Chapter 406: Pervert Worldline
Old John Morgan praised in an exaggerated tone.
He was the lubricant between Yanjing and Washington, cooperating intimately with Lin Ran.
There was an astonishing tacit understanding between them.
On the morning of the 4th, Old John Morgan flew straight from Narita International Airport in Tokyo to Pudong, and at 10 a.m., after layers of tight security, he met Lin Ran.
Old John Morgan was genuinely envious; if Apollo Technology were an American company listed on Nasdaq, its market capitalization would soar to the heavens.
With America’s consumption power, moon tourism had already started with great fanfare.
Lin Ran pushed a cup of tea in front of him, his expression calm: “Morgan, the tea is still hot.
It seems your trip from Narita Airport went smoothly.”
“Of course, my friend, very smoothly.” Morgan picked up the teacup, pretentiously took a sip, then put it back on the table and got down to business. “Our cooperation has also gone smoothly.
I must congratulate you, Professor. The grand play you directed in Yanjing is the most perfect narrative construction I’ve seen in the financial market.”
He took an encrypted tablet from his briefcase, brought up an interface, and handed it to Lin Ran.
It was a complex revenue curve chart; on September 1st, the curve showed a nearly vertical surge.
“This is the result of our Alliance Fund over the past 72 hours.” Morgan’s tone was full of pride. “When the news of the Haguro being sunk spread through unofficial channels in the market, panic reached its peak.
But the real profit came from your subsequent actions.”
Lin Ran looked at the screen without speaking.
At this moment, Old John Morgan was like an artist introducing his own work, explaining in detail: “Your missile was the first driving force, shattering military confidence. And your subsequent humanitarian search and rescue was the most fatal blow.
It proved to the whole world that you not only hold the power of life and death, but also the power to define good and evil.
This absolute control completely destroyed the last shred of fluke mentality in the 4v capital market.”
“So,” he swiped the screen, and the final number popped up, “riding this perfect wave of panic, we shorted TAIEX stock index futures, New Taiwan Dollar forward forex contracts, and bought put options on TSMC. In just three days, our total revenue was eight billion two hundred million US dollars.”
“Of course,” he added, “this is just the appetizer; the real feast is just beginning.”
“It seems we’ve achieved the first stage goal.” Lin Ran’s tone was calm, as if the 8.2 billion US dollars was just an insignificant number.
He was more concerned about progress on the strategic level.
Cold War veteran, wealth was just numbers, unable to stir the slightest ripple in his heart.
“Does the White House have any new instructions on this incident?” Lin Ran asked.
“Instructions?” Morgan laughed heartily. “Professor, you’re too modest.
You didn’t create an ‘accident’; you created a solution!”
“Mr. President greatly appreciates your efficiency.” Old John Morgan chose his words carefully. “The sinking of the Haguro was like a bucket of ice water, waking up everyone still dreaming on Capitol Hill.
Now, no one is talking about strategic ambiguity anymore.
Washington’s consensus is unprecedentedly unified: we must transfer the entire 4v region’s semiconductor industrial chain safely out, at all costs, before the timeline arrives.”
He looked at Lin Ran, his eyes full of admiration; if only he were his son, Old John Morgan thought:
“You cleared all our political obstacles with one missile.
Now, our plan is no longer the greedy adventure of a few on Wall Street, but is endowed with the supreme political correctness of maintaining national security and ‘avoiding world war’.”
“So, what’s the next step?” Lin Ran asked.
“Accelerate!” Morgan answered decisively.
“Four years is too slow. We’re compressing it to two years now.
Aethelred Capital will formally submit an emergency proposal for supply chain security at TSMC’s board meeting next week, requiring TSMC to immediately transfer at least 50% of its most advanced 3nm and 2nm production lines to America Arizona, Japan Kumamoto Prefecture, and Korea Pyeongtaek via technology licensing and cooperative factory construction.
We’ll have the Department of Commerce, State Department, and Pentagon take turns expressing concern and applying pressure to TSMC’s executives.
Meanwhile, on your side, just continue maintaining economic and policy uncertainty, so TSMC’s investors feel they have no choice but to cooperate.”
