Chapter 461: A Change in History
Zhou Xingbo was a graduate student under Lu Xuechao, the director of the Department of Electronic Physics. Initially, Lu Xuechao had sent Zhou Xingbo to Su Yuanshan's side mainly with the hope that Zhou would get an early introduction to Yuanxin, helping him secure a better future. After evaluating him, Su Yuanshan "reassigned" Zhou to the Shanghai branch, placing him under Senior Brother Chen Jianguo to work on physical and chemical vapor deposition.
Meanwhile, He Chunhua, having previously supervised Su Yuanshan during his lab days at P University, directly formed a research team upon arrival and began working on graphene research. Today, He Chunhua and Xia Xiaoxuan had already co-published two papers on graphene properties in Nature, not to mention five or six others in lesser-known journals—enough to earn them some recognition in the field as promising young scholars.
During He Chunhua's back-and-forth trips between Shanghai and the provincial capital for experiments, he and Zhou Xingbo grew familiar. Somehow, the two hit it off in an unexpected way and hatched the bold idea of attempting to develop carbon-based nano-scale components—an idea they agreed upon enthusiastically.
In most fields, Su Yuanshan might admit his ignorance, but carbon-based components were something he at least had a decent understanding of. Before etching and photolithography machines fully entered the nanoscale domain, attempting to produce any meaningful carbon-based components was a pipe dream. Still, he didn't discourage their enthusiasm. After all, besides the necessary equipment, the endeavor required extensive theoretical groundwork—just that alone would keep the two occupied for quite some time. And in truth, breakthroughs in technology often came from pursuing what seemed impossible, seeking solutions where none yet existed.
"I plan to return to the Special Economic Zone the day after tomorrow. You handle the team arrangements here. If you can finalize the personnel before I leave, I can even help boost their morale," Su Yuanshan said, glancing at the time as he prepared to head over to the wafer fab—after all, securing the process for three major chip types in one go was reason enough for a personal visit and some well-earned praise.
Moreover, with MLC particles debuting ahead of schedule, Su Yuanshan had a vague sense that the cycle of the semiconductor industry might be altered by this.
—Historically, the next two years were the hottest period for the semiconductor market. The reasons were straightforward: the demand driven by the launch of Windows 95 and the Internet boom. Then, once the explosive growth phase ended, the excess capacity crushed those fabs that had blindly expanded and focused solely on storage devices—more precisely, memory chips. It was during this period that Samsung made its most successful counter-cyclical investment and began to emerge as a formidable force in the semiconductor space.
Frankly, this potentially altered future left Su Yuanshan somewhat uneasy.
His original plan had been to pull out of the overheated Internet market just as the semiconductor winter hit, then strike with a counter-cyclical investment strategy. After a successful campaign, the arrival of the early-2000s Internet bust would provide another opportunity—he would ride that current upstream, snapping up high-potential Internet companies to complete his master plan.
But now, MLC might just change the entire dynamic of the semiconductor sector—particularly the structure of the wafer fab market.
Therefore, it was all the more necessary for him to consult someone seasoned in the industry—Dr. Zhang Rujin.
"Alright, I'll schedule a meeting for tomorrow afternoon. You can join us then," came the response.
"Sounds good."
...
The wafer fab was separated from the science park by just a wall—a symbolic wall built deliberately to prevent misunderstandings. Since it was built intentionally, it had no real purpose beyond symbolism.
The main gate stood wide open, with two security guards posted on either side, more for show than anything. For those with ID badges, the guards barely gave them a glance. Those without only needed to log their names briefly before being allowed in.
"Su Yuanshan, Wen Xiaoqian," the guard wrote their names carefully and pressed a remote control button. The retractable gate slid open.
Seeing there was only one retractable gate yet two guards, Su Yuanshan couldn't help but joke, "Master, isn't this overkill? Can't one person handle it?"
"What are you talking about? Sure, we're guarding the same gate, but Old Wang across from me is under a different system—he works for Yuanxin Science Park, I'm with Deyuan Wafer Fab."
