Chapter 449: Win, We Can All Win!
Lin Ran has already grown accustomed to this kind of life.
The feeling of living back and forth between 1960 and 2020.
2020 feels very fantastical compared to 1960. The technology here far surpasses what people back then imagined for the future, yet in many ways it falls far short of what an ordinary science fiction enthusiast in 1960 envisioned for the future.
This era of 2020 is so fantastical.
It hasn’t taken the path of retro science fiction, nor the future of cyberpunk, and certainly not a utopian world.
Here, information is everywhere, even more common than air.
From small things like data on people’s walking, heartbeats, and pulses that can be uploaded.
To large things like computing power that can no longer be measured with ordinary mathematical units.
But at the same time, once the fantastical color fades, a more profound disappointment naturally arises.
For this Cold War master who holds high positions in both spacetimes, where a single word from him can make or break a region and he manipulates geopolitics like a chess game, this disappointment is even more direct and makes him increasingly dissatisfied with reality.
People use the most advanced technology to scroll through the most boring short videos, wrapped in the densest information cocoons.
This future is completely different from the future in 1960 science fiction novels.
It is so confusing.
The longer Lin Ran stays in 1960, the more his way of thinking aligns with people from the 1960 spacetime, and his confusion and dissatisfaction become more severe.
After spending the entire 1960s in the 1960 spacetime, Lin Ran instead feels that the 1960 spacetime holds more hope. Although the technology there is far inferior to 2020, there are too many things that haven’t settled like dust, and too many things that can still be changed.
However, to change 1960, he must start from 2020 first.
He doesn’t have enough yet.
It can be more.
The resources he can mobilize can also be more.
Let’s start with the simplest signal first.
Things began with a most insignificant piece of news.
That is, Moore Threads’ S90 graphics card quietly went on sale in the Tmall official flagship store.
This graphics card has always been positioned against Nvidia’s 4060. At this time point when Nvidia has entered the 50 series, it is not considered advanced.
On the consumer end, Moore Threads’ past performance has been lackluster.
Simply put, the products they launched are priced no less than Nvidia’s cards, but the user experience falls far short.
Therefore, those who buy Moore Threads are basically not short on money and genuinely want to support domestic graphics cards.
What makes S90 different is that it was a product designed first, then placed on the entity list. TSMC could no longer provide foundry services for their S90 graphics card, causing the product to die in the womb.
So it was a product that only existed in theory.
Surprisingly, at the end of 2025, it quietly went online without a sound.
Netizens following this matter initially thought it was due to Ran Shen’s immense influence.
In Moore Threads’ official community, it immediately boiled over.
“Holy crap, S90 is out? Americans lifted the ban?”
“Shouldn’t be, right? Moore Threads cooperates with Apollo Technology. Once associated with Apollo Technology, how could they lift the ban for you? Not sealing it even tighter would already be giving face.”
“Yeah, these past two years, any company even slightly connected to Apollo Technology gets on the sanction list. Americans try every means to target them, while on the Chinese side, they try every means to support them. Unbanning is unlikely.”
“Then it must be Ran Shen’s immense influence, managing to allocate some production capacity from Huawei’s 7nm production line to Moore Threads.”
“Probably. Ran Shen still has a big face. Huawei forgoing profits + nurturing a direct competitor—giving that kind of face. Could anyone else do it?”
“What kind of face fruit is this.”
“Honestly, go buy one quick, even if just to collect it.”
“Wait, am I seeing this right? Moore Threads priced at only 1999? What’s wrong with Old Zhang? 1999 to make a friend?”
“Wasn’t planning to support, but seeing this price, similar to 4060, then I can buy one to support!”
“Moore Threads, the law breaker, now also following the game rules?”
Some netizen joked that in the graphics card circle, there’s a law: no unconvincing graphics card, only unconvincing prices. And this law was successfully broken by Moore Threads’ S70.
