Chapter 119

"Academician Ni, please go first!"

Wang Dongsheng, who had come to Hanxi together with Gao Peng, said to Ni Guangnan after getting off the plane and seeing the car sent by Dongxin Semiconductor to pick them up.

On this flight, Wang Dongsheng had come over together with Ni Guangnan. Being in Yanjing, he had heard a lot about the things happening inside Lenovo. The media had long since blown this matter, which originally belonged to Lenovo's internal affairs, into a huge uproar. Who was right and who was wrong, who was at fault, along with various true and false rumors, made it difficult for people to distinguish the truth.

However, Wang Dongsheng, who revered technology and had always advocated for independent research and development, or rather, most of the people in the country at this moment who still insisted on developing technology themselves, were secretly supporting Ni Guangnan in their hearts.

But through the situation of BOE, which was currently doing OEM work for Panasonic, Wang Dongsheng also understood that with Lenovo's current status, facing the impact of foreign computer brands like IBM, Dell, and Compaq this year, Lenovo had sold fewer than three thousand computers, and the competition for Han cards was also brutal. Lenovo was experiencing a crisis of survival and bankruptcy; where would they have the money to do any research and development at a time like this?

Besides this fundamental reason, there was another reason that no one would say out loud: that is, if money is taken to do research and development, the profits Lenovo turns over to its superior units, shareholder dividends, and investor returns would decrease.

Under these circumstances, it was a test of human nature. Everyone knew that suffering now might mean their descendants could enjoy happiness, but how many people could truly achieve that? Especially when it came to taking money that belonged to them now and giving it cheaply to future descendants who had absolutely nothing to do with them, the number of people willing to do that was probably even more scarce.

Ni Guangnan's situation at Lenovo was actually already doomed. Wang Dongsheng felt that this matter would soon be decided, but the result would probably end with Ni Guangnan exiting Lenovo.

This was not a secret in the tech circle; anyone with a little bit of know-how understood it. Whether the people inside Lenovo supported Boss Liu, who gave them money and equity, or Ni Guangnan, who spent their money, the answer was obvious. As soon as the management meeting held a vote, it would be the moment Ni Guangnan left Lenovo.

The only difference was whether Ni Guangnan would leave on his own to keep some dignity, or if someone would "help him" keep his dignity. But the latter would probably make Ni Guangnan a tragic figure!

"Mr. Li is truly making a big move!"

Wang Dongsheng said to Zhang Ao after they got into the car behind.

Since companies like Toshiba, Xia Pu, and Sanyo from Japan announced price hikes on components supplied to Dongling Gao Ke, Dongling Gao Ke had been striking out everywhere. Although the media had not reported it yet, the news had already spread within the industry.

In Pengcheng, Dongling Gao Ke had acquired a stake in a battery company, and in Yanjing, they had found BOE to jointly establish a screen panel company. Now, they had invited Ni Guangnan over, clearly intending to stir up trouble in the chip sector.

These were all absolutely big moves. As someone in the tech industry, seeing Dongling Gao Ke not yielding, but instead having the posture of wanting to confront several major Japanese giant companies with its own strength, even Wang Dongsheng, an outsider, was honestly feeling quite stirred up.

If he knew that just in these few days, Li Dongling had already poached the lithography machine R&D team from the 45th Research Institute to Dongxin Semiconductor, he didn't know what he would think.

"Once you've met Mr. Li, you'll know his personality!" Gao Peng shook his head and said, "Even Microsoft, Mr. Li isn't afraid of. He dares to go to America to sue Microsoft, let alone those few Japanese companies. They really aren't decent people either; they flip their faces as soon as they say they will. What do they take Dongling Gao Ke for? If they keep retreating, they're going to be ridden on top of their heads. That bunch of Japanese devils really aren't decent people!"

Mentioning companies like Toshiba and Sanyo from Japan, Gao Peng was also so angry that his teeth itched. He felt it was simply bullying people too much, really taking Dongling Gao Ke as leeks to be harvested.

Gao Peng and a host of other Dongling Gao Ke executives all understood that if they didn't respond this time, then in the future, those companies like Toshiba would really be riding on Dongling Gao Ke's neck. It was truly a case of "what can be endured, what cannot be endured"!

Looking at the righteous and indignant Gao Peng, Wang Dongsheng was silent for a moment. How long had it been since he had seen someone like Gao Peng, someone in the domestic tech industry who still dared to resist and challenge foreign companies?

Even including BOE, facing companies like Panasonic, they were also retreating step by step. Even if their bottom line was breached, they still retreated. There was no help for it; who let BOE really need Panasonic's technology and need to do OEM work for them to survive? Being held by the throat and having to rely on others to grant them food, how could they talk about challenging them?

Looking out the window, Wang Dongsheng hoped that this trip to Hanxi would bring gains for BOE, allowing him to one day stand up straight and challenge those screen manufacturers like Xia Pu and Panasonic face-to-face!

"Academician Ni!"

"Factory Manager Wang, welcome to Hanxi!"

After Li Dongling shook hands with Ni Guangnan and Wang Dongsheng, he said to the two of them. Ni Guangnan's figure was thin, his face carried the vicissitudes and fatigue of life, and coupled with the fact that he had already reached the age of knowing one's destiny, his complexion was clearly not very good at the moment.

"Academician Ni, you've had a long and tiring journey. Would you like to rest for a while first?!" Li Dongling said to Ni Guangnan.

"No need!"

