Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 315 Peninsula Storm
"Rules?" He Yuzhu tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest, his eyes sharp. "They use the rules of the peninsula to suppress you, so we'll retaliate with even more sophisticated rules. What does the peninsula lack most right now? What does it want most?"

"Technology! Especially semiconductor and precision manufacturing technologies!" Wilddog immediately realized. "The government is currently providing huge subsidies and preferential policies for these areas. Whoever can achieve results in these areas will gain official endorsement!"

“That’s right.” He Yuzhu’s lips curled into a slight smile.

“But we don’t have anyone we can work with,” Grizzly said.

“Who says we don’t have them? We’ll have them soon,” He Yuzhu said with a smile.

"Where are you from?" The hyena was more concerned with geopolitics. Asia wouldn't solve the problem, Europe was slightly better, and the best would be the one from South Korea's biological father's side.

"North American, is that enough?" He Yuzhu asked.

"That's enough, more than enough!" the coyote exclaimed excitedly.

"What does Chuanxing Society mainly do in the semiconductor field now?" He Yuzhu asked.

"They mainly focus on storage, but they also do other things, though their market share isn't high," Grizzly said.

"Then let's focus on storage, and do something else to strike them head-on."

"Boss, isn't this a bit too ambitious?"

"The more cautious you are, the more pressure your opponents will put on you."

The group exchanged glances, unwilling to give up on their years of hard work, and said in unison, "Let's give it our all! What do you need to do, boss?"

He Yuzhu said, "First, Tulang, you immediately use all your connections to contact the high-ranking officials in charge of industrial policy on the peninsula and spread the word. Say that Taishan Group has received support from a top international team and plans to invest in building a world-class wafer fab and LCD panel production line on the peninsula, with a total investment of around 100 million US dollars. That should be enough, right?"

"That's enough, that's 480 billion won!" the wolf exclaimed, surprised that his boss was so generous.

The others gasped in shock; after all their hard work, they only had assets worth 10 billion won.

"This is just a stepping stone; the key is the project itself. We need to tell them that the technology we bring can enable a qualitative leap in the semiconductor industry on the peninsula, and even surpass our current level."

"This is beyond the reach of ordinary life?" the group exclaimed again.

Is it really that hard to surpass the simple life?

Several people nodded in unison.

"You'll see later. Let's do this for now. Is there a quieter place? I need to make a few phone calls," He Yuzhu said.

“Yes, yes, I have a secret room,” the hyena said.

"Alright, you guys go ahead and figure out how to prepare. I won't get involved. You'll have to figure out the follow-up work yourselves."

"Understood." The group nodded solemnly.

After entering the secret room, He Yuzhu did a quick check to make sure there were no problems, then picked up the phone and dialed North America.

"Thomas, it's me!"

"Boss, what can I do for you?"

"You should immediately organize an inspection team to go to Daegu on the peninsula."

"Daegu on the Korean Peninsula?"

"Boss, do we have business over there?"

"It didn't exist before, but it will exist in the future."

"Go there? What for?"

"Come here and contact Taishan Group. I'll have them send you a fax later!"

"Okay!" Upon hearing the name Taishan, Thomas knew it must be related to his boss.

"Prepare some non-sensitive technical information; don't include anything with overly strict patent restrictions."

"Yes, boss, what kind of business are they mainly interested in?"

"Storage, LCD, wafers, these are all acceptable."

"Understood, I'll have someone prepare it in a bit. How much time do I have?"

"The sooner the better!"

"understand!"

After hanging up the phone, He Yuzhu thought for a moment and then called Bai Yifeng.

"Old Bai, it's me!"

"Boss, have you seen the person?"

"I met them. They've run into some trouble that needs to be resolved, but I need to know about their situation over the past few years."

Old Bai knew what was going on as soon as he heard it; the boss was about to make a big move, and this was to ask if these people were reliable.

"Boss, don't worry. In the past few years, it's not just those five people there. There are other people too, not just in Taishan."

"What about the other five?"

"There's nothing much going on for now; Grizzly and Rock are the most reliable."

"Um"

"Boss, do you need us to send some more people over? No need for now, that wouldn't be good."

"understand!"

"Are their overseas distribution channels handled by the group?"

"Some of them even pioneered some of the routes themselves."

"So, these kids do have some skills."

"Yes, actually, the headquarters holds 60% of Taishan's shares, and the other five are divided equally among them. This is to prevent disagreements and a situation where one person makes all the decisions."

Who is responsible for the shares?

"They're with President Qiao," Lao Bai said.

"You guys kept it a secret very well," He Yuzhu said with a smile.

“They are too small. Mr. Qiao’s point is not to distract the boss, so that you can have bigger things to do.”

"This is a significant sum, but the controlling stake needs to be transferred out; it cannot be directly controlled by Huanghe."