Morgan picked up the now lukewarm Longjing tea again and drank it all in one go.
“Professor, we’re jointly directing a grand play.
You tear down the load-bearing walls of the stage, and we safely take custody of the wallets and jewelry from the audience’s pockets as they panic and flee.”
He stood up and extended his hand.
“Pleasant cooperation.”
Lin Ran shook his hand, his expression still calm: “Pleasant cooperation.”
Lin Ran was very curious how much the big T family made from this deal? Could it be 10%?
Canon headquarters in Ota District, Tokyo; the tsunami that hit Tokyo these past few days didn’t affect here.
Unless Tokyo sank, Canon would always be Canon.
Prime Ministers change, cabinets fall, factions rise and fall; even the so-called security treaty was just a 70-year-old piece of paper.
Politics was like waves on the sea surface; one wave crashes today, and recedes tomorrow.
These were all temporary.
But Old John Morgan apparently didn’t think so.
In the special meeting room Gozakan, laid with tatami produced in Kyoto with a hundred years of history, a calligraphy of “humble and open-minded” hung on the wall.
This was where Canon decided its most important company affairs; usually no one was here, very quiet.
But today, this quiet was broken by an uninvited guest.
Old John Morgan sat on the single sofa prepared for him, forming a stark contrast with the group of Canon executives kneeling opposite him.
This was both because of his identity and his bloodline.
Japan valued bloodline the most.
Old John Morgan’s bloodline, in Japan, was even more Celestial Dragon than Celestial Dragons, equivalent to the product of Mitsubishi and Abe intermarriage.
Chairman Mitarai, full name Mitarai Fujio, had served as the 2nd Japan Business Federation chairman and a member of the Cabinet Office Economic and Fiscal Policy Council.
This old man had led the Canon Empire for decades; though nearly ninety, his back was straight, and his gaze still sharp.
He spoke first, his voice steady: “Mr. Morgan, thank you for coming in person.
I wonder what urgent matter Mr. President has that requires you to come personally?”
Old John Morgan smiled: “Mr. Mitarai, you are a legend in the Japanese industry; it’s my honor to meet you.
Mr. President sent me to invite Canon Company to join a great new peace plan concerning the future peace of our two countries and even the entire Pacific region.”
He took a document from his assistant and gently placed it on the table.
“The White House and the Sugawara new cabinet have reached a preliminary consensus.
To ease the current tensions, we will lead the construction of a new tripartite technology trust framework.
And the first and most important project of this framework is for Canon Company to transfer NIL nanoimprint lithography technology to a designated company in China.”
The air in the meeting room instantly froze.
Actually, everyone knew who Old John Morgan was and had guessed his purpose.
Only Americans could sell scraps and make it a KFC family bucket.
Negotiating and giving the best terms to competitors, then returning to the White House to receive personal praise from Mr. President—only they could do that.
But Old John Morgan’s words still exceeded everyone’s expectations.
Because NIL was Canon’s big bet in the lithography machine field, gambling on the future, a long-term investment spanning over 20 years.
They thought Old John Morgan came to make Canon transfer unimportant technology; even handing over all scraps wouldn’t be unacceptable for Canon.
Because Canon could get cash in exchange; Canon’s scraps could be a feast for China, but useless for Canon itself.
So some Canon executives even thought it was a good thing.
Better to exchange for something than let it rot in their hands.
NIL was different; it was the future, Canon’s future.
Even for America, selling 5nm lithography machine technology to China would be a bit too perverse.
The current president of Canon’s face changed, about to speak, but was stopped by Mitarai with a raised hand.
“Mr. Morgan,” Mitarai’s voice remained calm, “NIL technology is the fruit of Canon’s 20 years of investment and nearly one trillion Japanese Yen in effort; it is the cornerstone of our company’s survival and competition in the next generation.
You now ask us to hand it to our biggest global competitor? Forgive my bluntness, this isn’t a peace plan; it’s corporate suicide—you’re asking us to commit suicide.”
