Chapter 331 A Goal Within Reach
By now, the coffee shop was almost empty, but Yang Guangxin still spoke cautiously, keeping his voice low. A departmental shift? Su Yuanshan recalled chatting with Yang Yiwen before; she had vaguely mentioned that her brother studied economics but later became a diplomat. It had been a special arrangement at the time, aiming to have diplomats with economic expertise learn from advanced countries.
However, Su Yuanshan knew the real point was hidden in the latter part of Yang's words—changes in the Planning Commission.
The Planning Commission, formally known as the State Planning Commission, carried a distinctly old-era flavor just from its name. But Su Yuanshan knew that it was the precursor to what would later be called the National Development and Reform Commission—commonly nicknamed the "little State Council" due to its immense power. In fact, the Development and Reform Commission would be established a few years later, around 1998, after several rounds of departmental restructuring.
Su Yuanshan's heart started pounding wildly.
"Is it a renaming or a full restructuring?" he asked immediately.
Yang Guangxin, who had heard plenty about Su Yuanshan's sharp instincts from his sister, wasn't surprised that Su Yuanshan caught the significance right away. He smiled slightly and countered, "What would you hope for? Or rather... if the country were to consult Yuanxin's opinion, what advice would you give?"
Su Yuanshan calmed down gradually.
Clearly, his past efforts had not been in vain.
The Yuanxin think tank had been operational for over a year, packed with experts in economics, semiconductors, and computer science, all tirelessly advocating for deeper reforms and the creation of more Yuanxins.
If the state still remained indifferent after all that, it would be a real shame—especially considering that the mantra "money talks" had become so widespread among the people.
If what Yang Guangxin hinted at was true—and it almost certainly was—it meant that the Development and Reform Commission would come into being earlier than it had in Su Yuanshan's original timeline.
For Yuanxin, this might not bring immediate tangible benefits or harm.
But for the entire country's economic structure and growth, it would absolutely be a good thing.
There was no doubt that, despite later public complaints about the Development and Reform Commission, it had played a crucial and positive role in China's economic rise.
"Continue deepening reforms, implement macroeconomic regulation, establish a state asset management system, strengthen the rule of law... well, step by step," Su Yuanshan said smoothly once he composed himself. But when he mentioned strengthening the rule of law, he paused—after all, even the new criminal code was still being drafted at this stage.
Rule of law was foundational, but with the economy growing so fast, legal infrastructure would inevitably lag behind.
"That's pretty... generic," Yang Guangxin joked, half laughing. "Can you be a bit more specific?"
"Specific?" Su Yuanshan laughed. "Then I'll speak from a private enterprise's perspective: during macroeconomic regulation, don't show bias—especially from banks. If we're serious about a market economy, then banks must treat all enterprises equally. Right now, there's a saying: banks love lending to those who don't need money, and those who desperately need it can't borrow a cent."
Yang Guangxin laughed loudly. "Haha! But Yuanxin isn't exactly short on cash, right?"
"Of course we're short. After tallying up, we're posting a two-billion-yuan operating loss this year," Su Yuanshan said, half-joking, half-serious.
After some banter, Yang realized it wasn't the time or place for serious discussions.
They switched to casual conversation.
Still, before leaving, Yang reminded Su Yuanshan that the Planning Commission would probably organize an inspection of Yuanxin next month.
Su Yuanshan understood completely. Yuanxin wasn't just a giant private company; it was a model for industrial development, with rare international experience.
If the Planning Commission was going to reform, consulting Yuanxin was both logical and necessary.
...
The next day, Su Yuanshan and He Chunhua returned to Yuanxin together.
After arranging accommodation for He Chunhua through logistics, Su Yuanshan waited for him in the office.
"Please have a seat, Senior Brother," Su Yuanshan said, stepping out from behind his desk. Despite his trip, he had maintained remote work, so there wasn't much backlog.
"Thanks," He Chunhua said, taking the offered tea. He looked around the spacious, bright office and sighed, "Sitting here, your whole aura feels different."
"Hehe? Has it changed that much?"
"Definitely. I always thought of you as a genius scientist. But now you look like a proper business tycoon," He Chunhua said with a laugh.
"Ugh... don't call me that," Su Yuanshan said, waving his hand. "I'm just lucky."
