Chapter 531: The 3G Committee
"They've arrived, right? Okay, then I'll trouble you, Senior, to help get them settled in. Let me check… I should be back at the Tech Park in about a week. I'll come visit them when I return."
"It's the team led by David Rawlins, right?"
After receiving confirmation on the other end, Su Yuanshan hung up and exhaled softly.
With David Rawlins's arrival, Yuanxin's first batch of "foreign aid" was officially in place. That meant the next step was to prepare for the launch of the MP3 and MP3 mobile phone.
Su Yuanshan planned to hold the launch on June 1st, with a global simultaneous release. He wanted the world to get a good look at what the future of mobile phones was going to be.
Of course, until then, everything related to the phone had to remain under strict confidentiality.
Before heading back to the provincial capital, Su Yuanshan made a stop in Fujian Province, where he had dinner with his uncle, Sun Xihui, and several local leaders. Although no one explicitly discussed anything during the meal, there was a clear sense of mutual understanding at the table.
Naturally, the conversation turned to the recent HK kidnapping case. Upon learning that Su Yuanshan had reluctantly accepted personal security measures, the officials first laughed heartily, then gave him serious advice—quoting the saying: "A gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall." In other words, he had to start taking safety seriously. The underlying tone was one of great appreciation and high regard for Su Yuanshan.
After the brief visit, Su Yuanshan took a direct flight to the provincial capital and returned to the Tech Park.
…
"Brother Fu, I'm home. Can you guys finally get some rest now?" Su Yuanshan had barely parked when Liang Yongjun, who had been in the lead car, had already gotten out and come around to open his door—prompting surprised glances from a few students at the university's entrance. Su could only smile wryly.
"Uh… cough," Fu Zhenhua hesitated for a moment, glancing at the curious students ahead.
"Trust me, this is my turf. Forget thieves—an armored division wouldn't be able to catch me here. Do you think they know more about the drainage system and the manholes than I do?" Su joked.
"Haha, alright then." Fu burst out laughing. He also understood that compared to HK, the mainland was far safer—especially after the past two years of intense public security crackdowns. And this was a top-tier university, no less.
"We'll stay at a nearby hotel. Just let us know tomorrow before you head out."
"Uh… aren't you going home?" Su looked at Fu—he knew the man had already bought property in the provincial capital.
"We'll do dinner tonight, that's enough. You go on ahead—ah, look, Professor Su is coming out."
Su Yuanshan turned and saw his parents waiting just inside the campus gates, smiling warmly.
…
Back home, the expected lecture from his mother quickly arrived. She told him again and again to be careful out there, because there were just too many criminals targeting the wealthy these days.
His father, on the other hand, was far more easygoing. "You're in the office all day anyway, not wandering around. And now you've got bodyguards. What could possibly happen?"
"Exactly. I barely leave the building. There are guards at the door, employees outside—if someone actually manages to storm into my office, I'll admit defeat," Su Yuanshan replied with a laugh, legs crossed as he munched on an apple his mother had peeled for him.
"Well, just be careful anyway." Zhang Xiuyun gave him a stern look, then turned toward the kitchen. "I'm cooking now."
"Okay." Su turned to his father. "Dad, our university's involved in the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications' standards committee, right?"
Su Xinghe, knowing his son wouldn't be asking randomly, paused thoughtfully before answering, "Yes, we're involved. But to what extent, I'm not sure."
"Hmm… and recently, our university's communications work seems to be focused heavily on wired systems, right?"
Although the School of Communications had been established in 1992, its primary strength lay in optical fiber communication—backed by a national-level laboratory led by top experts.
By contrast, wireless communications lagged somewhat, and influence in that area was gradually shifting to Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications (BUPT).
"Well, I wouldn't say too narrowly focused. We're a comprehensive tech university, after all. Some departments are stronger than others—it's only natural." Su Xinghe smiled at his son. "Why are you asking this?"
"We got a notice. A group of experts from the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications will be visiting Yuanxin soon. I think the government is starting to see the strategic opportunity in defining 3G standards…"
Su Yuanshan sighed.
In his previous life, as someone in the communications chip industry, he knew the entire 3G standards saga like the back of his hand—it was a story long and complicated enough to fill three sleepless nights.
