#24 - Chapter 24: Is this design advanced enough?
Yanjing.
Southwest Sea.
General Wang, usually so full of heroic spirit, stood respectfully beside an old man.
"Sit," the old man said, pointing to a chair with a kind expression. "You personally came to me to recommend talent for CETC. Is it really necessary?"
What kind of person would require his recommendation?
"This is the information," General Wang said, taking out the documents and handing them to the old man with both hands. "That child... is a true national treasure of China!"
A national treasure?
The old man couldn't help but frown.
What does it mean to be a national treasure?
Only someone who has made significant contributions to China, a pillar of the nation, can be considered a national treasure.
How could the 'child' General Wang spoke of be worthy of such a title?
"Xiao Wang, you're exaggerating!" the old man said dismissively.
"Please, take a look at the information first," General Wang said with a smile.
The old man opened the documents.
Instantly!
His pupils constricted.
Cracked the Sunflower Conjecture, pre-selected for the Fields Medal, the highest honor in mathematics!
Designed the new generation of small bypass engine, the WS15!
Completed the aerodynamic layout of the J-20C!
Just yesterday.
The president of Shanghai Jiao Tong University submitted a research achievement.
It was in the field of optics.
It is said to have surpassed the current era and may win the Nobel Prize—also from that child.
Seeing the information, the old man stood up abruptly.
"This child..."
His face was filled with shock.
Mathematics!
Physics and optics!
Moreover, the many designs regarding the J-20C spanned multiple different fields!
With such abilities, is he even human?!
"In addition," General Wang said with a smile, seeing the old man's astonishment, "this child also designed a groundbreaking operating system and extorted 100 million US dollars from Microsoft—Microsoft doesn't even know who tricked them."
The old man was dumbfounded.
He's also crushing it in the computer field?
"I'll call CETC myself!" the old man said in a deep voice, taking a deep breath. "I only thought he had some talent before and didn't specifically instruct anything, but we can't let our national treasure be treated coldly!"
"Actually, there's no need to instruct anything," General Wang said with a smile.
"What do you mean?"
"This child is best at slapping faces."
General Wang said with a confident expression, "You don't know how the 606 Institute and AVIC were slapped in the face by him."
That child only needed his help with the introduction.
Why would he need special care?
Strength.
...
Shanghai.
A conference room in a certain research institute.
A group of people were engaged in a heated discussion.
Rather than a discussion, it was more like a quarrel.
This year, the country launched the 863 Program, which also included the research and development of lithography machines.
Initially.
It was developed by Shanghai Microelectronics Equipment Co., Ltd.
Due to the idea of 'buying is better than building,' the lithography machine project stagnated, and the technology was left far behind.
So, the higher-ups issued another order.
CETC's 45th Research Institute was moved to Shanghai to jointly develop with SMEE, a strong alliance.
But...
Both sides had good technical strength.
Neither was willing to submit to the other.
"Director Gu," someone walked in quickly. "Someone is looking for Director Du, saying that... they were introduced by the higher-ups to participate in our project."
"Heh heh..." Gu Jinglun glanced at Du Yang. "They always try to stuff people in here!"
He was the chief engineer of SMEE.
Not long ago, CETC's 45th Research Institute moved in.
To put it bluntly.
This was SMEE's territory, and CETC's 45th Research Institute were all outsiders.
Du Yang frowned tightly.
He was very unhappy with the other party's veiled sarcasm.
"What does Director Gu mean by that?" he said with a cold expression. "If it weren't for the order, do you think I'd want to come?!"
After speaking, he instructed his assistant, "Go, bring the person in!"
After a while, Chen Hao walked into the conference room.
"Where's the person?" Du Yang asked his assistant.
"..." the assistant gestured with his eyes.
A child?
Du Yang stared at Chen Hao with wide eyes.
Yesterday, he received a call from above saying that there was talent in the relevant field coming to participate in the lithography machine project.
He was quite happy.
More people meant more strength.
But now...
20 years old?
Or 19 years old?
It was hard to say if he even went to college!
This was the so-called talent sent by the higher-ups?
What a joke!
"Pfft..." Gu Jinglun couldn't help but burst out laughing.
During this time, he and Du Yang often argued, each insisting on their own ideas and finding fault with each other.
How could he miss the opportunity to mock him?
"Director Du, this is the talent... that the higher-ups sent you?" he couldn't help but laugh. "It seems that the talent at CETC's 45th Research Institute is truly unique!"
Everyone who could enter this conference room was a mid-to-high-level researcher.
College?
That was a basic requirement!
Among them, there were many with master's and doctoral degrees, and even post-doctoral degrees.
This kid...
It was hard to say if he even went to college.
After all, his age was a factor.
Sure enough!
As soon as he said this, Du Yang's face turned red, unable to say anything in rebuttal.
What kind of trash did the higher-ups send over?
Were they deliberately trying to make him lose face?
With Gu Jinglun as the leader, the researchers at SMEE all had smug expressions on their faces.
Only Chen Hao...
Ignoring everyone, he walked to the conference table and stared at the blueprint.
"Very pleased?" he said indifferently, glancing at the blueprint. "This thing has been around for five years."
"Even if you can develop it, it will already be outdated."
193nm stepper lithography machine.
China only started developing it in 2000, while Dongyang had already successfully developed it in 1995.
How big was the gap?
At least ten years!
As soon as he said this, everyone's face turned ashen.
Chen Hao told the truth, but it was like a sharp knife stabbing into everyone's heart.
"Who can't talk on paper? So self-righteous!"
"If you're so capable, why don't you develop something more advanced?"
The researchers at SMEE were furious.
This kid was looking for Du Yang, so he was from CETC's 45th Research Institute.
Who didn't know the gap?
The problem was that the lithography machine project had been suspended for many years, and the technical gap had widened significantly, which was only natural.
Surpass it?
Who didn't want to?
But they didn't have the technical strength!
"Of course, we have to develop something more advanced," Chen Hao said directly, taking out the blueprints he had prepared in advance and spreading them out on the table. "With the current technology, stepper lithography machines have reached their limit, and it's impossible to cross 193nm in the short term, so let's change our approach."
70nm!
Immersion lithography machine!
Several people gathered around, staring at the complex blueprint, their expressions becoming more and more shocked.
An expert knows what's what with just one move.
"This... this..." Gu Jinglun's eyes lit up.
The next moment.
He stared blankly at Chen Hao. "Who are you? How... how did you do it?!"
Shock!
Everyone seemed to be struck by lightning.
But they didn't know that Chen Hao's lithography machine technology far exceeded the limit of 70nm.
Even.
It had already surpassed traditional lithography machines!
It was just that the more advanced the technology, the greater the research and development difficulty, and the longer it would take.
70nm technology was less difficult.
And the research and development speed would be faster.
Only then could they catch up before their competitors.
"Do you all think this design is advanced enough?" Chen Hao looked at these field elites with a faint smile on his face.
