Reborn in 2011, 985 missing from two copies

Chapter 751: The technology war breaks out and Xiaomi is harvested!
Lee Kun-hee sighed: "It's not just a supply cutoff, it's a supply cutoff that's dragged on until before Apple's new phones go into mass production, leaving Apple no time to change its solution."

"My God, that's too cruel!"

"However, this is great news for Samsung. Our 4.0 million Star Charge 4.0 modules are the same batch as Apple's."

"This..." The subordinate was dumbfounded. Could this really be done?!

"With the iPhone XS facing production difficulties in the second half of this year, our Note 9, equipped with 40W Star Charge 4.0, is expected to sell even better."

"Although we can't beat Xingyi Mobile in other countries and regions."

"But in the US market, the Starry Night phone is banned from sale, and the iPhone XS is in production difficulties. This is an opportunity for Samsung! We can better seize Apple's market share."

"Therefore, the bill to ban the sale of Xingyi mobile phones only needs to fail, it doesn't need to succeed!"

"Yes, I'll arrange it immediately!"

Next door, LG headquarters.

"Xingyi Technology has gone mad, actually cutting off Apple's supply and strangling Apple!"

"No, our mobile phone chips, fast charging chips, and TV chips all use Xingyi Technology's chips."

“If we are cut off from supplies, our LG mobile phones will be useless, and our LG TVs and tablets will also be useless.”

"Quickly, inform our lawmakers to vote against the upcoming bill banning the sale of Xingyi mobile phones in South Korea. They must vote against it!"

"And lobby other members of parliament to ensure that this plan is not passed."

"Yes!" the subordinate replied hastily, then changed the subject: "Chairman, the other legislators are easy to deal with, but what about those hawkish legislators who advocate banning the sale of Xingyi Technology? Their proportion is very high!"

LG's chairman frowned: "Those hawkish lawmakers who advocate banning the sale of Starlight Technology, let's talk if we can. If we can't... let them die!"

"Yes!"

Sony headquarters.

"Notify our people to cancel the proposal to ban the sale of Xingyi mobile phones in Japan, and cancel it completely."

"Quickly, cancel everything!"

……

Similar scenes have been unfolding in countries around the world.

Kill one to serve as a warning to others!

Apple's disastrous consequences have terrified all the tech giants.

Currently, major mobile phone manufacturers are all seeking help from Xingyi Technology, and are using Xingyi Technology's fast charging chip modules, and even Kunpeng chips.

Proposing another ban on Xingyi Technology could easily lead to a repeat of Apple's mistake, resulting in Xingyi Technology cutting off our supply and holding us hostage.

That's it.

After all, even Apple couldn't withstand Xingyi Technology cutting off its supply, let alone them.

Apple headquarters.

Cook has aged a lot.

He hasn't had a good night's sleep in three days.

Can't sleep, can't sleep at all.

Even when I finally fall asleep, I'll wake up from a nightmare.

Or you might dream that you're being thrown into the ocean by a conglomerate to feed the sharks.

Or they dream that they are turned into human pigs and thrown into pitch-black darkness.

I'm always terrified and break out in a cold sweat; how can I possibly sleep well?
Cook would rather boast about coffee than fall asleep himself.

"Ugh! When will this ever end!"

Cook was filled with emotion, then suddenly realized: "This can't end here!"

"I want to live!"

"I can't give up the struggle!"

Cook rushed to the conference room:
"How are the alternative researches going?"

"Chairman, after much deliberation, replacing Xingyi Technology's 40W fast charging with Qualcomm's 20W fast charging, although halving the charging efficiency, is theoretically feasible!"

"Okay, how long will it take to develop the specific replacement design? When can we build a prototype?"

"Chairman, since we've switched to Qualcomm's fast charging module, we'll have to adjust the layout of our phone's motherboard and the internal chip layout. It will take about two months."

"That means we can finalize the specific plan in August, conduct prototype testing in September, fix bugs in October, adjust the production line in November, start trial production, and begin mass production by the end of the year."

"Deliveries will begin in January, global distribution will start in February, and the product will be available in March..."

"If the new phones scheduled for September are pushed back to March of next year, wouldn't that be disastrous?"

Cook was completely devastated.

This year's iPhone XS series can't even beat Xingyi Technology's current generation products. If we push it back to next March and see it compete with the next generation of phones from other manufacturers, it'll be even less likely to succeed!

"Chairman, the listing in March next year is contingent on everything going smoothly. If there are any more problems, it will have to be in April, or even May!"

Cook's lips twitched, and he was completely dumbfounded: "..."

But there's nothing we can do but take it one step at a time.

But realistically, Apple's new phone this year is doomed to fail.