To simplify it: initially, China hoped to align with Europe's WCDMA standard, under ETSI's leadership. After all, during the 2G era, China had used the European GSM system and later adopted GPRS—it made sense to continue down that path.
So, the newly-formed Ministry of Information Industry, split from the original Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, assembled a technical standards team to evaluate WCDMA. They invited experts from ETSI to China for discussions.
The hope was simple—China lacked its own complete set of standards. So why not jump on the WCDMA train and see if they could sneak some domestic tech and patents into it?
However, once the talks began and Chinese experts began pointing out perceived shortcomings in WCDMA and offering alternative solutions, they were met with complete and well-reasoned rejections.
Turned out, the Europeans had already considered everything. Every proposal the Chinese side brought up had already been addressed or dismissed long ago.
In other words, what China thought was gold, ETSI didn't even bother to look at.
Without meaningful contributions, China couldn't justify joining the WCDMA camp.
But by then, the new millennium had arrived, and with the explosive demand for wireless communication, a new standard was urgently needed.
Still unwilling to give up, China decided to form a domestic communications company from the former research branch of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications. They partnered with Siemens to acquire TD-CDMA technology, added a few domestic innovations, and submitted the TD-SCDMA standard just one day before the deadline to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
The embarrassing truth? China's technical contribution to TD-CDMA was limited to antenna design. The core technology remained outdated and lacked meaningful upgrades.
Eventually, TD-SCDMA was handed over to China Mobile—the country's largest mobile carrier—and became its biggest regret.
They didn't even dare call it 3G. It was branded "G3."
But now, thanks to Yuanxin's dramatic rise and years of tireless investment, things might not end in the same regretful way.
And what comforted Su Yuanshan most was this: the state, through Yuanxin's momentum, was beginning to realize just how important communication standards truly were.
This upcoming visit from the expert delegation was undoubtedly part of their preparation for the international telecommunications standards conference just around the corner.
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Chapter 532: A Thousand Paths to the Future
"It's a good sign that the country realizes how critical standards are—they're the ticket into the future communications market," Su Xinghe said. Though he was no longer directly involved with Yuanxin's operations, he could understand the implications from just a few words his son had shared. "And with support from Ministry experts, the standards Yuanxin proposes might be further refined."
Su Yuanshan grinned. "That's not necessarily the case."
"You little brat… Who are you looking down on now?" Su Xinghe shot back, half laughing. "I don't know about the rest, but Professor Tang has been immersed in this field for decades. Tian Yaoming was his doctoral student. Are you saying Professor Tang's not competent?"
"I wouldn't dare," Su Yuanshan replied with a grin. "But Dad, it's the smartphone era now—BB pager-era tech is just outdated…"
He gestured as he spoke. "Look, you're using 32-bit microcontrollers these days. Would you still bring out an 8-bit system from the past and expect it to do anything useful?"
"…Well, people do improve over time," Su Xinghe said, somewhat exasperated as he glared at his son.
"Exactly. So let's see how much they've improved. I may not know wireless communications inside and out, but Yuanxin has people who do. When the time comes… we'll see."
…
During dinner that evening, Su Xinghe helped his son obtain the list of university professors participating in the Ministry's standards committee—and sure enough, Professor Tang was on it. Thanks to Tian Yaoming's recent achievements, Professor Tang had also risen in status and was now recognized as a leader in the field of wireless communications.
After dinner, Su Yuanshan paid a visit to Professor Tang. They chatted for a while, and Su casually probed into the real purpose of the expert group's visit…
As expected, the central government now intended to collaborate with Yuanxin in the development of communication standards, aiming to make a strong showing at the upcoming International Telecommunication Union (ITU) meeting.
In his previous life, the plan had been to join the WCDMA "train."
But in this life, the plan was to board the "CCDMA" train—Yuanxin's own standard.
…
The next afternoon, Su Yuanshan returned to the Science and Technology Park. After a short rest, he went straight to the R&D center to check on the team brought over by David Rawlins.
This was Yuanxin's first foreign expert team, and Su wanted to make sure they were treated well—not just for courtesy's sake, but to set an example.
Shortly after, he sat down with Rawlins, Qin Weimin, and Tian Yaoming for a small meeting in Tian's office.
…
"I've read yesterday's meeting report," Su Yuanshan said in English, leaning casually against a bookshelf with a coffee mug in hand. "Brother Qin, didn't you say you'd finalize the R&D timeline once David got here? Do we have a clear goal now?"
