Chapter 547 Natural Allies (Bug Fix): Mobilizing the Masses to Fight the Masses
Tang Yicheng stood by the window, holding a wine glass, lost in thought.
Hong Kong is truly free. Even with such a high-profile Government House and so many VIPs gathered today, the loudspeakers of the demonstration still managed to get through the windows and into the house.
Fortunately, Government House is Government House after all. Its security and distance prevented the protests from truly becoming a wake-up call.
But it was enough to give Tang Yicheng, who was standing by the window, a headache.
How can we solve this problem?
Real estate developers and middle-class homeowners have joined forces. If capitalists have an inherent sin, then the middle class is universally recognized as the backbone of society. The latter absolutely holds the upper hand in public opinion.
Tang Yicheng's fingers traced patterns on the wine glass, but he couldn't find a breakthrough no matter how hard he tried.
A voice suddenly sounded behind him, low and hushed: "These Hong Kong people are really good at making trouble, they make a fuss over the smallest things."
Tang Yicheng turned his head and recognized the person who had spoken to him as a PhD from Fudan University, whom he had personally recruited and who was currently working on big data research.
Hong Kong has such a strong siphon effect on talent that people even gave up staying at Fudan University, preferring to start from scratch in Hong Kong.
Tang Yicheng nodded at him and sighed, "That's right, they really know how to cause trouble."
As a result, this PhD guy, who was typical of those who loved a good show, said: "It's still not noisy enough, because if it were really noisy, the people living in public housing should have knocked them over."
Tang Yicheng couldn't keep up with his pace: "Huh?"
The PhD student said in a serious tone, "If this happened in our village, and someone dared to stop us from building houses for the elderly living alone, they would tear down the doors of their houses. Barefoot people aren't afraid of those wearing shoes, so what are they afraid of?"
Tang Yicheng was stunned: "Remove the door panel?"
"Of course," the PhD student said matter-of-factly. "If your family can't afford a place to live, then your family can forget about living here either. With Hong Kong's housing prices, how many people can afford a house without a price tag of 85,000 per square meter?"
Mr. Tang finally understood. Why was he only focusing on the middle class? Hong Kong is a typical pyramid structure, with the majority of people being those at the bottom who can't afford a roof over their heads.
He should have thought of that earlier; how did he get caught up in it?
Tang Yicheng hurriedly nodded to Dr. Fudan: "You're right, that makes a lot of sense."
Then he quickly went to find his boss.
Exactly, even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake. They're outsiders, why should they get involved in the local political and business ecosystem? Why do they have to try and persuade the homeowners themselves? Mobilizing the masses to fight against each other is always the best way to solve problems.
Wang Xiao was talking to someone, or more specifically, discussing cooperation matters.
What kind of collaboration? Collaboration on extreme ultraviolet (EUV) research and development.
Extreme ultraviolet lithography is not a new topic that has emerged in recent years. In addition to the Soviet Union, Japan, South Korea and Europe have also conducted research in this area.
Starting in the 1980s, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT) began researching extreme ultraviolet lithography. By 1991, Nikon had also partnered with Hitachi to conduct research and development.
Then in 1999, the International Semiconductor Technology Roadmap identified extreme ultraviolet lithography as the preferred next-generation lithography technology, directly setting the next step for everyone, which elicited a great response from the global semiconductor industry.
Realizing that it could not rely on the United States, Japan established the Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography Technology System Research Association.
In South Korea, a rising star in the semiconductor industry, universities and research institutes have also begun research and development on extreme ultraviolet lithography technology.
In Europe, 35 countries, with a total of about 110 research institutions, have joined this research direction.
But while they might boast and brag all the time, and everyone thinks they're pretty awesome, when it comes to actually doing something serious, they all know their own limitations.
None of them can compare to EUV LLC, which brings together top American research institutions and the world's brightest minds.
Otherwise, why would ASML, a Dutch company, go to such lengths to squeeze into EUV LLC?
So now, the bigwigs around Tian Changlin are testing each other's waters. Since EUV LLC isn't including us, can we join forces and develop extreme ultraviolet lithography technology ourselves?
Interestingly, in addition to Nikon's CTO and the chief technology officers of Samsung and Hyundai Electronics, even Chiang Shang-yi, TSMC's vice president of technology, sat down with everyone to participate in the discussion.
Wait a minute! If the extreme ultraviolet lithography machine is successfully developed, it should be coming out of ASML's factory by now.
TSMC is a major customer of ASML. It is no exaggeration to say that if it weren't for TSMC's orders that saved ASML from continuous losses, the latter would probably have gone bankrupt by now.