Ni Guangnan was a straightforward person; he didn't have so many twists and turns. Plus, having reached his current status and position, he didn't need that set of things anymore. The honors and medals he should have received, to tell the truth, he had already received them all. Fame and fortune were already of no use to her. The only thing he wanted most now was one thing: to fulfill his long-cherished wish and develop a self-developed chip!

He said directly to Li Dongling, "I came here this time to handle serious business. Once the serious business is done, you can say whatever you want!"

Seeing this, Wang Dongsheng very tactfully said, "Mr. Li and Academician Ni should talk first. I'll trouble Manager Gao to take me to appreciate the style of Dongxin Semiconductor!"

After Wang Dongsheng left, Ni Guangnan asked Li Dongling directly, "Does Dongling Gao Ke really want to develop chips?!"

"Academician Ni has already seen it. This is the headquarters of Dongxin Semiconductor. If you are interested, Academician Ni, you can go upstairs; you can see the lithography machine project that Chief Engineer Zhou Shi is currently leading the team to develop!"

These words truly shocked Ni Guangnan. He didn't expect that Dongxin Semiconductor was playing such a big game; not only were they touching chips, but they were even involved in lithography machines.

Calming down and taking a sip of water, Ni Guangnan said, "I presume you have also heard about my affairs at Lenovo. I can propose to resign and leave Lenovo, but if I join Dongxin, what I want to do is independently develop chips. This is my only requirement!"

"That is natural. Inviting Academician Ni over this time is precisely to be responsible for leading the chip team of Dongxin Semiconductor. You, like Chief Engineer Zhou Shi, will both become Chief Engineers of Dongxin Semiconductor!"

Li Dongling said. If Ni Guangnan joined Dongxin Semiconductor, then he and Zhou Shi would each lead an R&D team in the future. Chips and lithography machines would become the two legs of Dongxin Semiconductor. Relying on these two legs, Dongxin Semiconductor would have the qualifications to compete with companies like Nikon, Samsung, and Intel.

"What about R&D funding?!" Ni Guangnan asked the question he was most concerned about. Being fooled into joining but not being given money for R&D was not uncommon in the tech industry. Even some companies that used the banner of tech giants to swindle and bluff happened quite often. Ni Guangnan didn't want to fall into the trap himself; his reputation and age couldn't afford to be squandered many more times.

Li Dongling let out a breath, "Dongxin Semiconductor's parent company, Dongling Gao Ke, will invest a sum of startup capital in the initial phase. In the later phase, Dongxin Semiconductor's R&D funding will have to rely on obtaining cooperative projects!"

As soon as these words were spoken, Ni Guangnan's complexion changed immediately. This was not the answer he wanted. What he wanted was the kind of R&D funding that would allow him to develop products without restrictions.

"If Dongxin Semiconductor needs to survive, it cannot rely solely on the relief from Dongling Gao Ke, otherwise it will never be able to stand up!"

Li Dongling said to Ni Guangnan with a calm expression, "You also know that you have heard about Dongling Gao Ke's current situation. We need to first develop our own telephone chip motherboard for Dongling Gao Ke at Dongxin Semiconductor, and then Academician Ni, you can develop computer chips or other chips; it's up to you to decide!

In the future, the chip department of Dongxin Semiconductor will be divided into two product lines: one will develop computer chips and the like according to your wishes, Academician Ni, and one product line will develop chips for Dongling Gao Ke's new products!"

Li Dongling needed Ni Guangnan to develop digital cordless telephone chips for Dongling Gao Ke, and in the future, use the money earned from developing chips for products like mini radios, Xiaolingtong, VCDs, DVDs, and MP3s to support Dongxin Semiconductor. Otherwise, relying solely on Dongling Gao Ke to desperately support this money-swallowing beast was simply too difficult.

The expression on Ni Guangnan's face changed unpredictably. He wanted that kind of pure academic R&D atmosphere, but whether it was Lenovo or Dongxin Semiconductor, it was impossible to provide that kind of idealistic R&D environment; that wasn't realistic!

The only difference was that Dongxin Semiconductor really wanted to develop chips, while Lenovo, well, let's not mention it. Whether to continue staying at Lenovo and engage in hopeless infighting, or come to Dongxin Semiconductor to develop chips—even if he couldn't wholeheartedly develop the computer chips he dreamed of, and even had to develop other chips he previously looked down upon—was placed before him.

"Three years. If no results can be developed within three years, I will leave!"

After thinking for a full moment, Ni Guangnan said to Li Dongling, and then said to Li Dongling, "As the first battle for joining Dongxin Semiconductor, by March of next year at the latest, I will lead people to solve the chip trouble for Shenzhou telephones!"

When saying this, Ni Guangnan carried great confidence and self-assurance. Before coming, he had done his homework. Without the diamond drill, how would he dare to take on the porcelain work? Ni Guangnan had confidence in developing the chip motherboard for Shenzhou telephones. Developing this thing couldn't be harder than developing computer chips, right?!

Now, there was at most less than half a year until March of next year. Being able to solve the chip trouble for Shenzhou telephones in half a year could definitely be called lightning speed.

"As long as you can develop chips for Shenzhou telephones, Dongling Gao Ke will immediately invest no less than ten million yuan in RMB to let Academician Ni start the R&D of computer chips!"

To develop computer chips, ten million was certainly not enough. In the future, if Ni Guangnan wanted to continue developing computer chips, he would have to continuously develop chips for other products for Dongling Gao Ke. The more Dongling Gao Ke earned, the more R&D funding he would be able to get.

(End of chapter)