Since we are both reborn, of course I would choose the rich woman!

Chapter 404 Choosing a Faction (6k views, please subscribe)

After Lü Yao finished speaking in a low voice, Jian Xiaojie, who was also smoking by the island platform with Lü Yao, turned to look at Lü Yao beside her and took the initiative to liven up the atmosphere, saying, "Wow, not bad, you've almost become a poet since I last saw you?"

"You're hiding here from us, are you planning to go into publishing?"

Lü Yao was speechless at Jian Xiaojie's antics. He rolled his eyes and laughed, "Why bother with publishing? Writing books is a dead end, okay? I remember there was a line in the movie 'Limitless' that was really witty: if you see someone who looks sloppy and doesn't seem to have a proper job, there's a fifty percent chance that person is a writer."

Jian Xiaojie and Rong Nianqing were both amused by Lü Yao's words, and then Rong Nianqing followed up by asking, "What about the remaining fifty percent probability? What is that?"

Lü Yao said happily, "Of course it's you, fellow Daoist."

The "fellow Daoists" he mentioned are not the kind of Daoists who practice Taoism; it's a term used in a certain region to refer to a specific group of people.

Then Jian Xiaojie and Rong Nianqing shook their heads and chuckled again.

I have to say, what Lü Yao said actually makes some sense.

As the atmosphere became lively again, Rong Nianqing took the initiative to stand up straight from the edge of the island platform and sat back down in the living room on the first floor. She called over Lü Yao and Jian Xiaojie as well and said, "To be honest, Lü Yao, before you proposed this concept, I never expected that things would develop to this extent."

Jian Xiaojie also said, "Let alone before it was proposed, even now, I still think it's a bit too far-fetched, okay? This concept is really too far away for me."

When Jian Xiaojie was born, the bipolar confrontation was still ongoing, but how old was Jian Xiaojie at that time? By the time Jian Xiaojie became sensible and began to be taught about this kind of knowledge, the bipolar confrontation had long ended.

Rong Nianqing was younger than Jian Xiaojie, so she had even less of a concept of this.

Such a confrontation between different camps at the pinnacle of human civilization is too distant for many people today. Dongda University, which has been lagging behind the developed countries and has been burying itself in catching up, is also confused. "I have been developing in silence for decades, how come I suddenly find myself looking around with a blank mind?"
How did I suddenly wake up from my dream in a daze, only to find myself among the foreign powers?
Is this right?
So even though the blond-haired guy across the ocean made so many moves, leaving many high-tech companies at Tokyo University scratching their heads, many people still didn't realize the seriousness of the problem. When Tokyo University finally reacted and understood, a lot of money and resources were frantically invested in different fields to upgrade equipment.

Now that the truth of the future has been revealed by Lü Yao ahead of time, Rong Nianqing and Jian Xiaojie, who have grasped the truth of the future, are somewhat bewildered.

Rong Nianqing asked Lü Yao for advice, "So, what do we do next?"

Because the bipolar confrontation of that year put immense pressure on the entire world, Rong Nianqing and Jian Xiaojie, who hadn't experienced those eras of immense pressure, were now somewhat at a loss and unsure how to proceed.

When the concept of bipolar confrontation weighed heavily on their minds like a dark cloud, even someone as shrewd as Jian Xiaojie and as composed as Rong Nianqing didn't know how to proceed.

If Lü Yao didn't have experience studying abroad, he would definitely be completely confused and bewildered.

But when Lü Yao went abroad to study, he had already seen the answers. However, Lü Yao could not tell Rong Nianqing and Jian Xiaojie the answers directly. He could only guide them by saying, "It's actually very simple."

Very simple?
Rong Nianqing and Jian Xiaojie simultaneously turned to look at Lü Yao, their slightly furrowed brows seeming to say, "Do you want to hear what you're saying? Is that even human language?"

Lu Yao, still with a faint smile, said, "To put it bluntly, what can people like you and me do to interfere with the bipolar confrontation? In fact, we can't do anything to interfere."

Even though Rong Nianqing is a celestial being, holding a position among the immortals, and even though they currently control a considerable amount of money, resources, and industries.

But these things are nothing but a mantis trying to move a chariot in the face of great power rivalry.

Let alone being unable to stop the rolling wheels of history, even the dust and sand stirred up by the rolling wheels would be enough to bury them.

However, the great power rivalry is also a result of these individuals, as insignificant as grains of sand, coming together to ultimately unleash enormous potential.

So Lü Yao continued, "Although we can't do anything significant to intervene, and we're not exactly a bargaining chip, when things are in a standoff, we just need to choose a side, stand firm, and do our best to demonstrate our value."