"Mr. Qiao had already considered this; it's a company from the Cayman Islands."

"Okay, I got it. Contact Thomas and ask him if they need security when they send some people over."

"Understood!" Old Bai immediately understood; security also meant surveillance.

“Very good.” He Yuzhu hung up the phone and walked out of the secret room.

The five hyenas immediately stood up, their expressions a mixture of tension and anticipation.

"Prepare to receive a technical delegation from North America; they will bring you what you need. At the same time, I will leave a team behind to assist you in dealing with the authorities and the Sichuan Star Society."

A sharp glint flashed in the hyena's eyes: "Boss, what do you want?"

"If you're going to play, play big."

A week later, a plane from North America landed at Gimpo International Airport.

Thomas and his team of more than ten people from AMD, accompanied by eight assistants, checked into the Shilla Hotel in Seoul.

On the same day, Taesan Group held an emergency press conference and subsequently submitted an investment plan of up to US$120 million to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, announcing that it would cooperate with Advanced Microelectronics of North America to build the first six-inch wafer fab on the Korean Peninsula in Daegu, and build a supporting LCD panel R&D center.

The news sent shockwaves throughout the country.

The Korean Peninsula in the 1980s was at a crucial stage of economic take-off.

The government spares no effort in supporting the semiconductor industry, and any large-scale investment in it will attract great attention.

The Vice Minister of Industrial Resources personally called the coyote and arranged a meeting for the following day.

At the headquarters of Chuanxing Society, in the president's office, Li Binghao slammed the newspaper in his hand onto the table.

“AMD North America? How could they possibly be involved with that!” He looked at the men standing before him with their heads bowed, his face ashen. “Didn’t you say that Taishan Group was on the verge of collapse?”

"President, we didn't expect this either. They had been seeking technical cooperation with others, but had been rejected each time. We don't know what methods they used this time."

Li Binghao's eyes turned sinister: "Investigate! I need to know how genuine this cooperation really is! Also, talk to those officials; such an important project shouldn't be easily approved for a company of dubious origin."

"Yes, President!"

However, Li Binghao soon discovered that his methods were not working this time.

The Industrial Resources Department has shown extraordinary enthusiasm for Taishan Group's projects.

After meeting with the yorgi, the vice minister immediately reported to his superiors, believing that this was an excellent opportunity for the Korean Peninsula's semiconductor industry to catch up with Japan.

At the same time, major newspapers in Seoul began to report extensively on the significance of this cooperation, praising Taesan Group as "the pride of national enterprises".

Some analysts point out that once the project is implemented, it will create thousands of high-end jobs and drive the development of related industrial chains.

"Which newspaper published these reports first?" Li Binghao asked through gritted teeth.

"It's the ***Daily*, supposedly authorized by the government."

Li Binghao slammed his fist on the table: "Impossible! Are our connections really inferior to those of a nouveau riche company?"

While Chuanxing Society was making moves to obstruct project approval, Thomas and his technical team began an intensive series of visits.

They visited semiconductor laboratories at Seoul National University, KAIST, and other universities, and exchanged technical ideas with scholars.

In the interview, Thomas spoke highly of the research environment and talent pool on the peninsula, and said that AMD is optimistic about the investment prospects there.

These actions further enhanced the project's credibility.

The Minister of Trade, Industry and Resources even stated in an internal meeting that he would "fully support this strategically important project."

A week later, the project received preliminary approval.

Taishan Group received a series of tax reductions and exemptions and policy incentives, and the land use procedures for the project were processed at an astonishing speed.

The coyote and his crew could hardly believe their eyes at this progress.

In just ten days, they went from being overwhelmed by the Sichuan Star Society to becoming a hot commodity in the eyes of the government.

"Boss, how did you do that?" Coyote couldn't help but ask He Yuzhu over the phone.

A soft laugh came from the other end of the phone: "I simply gave them what they wanted most—technology and hope. The rest is up to you to put on a show."

"But Chuanxing Society won't let this go. I heard they're secretly investigating the authenticity of the technical team."

“Then let them investigate.” He Yuzhu said calmly. “The technical data Thomas brought is all solid. Although it’s not the most advanced, it’s advanced enough for the peninsula right now. Remember, what you need to do now is not to confront Chuanxing Society head-on, but to build yourselves into the hope of national industry.”

“I understand.” A realization flashed in the hyena’s eyes. “We will continue to intensify our public relations efforts and expedite negotiations with local suppliers.” “Very good. Also, be careful. If open tactics don’t work, Chuanxing Society might resort to underhanded ones.”

"Don't worry, the Grizzlies have increased security, and the North American team also has dedicated personnel for protection."

"Caution comes first."

"clear."

"toot toot"

He Yuzhu has already laid out his strategy on the peninsula; now it's up to the wolves to make their moves. Meanwhile, He Yuzhu has already booked his flight back to Hong Kong.

