Chapter 556: The Duty of Technology
"You mentioned Xinghai just now," Su Yuanshan continued, his tone calm but his words razor-sharp, "but it seems you're unaware that the core codebase for Xinghai's CRM system was written, character by character, by Professor Xi Xiaoding, Yuanxin's Chief Technology Scientist."
"Likewise, you probably don't know that over sixty percent of the technologies and patents used in Xinghai's handheld mobile devices come from Yuanxin."
"And naturally, you must be unaware that the 'Thor' series of processors released by Xinghai's Cyrix team is based on the 'SOL' architecture—an architecture I personally designed."
Though Su Yuanshan's smile remained, his tone left no room for mercy.
The moment he publicly stated that he had designed the SOL architecture, Steve Jobs, sitting nearby, let out an almost imperceptible sigh.
He had also been hailed as a genius from a young age. But compared to Su Yuanshan… there truly was a difference.
After the room stirred in astonishment, Su Yuanshan didn't give the host a chance to jump in and took the floor again.
"Besides that, you say you're an electrical engineering student, so presumably your future lies in becoming an engineer. That being the case, I'd like to ask you this: What is your attitude toward technology? Should technology serve only a few, or should it serve all of humanity?"
"I believe everyone here has an answer in their heart. And many of you, like me, believe that technology is meant to advance the entirety of human civilization."
"Yuanxin, in its growth, has received help from many companies. Yes, businesses seek development and profit. But without the foundational belief that technology should serve the world, no cooperation would be possible. Yuanxin is doing its best to embrace and return the goodwill offered by those pioneers."
After saying this, Su Yuanshan paused and finally allowed a touch of visible displeasure to show in his expression.
"The greatness of Silicon Valley lies in its ability to gather and realize humankind's yearning for a better future; in its freedom, inclusiveness; in its fair treatment of everyone's dreams… That is what has made it a beacon for global talent and a shining capital of intelligence."
"It was born to offer technology to the world."
Finishing those words, Su Yuanshan gave a small nod and gently placed down the microphone.
A moment later, the room erupted into thunderous applause.
…
"What an overconfident little brat," Zhou Xiaohui muttered, clapping as she leaned toward Wen Xiaoqian. Her gaze was locked on the visibly trembling student in front of them, her face full of scorn and amusement.
Wen Xiaoqian pursed her lips and nodded emphatically.
When it came to political correctness and claiming the moral high ground, President Shan had never lost to anyone.
After the interview concluded, Su Yuanshan and Steve Jobs had no further interactions with the production team. Instead, they went straight to Jobs's office for a short private discussion.
As for what was discussed, no one could say—neither brought a secretary.
Afterward, Jobs made a brief appearance in front of the students, officially welcoming them to tour Apple. Su Yuanshan, meanwhile, returned to the villa.
"Well, now you understand how dangerous the world is, right?" Su Yuanshan joked, sprawled out on the couch, addressing his two secretaries. "Even in a place like Silicon Valley, where knowledge and elites converge, there are still plenty of people full of prejudice—and even outright discrimination."
Zhou Xiaohui and Wen Xiaoqian exchanged glances and gave bitter smiles.
This really was a first for them. Especially for Zhou Xiaohui—after flying around the world with Su Yuanshan for years and dealing with all sorts of tech giants—no one had ever shown them such a face.
Yet here they were, facing direct provocation from a random student during a minor interview.
"That was nothing," Su Yuanshan said with a chuckle. "Honestly, I half expected someone to ask irrelevant stuff—like human rights nonsense or whatever." He looked somewhat relieved. "At least no one went off-topic. This level of trouble is child's play."
Zhou Xiaohui grinned. "Child's play? You totally brainwashed him."
("洗脑壳" in Sichuanese slang: a mockingly educational or sarcastic beatdown.)
"He deserved it. I don't buy any of this 'freedom and democracy' crap from the U.S.—saying one thing and doing another. If they keep pushing, I'll just say their 'technology embargo' is a human rights violation… make them choke on their own words."
"…"
"All right, enough joking around." Su Yuanshan sat upright and checked the time. "Xiaohui-jie, you're more familiar with things here—stay a few more days and help my senior sort things out before heading back."
Zhou Xiaohui nodded. Chen Jing had insisted she come precisely for this reason.
"Xiaoqian, book a flight to Tokyo."