Jian Xiaojie immediately deflated upon hearing this, rolled her eyes, and nestled into the sofa: "Isn't what you're saying obvious? Anyone can choose a side, but the key is that we have to choose the right one."

If you choose the right one, you'll have done a great service by following the leader, and you'll be able to eat your fill, no matter how high or low the reward.

But if you choose the wrong one, you'll definitely die a horrible death.

Jian Xiaojie gritted her teeth and said, "This is a gamble!"

Lu Yao grinned, showing his big teeth: "Yeah, it's a gamble! A gamble on our own fate, a gamble on the nation's destiny!" He then turned to Rong Nianqing: "So, President Rong, are you ready to place your bet?"

Are we gambling with the fate of the nation?

Rong Nianqing shook her head and smiled bitterly. She let out a long breath and said, "I know where you're going to bet. Whether it's advising me to focus on the real economy, enter the technology industry, and lay out high-tech fields, or having Sister Jian bring her businesses back to China, it all shows your inclination."

At this point, Rong Nianqing looked at Lü Yao as if he were a monster and asked curiously, "Seriously, you've been planning these things for so long. Did you know about the current situation three or four years ago?"

Reminded by Rong Nianqing, Jian Xiaojie suddenly realized what was happening and almost jumped up: "Holy crap! Holy crap!! Is that what it means?! Is that what it means?!"

Jian Xiaojie was blinded by the results of Lu Yao's deduction on the whiteboard. Even though she knew that Lu Yao had asked her to move her business back to prepare for this moment, she didn't extend the time frame further back. Now that Rong Nianqing said this, she really woke up from her dream.

Thinking back to what Lü Yao said to them when they met at Rong Nianqing's birthday party, and all the things he did afterward, it seems that everything was for this moment.
Can a person be so calculating?
You have to understand that when I first met Lü Yao in 2014, the situation in China was still unstable. On the other side of the ocean, Lu Ban was at the height of his power. International trade and the global supply chain division of labor were at their most stable, prosperous and thriving.

At that time, everyone in China felt that the other side of the ocean was the ultimate form of human civilization, and countless people regarded it as the light of human civilization and the beacon of human civilization's future.

At that time, Lü Yao was just a young man about to graduate from university, and it was only through Wang Shu that he came into contact with them.

Faced with Rong Nianqing and Jian Xiaojie's expressions of sudden realization, Lü Yao spread his hands innocently and said, "Seriously? What do you take me for? A god? Even if I could predict the future, I couldn't possibly foresee what will happen four or five years from now, okay?"

But deep down, Lü Yao was barely able to hold back his laughter.

He doesn't know how to tell fortunes.

But he had seen the answer to the future.

Lu Yao continued to dispel the strange looks from Rong Nianqing and Jian Xiaojie, saying, "People grow through experience. At first, I just wanted to live a more carefree life, earn more money, and enjoy life more."

"But as I hold more and more things in my hands, as I stand higher and higher, and as I see further and further, my mindset is also constantly changing."

"In international trade, relations between countries have always held a very important position. What is a merchant? A merchant is merely a channel of circulation that extends from the concept of a nation, and the valve of this channel is not in the hands of the merchants themselves. That's why I was able to deduce this from the changes from the end of last year to the first half of this year."

After listening, Rong Nianqing exclaimed, "That's amazing, really, exceptionally amazing."

The look in her eyes when she looked at Lü Yao was one of pure glee, much like Cao Cao's view of Guo Jia. Although she was born into a privileged background and had ample capital to start her own business, without Lü Yao's help, she wouldn't have quickly become the young leader of the family's business faction.

Lü Yao's help to her was truly immense.

Now, Lü Yao has revealed a terrifying future, a future that is currently known to only a very few people.

Yes, Dongda University is so big that even if there are only one in a billion geniuses, there are still more than a dozen in the entire university. So what Lü Yao deduced, others may have also deduced. But such a fact that could easily cause great psychological panic cannot be easily exposed to the outside world.

As the old saying goes, "Things are accomplished in secrecy, and ruined by leaks."

To put it arrogantly, "most people are a mob," and a mob is not enough to be mobilized.

If Lü Yao hadn't unveiled this mystery for them, they would have undoubtedly missed many opportunities to maneuver and suffer significant losses to their own businesses.

But now that they are mentally prepared, they have many more options.

After thinking for a moment, Rong Nianqing said decisively, "Then let's gamble!"

We'll risk everything!
Jian Xiaojie gasped softly, still deep in thought.

Prior to this, she had actually agreed with Lü Yao's long-standing plans, because the development in China in recent years had been remarkable. But how could she compare Dongda University now with the one across the ocean? Whether it was hard power, soft power, or even just perception, they were far behind the one across the ocean.