"Come on," He Chunhua smiled. "Isn't science itself about luck? You know the saying: genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration—but without that one percent, the rest is meaningless."
"Uh... when you put it that way, yeah, luck is a kind of strength. Especially for those of us without grand ambitions." Su Yuanshan laughed at himself, then turned serious. "Speaking of ambitions, Senior Brother, now that you're here, what are your ambitions?"
He Chunhua set his cup down, realizing Su Yuanshan was getting to the point. He answered seriously, "If you had asked me twenty years ago, I would've said I wanted to become a great scientist like Einstein..."
Su Yuanshan laughed heartily. "Same here."
"But now," He Chunhua continued, "after truly stepping into this field, I realize—even just getting your name in a textbook is as hard as reaching the stars. And after being influenced by you last year, I started cramming English, reading foreign journals. The more I read, the more I realized—even publishing a single first-author paper in Nature feels like an unattainable dream."
Su Yuanshan managed to hold back a laugh. After all, he had already published one—solo author and corresponding author both.
"So now, I've set myself a more realistic goal: publish one first-author Nature paper. I heard new fields like graphene are easier to publish in. Is that true?"
Su Yuanshan thought for a moment. "Uh... theoretically, yes."
He couldn't be sure. Now that he had revealed graphene a decade earlier than in his previous life, he didn't know if it would still trigger the same academic boom.
At least right now, Moore's Law hadn't hit a ceiling yet. Most interest would remain in traditional semiconductor scaling, not in exotic materials.
That was exactly why Su Yuanshan had decided to push graphene early—if Yuanxin monopolized the patents before big capital flooded in, it could establish a dominant position.
"So tell me," He Chunhua asked shamelessly. "Which direction should I take?"
He knew perfectly well: in the field of graphene, Su Yuanshan was the undisputed authority. If anyone could point him toward success, it was him.
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Chapter 332 Learning from Yuanxin
With the lingering drizzle and the cool autumn breeze, the long month of October finally came to an end.
Su Yuanshan didn't immediately assign He Chunhua any project; instead, he pulled out the nearly completed paper and experimental reports he had been working on and handed them to him. He invited He Chunhua to redesign the experiments and, if he didn't mind the trouble, to even redesign the paper itself. That way, the two of them could be listed as co-first authors.
This arrangement had a dual purpose: first, because graphene was still so new, only by carefully advancing basic research step-by-step could they achieve a higher acceptance rate for publication; second, because Su Yuanshan needed a competent assistant to help realize his future ideas and directions. He Chunhua was an ideal candidate.
Meanwhile, back in the capital, Chen Jing and Qin Si had stayed behind, negotiating alongside Wang Dongsheng with the government. Based on the latest updates, the government was indeed looking for ways to "get involved," possibly through more advanced investment and funding management strategies.
The Japanese delegation, after signing the memorandum of cooperation, wasn't idle either. Since there was mutual strong interest—and since the partnership faced no major obstacles—they pushed forward with preliminary planning work. A new Japanese working group arrived in the capital, while Ken Kutaragi and Akitani Ichiro prepared to return home.
However, before leaving, they visited Shanghai and the Special Economic Zone to tour Yuanxin's tech parks. They even stopped briefly in Hong Kong before flying back to Japan. During this time, Su Yuanshan didn't meet with them again, keeping in touch only by phone. He knew they wanted to observe Yuanxin without his influence, to independently verify the company's true capabilities.
After all, Su Yuanshan's personal charm could convince them, but when it came time for them to persuade the Sony executives, repeating Su Yuanshan's words wouldn't be enough—they needed their own understanding.
...
Su Yuanshan flipped open his calendar. Zhou Xiaohui had carefully written out the day's agenda. He turned a page and noticed a red circle marking tomorrow's date.
"Xiaohui Jie, are the Planning Commission people coming tomorrow?" he asked.
Zhou Xiaohui was hand-grinding coffee beans. She nodded. "Besides the Planning Commission, there will also be people from the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation."
"Looks like there really are big changes coming," Su Yuanshan said, folding his arms behind his head and reclining in his chair, a smile curling at his lips. "A powerful engine is starting to ignite."
"I've never seen anyone as confident about our country as you," Zhou Xiaohui said, expertly brewing the coffee. "Really."
