Chapter 893
A Shocking News in the Tech World
No matter how noisy, how it is interpreted, or even how it is questioned by the outside world, it has nothing to do with this warm and welcoming living room at this moment.
After Guo Xiaohan went to take a nap, Lin Haoran went to his study alone and personally drafted a brief public statement.
Instead of holding a press conference, he planned to hand over the book title to the Oriental Daily News.
The statement was concise and sincere:
"I, Lin Haoran, and my newlywed wife, Guo Xiaohan, would like to express our sincerest gratitude for all the blessings and attention we have received from around the world and Hong Kong in recent days."
We feel honored and deeply responsible that our wedding has garnered so much goodwill and anticipation.
It is a great honor for us that Her Majesty the Queen is here and bestows her blessing.
We are deeply grateful for the presence of our distinguished guests who have traveled from afar.
The sincere blessings and support from our neighbors in Hong Kong are the gifts we cherish most.
To express our gratitude and in accordance with the principle of "giving back to society what we have taken from it," we will launch a series of initiatives through our subsidiaries to benefit the people and contribute our modest efforts to give back to society.
At the beginning of our marriage, we looked forward to having more private time to spend with our family.
Thank you again for your understanding and support.
In the future, we will continue to uphold our original aspirations and work hand in hand with everyone to contribute our efforts to the prosperity, stability and bright future of Hong Kong.
Respectfully submitted by Lin Haoran and Guo Xiaohan!
This statement not only expressed courtesy of gratitude to the Queen and global dignitaries, but also focused on the blessings from local Hong Kong residents. It cleverly responded to public concerns about how he "uses his influence" by announcing "people-benefiting measures," while also expressing the reasonable demand for privacy.
His demeanor was neither humble nor arrogant, his emotions were sincere and pragmatic, and he handled the situation with perfect tact.
After finishing writing, Lin Haoran picked it up and read it again. He was very satisfied with it, so he faxed it to Cui Zilong.
Having settled this matter, he stopped paying attention to the outside noise and planned to spend the week with Guo Xiaohan.
Tomorrow is the day for Guo Xiaohan's parents to return to their parents' home. Although Guo Xiaohan's parents are from Southeast Asia, they will be staying in Hong Kong for the time being and are currently living in the villa where Guo Xiaohan previously lived.
The next morning, the villa where Guo's parents were temporarily staying was filled with a festive yet slightly busy atmosphere.
According to Chinese tradition, the third day after the wedding is the day for the bride to return to her parents' home with the groom to pay respects to her parents, as a way of showing gratitude for their upbringing and symbolizing the close connection between the new family and the family of origin.
After the homecoming ceremony, Lin Haoran specially took Guo Xiaohan on a private yacht to spend five peaceful and sweet days on a private island in Saigon.
This island was purchased by Lin Haoran last year through the Hongkong Land Group. It boasts an excellent environment, excellent privacy, soft sandy beaches, clear waters, lush tropical plants, and three simply designed yet comfortable seaside villas.
These past few days, they have completely distanced themselves from the hustle and bustle of the world and the pursuit of the media.
No phone calls, no visitors, no documents to process.
I wake up naturally every day, to the sound of the waves.
During the day, Lin Haoran would accompany Guo Xiaohan for walks on the soft sand, or sit on a deck chair under the shade of a tree to read and chat.
In the evening, we watched the magnificent sunset side by side, as the evening glow dyed the sea golden and red.
At night, under a starry sky, I listened to the ebb and flow of the tide.
Time flies by in the blink of an eye.
Before we knew it, it was already February 28th, almost two weeks since Lin Haoran's wedding.
Over the past two weeks, the global sensation surrounding Lin Haoran's wedding of the century has gradually evolved from an explosive headline into a more in-depth and diverse discussion on social and cultural issues and an assessment of its commercial impact.
Although direct media coverage has decreased significantly, the name Lin Haoran and the phenomenon he represents have been deeply embedded in the cognitive map of the global elite and continue to create ripples in a wider range of fields.
On the 28th, a piece of news that shook the tech world came from Texas, USA:
Mr. Zhang Zhongmou, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Consumer Electronics Group at Texas Instruments, and a senior expert in the semiconductor industry, has decided to resign effective immediately after consultation with the Board of Directors.
This news caused an uproar in the global semiconductor and electronics industry.