As Lü Yao and Rong Nianqing looked at Jian Xiaojie, Jian Xiaojie did not express a clear opinion, but only stated the risks: "It's not that I want to pour cold water on things, but I have to say that the risks of what we are doing are too great, so great that neither Nianqing nor I may be able to withstand them."

Jian Xiaojie: "Do you know how many assets I have overseas? Do you know how many assets Nianqing's family has overseas? Do you know how much of our current projects rely on the international supply chain? We are too easily strangled."

Lu Yao agreed, saying, "Yes, we are really too easily strangled. If we can think of these problems, can't the think tank think of them? Who wants to be strangled all the time? Especially on our side."

For the past few thousand years, they were so powerful, even in their most destitute times, they always dreamed of unifying the world and becoming the sole ruler. But for the last four or five hundred years, they've been kneeling on the ground, their knees practically rooted to the ground—how humiliating! Who wants to remain so humiliated?

Lü Yao: "I'm too low-level to know what people at higher levels would think, but as the trade dispute between the two sides becomes more and more tense, many things, even if neither side wants them, have to be brought to the forefront. This is not a game, nor is it about smoothing things over. The current situation is binary, it's either 1 or 0."

Hearing this, Jian Xiaojie smiled and said, "Are we on the 1 or 0 side? I prefer to be on the offensive side."

Lü Yao and Rong Nianqing were both amused by Jian Xiaojie's unexpected risqué joke.

In the slightly relaxed atmosphere, Jian Xiaojie pretended to be relaxed and said, "Since you've all bet on this side, I'll definitely be with you. If we lose, we can go abroad together and live a happy life."

Lu Yao waved his hand and laughed, "Winning or losing is not something we can decide."

Jian Xiaojie sighed, "Precisely because it's not something we can decide, we're more likely to be used as pawns, picked up and made an example of."

Lü Yao laughed and said, "It wouldn't be us either."

At this point, Rong Nianqing became interested: "Oh? You even thought of who would be made an example of?"

Lü Yao laughed and said, "Well, it's not hard to choose. Think about it, since we're going to make an example of someone, the target should be a large, powerful, technologically advanced company that is heavily reliant on foreign companies. Which one do you think fits this description?"

After a moment of contemplation, Rong Nianqing said confidently, "We have a lot to say about our strong technical capabilities. Moreover, as the trade dispute between the two sides continues to escalate and expand, our chip production capacity and R&D progress will definitely be hampered. Even the current software ecosystem development will be affected, and the construction of the software ecosystem based on the Android open-source architecture will be even more severely restricted."

Rong Nianqing's guess was correct.

These are all issues that will inevitably be involved in the escalation of bilateral trade frictions.

Fortunately, Lü Yao managed to steal an EUV lithography machine from Samsung early on. Although there was only one machine and the production capacity was limited, it was enough for emergency use. Not to mention that Dr. Liang's chip manufacturing process and his multi-dimensional etching technique had not yet been developed.

Once we get through the most difficult period, we won't lack high-performance chips later on.

Chip performance is actually pretty much at 7nm. The performance difference between 7nm and 5nm is generally not noticeable on most people's devices. How can you expect a mobile phone, which relies on a simplified instruction set architecture, to run AAA games?

Oh, it really is possible.

Because NetEase will redefine what a fucking AAA game is in the future.

The application scenarios that truly demonstrate the generational difference in chip performance can be achieved by using sufficient space and excellent heat dissipation to obtain the superior performance of "powerful bricks flying high." Isn't that how the Sunway supercomputing cluster works?

As for chips beyond 5nm, although 3nm chips will be mass-produced in 2022, this 3nm is actually just a word game in the naming. In reality, when the transistor dimension of the integrated circuit on the chip reaches 7nm or 5nm, electrons in the chip will undergo electron tunneling effect.

It's just that this effect is relatively small at the 7-nanometer and 5-nanometer stages, so it's acceptable.

However, by the time it reaches 3nm, the electron tunneling effect has been gradually increasing. The mainstream chip design in the future will increase the number of transistors attached to the chip, thereby improving the effect of creating more transistors in the same volume and improving chip performance.

This was also a way out that Dr. Liang later planned for domestically produced chips, and it was the magic weapon that enabled TSMC to dominate the chip industry.

Not to mention that the future East Asia Conference will open up another industrial track, leaving the other side of the ocean dizzy.

Therefore, there's no need to worry about restrictions in this regard.

Lu Yao laughed and said, "The other side of the ocean can no longer block us in this regard. I can say that with certainty. I can also say with certainty that we will definitely not be their first target, at most we will be in the second tier."

Jian Xiaojie got excited: "Then who do you think will be the first target?"