In 2014, Canon formally acquired the semiconductor lithography equipment business of Molecular Imprints, Inc. (MII), the pioneer of NIL technology in America, for over 100 million US dollars.
Canon began basic research on NIL in 2004.
By 2025, this project had lasted a full 21 years.
Over these twenty years, Canon maintained an elite team of hundreds of top-tier physicists, optics experts, materials scientists, precision mechanical engineers, and software engineers.
The compensation and benefits for these top talents were a huge ongoing expense.
Nano-level R&D required purchasing and maintaining extremely expensive equipment like electron beam writing machines and high-precision inspection equipment, and continuously consuming large amounts of special chemicals and raw materials.
For NIL technology R&D and production, Canon built dedicated factories and production lines with extremely high cleanliness in places like Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan.
The cost of building and maintaining such facilities was calculated in hundreds of billions of Japanese Yen.
This was a typical Japanese company-style bold gamble R&D project.
For Canon, NIL technology was a bet on the company’s future destiny, not an ordinary product that could be easily traded.
“I understand your concerns.” The smile on Morgan’s face remained, but he began throwing out bait, the inducement part.
“Of course, it won’t be free. First, DARPA will sign a ten-year, over 50 billion US dollar long-term cooperation agreement with Canon to procure your technology in ultra-high-definition optical reconnaissance satellites and quantum sensing equipment.
The profit from this order will far exceed your investment in NIL.
Second, we will invite Canon to become the second international strategic partner of the America National Semiconductor Technology Center after Japan’s Rapidus plan; you will receive full support in our most cutting-edge materials science and software algorithms.”
The chips were very tempting.
But even more baffling.
In Japanese eyes, no different from being crazy.
The American Government paying to let China get NIL technology?
Am I living in some dimension I don’t know about? That was the only feeling in the heart of Canon’s current president.
What kind of perverse timeline is this.
All the Canon executives present began doubting their lives: What the hell is going on?
Mitarai slowly shook his head: “Mr. Morgan, Canon pursues not short-term profits, but long-term technological dominance.
NIL technology is our future. We will not sell this future.”
The smile on Morgan’s face finally disappeared.
“Mr. Mitarai, it seems you misunderstood my purpose.” His voice became low and clear. “I’m not here today to negotiate with you; I’m here to convey a fait accompli.”
He looked at everyone present and began the intimidation.
“The White House and Chiyoda have spoken by telephone.
Both our countries agree that we must avoid the situation escalating into a war none of us can bear, at all costs.
And this technology transfer is the small price to pay to avoid war.”
“You may think Canon is an independent Japanese company.
But on the New York Stock Exchange, over 45% of your ADR shares are held by American institutional investors like BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street.
As long as the President issues an executive order requiring these funds to liquidate all stocks of Japanese companies with potential technology links to China, guess how many hours it would take for Canon’s stock price to go to zero?”
“Canon may think NIL technology was developed by you yourselves.
But in that FPA-1200NZ2C lithography machine, how many core components—from the laser controller to the drive software for the ultra-precision motion stage—are from American companies like Cymer, Applied Materials, and our other allies? With one order from the Department of Commerce, Canon’s proud production line will become a pile of inoperable scrap metal tomorrow.”
Chairman Mitarai’s body trembled slightly.
Morgan stood up, walked in front of the old man, looked down at him, and issued the ultimatum.
“Mr. Mitarai, you have two paths to choose.
The first path is to be the hero of the alliance, an outstanding company contributing to regional peace, accept our 50 billion US dollar thank you, and continue leading the world with us in a new, safer framework.
The second path is to be a stubborn company oblivious to the big picture, threatening regional stability, and be completely erased from the global financial and technology supply chains by us.”
“The White House and Chiyoda are waiting for my call; they hope to hear good news.”
If there really were 50 billion US dollars, this deal wasn’t impossible.
But America’s subsidies or orders were pure pie in the sky.
Like in 2022, telling semiconductor companies to move to America; the CHIPS and Science Act allocated a whopping 52.7 billion US dollars.
They would indeed give it, but subsidies all went to red-blooded American companies like Intel; Intel got 8.5 billion US dollars in direct subsidies and 11 billion in loans, while companies like TSMC got promised 6.6 billion.