A few days later, He Yuzhu quietly left Hong Kong and went to Singapore.

There, Dr. Peterson's semiconductor lab finally made a breakthrough—they successfully developed a new design for a memory chip that outperformed current mainstream products by 40 percent.

“Mr. He, this is only a preliminary result. It will take at least six months to achieve mass production,” Peterson reported excitedly.

He Yuzhu carefully reviewed the technical report: "It's good enough. This technology will be our real trump card in entering the peninsula market."

“Why not manufacture it in North America?” Peterson asked.

"Do you think this thing, produced in North America, can be shipped out for our own use?" He Yuzhu asked rhetorically.

“This…” Peterson was speechless.

“Of course, we will produce some at AMD for sale in Europe and America,” He Yuzhu added.

"I knew the boss wouldn't give up such a big market."

Have you filed a patent application?

"I will contact Mr. Wilson as soon as I have the necessary documents ready."

"Alright, you guys need to step up your game. Our opponents are also racing against time!"

"I see!"

During his stay in Singapore, He Yuzhu received a call from Xiaoman.

"Brother Zhu, there's news from Beijing. Zhao Zhenhua said that the higher-ups have agreed to cooperate with us through a combination of technology investment and cash. They will send a delegation to Hong Kong next week for negotiations."

He Yuzhu smiled slightly: "It seems our Factory Director Zhao is quite capable. I'll go back after I finish dealing with things in Singapore."

Meanwhile, the business war on the Korean Peninsula is escalating.

As expected, Chuanxing Society began to secretly investigate the authenticity of the North American team, and even sent people to try to contact Thomas and others.

However, all these attempts were unsuccessful thanks to the protection of a professional security team.

What angered Li Binghao even more was that several banks that had previously maintained close ties with Chuanxing Society began to express their intention to provide financing to Taishan Group.

"President, both the Industrial Bank and the Foreign Exchange Bank have expressed their willingness to provide preferential loans for the Taishan project," the assistant reported nervously. "Even a director of Peninsula Commercial Bank, which we control, has suggested that we should participate in this project."

Li Binghao's face darkened: "These opportunistic bastards!"

He realized that traditional pressure tactics alone were no longer sufficient to stop the rise of the Taishan Group. More decisive measures were needed.

"Make arrangements. I need to meet with people from the Information Research Institute." A cold glint flashed in Li Binghao's eyes. "Since business tactics aren't working, let's show them who the true masters of this land are."

That evening, in a private room at a high-end restaurant in Seoul, Lee Byung-ho met with a mysterious man.

"Chief Kim, I hope the Information Research Institute can investigate the background of this Taishan Group." Lee Byung-ho handed over a thick envelope. "Especially their cooperation with North American companies; I suspect it involves technology leaks."

The man called Section Chief Kim weighed the envelope in his hand and smiled slightly: "President Lee, this is a bit tricky. The kitchen is taking this project very seriously right now, and without solid evidence..."

“As long as we investigate thoroughly, we will always find the problem,” Li Binghao said meaningfully. “After all, isn’t it strange that a company that was just a hardware store a few years ago could suddenly acquire top-notch North American technology?”

Section Chief Kim nodded thoughtfully: "It certainly deserves our attention. I will report this to my superiors."

The two raised their glasses and smiled knowingly.

All of this was captured by a telephoto lens inside a black sedan in the distance.

"Brother Grizzly, it seems the Sichuan Star Society is going to have to use government power," the person inside the car said into the radio.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the radio before Grizzly's calm voice came through: "Continue monitoring. I'll contact the boss."

He Yuzhu received the news as soon as he got home.

"Information Research Institute?" He frowned slightly. "Li Binghao has indeed become desperate. Tell the Coyote to immediately activate Plan B."

"Yes!"

The so-called Plan B was a countermeasure prepared in advance by He Yuzhu—to anonymously send evidence of Chuanxing Society's alleged bribery of officials and tax evasion to investigative reporters of several major media outlets on the peninsula through special channels.

Meanwhile, Thomas's team held a press conference as planned to announce the details of the cooperation between AMD and Taishan Group and to display some technical information in order to dispel doubts about the authenticity of the technology.

Under the dual counterattack, Chuanxing Society was immediately put on the defensive.

Several media outlets simultaneously broke the news of Chuanxing Society's scandal, causing its stock price to plummet. However, after a preliminary investigation, the Information Research Institute concluded that Taishan Group had a "clean background and reliable technology."

"President, this is bad!" The assistant rushed into the office in a panic. "The prosecutor's office has announced an investigation into Chuanxing Company, and our stock has dropped by 15% today!"

Li Binghao's face turned ashen. He hadn't expected Taishan Group's counterattack to be so swift and precise, hitting him right where it hurt.