He then turned to Rawlins, smiling. "David, do you have any roadmap or ideas on your side?"
—After Jobs had visited Yuanxin, Apple's cooperation with them had moved forward smoothly. But getting this team over from Silicon Valley had been much harder than expected.
After all, for these seasoned engineers, leaving the brilliant innovation ecosystem of Silicon Valley to work in a relatively unknown part of China wasn't exactly an appealing life decision.
Not to mention many had families. This kind of collaboration wasn't something that could be wrapped up in a few months—it would take years.
Even with endorsements from both Jobs and Rawlins, convincing the team had been no small task.
So Yuanxin had compromised. Rather than pulling the entire team over for long-term integration, they had first arranged for them to study Yuanxin's existing technologies. Only afterward would they move forward step-by-step.
The idea was simple: let them realize that Yuanxin was not some backwater company. They weren't here to do charity—they were here to learn.
And it had worked.
At the end of the day, these were technical people—they respected skill.
By the time the team reached the Science Park, they already had a grasp of the collaboration's direction. That's why Su had asked the question.
"Not really," Rawlins replied, chuckling sheepishly. "We've mainly been doing R&D on ARM architecture. SOC wasn't something we had seriously considered."
Su Yuanshan nodded, saying nothing, and sipped his coffee.
His silence made both Qin and Tian glance at each other with a faint smile—this guy might say he's not pressuring anyone, but his presence alone was more nerve-wracking than a whip.
"Alright then." Qin gritted his teeth and said, "By the end of this year, we'll complete integration of I/O and memory controllers. By next year, the YX04 platform will have functionality on par with a multimedia PC—as long as your mobile hardware can keep up!"
Su Yuanshan's eyes shot up. "Really?"
Even Rawlins was slightly stunned. "You mean including GPU integration?"
"…That part will take a bit more time," Qin replied after a pause, glancing at him.
—He understood that Apple's primary reason for coming wasn't just joint development; it was also to explore full CPU-GPU integration under the YX architecture.
In Apple's roadmap, tablets and laptops were always the top priority—at least for now.
If YX could successfully integrate both, it would open huge design potential for Apple's product line.
"Alright then, Senior Qin, you said it—not me. Honestly, I'm not asking for much," Su said with a smile. "Just give the YX architecture a multimedia instruction set with support for audio and video. At minimum, it has to handle audio well."
Qin Weimin: "…"
Tian Yaoming: "…"
"But really—those multimedia instructions have to be added," Su said, then shifted into a more serious tone. "Senior, if you don't mind… I'll help out a bit."
—His earlier silence hadn't been to apply pressure. He was debating whether to step in himself.
After all, the YX architecture was born from his own ideas. It followed the "future path" of ARM. And since he'd worked on ARM architectures for so long afterward, he knew their instruction sets inside and out.
But… he was just so busy.
…
After May Day, the Ministry's expert group arrived at the Tech Park.
Su Yuanshan and Xi Xiaoding briefly welcomed them, then left everything else to Li Yin'an. Knowing Li's temperament well, Su made sure to warn him ahead of time not to let his emotions get the better of him.
Li Yin'an had been puzzled at the time—until the experts began pointing out "flaws" in Yuanxin's CCDMA standard, clearly having come prepared.
Only then did he understand why Su Yuanshan had warned him.
So, Li kept Su's advice in mind and calmly explained to the experts:
Yes, Yuanxin was well aware of the "flaws." They had considered those routes too. But there was a reason they hadn't taken those paths.
Because those roads had all been tried—and abandoned.
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Chapter 533: History Always Repeats Itself in Astonishing Ways
Faced with Li Yin'an's clear and well-reasoned rebuttal, the expert delegation fell into a brief silence.
A silence tinged with awkwardness—except for Professor Tang.
As Tian Yaoming's former advisor, Professor Tang naturally had a close relationship with Yuanxin. He also got along well with both Su Xinghe and Su Yuanshan. So when he saw his fellow committee members at a disadvantage, he wasn't distressed—he actually looked rather pleased.
After all, the foundations of Yuanxin's communications technology had been laid by Tian Yaoming, and early on, Professor Tang himself had contributed considerable expertise.
