Return to 88: Starting from Marrying My Sister-in-law

In the early morning sunlight of Singapore, the garden villa's large French windows spread a dazzling golden light across the floor.

The air still carried the unique, moist scent of grass and trees characteristic of Southeast Asia after last night's rain.

Xu Siqi was still sleeping soundly in the bedroom; her nine-month pregnancy made her especially sleepy.

Lu Yang gently got up without disturbing her and walked to the French windows in the living room. The bustling port view in front of him was not as dazzling as the night view, but it had a unique and vibrant charm.

He picked up his phone; several unread messages were displayed on the screen.

One message was a routine greeting from Yin Mingyue, and the other was a confirmation of the itinerary from her secretary, Lu Nini.

Chairman, today's schedule:

10:00 AM: Meet with Mr. Lin Chundong from the Chip Design Department of Lotus Electronics (UMC) (Location: Executive Lounge of your hotel).

14:00 PM: Review and sign the final agreement for Project XX (the document has been encrypted and sent to your email).

17:30 PM: Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) Dinner (invitation attached).

Lu Yang's gaze lingered on the words "Lin Chundong" and "Lotus Electronics (UMC)" for a moment.

Lotus Electronics, founded in 1980, is hailed as the "Whampoa Military Academy" of the Chinese semiconductor industry.

The founder of MediaTek, the world's most famous chip foundry giant in later generations, also came from the chip design department of UMC, which is an extension of its lineage.

The person we're meeting today, Lin Chundong, is also from UMC's core chip design department.

Meanwhile, for example, Dr. Chen Tong, a pioneer in the mainland IC design industry; Academician Deng Zhong, the leader of the "Starlight Huaguo Core Project"; and Wang Ping, the founder of Zhiyuan Technology and Guowei Technology, who are pioneers in the field of embedded processors... These people have all worked at UMC or have a deep connection with UMC.

Lu Yang didn't remember very clearly, but he knew that he urgently needed a top talent in the chip industry to manage the soon-to-be-completed eight-inch wafer fab "Century Microelectronics".

At 10:00 AM, in the hotel's executive lounge, a window seat.

Lu Yang met Lin Chundong.

Around forty years old, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, with a reserved demeanor, yet his eyes revealed the focus and sharpness unique to a technologist. He wore a well-fitting but not expensive suit, a typical engineer's image.

"Mr. Lin, I've long admired your name. Please have a seat."

Lu Yang stood up, his attitude calm, but the wealth he had accumulated over the years still gave him a unique aura of a superior.

"Mr. Lu, you're too kind. It's my honor to be received by you in person."

Lin Chundong bowed slightly and sat down with his back straight.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the conversation quickly turned to the core issue.

Lu Yang is an outsider to semiconductor manufacturing, but he is well aware of the industry's decisive significance for the future and understands the value of top talent.

"Mr. Lin, I am a novice in the chip industry, but the future development of Century Group cannot be separated from core technologies, especially chips."

Lu Yang cut to the chase, staring into the other person's eyes: "I want to hear, based on your many years of experience at UMC, what is the most crucial element of a wafer fab, or rather, a successful chip manufacturing project?"

What are the most common pitfalls you might encounter?

Lin Chundong pushed up his glasses, clearly prepared for this question.

Instead of grandstanding, he began by stating in plain yet precise language: "Chairman Lu, chip manufacturing is an industry that is highly intensive in terms of capital, technology, talent, and management."

"For a wafer fab to succeed, yield and capacity are its lifelines."

"And I believe there are three core elements supporting these two points:"
First, there's the ultra-clean environment, or Clean Room, which represents stability and control precision. Keep in mind that a single speck of dust can destroy a wafer worth tens of thousands of dollars.

Secondly, there is the process technology, which represents maturity and consistency. From photolithography, etching, doping to thin film deposition, the error control of each step must reach the nanometer or even angstrom level, which is a great test of the professionalism of our engineers.

Thirdly, the stability and coordination of the supply chain are crucial, especially for core consumables such as photoresist, high-purity silicon wafers, and specialty gases. None of these can be dispensed with, and the quality requirements are extremely stringent.

He paused, noticing that although Lu Yang was listening attentively, a hint of "unfathomable awe" still flickered in his eyes.

Without a doubt, Lu Yang recognized every single word in the above text, but when they were put together...