These two companies have a close relationship, so why is TSMC still interested in the Asian extreme ultraviolet lithography alliance?
Could it be that TSMC doesn't believe in EUV LLC's capabilities and thinks an Asian alliance is more promising?
That's not necessarily true. People who take the technical route should be realistic.
There are two reasons why TSMC is taking a long position.
First, EUV LLC is indeed impressive, but it focuses on theoretical research. As we all know, moving from the laboratory to the factory is a long and arduous process. No one can guarantee that if the former goes smoothly, the latter will necessarily continue to progress steadily.
In particular, EUV LLC is an alliance led by the United States, and ASML is now preparing to acquire Silicon Valley Group, the only lithography machine company in the United States.
Once ASML actually buys it, will the US still have the incentive to help lithography machine manufacturers turn the theory of extreme ultraviolet lithography into reality?
By then, having lost the support of the US alliance and returned to Europe, even with its advanced ultraviolet lithography technology, would ASML be able to push the project forward on its own? That remains a big question mark.
After all, although the EU seems to be making great strides, it is not a unified country like the United States. Does it have the courage to take the lead and spend money on this?
If the EU doesn't intervene, what if ASML does it on its own?
It might not be able to bear the weight.
It's important to understand that Nikon remains the world's leading manufacturer of lithography machines, leaving ASML to compete for a living between Nikon and Canon.
Given its size, is ASML capable of undertaking the major task of developing extreme ultraviolet lithography machines? It makes one doubt its capabilities.
Okay, let's take a step back and assume that it managed to carry it out and succeed.
Is that really good news for its allies?
But that's not necessarily true.
Why do I say this? Because extreme ultraviolet lithography has a very high barrier to entry; it's a winner-takes-all field.
If ASML succeeds, it means that all the relevant core patents are in its hands.
Even if Nikon and other manufacturers later find their own way to develop extreme ultraviolet lithography machines, the patent barriers alone can effectively shut them down.
Moreover, because the development of extreme ultraviolet lithography machines requires a large amount of funding and intellectual investment, most small manufacturers simply cannot keep up, and even trying to take the "many ants bite the elephant" approach is impossible.
So what is the final result? It's not that ASML will have a monopoly, but that it will be the only one, with no other branches.
As we all know, when there is only one supplier, it is very difficult for the buyer to make a living.
Just like in the planned economy era, no matter how much you disliked those shops and supply and marketing cooperatives, you had to grit your teeth and bear it, because you really couldn't survive without them.
Do chip manufacturers really want to live a life of having to be subservient to others? Of course not.
After all, we're comrades in arms now, but that doesn't mean we'll be in the future.
How quickly the world changes! Ten years ago, who would have thought that the red giant, the Soviet Union, would disintegrate?
This shows that anything is possible in this world.
The safest way is to not put all your eggs in one basket.
Many others share TSMC's views, so the response has been quite enthusiastic, and discussions on specific cooperation plans have already begun.
Wang Xiao had no objection, haha, she really had no objection.
Because although she is indeed solitary and very much wants to eat alone, the problem is, how can she limit her capacity to handle such a large meal?
Extreme ultraviolet lithography is extremely complex; it's a massive systems engineering project. It's not like something out of a martial arts novel where a master suddenly appears, offers a few pointers, and the job is done.
Do you want to go it alone and wait until you've accumulated enough skill before finding someone to cooperate with?
Sorry, time waits for no one. By then, you won't even have the chance to sit down and pick up a bowl, let alone eat alone.
So what could Boss Wang do? She could only nod.
Moreover, the fact that the five continents she represented were accepted is thanks to the lack of strength in the mainland's lithography machine industry.
Wuzhou's lithography machines are already at the top level in mainland China, but they can only support chips with a 0.35-micron process. There is still a long way to go before reaching the international advanced level.
Therefore, Nikon is not worried that Wuzhou will catch up and surpass it after sharing the theoretical achievements of extreme ultraviolet lithography research and development.
If it were that simple, the US wouldn't have reluctantly allowed EUV LLC to bring ASML into the market. Production technology and capacity—that's hard power.
Look, people are even willing to bring her to the table with them.
Mr. Wang should be grateful, shouldn't he?
In fact, she was already quite unhappy about not being able to eat alone.
As a result, once these guys got into a good conversation, they were still puffing on their cigarettes while holding their wine glasses.
As a result, Mr. Wang became even more unhappy.
It's been a long time since anyone dared to smoke in front of her.
Ultimately, Hong Kong is still not her territory, so she has no say in the matter.
Displeased, Boss Wang turned away with her wine glass in hand and walked a few steps away; she didn't want to inhale secondhand smoke at all.