However, sales of Xingyi mobile phones have remained stable with a slight increase.

Even in the United States, where the sale is banned, grey market goods are rampant.

There's no way around it; the Xingyi phone boasts powerful performance and remains a global leader. Even with the sales ban, American consumers will still pay extra to buy grey market versions.

Many Americans also bring a few back with them when they travel to other countries for business or leisure.

I bought several Starry Sky phones and Boundless phones, disassembled them all, and claimed they were for personal use. Customs couldn't find anything wrong with that.

This has also led to the emergence of many backpackers!
There are even more professional smugglers!
Many high-ranking U.S. military and political officials were involved, acting as a protective umbrella and reaping benefits in return.

Moreover, although Xingyi phones are banned from sale in the United States, they can still be sold normally in other places.

In countries like South Korea, despite strong opposition from Samsung and LG, the proposal to ban the sale of the Starry Sky phone failed, and the Starry Sky phone continued to be sold as usual.

The same is true in Japan.

Seeing that these places don't ban sales, other countries' domestic mobile phone brands are not that great to begin with, so they can't be bothered to ban sales either.

Ultimately, it doesn't matter whether Apple and Samsung make the money or Xingyi Technology does.

In India, there were also proposals to ban the sale of Xingyi phones, but these were rejected.

There's no way around it. Many powerful figures in India are distributors of Xingyi mobile phones and have made a fortune selling Xingyi and Wujie mobile phones. How could they possibly agree to a sales ban?

Isn't this cutting off our own path to wealth?
Many high-caste nobles have spent tens of millions to purchase Xingyi House's authorization. How could they possibly accept being banned from selling their products? Wouldn't that mean losing everything?
But another group of Indian elites who couldn't make money from Xingyi phones were unhappy.

Whether the sale of Xingyi phones is banned or not, they won't make any money. How can that be acceptable?

Don’t worry about scarcity, but worry about inequality!

If you can make money, we can make money too!

So, they also wanted to make a quick buck!
After some discussion, these people proposed to impose sanctions and fines on Xingyi Technology.

As for the reasons, they're easy to explain.

Immediately enact a new law specifically targeting this issue, and then use this newly enacted law this year to sue Xingyi Technology for illegal business practices last year and the year before, and impose an exorbitant fine!
Perfect closed loop!

That would be best if Xingyi Technology were to accept paying the money honestly.

If you do not accept this and do not pay, then we will confiscate Xingyi Technology's fixed assets located in India!

There's always a way to rake in tens of billions of rupees!
They can rake in hundreds of billions of rupees at a time, and over several times, they can make more than 100 billion rupees, which is more than 10 billion yuan!

All owners of expensive properties can make a fortune!
Unexpectedly, even after they had drafted the regulations and were prepared to take drastic measures, they found that it wouldn't work!
Xingyi Technology has no fixed assets in India and doesn't even have a self-operated flagship store.

Even Xingyi's house is owned by high-caste nobles and powerful figures from India!
If fined, Xingyi Technology simply won't acknowledge it, and it won't have any impact whatsoever.

And the Indians had no choice.

We can't just confiscate Xingyi Home's property, can we?
Confiscating the property of those Indian nobles and high-caste aristocrats.
Isn't this courting death?
Seeing that he couldn't get anything from Xingyi Technology, the Indians weren't the type to give up easily.

So they set their sights on Xiaomi, the second best-selling brand in India!
In recent years, Xiaomi has been deeply involved in the Indian market and has developed rapidly, becoming the second best-selling mobile phone brand in India, second only to Xingyi Technology!

Now that they've caught the eye of Indian elites, they've decisively given all the resources they gave to Xingyi Technology to Xiaomi Technology!

Not only were 400 billion rupees of Xiaomi's assets frozen, but a fine of 35 billion rupees was also imposed!
Lei Jun was so angry he cursed:
"Damn it! They can't mess with Xingyi Technology, so they come after Xiaomi! They're shameless!"

"I've been scheming in India for so many years, and I've only made a few billion RMB. It's all been confiscated in one go!"

"It's true what they say, Indians earn money and spend it all, not a single cent can be taken home!" "That's shameless!"

Old Li was also furious:

"Now I understand why Chairman Wang doesn't open a directly operated Xingyi flagship store in India, but only franchise stores."

Lei Jun's eyes deepened: "You mean, Chairman Wang knew about India's character all along? He knew they were unreliable? That's why he didn't set up operations in India?"

"That's right, that's exactly it. Xingyi Technology doesn't have a single flagship store in India, only Xingyi Home. And Xingyi Home is also a franchise, built with funds from Indian businessmen. India can't fine or confiscate it, the ones who suffer are the Indian elites and high-caste rich."