Well, it's like listening to gibberish.

Lu Yang almost wanted to sleep.

Lin Chunsheng also saw the clarity and stupidity in Lu Yang's eyes, but he didn't think that such a big billionaire would be so uncultured. He thought Lu Yang was encouraging him to continue.

So he cleared his throat.

He continued his boastful talk, adding to the prepared speech he had spent considerable brainpower preparing beforehand to persuade this billionaire: "Mr. Lu, what I just said might have been a bit profound. Now, let me put it simply. To use a somewhat inaccurate analogy, it's like using the most precise 'brush' under a microscope to draw hundreds of millions or even billions of patterns smaller than a hair on an extremely expensive 'canvas,' and the pattern on each 'canvas' must be exactly the same, without the slightest error."

If any link in the process—environment, equipment, materials, technology, or personnel operation—goes wrong, the drawing is ruined.

Then, he began to list specific problems: "In actual operation, problems arise one after another: for example, equipment maintenance and machine matching. Even for the same model of equipment, there will be slight differences in parameters. How can we ensure that the chips produced by all machines have consistent performance?"
The process window is extremely narrow; even slight deviations in parameters such as temperature, pressure, gas flow rate, and time can cause the yield to plummet.

There's also defect detection and root cause analysis. Finding a defect is easy, but figuring out which step, parameter, device, or even component caused it is like finding a needle in a haystack—extremely time-consuming and labor-intensive.

Furthermore, there is a talent gap; experienced process engineers and equipment engineers have long training cycles and high turnover rates…

Lin Chundong's explanation was clear, concise, and easy to understand. He pointed out the core pain points and technical barriers in the industry, and used analogies that Lu Yang could understand.

Every challenge he mentioned points to the complexity and high barriers to entry in chip manufacturing.

Lu Yang listened "attentively," although the terms "photoresist," "etching," "doping," "yield," and "machine matching" were like gibberish to him. However, he keenly grasped several key pieces of information revealed in Lin Chundong's words:

Profound professional expertise!
They have a deep understanding of the industry's essence and core challenges.

Extensive practical experience!
It has clearly been tested by countless real-world problems.

A pragmatic approach! Instead of avoiding difficulties, it clearly identifies the problems.

Clear logic!

When explaining complex issues, one should demonstrate clear thinking and accurate expression.

When Lin Chundong finished his "science popularization," Lu Yang had already made up his mind.

This top talent, with a solid background, clear thinking, rich experience, and hailing from the "Whampoa Military Academy" UMC, is exactly the chip technology leader he has been dreaming of, the head of Singapore Century Microelectronics.

"it is good!"

Lu Yang slammed his hand on the sofa armrest, his face revealing undisguised admiration and decisiveness.

"Mr. Lin, although I don't quite understand the technical details you've explained, I understand how difficult this industry is, and I also understand how deep your understanding of this industry is!"

He leaned forward slightly, staring intently at Lin Chundong, and said decisively, "No need to talk anymore! The responsibility for Century Group's chip business, the presidency of Century Microelectronics in Singapore, and this soon-to-be-completed eight-inch wafer fab are now in your hands!"
Let me know what kind of support you need!
I will do my utmost to guarantee people, money, and resources!
There is only one goal: to establish our chip manufacturing capabilities as quickly as possible!

Lin Chundong's heart pounded violently in his chest, and blood seemed to rush to his head instantly.

He flew all the way from Hsinchu, under the guise of "taking annual leave to travel with his family," and settled his wife and children in Sentosa. Why did he come alone to attend this fateful meeting?
Isn't this exactly where we are?
The leader of an eight-inch wafer fab with a planned investment of over one billion US dollars, capable of competing with his former employer UMC in the future!

Everyone has dreams.

This is the most challenging yet closest stage to his dream that he has been able to reach after two decades of dedicated work in the semiconductor industry. It is an opportunity for him to personally build a new benchmark for Chinese chip manufacturing on this vibrant and opportunity-filled land!
All the reserve of tech gurus and the negotiation tactics of feigning indifference were shattered at this moment by immense joy and the urgent fear of missing out.

Before Lu Yang could finish speaking, Lin Chundong almost reflexively sprang up from the comfortable sofa, his movements so fast that he knocked over the untouched coffee spoon beside him, making a crisp clinking sound.

"Chairman Lu! Thank you for your trust!"

