Upon deciding to try his luck in the United States, Huang He began preparing to dispatch his team.
Unlike his previous trip to the US, which was for investment, this time Huang He would be bidding. Thus, he needed to bring a complete team, including technical, sales, and legal personnel, among others.
After tallying them up, he realized he would need to bring a team of nearly twenty people.
Such a large team would make it difficult to depart on short notice, as each member needed to obtain a visa. If anyone's visa application failed, alternative arrangements would have to be made.
Consequently, the departure was delayed by almost half a month.
However, before setting off, Huang He received an invitation. The signatory was Professor Chen Jin of the Shanghai Jiao Tong University R&D team, and the invitation was for the launch conference of Hanxin.
"Chen Jin is finally planning to release this thing!" Huang He's expression was very complex as he looked at the invitation, a mixture of amusement, exasperation, and disappointment.
"Boss, are we going?" Hu Jing asked softly from the side.
"Yes, why wouldn't we? Our Chinese people have finally developed our own chip. How could I refuse to witness such a historic moment?" Huang He smiled slightly, then instructed Hu Jing to arrange the itinerary. He wanted to personally attend this launch conference destined to be recorded in history.
Historically, the launch conference for Hanxin 1 was held in February 2003.
For some unknown reason in this world, it was delayed until May. Perhaps it was difficult to find a suitable craftsman to remove the markings, which led to such a long delay.
However, hard work pays off. After more than three years of dedicated research and development, the great Professor Chen Jin had finally produced his painstakingly crafted Hanxin 1 chip. This truly deserved a grand launch conference.
On May 17, 2003, the Shanghai Jiao Tong University auditorium was a spectacle of red flags and colorful banners. The numerous silk banners and promotional slogans were a stunning sight across the campus. The news that China had finally developed its own high-tech computer chip not only inspired the students but the entire nation as well.
As the conference commenced, domestic and international media arrived, with hundreds of media outlets converging on the auditorium. Ushered in by university students fluent in English, they entered the venue.
Meanwhile, many media outlets without invitations anxiously waited outside the auditorium. Unfortunately, the student volunteers were very strict; without an invitation, entry was denied, much to the frustration of many reporters.
"Quite a scene!" a man remarked under a patch of shade not far away, a peculiar smile gracing his lips as he spoke in an equally peculiar tone.
"Can you speak normally?" Ni Guangnan, standing beside him, shot Huang He an exasperated look. "Professor Chen has made a crucial contribution to China's entire technology sector, far greater than mine. Why are you speaking like that?"
As another prominent chip researcher in China, Ni Guangnan could not miss the launch conference upon hearing the news of Hanxin's unveiling. Even without an invitation from Chen Jin, he had come, albeit with a bit of boldness.
Furthermore, Ni Guangnan was still very optimistic about Chen Jin, feeling both gratified and admiring. After all, Ni Guangnan had dedicated his life to research, only recently producing a chip of merely mid-level international standard. In contrast, the chip developed by Chen Jin, while its specific data had not yet been released, was rumored through various channels to be an incredibly powerful chip.
"Xiao Huang, there's something you need to start considering!" Ni Guangnan sighed.
"What is it?" Huang He asked curiously.
"I'm getting old. I can only assist you for another decade at most. After that, I will leave this field and won't be able to help you much more. Therefore, you need to find a successor for me now!" Ni Guangnan stated.
"A successor? Don't we already have Tong He readily available?" Huang He chuckled.
"Tong He is indeed a genius, but he's a genius in materials science. In chip design, he has absolutely no talent in that area. Even if he did, I wouldn't let him focus on chip design; his primary energy must be directed towards materials research. Thus, for future chip design, we need a successor!" Ni Guangnan explained.
"I understand what you mean. Aren't you just trying to tell me that this Chen Jin is the best successor?" Huang He smiled.
