Chapter 679: Information Leak
Translator: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
[There’s been a major breakthrough in semiconductor graphene materials. Future Heavy Industries will provide Intel, Qualcomm, and many other chip manufacturers with licensing agreements. Intel’s CEO held a press conference stating that by early next year at the latest, Intel would be the first to use graphene chips. a.n.a.lysts show that this use of graphene transistors is ahead of the expected date previously Intel set, two years ahead of the launch of 5-nanometer processing chips! …]
Inside the ancient manor, next to the antique tea table, an elderly man with completely white hair was reading the news and drinking tea.
While all newspapers could now be read on phones and tablets, years of habits were hard to break.
Right now, Liu Xiangguo’s first son, Liu Yunzhong, was standing by the side. He wanted to say something but was reluctant to do so until he finally made up his mind and carefully said:
“Dad, what do you think we lack compared to the big families in UA?”
Liu Xiangguo didn’t respond and continued to scan over the newspaper.
Liu Yunzhong continued.
“Why can’t we control Future Group like the Rockefeller family in UA…”
Liu Xiangguo eyed his son and scoffed before refocusing on the newspaper.
“That’s a very interesting statement. Then why don’t you tell me – why don’t we control Intel or purchase the entire Wall Street?”
Liu Yunzhong’s expression looked awkward.
“It’s pretty far away from us, right.”
[And we can’t afford it.]
“So that’s why I’m saying the w.a.n.g family is moronic. Of course, I’m not talking about Little w.a.n.g – I’m referring to his little brother, w.a.n.g Linhua.” Liu Xiangguo adjusted the reading gla.s.ses on his nose with his finger while he flipped to the next page. “Dehai was completely blinded by his family. Who didn’t see the value of Future Technology? You’ll take a bite when you see it? This is why I’ve been restricting the family from going into business. The land below us is the center of power of the republic!”
Future Group’s Hua business generated at least 200 million US dollar for the Liu family. Since it was operated by a subsidiary registered in Central America, the money was extremely clean. How many dividends could Linhua Group pay the w.a.n.g family? They indeed made some money from real estate, but what about now? Linhua Group was barely alive after two years of losses. The loan depended on the connection of w.a.n.g Dehai; what money did they have to pay dividends?
Even the second child policy couldn’t save the real estate bubble!
Liu Xiangguo’s shrewdness allowed him to understand the situation. The Liu family wouldn’t touch the moneymaking business; instead, they focused all their efforts on preserving their present power. The people who required the convenience would naturally put money into their hands.
Liu Xiangguo gently sighed.
“If this company remains in w.a.n.ghai, he could still move up a level just from this achievement alone.”
Liu Yunzhong was completely shocked.
Another level above the deputy state level? Wouldn’t that be…
“But unfortunately, the brighter Future Group’s international performance, the more evidently blind Dehai was. He’ll probably have to retire at the city secretary as a member of the Politburo position.”
Liu Xiangguo nonchalantly said while flipping another page.
At the end of the page, Liu Xiangguo’s finger froze.
He threw the newspaper aside and the elder shakenly stood up. Liu Xiangguo stopped his son from helping him and gave him a hard stare.
“I’m not old yet!”
Liu Yunzhong watched his father walk outside in bewilderment. His thirty years of instinct told him that his father was…
Happy?
Liu Zhongguo walked to the table and picked up the newspaper. He was curious what his father read that made him so excited to leave the house.
“An insider who declined to be named stated that Future Group made significant progress in graphene chip research. Currently, the ‘Dragon Cavalry X1’ graphene chip, 7nm, is only half the size of Intel’s ‘Xeon Phi’! However, its performance is up to 1.5 times the performance of Xeon Phi! The architecture used by Future Heavy Industrial was independently researched and developed… ”
Splash.
The newspaper fell to the group and Liu Yunzhong’s face s.h.i.+fted from stunned disbelief to uncontrollable ecstasy. Two keywords echoed in his mind like a curse.
Ultra-chip! New architecture!
…
In early April, the UA Department of Commerce issued a public notice to block Intel’s sale of Xeon chips to Tianhe II system upgrade to Hua National Supercomputing Center. The UA media later disclosed that the Department of Commerce issued an announcement in February saying that the Tianhe No. 2 system and the Tianhe No. 1 A system using Intel microprocessor chips were “believed to be used in nuclear explosion simulations,” so the four Hua state inst.i.tutions were included on the list of restricted exports.
It was indeed disastrous news, but it offered hope for the rise of domestically-produced chips.
This was undoubtedly bad news for the compradors, but from the rise of domestic chips, there was a greater significance. The 28nm process technology “Mars,” developed by Feiteng, could replace imported chips such as the Xeon E5V2 and Phi… but it was still based on ARM architecture design and had to pay royalties to ARM.
The news leak of the Dragon Cavalry X1 chip immediately attracted Hua’s attention. Although the super-computer idling rate was very high in the state, it still offered great value to the field of scientific research. The key was that Tianhe No.2, leading the world computing list, could boost national confidence better than an Olympic gold medal!
If what the insider said was true, the barrier to Hua’s supercomputer development would be eliminated.
Jiang Chen previously planned for the news release of Dragon Cavalry X1 chip to be the next month, but it was leaked by his employee.
When he thought it over, he immediately knew who was behind the problem.
Therefore, after he returned to Coro Island, he went to see the director of the material science lab, Lu Yuan.
As soon as Jiang Chen walked into the office, Lu Yuan lowered his head.
“Sorry, I leaked the news.”
“Why?”
“Because I still come from Hua.” Lu Yuan’s eyes were mixed with guilt, but there was no sense of regret at all. “I’m gracious for your support – without your data and equipment, I wouldn’t be able to achieve my dreams of making a breakthrough in the graphene field and I wouldn’t be named for the n.o.ble Prize… But I know my home country needs it. I’m willing to accept punishment.”
He extended his hands and closed his eyes.
Jiang Chen looked at him, speechless.
According to the confidentiality agreement, research progress was defined as Cla.s.s B cla.s.sified content. Under Xin law, leaking Cla.s.s B secrets would lead to imprisonment for 17 years or more. However, as a former academician of the Academy of Sciences, Lu Yuan knew his country needed it. Therefore, when he had an interview with reporters about his n.o.bel Prize, he disclosed the news.
After a long silence, Jiang Chen suddenly said.
“I also have the same origin as you, so I understand your actions.”
Lu Yuan slowly opened his eyes with a look of disbelief.
“But you should apologize to me because you overstepped your boundaries and acted as a CEO and spokesperson without my permission. If Hua needed this, Future Heavy Industries wouldn’t be stingy with our technology, but I need an opportunity. Do you understand the word opportunity?”
“I apologize.”
“I don’t need your apology. I hope this will be the first and last time.” Jiang Chen sternly looked at Lu Yuan before he turned around.
“Yes!”
Lu Yuan gratefully watched Jiang Chen’s figure as he left.
But what the old scientist didn’t notice was that Jiang Chen had a faint smile when he turned around.
He said a partners.h.i.+p required an opportunity.
But after all the feuds that happened between them, he didn’t plan to be proactive anymore.
If people really needed this, they would come to him with a good att.i.tude instead of Future Heavy Industries trying to the crowd pleaser. Dragon Calvary X1 Ultra-chip was designed for Hua’s supercomputing inst.i.tutions. The news would eventually be made public, whether Lu Yuan disclosed the information or not.
He was debating who he should use to obscurely “leak” the information.
But now, Lu Yuan’s decision solved the problem for him.
It wouldn’t take long before Hua’s representative would visit him on Coro Island.