Chapter 466: The Future of the Special Economic Zone
The Special Economic Zone had always had an obsession with wafer fabs—though not quite as deep as Shanghai's.
As the frontline of China's reform and opening-up, the zone was initially positioned simply as "open," but over time, it had gradually evolved into a base for the manufacturing of electronic products.
That old phrase used to praise Hong Kong's electronics manufacturing sector now applied just as well to the Special Zone:
—For the same electronic product, it took three months to complete in Europe or the U.S., one month in Japan, but in the Special Zone, you'd get it done in no more than a week.
In a sense, the Zone had used favorable policies to slowly replace Hong Kong's former role in electronics manufacturing—just across the river.
Back then, when Su Yuanshan was pushed to the brink, he had no choice but to personally visit what was still a "friendly" UMC (United Microelectronics Corporation) and finally managed to bring over two production lines.
Although Yuanxin and UMC had now become "rivals"—with Deyuan poaching a good number of engineers from the island—UMC had indeed made a profit from its wafer fab in the Zone, and had contributed significantly to the local electronics sector, particularly the small home appliance industry.
Now, Su Yuanshan was finally saying he wanted to build a wafer fab here... and the mayor could hardly believe it.
"You're serious?" The mayor stared at Su Yuanshan, afraid he was being played.
"Of course. Didn't I tell you before? I asked you to save me a piece of land—I said I'd build a wafer fab," Su Yuanshan replied with a grin. "You see? I bet you never actually saved that land for me."
Everyone nearby laughed—only Su Yuanshan could speak to someone of the mayor's rank in such a casual way.
The mayor rolled his eyes and said, "Get to the point."
"The point is," Su Yuanshan said, pulling his briefcase over and taking out a notebook, "this is our rough plan for the future development of industries in the Zone." He flipped a few pages and handed the notebook to the mayor. "Just a quick draft I jotted down on the plane."
With the successful early development of MLC flash and polymer lithium batteries—two to three years ahead of his previous life, as Su Yuanshan roughly remembered—it was clear that related industries also needed to be deployed ahead of schedule to capture market share and secure dominance.
After all, flash memory and polymer batteries were foundational components in the electronics sector, and their advantages would provide immense boosts to the performance and competitiveness of related products. There was no such thing as a "first-mover disadvantage" here.
So, during his flight, Su Yuanshan had quickly summarized the impact he expected flash memory and polymer lithium batteries to bring.
...
Ten minutes later, the mayor put down the notebook and looked at Su Yuanshan with a serious expression. "If I'm understanding this right, according to Yuanxin's forecast, flash memory will become the core component in all future electronic products?"
"That's a fair interpretation," Su Yuanshan nodded. "In fact, the entire IT industry already recognizes the huge performance advantages of flash memory—the only downside is cost. Yet even so, the current flash market is already worth hundreds of millions of dollars."
"And that's just within traditional storage devices. Now that we've reduced the cost and created new consumer products, it's going to spark a new wave of demand for storage. I can even foresee... it forcing traditional mechanical hard drives to accelerate their upgrades in order to survive—by offering cheaper prices or more compact formats."
"I can't say I fully grasp the technical stuff," the mayor said honestly. He paused, frowned in thought, then lowered his eyes and spoke slowly, "Regardless of what your wafer fab is intended to produce, the Zone will absolutely support it."
"Thank you, Mayor."
"But Xiao Su," the mayor continued, using Su Yuanshan's familiar nickname, "I'd still suggest—just suggest—that for an industry-level project like this, you really ought to communicate with the relevant national agencies. If you can get central support, then whether it's policy or financial incentives, Yuanxin could benefit even more."
These were words of genuine advice—the mayor regarded Su Yuanshan not only as a key partner but as a trusted junior. He also knew that Yuanxin as a company had never placed much importance on reporting results or submitting official documentation...
Su Yuanshan paused a moment, then nodded. "Thank you for the guidance. This time, we'll be sure to report our achievements."
"Hehe, I wouldn't go so far as to say it's 'guidance,'" the mayor said, exhaling slowly. The more he looked at Su Yuanshan, the more satisfied he felt—if Su Yuanshan's plans were fully implemented and his predictions proved accurate, then the Zone would secure an absolutely dominant position in the future consumer electronics market.
