After the layoffs, I became a tech godfather

Chapter 218 Hao Cheng: I am a kind person, but I am also extreme!

"what?"

When the reporter who asked the question heard Hao Cheng's answer, he was stunned. He had just asked casually and hadn't expected Hao Cheng to give a direct answer.

To my utter surprise, such a big thing was so blatantly revealed during a question at an off-site press conference.

Shouldn't we have a big offline launch ceremony? Like a ribbon-cutting ceremony by leaders or something?
The reporter wasn't the only one stunned; everyone present, and even those watching the press conference live online, were completely taken aback.

This is a lithography machine, and an EUV lithography machine at that!
It's that core foundation that the entire nation has been eagerly anticipating for so many years, that America has restricted this list and that, that ASML claims is a "god-like" piece of equipment that even if we were given the blueprints, we would never be able to develop in fifty years!

And now...

It's already been successfully tested without any fanfare? And the mass production version is even about to be taken offline?
"Did you hear what President Hao just said?" Some people even doubted their own ears.

"Don't doubt it, buddy, it's an EUV lithography machine, it's been successfully verified. Are you hearing things? I've rewound and listened to it several times!"

When this guy replied, he also included a video clip he had taken with his phone, along with subtitles, which contained the very sentence he claimed to have just said:

[Just letting everyone know: Yes, all four EUV lithography verification machines have completed mass production at least equivalent to N4P, and the mass production machines are gradually rolling off the production line. Just letting everyone know, yes…]

"Yes, yes, you heard me right, it's EUV, it's a success!" The man's voice trembled slightly, and if you listened carefully, you could even hear the sound of his teeth chattering. You could imagine how excited he was.

These few words quickly stirred the hearts of almost everyone at that moment.

Whether lying down, sitting, or standing, almost everyone was being stared at in front of the screen, their eyes glued to Hao Cheng.

The press conference continued, with Hao Cheng answering questions. The reporters and audience members all shared the same sentiment: "Mr. Hao, why are you so downplaying this? Isn't this a big deal? And with this kind of buzz, wouldn't it be much more effective to promote it?"

"Huh?" Hao Cheng was certainly aware of the significance of EUV lithography machines to the country, to technology companies, and especially to domestic chip manufacturing.

Putting aside other issues, their own Little Sand Robot was recently unable to receive sufficient supply due to chip production capacity problems.

But now, having witnessed many of the future technologies taught in the late-night classes, he has a clear understanding of the role of traditional chips: they will only play a supporting role in the future, so he naturally ignores them.

It wasn't just him; after the summit, companies like Huawei, Shanghai Microelectronics, and SMIC weren't paying as much attention to traditional chips and their supply chain anymore. Now they were focused on how to keep up with Baiju Technology's pace, at least starting with composite chips.

After obtaining the relevant information on silicon-carbon fusion semiconductors, Shanghai Microelectronics immediately convened its technical personnel to conduct a technical level assessment of the various components of the production tools.

EUV? It's only just been officially introduced, and they've already gone from sweethearts to old hags in their eyes.

Aside from being used for presentations, no one is interested in it anymore, especially the technical staff involved. Unless they get old, their sense of accomplishment will always be there.

At this moment, Hao Cheng cleared his throat:
"Does something like this need a ritual to demonstrate its value?"

"As for the issue of trending topics, isn't it a topic right now? Believe it or not, it's already trending on social media. Saying it here won't affect anything at all!"
"Aren't you making good use of marketing? How do you know this isn't part of our marketing? Look at the results!"

As he said this, Hao Cheng took out his phone and showed it to the reporters present, saying, "Look, in just over a minute, topics related to lithography machines have all gone viral on Weibo, Douyin, major AI search engines, and Xiaosha Index! Isn't this more effective than dedicated marketing?"

As soon as Hao Cheng finished speaking, someone burst out laughing, and online, various speculations arose:

"Mr. Hao is so funny. He obviously didn't take it seriously and just blurted it out. After being exposed by the reporter, he's frantically trying to make amends. Hahaha!"

"Exactly! Look at that reporter, his mouth is so wide open, you could practically fit an ostrich egg in it. It definitely wasn't pre-planned!"

"What Mr. Hao was probably thinking was, 'What is this EUV lithography machine? Is it worth having a special ceremony for? I don't have time!' But since everyone has been waiting for so long, he couldn't say it directly. I think that's what he meant."

"Exactly, of all the things President Hao said, only the first 'ah' showed his true feelings; the rest were all ruthless!"

……

At this moment, Hao Cheng hadn't put his phone down yet. Looking at the comments from netizens, he was speechless: How do you people know so much about what I'm thinking?

That's great! Not only has the term "lithography machine" gone viral—

#Hao Cheng, this is a marketing tactic we deliberately designed#
#Have you ever seen Hao Cheng frantically trying to make amends?#
#AdorableBossHao#
……

A whole bunch of related terms exploded at once.

Some people even collected all of Hao Cheng's publicly available video footage and came to the conclusion that Hao Cheng was talking nonsense and trying to cover it up, with the evidence being: slight sweat on his face.

