Chapter 54: Technology Reformists
“Yes, the other party has quite a background. I’m very sorry, with my connections, I can only find out this much. Anything further up, as you know, isn’t something I can casually inquire about, but I think this should already be helpful to you.”
In the Xinghai General Manager’s Office, Jin Qiaoying said “thank you” into the telephone, then hung up, her expression extremely grave.
“General Manager Fan, General Manager Jin, bad news!”
The office door was pushed open from outside, Jin Qiaoying frowned, clearly very displeased with this behavior of barging in without knocking.
“What is it? Remember to knock next time.”
The visitor was her secretary, none other than Li Jia, previously Fan Ren’s secretary. Due to Fan Ren’s work transfer, he no longer needed a secretary, so she continued to serve the newly appointed Jin Qiaoying.
Li Jia stuck out her tongue regretfully, then seemed to remember something and hurried to the desk with her mobile phone in hand.
“General Manager Jin, look, our company has been added to the White Alliance’s high-tech products ban list.”
Hearing this news, Jin Qiaoying ignored Li Jia’s earlier faux pas and quickly snatched the mobile phone to scroll through it.
Fan Ren sat across from her; he had come today specifically to discuss with her the issue of the lithography machine seized by United States customs.
Hearing this news at this moment, his expression also darkened.
Jin Qiaoying handed over the mobile phone, Fan Ren quickly took it and after reading it, said to Li Jia beside them: “You can go out first.”
Li Jia took back the mobile phone, her face showing worry, then turned and left the room.
“Procuring one outdated process, 14-nanometer lithography machine, and this touches the White Alliance’s nerves?”
Fan Ren spoke up first in confusion. In his view, being added to this ban list was completely baseless.
Xinghai’s graphene chip R&D work had always been in a confidential state. Just because of one 14-nanometer lithography machine, it drew attention?
Jin Qiaoying sat down. The Hiller on the other end of the call earlier had still thought the matter too simply. No wonder with her connections, she couldn’t find out specific information about the personnel related to the detained equipment.
After pondering for a while without figuring it out, she turned her gaze to Fan Ren.
“Looks like we can only wait for domestic equipment?”
Fan Ren nodded helplessly. Without a lithography machine, how could he make chips?
For now, he could only console himself that fortunately domestic production could now make 14-nanometer lithography machines.
Otherwise, he would have to lead the team to R&D lithography machines again. In that case, the entire chip R&D cycle would increase several times on the original basis.
Moreover, the R&D costs would be a huge figure that Xinghai at this stage simply could not bear.
Jin Qiaoying sighed. Faced with this situation, there was very little she could do. The sanctions came from the White Alliance leadership, and she had no way to respond.
The two looked at each other in silence.
At that moment, Fan Ren’s phone suddenly rang, breaking the quiet in the office.
Taking out the phone, the caller ID showed an IP from Kyoto. Fan Ren answered with puzzlement.
“Hello, is this Mr. Fan Ren of Xinghai Technology?”
“Hello, yes, this is. And you are?”
“This is the Kyoto Optical Instrument Research Institute. We’re calling to ask if you have time recently. Our engineer has some questions in the high-voltage radio domain he’d like to consult you on.”
Fan Ren thought for a moment and without arrogance said he had time, then agreed on a time with the staff on the other end before hanging up.
“Optical Instrument Research Institute? The one where Guo Xin makes lithography machines?”
Jin Qiaoying looked over puzzled. Fan Ren nodded. He had some guesses, but wasn’t too sure until he met their engineer.
After thinking, he said: “You keep in touch with Guo Xin for now. No matter what, right now we can only wait for their lithography machine. Also, check if there’s a problem inside the company. The White Alliance side wouldn’t put us on the ban list just because of one 14-nanometer lithography machine.”
Jin Qiaoying nodded. She also suspected it was a leak from inside the company. For now, this was all they could do.
Kyoto, Optical Instrument Research Institute, Director’s Office.
“Little Ke, the other party agreed, but I still advise you not to have too high expectations. After all, every bundle line in the lithography machine has been precisely planned after a lot of testing work. Your idea is of course good, but the emergence of new technology doesn’t mean it’s necessarily applicable to our equipment. You understand?”