Zhang Zhongmou held a high position at Texas Instruments and was a recognized technical and management genius. His sudden departure has sparked countless speculations.
There are rumors that he has disagreements with the company's strategic direction, and others say that he was poached by competitors with a high salary. There are many different opinions.
The conflict between senior executives at Texas Instruments has never been a secret.
Originally, Texas Instruments (TI) has always focused on semiconductors, making it a leading company in the semiconductor industry. Semiconductor giants like Intel are merely latecomers compared to TI.
However, in recent years, Texas Instruments has been embroiled in a debate over its strategic direction: "transforming into the consumer electronics sector" versus "maintaining its core advantages in semiconductors."
Led by then-Texas Instruments president Peter Schaffner, a faction, spurred by the rise of Japanese consumer electronics giants like Sony and Panasonic, advocated that the company should aggressively enter the consumer electronics market, including calculators, electronic watches, and home appliances, and even consider downplaying or selling off some of its semiconductor business.
Meanwhile, tech-savvy executives like Zhang Zhongmou believe that Texas Instruments' core competitiveness lies in semiconductor technology, especially integrated circuits. Blindly shifting to unfamiliar consumer electronics assembly and brand competition is putting the cart before the horse. They should continue to cultivate core semiconductor technologies and are optimistic about its core position in the future information industry.
This has led to Zhang Zhongmou and other core executives in the semiconductor department being gradually excluded from Texas Instruments' core decision-making circle in recent years, and their voices have been waning.
Their meticulously planned semiconductor technology roadmap and development budget have been repeatedly cut or shelved at board meetings on the grounds of "long investment return cycle" and "intense market competition," with resources constantly being tilted toward the consumer electronics business.
Schapper even publicly stated that Texas Instruments should be more like a "consumer brand company" rather than a "technology-driven company" in the future.
This fundamental ideological conflict and marginalization in power have made many people feel sorry for Zhang Zhongmou, but have also drawn more attention to his possible next move.
Therefore, in recent years, giants in the global semiconductor industry chain, from Intel and Motorola in the United States to NEC and Hitachi in Japan, and Philips in Europe, have all been secretly calculating whether they can recruit this top talent who combines technology and management.
In the past two years, headhunters have been calling Zhang Zhongmou's phone almost non-stop.
However, Zhang Zhongmou's response was like a stone sinking into the sea, politely declining all inquiries from the outside world on the grounds that he "needs time to think."
Everyone believed that Zhang Zhongmou was reluctant to leave Texas Instruments, where he had worked for more than 20 years, and even more reluctant to give up his position as vice president and the generous benefits.
He may be waiting for an opportunity, a platform that allows him to continue pursuing his semiconductor ambitions, rather than shifting to consumer electronics.
However, everyone was surprised to hear that Zhang Zhongmou had left Texas Instruments.
Everyone in the semiconductor industry, as well as many business media outlets, wants to know where Zhang Zhongmou will go next—whether he will start his own business or join a top semiconductor company. All of this remains a mystery.
Just as the global semiconductor industry and business media were focusing their attention on Zhang Zhongmou's whereabouts, and various analyses and speculations were rampant, the person at the center of the storm had already quietly boarded a plane and landed at Hong Kong's Kai Tak International Airport.
This left many reporters who traveled to Dallas, Texas, hoping to interview him empty-handed.
Upscale residential area near Texas Instruments headquarters in Dallas, Texas.
Reporters from The Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, Electronic Engineering Times, and major news agencies, armed with cameras and microphones, waited near Zhang Zhongmou's residence and in front of Texas Instruments' headquarters, trying to capture even a glimpse of the semiconductor tycoon who had suddenly resigned, or just a comment.
However, several days passed, and Zhang Zhongmou's door remained tightly closed, with the curtains drawn.
Texas Instruments' official spokesperson only gave the media standard platitudes such as "Dr. Zhang's departure was a personal decision. The company thanks him for his many years of contributions and wishes him all the best in the future," without providing any further information.
Hong Kong, Kai Tak International Airport, Arrival Hall.
At this moment, Lin Haoran and Ma Shimin were standing at the exit of the VIP passage, talking in hushed tones and waiting patiently.
Both of them had dressed up and were wearing sunglasses and hats, so they wouldn't be recognized unless you looked closely.
“Boss, once Mr. Zhang takes office, I can finally let go of things at Oracle Semiconductor. It’s a real relief!” Ma Shimin joked.