And for a public servant like him, nothing could be more rewarding.
"So, about the land?" Su Yuanshan caught the look in the mayor's eye and seized the moment.
"I can't decide that on my own," the mayor said with a grin. "It still has to go through the Party Standing Committee."
Hearing this, everyone relaxed. That meant it was at least being seriously considered.
...
After leaving city hall, the group headed straight to Su Yuanshan's office in the Internet Center and held a quick internal meeting.
During the meeting, both Jiang Qingchuan and Wang Chuanfu agreed to compromise. Jiang agreed to officially hand over the disputed land and factory buildings to Wang. However, due to concerns about environmental safety and employee health, Wang would have to install proper separation between facilities—after all, the industrial park was a labor-intensive environment. Any incident could be catastrophic.
To this, Wang Chuanfu readily agreed. He promised to build a wall between the two factory zones...
"Old Wang, it's not just about building a wall. The key is to make sure environmental protection measures are fully implemented," Su Yuanshan said sternly, feeling the need to issue a reminder. "We can't be compared to those small factories. They cut corners on waste and water treatment to save costs and gain a competitive edge. But we're a leading enterprise. We can afford to pass costs along—we don't need to skimp just to stay competitive."
"Understood. I'll personally move into the factory starting tomorrow," Wang said with a grin at Jiang Qingchuan. "Now President Jiang can't complain, right?"
"...Stop bluffing. You moved into that factory a week ago," Jiang exposed him with a laugh. "Speaking of which—when can we expect mass production samples?"
Su Yuanshan immediately turned toward Wang Chuanfu, anticipation in his eyes.
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Chapter 467: Double Blessings
Aside from processor chips, the three major semiconductor-related projects Su Yuanshan placed the greatest hopes on within Yuanxin were LCD panels, flash memory, and lithium batteries.
LCD panels weren't worth mentioning yet. The project had only officially started that year, and being a latecomer, BOE's factories had just been completed. Even if mass production began soon, they would still be at least a generation behind international peers. For now, Su Yuanshan wasn't placing much hope on it.
But flash memory and lithium batteries were a different story. These were projects Su Yuanshan had personally intervened in—especially lithium batteries, where he had, through little more than "luck" and "intuition," pushed Yuanxin's lithium battery lab to world-class standards. This led to a genuine partnership with Sony and brought the birth of polymer lithium batteries forward by about three years compared to the previous timeline.
With the advent of polymer lithium batteries—safer, longer-lasting, and more versatile—an enormous transformation for electronic products was on the horizon. Its significance was no less than that of MLC flash memory.
After all, energy was always king.
This is why Su Yuanshan had just as high expectations for Wang Chuanfu as he did for Li Mingliu.
"All I can say is—soon," Wang Chuanfu said, seeing everyone's eager expressions turn toward him. His tone grew serious as he gave a balanced answer: "Mass production is different from lab tech. We need generous tolerances, and we must continuously test to determine the safe performance limits."
Although slightly disappointed, Su Yuanshan nodded. "Yes, safety comes first. I remember you were designing a battery management chip—has that been completed?"
"It's done. Tape-out will take about a month. If you want an optimistic but realistic estimate, then I'd say—one month from now, we'll officially announce the dawn of the polymer lithium battery era."
That line made everyone laugh.
Su Yuanshan couldn't help but smile and say, "Alright then, we'll wait for you to lead us into the age of polymer lithium batteries. Old Wang, do you know why I've never learned to drive?"
"Huh?" Wang Chuanfu was momentarily stunned by the question, unable to figure out the link between Su Yuanshan not driving and lithium batteries.
"Because I've been waiting for the battery," Su Yuanshan said, exhaling gently with a self-deprecating smile. "You've all heard of battery-powered cars, right?"
"What the heck?" Wang Chuanfu blinked. "You mean toy cars?"
Zhou Xiaohui, however, seemed thoughtful. "Ford made lead-acid battery electric cars as far back as the beginning of this century… but the range was poor."
"Exactly. If we can solve range and safety issues, electric vehicles can be viable," Su Yuanshan said with a shrug. "I'm waiting…"
As the saying goes, once National Day is over, the end of the year is in sight.