Tang Yicheng seized the opportunity to come over and quietly reported his plan to the boss, telling the middle class who own property and the lower-class Hong Kong people who can't afford to buy a house to make the calls themselves.
The government has introduced policies and released so many houses. If you can't afford them, then be prepared to never own a house in your lifetime.
In this life, everyone has to fight for something, right? If you don't fight for your own life and your own future, what else is there to fight for?
Wang Xiao had replaced the red wine in her glass with juice. She took a sip and asked, "So how do you plan to get them to fight to the death?"
Tang Yicheng was stumped because he suddenly realized that things weren't so simple.
In TV dramas, when the protagonist or his henchman goes to a place where people from the lower classes gather, shouts a few slogans, and immediately a bunch of people follow him with righteous indignation and high spirits.
That's a TV series.
The truth is, the lower the social class, the less free time they have. Given Hong Kong's high cost of living, the truly impoverished have to work several jobs a day, practically working 24/7 just to barely support themselves and their families.
Asking them to drop their jobs and join you in protesting? What a pipe dream!
Even if someone truly possesses such strong cohesion, it certainly wouldn't be Tang Yicheng, this half-baked new Hong Konger.
Moreover, even if they organize themselves to take to the streets and clash with the 85,000 middle-class protesters, public opinion in Hong Kong will not be on their side.
Because public opinion only becomes public opinion when those with a voice speak out.
Otherwise, no matter how loud the sound, if it cannot be transmitted, it is equivalent to not existing.
Unfortunately, Hong Kong's media is controlled by the city's tycoons.
Now we've come full circle again.
In public, countless eyes were watching her, so even though Mr. Wang was rolling his eyes inwardly, he still wore a smile on his face, but the words that came out of his 36.5°C mouth were icy: "Think it over, think it over carefully."
The answer was right in front of him, but he couldn't see it, wasting his excellent 5.0 vision on both sides.
Tang Yicheng is really going to get emotional; this is indeed a difficult situation to handle.
He racked his brains for a long time without success, and then pulled Dr. Shen from Fudan University to discuss with him: If the lower classes in Hong Kong want to obtain their own housing in the future, what should they do to genuinely support the 85,000 housing units plan?
Unfortunately, Dr. Shen has only been in Hong Kong for less than three months. How much could he possibly know about Hong Kong? He could only shrug and, with the rigorous emphasis of a researcher, say: "No investigation, no right to speak. I don't know."
Tang Yicheng had no choice but to turn around and look for Jiang Shangzhou.
As a result, Director Jiang was particularly vigilant. As a mainland official, he resolutely refused to comment on any social phenomena in Hong Kong, let alone teach others how to mobilize the masses to fight against each other.
His answer always consists of only one official phrase: Hong Kong people govern Hong Kong, and we believe the Hong Kong government will be able to handle all affairs in Hong Kong well.
Yes, not a single word is wrong, but it's completely useless.
Tang Yicheng also felt he was meddling in other people's business; this was clearly the Hong Kong government's own affair. If a policy proposed with such conviction in 1997 couldn't be implemented later, wouldn't that be a slap in their own face?
The problem is, his career is already tied to the Hong Kong Microelectronics Centre. Asking him to withdraw now would mean incurring sunk costs; why would he possibly back down?
Therefore, if the Hong Kong government cannot hold on, he will have to help the Hong Kong government continue the 85,000 housing project.
Unfortunately, he was determined, but he hadn't found the right path yet.
When he got to the dinner table, he had no appetite.
After hearing his story of failing to get outside help, Wang Xiao was speechless.
She looked at him intently, unable to believe her ears: "You've already asked them directly, and you still don't know the answer?"
Tang Yicheng felt extremely wronged. Neither of these two people gave him an answer, not even a hint.
Xiao Gao tried his best to suppress his laughter, even though he and Xiao Zhao were also confused about what to do. They even asked Liu Ba, but Liu Ba said she didn't know either.
But they are all bodyguards; their job is to protect the boss, and they don't need to worry about anything else.
Brother Tang is different; he's a high-ranking official, the group's head in Hong Kong, and holds a very prestigious position.
The boss naturally had high expectations of him.
Wang Xiao sighed, then buried his head in his soup.
Just then, Tang Yicheng's assistant came with Xiao Zhao to deliver something to the boss.
Boss Wang, who eats bear paws but not shark fins, suddenly wanted to eat "bowl of shark fin soup"—a snack made by simmering vermicelli, shredded wood ear mushrooms, shredded chicken, etc., thickened with cornstarch, and drizzled with vinegar for added flavor, known as "the poor man's shark fin soup."
