"Chairman, have you gone mad!" Although he really wanted to ask, Chen Shoufu managed to suppress the words.
A vendor of blind boxes and a software developer suddenly announced he was going to build servers, simply because he couldn't buy one. Such a drastic decision left Chen Shoufu speechless, finding no other explanation but madness.
However, on second thought, Chen Shoufu realized that looking back at Boss Huang's rise to prominence, his transitions from selling leather goods to blind boxes, and then from blind boxes to software development, each decision had been incredibly audacious. Yet, each time, he had ridden the wave of the era, soaring to new heights.
Therefore, it wasn't entirely inconceivable for Boss Huang to venture into servers. Thinking further, it wasn't completely impossible either.
"Chairman, how do you plan to proceed? Do you have any ideas?" Chen Shoufu asked curiously.
"Hmm, I don't really have a clear direction!" Huang He shook his head. "My idea just popped up while I was talking to you. How could I have any ideas?"
"Uh..." Chen Shoufu closed his mouth, deciding not to speak further, lest Huang He ask him for his own ideas.
"But it's not like I have absolutely no thoughts. At the very least, I know one thing: professional matters should be handled by professionals. Teacher Chen, if I recall correctly, you graduated with a degree in computer science. You surely know more about servers than I do. Do you have any thoughts?" Huang He said with a smile.
"As expected, even if I don't say anything, this task will fall on me!" Chen Shoufu sighed inwardly before saying, "Chairman, although I did study computer science, I don't know much about servers. I can't claim to be a professional. You should find someone more specialized."
"Oh!" Huang He glanced at Chen Shoufu and then nodded. "Alright, then tell me, who should I find who is more professional?"
"I can connect you with my teacher. He's a luminary in the computer science department of our Posts and Telecommunications University, and he has done extensive research on servers and chips. He's an absolute powerhouse in the industry and should be able to help you!" Chen Shoufu immediately put forward his teacher to shoulder the responsibility.
"Good, let's find your teacher!" Huang He slapped his thigh. Without even packing anything, Chen Shoufu was taken by Huang He to catch a flight that very evening. Along with Leng Zhiwen, who had just finished her classes, they flew to Beijing again.
Chen Shoufu's teacher was very enthusiastic. Upon receiving Chen Shoufu's call and hearing that someone wanted to venture into the server industry, he readily agreed to meet the next day.
"Getting into servers is both easy and extremely difficult," the industry veteran stated frankly in his first sentence.
"Please elaborate," Huang He said, bowing his head sincerely.
"It's easy because servers are actually simpler than computers. Unlike computers, which require not only chips but also various complex control components on the motherboard, memory modules, hard drives, graphics cards, output devices, input devices, and so on, servers only need chips, a simple motherboard, and then, depending on their purpose, memory or storage devices," he explained.
"From a technical standpoint, servers are not difficult at all. I could even provide you with a complete set of server design blueprints right now!" the veteran added.
"Then, where does the difficulty lie?" Huang He asked sincerely.
"It lies in the chips!" the veteran sighed. "Simply put, a server is a platform for massive calculations and data exchange. The software requirements are not high, but the hardware requirements are extremely demanding, especially for the computational chips, meaning the CPUs. The storage modules, or hard drives, also have very high requirements."
"As we all know, China's chip industry is very weak, or rather, it doesn't exist at all. All chips and storage devices need to be imported from abroad. If you want to make servers, you'd be like Inspur in Shandong, designing the architecture domestically and then importing chips and storage units from overseas. Assembling these together would result in a server for enterprise use."
"This process is very straightforward. You wouldn't even need to find me; a few of my students could get it done for you."
"If that's the case, then why is the quality of domestic servers so poor and prone to problems?" Huang He asked curiously.
"First, it's due to the issue of incompatibility. Their chips are purchased, and there's insufficient understanding of the chips. It's like building a Chinese body and then implanting a foreigner's heart. While it might function passably to stay alive, strenuous activity is unrealistic, and the lifespan won't be long."