Furthermore, thanks to his connection with Tian Yaoming, Professor Tang was familiar with Li Yin'an—a young genius who had been promoted directly by his former student. From his early work in base station technology to his current leadership role in communications protocol, Li Yin'an's stature at Yuanxin had risen rapidly.
If, in the corporate world, the fastest-rising star was Duan Yongping, who had already had a solid reputation before being recruited, then in the R&D department, no one's star had risen faster than Li Yin'an's.
So Professor Tang had no illusions that his fellow experts were going to win any arguments against this young man.
At that moment, the head of the expert delegation, Chu Zhihong—a senior engineer from the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications' Fourth Research Institute—took off his glasses and gave a light cough. "Li, we acknowledge that Yuanxin's current CCDMA standard has reached an internationally advanced level."
Li Yin'an nodded immediately. "Of course. While we don't hold a large share of total patents, we did secure one of the three core patents. And based on our simulations, it's arguably the most critical of all—that's one of the reasons we're confident enough to challenge Qualcomm."
His blunt confidence caused a few of the experts to frown slightly, but most just smiled. In the tech world—and especially in a company like Yuanxin, which revered technological prowess—some arrogance was expected.
Chu Zhihong smiled too. "Not bad. We've studied your core patent. It's the power control method—it addresses near-far effects, shadowing, and multi-access interference. But have you considered this: if paired with a better signal reception system, it would be even more effective?"
Li Yin'an was momentarily stunned. He didn't immediately grasp how power control was related to signal reception. "Signal reception? Professor Chu, do you mean in terms of anti-interference or signal analysis?"
"Ahem… we have a pretty solid antenna solution," Chu Zhihong said with a light cough.
"Antenna? We already have our own antenna solution. And moving forward, the trend in mobile devices is clearly toward internal antennas—more accurately, using the entire device body as an antenna," Li replied, shaking his head. "Besides, antenna design isn't technically part of the communications protocol standard."
As the delegation once again looked visibly uncomfortable, Li suddenly remembered Su Yuanshan's warning to him: don't push too hard.
So he quickly adjusted his tone and smiled. "Tell you what, Professor Chu—if your antenna design is really promising, I'll help connect you with the mobile division and see if it can be adopted on the hardware side."
"…Alright," Chu Zhihong replied, holding back his frustration. He nodded after a few seconds of silence. "Let's leave it there for today. We'll take some time to review the standard more thoroughly."
"Sounds good," Li replied promptly.
…
Since this was an official delegation from the Ministry, Yuanxin had pulled out all the stops in terms of hospitality. Especially for someone like Chu Zhihong, who enjoyed director-level perks at the Fourth Institute—after all, he had led the design of the YD9100, one of China's earliest analog mobile phones.
However, with Yuanxin's rapid rise, the YD9100 had vanished almost as quickly as it appeared, replaced by a new generation of digital mobile devices.
Still, in the realm of communications—particularly analog signal communications—Chu Zhihong remained one of China's top experts.
That evening, Chu and Professor Tang took a walk together in the courtyard garden behind Yuanxin's guesthouse.
"Old Tang, you know Yuanxin better than anyone. What do you think their real attitude is?" Chu asked.
Professor Tang coughed lightly and smiled. "Don't ask me. I don't know."
Chu frowned. "You're a local heavyweight here in the provincial capital, and you claim you don't know? Isn't your student in charge of their communications protocol?"
"Tian Yaoming handed it off to Li Yin'an long ago. He's focused on the NEWBEE Lab now, which works on communications equipment and patent development. But if you really want to know their attitude…" Professor Tang looked around, then spoke softly, "Old Chu, I won't lie to you. Su Yuanshan spoke to me directly."
"…Why didn't you say that earlier?" Chu muttered bitterly, then sighed. "That Su Yuanshan… he's something else. All of us old men come here, and he barely greets us before disappearing—what was his attitude?"
"I didn't tell you earlier because you wouldn't have listened," Professor Tang replied with a chuckle. "Xiaoshan's position is very clear: the expert group is welcome without condition."
He paused. "But Yuanxin is a business. If the Ministry has valuable tech, they'll gladly cooperate. But if we can't offer anything…"
Chu couldn't help but feel a little sour at that.
After a long pause, he muttered, "So today was a show of strength."
"Not exactly," Tang replied, scratching his head. "Everything they said was logical and supported by evidence. It wasn't like they were being difficult."