"...That wall, huh. Tsk tsk," Su Yuanshan chuckled as he and Wen Xiaoqian, who was snickering, made their way toward the fab's office building.
In the distance, Chen Jianguo was already walking briskly toward them.
...
"Old Zhang is in a meeting. Why don't you hang out in my office for a bit first?" Chen Jianguo said cheerfully, giving Su Yuanshan a friendly squeeze on the shoulder.
"Sure," Su Yuanshan replied without hesitation.
He had never liked making a big fuss. Before coming here, he'd simply given Zhang Rujin a heads-up—just in case the latter was out on a business trip. As for the rest, there was no need to trouble Zhang with arranging pickups or such. He only let Chen Jianguo know he was coming.
After all, this was his senior brother.
In the office, Chen Jianguo and Su Yuanshan talked about the breakthroughs in the process technology, then briefly discussed current chip yield rates and progress. Before long, Zhang Rujin and Liang Mongsong entered the room together.
After a round of greetings, the four sat down in the lounge area.
"Dr. Zhang, Dr. Liang, first of all, I want to thank both of you for your dedication to our three major chips this year," Su Yuanshan said sincerely. "Especially the flash memory particles—I honestly didn't expect to see the light of successful tape-out so soon."
Zhang Rujin and Liang Mongsong exchanged a glance. Both were actually a bit surprised that Su Yuanshan had come over in such a hurry this time.
Among the three chips that had been taped out this year—Tenglong CPU, YX integrated baseband, and flash memory particles—Su Yuanshan had only shown up after the tape-out was complete for the first two. Actually, for the baseband chip, he hadn't shown up at all.
But when it came to flash memory particles—considered the least important among the three—he had rushed over the moment he got the news.
And now, he was even saying, "Especially the flash memory particles."
Did this imply that, in Su Yuanshan's eyes, flash memory particles were more important than even the CPU?
Of course, as seasoned veterans of the semiconductor industry, both Zhang Rujin and Liang Mongsong understood that memory chips had always been the largest source of profit and volume in semiconductors. But that memory chip was DRAM—something every computer needed.
Flash memory? Which computer couldn't function without it?
"We were just doing our jobs," Zhang Rujin said with a smile, his eyes sharp as he looked at Su Yuanshan.
Since Su Yuanshan had come in person, it was clear he had something to say—and they were waiting to hear it.
"Well, here's the thing." Su Yuanshan pressed his lips together slightly, then smiled. "I want to know—if we were to expand and build a dedicated production line for flash memory particles... how long would it take?"
"Or rather," he continued, "how long would it take to raise the yield to an acceptable range?"
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Chapter 462: Expansion
To be honest, at the very beginning, Zhang Rujin had leaned more toward a strategy of rapid expansion and full-spectrum coverage—high-end, mid-range, and low-end—for Deyuan's future. The advantages of such an approach were obvious: it would allow the company to firmly grasp the pulse of the mainland market's rise. Coupled with Yuanxin's influence in surrounding markets, this could ultimately result in a world-class wafer fabrication plant with Asia as its base.
However, as Su Yuanshan pushed firmly for Deyuan to pursue in-house technological development and focus on the high-end market—and as the state began to channel support toward companies like Huajing to cover the mid- to low-end—Zhang Rujin's thinking began to change. Especially when Yuanxin released all three of its chips at once, pushing Deyuan's process demands to the cutting edge, Zhang Rujin started to fully embrace Su Yuanshan's strategy.
After all, high-end markets weren't unprofitable. As long as there were competitive products to hold the line, a virtuous cycle would naturally follow.
Wasn't Intel a perfect example of that?
But now, the undertone in Su Yuanshan's words suggested something else: he wanted to build a dedicated production line exclusively for flash memory.
Something akin to what DRAM chips had.
There was no doubt—this type of expansion carried the nature of a gamble.
...
"Dr. Zhang, this is a document we compiled earlier regarding flash memory development trends and market forecast curves, as well as some product predictions," Su Yuanshan said, taking a document from his briefcase and handing it solemnly to Zhang Rujin. "This should represent a comprehensive outlook on flash memory and its related industries. I can say with confidence: not even Mr. Fujio, the inventor of flash memory, or the current market leaders like Intel and SanDisk, can speak with more authority about the future of flash memory than we can."
