Chapter 141 - The Day the Internet Connected
"Bragging, are you?" Li Xiao shot back as she stood up, then introduced Su Yuanshan, "This is Senior Brother Cheng Peng from our chemistry department."
Su Yuanshan finished his call and didn't mind Cheng Peng's earlier tone, smiling warmly as he greeted him.
"Nice to meet you, Senior Brother Cheng."
Seeing that Su Yuanshan didn't act like some arrogant rich kid, Cheng Peng was briefly taken aback. He looked at Li Xiao uncertainly, "Who is this guy? Talking so big?"
"Su Xinghe Professor's son! The young boss of Yuanchip!"
"Yuanchip? Holy shit!" Cheng Peng instinctively took a step back.
"I'm Su Yuanshan. Pleasure to meet you," Su Yuanshan said with a cheerful smile.
"Uh… right, pleased to meet you," Cheng Peng mumbled awkwardly, stepping forward to shake his hand. "Last year, Li Xiao mentioned you guys at Yuanchip were planning to get into lithium batteries?"
"Yeah, planning to invest about 100 million upfront."
Cheng Peng rubbed his hands nervously, suddenly feeling like he was stammering. Even though his field had little overlap with Yuanchip's business, as a graduate student, there was no way he hadn't heard of Yuanchip's reputation. A person's fame casts a long shadow. In an era where the whole world was embracing IT, Yuanchip was the only Chinese company that dared to go toe-to-toe with international giants, carrying the dreams and hopes of countless young people.
Thinking about how he had just accused Su Yuanshan of bragging, Cheng Peng didn't know how to continue, so he just laughed awkwardly.
Su Yuanshan didn't mind at all. Smiling, he asked, "Senior Brother Cheng, does your major intersect with battery research?"
Talking about his specialty made Cheng Peng relax a little. He chuckled, "When it comes to batteries, anyone in chemistry can get involved. Same with physics students."
Su Yuanshan studied him thoughtfully and nodded, "That's why Yuanchip plans to recruit a batch of physical chemistry talents this month. If Senior Brother Cheng is interested in moving into the new energy field, you might want to consider it."
"New energy?"
"Compared to traditional sources, lithium batteries are classified as new energy."
Since his rebirth, Su Yuanshan had been subtly influencing people around him with forward-looking concepts and terminology. On one hand, it broadened their horizons; on the other, it enhanced Yuanchip's image as a cutting-edge company. A company that constantly talked about the future might be called a scammer by cynics — but what if those "boasts" actually came true?
Cheng Peng nodded thoughtfully but hesitated, "But I heard lithium batteries still have safety risks. Does Yuanchip really think they are the future?"
Su Yuanshan slung his backpack over his shoulder, thought for a moment, and said, "When Alfred Nobel first invented dynamite, it was far more dangerous than traditional black powder."
Cheng Peng blinked, then quickly nodded, "I see. Thank you for the lesson."
Su Yuanshan smiled and shook his head. He didn't understand all the technical details about battery technology, but he knew the market very well. In later years, every year there were reports warning that ternary lithium batteries were unsafe and prone to catching fire, with viral videos of spontaneous combustion making the rounds. Yet the market had its own judgment; consumers voted with their feet.
In China, despite waves of criticism, ternary lithium batteries went from holding a bit over 30% of the market in 2016 to over 70% by 2020, while lithium iron phosphate batteries dropped below 25%. As for the so-called "super lithium iron phosphate" blade batteries, while the initial buzz was strong, Su Yuanshan wasn't sure if they truly stood the test of the market.
His own philosophy was simple: proceed based on what was predictable and controllable. No reckless gambles, no blind experiments. That was how to make the most of his knowledge of future trends.
Watching Cheng Peng leave a bit sheepishly, Li Xiao also lost interest in listening to the music jam. The two of them strolled once around Weiming Lake, looking for all the world like a young couple. But there really was nothing romantic between them — they were too familiar, the kind of familiarity that came from Li Xiao having seen Su Yuanshan running around as a toddler in split pants.
"Sis, don't go abroad," Su Yuanshan said with a smile as he walked her downstairs.
"Why not?"
He thought for a moment, then said, "Chemistry in China isn't lagging that far behind other countries, especially at Peking University, which already has a strong foundation. Unless you want to switch fields — like computational chemistry or biochemistry — going abroad won't add much."
Li Xiao blinked at him, realizing he was serious, and asked, "Are you suggesting I join Yuanchip?"
"Exactly. Traditional organic chemistry and materials science are still largely experimental fields. I'm not wrong, am I?"
"No, you're not wrong," Li Xiao admitted.
"Yuanchip can provide resources and direction. If you're lucky, there could be major breakthroughs. Why bother going abroad just to earn a fancy degree? You don't need a foreign diploma to find a good job here." He paused. "Of course, it's just a suggestion. The decision is yours."
Li Xiao bit her lip, frowning slightly as she stared at him for a few seconds before suddenly asking, "Does that mean you won't go abroad either?"
Su Yuanshan smiled and shook his head, "No."
Li Xiao was shocked, "But China's physics conditions are so poor! What can you learn here?"
"I'm not going into high-energy or theoretical physics. I'm focusing on experimental work."
"…I'll think about it."
"Alright. Bye-bye."
Afterward, Su Yuanshan continued his three-point lifestyle: lab, cafeteria, dorm. He participated in all sorts of experiments while also self-studying advanced courses alongside his senior classmates. Thanks to his diligence and talent, he became a favorite among both professors and senior students.
Thinking about it seriously, Su Yuanshan realized that part of the reason he was so well-liked was probably because Yuanchip had donated two million yuan to the lab. It made him sigh: money really was omnipotent.
At the end of May, Yuanchip launched its largest campus recruitment drive ever.
Chen Jing, as CEO, personally led a team of executives to set up recruiting booths at top universities in Beijing. The scale was huge. Meanwhile, in the south, Xi Xiaoding returned to his alma mater, the University of Science and Technology of China, gave a speech as an alumnus, and focused on recruiting from the math and computer science departments, starting at the master's level.
Along the coast, Li Mingliu took charge, sweeping up talent from Fudan and Zhejiang University.
There was even a funny incident at Peking University: Chen Jing had just taken her team to set up at Tsinghua when Jiang Wanchao sneakily brought his team over for recruiting too, only to run straight into Su Yuanshan.
Of course, because their target specialties didn't overlap, it wasn't really a big deal. But it still felt a little awkward — after all, it was their first time standing on opposite sides after the spin-off.
By June, as new hires gradually arrived, Su Yuanshan returned to the provincial capital.
June 27th — a day destined to be recorded in the history of the Internet.
The NCFC project successfully connected to the Internet via a 64K leased line from Sprint, achieving full functionality and marking China's official recognition as a country truly connected to the global Internet.
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