…
That evening, Wang Rui came to the villa for dinner as a farewell gesture for Su Yuanshan. Naturally, the unpleasant moment from the interview came up in conversation, along with concerns about the future of their product.
On that point, Su Yuanshan was surprisingly optimistic.
From past experience, he knew that Americans were still ordinary people and couldn't escape the laws of truth and reason—unless, of course, the U.S. signed a semiconductor agreement with China similar to Japan's. Otherwise, with the current exchange rate of the renminbi, Yuanxin, as an export-oriented enterprise, held a distinct advantage.
"But we can't get complacent. At most, your window is six months. After that, competitors will catch up. Don't underestimate the R&D strength of old giants like Motorola, Siemens, and Ericsson. Honestly, I kind of regret that our EDA progressed so quickly."
Zhiyuan EDA had followed the strategy Su Yuanshan had laid out from the start, entering deep collaborations with world-renowned software labs like Pandora. It had brought integrated circuit design into a quasi-intelligent era ahead of schedule. As a result, it wasn't just leading the EDA market—it had also dramatically shortened chip design cycles and reduced complexity.
With better tools, design timelines naturally fell.
"Plus, Apple will probably launch an MP3 player soon… and Sony and Toshiba won't stay quiet either. Damn it… who am I working so hard for?!"
Thinking of how he had almost single-handedly pushed USB forward, accelerated flash memory development, and yet would only get half a year of easy profits—Su Yuanshan couldn't help but grumble.
His words made everyone laugh.
"So, senior, don't even think about anything else for the next six months—go all in on distribution channels. Don't worry about sales metrics. Our real focus is the next-gen mobile phone."
Wang Rui, though a global business president, had always been closer to the mobile sector and was well aware of Yuanxin's smartphone roadmap.
The next-gen Yuanxin smartphone would come with a true operating system.
"What about the base stations?"
"Base stations?" Su Yuanshan gave Wang Rui a teasing look. "Senior, if you manage to build base stations here in the U.S., it'll be a straight-up slap in the face to this country."
"But I support you. Go ahead and try."
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Albino1
Chapter 557: Sony's Lifeline in the Snow
Selling base stations in the United States… just the idea of it thrilled Su Yuanshan. Even if they eventually got shut down, it would still mean he had once managed to plant a red flag deep within enemy territory.
So he encouraged Wang Rui to go for it—after all, who knows what's possible unless you try? A person's got to dream!
The next day, Su Yuanshan boarded a flight to Tokyo.
…
After discreetly picking him up from the airport, Ken Kutaragi stood at the entrance of the company, personally welcoming Su Yuanshan into his office.
"Mr. Su."
"Let's get straight to the point, Mr. Kutaragi…" Su Yuanshan didn't bother with pleasantries. "Only someone like you could make me drop everything and fly over at a single phone call."
Kutaragi simply smiled and shook his head. He knew Su Yuanshan well enough by now to understand that such cost-free flattery came naturally to him. It sounded sincere, but there was no need to take it too seriously—or fall for it twice.
"Well then," Kutaragi began, "we're planning to build a wafer fabrication plant specifically for producing flash memory chips. So…"
Before he could finish, Su Yuanshan shot up from his seat like the cushion was on fire.
"No way! That's really not cool of you!"
Although Sony did have its own fab, it was primarily an electronics manufacturer—not a traditional semiconductor company. When the semiconductor summit had taken place, Sony participated as a buyer.
And as the only company—well, not anymore, since Intel and SanDisk had also caught up—able to supply MLC flash memory, Yuanxin was the natural supplier to Sony.
And now, so soon after the agreement… Sony wanted to make their own?
Given his friendship with Kutaragi, Su Yuanshan didn't bother to hold back.
Kutaragi cleared his throat. "Mr. Su—"
"I don't want to hear it."
"Come on, at least listen!"
"No, Kutaragi-san, the semiconductor industry isn't what it used to be." Su Yuanshan's brain was firing on all cylinders as he quickly invented a justification. "I've said for a long time that wafer fabs are intensely tech-heavy ventures, and in the future, technology will only get more concentrated, more monopolized. The top dogs will feast, the second-tier ones will sip soup, and the rest will barely survive…"
"Even if Yuanxin licenses you the production process, by the time you've built the plant, it'll be next century."
"So what are you worried about then?" Kutaragi asked, smiling slyly.
Su Yuanshan paused.
Right. Given Japan's famously slow pace, they'd probably come knocking again before the plant was ever finished. He eyed Kutaragi suspiciously, trying to figure out what this crafty old fox was really up to.