"This was originally intended for next year's executive annual meeting, so it's still in a preliminary state. But it should still demonstrate the fundamental value of flash memory."
Seeing Su Yuanshan's serious demeanor, Zhang Rujin received the document with equal seriousness.
As he opened it, he saw the bold red letters denoting its confidentiality level, along with the author's name: Su Yuanshan.
He licked his lips, exhaled slowly, and began to uncover the world of flash memory as envisioned by Su Yuanshan.
—In the semiconductor industry of the future, whoever masters flash memory will rule the world.
...
Su Yuanshan sipped from his water glass quietly, patiently watching as Zhang Rujin read the document.
Beside him, Chen Jianguo chatted softly with Liang Mengsong about technology, making sure Liang didn't feel neglected and maintaining a calm atmosphere for Su Yuanshan and Zhang Rujin's exchange.
The more Zhang Rujin read, the slower he went. Eventually, his brow furrowed deeply, and astonishment flickered in his eyes. Finally, he closed the document, looking at Su Yuanshan with a complex expression.
"This is… your outlook and roadmap for flash memory applications?"
"Yes. The USB-based flash drive is only the beginning. In the future, various digital products—including computer systems and data storage devices—will be the primary markets for flash memory."
Su Yuanshan narrowed his eyes slightly and continued in a calm voice, "Intel has already proven how superior flash memory is when used in data exchange and storage compared to traditional solutions. Now, it's our turn—to prove its versatility through a stream of outstanding products and aggressive cost control."
"For example, audio playback devices. Before coming here, I already spoke with Senior Brother Li Mingliu. He'll quickly assemble a team to design the main control chip. Soon, a thumb-sized music player will be able to hold more than ten high-quality songs, support instant replacement, and even serve as a data drive for storage and transfer."
"Then there are digital camcorders and digital cameras, which are both in a transitional phase. Because of their physical size, camcorders can still use magnetic tapes and such outdated formats. But cameras can't. Once we lower costs and increase storage capacity, digital cameras will undoubtedly experience a surge in growth."
"And then, as mentioned in the white paper—mobile phones, tablets, ultra-slim laptops... any device that needs digital storage will evolve further."
...
Su Yuanshan was meticulous in his explanations. That was because Zhang Rujin was not like Li Mingliu. When dealing with Li Mingliu, he hadn't even bothered to show the white paper—just some light talk was enough to convince him.
After all, Old Li knew Su Yuanshan's capabilities and trusted his vision. To put it bluntly, Li Mingliu had a bit of a blind faith in him.
But Zhang Rujin was different. First, he had never personally witnessed Su Yuanshan's "magic." Second, this expansion concerned the core focus of future wafer fab development—a domain where Zhang Rujin was an absolute expert.
So, to persuade him, Su Yuanshan didn't hesitate to reveal his trump card.
"This is what you mean by 'those who control flash memory will rule the world'?" Zhang Rujin exhaled deeply, looking at Su Yuanshan with increasingly intricate emotions in his eyes.
After so many years in the semiconductor industry, he'd seen his fair share of people who could predict trends—like Mr. Moore, the man behind Moore's Law, who had defined the pace of semiconductor evolution in a single sentence and given people a reliable basis for forecasting.
And as far as trend forecasting went, Zhang considered himself fairly insightful.
He had already anticipated that the industry was currently in an upward phase, and that it wouldn't be long before it reached its peak—after which a cyclical winter would inevitably arrive. That much was certain.
That's why last year, he'd thought of leveraging the boom period to expand, then use the strength of the domestic market to buffer the coming downturn, and finally rely on counter-cyclical investments to elevate Deyuan's standing.
But nearly a year had passed since then, and now—with cross-strait tensions flaring—that expansion opportunity had basically evaporated from the outset.
Still… even though Zhang Rujin could forecast industry trends, he had never seen anyone quite like Su Yuanshan.