"…Old Tang, you're really something. Just because your student wrote their protocol, now you're all on Yuanxin's side. You're a traitor!"
"Fine, fine. I surrender. I'm a traitor," Professor Tang said cheerfully, not bothered in the least.
If Tian Yaoming was the "father of CCDMA," then Professor Tang was the "grandfather"—what did he have to prove?
"Alright, since you're already a traitor," Chu said, sighing, "do us a favor and arrange a meeting with Su Yuanshan. The Ministry still hopes we can work with Yuanxin. If we can't join now, let's at least explore follow-up collaboration."
…
Meanwhile, Li Yin'an had returned to Su Yuanshan's office to give a quick debrief of the day's exchanges.
"Boss Shan, they actually wanted us to change our standard… just to fit their antenna." Li looked exasperated. "So if people use our standard, they have to use their antenna too?"
Su Yuanshan burst out laughing.
History, he thought, really does repeat itself in the most absurd and astonishing ways.
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Chapter 534: The Future of Lithography Machines
"That's how it is, Brother Li," Su Yuanshan finally managed to stop laughing, took a sip of tea, and said with a smile, "About the expert group—if you think they're completely lacking in capability or tech, I wouldn't go that far."
Li Yin'an gave a polite cough.
"Heh, don't get defensive. These people—they've been immersed in wireless communication for decades. Any one of them pulled out of context would be considered a heavyweight in the field, wouldn't you agree?"
Li Yin'an didn't deny that and nodded. "That's true, Boss Shan. But we're not working on fundamentals anymore…"
"Exactly. The issue is, they've been in fixed fields for too long. Or maybe it's because they've never had the opportunity to focus their efforts like we do—fully organized, concentrated, and cost-no-object R&D toward a singular goal. So on the surface, it seems like they're falling behind. But that doesn't mean they're not capable."
This, too, was something Li Yin'an couldn't refute. Honestly, when he first saw the list of experts in the delegation, he'd held a great deal of respect. After all, he'd only been out of school for a few years, and the textbooks he'd studied had been written by these very people. It was only when their proposals proved outdated that his sense of admiration had turned into disillusionment.
"Also, Yuanxin is still a domestic enterprise," Su Yuanshan continued. "Let's put it this way—from any perspective, by welcoming the experts, we've given the Ministry some serious face. And naturally, they'll have to give us something in return. Never forget—the domestic market is still our core market."
"Understood."
"So from here on, focus the exchanges on technical collaboration. Especially for the tech bottlenecks your team is facing—lay them on the table. Let's try co-developing solutions. That kind of cooperation serves Yuanxin's long-term interests best."
"Got it." Li Yin'an nodded, then couldn't help but laugh. "Boss Shan, I still think… the expert group might not be that reliable. If we couldn't solve it, I doubt they'll manage either."
"Eh! Who cares. It's cooperation. Whoever contributes more earns the greater say, that's all."
…
After sending Li Yin'an off, Su Yuanshan resumed working on his paper and chatting with Tang Wenjie, who couldn't fall asleep.
Back then, Tang had chosen to publish his thesis in IEEE Access, which had lower barriers compared to top-tier journals. Unsurprisingly, it was accepted and published quickly. In fact, it was probably one of the highest-quality papers IEEE Access had ever received.
Tang was now diving deeper into FinFET architecture research, and Su Yuanshan, viewing him as a senior and fellow researcher, had reached out for insights.
"Boss Shan, Engineer Zheng is here."
As the two chatted about the 5nm era, Wen Xiaoqian knocked and entered. "Do you have time?"
"Zheng? Zheng Zhenchuan?" Su Yuanshan instantly texted his senior a quick "chat later," then stood up. "Let him in!"
"Alright." Wen Xiaoqian smiled and exited.
Su Yuanshan walked out from behind his desk and opened a cabinet, selecting one of his best tins of tea.
Just as the tea finished steeping, the long-unseen Zheng Zhenchuan stepped into the office.
"Uncle Zheng, please have a seat."
"Haha, Boss Shan, it's hard to get a meeting with you these days!" Zheng said, grasping Su's hands warmly, the wrinkles on his face lighting up with a broad grin.
Since the lithography project team passed government verification, Zheng's team had left Yuanxin and returned to Chenguang Institute. The state had just allocated another 100 million RMB in special funding, and with Yuanxin and Huajing's support, they had successfully launched the Hongxin Optical Instrument Factory.