After October, time seemed to accelerate. By the end of November, the long-troubled Optical Laboratory finally announced that the domestically developed photolithography machine, code-named RP-9308, had passed all functionality tests and was ready for expert evaluation.
It was clear that Zheng Zhenchuan was full of confidence this time. He had boasted to the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Ministry of Machinery that they could assemble whatever team they wanted.
Since Zheng was confident, the higher-ups didn't hold back. Experts from Yuanxin, Huajing, the Academy of Sciences, the Changchun Institute of Optics, and other organizations—over thirty specialists—were pulled together and gathered at Yuanxin. The atmosphere wasn't one of a technical review—it felt more like a battle.
Yuanxin sent a high-level delegation led by Liang Mengsong, with Chen Jianguo also returning from the field to participate.
As for Huajing, their presence was even more formidable. Their institute director, Zhou Boguang, led the delegation personally, bringing along their top process and fabrication experts.
After all, the central government had already stated that this photolithography model would become Huajing's primary equipment purchase in the future.
Su Yuanshan, however, did not return to the tech park.
That didn't mean he didn't care. He just felt… his part was done. Every year, he ensured full funding for the Optical Laboratory—never once short. Whenever they needed equipment, even through smuggling channels, he got it for them.
Now that results had finally started to materialize, it was time for him to step back and let the state take over.
Moreover, Yuanxin stepping down as the project lead for the photolithography machine didn't mean Su Yuanshan was out of the picture entirely. His photonics research center with Lin Bencheng was still operating in Silicon Valley, and Yuanxin had also invested in the capital's precision instrument factory.
From this point forward, Yuanxin would support the photolithography project through components and key technology contributions, rather than full-system development.
At the end of November, two pieces of good news arrived at once.
Wang Chuanfu's engineering version of the lithium battery had passed all tests—just as he had said, humanity was about to enter the polymer lithium battery era, and a new energy age was dawning.
Meanwhile, in Shanghai, Li Mingliu delivered the first MLC flash memory chip off the production line to Su Yuanshan.
...
Special Economic Zone, Su Yuanshan's office.
Li Mingliu, travel-worn and weary, followed Zhou Xiaohui into Su Yuanshan's office. After waiting about ten minutes, Su Yuanshan returned, striding so quickly that Wen Xiaoqian had to jog to keep up.
When the two met, they shook hands. Then Su Yuanshan gave Li Mingliu a friendly squeeze on the shoulder before sitting beside him on the sofa.
"I know you like collecting things," Li Mingliu said, his eyes slightly sunken but his spirits high—it was obvious he hadn't slept much these past few days.
"Yeah. Thanks for your hard work." Su Yuanshan exhaled deeply and opened the small box on the coffee table.
Inside was a tiny chip.
The chip was no bigger than a fingernail, with only its test code and capacity printed on it. The numbers marked it as a 16MB flash memory particle.
"16MB!" Su Yuanshan gently lifted the chip, sighing. "Just this one chip... already matches what Intel's been struggling toward for years."
"That's right. And at a lower cost," Li Mingliu replied with a proud smile, clearly pleased by how much Su Yuanshan valued the chip.
He didn't want to admit it, but he had to acknowledge—it was deeply satisfying and fulfilling to earn Su Yuanshan's appreciation and trust.
This wasn't about superstition. It was about receiving recognition from someone truly excellent.
"What about the MP3 chip? When will that be ready?"
"Soon." Li Mingliu reached into his coat like a magician and pulled out a USB flash drive. "Don't tell me your computer doesn't have a USB port."
"…"
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Chapter 468: Don't Bully the Honest Ones
As the initiator and promoter of the USB interface, implying that Su Yuanshan's computer didn't have a USB port was more insulting than calling him names.
But even Su Yuanshan had to admit, despite numerous chip and motherboard manufacturers pushing for USB, and even though the latest version of Windows 95 came with built-in drivers, USB's adoption rate was still disappointing.
Although USB technology was completely free—unlike Apple's 1394 FireWire which charged royalties per cable—motherboard manufacturers had become increasingly stingy. On high-end boards, you might find USB support, but in mid- and low-tier ones, they cut costs wherever they could. A USB port? For what? There were hardly any compatible products, and it only added cost and complexity.