Su Yuanshan didn't just predict market shifts—he could forecast specific products and then push them into reality.
That was a little terrifying.
It was as if Su Yuanshan was gearing up to build the entire flash memory market from scratch.
After thinking for a long while, Zhang Rujin turned to look at Liang Mengsong.
Liang had just wrapped up his conversation with Chen Jianguo and looked back at Zhang.
"Mengsong, how long would it take to meet Director Su's needs with a flash memory process?"
"Since it's a new product process, I can't guarantee an exact time frame," Liang replied, with his usual confident smile. "But it's still based on Deyuan's PDK architecture, so it won't be that difficult."
He gave a rough estimate, "If we focus our efforts, we can probably bring the yield rate to over 95% within three months."
"Alright then," Zhang Rujin nodded and gave Su Yuanshan a slight smile. "I agree to the expansion of a dedicated production line."
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Chapter 463: Mediocrity
"But expanding the production line—especially a 0.5-micron production line—will require funding that Deyuan currently doesn't have," Zhang Rujin said seriously after nodding in agreement. "Moreover, the current international climate is extremely unfavorable for importing equipment into the country..."
"Exactly why we have to act quickly," Su Yuanshan said through gritted teeth. He picked up his glass and took a sip of water, then continued in a low voice, "Even though we as businesses don't engage in politics, it's undeniable that all businesses are affected by it. As for money... we can consider bringing in new shareholders."
"New shareholders?"
"Yeah. Xinghai Fund is currently sitting on a mountain of cash and struggling to find the right investment opportunities. If Deyuan truly needs funding, I can help arrange an introduction."
"Arrange an introduction?" Zhang Rujin was taken aback by Su Yuanshan's casual suggestion. "Isn't Xinghai Fund... yours?"
"Technically, I'm just one of the founders and shareholders of Xinghai Fund," Su Yuanshan replied with a slight smile. "Sometimes, even if it's my money, I can't just use it as I please."
"…"
"As for the equipment import issues due to the international situation… if we move fast enough, while things are still limited to public discourse, and we hire a few influential lobbying groups, I think it'll still be manageable. Besides... the most critical equipment in a production line, the photolithography machine, isn't entirely irreplaceable in our country."
The moment Su Yuanshan mentioned photolithography machines, both Zhang Rujin and Liang Mengsong paused before exchanging a knowing smile.
In their view, the photolithography machine developed by the Chengguang Institute had been a drawn-out project. And even if it functioned, it would still be a long way from market readiness or commercialization.
Su Yuanshan himself didn't place much hope in the so-called "0.5-micron-capable" photolithography machine from the Optical Research Center. He smiled and said, "As long as we have something, the West will leave an opening—that's how the old game works. So that machine carries significant symbolic meaning."
"If used for a 1-micron process, that machine can indeed help push into the market," Liang Mengsong chuckled. "I heard Huajing might be interested?"
"Yeah, you have to give people hope. Huajing still has nearly half of their capacity operating on 2-micron processes. Taking on the 1-micron lithography machine would perfectly supplement their production line."
Upon hearing Su Yuanshan's analysis, everyone present laughed with little restraint.
Deyuan, after all, started at the 0.8-micron process and was already gradually shifting toward 0.5-micron. Not to mention, the 0.35-micron R&D team had long been established under Liang Mengsong's personal leadership.
Moreover, Deyuan also had Chen Jianguo's team focusing on breakthroughs in copper interconnect processes. Though the progress was slow, breakthroughs in technical fields were always like that—outside of materials science (which relied somewhat on luck), real success often came only after exploring every possible dead-end path.
In other words, compared to Huajing, Deyuan was already far ahead.
Su Yuanshan shook his head with a sigh. "In fact, we should thank Huajing. If not for them, we'd have had to bite the bullet and take on the lithography machine ourselves. That would've spread our product lines too thin."
The lithography machine was something he couldn't afford to abandon. After nurturing the lithography team for three years and finally seeing some results, if he didn't release their product into the market to give them confidence, the team would inevitably fall apart.