Undoubtedly, this kind of street food didn't sound quite right for a luxury hotel, so Xiao Zhao went to buy some on the street with Tang Yicheng's assistant.
Wang Xiao thanked them with a smile, then invited them to sit down and eat. She chatted with her assistant with a beaming smile, "Vivian, you graduated this year, right?"
Vivian nodded immediately and answered honestly, "I graduated this summer."
Wang Xiao smiled as he stirred the shark fin soup in the bowl, looking every bit the caring boss towards his employees: "So, do you live with your family, or did you buy your own place?"
Vivian gave a wry smile: "My home is too far away, and it's inconvenient for me to go to work. I share an apartment with a friend. Boss, how can I afford to buy a house?"
Wang Xiao responded with an "Oh," showing great understanding: "It's normal to be short on money right after graduating from school. You'll definitely have some in the future. By the way, do your classmates also rent apartments?"
Vivian was slightly puzzled, wondering why her boss was asking these questions. But she answered honestly anyway. After all, President Tang had said that you shouldn't try to be clever in front of the boss; just answer what he asks.
"Some live with their families, while others share apartments with friends."
She couldn't help but sigh, "The rent is just too expensive; without sharing an apartment, it's not even enough to eat."
Wang Xiao laughed: "So, we're all the same. When I first graduated and started working, I also wondered when I would have my own house. I will, I definitely will in the future."
At the next dinner, Mr. Wang seemed particularly interested in Hong Kong universities, asking many questions about the students.
Vivian guessed that the boss planned to hire more people later, so she spoke freely and without reservation.
After dinner, Tang Yicheng told her to hurry home and rest, promising to reimburse her taxi fare later.
After the person left, he turned around and immediately admitted his mistake to the boss with a sheepish look on his face, admitting that he had indeed wasted his big eyes.
He had already asked Dr. Shen, who had just graduated this year, but he never thought that besides the working class, there was another group of people in Hong Kong who were eager to buy a house but couldn't afford it.
College students, recent graduates, and those about to graduate all yearn for affordable housing.
In this respect, they are naturally allies of the working class.
Most importantly, as we all know, there is no group in the world with more energy, more time, and more fighting spirit than college students.
The May Fourth Movement of that year had already fully demonstrated the students' fighting spirit and organizational ability.
The 85,000 Housing Units Plan will continue to release new homes to the Hong Kong property market year after year, and university students will graduate year after year. As long as they have housing needs, the 85,000 Housing Units Plan will continuously have its own steadfast fighters.
What's even better is that college students are different from low-level workers; they have a voice and can speak up for themselves.
The more Tang Yicheng listened, the more sense it made. Ah, he should have thought of that sooner.
It's really interesting that college students generally aspire to become middle class members through their knowledge and hard work.
But at this juncture, they become the most steadfast ally of the grassroots people.
After listening to his rambling, Wang Xiao unleashed her ultimate weapon: "So how do you plan to mobilize the college students?"
Tang Yicheng's high hopes were instantly dashed.
Alas, theory is theory, and practice is practice.
During the May Fourth Movement, it was the college students themselves who were filled with righteous indignation, and then the student leaders raised their arms and the students skipped classes and took to the streets.
How can he organize these students?
This time, without Boss Wang coldly throwing out another "think it yourself," he went back and started scratching his head in frustration.
How exactly should we organize this? Should we give a lecture at a university?
Regardless of whether any students would listen to him or the speeches he sent out, the mere act of deliberately exposing himself was highly inappropriate.
Why do Hong Kong property developers promote homeowners instead of directly engaging in the market themselves? It's simply because there's no need to create a public confrontation.
They have to live under the jurisdiction of the Hong Kong government, so of course they can't openly go against the government's policies.
Tang Yicheng still needs to make a living in Hong Kong and promote the Hong Kong Microelectronics Center, so he naturally needs to maintain harmony to make money.
After all, our great leader taught us long ago that no matter what we do, if we want to succeed, we must make more friends and fewer enemies.
If Tang Yicheng were to jump out in a fit of rage and openly advocate for the 85,000-unit plan, he would be blatantly offending people.
There's no need to do that.
If you can't show your face in public, what should you do?
He racked his brains, practically draining his brains, but still couldn't come up with a solution.
Feeling really stifled, he turned on his computer and prepared to play a couple of rounds of Red Alert to clear his head.
When he turned on the computer, he subconsciously opened a webpage and glanced at the news online.
In that instant, a sudden inspiration struck him, and he remembered the summer three years ago.
Yes, it was during the Bangkok rainy season. His boss was shorting the Thai baht during that rainy season; he explained how she influenced public opinion to get everyone to be bearish on the baht.