Currently, the factory focused mainly on lithography and other optical precision instruments. Zheng Zhenchuan had been appointed its first director.
Thanks to the project's outstanding results, Hongxin quickly won orders from multiple domestic fabs, including Huajing. While Yuanxin considered the 0.8-micron process outdated, many domestic fabs still stuck at 2 microns saw it as cutting-edge.
As a result, Zheng had been busier than ever over the past six months.
"Uncle Zheng, you're the one who hasn't come to see me," Su Yuanshan teased with a smile. "But let me be upfront—if you're here to sell me something, I'm not buying."
"Hah! Are you saying you'd kick me out if I tried?"
"Of course not." Su laughed. "Besides, I hear your orders are full through next year. You probably don't have time for us."
"Glad you know," Zheng said with a chuckle.
After a bit of small talk, Zheng sipped his tea and then got serious. "I'm here to discuss a new collaboration."
"Alright, I'm listening."
"Even though we've secured a lot of orders recently, we haven't stopped working on next-gen lithography R&D."
"Good. That's how it should be." Su nodded immediately. "Earlier this year, I visited Nikon. I didn't get to see their production line, but it's obvious their product and technical reserves are two generations ahead of us. Also, according to the latest updates, Intel should be breaking through the 0.35 and even 0.25-micron nodes this year. Once their fabs stabilize those processes, it means the lithography tech supporting them has matured."
"Exactly…" Zheng sighed. "The pressure is enormous."
Su chuckled. "Uncle Zheng, you've never been one to fear pressure."
"I'm not afraid—but it does suck when you feel like you've made progress, only to get left in the dust again."
"At least now we can see their shadow, right? Back then, we couldn't even catch a glimpse. As long as we chase hard enough, we'll catch up eventually. If nothing else, we'll tug at the hem of their pants."
"Haha, you've got a point." Zheng laughed. "So—do you think it's possible to bring your Silicon Valley team back here? They could give us some guidance."
Su Yuanshan froze for a second.
He glanced at Zheng, a bit puzzled. "Uncle Zheng… Didn't my Silicon Valley team already collaborate with you guys?"
Back when Su set up the optical lab center to support Zheng's project, multiple teams and labs were brought in. Although Zheng's team had since moved back to Chenguang Institute, the others remained.
Those teams were all built around lithography. The biggest among them was Zhao Kaidong's light source group.
Zhao's team had been collaborating closely with Lin Benjian's team in Silicon Valley, producing multiple successful projects with global impact.
Naturally, Zheng's side had been part of that cooperation.
So now, what did Zheng mean by "bring them back"?
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Chapter 535: The Dawn of National Investment
At that moment, Zheng Zhenchuan appeared uncharacteristically hesitant.
To Su Yuanshan, this hesitation only made Zheng's visit feel more cryptic.
"It's like this, Xiaoshan." Zheng glanced toward the door.
"No need to look, Uncle Zheng. This place is secure," Su said calmly, sipping his tea as he waited for Zheng to get to the point.
"I won't keep it from you," Zheng finally said. "The government wants to accelerate the development of the information technology industry. I don't know if you've heard, but the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications is preparing to split and be reorganized into a Ministry of Information Industry."
Su didn't even blink. In fact, there was probably no one more well-informed than him on this matter. He nodded. "Yes, the rumors have been spreading. And judging by the Ministry's recent moves, they seem quite credible. Their delegation is still at our campus."
Seeing that Su already knew, Zheng didn't mince words. "You know the saying, 'Pull on one thread and the whole fabric moves'? The foundation of the information industry is semiconductors. So, the state is planning to support the semiconductor base industry with everything it's got. The directive, to us, is clear—catch up with the West as fast as possible. No matter the cost."
Su Yuanshan raised an eyebrow.
He took a deep breath, then closed his eyes.
His memory overlapped with the reality before him.
In his previous life, when the country finally realized the importance of semiconductors, it began supporting the industry throughout the new century. Or rather—it never stopped believing in it. Never stopped investing.
But it was like pouring water into a bottomless pot—no matter how much support came, nothing ever boiled.
This time, it was different.