But he responded quickly, "I'm worried about your money going down the drain! As allies, it's my duty to point out the flaws in your plan and help you avoid losses."
He spoke with the righteousness of a hero from a classical tragedy.
Kutaragi couldn't help but chuckle. He cleared his throat again and said, "And actually, the fab wouldn't be built by Sony alone. It would be a joint venture—with Yuanxin."
"Hmm?" Su Yuanshan paused again. Once he confirmed that Kutaragi wasn't joking, he furrowed his brow. "What kind of arrangement? Investing in Deyuan? Or a direct JV with Yuanxin?"
"Whatever's most convenient for you," Kutaragi replied with a cheerful grin.
Now Su Yuanshan had to take the matter seriously.
With his bold declaration that the digital age had arrived, the flash memory sector was bound to be a booming market, recession or not.
Which meant that boosting production capacity now would never be a losing strategy.
But Yuanxin… was short on funds.
The company had burned through its reserves as early as the previous year. It now relied entirely on cash flow to support its massive R&D and expansion efforts. With the spinoff of its foundry arm looming, Yuanxin was about to lose another major revenue stream. Billions had already been invested in the fab's expansion.
While the company's overall operations were healthy, they weren't healthy enough to finance another 10-billion-RMB facility.
Was Sony offering help at a critical time?
"Kutaragi-san." After a few seconds of contemplation, Su Yuanshan said seriously, "Personally, we're friends. Professionally, our companies are allies. In Yuanxin's internal strategic rankings, you're our only strategic partner."
Kutaragi nodded deeply and offered a small bow in gratitude.
"So I have to ask—what made Sony decide to pursue this plan?" Su Yuanshan fell silent, waiting for an answer.
Of course, Sony wasn't doing this out of charity. And since Yuanxin hadn't released any public financial statements, Sony wouldn't know about its cash shortage.
From Sony's perspective, a company like Yuanxin could just go public and get the funding it needed.
So there had to be some opportunity Sony saw—something that made this move attractive beyond altruism.
Su Yuanshan was eager to hear it.
Kutaragi pursed his lips and smiled after a few seconds. "We've made a bit of money."
"…," Su Yuanshan had to struggle to keep from rolling his eyes.
"No, really. Thanks to strong sales of our mobile phones and PS game consoles, our business has expanded more than ever before."
Su Yuanshan nodded. That made sense. In his previous life, Sony's phones hadn't done well. But this time, armed with Yuanxin's comprehensive solutions, they had nearly monopolized the Japanese market and successfully expanded into the West on the strength of their brand.
A significant chunk of Yuanxin's chip revenue came from Sony.
"And our success is inseparable from our partnership with Yuanxin," Kutaragi added.
Su Yuanshan nodded again and bowed slightly in gratitude.
"Last quarter, the capacity report from Deyuan noted that while their output is gradually increasing, we've analyzed the trend and concluded that it still won't be enough to meet future demand for chips in digital electronics."
Kutaragi looked at him sincerely. "For Sony, this is both an opportunity—and a way to strengthen our partnership."
Though his wording was diplomatic, Su Yuanshan fully understood.
Deyuan Semiconductor and the YX architecture chips—he had never interfered in their operations or tried to assert a dominant owner's role. Orders were fulfilled purely on a first-come, first-served basis.
But to an external partner, this lack of "preferential treatment"… was a problem.
To guarantee their supply, they'd either need a supplier from a completely unrelated industry—or become a shareholder themselves.
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Albino1
Chapter 558: Sony's Ambition
Su Yuanshan had, of course, long considered that this dual identity—being both a supplier and a competitor—would eventually become unsustainable. He had already made plenty of preparations for it: several major divisions of Yuanxin were designed to be separable in the future.
What he hadn't expected was that the pressure would come so soon—and from Sony, no less.
Su Yuanshan pressed his lips together, his brows knitting deeply.
Ken Kutaragi didn't say another word. He simply watched him quietly and refilled his tea, gently sliding the cup closer.
After several seconds of silence, Su Yuanshan slowly nodded. "Kutaragi-san, thank you for the reminder."
Kutaragi offered a small, composed smile. "Mr. Su, Yuanxin is without question a company to be proud of. But you must consider: in what capacity will Yuanxin face the future?"