And the person who helped him reach this conclusion was none other than Xiao Sha, who was incredibly authoritative.

Xiao Sha's assessment was as follows: [General Hao's forehead showed slight sweating, which was likely due to nervousness. Based on the video footage, there's a possibility he was trying to cover it up.]

The trending search terms keep increasing by 1, 1, and 1 more.

#Even when Mr. Hao was "lying," he was nervous and sweating#
#Sweating profusely, talking significantly more, constantly explaining back and forth#
#I'm the same as Mr. Hao#
One after another, related content went viral online.

Whether Hao Cheng did it intentionally or unintentionally, whether it was a deliberate design or a natural development, it doesn't matter anymore. The entire network is now almost entirely controlled by Baiju Technology itself.

Users who follow her are having a great time: "Hahaha, she's sweating, talking a lot more, constantly explaining back and forth, and there's a chance of that. Xiao Sha is really cute."

"Wow, that's spot on! I've been caught by my wife so many times because of this. I didn't expect the big shot to be the same as me!"

"I just want to know, if President Hao doesn't even seem to care much about EUV anymore, what amazing thing did he bring to today's industry summit?" Some people were also concerned with deeper questions.

However, after seeing these comments, Hao Cheng simply stopped explaining and gave up on treatment.

"We really don't plan to promote EUV in a big way. It's not that we don't value it, but traditional chips are no longer our focus for the next step."

He put down his phone, gave a serious explanation, and then continued, "You can check the details on our official website later. The minutes of today's summit will contain a complete report."

"To put it simply, it means: we are fully committed to developing mass production equipment for silicon-carbon fusion semiconductors."

"Oh, no need to ask anymore. The theoretical verification of the metacognitive chip is nearing completion. Some samples 'made' using basic equipment and tools are undergoing data analysis. We will keep you updated on the progress later."

As soon as Hao Cheng mentioned the production equipment, someone raised their hand. It was obvious they wanted to ask about the relevant details. Before they could ask, Hao Cheng revealed the answer himself, adding at the end, "Is this what you wanted to ask?"

"Mmm!" The man nodded repeatedly.

……

Digital clones can be shared, children's robots will undergo personalized, onion-peeling-style self-learning and improvement, EUV lithography machines and 4nm have achieved mass production verification, and early samples of carbon-silicon fusion semiconductors have passed parameter verification... In just half an hour, the off-site press conference of the chip industry summit brought the public a huge amount of information.

In particular, the release of Hao Cheng's keynote speech at the summit's opening ceremony on the official website has sparked a huge discussion about the future development trends of semiconductors.

"It seems this is bound to be a new career path in the future. My son is taking the college entrance exam in June. Does anyone know where I can study this major?"

"A major? I don't think there is one right now. However, I want my son to apply to Linzhou University or the University of Information Science and Technology, which are closer to Baiju Technology. The University of Information Science and Technology, in particular, has a lot of cooperation with Baiju Technology. If an opportunity arises in the future, these two are definitely the most likely!"

"Any other companies besides Baiju Technology have related businesses right now? It's so hard to get into Baiju Technology!"

It's common knowledge now that Baiju Technology is difficult to get into.

Although the event was an off-site press conference for the chip industry summit, the questions gradually began to stray from the main topic. Someone asked, "Mr. Tan, is this a question we can ask?"

“I’m also very busy. I usually don’t have much time to communicate with everyone. Xiao Sha does most of the related work,” Hao Cheng said, glancing at the time. “It’s still early today, so I’ll just chat with everyone. As long as it’s not illegal or involves secrets, I’ll try my best to answer your questions.”

When Hao Cheng heard "I'm also very busy," everyone present thought he was going to refuse, but unexpectedly, there was a big reversal.

The first audience member called on in the "chat" segment was a long-haired girl: "We all know that Baiju Technology has a very high threshold for recruitment. So what are the ways to get into Baiju Technology now? Educational requirements? Professional requirements? Or what?"
"How do we ensure fairness? Can Xiao Sha's evaluation determine everything? Doesn't graduating with a doctorate from a prestigious university already prove one's excellence?"

Hao Cheng was taken aback. This wasn't a question, but a challenge. He smiled and said, "Let me answer your second question first, how do you guarantee fairness? What I want to say is that Baiju Technology is a private company, not a civil service exam. Whether I let anyone in or not, it's not illegal for me."

"You know how Xiao Sha's evaluation is, and so do I. If you think it's fair, then it is; if you think it's unfair, then don't come. We define fairness ourselves, so please don't add any so-called fairness that we don't need."

"The moment you open your mouth, you talk about studying, about your major, about improving your academic qualifications, about the excellence of a doctorate. Yes, but what does that have to do with us?"

Everyone knows that Baiju Technology doesn't require any academic qualifications, but it uses "Xiao Sha" as the first hurdle in the evaluation process. Only those with a fit of 85% or higher can apply for the corresponding position, and 85% is simply not something the average person can achieve.

And this has absolutely nothing to do with academic qualifications.