That was why Su Yuanshan had long planned to build a wafer fab in the Special Economic Zone focused on using domestically developed photolithography machines to produce semiconductor components that didn't require high precision.
But now that the state had entered early to support the industry and was backing Huajing with major policies, the task of supporting domestic lithography fell to them instead.
After all, Chengguang Institute was a state-owned institution.
...
Even though Deyuan's funding expansion could theoretically proceed once Yuanxin—the majority shareholder—and the management team agreed, considering their relationship with Deyi, it was still necessary to coordinate things with them.
After all, shared prosperity is the foundation of long-term cooperation.
The next day, Su Yuanshan met with the newly established MP3 controller chip team at the Shanghai Science Park. Interestingly, the team's leader was someone familiar—Luo Ming, one of the old veterans who had followed Li Mingliu through thick and thin, and a graduate of Nankai University's microelectronics department.
Luo Ming had joined Yuanxin during the second wave of campus recruitment. He had pulled all-nighters with Li Mingliu developing decoding chips and had even accompanied him to Chengguang Institute to challenge the status quo. When Li Mingliu relocated to the Science Park, Luo Ming followed him there and had since been responsible for actual design work.
—Based on the role assigned to him, it was clear Luo Ming wasn't known for innovation.
Putting Luo Ming in charge of the controller chip team was, on one hand, a practical decision because the chip's requirements were well defined and ready-made IPs were available. Yuanxin had a shared licensing agreement with Yuanzhong Microelectronics regarding controller chips for USB drives. Additionally, Luo Ming had been a diligent and loyal contributor to Yuanxin for years. He wasn't interested in corporate roles and preferred to stay in technical fields. Thus, Li Mingliu had put him forward for this leadership role.
...
When Su Yuanshan was being driven to the airport, Li Mingliu told him not to worry—he would keep a close watch on Luo Ming's team. If things didn't work out, he would personally persuade Luo Ming to step down and return to the main provincial Science Park base to take on a role more focused on management or external corporate coordination.
At the airport, since there was still some time before boarding, Su Yuanshan got out of the car and leaned against the door to chat with Li Mingliu.
"I always thought you were the type who looked down on 'mediocrity,'" Su Yuanshan said, pausing deliberately when he said the word "mediocrity," then quickly clarified, "That… was just a turn of phrase, no offense."
"Heh, I get it," Li Mingliu said, lighting a cigarette with a satisfying click and taking a deep drag. He smiled, "In your eyes, I bet there aren't many who aren't mediocre, huh?"
Su Yuanshan shook his head. "That's where you're wrong. In my eyes, there are no mediocre people at Yuanxin. We started off only hiring top university graduates. Twelve years of grueling study, passing through the eye of the needle in a sea of competitors—everyone here has some real ability."
"Alright, alright..." Li Mingliu interrupted him with a laugh. He knew that despite how incredibly capable Su Yuanshan was, he never carried himself like a genius, and he was especially mindful of preserving other people's dignity.
"The truth is, even if Old Luo is a bit... you know... he's still our brother. He's suffered with us, stayed up late with us. Just because he wasn't quick on the uptake during his student days doesn't mean he's actually dumb."
"He's been diligent and conscientious over the years, always completing his tasks with integrity. He deserves a chance."
Su Yuanshan paused for a few seconds, then smiled softly.
"Yeah... If we prosper, let us not forget each other."
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Chapter 464: Irreconcilable Conflict
Special Economic Zone, Yuanxin Industrial Park.
Jiang Qingchuan personally saw off the visiting personnel from Dell at the factory gate. He stood there for a moment, watching until they disappeared from view, then let out a soft sigh and turned to ask his secretary in a low voice,
"President Wang is still in the meeting room, right?"
"Yes, still there. Secretary Zhou is with him too."
"Ah… so Old Wang brought reinforcements," Jiang Qingchuan muttered with a wry smile, shaking his head. He took a deep breath, turned, and boarded the park's commuter vehicle headed toward the main office building.
