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

"I'll be going to Sichuan next week, you're welcome to come along."

Three days have passed since I posted that message, and no one has responded.

Wei Liangjun didn't call or send a message, and even Chen's mother remained silent. Chen Pingfang had Han Zhiming check—the potted Cymbidium was still by the living room window, and the listening device hadn't been removed.

This means the other party is still listening.

On Thursday morning, Chen Pingfang, along with Han Zhiming and Wu Fangping, the section chief of the Investment Promotion Bureau, flew directly from the provincial capital to Chengdu. The three of them, carrying only a briefcase and two laptops, traveled light.

Han Zhiming's phone rang when he landed at Shuangliu Airport.

"Director, the Sichuan Provincial Development and Reform Commission has replied. Deputy Group Leader Zhong Mingyuan is unable to receive the delegation in person due to a work conflict, and has delegated Deputy Director of the Industry Division, Wei Liangjun, to handle the matter on his behalf."

Chen Ping dragged his suitcase out of the arrival gate and stopped by the curb.

Wei Liangjun.

The one who hid a listening device in the orchid pot.

"What content are you connecting to?"

"The letter says 'Preliminary communication on the technical demonstration of Chipfire 2.0', and the location is arranged in the conference room on the sixth floor of the National Development and Reform Commission, at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow."

Chen Ping opened the taxi door and stuffed his suitcase into the trunk.

"I'm not going to the National Development and Reform Commission."

Han Zhiming was stunned for a moment.

"Go directly to Jinjiang Microelectronics."

Wu Fangping leaned out from the back seat. "Secretary Chen, coming here without prior notice, what will Shen Changlin think?"

"He's more anxious than we are."

The taxi turned onto Chenglong Avenue from the Third Ring Road and entered Chengdu High-tech West Zone forty minutes later. Jinjiang Microelectronics' factory was located at the end of a side road, consisting of a six-story R&D building and two standard factory buildings. The signboard at the entrance was polished to a shine, but the parking lot only had seven or eight cars.

Chen Ping put down the car and glanced at the factory's chimney. No smoke was coming out.

Of the two production lines, at least one is shut down.

Less than three minutes after the receptionist received the call, Shen Changlin himself emerged from the elevator. He was in his early forties, with a round face, slightly overweight, and his hair was neatly combed. His suit jacket was buttoned up to the top, and he walked with a slightly hurried gait.

"Secretary Chen, why didn't you tell me beforehand?"

"Just passing by and taking a look. If it's inconvenient for you, Mr. Shen, we'll come another day."

Shen Changlin swallowed hard and stepped aside to make way.

"So convenient, so convenient. Please."

The reception room was on the third floor, with floor-to-ceiling windows facing the factory. As Chen Ping sat down, his gaze swept across the window—the main gate of Factory Building No. 2 was tightly closed, and all the lights on the first floor were off.

"Mr. Shen, is your Plant No. 2 undergoing maintenance?"

Shen Changlin paused for a moment as he held the teacup.

"Production line upgrades have temporarily halted."

Chen Ping nodded, took a document out of his briefcase, and spread it on the coffee table.

The cover of the "CoreFire 2.0 Interface Protocol Terminal Compatibility Test Report" bears the red seal of the Jiangsu Provincial CoreFire Project Office.

"Mr. Shen, you should have seen this report."

Shen Changlin put down his teacup and took a closer look.

"I've seen it."

"Page 47, the yield rate decay model for unauthorized enterprises. What is your current yield rate?"

Shen Changlin's Adam's apple bobbed.

"Seventy-six. It dropped two points again last month."

It's even lower than the 78 reported at the demonstration meeting.

Chen Ping turned to page fifty-two of the report and pointed to a line of data.

"If the Chipfire 2.0 interface protocol is fully deployed by the end of this quarter, and the old protocol channel is closed, your products will trigger verification deviations during the terminal adaptation process. According to this decay curve, the yield rate will drop below 60% within three months."

sixty.