What unsettled him even more was that all signs indicated that a powerful force seemed to be controlling everything behind Mount Tai.

This force understands the rules of the game on the Korean Peninsula and possesses international resources, making it far more than just an ordinary local company.

Just then, the phone rang.

Lee Byung-ho answered impatiently, "Who is it?"

A calm voice came from the other end of the phone: "President Li, those who play with fire will get burned. If you back down now, Chuanxing Society can still preserve its vitality."

Li Binghao's pupils constricted sharply: "Who are you?"

“Someone you shouldn’t mess with.” A light laugh came from the other end of the phone. “Remember, the skies over the peninsula are vast enough to accommodate many powerful individuals. But if you insist on dominating it all, don’t blame me for being impolite.”

The call was disconnected, and Li Binghao stood there blankly, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

The following day, Chuanxing Company issued a statement announcing that "out of strategic considerations," it would cease all business activities with Taishan Group and wished the Peninsula semiconductor industry a smooth development.

This sensational business battle ended in a complete victory for the Taishan Group.

When the news reached Hong Kong, He Yuzhu was negotiating with a delegation led by Zhao Zhenhua.

During the break, Grizzly called to report on the situation.

"Boss, Li Binghao has conceded defeat. Coyote is asking what the next step is?"

He Yuzhu walked to the window and lowered his voice: "Know when to quit while you're ahead. Get the project off the ground as soon as possible and establish partnerships with local businesses, especially those that have been suppressed by Chuanxing Society. Remember, we're here to be friends, not another Chuanxing Society."

"Understood. Also, the Information Research Institute seems very interested in the source of the information."

He Yuzhu chuckled: "Let them be interested. As long as you act cleanly, they won't find any fault with you."

After hanging up the phone, He Yuzhu straightened his suit and returned to the negotiating table.

"Excuse me, it's just a little overseas business," he said to Zhao Zhenhua with a smile. "Where were we? Oh right, the payment method for the technology transfer fee."

Looking at He Yuzhu's composed demeanor, Zhao Zhenhua sighed inwardly.

This "Brother Zhu," formerly the factory director, has now grown into a true business tycoon.

The negotiations lasted for three full days.

Ultimately, the two parties signed a ten-year technology cooperation agreement.

Yellow River Group will establish a joint venture with a domestic automaker by contributing technology and cash to jointly produce new off-road vehicles.

After the signing ceremony, Zhao Zhenhua shook He Yuzhu's hand and said, "Brother Zhu, thank you. Without your support, this project would not have been possible."

He Yuzhu patted him on the shoulder: "Zhenhua, remember this: technology can be imported, but innovation capabilities must be cultivated by ourselves. I hope that ten years from now, it will no longer be us transferring technology to you, but that we will be developing new technologies together."

Zhao Zhenhua nodded emphatically: "I will definitely take these words back with me."

That evening, He Yuzhu invited Zhao Zhenhua and the others to a banquet at his hotel. Initially, Zhao Zhenhua and the others refused to go, but He Yuzhu insisted that it was his hotel and that someone among them had confirmed it before they finally went.

After the meal, another group of people were naturally drunk and passed out, and Zhao Zhenhua was no exception.

Before he passed out, he thought, "I'm never drinking with Brother Zhu again, he can drink too much!"

In February 1981, a phone call came from the peninsula.

“Boss, this is Thomas. The Peninsula project is very successful, but there are some questions at AMD headquarters. They think our technology transfer was too generous.”

He Yuzhu raised an eyebrow: "Tell them that this is the decision of the largest shareholder."

"But."

"anymore question?"

“I’m afraid of a backlash from the AMD founders!” Thomas expressed his concern.

"Then let me ask you something else: what would happen if AMD lost these people?"

"Losing it now would have a huge impact."

"So that means time can erase their influence?"

"That's it."

"Then let it drag on until their influence on us is gone. You need to accelerate the introduction and training of talent."

"This is being worked on urgently, but I was away for a while, which affected the progress."

"You must remember that you are the Yellow River's representative over there, not responsible for all the specific matters."

"I will try my best to adapt to the role."

"You need to change your mindset. You are not the one acquiring the company; you are now the executor of AMD."

"Yes, boss."

"Also, you need to tell those below that Asia will be the world's largest market in the future, because of its huge population; it's a fertile ground."

"But these are all underdeveloped countries now."

"It won't be like that in a few years. I'm sure you have some understanding from your trip to the peninsula. As for how to explain it, that's for you to figure out."

"Ok."

"Have some confidence in yourself. If you can't, organize them to visit the new factory, Hong Kong, Singapore, the Peninsula, and other places. North America and Europe are not everything."

"Yes, boss!"

After this call, He Yuzhu realized that Thomas was not capable enough. He decided to send a few more people to North America. AMD must be stabilized, as this is related to its strategic development for the next few decades.

(End of this chapter)