Even worse were companies like Dell and HP. Despite being founding members of the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), they didn't even include USB ports on their own machines.
Among all USB-IF members, Microsoft had been the most supportive. Not only did it bundle drivers with Windows, but it also developed USB-based hardware like a mouse—Su Yuanshan himself was currently using one.
Given USB's current state, even inside Yuanxin, when certain files couldn't be transferred over the network, people still defaulted to floppy disks. It left Su Yuanshan sighing more than once.
...
His office PC ran Yuanxin's Linux distribution, and it had had USB drivers installed for over six months. So when Li Mingliu plugged in the USB flash drive, the system instantly read the directory.
"This is the MP3 controller chip?"
"Yeah. Don't worry about that yet—just take a look," Li Mingliu nodded, standing behind him.
Looking at the chip design diagram, Su Yuanshan chuckled. "What do you want me to see? You think I'm some kind of wizard? How would I know what any of this means?"
"Haha! Check the engineering logs."
"..." Su Yuanshan was speechless. This wasn't something he had worked on—it felt like reading someone else's code. He wasn't some simulation tool. How could he possibly make sense of it?
Still, since Li Mingliu insisted, Su Yuanshan settled in and began reviewing the engineering notes and documentation carefully, module by module.
It was clear the design used several mature IP blocks. Otherwise, completing this design in just over a month would have been a fantasy. Even so, the speed of execution was staggering.
Time passed quietly. When Su Yuanshan finally looked up, an hour had gone by.
Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he glanced toward Li Mingliu, who was now relaxing on the sofa with a cup of tea. "Did it pass simulation?"
"Of course it did—I wouldn't have brought it otherwise," Li Mingliu replied with a grin. "So, what do you think? Pretty impressive work from Old Luo, huh?"
"Wait, I thought you took over the project," Su Yuanshan blinked, noting Li Mingliu's exhausted appearance. He'd assumed Li hadn't trusted Luo Ming enough and stepped in personally.
"Nope. Old Luo handled it independently," Li Mingliu said, walking over. "I told you he could do it."
"He really did," Su Yuanshan nodded, admiring the clean and well-organized design interface. "It's like this—Luo Ming is a front-line general. He's not the one to break new ground, but if you give him a clear target, he'll deliver every time."
"Exactly—so... should we consider bumping him up a P-level?"
"Huh?" Su Yuanshan looked up to see Li Mingliu staring at him intently. He couldn't help but laugh. "You came all this way just for that? What level is Old Luo at now?"
"See? You don't even know. He's one of our old comrades from the ninth floor of Jiangdu Tower."
"..." Su Yuanshan was speechless.
Over the past four years, Yuanxin had expanded exponentially. Most of the original EDA team had moved into leadership positions, with only a few leaving for special reasons. Many of them came from the University of Electronic Science and Technology, giving rise to the term "Dian Ke Gang"—the Electronics Clique.
Luo Ming was one of the quieter members. It was perfectly normal for Su Yuanshan not to remember his exact rank.
But since Li Mingliu brought it up, it showed he was someone who valued his old comrades.
Su Yuanshan shook his head and smiled. "Alright, I won't argue. You know the rules for P-level promotions. Submit the proposal and I'll vote in favor. As for convincing the other execs—go handle that yourself."
"Deal!" Li Mingliu breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "He's been stuck at Level 11 for years, always taking on grunt work with me. I've gotten all the credit. Plus, our promotion system really does favor innovation a bit too much—it feels like we're bullying the honest ones."
With him putting it like that, what more could Su Yuanshan say?
"Yes, yes—we can't bully honest people."
...
With the successful tape-out of the flash memory particle and the MP3 controller chip passing simulation, product development was now on the agenda.
The day after seeing Li Mingliu off, Su Yuanshan boarded a business flight from the Special Economic Zone to the capital for the first time.
Chen Jing was unavailable, so Zhu Yuanxin, head of the design center, picked him up. Shortly after Su Yuanshan arrived at the courtyard office behind the design center's main building, Chen Jing rushed in, clearly having just returned herself.
"You're busy building a wafer fab—how do you have time to come here yourself?" she asked.