Lin Chundong's voice trembled slightly with barely suppressed excitement as he extended his hand to Lu Yang, his eyes burning with fervor and determination. "I, Lin Chundong, accept this important responsibility! I will do my utmost and live up to Chairman Lu's trust!"

He gripped the hand with tremendous force, as if trying to convey his determination to the other person through that force, fearing that the young tycoon in front of him might change his mind at any moment.

Seeing Lin Chundong's uncharacteristic yet incredibly genuine reaction, Lu Yang's last trace of doubt vanished.

He knew he had found the right person.

Only someone who truly desires and understands its value would lose their composure like this.

"Sit down and talk, Engineer Lin."

Lu Yang gestured for him to relax, a satisfied smile on his face.

"Now that we're on the same side, feel free to ask for anything you need. As I said, we'll do our best to provide manpower, money, and resources."

Lin Chundong took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down and sit back on the sofa, but the light in his eyes did not diminish in the slightest.

He knew that the real test had just begun.

He quickly organized his thoughts and began to address the most practical issues.

"Chairman Lu, thank you for your trust and support. The most urgent task is to build a core team. Chip manufacturing is a system engineering project, which cannot be accomplished by one person alone, even if you already have the world's most advanced chip lithography machine."

Lin Chundong’s tone became pragmatic and earnest as he looked at Lu Yang and said, “Chairman Lu, I have been at UMC for many years and I know how rare talent is, especially experienced process, equipment and integration engineers. Fortunately, I have some truly capable and insightful former students and colleagues in the design and manufacturing departments who are willing to pursue a bigger stage.”

Speaking of it.

He paused slightly, observing Lu Yang's reaction, then lowered his voice, carrying a hint of barely perceptible seriousness, and said with his head bowed, "However... Chairman Lu, as you know, UMC has always been strict in controlling the movement of core talent, especially those who move to competitors with mainland backgrounds. The Taiwanese higher-ups are also watching. I've already taken a risk by coming here this time. If I were to bring them along, I'm afraid we would encounter... considerable resistance, and there might even be unnecessary personal trouble."

Lin Chundong did not say it explicitly, but the phrase "personal distress" revealed his biggest concern.

The former employer's attempt to retain him will never be a warm and sentimental conversation.

The "White Terror" is still fresh in our minds!
Lu Yang's eyes instantly sharpened to the point of being like those of a hawk.

He understood Lin Chundong's subtext.

This is not just about poaching talent; it also involves the competition for core technologies and talent, and the unsavory tactics that may follow.

"Resistance?" A cold smile curved Lu Yang's lips, a confidence that only a powerful figure who had weathered countless storms and wielded immense strength possessed.

"Mr. Lin, just make a list and tell me who you need to take with you."

"I'll handle the rest of the trouble."

He picked up the satellite phone that was placed to the side, his fingers quickly and steadily pressing a number on the keypad. After the call connected, he only said two concise and powerful sentences:
"Ah Long, it's me. Take your best men and come to the hotel immediately. It's an important mission: escort our 'wafer fab manager' home to pick someone up."

A deep, calm voice, yet imbued with an iron will, came from the other end of the phone:

"Understood, boss. The entire 'Black Dragon' team will be in position within half an hour."

It's been almost half a year since we arrived in Singapore, which also means that Century Group's overseas counterpart, Century Security, which is comparable to "Blackwater," has been established for half a year. During this time, we've provided them with funds and personnel as needed. After a thousand days of training, it's time to put them to the test.

Lin Chundong listed the key team members and detailed each person's expertise, value, and the level of resistance they might face in "retention".

Ah Long's elite "Black Dragon Squad" from "Century Security" has made its official debut and will showcase its professionalism in intelligence gathering, risk assessment, emergency response planning, and combat operations.

Lu Yang personally issued instructions to A Long, with the core requirement: ensure that Lin Chundong and his target team members arrive in Singapore safely, quickly, and secretly.

Just tell me what equipment you need.

This is abroad, not in China. Money can buy you anything.

If obstruction is encountered, no expense or means are too great as long as the identity is not revealed.

soon
Ah Long personally led the "Black Dragon Squad" in disguise to escort Lin Chundong back to Hsinchu secretly. Lin Chundong used his personal connections to secretly contact members of the target team, persuading and making arrangements. ... (End of Chapter)