Because S70’s gaming performance matches 750ti, meaning it couldn’t beat even mid-to-high-end integrated graphics at the time. No matter the price for that performance, it’s unconvincing. Yet Moore Threads wanted to sell such a discrete graphics card that couldn’t beat integrated graphics at 3060ti prices.
It was criticized endlessly by netizens.
Feeling that spending 2499 on an S70 that’s no good for gaming or running AI, over two thousand bucks for just sentiment plus a heatsink and three fans.
Now with pricing matching 4060 and paper performance on par with 4060, it has become a product with sufficient market competitiveness.
Simply put, because Chinese consumers are willing to accept some sentiment premium when supporting domestic semiconductor products.
S70’s premium was too ruthless, but S90’s pricing is conscientious enough.
“Holy crap, it’s real! At this price, I must buy one!”
Below were uniform +1s.
Moore Threads’ official forum rarely got this lively.
Usually posts get single-digit replies.
On JD.com, first-day sales broke ten thousand.
But on Zhihu, the discussion focus wasn’t on Moore Threads, but on China’s fully domestic 7nm breakthrough.
“I’ve been holding it in— the 7nm fully domestic production line has already been put into production. Today’s news allows declassification, so Moore Threads’ S90 launch today actually started production two months ago!
It didn’t disappoint, and now listen to Dragon’s Roar!”
“When Huawei was added to the list in 2019, I really liked the letter from HiSilicon’s president at the time, especially the last sentence:
The road ahead is even more arduous. We will stand tall with courage, wisdom, and perseverance under extreme pressure, and forge ahead vigorously. Only in towering waves does the hero’s true color show; in hardship and adversity is Noah’s Ark forged.
Now Noah’s Ark has arrived. I want to ask America, can they stop it this time?”
These answering users, from their past answers, can be seen to have more or less semiconductor industry backgrounds, with one or two even verified from Huawei’s semiconductor department.
These people all say the same thing: we have conquered 7nm.
That evening, Yu Dawei’s Weibo only posted two words: Success.
Suddenly, storm clouds gathered.
Everyone knew the 7nm production line had truly been breached.
Anyone with a bit of common sense knows what this means for China.
America’s chips are fewer by one.
The next day, in China’s evening 7pm slot, the news of Shanghai Microelectronics’ 7nm lithography machine formally entering production gave this rumor its final judgment.
Global media rushed to report on it.
Old John Morgan in Tokyo had long learned of this news. To him, this was another great opportunity to short TSMC.
And he knew that the White House at this moment must be in a storm of blood and fury. Fortunately, he was in Tokyo, making money for Washington and Wall Street without getting involved.
And without facing the temperamental big T, without facing his questions about why he sold Japan’s 28nm related semiconductor technology to China.
Wasn’t it you who told me to sell?
I’m just executing your orders.
As Old John Morgan expected, in the White House Oval Office at this moment, cold air howled outside, and the air pressure inside was exceptionally low.
Everyone found it difficult to accept.
China’s progress far exceeded their expectations.
Their estimate was completing 28nm fully domestic line by 2027. They had indeed pushed that timeline forward a bit, but their most optimistic estimate was that China wouldn’t achieve 7nm fully domestic line until 2030.
Yet they were five full years ahead.
What does five years mean? Five years means all plans must be scrapped and redone.
Big T sat behind the resolute desk, his tie slightly loosened, fingers impatiently tapping on stacks of classified briefs.
Headlines from various media were all similar: “China achieves 7nm semiconductor independence with a leap under America’s trade shadow.”
After all, this had been one of the world’s main narratives for the past seven years.
The world was in an uproar over China’s progress.
The White House senior officials present all thought big T was burning with anger. In reality, his mood was indeed bad, but not as terrible as they thought.
“Gentlemen, speak up. What should we do now?
We’re not going to bury our heads in the sand like ostriches pretending nothing happened, are we?
We need action, even if it looks ineffective, but we need to give our supporters the feeling that we are constantly winning.”
Sitting across from him were all core members of his team.
Including Mark, this former Florida senator. Well, Mark isn’t really a core member.
The Secretary of State position is important, but in big T’s White House, Mark is more like a straight man.