"Hehe, you don't understand... A market of over a billion people, shaking off its chains, moving forward at full speed—that's a magnificent, epic poem! Compared to that, the American gold rush was just a child's game. Only the great Age of Exploration can be compared to it," Su Yuanshan said with a hint of poetry in his voice.
Seeing him so moved, Zhou Xiaohui couldn't help but smile. "If it's like you say, and the government focuses mainly on managing and guiding state assets this time, won't that increase the pressure on Yuanxin?"
"Hehe, is Yuanxin the kind of company afraid of pressure?" Su Yuanshan teased.
"Uh…" Zhou Xiaohui smiled sweetly and shook her head. "I was just looking for an excuse to argue with you."
"Pfft… well, questioning authority is a good thing," Su Yuanshan said with a chuckle. Staring into the void in front of him, he added softly, "In the future, if I have a daughter, I'll teach her to respect knowledge, revere science, but never blindly obey authority—to always have a spirit of questioning."
"..." Zhou Xiaohui was speechless. "How do you already know you'll have a daughter?"
"Just a feeling," Su Yuanshan said, returning to his senses and laughing. "But I'll definitely have several children... Damn it, I'll fight the family planning policy to the end!"
"Pfft..."
The next day.
Professor Su Xinghe and Duan Yongping, who had rushed back the night before, stood at the gate to personally welcome the Planning Commission and Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation officials.
Strictly speaking, Professor Su Xinghe didn't need to greet them himself anymore, but the lineup today was too high-profile—both a director and a deputy director from two powerful ministries were coming together.
It was clear: the government truly wanted to hear Yuanxin's voice and see Yuanxin up close.
...
"Brother Yang, which department are you officially representing today?" Su Yuanshan asked with a grin as he brought Yang Guangxin into his office after picking him up.
While surveying the room, Yang Guangxin casually sat on the guest sofa and replied, "Unofficially assigned. By the way, Xiaoshan, this office isn't bad—what, about 40 square meters?"
"More or less," Su Yuanshan replied.
"Tsk, I've seen plenty of executive offices, and most are filled with corporate management books for show. But yours... All textbooks," Yang Guangxin said, his gaze scanning the shelves lined with books on physics, programming, and integrated circuits—half of them in English.
"Haha, it's just to show that I'm always learning," Su Yuanshan joked.
"Looks like Yiwen was right—you really are a study monster," Yang Guangxin laughed, pulling his attention back to Su Yuanshan. "I'm here to scout ahead. Once the formalities are done, they'll want to consult you directly."
Su Yuanshan smiled wryly but nodded.
If the government still didn't know who Yuanxin's real decision-maker was after all these years, they might as well go home and farm sweet potatoes.
Of course, they would still respect Chen Jing's authority. Three days ago, a team had already visited Yuanxin's Beijing office for an unofficial inspection.
"I'm not worthy of being consulted. If Yuanxin's experiences can help the country even a little, that's enough," Su Yuanshan said humbly.
Yang Guangxin smiled and shook his head, inwardly sighing.
Though he had jokingly called himself an "unofficial member," the organizational plan would place him squarely in the new Investment Division of the reorganized Planning Commission—or Development Commission—as a major leader.
During his years abroad, he had studied advanced corporate investment and management systems and deeply researched how foreign giants had risen to power. He had long abandoned outdated "exploitation theories" when analyzing corporate success.
After studying countless success stories, he distilled a universal truth: all great companies, without exception, chose the path that best aligned with their interests at the right time.
And when he shifted his gaze from international corporations back to Yuanxin, he was even more certain. Yuanxin had never taken a single wrong step.
That was truly terrifying.
This was why he had insisted—going as far as persuading his newly-promoted father at the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation—to make sure the Planning Commission took Yuanxin seriously.
To study it properly. Carefully. Thoroughly.
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Chapter 333 The World Predicted by Scientists
Everyone present had at least heard of the internet, but as for actually using it... well, aside from the people from Yuanxin, only Yang Guangxin had any real experience. After all, the internet was still a distant concept for most in the country. Apart from universities, research institutions, and a handful of foreign-related enterprises and government departments, most had only heard rumors of it. Forget accessing the internet—most workplaces only had one or two computers, treated like prized treasures, used mainly by typists for preparing official documents, and little else.