The "President Wang" in question was, of course, Wang Chuanfu, personally recruited by Su Yuanshan and entrusted with leading Yuanxin's lithium battery venture. Jiang had known Wang back when he was still working on Bigg batteries, and he knew well how persistent this man could be—otherwise, Wang wouldn't have landed Yuanxin's smartphone battery orders. Now that they were on the same team, it surprised Jiang that Wang was still playing hardball.
Back when Yuanxin was pushing for the commercialization and market expansion of lithium batteries, the company had directly established an Energy Division—this move alone showed just how much Su Yuanshan valued the future of lithium tech. The division was handed over to Wang Chuanfu, and under its name, Yuanxin and Sony co-founded "SuoXin."
SuoXin's primary production facility was set up in the Special Economic Zone—more precisely, on the outskirts of the Yuanxin Industrial Park. Initially, the factory buildings had been borrowed from a processing company Yuanxin had acquired in the area.
At the time, since they were all part of the same company and the park's strategy focused on central development and gradual expansion, Jiang had agreed to the arrangement without hesitation.
But now, with the park preparing to spin off and become a specialized international OEM base, those borrowed buildings and land needed to be taken back—especially since, per the current plan, within six months the facilities being loaned to SuoXin would be repurposed.
Yet when Jiang informed Wang of this, Wang responded that… relocation wasn't feasible. More importantly, the lithium battery factory was considered a chemical facility—which meant pollution.
But the industrial park was being planned to accommodate 200,000 people. How could a chemical enterprise be allowed to remain on-site?
...
"Hello, Secretary Zhou," Jiang Qingchuan said as he stepped into the meeting room and greeted Zhou Xiaohui.
Zhou smiled, stood up, and shook hands with him. "President Jiang, how did things go with Dell?"
"They seem interested, but they're still weighing their options. After all, assembling computers isn't exactly high-tech—they're mainly interested in our low quotes and material convenience," Jiang said, then turned to Wang Chuanfu with an exasperated gesture. "Old Wang, dragging Secretary Zhou here isn't going to help..."
"President Jiang, let's be fair—we're a joint venture after all…" Wang Chuanfu said calmly, smiling. "And as for your so-called pollution claims, those are just baseless rumors. Our safety measures are top-notch."
"It's exactly because you're a joint venture that we need to straighten this out properly. Don't you agree, Secretary Zhou?" Jiang turned to her again.
Zhou Xiaohui gave a small cough.
Disputes between departments weren't rare within Yuanxin. Given the company's wide range of business sectors and the countless overlaps in technical fields, it wasn't uncommon for departments to clash verbally. Still, since most department heads were long-time colleagues and familiar faces, these conflicts rarely escalated beyond casual internal discussions.
But this time was different.
One side wanted the other gone. The other side was absolutely refusing to move.
"President Jiang, six months is a bit tight," Zhou Xiaohui said with a slight smile. Her presence alongside Wang Chuanfu made her stance clear—or at least reflected Su Yuanshan's position to some extent.
Su Yuanshan had left the decision to her.
And after reviewing the data and production timeline provided by Wang, Zhou felt the industrial park could afford to compromise slightly.
The reason was simple: Wang Chuanfu's new polymer lithium battery was on the brink of mass production. And Zhou, more than most, understood just how much Su Yuanshan valued the lithium battery business.
"…Secretary Zhou, but the later we delay this, the harder it'll be to relocate," Jiang said with a bitter smile. "You see, the moment I agreed to loan Old Wang the factory, now he won't leave."
"President Jiang, I did it all for the project," Wang Chuanfu replied leisurely, smiling. "You know how the Japanese are—if we'd waited for our own plant to be completed, they might've found all kinds of excuses to stall. Who knows how long it would've taken."
And it was true. This factory had been developed jointly with Japanese partners. Back then, to fast-track the technology to market and secure their equipment, Yuanxin had chosen to repurpose an existing facility, leaving Sony with no excuses or leeway.
The result had been undeniable: in a collaboration with the famously "thorough" (or "draggy," depending on how you saw it) Japanese, the speed at which SuoXin's battery factory had been established had broken records.
Now, with their jointly developed new-generation polymer lithium battery about to launch, asking Wang to move? Out of the question.