"Xingyi Technology has no self-operated stores or factories in India. All mobile phones are ordered by distributors with full payment before being shipped. It can be said that Xingyi Technology has very few assets in India, and India cannot freeze them even if it wants to!"

"Unlike Xiaomi, which has factories in India and so many Xiaomi Home stores, if our operations are frozen, the losses will be enormous! We won't even have a chance to escape!"

"This..." Lei Jun's lips twitched: "Sigh!"

"No wonder Chairman Wang didn't go to India to develop his business. I thought he was leaving us an opportunity, but it turned out to be a huge trap!"

"Chairman Wang has misled me!"

"Chairman Wang has misled me!"

For a moment, Lei Jun was completely flustered.

Xiaomi began its expansion into the Indian market in 2012, and it has been a full seven years since then!
After seven years of hard work, they finally achieved profitability, earning only a few billion yuan in total, which was all confiscated by fines!
It's like all those years of hard work went to waste!
awful!
awful!
awful!
However, Xiaomi's unfortunate situation served as a wake-up call for other competitors.

Seeing Xiaomi's success in India, other companies like OPPO, Vivo, and Lenovo were also tempted.

I also want to invest in and build a factory in India to expand and strengthen my business.

But before they could even take action, Xiaomi had already been exploited.

Earn money in India, spend it in India, don't even think about taking a single penny home!

Now, manufacturers like OPPO, Vivo, and Lenovo have also become wary and abandoned their plans to build factories in India, opting instead to produce domestically.

We'd rather spend more money to airlift the goods than build a factory there.

OPPO was even smarter; instead of building a factory, they started selling stores!
Selling all of OPPO's flagship stores in India to Indian dignitaries is a way to prevent their assets from being frozen and exploited.

After all, a mere ban can be used to reap profits, so it's better to sell now and at least break even!
Seeing that India is sanctioning Xiaomi, they can make a fortune.

Despite the comprehensive sanctions imposed by the United States, Xingyi Technology is still thriving and has even become more prosperous. On the contrary, Apple is in dire straits because of Xingyi Technology's supply disruption.

The new flagship iPhone XS series, which was supposed to be launched in the second half of 2018, was delayed due to the supply disruption caused by Xingyi Technology!
The United States was furious and felt it had lost face!
We should resolutely escalate the situation and demand comprehensive sanctions!
However, after some research, the think tank discovered that there were very few cards they could play.

Xingyi Technology has now completely withdrawn from the US market, and the US can't do anything about it.

If further sanctions are desired, the only option is a complete supply cut-off, requiring all U.S. companies to cease supplying Xingyi Technology.

Unfortunately for them, Xingyi Technology was not afraid at all.

The core components are all self-developed, and the chips are all self-produced and self-developed, so there is no way to block them.

Even the mass production of 10-nanometer chips was six months earlier than TSMC and Samsung!
They are not afraid of a complete supply disruption at all.

Left with no other option, the US resorted to its ultimate rogue tactic: lobbying its allies to completely cut off supplies to Xingyi Technology!

On June 15th, the complete ban was lifted:

All companies and products that use US technology, as well as allies, must cut off supplies to Xingyi Technology and block Xingyi Technology!

This includes a comprehensive blockade of Xingyi Technology, encompassing high-end lithography machines, photoresist, large silicon wafers, EDA licensing, and more.

This level of censorship is like a tsunami, roaring in.

Moreover, this time there was no buffer period; everything took effect immediately.

Photoresist and large silicon wafers that were intended to be shipped out of Japanese and South Korean ports have all been seized and banned from sale and shipment!

For a time, all companies thought Xingyi Technology was finished!

Photoresist supply cut off!

Large silicon wafers have been cut off from supply!

Make bricks without straw!

Once the last of its inventory is used up, no matter how powerful Starry Semiconductor is or how advanced its manufacturing process is, it will be unable to produce high-end chips!
Even the most powerful 10nm Kunpeng 950 SOC has to be discontinued!

If high-end chips are discontinued, then Xingyi Technology will be finished!
Following that, Xingyi mobile phones, Xingyi tablets, Xingyi TVs, Xingyi laptops, Switches, and so on will all be doomed!
In this situation, in order to slow down the depletion of inventory, Xingyi Semiconductor will definitely have to scale back its operations across the board, and will have to use photoresist and large silicon wafers sparingly!
High-end chips like the Kunpeng 950 are becoming increasingly rare, with each one used being one less available.

We can no longer sell on a large scale to third-party companies as we did before.

Instead, we should completely stop selling them, tighten our belts, and keep them for our own use!

The release of new devices also needs to be slowed down to save on chips.

Qualcomm was thrilled.