With Yuanxin's unexpected emergence, Huajing had not only been saved but had reached profitability ahead of schedule, becoming a model for successful tech introduction. Meanwhile, the Chenguang Institute's lithography project had been a resounding success.
Thanks to cooperation with Yuanxin, many once-impossible breakthroughs in related core tech were now becoming reality—workpiece platforms, light source systems, electric motors, and control systems.
These were things that hadn't even come close to maturing in his previous life.
Now, with the conditions in place, with Yuanxin leading the charge and Su Yuanshan's inner circle constantly feeding the state sound advice, it was only natural that the government's ambitions would grow.
"Excellent." After a long pause, Su opened his eyes, exhaling slowly with a broad smile spreading across his face. "This is the best news I've heard all year. Uncle Zheng, how solid is this information? I haven't even caught wind of it yet."
"Ahem… it's reliable," Zheng replied, a bit embarrassed at Su's genuine joy. He could tell that Su's vision wasn't just for business—he had the kind of national outlook few others did.
"So, to make future R&D more efficient, Zhao's team might need to return to the factory," Zheng added.
"Of course." Su nodded without hesitation.
The moment Zheng mentioned the government's commitment to "spare no cost," Su had already guessed that all the joint R&D teams stationed at Yuanxin might soon be summoned back to the national institutions.
As for the Silicon Valley-based Lin Benjian team—if they could be brought back and placed in direct collaboration with Hongxin Optical Instruments, the value to the nation's lithography industry would be immeasurable.
"But Uncle Zheng, we haven't received any official notice yet," Su said after a pause. "And… you're not just going to take people out of here without a word, are you? This isn't a guesthouse."
"Hehe, of course not." Zheng chuckled. He knew better than anyone that without Su Yuanshan's unwavering support, neither he nor Hongxin Optical would be where they were today. Whether you called Su visionary or just lucky, Zheng would never forget that favor.
"So what's the plan?" Su asked, still smiling.
"We'll have to wait and see what the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) says… It's really a shareholder issue. I don't have a say in it," Zheng replied evasively.
"Alright." Su nodded, still smiling, but now with a touch of amusement. "As for Lin Benjian's team, I'll be heading to Silicon Valley soon. I'll feel them out and see if they're willing to return. But let me make this clear—don't try to steal my team. If Lin does come back, it'll be under Deyuan."
"No problem! As long as they return. We work with Deyuan anyway," Zheng said, finally relaxing. "Oh, one more thing…"
"…Can't you say it all at once?" Su groaned.
"Haha, I swear this is the last one. You know, we don't deal with fab processes ourselves… but right now, domestic fabs are severely behind in both technology and capacity. Deyuan is currently the only fab with multiple advanced process capabilities."
Su immediately understood where this was going, but still couldn't help correcting him. "Uncle Zheng, Yuanxin isn't a fab."
"Uh… I meant Deyuan. They have quite a few 0.8-micron process technologies. Is there any way to authorize those for other fabs to use?"
"That's not up to me. You'll have to talk to Dr. Zhang." Su laughed. "Yuanxin may be Deyuan's largest shareholder, but we don't interfere in its operations at all."
"…Fine. But can you at least put in a good word for me?" Zheng asked, not willing to give up.
Su nodded, still grinning. "Sure! I'll tell him to sharpen his knife."
"…"
…
After seeing Zheng off, Su instructed Wen Xiaoqian not to let anyone disturb him and lay back on the sofa to rest his eyes.
Whenever history deviated from its previous course, Su made sure to carefully analyze and reflect.
Clearly, he'd slightly underestimated the government's current resolve.
"I should've realized," he murmured, opening his eyes with a smile on his lips. "The moment they started planning 'Chip City,' the strategic intent was already there."
Truth be told, he was truly happy.
Reviving the domestic semiconductor industry was not something he—or even Yuanxin alone—could achieve.
It would require national-level mobilization: from awareness, to policymaking, to deep structural investments across every segment of the value chain.
Yuanxin, as the vanguard, simply had to open the path. It had to tear a hole in the heavy darkness, and let the nation glimpse a sliver of light.
And now, the state was reaching for that light.
With this thought, he sat up, picked up the phone, and dialed Zhang Rujin's office.
At the moment, Deyuan had a few "redundant" older process nodes. If fellow domestic fabs needed them, there was no reason not to license them.
After all, making money while lying down?
Who wouldn't want that?
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