"Yes," Su Yuanshan said, lifting the teacup and taking a sip before letting out a long sigh. "I thought about this a long time ago. In the future, Yuanxin must transform into a research-driven company that provides cutting-edge technologies and solutions. It should guide and serve the world through innovation."
"A magnificent vision," Kutaragi said, his voice full of admiration. "That would be a place where the highest intelligence and technology converge."
"But a technology center isn't built in a day. It's like a multistage launch rocket—although it's the satellite at the top that goes into orbit, the boosters below are what get it there. Without them, nothing lifts off."
Kutaragi added with a meaningful smile, "And even booster separation must happen at the right time."
"Exactly… Take the mobile phone business, for example. I want to spin it off, but it's still our cash cow. I can't possibly do it now—it needs to sustain Yuanxin's profits for at least the next ten years." Su Yuanshan lifted his cup again, only to realize it was empty.
Kutaragi refilled it for him. "So what you're saying is, in the future, you only plan to retain the chip business?"
"Mm, more precisely," Su Yuanshan replied, "we aim to focus on integrated system-on-chip design for complex future environments."
Then, his tone turned philosophical. "Kutaragi-san, tell me, when technology reaches its peak, what form do you think electronic devices will take? Imagine network signals transferring data at gigabit speeds through the air, or supercomputers performing calculations at levels of a hundred quadrillion or even ten quintillion operations per second…"
(Note: 1 京 = 10¹⁶, 1 垓 = 10²⁰.)
Kutaragi narrowed his eyes slightly. After a moment, he smiled. "If such a supercomputer could run everyday programs, then perhaps all we'd need is a display system."
"Exactly! That's how I see it too. The future is bound to be one of extreme centralization in data and computing power," Su Yuanshan said with a smile. "Take cameras, for instance. In the future, all you'll need is a lens, a display, and a chip that integrates the menu system and communication module. Snap! You press the shutter, and the data is instantly uploaded to a server. Then the UI processes and edits the image remotely. In that process, the camera won't even need a memory card."
"Personal terminal devices will only need to provide input and output."
Kutaragi froze for a moment as he listened, then suddenly realized: the LCD panel business Su Yuanshan had been so focused on, and the lens modules he had been urging Sony to develop—weren't they exactly the output components Su was describing?
"Mr. Su… You've truly been pursuing this vision all along?" Kutaragi asked, hesitating slightly.
In his more than twenty years in the industry, he had seen countless wild ideas. But never had he seen someone so unwaveringly march toward their "dream" the way Su Yuanshan did.
"Yes, I've been moving in that direction from the very beginning," Su Yuanshan said without hesitation. "And combined with artificial intelligence, these two paths will push the third industrial revolution to its peak."
At that time, academia was already beginning to summarize the third industrial revolution. Many scholars believed that ever since the invention and application of atomic energy and computers, the current explosion of the internet and IT industry signaled that the third revolution was reaching its final crescendo.
But while the explosion was clear, no one could define what the next revolution would be.
Some scholars argued it would be AI, gene editing, and the Internet of Everything—a world straight out of cyberpunk. Others thought the next revolution would be humanity's journey beyond Earth.
But regardless of the specifics, it was a universally accepted fact that we were living in the midst of an enormous technological wave.
"That's too far ahead," Kutaragi said with a small exhale and a gentle shake of his head. "I might not live to see it."
"Who says that? It's really close—I can already hear the footsteps."
"You know what I mean," Kutaragi replied with a chuckle.
"Yes. I accept your point," Su Yuanshan nodded.
What Kutaragi meant was: let's not talk too far into the future—solve the problem in front of you first.
Even among allies, no one wanted to stick their neck under the other's knife—what if it slipped?
Problems that arise must be solved. And now that Yuanxin's massive business scale was creating side effects, Sony had come forward with a solution. Su Yuanshan was, without a doubt, grateful.
…
Afterward, the two men briefly discussed the cooperation model.
Only then did Su Yuanshan realize that Kutaragi had been planning this for some time.
He proposed forming a joint venture among Yuanxin, Deyuan, and Sony to create a new wafer fab. The plant would be authorized to use Yuanxin's technologies and Deyuan's manufacturing processes, establishing an independent third-party manufacturing and sales entity.
In other words, this wouldn't be a traditional foundry, like the ones currently in vogue. Instead, it would resemble the manufacturing branch spun off from a vertically integrated IDM model.