Even in later years, when officials all had personal computers, for a long time they only used them to play solitaire or Minesweeper. At best, they browsed stock market information. Real internet usage was minimal.
Naturally, in this environment, the officials present felt a bit awkward.
In a different setting, they might have managed to cobble together some knowledge from newspapers and government reports, but here, it would be too obvious if they tried.
Clearly, Su Yuanshan's question had deeper meaning.
Only Yang Guangxin dared to tentatively ask, "Are you referring to daily life?"
He didn't use the word "work"—that was too obvious. By now, computers and the internet had become essential tools for certain industries needing real-time communication, like stock trading.
He thought of daily life because "life in the network" had become a hot concept in the West.
The idea of a "global village"—connecting people across the globe through the internet, where news from the Eastern Hemisphere could instantly reach the Western Hemisphere.
Yang Guangxin also knew that a growing group of people had started calling themselves "netizens," or internet citizens. They chatted via EM, browsed websites, played MUD games, and spent much of their time online.
But even so, he wasn't sure if this kind of "internet life" was necessary or inevitable.
To him, it seemed more like a lifestyle choice—like choosing to become a monk.
"Are you talking about living on the internet?" Su Yuanshan asked, not surprised by Yang Guangxin's choice of words.
"Yes. I remember reading in the Times not long ago that someone said they would 'die without the internet.' Isn't that the same as addiction?" Yang Guangxin joked lightly.
Su Yuanshan smiled and shook his head.
"In today's world, the fantastical visions depicted in science fiction seem unattainable mainly because they skip over the necessary intermediate development stages. They create the illusion of a future that feels both close and infinitely distant."
"But the worlds predicted by scientists are different. Scientists base their forecasts on existing rules and foundations, then project outward. If there's any difference among them, it comes down to how much they trust in science—and how daring they are."
"For example, in Yuanxin's plans, the future of the internet isn't about living in the internet. It's about the internet integrating into every part of our daily lives."
"Because the internet is an industry entirely dependent on innovation," Su Yuanshan said, "please allow me to keep Yuanxin's specific plans for internet applications confidential for now."
"We are firmly convinced, though: the internet we envision at Yuanxin will not resemble the utopian fantasies of science fiction. But compared to today, it will be radically different. It will be inseparable from our work and daily life—an omnipresent force that moves with us, watches over us, and gives us no real choice but to embrace it."
One of the senior officials sighed, "That must be decades away. We probably won't live to see it."
Su Yuanshan smiled gently.
If China's biggest problem in past years had been confusion, now it was a profound lack of confidence.
The more one learned about the outside world, the more hopeless things seemed.
It wasn't surprising that so many people felt crushed—after all, once you truly opened your eyes to the global reality, it was hard not to fall to your knees.
"Indeed," Su Yuanshan said calmly, "the backbone of the internet is the computer, and computer ownership rates are tightly bound to a country's economic strength. If we want to have any influence at the dawn of the internet era, we must first target the West. Then, when the next generation of the internet comes, we must seize the opportunity to leap ahead."
"The next generation of the internet?" someone asked.
"Yes, the next generation," Su Yuanshan said, looking at Yang Changming, who had been watching him thoughtfully. "Uncle Yang might recall when Yuanxin once discussed the future of mobile communication protocols..."
"I do," Yang Changming smiled. "I remember you said mobile bandwidth might someday surpass fiber optics."
"That's right," Su Yuanshan said, taking a deep breath. "The next generation of the internet will be mobile internet—based on mobile phones.
Once mobile phone screens grow larger and interaction becomes easier, phones will replace computers in many areas. We already have a team developing a new mobile phone operating system aimed at this future."
Minister Ning, who had been quietly listening, suddenly asked, "Is that why you chose to collaborate with Factory 774, Sony, and Fujitsu—to import LCD technology?"
"Not entirely," Su Yuanshan said. "Before we can realize mobile internet, we first need to kill off CRT displays. Mobile devices rely on four key components: display screens, processors, baseband protocols, and batteries. Yuanxin is already working on all of them. In fact, we've reached an agreement with Sony on lithium batteries. Once their board approves, we'll submit a formal proposal to the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation. I hope Uncle Yang won't make things difficult for us then."
