After breaking up with my boyfriend, I made a fortune and rose rapidly in my career.

Chen Ping carefully folded Zhang Chao's application to join the Party and put it deep inside the drawer.

He looked out the window at the gradually brightening sky. Although he hadn't slept all night, he was full of energy.

The external troubles have been resolved and the morale of the people has been stabilized, but this is not enough.

A single Chipfire project isn't enough; it's too easy for others to hold us back. It needs a complete industrial cluster and an environment where everyone can support each other and develop together.

The semiconductor industry has a long supply chain, from design and manufacturing to packaging and testing, and then to upstream materials and equipment. No link can be missing.

"Director, all the materials you requested have been prepared."

Zhang Chao pushed open the door and came in, sporting dark circles under his eyes, but his eyes were full of light. The way he looked at Chen Pingfang now had completely changed.

He placed a thick stack of folders on the table.

"This is a list of all idle industrial land in Nanzhou High-tech Zone, totaling about 3,000 mu, but the ownership is scattered and many are mortgaged to banks," Zhang Chao said. "In addition, this is a list of all semiconductor-related companies in the province, more than 100 in total, most of which are struggling to stay afloat."

Chen Ping opened the document and ran his finger over the names of the companies.

He recognized many of the names; in his previous life, these companies had failed to survive and eventually disappeared. They didn't lack technology; they simply lacked an opportunity.

"Pass the notice down," Chen Ping closed the document and made a decision, "Hold an investment promotion conference in the management committee auditorium three days from now."

Zhang Chao was taken aback: "Director, so hastily? We haven't prepared anything. According to regulations, we should invite city leaders and make arrangements with those big companies, this..."

"No need," Chen Ping interrupted him. "We won't invite leaders, we won't host dinners, and we won't hold any of those fancy ceremonies."

Chen Ping looked at Zhang Chao, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Our investment promotion conferences will only focus on technology. When you send out notices, just say that the Nanzhou Chip Spark Demonstration Zone is inviting all industry peers to a technology supply and demand matchmaking meeting. Those who can bring real products will receive land, policy support, and orders. Those who just want to make a name for themselves and seek benefits need not come."

Zhang Chao felt a rush of heat to his head, and his heart raced. This unconventional style was indeed characteristic of Director Chen.

"Yes, I'll take care of it right away."

……

A somewhat strange investment promotion notice quickly spread throughout the technology circles of Jiangbei Province.

There was no official document issued, no publicity, and not even a proper invitation.

Many business owners who received the call and listened to Zhang Chao's introduction assumed it was a scam and hung up dismissively.

"No drinking, no eating? Just talking about technology? Who does Chen Pingfang think he is? An academician?"

"The Chip Spark project is impressive, but developing industry and conducting scientific research are two different things. He's too naive."

However, small businesses and tech teams that truly lack opportunities sensed something different from this notice.

Three days later, the somewhat old auditorium of the management committee was packed with people.

Among the people who came, there were no big bosses in suits, nor were there any with assistants.

Most of the people who came were dressed simply, some even looking somewhat unkempt. They carried backpacks filled with computers and technical documents, and their eyes showed trepidation, wariness, but even more so, longing.

There was nothing set up on the stage except for a table and a chair.

Chen Ping, dressed in a white shirt, went upstairs on time.

He didn't say anything, he just picked up the microphone.

"Welcome, everyone, to Southern Continent."

Chen Pingfang's voice rang out in the auditorium, and the room immediately fell silent.

"I know why you've come here. You have the technology, but you lack money, you lack markets, and you lack an environment where you can focus on R&D. You've been to many places and heard many promises, but in the end, they all fell through."

A commotion arose in the audience, with many people nodding subconsciously or exchanging glances with those around them.

"I'm not making any promises today." Chen Ping's tone suddenly changed, each word striking a chord in everyone's hearts. "I'm only showing you one thing."

The large screen behind him lit up.