But up to 2025, only less than 1 billion had been given, with the rest disbursed gradually as you relocate capacity.
Equivalent to you spending 10 billion, and they give you 0.5 billion.
Totally not the same as Intel’s subsidies.
America’s pie-in-the-sky method was a bit too invincible; saying over 50 billion US dollars over ten years, but you’d thank heaven if you got 5 billion in ten years.
The entire Gozakan fell into suffocating silence.
All the Canon executives present were thinking: Is John Morgan really not working for Yanjing? What price did Yanjing pay to force even NIL to be sold to China.
Isn’t chips one of the few areas where we still have an advantage? If NIL is given away, do we even play anymore?
The sunlight outside the floor-to-ceiling windows was perfect, but inside was a patch of cold shadow.
Finally, Chairman Mitarai slowly lowered his head and said:
“I understand; Canon will make our due contribution for peace.”
In front of America, Japan couldn’t protect Canon; Canon could only bow its head.
Old John Morgan’s figure disappeared at the door; his polite remark “Wish you all a pleasant day” would have been better unsaid.
A full minute of dead silence.
“What a joke!” Current President Maeda Hideaki, a reformist known for being tough, slammed the low table in front of him, making the teacup on it jump. “Chairman, are we really accepting these terms? This is extortion! Robbery! We’re handing Canon’s fate for the next thirty years to Yanjing, and at this very timeline!”
Another director in charge of R&D, Dr. Kobe, a scientist who had devoted his life’s work to NIL technology, painfully closed his eyes: “We spent twenty years to find our own path out of ASML’s shadow; now, to hand over this path?”
In the meeting room, emotions of anger and unwillingness began to spread.
A young director couldn’t help but raise the question on everyone’s mind.
“Forgive my bluntness, Chairman.
What I don’t understand is America.
They spent ten years using every means to prevent Yanjing from gaining advanced chip manufacturing capabilities.
Now, why? Why force us to hand over that universal key that can unlock all locks?”
This question silenced everyone, as they looked toward the silent old man at the head.
Mitarai Fujio did not answer immediately.
He just slowly refilled the empty teacup in front of him with hot tea.
“Maeda-kun,” he spoke, his voice steady, addressing the current president by name, “do you think Americans would do losing business?”
“Of course not.” Maeda Hideaki answered immediately.
“Then,” Mitarai continued, “do you think that Morgan, who was just sitting here—a core member of the Morgan family, one step away from being the Morgan family patriarch—would allow his President to commit such a stupid strategic mistake?”
Maeda was stunned.
Mitarai Fujio turned his gaze to Dr. Kobe. “Kobe-kun, you are the father of NIL.
Let me ask you a technical question.
Suppose tomorrow we send a brand-new FPA-1200NZ2C, along with all operating manuals, to Shanghai.
What would they need to truly achieve large-scale, yield rate over 90% mass production of 5nm chips?”
Dr. Kobe was stunned for a moment; this question instantly switched him from anger back to calm thinking.
He began rapidly constructing the entire production process in his mind.
“Chairman,” he slowly said: “They would first need a perfect template master, which requires the top-tier electron beam writing machine; the most advanced equipment currently comes from America’s Applied Materials Company.”
“Then, they would need a stably supplied, formula-precise nanoimprint resin,” he continued. “Currently, only America’s Dow Chemical and our partnered Japanese chemical companies can do this, and their key raw materials also come from America.”
“Finally, and most critically,” Dr. Kobe’s voice began to tremble, “even if they imprint the chips, they can’t judge their quality with the naked eye.
They need nano-level defect inspection equipment to scan every wafer and analyze defects in billions of structures.
And that field is the absolute monopoly of America’s KLA Company; their algorithms and database are one of the core keys of the entire semiconductor industry.”
Mitarai Fujio put down his teacup, making a faint sound.
“Now, do you understand?” The old man looked around at his subordinates who had fully understood.
“They are not selling a technology. They are selling a trap, a trap crafted with twenty years of our Canon’s blood, sweat, and tears.”