Commerce Secretary Howard Rutnik, because he’s a Wall Street billionaire, is much more favored by big T than Mark.
And Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, big T’s former campaign manager.
Not including Musk; Musk is in Florida.
He refused to wade into this mess, citing being busy with the moon base and Starship redesign.
Rutnik spoke first: “Mr. President, our top priority now is to prevent the Donkey Party from exploiting this politically, linking it to last year’s permission for Japan to sell 28nm and below semiconductor technology to China.”
Ordinary people hearing this would find it unbelievable. At a time like this, with fire at the eyebrows, your first reaction is still party strife? Or passing the buck?
But reality is like that.
Rutnik thrives in the White House with such traits.
Mark buried his head upon hearing this, avoiding his expression being caught by big T.
This second-generation Cuban immigrant is far more loyal than a New York native like Rutnik.
Here, loyalty is to America.
“As you know, our intelligence confirms that by the end of 2025, China has, as they claimed, achieved full independence in 7nm semiconductor production.
SMIC and other state-owned enterprises now produce these chips without relying on any foreign technology, no Dutch ASML machines, no Cadence or Synopsys EDA tools.
This is a complete domestic supply chain, from photolithography to materials.
But that’s not important. We need to emphasize to the public that this is 2017 technology. It’s almost 2026 now—they’re ten years behind us!
A full ten years!”
Mark thought to himself, oh god, what kind of comparison is this.
Rutnik’s voice continued.
“Most importantly, we need to emphasize that this has nothing to do with Japan selling semiconductor technology to China!
We need to stress that you’ve only been in office a year—this is Joe’s responsibility!
Selling semiconductor technology to China was the right move.
It was precisely Joe’s weakness, incompetence, and compromise that allowed China to continuously send science and engineering students to America, Europe, Japan, and all free world countries to study and work, accessing all kinds of cutting-edge technology.
Causing cracks in the farsighted plan you formulated in 2018 between 2020 and 2024.
These cracks are enormous.
We sold semiconductor technology to Japan to recoup losses, converting residual-value tech into revenue before the cracks fully emerged.
If not for your leadership, Mr. President, what Chinese news would be reporting now wouldn’t be 7nm, but 5nm, 3nm, or even 2nm.
Precisely because of you, Mr. President, the gap between China and us is still ten years!
And in the future, this gap will only widen!
Because the US dollars from Japan’s 28nm tech sale will be invested in American semiconductor companies! Bringing tax revenue, employment, and manufacturing to America!
This is your great victory, Mr. President!”
After Rutnik finished, Mark didn’t know what to say anymore, because what he prepared before coming was: It’s worse than that. This isn’t just about mobile phones and notebook computers. With 7nm independence, they are accelerating production of AI processors, quantum computing prototypes, and military-grade hardware.
Everything he prepared was bad news.
About the current dire situation.
But what did Rutnik prepare?
Another great victory!
Mark was dumbfounded; he didn’t know what to say anymore.
“We still have one last thing: have Mr. Morgan, far away in Tokyo, quickly talk to the Japanese side and notify them that whatever amount they got from selling 28nm must be invested in America.
It’s an order, not negotiation, not discussion.”
After Rutnik finished, big T showed a satisfied smile: “Howard, you said it brilliantly! That’s exactly what I was thinking.
Mark, what about you? Any ideas?”
Mark looked up excitedly: “I fully agree with Secretary Rutnik. This is indeed something to celebrate!
The gap between China and us is still huge; our advantage in semiconductor technology is expanding.
With you in the White House, the chip curtain will only be more solid than before!
I’m already eagerly awaiting the completion of big T’s moon base.
I was just thinking, the computer equipment there must use chips produced domestically in America.”
Big T gave a thumbs up: “Good job!”
Why big T doesn’t mind China’s progress at all is because he knows his staff team will come up with ten thousand ways to turn this into good news.
And at this moment, Mark was already thinking internally whether his team needed to hire an Indian staffer, or else he’d only get more awkward in the White House.