Chen Jing wore a navy-blue business suit, her hair now cut short. She looked far more mature and professional than her former student self—now she exuded the poise of a corporate elite.
"Uh… I just…" Su Yuanshan saw the teasing smile on her face and instinctively wanted to joke, but quickly thought better of it. "Just came to slack off a bit. Xiaohui-jie can handle things over there."
"You never change," Chen Jing chuckled and nodded to Zhu Yuanxin before sitting beside Su Yuanshan on the sofa. "So, what brings you here? Just the MP3?"
"Well, that's part of it. Mainly I wanted to check on the phone project," Su Yuanshan said, shrugging at Zhu Yuanxin. "No offense, Zhu-shixiong."
Zhu laughed. "Not at all, Director Su. We welcome your feedback and guidance. It's always valuable."
"I'm hardly qualified to give guidance—you're the pros."
When it came to product design, Su Yuanshan was an amateur.
But his mind held countless product samples…
The iF Design Award, the Red Dot Award, the IDEA Award—he had endless world-class designs to copy from.
Beauty, after all, transcends time.
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Chapter 469: A Formidable Task
"I've brought the main chip specs for the MP3. You can start designing the PCB immediately—choose a project lead. Depending on the situation, we might even set up a separate division just for the MP3," Su Yuanshan said.
Zhu Yuanxin immediately straightened his posture. Though he had been focusing on design work in the capital for a long time, specifically in mobile phone development, it didn't mean he was unaware of Yuanxin's broader activities—especially when it came to flash memory. He fully understood the importance Su Yuanshan attached to it.
This emphasis wasn't because the flash memory project was led by Li Mingliu, one of Su Yuanshan's most trusted lieutenants.
Rather, it was the other way around—because flash memory was important, Su Yuanshan had trusted it to Li Mingliu.
Unfortunately, not everyone had realized this earlier.
Now, with Su Yuanshan personally showing up, it clearly signaled that flash memory—and by extension, the MP3 project—was crucial.
"No problem!" Zhu Yuanxin nodded decisively.
Chen Jing glanced at Su Yuanshan, then at Zhu Yuanxin, and added, "President Zhu, the MP3 will replace traditional portable music players. It's also Yuanxin's offline extension into the music licensing field... You must treat it very seriously."
Hearing both of Yuanxin's highest-ranking executives emphasize the project, Zhu Yuanxin felt a heavy, invisible pressure settle on his shoulders. He gave a wry smile. "Maybe I should personally take charge of it?"
"Haha, no need for that—you've got another mission," Su Yuanshan said with a laugh. "I need you to design an extremely stylish, extremely beautiful, extremely thin music phone, using all the latest technology available."
"A music phone?"
"Yes, a music phone." Su Yuanshan turned to Chen Jing with a playful smile. "Sister Jing, soon you won't need to carry a separate music player—you'll be able to listen to songs directly on your phone."
"Hmm? Tell me more," she said, intrigued.
"The phone should use the new micro-USB interface for data transfer with a PC's USB port—same as the MP3 player. No more ugly protruding connectors like on regular USB drives," Su Yuanshan explained, grabbing a notebook and quickly sketching a rectangular outline to represent a phone.
"You know the specs for micro-USB, right?"
"Yeah. The tech park sent a stack of whitepapers about it recently. I remember," Zhu Yuanxin nodded, moving closer to better examine Su Yuanshan's sketch.
"Good. Now, about storage... I'm considering two options: One, solder the flash memory directly onto the motherboard; two, use a TF card for expandable storage. Whichever is more feasible, go with that."
"Also, for music playback, there are two possibilities. First, use the MP3 controller chip to decode audio. Second, leverage the latest baseband chip with a software player. The first method is like building an MP3 player inside the phone. The second method maximizes the use of the baseband chip—but it involves additional challenges around adapting the mobile OS."
Su Yuanshan paused.
He knew full well that the second option was the future. But at present, Yuanxin's mobile micro-OS group was focused primarily on optimizing systems for laptops, not on developing player software.
After all, Su Yuanshan hadn't expected flash memory to emerge so quickly—or for functional phones to start moving toward smartphones so soon.