In fact, Wang Chuanfu was even considering whether to just annex the hundred-acre factory site outright since it was adjacent anyway.
Of course, that wasn't something he dared say aloud.
...
Seeing neither party willing to budge, Zhou Xiaohui was starting to get a headache. Just then, her phone buzzed with an incoming call.
When she answered, Su Yuanshan's mischievous voice came through: "Xiaohui-jie, how's it going over there?"
"Not great. Doesn't seem like we'll reach an agreement." Zhou glanced at the two men and smiled faintly. "When are you coming back? I'm here with President Jiang right now."
"I just got to the airport," Su Yuanshan replied, then paused. "My senior and Old Wang are both there, right?"
"Yes."
"Good. Then have them go to city hall. I just scheduled a meeting with the mayor—starts in half an hour."
"…"
Zhou Xiaohui blinked, about to ask why, but the call abruptly ended.
Both Jiang and Wang turned to look at her. Since the meeting room was quiet, they had both faintly overheard Su Yuanshan's voice.
"Gentlemen," Zhou said, turning to them, "Director Su says... we're going to city hall."
Jiang blinked. "Did he say what for?"
Wang Chuanfu looked thoughtful for a moment, then a grin tugged at the corners of his lips. "President Jiang, I suspect... Director Su wants us to continue the argument at city hall."
Jiang laughed bitterly. "Who said I was arguing with you?"
But a moment later, realization dawned on him.
All three locked eyes for a second—and burst out laughing.
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Chapter 465: I Want to Build a Wafer Fab
Su Yuanshan hung up the phone, the corners of his mouth curling into a faint smile.
Zhou Xiaohui knew him well. He did, indeed, place great importance on the development of lithium batteries. Especially now, after nailing down the key polymer processes in the partnership with Sony, Wang Chuanfu's role had become more critical than ever.
Relocating… was out of the question for now. Even if environmental concerns had to be considered, that would only happen after all the processes, data, and practical know-how were fully mastered and digested—then the operation could be moved to a new site.
There was no other way. In materials science, a little superstition was often necessary.
But the industrial park was shifting toward becoming an independent, internationally oriented OEM manufacturing base. Clearly, it couldn't allow Wang Chuanfu to continue operating a chemical energy enterprise in a zone designed for electronics manufacturing.
Now that the conflict between the two parties had become increasingly irreconcilable, Su Yuanshan decided—let the mayor settle it.
Land in the Special Economic Zone was growing more expensive and harder to acquire by the day. This was the perfect opportunity to ask the mayor for more. After all, SuoXin's lithium battery project had only been allocated less than 300 mu of land. But Su Yuanshan knew: in the face of the booming future of the lithium battery industry, those 300 mu weren't even enough to fill the gaps between teeth.
Moreover, to meet environmental standards, lithium battery companies would need to build extensive wastewater and materials treatment facilities.
Not to mention, Su Yuanshan also had to give the mayor a heads-up about his intentions for a wafer fab.
...
The Audi drove straight to city hall. Su Yuanshan was in a vehicle from Yuanxin's Internet Division. It was originally just a standard administrative car, but after Su Yuanshan arrived in the region, the mayor personally issued it a special pass—allowing him to enter city hall at any time.
Upon arriving at the government gate, Su Yuanshan didn't wait for Zhou Xiaohui and the others. He went straight into the building and was led by the mayor's secretary directly to the mayor's office.
—Such treatment was one of a kind.
"Xiao Su, tell me straight—what's the meaning of dragging Jiang Qingchuan and Wang Chuanfu over here? You planning to hold a working meeting in my office?" The mayor was already seated on the couch, waiting. Over the past half year, Su Yuanshan had remained in the Special Zone, and they had become quite familiar.
"Come on, I'm just here to ask you to settle a dispute," Su Yuanshan said with a grin, taking a seat to the left of the mayor. He picked up the perfectly brewed cup of tea and took a sip. "This the tea I brought you?"
"Mm-hmm, but don't bring it again—it's a bit too expensive," the mayor replied with a chuckle. "And what if I get addicted?"