Yang Changming was visibly surprised. As a senior official, he was well aware of cutting-edge international technologies. He knew that Japan's lithium battery technology was among the best in the world—and Sony led even among Japanese companies.
For Yuanxin to secure a partnership like that...
He smiled and nodded. "I heard Sony's lithium battery tech is the best globally. How did you manage to secure a deal?"
"Because our vision is even better," Su Yuanshan said simply.
Everyone laughed heartily.
"So," Yang Guangxin murmured, almost to himself, "the next generation of the internet that Yuanxin envisions will be mobile internet, carried by mobile phones?"
He thought for a moment, then nodded. "It makes sense.
If phones can be made powerful enough, they'll naturally become a more convenient way to live connected lives."
He then looked back at Su Yuanshan. "What will be the core technology of the internet then? Surely that's not too sensitive to share?"
"Data. Algorithms. Intelligence," Su Yuanshan answered crisply.
"That's the third great industrial wave," he continued. "The rise of big data, deep learning, and artificial intelligence—where data collection, analysis, and application converge."
Su Yuanshan smiled proudly. "And I'm honored to say that, in this field, Yuanxin is already at the forefront of the world."
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Chapter 334 The Whispers Before the Storm
Everyone present today had toured Yuanxin and knew that the company currently housed multiple laboratories and countless project teams. Among these, Dr. Xi Xiaoding's Pandora Lab and Dr. Tian Yaoming's NewBee Lab were of the highest standing—of course, this didn't include the Yuanshan Laboratory personally led by Su Yuanshan himself.
Compared to the more focused NewBee Lab, which was dedicated to wireless and mobile communication protocols and related technologies, the Pandora Lab had a much broader and more "scattered" focus. It also had a lot of "idle" personnel. Especially after the main functionalities of YXLAB were completed and moved into routine maintenance, most of the YXLAB team shifted under Xi Xiaoding's command, allowing other senior experts in Pandora Lab to become "free agents."
And when technical people have too much free time, ideas bloom everywhere.
Beyond the already promising Bluestar project, the active forum participant "Aobai" had pulled together a team working on VPN protocols. Several other groups were busy collecting and analyzing chess game data, optimizing neural networks, and pushing forward in deep learning—all to improve Bluestar.
Su Yuanshan wasn't exactly clear on the international progress in big data analysis and deep learning at this point, but he did know that IBM's "Deep Blue" had relied on brute-force methods for its chess prowess, whereas Yuanxin's Bluestar leaned more toward the future AlphaGo model.
After laying out Yuanxin's vision for future technologies, Su Yuanshan smoothly shifted the conversation, leveraging the cooperation with BOE to segue into discussing state-owned enterprise reforms and the survival and development of private enterprises.
This, unsurprisingly, was the topic that concerned the officials most.
However, it was also the area where Su Yuanshan was least skilled.
He could offer high-level commentary on China's economy based on his memories of the future, but when it came to solving real, immediate challenges, he had no detailed plans to offer.
Expertise had its limits—he was a genius, but not omniscient.
Thus, after outlining some broad ideas about restructuring and state asset management, he left most of the detailed explanations to Duan Yongping.
Duan Yongping, after all, had worked at large state-owned factories like BOE, survived near-collapse scenarios at places like Subor, and even led turnarounds from the brink. His résumé was perfect.
...
When the conversation finally wrapped up, it was already past 11 p.m.
By the end, Yang Guangxin had filled two full cassettes recording the talks.
As the group walked out of the meeting room, even at such a late hour, Yuanxin's laboratory building was still aglow with lights.
There were occasional whispers along the hallways, and even the cafeteria had left a small window open for late-night snacks.
"You guys at Yuanxin really are crazy," Yang Guangxin said, watching as the last light in a lab went out and a few figures crossed under the corridor lights, looking at Su Yuanshan in disbelief.
"Not everyone," Su Yuanshan said, recognizing the location immediately—it was the lithium battery lab led by Li Xiao and Cheng Peng.
"They're working on lithium battery technology. While we don't impose hard targets for performance breakthroughs, they're heading in the right direction, and they're at the global forefront. So their team is really motivated."
Thinking about the increasingly "Qu Hui-like" Li Xiao, Su Yuanshan couldn't help but smile. "Honestly, we don't encourage meaningless overtime. Most of our researchers here work under a stipend system, not a time-clock system."