This setup meant that, on one hand, it would have technical backing from Yuanxin and Deyuan. On the other hand, it would remain relatively independent—free from either Yuanxin or Sony's direct influence. It would also offer a practical solution to Yuanxin's awkward current position.
In addition, Kutaragi suggested moving Sony's CMOS image sensor production line into the new facility.
That way, no one would need to worry about anyone else holding a knife to their throat.
And the moment he said that, Su Yuanshan instantly realized—Kutaragi wasn't just worried about exposure.
No, this… this was Sony's full-scale entry into the semiconductor industry.
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Albino1
Chapter 559: The Crooked Path
Until recently, Sony's in-house semiconductor fabrication plants were limited to producing components solely for its own products—primarily CCD sensors, some general-purpose parts, and control chips. In the broader semiconductor industry, it was essentially invisible, not even qualified to sit at the table.
Sony was, by nature, still an electronics and electrical appliance manufacturer.
But now, after years of "learning" from Yuanxin, Sony had finally started to understand the essence of the game: semiconductors were the future, the decisive factor in who won and who led.
That was why Ken Kutaragi had pressed forward, despite internal opposition, to "jump aboard" the Yuanxin express.
…
Inside Sony's conference room.
As soon as Su Yuanshan left, Ken Kutaragi returned and convened a high-level meeting.
"Gentlemen, Yuanxin has provisionally agreed to our terms." Sitting at the head of the table, his gaze was sharp and intense as it swept across the board members seated on both sides. Despite his best efforts to maintain presidential authority, he couldn't quite hide the joy in his eyes.
Someone suddenly spoke up. "President, considering the current tense relations between our country and the mainland… is this cooperation with Yuanxin really appropriate?"
"Tense?" Kutaragi chuckled lightly.
He fixed his eyes on the man who had just spoken—Hayashishita Ichiro. This particular minister had always leaned conservative and had consistently opposed getting too close to Yuanxin, believing Sony was the one getting the short end of the deal.
The "tension" Hayashishita mentioned referred to a recent incident stirred up by far-right civilian groups.
"As long as there's no war, it's not what I'd call 'tension,'" Kutaragi replied, echoing a sentiment he'd once shared with Su Yuanshan. The two of them had agreed: let those who want to make noise do so—their business had nothing to do with that. All the cooperative technologies and products they developed were at the foundational level, invisible to the average consumer. The general public wouldn't even realize they were using parts from the "other side."
"What we must recognize," Kutaragi said, "is that this partnership with Yuanxin is based on mutual benefit and our shared goal of entering the new century together. The mainland offers us advantages that are unimaginable here—lower costs, and a massive population that translates into unmatched market potential. Did you see Yuanxin's latest announcement? Their people are getting rich too."
"I've been to the mainland many times," he continued. "What I've seen over the past five years has been nothing short of a miracle."
"The president thinks they could replicate Japan's postwar miracle?" one director said with a smile, though there was clear disdain in his tone.
The so-called "Japanese miracle" referred to the rapid economic rise after World War II, when Japan surged from electronics and mechanical manufacturing to semiconductors, and finally to the point where—so the saying goes—"selling Tokyo could buy the entire United States."
It was a point of national pride and a symbol of Japan's dominance in the Asian economic landscape.
Clearly, no one in the room believed the mainland could achieve such a feat.
Kutaragi frowned again.
He had great confidence in the mainland, thanks in part to Su Yuanshan's influence. But to say he believed they could recreate Japan's economic miracle… not quite.
"Mr. Hayashishita, you're missing the point." Kutaragi calmed down and spoke slowly. "Whether they can replicate our miracle is irrelevant. What matters is that Sony aims to become a company that lasts not just one hundred years, but far beyond. That means we need to look not only at our neighboring countries—but even toward poorer, more underdeveloped regions."
He recalled Su Yuanshan's theory on population markets and added firmly, "We are here not just for the sake of our short careers—we must also think about Sony's long-term future."
He lowered his head and glanced at a document before raising it again.
"Next, let's discuss whether to jointly establish an AI research lab with Yuanxin."
"But first," he added, "let me remind everyone that Yuanxin's chess program has now achieved 150 consecutive victories against professional players."
…
Su Yuanshan, meanwhile, wasn't making his usual rounds. After a brief visit to Fujitsu and Nikon—his LCD panel partner and his "big boss" in the lithography field, respectively—he prepared to head back. Nikon still hadn't fulfilled several outstanding orders, and Yuanxin's expansion was putting pressure on their delivery schedule.