Above is a high-precision satellite map, with the brightly lit Corefire No. 3 factory in the center.

Chen Ping picked up a laser pointer and drew a square red area next to Factory Building No. 3.

"Here," Chen Pingfang's voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly throughout the entire auditorium, "is a thousand acres of clean land, with water, electricity, and road networks all in place. This is the first token of my sincerity."

The audience erupted in uproar.

One thousand acres, and it's still uncultivated land.

For these small businesses, let alone a thousand acres, they would have to run themselves ragged to get even ten acres of land to build a factory.

"Director Chen, what are the conditions for this land?" A middle-aged man wearing glasses stood up and asked loudly. He was a high-purity chemical reagent manufacturer with excellent technology, but his factory was about to be fined into bankruptcy because it was not up to standard.

"The conditions are very simple." Chen Ping's gaze swept across the entire room. "I don't care about your size or background, I only need one thing: core technology."

He switched screens, and a dense list of technologies appeared.

"Whoever can produce high-purity electronic-grade hydrofluoric acid at the UP-SSS level, we'll allocate 50 acres of land to you directly for factory construction, and give you 30% of Corefire's orders."

"For 12-inch silicon wafers, with crystal pulling technology that can overcome the yield bottleneck, I'll help you connect with the National Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund for 100 acres of land."

Photoresist, sputtering targets, CMP polishing slurry...

Every time Chen Pingfang called out a name, a group of people in the audience would breathe rapidly.

This is not an investment promotion conference at all; it's a bounty for technology in exchange for land and orders.

Everyone's breathing became heavy. Those who had previously been skeptical now had bloodshot eyes. They stared intently at the list, desperately searching for their area of ​​expertise; what they saw was not words, but pieces of land that belonged to them.

"I hereby announce," Chen Pingfang, looking at the roaring crowd below, put down the microphone and shouted with all his might, "that from today onwards, the Nanzhou Chip Spark Demonstration Zone officially launches its industrial ecosystem co-construction plan. I, Chen Pingfang, promise that all companies that move in will only need to focus on one thing: making their technology the best it can be!"

"I'll handle all the remaining hassles—whether it's supporting infrastructure, market access, or approvals—and all the dealings with various departments!"

After he finished speaking, the auditorium was silent for a moment, then burst into enthusiastic applause.

Many people stood up and applauded vigorously; some of the older engineers even had tears in their eyes.

Isn't this what they've been waiting for their whole lives?

……

City Hall, top-floor office.

Mayor Li Jianguo was looking at an urgent report that had just been delivered by his secretary.

The report's title is simple: a preliminary report on the industrial ecosystem co-construction plan of the Nanzhou Chip Spark Demonstration Zone.

The report is even simpler, just a string of numbers.

Within 48 hours of the investment promotion conference ending, 127 companies formally submitted their applications to move in.

Among them, 34 companies possess core technology patents at the provincial level or above.

Nine companies are capable of filling the gaps in China's semiconductor industry chain.

The total investment is expected to exceed eight billion.

Li Jianguo's fingers tapped lightly on the number eight billion. The entire city of Nanzhou's annual investment attraction target was only three hundred billion.

Chen Pingfang completed more than a quarter of the investment promotion in just two days and at a business conference where no drinks were even exchanged.

"This Chen Pingfang..." Li Jianguo put down the report, looked out the window towards the high-tech zone, his eyes complicated. "This isn't about attracting investment at all; he's planning to lure all the relevant companies from across the province to Nanzhou."

The secretary stood to the side and cautiously spoke up: "Mayor, there's been a rumor circulating lately that we could give Comrade Chen Pingfang more responsibilities, letting him not only oversee the core reactor but also coordinate the city's industrial projects. For example, perhaps a position as Deputy Secretary-General of the Municipal Government?"

Li Jianguo's knuckles stopped on the table.

He didn't answer immediately, but just stared out the window, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.

Let Chen Ping leave the place called Corefire?

This southern region is probably really going to be different.