"How much are the stipends? If you can say," Yang Guangxin asked curiously.
"It varies. Generally, undergraduates start around three thousand yuan a month—although pure research groups rarely have undergrads anymore. Most are exceptionally talented, pursuing graduate studies through our research-education programs. And once a project is completed and passes technical evaluation, we award bonuses. If the project enters mass production, the developers receive equity shares in the product line."
Yang Guangxin let out a long sigh of admiration. "No wonder they work so hard. You really invest heavily—and it's not wasted."
"Hehe… yeah, it's mainly because everyone sees a future here," Su Yuanshan said, his expression turning serious. "Right now, it's an era where if you work hard, you can get rewarded. So everyone is willing to push themselves."
"Plus, the last lab we passed was working on lithium batteries.
I can say with full confidence—even if we didn't collaborate with Sony, our lithium technology would leap forward in three to five years and crush Sony technically.
Sony saw that during our early collaborations, and that's why they agreed to partner."
Yang Guangxin nodded. "Having a multinational like Sony—with its world-class technology, branding, and market channels—as a partner… It'd be harder to fail than to succeed."
Su Yuanshan chuckled inwardly. If only it were that simple.
One hallmark of a great era was its unpredictability.
And when big companies made mistakes—like a snowball rolling toward a cliff—things could fall apart spectacularly.
Even Sony, despite partnering with Ericsson to create Sony Ericsson, had eventually been outclassed and crushed by newer players.
The next day, discussions continued.
This time, however, the primary host was not Yuanxin but the Yuanxin Think Tank, though the meeting still took place at Yuanxin.
It reflected how seriously the Planning Commission regarded Yuanxin as the leader among private enterprises.
Of course, as the nominal head of the think tank, Academician Su Xinghe accompanied the entire session. In some fields he held back from speaking, but when it came to semiconductors, he was fully engaged.
Following Su Yuanshan's philosophy, he offered detailed analyses and forecasts for the semiconductor industry, emphasizing how the domestic market would evolve as the economy recovered. He urged the state to not only focus on demand for semiconductor components but also to strengthen the global competitiveness of domestic semiconductor companies.
Even though Su Xinghe spoke with the utmost objectivity and rigor, those in the room couldn't help but read between the lines—after all, right now, the only truly competitive semiconductor firm in China was Yuanxin.
Raising industry competitiveness? Clearly, that meant supporting Yuanxin.
Everyone there was smart enough to understand that semiconductors, as a cutting-edge strategic industry, couldn't be "democratized" through broad, indiscriminate investment.
Especially now that the country had only just implemented the tax-sharing reform and finally had a little money—how could they afford to scatter it aimlessly?
...
Two days later, the two working groups from the ministries completed their investigation and departed.
But peace did not return to the tech park, and Su Yuanshan found no rest either.
Because on December 1st, Cyrix would launch their new CPU based on the Saul architecture.
Meanwhile, the vulnerability scandal that Su Yuanshan remembered was supposed to rock Intel had still not materialized.
Su Yuanshan realized:
He couldn't afford to wait any longer.
It was time to blow the whistle.
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Chapter 335 Saul's Debut
To be honest, Su Yuanshan had never felt much respect or emotional attachment toward his first employer, Intel. Yet when it came time to personally expose Intel's vulnerabilities, he still hesitated a little. It wasn't about morality or shame—it was just that, having already "cheated" by reincarnating with future knowledge, resorting to this kind of cheap tactic felt a bit dishonorable, a bit like an unfair victory.
Thus, when Claude informed him that their chip sample would complete tape-out and testing around mid-November, Su Yuanshan had breathed a sigh of relief. According to historical timelines, Intel's infamous division bug should have been exposed already, triggering a massive recall. That would be the perfect window for Cyrix to launch their new product.
...
Silicon Valley, Starsea Hi-Tech Headquarters.
Carly had fully embraced Su Yuanshan's philosophy—running a business didn't mean you couldn't build your own empire.
Following that principle, Starsea had successfully constructed a sprawling 300-acre tech campus in Silicon Valley.
Now, the two main office buildings were completed and furnished. The first departments to move in were Starsea Hi-Tech's original core teams, followed by a few acquired teams, and lastly the Cyrix team, who started moving over only after their CPU had been sent for fabrication.