It's not sixty-one, it's sixty. One point below the line between life and death.

Shen Changlin straightened his back for a moment, then slumped back down.

"Secretary Chen, I've been reporting this matter to the provincial authorities."

"Whom did you report this to?"

Shen Changlin opened his mouth, but did not answer.

Chen Ping closed the report and replaced it with another document.

The "Chipfire 2.0 Underlying Authorized Enterprise Access Process Guide" is a twelve-page document with a clearly illustrated flowchart.

"Mr. Shen, there are four months and seventeen days left in the application window for lower-level authorization. The fastest the application process can be completed is sixty working days. That means you must submit your application within two and a half months at the latest, otherwise it will be too late."

Shen Changlin stared at the process guide, his fingers tracing the edge of the coffee table.

"However, the contact point in Sichuan Province has been suspended, so we don't even have a channel to apply."

"Who paused it?"

Shen Changlin fell silent again.

Chen Ping stood up.

"Mr. Shen, I would like to visit your workshop."

Shen Changlin hesitated for two seconds, then got up and led the way.

Plant No. 1 was still operating, but its capacity was clearly insufficient. The vacuum coating equipment hummed, but only three workers were standing in front of the control panel, while the other five workstations were empty.

Chen Ping stopped in front of a piece of equipment.

The model number on the equipment nameplate is VMS-400, made in Japan, a model from five years ago.

"Can this equipment run the sputtering parameters for CoreFire 2.0?"

Shen Changlin shook his head.

"It can't be escaped. The vacuum level required for version 2.0 is two orders of magnitude higher than that for version 1.0, and this is the limit for the VMS-400."

Chen Ping turned to look at the corner of the workshop. A brand-new piece of equipment was covered with a plastic sheet and had not yet been unpacked.

"What about that one?"

Shen Changlin's expression changed for a moment.

"That's Huaxing New Materials' VMS-880, a domestically produced alternative model. The order was placed last year, and it just arrived last month."

"Why not pretend?"

"It's useless to install it. Without underlying licenses, the VMS-880 can't reach its full potential. Installing it will produce the same results as running VMS-400."

Chen Ping walked up to the device and lifted a corner of the plastic sheet. The nameplate clearly read "Huaxing New Materials Technology Co., Ltd.", with a line of smaller print below: "Compatible with Corefire 2.0 Standard Protocol".

Zhao Weiguo's equipment has already been sold to Sichuan.

The upstream and downstream of the industrial chain should be working together seamlessly. But an administrative hand has interfered, jamming the gears.

Chen Ping loosened the plastic sheet and glanced back at Shen Changlin.

"Mr. Shen, when you say 'the technical solution needs further verification,' are you referring to a technical issue or something else?"

Shen Changlin pursed his lips.

"Secretary Chen, there are some things I can't say."

"If you don't say it, your yield rate will speak for you."

Chen Ping put the plastic sheet back on and patted the dust off his hands.

"Two and a half months, Mr. Shen. After this window, Jinjiang Microelectronics will have no place in the Chipfire system. Think carefully about who is really looking out for you and who is using you as a bargaining chip."

The words were left in the workshop, their echoes lingering along the metal walls.

Shen Changlin stood rooted to the spot, his feet seemingly nailed to the ground.

It was already 4 PM when the three of them left Jinjiang Microelectronics. Han Zhiming received a call from an unknown number in the parking lot.

"Director, this is Zhong Mingyuan's secretary. He said Deputy Team Leader Zhong has time tonight and would like to meet with you."

Chen Ping opened the car door but didn't get in.

"Where is the location?"

Han Zhiming covered the microphone as he relayed the message.

"A teahouse called 'Shiwei' in a narrow alley in Qingyang District. Nine o'clock in the evening."

A private teahouse, a late-night meeting, not through official channels.

Zhong Mingyuan couldn't sit still any longer.

Chen Ping got into the car and fastened his seatbelt.

Tell him I'm here.