"Then come drink it in my office," Su Yuanshan teased. "As for the price... well, I'm a rich man now—I've got a reputation to uphold."
"Hahaha! You..." The mayor pointed at him and burst out laughing.
In the past six months, Su Yuanshan's leadership in the Special Zone had brought about numerous surprises. Even setting aside the progress of Yuanxin Industrial Park aligning with Su Yuanshan's original vision, just the successful cooperation with Sony alone was a monumental achievement.
Beyond these visible benefits, the hidden ripple effects were even more significant.
Take the vertically integrated supply system launched by the industrial park, for example—it gave purpose and structure to the entire Special Zone's network of electronics factories. No longer were they sprawling chaotically like headless chickens.
Now, the Special Zone was gradually forming a structured, high-end manufacturing ecosystem centered around Yuanxin Industrial Park, uplifting surrounding mid- and downstream enterprises.
To put it bluntly, even the clientele visiting the zone had become more high-end.
Before, the Special Zone couldn't even dream of visits from international giants like Apple, Dell, or IBM. Even when investors from HK or the island came by, the entire city would roll out the red carpet. Just the promise of a small investment would send everyone scrambling to offer support.
That was how investment promotion worked.
But now, with the rise of the industrial park and Yuanxin's divisions gaining traction, it was impossible to say the city hadn't enjoyed any real benefit.
...
"They're here," Su Yuanshan said, glancing toward the door as Jiang Qingchuan led the way in, followed by Zhou Xiaohui and then Wang Chuanfu.
The three entered in a line.
"Ho! You're only missing Zhang Xiaolong now," the mayor joked, clearly familiar with the Yuanxin leadership. "Want me to just lend you my office?"
"No way—we can't do without you," Su Yuanshan laughed. "Mayor, here's the situation…"
He then gave a detailed rundown of the industrial park's current progress and the upcoming strategy for full internationalization. He followed with updates on recent lithium battery achievements and their urgency.
Once it was about Yuanxin's development, the mayor grew serious, listening attentively to every word.
Then Su Yuanshan laid out both parties' expansion requests.
Upon hearing them out, the mayor looked puzzled. "Isn't this an internal dispute?"
"Mayor, when internal conflicts become irreconcilable, the only solution is external expansion. Here's our preliminary plan…"
Su Yuanshan took out a notebook, preparing to sketch a rough outline. But before he could start, the mayor turned and pulled out a city planning map, laying it on the coffee table.
On the map, the red block marking the industrial park was especially prominent.
"Point it out here."
"Ahem... it's like this," Su Yuanshan said. "Mayor, since both parties have needs, why not adjust the park's layout? Let's allocate another 300 mu of industrial land here, to establish a dedicated digital products OEM zone."
He paused, then added, "We're about to launch a revolutionary new digital music playback device… At the latest, it will create a massive trend by next year."
"And as for the current conflict area, just assign it permanently to SuoXin."
Putting down the pen, Su Yuanshan looked at Jiang Qingchuan and Wang Chuanfu, smiling. "What do you two think?"
Even though Jiang had mentally prepared for this, what could he say?
All he could do was nod.
Meanwhile, his attention had locked onto the phrase "revolutionary digital music playback device"…
"What exactly is that?"
"MP3. You'll hear more about it at the annual meeting—or just ask Old Li," Su Yuanshan said, turning to the mayor. "Mayor, you see… this problem really needs your help to solve."
"You..." The mayor gave Su Yuanshan an exasperated look. "Look at this map—where else am I supposed to find you land? And now you want another 300 mu?"
"Mayor, there's land," Su Yuanshan said, his gaze shifting toward the urban-rural fringe right beside the industrial park. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly. "There's still a thousand mu available here, and it's right next to the power plant. By the way… do we have enough electricity?"
At the mention of a thousand mu and increased power demands, the mayor froze.
He had personally been involved in negotiations with UMC before and remembered clearly that the very first thing they asked about was electricity.
"What are you trying to say?" the mayor asked, now a little anxious.
"I want to build a wafer fab."
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