The internet, yes! It's the internet!
Hong Kong's traditional media, whether radio, television, newspapers, or magazines, are indeed largely mouthpieces of the wealthy.
However, as an emerging phenomenon, the internet, with its freedom and independence, remains a haven for those seeking a carefree life.
Therefore, in this confrontation, the internet can become a platform to directly challenge traditional media.
Having figured this out, Tang Yicheng finally felt relieved and decided to play a game to celebrate.
On Westwood Online, people were already inviting him to form a team. As he replied, he suddenly realized: it's not just a publicity platform. The internet can also be a communication platform, a platform that brings everyone together to take action together.
And who is this network? Without a doubt, it's the I-network, the favorite gathering place for college students.
The next morning, when Tang Yicheng went to find the boss who was having breakfast, he quite pragmatically made a self-criticism: "I should have thought of that sooner."
INet is Wuzhou's own business, yet he turns a blind eye to it. No wonder the boss is so disappointed in him.
He needs to find a way to save himself quickly: "George Boole from Harvard is very popular now, and Hong Kong will also have its own George Boole."
Who is George Bull? He's the American college student who made a splash at the Davos Forum, and is now a recognized champion of human rights and environmental protection.
He rose to fame in Davos and, after moving from the internet to the public eye, has become actively involved in political activism. This month, he attended a charity fundraising dinner for Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore, who is also deeply involved in environmental and civil rights issues, and delivered a public speech, making quite a splash.
George Bull's instant fame inspired many astute college students, and some are already trying to replicate his path.
Tang Yicheng concluded definitively: "The 85,000-unit plan will become the stage for Hong Kong's version of George Bull to emerge."
Turning government policies that affect people's livelihoods into a stage for a few to show off seems very inappropriate.
But a wise person judges actions, not intentions. As long as the predetermined goal is achieved, the true purpose of the person who did it is not that important.
Wang Xiao shoveled at the porridge in his bowl, not really having much of an appetite.
Sigh, actually she'd rather have rice and oatmeal porridge now, with steamed buns spread with fermented bean curd, the kind with lots of sesame oil, that's the best.
So she forced herself to finish half a bowl of porridge before looking up at Tang Yicheng: "Hong Kong's affairs are your business, I don't care."
Tang Yicheng finally breathed a sigh of relief; this meant his proposal had been accepted.
However, Mr. Wang did not let the matter rest. Instead, he put down his spoon and looked at him seriously: "Hong Kong is very important. I can't keep an eye on it all the time. I can only feel at ease if I entrust it to you."
Tang Yicheng's face flushed red instantly, so embarrassed he wished he could crawl under the table.
He was indeed too slow to react to this matter, and the boss had to repeatedly remind him what to do, which was really embarrassing.
Wang Xiao forced herself to drink the leftover porridge, but she knew that every grain of rice was hard-earned, and she couldn't very well waste food.
But because she really didn't like it, her mood dropped as she drank, and she spoke earnestly: "You know better than I how complicated Hong Kong is, with all sorts of forces intertwined. If you want to do things here and do them respectably, you have to think more and use all the resources at your disposal."
The current Hong Kong government is not a particularly powerful one, so when it wants to back down, they have to stop it and not allow it to retreat.
Tang Yicheng nodded repeatedly. Every circle has its own rules. Even though he had been in Hong Kong for so many years, he was still a newcomer in a new circle.
Wang Xiao finally managed to finish the rest of the porridge, wiped his mouth, and called to Tang Yicheng, "You haven't eaten yet, have you? Time to eat."
Tang Yicheng ordered a bowl of "Top Scholar's Congee" and joked, "I'll soak up some of the top scholar's good fortune so I can improve my brain."
Wang Xiao didn't take it seriously: "Everyone has blind spots in their thinking, it's nothing. It's just that if you don't crack down on online public opinion and students, someone else will."
Tang Yicheng sighed: "It seems that you have to have a political mind to do anything, and you have to know how to play politics."
Look at his boss, his way of thinking is on a completely different level from his.
Wang Xiao laughed and waved his hands repeatedly: "Don't be like that! When it comes to playing politics, if we're talking about being good at it, Britain swept across Europe and America, but look what they've done to themselves! They've overpowered all other methods with sheer force."
Just as Tang Yicheng was about to laugh, Wang Xiao's phone rang.
Wang Xiao made an apologetic gesture and answered the phone.
On the other end of the phone was Nikolai, whose voice sounded somewhat hesitant: "Boss, could you come to Moscow? I think the gentleman might need you right now."
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[Starry eyes] Good morning!
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