Yan Wentai adjusted his reading glasses. He was helpless toward this proud disciple in front of him.
His ideas were too outlandish; many times he had to hold him back a bit.
Ke Fengyun, called Little Ke by him, nodded with a silly smile, then said seriously: “Master, I’ve calculated it. Once high-voltage radio can truly be applied to our lithography machine, the light reduction and distribution can reduce the machine’s weight by 12%. And because of increased space margin, it can leave more ample space for other precision components, thus further improving the lithography precision.”
“Alright, alright, what you say does make sense, but my point remains: if the applicability issue can’t be solved, don’t hold too much hope.”
Yan Wentai interrupted his disciple’s nagging. He’d heard those words so much these past few days his ears had calluses.
Who wouldn’t want to use good technology right away?
But in the lithography machine domain, integrating new technology isn’t immediate. High-voltage radio technology certainly has its advantages, but if the magnetic field compatibility issue isn’t solved, it’s very likely to have a counterproductive effect on the lithography machine’s precision.
Therefore, he wasn’t too optimistic about his disciple’s idea.
Hearing this, some regret showed on Ke Fengyun’s face, but he quickly perked up again.
No matter what, they had to try to know.
“Then Master, I’ll go buy an airplane ticket.” With that, Ke Fengyun backed out.
“Youth is truly wonderful.”
Watching his disciple instantly revert to that spirited look, Yan Wentai couldn’t help but show a relieved smile.
Three days later, Xinghai reception room.
Ke Fengyun had just gotten off the airplane and hadn’t even gone to the hotel, coming straight here by car.
Fan Ren was notified by the staff here and learned the other party was so urgent, so he hurried over from the laboratory.
“General Manager Fan, very sorry to disturb your normal work. Are you convenient now? Or should I wait until the appointed time to visit you?”
Looking at Fan Ren in the white lab coat in front of him, Ke Fengyun knew he’d been a bit reckless, disturbing someone’s normal work.
Fan Ren stared at him for a bit: a young man around twenty-eight, wearing a pair of high nearsighted glasses, speaking in a way similar to the tech geeks in their laboratory, with a bit of shyness.
He himself wasn’t particularly busy. Wearing this white coat was just because of the reminder from the other side, and having some progress in ideas on high-voltage radio, he was holed up in the laboratory researching new equipment alone.
He immediately shook his head with a smile and led the other to sit.
“No problem. But since you’ve come from afar, shouldn’t you rest a bit?”
Hearing this, excitement clearly showed on Ke Fengyun’s face. He hurriedly shook his head and turned to take out a laptop from his carry bag.
“General Manager Fan, I don’t need rest. I came this time because your high-voltage radio technology inspired me.”
As the computer opened, Ke Fengyun skillfully opened file after file, and Fan Ren followed his words into it.
“General Manager Fan, look, this is the approximate bundle line structure diagram of our lithography machine. This file is my conception of places that can be replaced with high-voltage radio.”
As Ke Fengyun spoke of this professional knowledge, the shyness on his face vanished instantly, changing into a sharp, capable look. For a moment, even his speech was much smoother than usual.
Clearly, he had thoroughly studied high-voltage radio technology. After his introduction, Fan Ren had no objections to the improvements Ke Fengyun proposed.
It was just that Ke Fengyun had thought Fan Ren’s high-voltage radio technology too simply.
“Wait a moment, Ke Fengyun, right?”
“Ah, yes, sorry. Forgot to introduce myself.”
Interrupted, Ke Fengyun awkwardly scratched his head. From meeting this General Manager Fan until now, he hadn’t even introduced himself.
Fan Ren shook his head, not minding, and smiled: “Your staff already sent me your information earlier, no need to mind. The reason I had you stop is to tell you that your understanding of high-voltage radio is undoubtedly at or even partially exceeds the level of our company’s ordinary technicians.”
At this point Fan Ren paused, looking at Ke Fengyun in front of him in brief thought.
“Doctor Ke, it’s like this: our company recently developed a revolutionary material with certain positive significance for high-voltage radio. But before that, I need to ask if you can sign a confidentiality agreement with our company.”