"Then why can't we make the body more compatible?" Huang He asked, perplexed.
"To make the body compatible with a foreigner's heart, one must build a foreigner's body. This means importing a large number of foreign components to ensure perfect synergy with the chips."
"But if all these components are imported, the production cost will be higher than the imported price of foreign products. Who would buy domestic servers then? Therefore, all components that can be localized must be localized. However, the quality of domestic technology varies, resulting in a naturally frail body."
"In addition to that, I am truly ashamed of the production management and quality requirements in domestic manufacturing. I often find molten solder points in some domestic servers, and sometimes even a few screws left inside."
"Our university recently purchased a domestic server, and it caught fire right after booting up. We later discovered that during assembly, a screw was pressed onto the back of the motherboard. This screw happened to bridge two solder points, directly causing a short circuit and burning out the entire motherboard."
"I see!" Huang He nodded with a wry smile. This veteran was indeed impressive; he now understood the problem.
"Chairman Huang, I am very pleased that you have the ambition to build servers, because there are very few private entrepreneurs in our country like you who dare to challenge high-end industries. I admire you!"
"However, I do not advise you to enter this industry. If you do, you will either create another Inspur, or you will lose all your capital. Neither outcome is favorable, no matter how you look at it," the veteran sighed.
"Professor, your words have been most enlightening. But why do you believe that what I eventually produce will be similar to Inspur's output? Why can't I create servers that are of acceptable quality and also more suitable for the Chinese market in terms of price?" Huang He asked.
"It's very simple, based on the two points I've already mentioned!" the veteran shook his head. "At its core, a server ultimately depends on its chips. Unless you can independently design a chip, then build the entire server platform around that chip, and simultaneously enforce strict control over the entire production process, you will still be an Inspur."
"Chips, you say?" Huang He licked his lips. Even without the veteran's explanation, he knew how incredibly difficult the chip industry was for China at that time. After all, even in 2021, China was still struggling with chips, and Huawei's progress was stalled by chip shortages. The fact that China's chip industry lagged behind the international standard by twenty years was an undeniable reality.
All this told Huang He that venturing into chips now would be akin to courting disaster.
Not to mention, the reason Huang He was considering chips was rather comical: simply to build servers for his own company. It was more realistic to purchase servers from abroad.
"However, Chairman Huang, if you are truly set on developing servers, you might be able to wait a bit. Things might change next year," the veteran added, perhaps sensing Huang He's disappointment.
"Oh, what changes might occur next year?" Huang He inquired.
"Well, you see, China has the 863 Program, right? One of its aspects is a dedicated chip research and development initiative, organized by the Ministry of Information Industry. It's reportedly in its final stages of breakthrough. Its负责人 has indicated that they might be able to release their first-generation product next year. While it might not reach the absolute international top tier, it could achieve mid-to-high level performance, which should at least be sufficient for server production," the veteran said.
"Is there such a thing!" Huang He's face immediately lit up with surprise and joy. It seemed that what he had seen online in his previous life was inaccurate; China had not completely abandoned chip research before 2020.
"Professor, who is this responsible person, and where are they conducting their research? I wonder if I could visit them to understand the situation better!" Huang He asked, growing impatient.
"Oh, he's a very young talent named Chen Jin. He returned from the United States last year and was previously an expert at both IBM and Motorola. This year, he joined Shanghai Jiao Tong University and established a dedicated laboratory for large-scale DSP chip research. If you're interested, you can go to Shanghai to find him. However, at most, I can make a phone call to introduce you. Whether he agrees to meet you is his decision; I can't do more than that, as we aren't that close," the veteran said. Huang He quickly expressed his gratitude. Before leaving, he had intended to leave some gifts, but they were all politely refused.
"Chairman, you aren't planning to go there immediately, are you..." Chen Shoufu asked with a hint of panic as he saw Huang He's eager expression after they left his teacher's house.
"Old Chen, please bear with me. We'll fly to Shanghai today, and we can meet this Professor Chen tomorrow!" Huang He said with delight.