Chapter 285: Surplus Grain

Those giant overseas companies have always used the "pearls on the crown of industry" to keep domestic companies in a stranglehold. From aircraft carriers, large aircraft, supercomputers, tunnel boring machines, aero-engines, and lithography machines, down to SLR camera lenses, ballpoint pen tips, and lighter gaskets, they boast that all of these are pearls on the industrial crown, using them to keep domestic companies in check.

Although Li Dongling doesn't understand how a lighter gasket became an industrial pearl, the Torch Group is currently playing with the self-production of the entire lighter component supply chain. Lighter gaskets are made of wool felt or synthetic fiber, about 3 to 4 millimeters in diameter, with a small hole in the middle. As for the production difficulty, let's just say that even without specialized tools, anyone could make one; basically, if you demonstrated it once to the old men and women at the village entrance, they could all make them, except for those with failing eyesight...

In the past, foreign companies used these "pearls on the industrial crown" to strangle domestic firms. If one day, Dongling Gao Ke's memory department could produce high-performance solid-state drives and RAM sticks, could they turn the tables and strangle notebook computers from the likes of Samsung, Toshiba, IBM, Dai Er, HP, and Apple? They could also perform "maintenance" every few days, accidentally have them catch fire, and then take the opportunity to raise prices...

After all, everything has a first time. Dongling Gao Ke can also give it a try; everyone starts from the first time. After playing it a few more times, Dongling Gao Ke will probably learn Samsung's tricks too.

Hearing Li Dongling ask the memory project team to develop solid-state drives, RAM sticks, and SD memory cards, Chen Tao couldn't help but feel a headache.

These things are not like USB flash drives; to be honest, the most important thing about a USB drive isn't the technology, but the creativity!

Most of the technologies and components currently used in the Shenzhou USB drive are off-the-shelf. The development team Chen Tao assembled simply stitched these technologies together, optimized them, developed corresponding identification and driver software on the computer, and finally turned them into the current USB drive. There is technical difficulty, but it is not excessively high.

However, products like RAM sticks, solid-state drives, and SD memory cards are different. These truly require investment in technical research and development, and they are the most cutting-edge and trendy R&D directions in the current storage industry. A large wave of companies like Toshiba, Sony, Samsung, Hynix, Micron, and Kingston are all fighting to carve out a bloody path.

But looking at Li Dongling's expression, Chen Tao could see his determination; it was clear he wanted Dongling Gao Ke to occupy a place in the memory industry.

Although Chen Tao had a headache, he still nodded firmly at Li Dongling. Besides, when the time comes, it won't just be his company having a headache; there are also the Joint Laboratory in the provincial capital and Dongxin Semiconductor. These two places provide technical support and assistance to the Dongling Gao Ke Technical Department, so this work will definitely involve them.

Leaving the laboratory department, Li Dongling took off his dust-free suit and glanced at the time. He had to go to the provincial capital today to meet another person. Dongfang Optoelectronics, established in the Hanxi provincial capital, is about to welcome its most important moment today: Dongfang and Optoelectronics are preparing to develop the country's first TFT LCD panel production line!

For Dongfang Optoelectronics and its two major shareholders behind it, Dongling Gao Ke and BOE, this is also the most important moment. BOE's leader, Wang Dongsheng, has already arrived in the Hanxi provincial capital.

"The USB drive needs to find a good OEM manufacturer as soon as possible. If necessary, you can invest in or even acquire one, just like with BYD or Hanxi New Materials. The Shenzhou USB drive must start mass production!"

As Li Dongling walked out of the technical department, he said to Chen Tao, "There are still many things to handle for the USB project. Besides obtaining the flash memory patents held by Toshiba, we also need to reach a cooperation agreement with Microsoft!"

Using Microsoft to promote the USB standards for Shenzhou USB drives and Silver Sable mice has long been no secret among Dongling Gao Ke's senior management. Li Dongling had mentioned it to Chen Tao and Ren Yuefeng as early as when the USB project was established.

Li Dongling's vision is to unite companies like Microsoft, Intel, Apple, Dai Er, and IBM to jointly promote the USB standard alliance. But to achieve this, there must be a leading big brother.

Now, looking across the tech industry, although everyone is cursing Microsoft, besides Microsoft, which other company has such powerful appeal?

Therefore, Microsoft must be pulled into the game; otherwise, Dongling Gao Ke alone cannot make these giant companies support the USB standard promoted by Dongling Gao Ke.

Chen Tao nodded, then shook his head. These kinds of grudges are really not his strong suit. Back then, Dongling Gao Ke and Microsoft were shouting and killing each other, making a huge scene.

Because of Dongling Gao Ke's lawsuit, the first anti-Microsoft alliance was even sparked. A host of computer hardware giants and software companies stood up to support Dongling Gao Ke, prepared to fight Microsoft if they dared to enter the computer hardware industry.

At that time, Microsoft really smelled the risk of being broken up, so they pulled back from the brink, took the initiative to admit defeat, and ended the lawsuit with Dongling Gao Ke. If not, no one knows if Microsoft would have really been broken up.

But the two companies that were shouting and killing each other just a few years ago are now preparing to cooperate. Chen Tao only feels that the world is unpredictable. When the onlookers see the news, they don't know if they will dig up the old news from a few years ago.

After coming out of the Dongling Gao Ke technical building, Li Dongling got into a car, and several cars rushed toward the Hanxi provincial capital.

Also located in the current suburbs of the provincial capital, Dongfang Optoelectronics covers a large area, even larger than Dongxin Semiconductor. Whether Li Dongling was establishing the Joint Laboratory, Dongxin Semiconductor, or Dongfang Optoelectronics, he circled a large amount of land, using the excuse that it was needed to build staff dormitories and residences, and no one was suspicious.

But in reality, these plots of land are far more than what is needed to build staff residences. Even in the past few years, as long as land was released nearby, Dongfang Optoelectronics would take it down.

It is true that this place is a suburb now, but in a few years, it will become a new district of the provincial capital, connected by subways and built with schools, turning into a new urban area. If Dongfang Optoelectronics loses money, building office buildings, high-end office towers, and shopping malls on the land and renting them out would probably be enough to catch a breath.

Many people laugh at Sohu, LeEco, and Netac for relying on collecting rent to get by, but which company doesn't envy them? Yahoo also relied on selling its headquarters land to get through difficulties back then. What is shameful about this? With this land, just by selling it and collecting rent, Dongfang Optoelectronics could probably hold on for many years even if it loses money.

"Mr. Wang, you don't seem to have rested well yesterday!" After Li Dongling got out of the car, he saw Wang Dongsheng, who had severe dark circles under his eyes.

Hearing Li Dongling's words, Wang Dongsheng gave a wry smile, "At a time like this, how could I sleep? This is the first LCD panel production line that the country is preparing to develop!"

Although Dongfang Optoelectronics is jointly established by Dongling Gao Ke and BOE, Dongfang Optoelectronics is responsible for R&D technology and only has a portion of the production capacity. Most of the production capacity is actually entrusted to BOE for OEM production. Wang Dongsheng has also invested most of his R&D personnel into Dongfang Optoelectronics, already having the posture of putting all his eggs in one basket.

Li Dongling and Wang Dongsheng walked toward the inside of Dongfang Optoelectronics. Li Dongling glanced at Wang Dongsheng and said, "In the new quarter, BOE's performance should be quite good, right?"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 286 =====