Lu Yao shrugged and laughed, "How would I know? There are quite a few technology companies in China that meet the criteria I described earlier. It depends on the abilities of President Rong and Sister Jian."

Jian Xiaojie then cracked her neck: "Okay, I'll go and find out more."

Lu Yao cautioned, "No matter who is targeted in the future, we must be prepared. We must prepare for the predicament of being targeted ourselves, and also for the market share left after other companies are targeted and defeated."

what?
Rong Nianqing and Jian Xiaojie were completely bewildered. To be honest, they hadn't expected this at such a critical moment.

Lu Yao laughed: "Really? After other companies are ruined, the blank market they left behind, we're not going to take it? If we don't take it, there are plenty of others who will. If we don't take it, that would be a complete waste."

When competitors die, everything thrives!

Jian Xiaojie burst into laughter after hearing this: "Oh my! I love your innocent yet mischievous look! No wonder I still like you so much after working with you for so long!"

Rong Nianqing has the highest moral standards among the three people in the room. She feels that Lü Yao has gone a bit too far.

However, it must be said that Lü Yao's suggestion was very attractive.

If our competitors are defeated, it only means they're not doing well. Since they're not doing well, then we'll just have to work harder and carry on.

This is the difference between a cultured person and an illiterate person. The same thing can be said very differently by a cultured person and an illiterate person. It's like when a vagrant sees the golden-red river under the brilliant autumn sunset, he can only exclaim "Holy crap!"

But cultured literati would come up with a line like, "The autumn waters blend with the vast sky in one color!"
After Rong Nianqing finished her explanation, Lü Yao tried to flatter her by saying, "President Rong is so cultured, unlike me, a roughneck, whose words are too crude."

Rong Nianqing frowned and smiled, "Something's not right, is it? Why does that sound so unsettling to me?"

Jian Xiaojie looked at Lü Yao with a mischievous grin, her eyes filled with a hint of lust, and said, "Really? Oh, something's not right. It feels like this guy is bragging about his special skills."

what?
Rong Nianqing looked at Jian Xiaojie, thinking to herself, "Sisters! Are we talking about the same thing?"

After finishing their business, Rong Nianqing said, "Have you finished your work here? When are you planning to go back to Shangnan? Little Ping'an is so cute now."

As she spoke, Rong Nianqing sat down next to Lü Yao, took out her phone, and showed Lü Yao photos of Xiao Ping'an in her album.

After several months of development, Xiao Ping'an is no longer the wrinkled little thing she was when she was born. Now she is fair-skinned, chubby, and incredibly cute in front of the camera.

Especially when Xiao Ping'an smiles, his wet, dark eyes are so pure, innocent, and clean that even an old man like Lü Yao would subconsciously feel ashamed and think, "How could someone like me be the father of such a lovely child?"
Looking at Xiao Ping'an's photo, Lü Yao was filled with emotion. When Xiao Ping'an's smile was conveyed to Lü Yao through the photo, Lü Yao even felt his conscience being tormented.

his identity.

The people around him.

And all the things that happened during his rise to wealth.
How unfair it is that these things are inflicted on young Ping An.

She's still so young now, she doesn't remember anything, so Lü Yao can still enjoy being a father for a while. But what will happen when Xiao Ping'an is old enough to distinguish right from wrong and has her own sense of judgment? How will he get along with her then?
These questions are almost misunderstandings.

These problems are especially difficult to solve when they are placed within the family, the smallest unit of society.

Will Xiao Ping'an look down on himself when he grows up and feel ashamed of his father's existence?

Just thinking about this possibility made Lü Yao feel extremely distressed and heartbroken.

Lu Yao painfully looked away from the photo, then took a deep breath to calm the turbulent thoughts and emotions in his mind. Rong Nianqing and Jian Xiaojie both noticed Lu Yao's unusual emotional state and understood the root cause of his emotional distress.

Rong Nianqing comforted her, "You are very capable. I believe Xiao Ping'an will understand when he grows up."

Jian Xiaojie also said casually, "Your situation is very normal in our circle. Do you know how many stepmothers I have? Six! A full six! Eleven siblings!! Can you imagine? They are siblings who share the same father but not the same mother."

Lu Yao looked at Jian Xiaojie and asked, "Were you happy when you were a child?"

Jian Xiaojie tilted her head and thought for a moment: "Hmm~~ How should I put it? How can a child be happy when they are young? What can a child understand? Their empty heads will only follow their most primitive preferences, wanting this and that, disliking this and disliking that."

"Only when you really grow up will you realize how stupid you were when you were a child."

Jian Xiaojie even said with a hint of smugness, "That's right, people are just that despicable, so despicable that they can't empathize with their younger selves."

(End of this chapter)