Qualcomm Chairman Jacob was grinning from ear to ear!
In recent years, Qualcomm has experienced a series of setbacks with its four flagship chips: Snapdragon 805, Snapdragon 810, Snapdragon 820, and Snapdragon 821, which can be described as a collapse of its high-end product line.

Even though the Snapdragon 845 chip, released at the end of last year, didn't have any major problems, its sales were still lackluster.

Unfortunately, after four consecutive generations of failures, Qualcomm's reputation was ruined, its brand image was destroyed, consumers no longer accepted it, and major mobile phone manufacturers dared not use it.

Moreover, at a similar price, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, released in December 2017, only managed to avoid any major issues.

However, its performance is only equivalent to the Kunpeng 930 released in the first half of 2016, far inferior to the Kunpeng 940 released in the first half of 17, not to mention the Kunpeng 950, which was released this year with the support of the second-generation super-powerful NPU!

In fact, the Kunpeng 940 SOC, released in the first half of last year, already integrated an NPU chip module with a computing power of 8 TOPS, significantly enhancing AI computing power!
This year's Kunpeng 950 SOC is the second generation, with a computing power of 16 TOPS!

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 845's performance is far inferior to the Kunpeng, and its AI computing power is several generations behind.

Therefore, major mobile phone manufacturers still prefer the Kunpeng chip.

In particular, the Kunpeng chip offers motherboard design services and chip tuning services, which Qualcomm cannot provide.

As a result, the Snapdragon 845 sold poorly, with few customers placing orders.

Jacob was so angry that his liver ached, but there was nothing he could do.

Its performance is two generations behind, and its service is far inferior. What can you do?

But now, the opportunity has come!

finally come!

Xingyi Technology is now facing a supply disruption due to a blockade, and Xingyi Semiconductor is experiencing a shortage of photoresist and large silicon wafers!

Next, Xingyi Technology's Kunpeng 950 chip will definitely no longer be sold to external parties, which will give Qualcomm's Snapdragon 845 chip an opportunity to become a hot seller!

How could Jacob not be happy?
"Quickly, call Samsung Semiconductor immediately and tell them to increase production capacity and mass-produce the Snapdragon 845!"

"Okay, Chairman, how much more should we order?"

"We can't sell Kunpeng chips, so all the major manufacturers can only buy our Snapdragon 845. We're adding 7000 million units to our order now, no, 1 million! We don't want everyone rushing to place orders and we running out of stock!"

"Yes!" The subordinate immediately contacted Samsung.

Everyone at Qualcomm was excited.

Samsung also got excited.

Everyone thinks that Xingyi Semiconductor and Xingyi Technology are doomed.

Everything must return to how it was before.

But major mobile phone manufacturers are in a difficult situation, even desperate!
Over the years, major manufacturers have become accustomed to using Kunpeng chips and Xingyi Technology's motherboard design and chip tuning services!

As a result, the already subpar motherboard design and chip tuning capabilities of major mobile phone manufacturers have severely deteriorated, or even completely disappeared!
Many brand-related teams have disbanded!

Now that the Kunpeng chip is gone, it has returned to Qualcomm chips.

We have to design the motherboard ourselves and fine-tune the chips ourselves!
This is how to do?
I can't figure it out!
Isn’t this a life-threatening thing?
For a time, all major mobile phone manufacturers were in a real bind.

Everyone is worried that because of Xiaomi's crackdown, Xingyi Technology will cut off the chip supply to major mobile phone manufacturers, and will have to use Qualcomm, design its own motherboards, and fine-tune them itself!

This increases the difficulty several times over!
But to my surprise, the situation was completely different!
Wang Yi seemed completely unconcerned about the US's comprehensive sanctions and supply cutoff.

The new Xingyi Technology product will be released in the same way as before.

Use the Kunpeng 950 chip the way you normally would!
Not only do they use it freely themselves, but they also continue to sell it to other companies—they sell it freely!
That's right, Xingyi Semiconductor not only did not ban the sale of Kunpeng 950, but also sold it to external parties in large quantities!
It's as if the US's complete blockade and supply cutoff are completely nonexistent.

All major mobile phone manufacturers were stunned!
Despite being confused, they were quick to act.

Major mobile phone manufacturers have placed additional orders and are snapping up large quantities of Kunpeng 950 SOCs to stockpile them!
Regardless, let's stock up for a year first.

Even if the supply is cut off again, it will still be enough.

Anyway, the Kunpeng 950 is at least two generations ahead of the Snapdragon 845, so just stock up on it, it won't make a difference!
Wang Yi accepted all offers of help.

The Kunpeng 950 SOC boasts powerful performance and ample capacity.

Not only did they not reduce sales or cut off supplies, but they sold as much as needed.

Delivery times are very prompt!
(End of this chapter)