Special forces soldier demobilization: Starting from the county government compound, a meteoric rise

That 300 billion euros, enough to rewrite the nation's scientific and technological landscape, acted like a strong east wind, injecting unprecedented vitality into China's scientific research field.

Under Liu Ming's personal leadership and with the massive, cost-insensitive investment, more than a dozen "bottleneck" engineering projects, such as lithography machines, aero engines, and biopharmaceuticals, are being advanced at an almost frantic pace.

The laboratory was brightly lit, and good news kept pouring in. The entire high-tech industry in China was immersed in an optimistic atmosphere of about to "overtake on a curve".

However, the honeymoon period is always short-lived.

Six months later.

Early in the morning in Washington, an emergency closed-door meeting led by major Western powers concluded. Following the meeting, a joint statement, later known as the "toughest technological noose of the new century," was proclaimed to the world through major international news agencies.

Joint Act on Export Controls of Advanced Semiconductors and Related Equipment.

This bill, under the guise of safeguarding "national security," launched an unprecedented, comprehensive, and all-encompassing semiconductor technology blockade against China.

From chip design software (EDA) below 14 nanometers, to photoresist and high-purity silicon wafers necessary for chip manufacturing, to precision instruments in the packaging and testing process... everything that contains even a single screw from a Western country will be completely, immediately, and unconditionally cut off from supply to China!

This inescapable web woven with technology arrived so suddenly and so ruthlessly!

The news reached China late at night.

The entire semiconductor industry chain in China was instantly plunged into despair!

At the National Development and Reform Commission, Liu Ming's office was brightly lit, resembling a wartime command center.

The atmosphere in the office was oppressive, like the calm before a storm. The telephones rang incessantly, their shrill calls like air raid sirens; each call represented the lament of a top domestic technology company.

"Deputy Director Liu! This is Lao Li from 'Huaxin International'! We're finished! ASML of the Netherlands just unilaterally broke the contract, and the EUV lithography machine we ordered is being held up at the port!"

"Minister Liu! This is Ren Zhengjun from 'Sunway Technology'! Our mobile phone chip design software has just been remotely locked down by the US! The hard work of thousands of engineers over several years has turned into worthless paper overnight! This is blatant robbery!"

"Director Liu! Our production line can only last three more days at most! After three days, our largest memory chip base in the country will have to shut down completely! Tens of thousands of workers are waiting to eat! You...you have to save us!"

Assistant Xiao Li's face was deathly pale. She held a thick stack of emergency reports, her hands trembling slightly. Every word on those reports was like a bloodstained knife, stabbing into the heart of China's high-tech industry.

"Reporting to the Director! Tsinghua Unigroup has called, saying their overseas suppliers have completely cut off supplies and they are requesting urgent government intervention!"

"Report! Yangtze Memory Technologies Co., Ltd. is calling, reporting a critical shortage of raw materials and requesting the activation of the national strategic reserve!"

"Report! The stock market...less than ten minutes after the market opened, all semiconductor stocks hit their daily limit down!"

Liu Ming sat upright behind his desk, his face ashen.

He wore a simple white shirt, with the top two buttons undone, revealing his sharply defined collarbone. His gaze was eerily calm, as if the monstrous wave before him, capable of causing any economist to collapse on the spot, was nothing more than a ripple in a pond.

But if you look closely, you'll notice that the knuckles of his hand holding the teacup are slightly white from the force he's exerting.

In the six months since he took office, he has, through swift and decisive measures and forward-looking planning, brought order to the country's high-tech sector. He had thought that if he were given another year or two, and the domestically produced lithography machine were to be developed, China would be able to break free from its constraints and soar to new heights.

However, he underestimated his opponent's shamelessness and decisiveness.

The opponent didn't give him any time to develop, and directly overturned the table, attempting to kill him in one move in the most tyrannical and unreasonable way!

"Transfer all calls for help to my internal line," Liu Ming finally spoke, his voice hoarse but unusually calm. "Also, issue a notice that a top-level closed-door emergency meeting will be held in one hour. All heads of relevant ministries must attend in person. Anyone who dares to be late will be dismissed on the spot!"

"Yes!" As if he had found his backbone, Xiao Li immediately turned around to convey the order.

Liu Ming picked up the report on the table, which had been rushed out overnight by the think tank and assessed the impact of the lockdown.

The report was short, but every word was shocking.

"...It is estimated that within the next three months, more than 95% of my country's chip manufacturing companies will face shutdown or partial shutdown."

"...Downstream industries such as smartphones, new energy vehicles, artificial intelligence, and supercomputing will suffer a devastating blow, with estimated direct economic losses exceeding ten trillion yuan..."

"...The most pessimistic prediction is that our country's technological level will regress by at least fifteen years due to this blockade."

The last page of the report contained only two large, blood-red words printed in red ink.

[Complete supply disruption]

This is no longer a simple business competition.

This is war!

It is a bloodless technological strangulation war that is more brutal and deadly than a real war!

The other party's goal is very clear: to completely break the technological backbone of China and make this rising Eastern giant kneel forever under their technological hegemony, becoming a low-end OEM factory that can only produce shirts and socks!

Liu Ming slowly closed the report and slammed it heavily onto the table.

He stood up, walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window, and looked down at the city that was still brightly lit even in the dead of night.

He could almost hear it: beneath this prosperous facade, countless factory machines were helplessly shutting down, countless engineers were wailing in despair, and the hard work of countless entrepreneurs was being reduced to ashes.

For the first time since taking office, he felt such immense, overwhelming pressure.

This is no longer a battle he fought alone.

This is a life-or-death battle for the entire nation and its people!

Assistant Xiao Li knocked on the door and came in, her voice trembling with a hint of tears.

"Director, just now... just now, Mr. Ren, the CEO of 'Shenwei Technology,' suffered a sudden heart attack and was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment..."

Liu Ming's body jolted violently.

He slowly turned around, and two sharp, piercing glints finally burst forth from his eyes, which had always been calm and still.

He stared at the glaring words "supply cut" on the report on the table, and squeezed out a sentence through gritted teeth, word by word.

"They're trying to force us to our deaths."