Up ahead was the looming signing of the Wassenaar Arrangement.
Su Yuanshan wasn't sure whether Japan could withstand pressure from the U.S. under Wassenaar. If they couldn't, he was running out of options.
At the end of May, Su Yuanshan returned to the tech campus.
Chen Jing had long since recovered and returned to the capital, even taking a brief (and mostly fruitless) trip to Belarus.
…
In his office, Su Yuanshan was sorting through emails while reading the latest academic journal.
"President Shan, your students are here," Wen Xiaoqian said as she pushed open the door, playfully winking at him. "Should I send them to the lab or bring them here?"
"Oh? How many?" Su Yuanshan set down his mouse, already feeling a headache coming on.
The electrical engineering institute always assumed he had unlimited free time. After dangling a carrot in front of him earlier this year, they immediately started assigning him work. He didn't even get to choose his graduate students—his father arranged everything.
"Three."
"Ah… the whole batch. Honestly, I don't even know their names. Just send them to the lab—I'll go take a look myself."
Su Yuanshan stood up, leaving Wen Xiaoqian to call the front desk, and made his way toward the lab. To make things easier for the executives, Yuanxin had recently built a suspended walkway between the lab building and the administrative building—a kind of skybridge.
Surprisingly, the bridge turned out to be a hit. It eliminated the long 10-minute hike between buildings and became a sort of scenic spot—many staff liked taking photos there.
"I still think the reaction time changes after adding potassium permanganate. Look at this equation…"
"What changes? We've done this experiment a dozen times. Besides, you're a physics major—why are you arguing chemistry with me?"
"Then why do we always end up with acid radicals in the end?"
As Su Yuanshan approached the lab, he could already hear a heated debate from inside.
Potassium permanganate? Acid radicals?
He looked up at the lab door to confirm he hadn't walked into the wrong place.
Wasn't this supposed to be an applied physics lab? When did it become a chemistry lab?
At that moment, he heard quick footsteps behind him. Turning around, he saw two men and a woman—his three new graduate students—appearing at the stairwell.
They stopped in surprise, seeing Su Yuanshan standing at the door "eavesdropping."
Su Yuanshan nodded and waved. "Come on, let's listen in."
The three looked at each other, curious, and moved up beside him. After a moment of listening to chemical equations, they were completely confused.
At last, Su Yuanshan understood what was going on.
His lab team was trying to prepare graphene oxide via chemical synthesis—a roundabout method indeed.
This… this was straight-up unorthodox.
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Albino1
Chapter 560: President Shan, the Ceiling of the Industry
Not long ago, after persistent efforts from many parties—especially Professor Xi Xiaoding, who submitted a massive "ten-thousand-character letter"—Yuanxin's R&D Center was finally granted official approval to establish a postdoctoral research station.
The benefits of having a postdoc station were obvious. It allowed PhD students who had previously been funneled into Yuanxin's labs by university advisors to remain at the company even after completing their current research or graduating. This meant no worries about qualifications or employment logistics, and it significantly enhanced Yuanxin's ability to retain top-tier talent.
To maintain continuity in research, Yuanxin had always taken a lenient approach to its internal research groups. Most labs were granted significant autonomy, free to explore and innovate as they saw fit.
For example, by the end of last year, two research groups under the Yuanshan Lab—led by Xia Xiaoxuan and He Chunhua—had both not only completed their master's theses but also published papers in Physical Review B (RPB). That strategy came at Su Yuanshan's suggestion. He believed there was no need to rush for Nature or other top journals right away—there would be time for that.
After their phase-one tasks were completed, these researchers didn't rest. With Su Yuanshan's approval, they began working on industrial-grade production methods for graphene. He Chunhua essentially planted himself in Shanghai, focused on CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) experiments, while Xia Xiaoxuan, who happened to be Professor Xi's girlfriend, had access to nearly unlimited research resources.
During a monthly meeting at the R&D center, Xia Xiaoxuan met with Cheng Peng, head of the lithium battery team in the Special Economic Zone, and Rihonmatsu from the Japanese delegation. In conversation, the lithium battery researchers pointed out that graphene's excellent properties could be applied to battery technology—and several members of the battery team were already intrigued by the material.
Xia Xiaoxuan was thrilled. She pulled strings with Professor Xi to arrange a collaboration and asked if they could recruit a few chemistry experts to help. Professor Xi hesitated—uncertain if this was proper—but before he could decide, Wang Chuanfu reached out from the tech park saying: if graphene had such good electrical properties, then the earlier they started developing it, the better.