Some people have summarized some patterns: those who can pass the evaluation are generally the quick-witted and intelligent type.

On the other hand, those who achieve relatively good results in the college entrance examination and the high school entrance examination by studying hard, especially by attending endless tutoring classes, do not have a high overall evaluation from Xiao Sha.

This girl isn't the first to raise this question: Isn't Baiju Technology unfair? I worked hard for over ten years to get into university and make something of myself, why can't I?

Hao Cheng didn't tolerate it either. "Is it necessary to prove our fairness to you? We are a private company. We can take whoever we want."

However, this answer was directed at that person. As for the other viewers and users, Hao Cheng smiled and continued:

"Let me tell you a story. Baiju Technology is currently expanding its business rapidly. Just a couple of days ago, we hired someone. Guess what his educational background is?"

"One copy?"

"Two copies?"

"It can't be a vocational college, can it?"

Since Hao Cheng asked that question, everyone knew it definitely wasn't a master's or doctoral degree, and probably not a '92 or Double First-Class university; that's what everyone guessed.

"High school diploma," Hao Cheng said. "Moreover, this position is Xiao Sha's core algorithm position. As you know, within our organization, it's the top priority for any promotion of Xiao Sha."

"Unlike other positions, the fit for this job was extremely low, and talented people were very scarce. He was the highest-ranking among all the applicants. However, I myself did not expect that he only had a high school diploma."

"I arranged an interview with him in person. The first thing I asked him was, 'Judging from your level and style, you don't seem like someone who's self-taught. You really didn't go to university?'"
"He was very honest and said directly, 'I didn't go to university, but it counts as having been to one.' I was a little confused at the time. What did he mean by 'counting as having been to one'? Well, it turns out he said his goal in high school was to go to Huazhong University of Science and Technology. But he didn't get in."

"I asked him, 'How many points did you miss the exam?' He replied directly, 'About two hundred points.' But that's not important. We all know how he studied. Nowadays, universities have publicly available textbooks, training plans, and assessment standards."

"In fact, many universities offer open courses that can be downloaded and watched. A degree may not be easy to obtain, but if you really want to learn, I've heard that even Tsinghua University doesn't prevent you from auditing classes."

"This is the kind of person he is. By Baiju Technology's standards, he is exceptionally outstanding. Even a regular graduate from Huazhong University of Science and Technology might not be able to compare to him. So, I believe you understand Baiju Technology's values."

Many people found Hao Cheng's description of this person very surprising, as it was completely inconsistent with their usual understanding and values.

If everyone were like Baiju Technology, what would be the point of going to university? Everyone could just audit classes and beg!
But it doesn't seem like anything is wrong.

Hao Cheng pointed to his head and said:

"I'm a kind person, but I'm also extreme. I'm just going to be this ruthless. When you come to Baiju Technology, don't show me any certificates or honors. Whether you have real skills or not, Xiao Sha can tell very clearly with a little measurement. I can calculate the size of your onion core to the millimeter."

"Given the influence of Baiju Technology, this could upend our education system!" some people worried.

"Disruptive? I doubt it, because only a very few professions, like computer science and mathematics, can do this without expensive experimental equipment."

As he said this, Hao Cheng asked a thought-provoking question: "Even if it's overturned, is there anything wrong with that?"

"If this had been done twenty or thirty years ago, you could have said: it's unfair to rural children. But now, as long as you want it, there's no knowledge you can't acquire, and all problems are no longer problems."

The problem of learning is gone, but the problem of employment will be more serious!
Everyone here is talented, but there are only so many positions available, so the competition will only intensify.

"So what do you think of Fuyao University of Science and Technology?" When it comes to exploring education, some people immediately think of this school that has recently received a lot of attention.

"Xiao Sha, what do you think?" Hao Cheng didn't answer, but instead asked Xiao Sha.

Can a regular school guarantee a bachelor's degree right from the start? Or collaborate on master's and doctoral programs? A school that is filled with connections, favors, and backdoors from its inception cannot break any rules.

As for the outcome, there are only two possibilities: failure, which goes without saying; and success, which simply means another group of people enjoying privileges. It might be excellent, but even if it reaches the level of Tsinghua or Peking University, or Harvard, it still doesn't change anything.

Xiao Sha's comments were sharp, but they also reflected Hao Cheng's own thoughts: what problems could be solved by having 100 people every year, no matter how well they performed?

"If the model cannot be replicated, the inevitable outcome will be a breeding ground for privilege."

Hao Cheng said: "Our exploration of education is in another direction - teaching according to aptitude and individual needs."

“Take that high school student we recruited, for example. How difficult must it have been for him to learn on his own back then? And if he were alive today, with Xiao Sha's help, what would the situation be like? You can think about it.”

"As for employment, I don't know about the future, but at least for now, as long as you have real skills, you will definitely find a place to use your talents in this three-level cooperation project with Baiju Technology, which costs more than 10,000 yuan."

"First, watch your step, then just take it one step at a time! Alright, it's getting late, we'll chat again another time. Goodbye for today!"

(End of this chapter)