Carly burst into Claude's office like a storm.
Always slim, years of leading Silicon Valley's "new flagship" had given her a commanding presence. She planted her hands firmly on Claude's desk, her sharp eyes staring him down. "Claude, how much longer?"
Claude, fully aware of the pressure Carly was under, squirmed slightly under her intense gaze and smiled. "We should be able to start final testing today, Carly. Don't worry."
Carly exhaled deeply, then chuckled. "You're holding onto our most powerful weapon. If anything goes wrong, it won't just dampen the IPO—it'll be catastrophic."
Claude knew she was deliberately exaggerating.
Saying Starsea's IPO would shake Wall Street was a bit much, but there was no doubt the company attracted massive attention.
Backed by eastern capital, rising to become a dominant force in Silicon Valley within three years, led by a former AT&T beauty executive now crowned Silicon Valley's most beautiful CEO—
these headlines alone were enough to generate endless buzz.
Plus, Starsea's software division had aggressively expanded into the hottest internet sectors—web browsers, developer tools, foundational technologies. They were even starting to form a mini-ecosystem.
Even ignoring everything else, the software division alone could have spun off for a standalone IPO, given the current tech investment craze.
Not to mention the dominant position Starsea had captured in North America's cordless phone market, their solid mobile phone sales, and now the two major chip projects about to come online.
Thus, Starsea's IPO had decided to aim for the New York Stock Exchange, not NASDAQ.
Though the NYSE had higher requirements, those requirements were also a form of recognition for businesses that truly had substance.
And Starsea... well, who would dare call it a "startup" anymore?
At that moment, the office phone rang. Claude grabbed it quickly, listened for a moment, then grinned at Carly. "The chips are back. Want to come watch the testing?"
Carly froze for a second, then her face lit up, though she quickly composed herself. "No need. I'll wait in my office."
She glanced at her watch. "I'll be here until 8 p.m. Can you finish by then?"
Claude hesitated. "Hard to say. SOYO's motherboards only arrived three days ago. We're still unsure about compatibility and whether the CPUs can perform at full capacity."
Carly frowned. She knew Claude tended to be cautious. After thinking it over, she said, "I'll wait until eight. After you finish, send a full report directly to President Shan."
She exhaled lightly, her mood complicated.
She knew how much effort Su Yuanshan had poured into this CPU project—even leading the core architecture design himself.
Carly wasn't an expert in chip design, but she understood one thing clearly:
the architecture sets the upper limit for a CPU's capabilities.
Being the chief architect was a truly badass achievement.
What a miraculous kid... Carly thought again, then turned and left the office briskly.
Claude watched her go, amused.
As he had guessed, Carly didn't really believe the CPU's success or failure would determine Starsea's IPO.
But she respected Su Yuanshan's priorities—because Su Yuanshan had personally invited her back to lead Starsea, and respect was a two-way street.
...
Claude left his office moments later and hurried to the lab.
He found the testing engineers had already set up the engineering sample CPUs—still marked only with internal serial numbers—on different motherboards and platforms.
The testing array stretched five meters long.
In addition to the two test setups for the new CPU, they had control groups using current Pentium platforms, from the first-generation Pentium 66MHz models to the latest second-generation Pentium 150MHz "strongest on Earth" models. Every frequency tier was represented.
As for AMD… well, they weren't even being considered as serious competition.
This testing method had been suggested by Su Yuanshan himself—to instantly and accurately identify where Saul Series CPUs stood in the market.
He had also emailed detailed testing plans: the tests had to cover a broad range of areas, especially gaming and video processing—two sectors showing explosive potential, representing the most primal consumer demands.
They also set up tests for professional tasks like rendering and heavy calculations.
Since there were no standardized CPU benchmarking tools yet, the CPU team had spent months developing their own during the chip's fabrication wait.
Just a few days ago, Su Yuanshan had even sent Claude a simple benchmarking utility he had written himself.
"You ready?" Claude asked, looking around at the engineers, feeling his palms sweat.
"Ready," they responded in unison.
"Start!"
As the power switches flipped, a row of monitors flickered on simultaneously.
—Su Yuanshan had stressed that even boot times were key performance indicators.
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