"Why are you still speaking in such a sarcastic tone?" Ni Guangnan became even more displeased. "Also, why do I always feel like you look down on Professor Chen Jin? He's a young man of 35 who has accomplished what I, a 65-year-old man, haven't been able to. And you speak sarcastically about him being your successor!"
"Let me tell you, what you should be considering now is not whether Professor Chen is worthy of being your successor, but how you can persuade him to join our Jiangnan Group. If you can get his help, we can save at least three years of development time in the chip industry. After all, he's a professor who went from nothing to developing a world-class, fully indigenous chip in just three years. Such talent is truly unparalleled!" Ni Guangnan's praise for Chen Jin was sky-high.
Huang He could only purse his lips at this. Just as he was about to say something, a commotion nearby suddenly caught his attention.
He saw a young man being forcefully dragged away towards the back of the school by four or five security guards. Coincidentally, the young man passed directly in front of Huang He.
At this moment, it was clear that the young man's mouth was covered by a security guard, preventing him from speaking. However, through the gaps between the fingers, one could vaguely hear the young man shouting, "Fraudster, fake! Hanxin is fake! He's a fraudster, he's a fraudster!"
"Teacher, what do you think?" Huang He asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Just a publicity-seeking individual!" Ni Guangnan replied dismissively. "Xiao Huang, you're still young and haven't seen much of this. Many people lack the ability to research but possess the talent for jealousy, so they always try to stir up trouble at critical moments. This is quite normal; I encountered many such people during my own research."
"But what if this young man is telling the truth?" Huang He countered.
"Impossible!" Ni Guangnan shook his head. "You're such an intelligent person, can't you see how significant the achievement of this press conference is? The state would never allow such a crucial event to be marred by a fake product."
"As far as I know, several academicians and industry professionals have already tested this chip and found that it indeed meets the described specifications. It is a genuine, first-class chip. With such professional testing, how could there be any issue of forgery?" Ni Guangnan stated without hesitation.
He muttered to himself, "Huang He actually questioning the authenticity of such a thing? He must be crazy! Something this vital to the nation's destiny, how could it be fake?"
Huang He offered a perfect smile and then signaled to a few bodyguards behind him. Soon, the bodyguards caught up, intercepted the security guards, and brought them back to Huang He.
"Thank you for your hard work. I am a friend of Professor Chen. This person can be handed over to me. I will definitely not let him disrupt today's press conference!" Huang He said with a smile to the security guards.
Because Huang He was wearing sunglasses and a mask, the security guards did not recognize him. Seeing someone exuding an aura of authority, accompanied by several strong men, and claiming to be Professor Chen's friend, they became somewhat convinced.
"Alright, even if you drive him away, what if he sneaks back later? You won't be able to handle this matter properly, so leave it to me. However, remember one thing: you absolutely must not speak of this to anyone."
"You can't say anyone caused trouble outside the door, nor can you say I took this person away. Otherwise, if it causes trouble for the school, all of you will face consequences!" Huang He suddenly adopted a stern expression and reprimanded them. The security guards became intimidated and nodded, quickly scurrying away.
"Who are you people? What do you want? I'm telling you, I've already informed my friends before coming. If I don't return, they will immediately call the police!" Seeing himself being controlled by another mysterious man, the captured individual immediately became highly vigilant and fearful, issuing a threat.
Indeed, he was a smart person, not blindly rushing to cause a scene and had already secured a fallback.
"Young student, you don't need to be afraid. I don't have any malicious intentions. I was just very curious about what you said and wanted to ask you for clarification. Didn't you see I've already driven those security guards away? If you doubt me, you can leave now; I won't force you to stay!"
"You all, release this student!" After saying this, Huang He ordered his bodyguards to release the student.
Since this person dared to disrupt the press conference, it was evident he wanted to expose Chen Jin's true colors. Thus, he said, "This Chen Jin is a fraud. He never developed Hanxin 1. He bought this chip from Motorola as an imported chip. He found a renovation worker to polish off the inscription on the chip and then re-engraved his own inscription. That's how it became his Hanxin!"