Chapter 1620: My heart was calm and I even felt like laughing

This "great article" was displayed on the computer screen where Chang Haonan was sitting at his desk.

He slid the mouse wheel and scrolled down line by line.

He had seen similar arguments in his previous life.

Of course, I can’t remember the specific content, but the style of wording and sentence structure is very similar, so it is likely that they were written by the same person.

After reading it that year, Chang Haonan's first reaction was naturally anger.

However, time has passed and when I watch it again now, I no longer feel any fluctuations in my heart.

I just want to laugh.

I wonder what wonderful expressions the author of this article and his fans will have on their faces when Huaxin International uses a domestic supply chain to supply the Chrysanthemum Factory in half a year...

Just as his thoughts were drifting, there was a sound of hurried but steady footsteps suddenly heard outside the door.

Then there was a gentle knock on the office door.

Chang Haonan withdrew his thoughts and glanced at the lower right corner of the screen.

It was the time Luan Wenjie asked me to meet him yesterday.

"Please come in."

The door was pushed open, and the figure who appeared at the door was indeed the director of the Construction Committee.

The bruises under his eyes were clearly visible, obviously due to days of overwork and severe lack of sleep.

As soon as Luan Wenjie entered the door, his eyes fell on Chang Haonan.

The latter was seen half lying on a comfortable office chair with a relaxed posture.

He was browsing the web leisurely, the light from the screen reflected on his calm face.

This scene was in stark contrast to his own anxious state in the past few days.

"My great advisor Chang!"

Luan Wenjie pretended to be annoyed, but his voice was filled with helplessness:

"I barely had time to eat these past few days... I got so anxious and angry that I developed several ulcers in my mouth. Sometimes it's hard for me to even speak!"

"You are so lucky, sitting back and enjoying a much more comfortable life than me!"

Chang Haonan did not respond immediately after hearing this. He just calmly opened the drawer and took out a small white plastic bottle from it.

Then he casually handed it to Luan Wenjie.

There was a mysterious smile on his face.

Seeing this scene, Luan Wenjie's eyes finally lit up, thinking that it was key information or countermeasures that Chang Haonan had prepared in advance.

He quickly took two steps forward and took it with some anticipation.

"I told you, you must be..."

However, it felt light in my hand and I could vaguely hear the rustling sound.

Take a closer look at the label on the bottle——

xxxx B complex vitamin chewable tablets.

"..."

The second half of Luan Wenjie's sentence got stuck in his throat. He held the medicine bottle with a look of confusion.

"Director Luan, oral ulcers are mostly caused by a lack of vitamins." Chang Haonan spoke slowly, with a teasing tone, "Take one pill each morning and evening, it will be more effective than just worrying about it."

Luan Wenjie looked at Chang Haonan's appearance, then looked at the vitamin bottle in his hand.

It took several deep breaths to suppress the helplessness of being "teased".

In the end, he put the inconspicuous little bottle into the inside pocket of his suit.

"Okay, I'll listen to you and try it."

He shook his head helplessly.

After the joke, Chang Haonan sat up straight and returned to his usual seriousness.

"To be honest, I'm not in a hurry." He said directly, "The core objective lens system of the ArF-1800 lithography machine has completed the final design and prototype manufacturing... It is currently undergoing the final parameter calibration test in the ultra-clean test center of our laboratory."

Luan Wenjie's eyes lit up again: "The performance is very optimistic?"

"According to the current test results, this system can completely produce chip products with a feature size equivalent to 40nm using DUV light sources without relying on multiple exposure technology... well... that is, the 7nm process in the publicity caliber."

Chang Haonan shook his head slightly, his tone was full of sarcasm:

“So the threat that the Americans thought they were the trump card was meaningless to us from the beginning.”

These words are like a magic needle that stabilizes the sea.

The solemnity and anxiety on Luan Wenjie's face dissipated at a speed visible to the naked eye.

He rubbed his face, trying to make himself more awake:

"To be honest, I rushed here just to confirm this key issue."

Luan Wenjie's expression became serious again:

"The superiors need the most accurate and cutting-edge technical assessment to determine the true difficulty of our response to this potential sanction. This is directly related to the attitude we can take and the bottom line we can stick to in the subsequent confrontation with the United States!"

Chang Haonan keenly heard the hidden meaning in his words.

"Wait..." Chang Haonan raised his eyebrows slightly, "From what you said, Director Luan... did the Americans put forward other conditions?"

"That's right." Luan Wenjie nodded and sat up straighter. "Just yesterday, they submitted another version of the draft agreement to us through a non-public channel."

He chose his words carefully.