As a result, Xia Xiaoxuan formally assembled half a team and several battery experts into a new group. They immediately began brainstorming, ultimately producing an incredibly complex reaction formula and a full experiment design.
…
"So that's the situation." Xia Xiaoxuan stood with her hands open, explaining everything to Su Yuanshan. "President Shan, do you want to take a look at our experimental design?"
"Mm, let me see it."
Su Yuanshan nodded casually, but the lithium battery team looked surprised—everyone knew Su Yuanshan was a legend, but wasn't he specialized in applied physics and integrated circuits? When did he get into chemistry?
Su Yuanshan didn't mind their looks. As he listened to the briefing, a thought crossed his mind.
Chemical synthesis of graphene wasn't some back-alley trick in the future. In fact, it wasn't even "unorthodox." Graphene didn't really belong to just one academic field—it was inherently cross-disciplinary.
Take the Hummers method, for instance—one of the most widely used ways to create graphene oxide. It was entirely based on chemical reactions.
Su Yuanshan took the experiment design and began reviewing it carefully.
And then… he realized something.
Chemistry really was a different mountain altogether.
"Cough… I have to admit, I don't fully understand this," he said honestly, setting down the papers with a grin.
The group burst into laughter.
"But from a scientific intuition standpoint," he added, "as long as a reaction can occur, that means the path exists. Failed experiments? Totally normal. In research—especially when dealing with new ideas—failure isn't shameful. On the contrary, each failure is a valuable learning experience. Organize your failed results and methods, and you might even publish a paper just on that."
His lighthearted words took the pressure off the group, and the mood brightened considerably.
"By the way, let me introduce you all to someone." Su Yuanshan stepped aside to reveal the three slightly nervous new grad students behind him.
"This is Lin Kexiong and Gan Xiaoyu. Both are from the applied physics track, same as your group."
The two stepped forward and greeted Xia Xiaoxuan and her team politely.
"And this is Yue Hongyi. He's focused on integrated circuits."
Xia Xiaoxuan blinked playfully. "So you're supervising both fields at the same time?"
"Cough… Let's just say I rely on everyone's help." Su Yuanshan smiled. "Lin and Gan, start by following Dr. Xia to get used to the environment. As for your coursework—you'll need to self-study for now. If you run into anything you don't understand, you can ask Dr. Xia or any of the team members. Or just come to my office."
"Understood, Dr.—uh, Professor Su," they said in unison.
…
After settling in the two applied physics students, Su Yuanshan took Yue Hongyi across the skybridge back toward his office.
Those two would be fine. The lab was big, and with Xia Xiaoxuan's team in place, it wouldn't take long for Lin and Gan to get up to speed.
But Yue Hongyi was different. To be precise, he wasn't actually Su Yuanshan's student—he was his father's.
Also, Yue Hongyi wasn't even from the electrical engineering department. He came from the University of Science and Technology of China and had declined his guaranteed graduate school placement just to take the national exam to study under Professor Su Xinghe.
After meeting him, Professor Su Xinghe discovered that Yue had extraordinary talent in processor logic architecture. He immediately thought of handing him off to his son.
Having started early, Yue Hongyi was only twenty. He followed behind Su Yuanshan, carefully observing this man who was barely older than him, doing his best to keep his composure.
When Professor Su Xinghe had suggested Yue study under Su Yuanshan, Yue was shocked. He was just an ordinary student. Everything he knew about Su Yuanshan came from official news and public media. He had already known that Professor Su Xinghe was the nation's top mentor in integrated circuit design—arguably the best, bar none.
That was why he had risked everything, even turning down his school's offer, just to test into Professor Su's lab.
As for Su Yuanshan, Yue didn't know much. Only that he was Professor Su Xinghe's son and had once made headlines for a paper in Nature.
But then, Professor Su told him: "Su Yuanshan is the chief architect of the Tenglong series processors. If you want to pursue a future in processor design, there's no better person to follow."
Only then did Yue start asking around.
Because Professor Xi was also a USTC alumnus, there were plenty of senior schoolmates at Yuanxin from USTC. And the moment they heard Yue might become Su Yuanshan's disciple, every single one of them said the same thing, in the exact same tone:
"You've hit the jackpot."
President Shan wasn't just President Shan.
He was the ceiling of China's chip design world.
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Albino1