang, would you like to invest in one? I'll help you with the land use."
While this project may not be as impressive as the photovoltaic ranch she just mentioned, it can indeed solve the urban environmental problems that are currently troubling Shanghai.
Moreover, she is wealthy and generous, so even if she can't make money for a while, she won't rush to abandon the business.
This is why local governments are so keen to attract large corporations to invest.
They have a solid foundation, they can afford to wait, and they have the strength to wait for long-term development.
Wang Xiao nodded, indicating that it was optional.
She values the waste incineration equipment industry more, which requires high precision manufacturing and is indeed a promising direction for development.
Deputy Director Jiang was overjoyed and prepared to press on and continue to encourage her to invest; there were still many projects to be done.
Seeing that the situation was not good, Zhang Rujing quickly spoke first: "President Wang, there is something about building a factory. I just remembered it and wanted to tell you about it."
Lord!
The boss has too much money, and he's worried because he's afraid the boss will immediately launch a 12-inch project.
The boss is spending money like water, which worries him even more, as he's afraid she'll spend it all at once, and the chip factory will need more money for its future development.
Each one will cost hundreds of millions of US dollars. If we can't come up with the money, the factory really won't be able to survive.
Deputy Director Jiang, being such a shrewd person, immediately noticed Dr. Zhang's nervousness.
He quickly thought of a solution and seized the opportunity without hesitation: "Speaking of chips, I just wanted to discuss a chip center issue with you."
He stared at Wang Xiao. "Mr. Wang, I heard you're working with IMEC in Belgium and it's been very successful. I was thinking, IMEC is excellent, but it's a bit far from Europe. Could we perhaps establish our own IMEC?"
Wang Xiao perked up and pressed for an answer: "What do you mean?"
"It means integrating all the resources of our existing semiconductor companies, including Hua Hong NEC, your chip factory, Belling, and related research institutions and universities such as Fudan University, to build an independent pilot production line with international advanced level. After that, if our small-scale test is successful, we will do the pilot production ourselves."
Even though Zhang Rujing was worried that his boss would waste money, he couldn't bring himself to refuse the suggestion.
This is good, really good, and very meaningful.
The reason why science and technology can advance so rapidly is because of openness.
Openness lowers the entry barrier for everyone, attracting a large influx of talent and stimulating rapid technological development.
Wang Xiao nodded: "Okay, I agree to that. But if you're going to do it, do it quickly. If you need financial support, make sure the money is used wisely. I can provide it."
Deputy Director Jiang breathed a sigh of relief.
Semiconductor companies require large investments. For example, Hua Hong NEC only started production this year, and it's still unknown when it will be able to turn a profit.
Therefore, the question of where the funding for this Shanghai version of IMEC will come from is a major issue.
Now that big bosses are willing to invest, their applications are approved much faster.
Feng Zhonglin realized what was happening and quickly emphasized, "The universities in Xiaozhou have cooperation with our chip factory, including in semiconductor equipment, and they can also join us."
Deputy Director Jiang laughed: "Come on, everyone, join in! More people means more strength, the more the merrier."
Wang Xiao chuckled to himself, thinking, "Yeah, it's all my money that's being spent!"
Zhang Rujing quickly pulled her aside: "President Wang, we don't know when the R&D center here will be up and running. We can't wait. Let's continue our cooperation with IMEC. We can get the 90-nanometer project started right now."
He explained, "We can't wait for 0.13 micrometers to succeed. If we can achieve a high yield rate at 90 nanometers first, skipping 0.13 micrometers or even 0.18 micrometers is also possible."
Wang Xiao scratched his chin: "Alright, alright, you guys go and arrange it, 90 nanometers it is."
Well, I've already met my spending target for today.
She should leave. Her main focus is on semiconductors, and she is determined not to be swayed by any more temptations.
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[Starry-eyed] Good morning! Enjoying spending money with our Boss Wang, isn't it?
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