The field of semiconductors was ultimately too unfamiliar to Ma Shimin.
He has served as an executive director of Jardine Matheson and is now the chairman of the bank's strategy committee and president of Hongkong Land Group.
However, he admitted that he was not good at semiconductors and could not afford to spend the energy on them.
Therefore, during this period, although he had been helping to prepare for the establishment of Oracle Semiconductor, he was also looking forward to Zhang Zhongmou taking office as soon as possible and taking over the Oracle Semiconductor business.
Upon hearing this, Lin Haoran chuckled and patted Ma Shimin on the shoulder, saying, "Mr. Ma, you've really had a tough time lately. Your burden has been too heavy. Once Jianning returns from Japan to take over the Landmark Group, you'll be able to relax a bit!"
As his top lieutenant, Lin Haoran was indeed reluctant to let Ma Shimin work under excessive strain for an extended period. Huo Jianning's return was a crucial step in this personnel arrangement.
Ma Shimin felt a warmth in his heart, knowing that his boss was considerate of him, but he was also clear that now was far from the time to relax.
"Boss, you flatter me. It's my duty. I also have great trust in Jianning's abilities. Once he returns, I can completely entrust the land business to him with peace of mind, and then I can concentrate on coordinating the capital operations of the Galaxy Strategic Committee."
With Dr. Zhang providing technical guidance at Oracle Semiconductor, I'll oversee the transition for a while longer; there shouldn't be any problems.
As they were talking, the door to the VIP passage slid open again.
This time, the one who emerged was Zhang Zhongmou, whom they had been waiting for.
Compared to when Lin Haoran last met him in the United States, he looked less travel-worn and more composed and thoughtful, as if a complex blueprint was constantly running in his mind.
Upon seeing Lin Haoran and Ma Shimin, he smiled sincerely and quickened his pace.
"Mr. Lin, Mr. Ma, thank you for coming to pick me up in person." Zhang Zhongmou shook hands with the two men, his tone filled with apology and gratitude.
Li Weidong, Li Weiguo, and others took Zhang Zhongmou's suitcase.
"Mr. Zhang, you're too kind. You're the most welcome guest we've been waiting for." Lin Haoran smiled and led him towards the parking lot. "Welcome back to Hong Kong!"
Zhang Zhongmou spent his childhood in Hong Kong, so he can be considered half a Hong Konger.
"Thank you. It feels very familiar and motivating to be able to set foot on Hong Kong soil again." Zhang Zhongmou looked around at the airport's modern facilities, his tone tinged with emotion.
“There have been many changes here, but the familiar energy and efficiency remain unchanged.”
It was from here that Zhang Zhongmou boarded a plane to study at Harvard University in the United States.
Therefore, it can be said that Hong Kong was an important starting point for Zhang Zhongmou's true rise in life.
Returning in this way after many years, shouldering a completely different mission, one cannot help but feel a mix of emotions.
"Did Mr. Zhang come alone this time?" Lin Haoran asked with some surprise when he saw that Zhang Zhongmou was the only one there.
“My wife is temporarily staying in the United States to accompany the children while they study. I will bring them over after I settle down,” Zhang Zhongmou explained.
Lin Haoran suddenly realized.
He had investigated Zhang Zhongmou's background and knew that Zhang Zhongmou had three children.
The three of them talked as they walked toward the parking lot.
The welcoming ceremony was equally low-key; the bodyguards were dressed in ordinary clothes, and you couldn't tell they were bodyguards at all.
Once you get on the bus, the moment the door closes, it's as if you're completely shut out from the noise of the outside world.
The Rolls-Royce and several other vehicles slowly departed from Kai Teck International Airport, heading towards the hillside villas.
Lin Haoran attaches great importance to Zhang Zhongmou.
Therefore, he specially arranged a villa for Zhang Zhongmou in the hillside villa area as his temporary residence.
The area is quiet and secure, with convenient transportation, ensuring both privacy and easy access to Central.
For Lin Haoran, the last thing he lacks now is property.
Putting aside other things, Hongkong Land Group currently owns dozens of villa properties for rent.
It would be an easy task to temporarily provide Zhang Zhongmou with a place to live.
Once Zhang Zhongmou wholeheartedly helps Oracle Semiconductor get on the right track and becomes a semiconductor giant in the future, this treatment will naturally be long-term, and may even be a direct gift.