"The other party's intention is to avoid similar 'disputes' in the future and hopes that our two countries will jointly lead and convene an 'International Technology Distribution Conference' covering the world's major technology economies."

"The purpose..." Luan Wenjie sneered, "is to set an upper limit for the patent share held by countries around the world in the field of high-tech, especially communications and semiconductors, based on their so-called technological capabilities, historical contributions, and commercial influence."

After listening to this, Chang Haonan sneered:

"Isn't that the technological version of the Washington Naval Treaty?"

"How come Americans' path dependence goes back to 80 years ago?"

Luan Wenjie nodded: "That's essentially the case. He wants to draw a line between us and avoid direct competition."

Chang Haonan was also a little curious at this time.

In fact, his knowledge of the two naval treaties mainly came from a game released by a Swede in his previous life...

"What are the details?" he asked. "Shares or something?"

"As for the share... the Americans are really generous for once." Luan Wenjie's tone was a little complicated. "They took the initiative to propose that they can share the highest level of share with us... on the surface, they gave us an 'equal' position."

Chang Haonan curled his lips:

"This kind of equality is nothing more than shackles plated with gold."

Of course, that's what it says.

But he put himself in the other person's shoes and thought that if this condition was moved to 2020 in the previous life, perhaps both sides would really sit down and shake hands and make peace.

Thinking of this, Chang Haonan suddenly looked at Luan Wenjie again:

"Director Luan, you don't want to accept it, do you?"

"Of course I don't want to." The latter waved his hand immediately. "This kind of condition will still be a disadvantage for us. It's just a matter of how much we will lose."

Then he sighed again.

"To be honest, if objective conditions do not allow us to engage in direct conflict with the other side, then this plan is indeed above our bottom line and can serve as a buffer and transition."

Luan Wenjie said faintly, which confirmed Chang Haonan's conjecture just now:

"That is why I made a special trip to the Torch Laboratory today to inspect the development progress of domestic photolithography machines... and the subsequent development prospects."

"The superior needs the strongest trump card to make a decision!"

This time, Chang Haonan did not answer immediately.

He understood Luan Wenjie, or rather, understood the enormous pressure and complex trade-offs faced by decision-makers.

"As a country that relies on an export-oriented economy, we are indeed more sensitive to changes in the external trade environment."

Chang Haonan first admitted it frankly, and then changed the subject:

"But why did the Americans take the initiative to propose such a seemingly fair and even somewhat compromising plan at this time?"

He asked and answered himself:

"It just shows that they themselves are not sure of victory and are not fully prepared... Their 'alliance' is not solid, their companies are also afraid of losing the huge Chinese market, and they are also afraid of the backlash from a hard decoupling!"

"So at this critical moment, it all comes down to who can hold on longer! Who has a stronger will! Who has a stronger trump card!"

Luan Wenjie certainly understood this truth.

But there are some things that he can't say directly unless his superior expresses his opinion.

So I didn't respond, but just continued the previous topic:

"The biggest concern of our superiors now is that Changguang Group will still not be able to solve the EUV light source problem in the short term, and in the next 2-3 years, the chip process may be further upgraded from 7nm to 5nm."

“Even if we can solve the current urgent need of 1800nm process with ArF-7 and DUV light source, can we meet the requirements in the medium and long term?”

This question is obviously quite specific.

And it directly points to the most profound and core weakness of this technological confrontation.

Chang Haonan did not answer immediately.

He lowered his eyes slightly, as if he was thinking, or as if he was waiting.

There was a brief silence in the office.

Only the second hand of the wall clock made a regular and clear "ticking" sound.

Suddenly, Chang Haonan stood up.

The movements are crisp and clean.

"Director Luan, words are not enough."

He took off his suit jacket and took two sets of light blue work clothes from the hanger:

"It just so happens that the test center has arranged the most critical round of integration testing of the ArF-1800 lithography machine objective system today, and data collection should be in progress."

He walked up to Luan Wenjie and handed one of them to him:

"Seeing is believing. Please move over and follow me to see for yourself...see how strong this 'trump card' in our hands is."

"As for EUV..." Chang Haonan once again showed the same mysterious smile as when he took out the vitamin tablets just now, "Perhaps, after watching the test, you will have some new ideas."

Luan Wenjie perked up and stood up immediately.

"Then Academician Chang, please lead the way!"

The two of them walked out of the office quickly, one in front and one behind.

Several secretaries and guards who had been waiting outside followed closely behind.

The sound of hurried footsteps could be heard in the corridor, heading straight for the ultra-clean testing center deep inside the building.

The door closed softly behind him.

In the office, the long article advocating "surrender" was still on the computer screen.

In the silence, it looks particularly pale and ridiculous.