"Director Su, if you really want extreme fashion, beauty, and thinness, then integration is key," Zhu Yuanxin said after thinking for a few seconds. "Our latest phone design already uses the newest integrated baseband chip. If we add an MP3 module too... we'll need major compromises on internal space."
"Just design it first—see if you can find a clever solution," Su Yuanshan said, knowing full well he was asking for something akin to the "impossible triangle" of design trade-offs. "The main thing is, it has to be a flagship music phone. Maybe a flip phone, maybe another fashionable form—but it must look amazing. And of course, it must use the latest polymer lithium battery."
Hearing this, Zhu Yuanxin inhaled sharply. "Director Su... if we really pull this off, the costs will be astronomical."
"Exactly. We want the cost to be astronomical!"
Su Yuanshan gave the notebook a firm slap, a bold gleam in his eyes. "We've been playing it safe for too long, spinning around the domestic market. Now—it's time to break out of China, out of Asia, and go global!"
Chen Jing, sitting nearby, stifled a laugh behind her hand.
She knew Su Yuanshan's ambition had never been confined to just the mainland, even if his slogans always sounded a bit modest.
In truth, all of Yuanxin's "caution" had simply been about waiting for the right moment.
"President Zhu, this is the second time in Yuanxin's history that we have the chance to fully go global," Chen Jing said solemnly, meeting Zhu Yuanxin's eyes. "The first time was with EDA."
"I... understand!" Zhu Yuanxin said seriously.
...
After seeing Zhu Yuanxin off, Su Yuanshan looked down at the two pages ripped from his notebook and scratched his head. Then he turned to Chen Jing.
"Did we give him too much pressure?"
"A little," Chen Jing said with a sweet smile.
She had spent nearly a year in the capital working closely with Zhu Yuanxin. She knew his work was stable and reliable. After Duan Yongping had taken full control of Yuanxin's mobile division, the business had been booming, holding strong at the top of the domestic market and battling established foreign brands vigorously.
Moreover, thanks to Yuanxin's early work in base station construction and partnerships with telecom companies in several countries, Yuanxin's phones had become the standard equipment for telecom operators in some regions, leading to impressive sales figures abroad as well.
Now, Yuanxin's base station business was expanding northward. Next, they planned to take on brands like Nokia in the Russian market.
With this brand momentum behind him, Zhu Yuanxin's designs, while steady, had inevitably fallen into a comfortable rhythm.
Now, Su Yuanshan had suddenly dropped two critical new design projects into his lap—each carrying immense strategic weight. It was no wonder Zhu's steps had felt a little heavier when he left.
"But where there's pressure, there's motivation. It's good that you're here—you should also keep an eye on BOE," Chen Jing said, her brow furrowing slightly. "That old saying—'Three monks have no water to drink'—is really starting to come true over there."
"That bad?" Su Yuanshan looked genuinely surprised.
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Chapter 470: Three Monks and No Water
Ever since Chen Jing and Su Yuanshan had split responsibilities between the capital and the Special Economic Zone, Su Yuanshan hadn't paid much attention to the business in the capital. After all, the tech park there mainly served as the product design center, focused on mobile phones, and was overseen by Duan Yongping. With Chen Jing keeping an eye on the LCD panel development, and out of mutual trust and understanding, Su Yuanshan didn't feel the need to monitor it constantly—especially given how much he had to juggle in the Special Zone.
What surprised him was that Chen Jing had described the situation as "three monks and no water."
—Wasn't that the kind of mess typically found in bureaucratic infighting?
Chen Jing pulled out a file from her briefcase and handed it to Su Yuanshan.
"This is the cooperation progress report we signed a while back. In this project, we and Xinghai are merely investors—we're not directly involved in the engineering. So the only way we can push things forward is through written reports."
Su Yuanshan nodded while reading the document.
Chen Jing had carefully annotated all timelines related to the project's progress. It was clear that across the board—equipment setup, personnel training, and technical breakthroughs—delays had occurred in multiple areas.
"Looks like it's behind schedule, but nothing unusual, right?" Su Yuanshan looked up, puzzled. "And we've always had a good relationship with Sony… even Fujitsu was fully cooperative at the start. How did this become a 'three monks' situation?"
"Ahem…" Chen Jing coughed lightly, blinked, and spread her hands. "Well, since we're not leading the project, the blame naturally falls on them. If you want to dig deeper, maybe ask Wang Dongsheng?"