What is a villa to someone like Zhang Zhongmou?
Although Lin Haoran has many talented people under his command, high-end talents like Zhang Zhongmou are rare and hard to find.
He is a national hero who can single-handedly lay the foundation for an industry and even lead the technological direction of an era.
After passing through the Cross-Harbour Tunnel and the bustling city center, the vehicle eventually enters a relatively quiet private road, winding its way up the lush mountain path.
The tranquility of the hillside villa area contrasts sharply with the hustle and bustle below, as if they were two different worlds.
While it may not be as luxurious as the hilltop villas, it has its advantages, namely its closer proximity to Central.
Before long, the car stopped in front of a villa with a spacious front yard and a simple, modern facade.
The wrought iron gate slowly opened, and the car drove into the courtyard.
The courtyard is cleverly designed, featuring both an exquisite Japanese dry landscape garden and several graceful old trees, adding a touch of calm and elegance to the villa.
"Mr. Zhang, we've arrived." Lin Haoran got out of the car first and personally opened the car door for Zhang Zhongmou.
Zhang Zhongmou got out of the car and looked around.
The villa is in an excellent location, ensuring privacy while offering glimpses of Victoria Harbour in the distance from certain angles.
With its fresh air and melodious birdsong, it is indeed a good place for reflection and rest.
"The environment is excellent, Mr. Lin, thank you for your trouble." Zhang Zhongmou expressed his heartfelt gratitude.
"I'm glad you're satisfied. Let's go inside and take a look." Lin Haoran led Zhang Zhongmou toward the main house.
The interior decoration of the villa is mainly in light colors, with a simple and elegant style. It makes extensive use of natural wood and stone to create a warm and tranquil atmosphere.
The furniture and appliances are all from top brands, but they are arranged appropriately and do not appear to be lavishly piled up.
What pleased Zhang Zhongmou most was the study facing the courtyard. It was spacious and well-lit, with a whole wall of bookshelves displaying classic works on semiconductors and management. On the huge solid wood desk, there was an Apple II, a secure telephone, a fax machine, and even a whiteboard specifically for discussing technical issues.
In addition, the villa is fully equipped with a butler, servants, and chef.
"This will be your residence in Hong Kong from now on. If you need anything, you can tell the housekeeper at any time, or you can tell me directly."
"If your wife and children need our assistance with their procedures for coming to Hong Kong, school arrangements, or any other living needs, please don't hesitate to ask. We have a dedicated team to handle these matters," Lin Haoran said with a smile.
Zhang Zhongmou felt a warmth in his heart; this comprehensive support allowed him to devote himself to his work without any worries.
"Mr. Lin, you've been so thoughtful. I really don't know how to thank you enough."
"Mr. Zhang, you flatter me. This is all we should do."
Lin Haoran waved his hand and continued, "It is our greatest fortune that you were able to join Oracle Semiconductor. So, please settle down and rest to adjust to the time difference."
I've already arranged lunch for you in the kitchen, and I'm hosting a welcome dinner for you in Central tonight. I'll send a car to pick you up then.
Zhang Zhongmou quickly declined, saying, "There's no need for a welcome banquet, Mr. Lin. I'm back here for work, not as a guest."
Tonight I want to organize my thoughts and prepare for tomorrow's meeting with the team. Besides, my wife and children aren't here, so it wouldn't be very meaningful for me to go to the dinner alone.
I appreciate Mr. Lin's kindness, but let's focus our energy on the important matters at hand.
Looking at Zhang Zhongmou's earnest and serious expression, Lin Haoran knew that this technical master genuinely wanted to get to work as soon as possible, rather than being concerned with these empty formalities.
He admired Zhang Zhongmou's pragmatic approach even more.
“Mr. Zhang is right. I didn’t think it through. Then let’s wait for your wife and children to come over so we can have a proper get-together. Please get some rest tonight, and we’ll see you in the office tomorrow.”
"Okay, Mr. Lin, Mr. Ma, thank you again." Zhang Zhongmou escorted the two to the door.
At this moment, no one knew that Dr. Zhang Zhongmou, whom the American media and semiconductor industry were looking for, was peacefully recuperating in this quiet villa in Mid-Levels, Hong Kong, preparing for the new business that was about to begin tomorrow.
Hong Kong, a city often considered a technological wasteland, may be about to undergo the most dramatic transformation in its industrial history. (End of Chapter)