"…Alright, then. Can you help me contact him? I don't have time until the day after tomorrow."
Chen Jing gave him a teasing look. "Didn't you come here to slack off? Now you're booked until the day after tomorrow?"
"Well… tomorrow I'm attending a physics department symposium at P University, and the day after I'm meeting with some ministry officials—want to come along?"
Chen Jing chuckled. "You make it sound like you're just meeting friends."
"Heh… it is kind of like meeting friends. As long as you don't grovel to officials and stay natural, it's not so different."
Chen Jing shook her head. "Forget it. If we both show up, the officials might think we're planning something big."
To the relevant departments, Yuanxin was viewed as a dual-leadership company. Both Chen Jing and Su Yuanshan were seen as capable of fully representing the will of this massive enterprise. If both of them appeared at the same time in a formal setting, it would signal something important.
For example, when Apple's founder and CEO Steve Jobs visited Yuanxin, both Su Yuanshan and Chen Jing met with him—but not together in a public setting. Their joint appearance would have signaled too strong a message.
So, if they were to meet with ministry officials together, it would undoubtedly raise alarms.
...
After a bit more small talk with Chen Jing, Su Yuanshan returned to his temporary residence. The courtyard had been thoroughly refurbished under Chen Jing's management and now felt much more "lived in." The design retained a classic and understated charm, though modern touches—like the bathroom facilities—were top-of-the-line.
After a shower, Su Yuanshan had Wen Xiaoqian make him a cup of tea and sat down with his notebook to prepare for the next day's speech.
It had been nearly a year since he published his paper on graphene. Compared to his memories of the previous life, graphene hadn't sparked much of a global frenzy. That was partly due to a lack of advanced experimental equipment, and partly because its practical applications weren't yet obvious. As a semiconductor material, graphene couldn't yet compete with silicon, which was still in its prime.
Thus, outside of a few researchers driven by academic intuition and curiosity, there hadn't been much global interest in graphene.
Domestically, despite similar limitations, there were still scientists with a passion for discovery—and of course, there was Su Yuanshan, the material's original discoverer, along with his Yuanshan Laboratory.
So, while not exactly a hot topic, graphene research had maintained a steady presence in China.
From the seminar theme shared by P University, Su Yuanshan suspected they were preparing to invest more directly in graphene research and hoped his lab would offer greater support.
As he refined his talking points, Chen Jing lightly knocked on the door.
"You free this evening?"
"Yeah, why?" Su Yuanshan looked up at the clock. "It's almost six—are we meeting someone for dinner?"
"No, it's just us, something simple—don't tell me you flew all this way hoping I'd take you to a fancy restaurant?"
"Haha! Of course not. I remember there was a place outside the alley that makes good fish stew—we had it last time. Still open? If so, let's have them bring a pot."
"You want fish? Sure," Chen Jing nodded and gave instructions to her secretary, then continued, "I just spoke to Wang Dongsheng. He heard you're in town and that you're meeting ministry officials in a couple of days, so he'd like to come by tonight and talk."
"Sounds good! Have him come," Su Yuanshan replied without hesitation.
Chen Jing smiled, shook her head, and stepped out.
Wang Dongsheng arrived earlier than expected. As Su Yuanshan and the others were still eating, he called to say he was already outside the alley.
...
"Old Wang, have you eaten?"
Putting down his chopsticks, Su Yuanshan grinned. "I bet you haven't—want a bite?"
"You guessed wrong, Director Su. I grabbed a meat bun on the way," Wang Dongsheng said as he took a seat, sneaking a glance at Chen Jing.
Clearly, Su Yuanshan's sudden interest in meeting him meant he'd heard about the delays in the LCD panel production line. Wang had a lot he wanted to get off his chest.
Chen Jing's "three monks" analogy wasn't quite accurate.
Sometimes, the problem wasn't the monks—it was the well, the shoulder pole, or the water bucket.
This collaboration, despite the three main technical and production parties being enthusiastic, had still encountered unexpected obstacles.
Now that Su Yuanshan was scheduled to meet with higher-ups, Wang's visit was well-timed.
Only administrative power can intervene in administrative issues.
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