Chapter 897
A Small Breeze Rises, Reshaping Industry Rules
Same time, different time zone.
While it was broad daylight in China, it was nighttime in the Bald Eagle Federation.
Therefore, the impact of the Century Academic Conference was delayed in reaching the Bald Eagle Federation.
At 9:00 AM Gotham time, Wall Street opens.
The Nasdaq index plunged 5% at the open, triggering a circuit breaker.
ASML's stock price plummeted 28%, marking its biggest single-day drop since its IPO.
Qualcomm fell 19%, Nvidia fell 22%, AMD fell 25%, Intel fell 17%, Apple fell 7%, Microsoft fell 12%...
The total market value evaporated exceeded $8000 billion.
In Morgan Stanley's trading floor, traders stared at the green numbers on their screens in dead silence.
"Sell orders are still pouring in."
One trader muttered, "Is this the end of the world?"
Goldman Sachs held an emergency conference call, with CEO Solomon's voice coming through the phone to partners around the world: "Can anyone tell me what happened?"
On the other end of the phone, Abby Joseph, Goldman Sachs' chief strategist, who was in Tangdu to attend the academic conference, was silent for a few seconds before speaking with a hint of despair in her voice: "It's not that something happened, but... times have changed."
"What exactly happened in China? Why is there such widespread panic in the market?" Solomon's voice had calmed down as he asked.
"China has brought out a lot of technology and won over everyone."
"Everyone knows that the future is in China's hands!"
Abby Joseph's voice carried a deep-seated despair and a hint of bewilderment.
As Goldman Sachs' chief strategist, what he is most proud of is his judgment and foresight.
Now, his abilities are frantically telling him that China has seized control of cutting-edge technology.
Furthermore, based on his understanding, the Bald Eagle Federation still has a long way to go to catch up.
In the past few days, he has consulted many experts and professors, and the results he received were all extremely bad.
A massive technological revolution, and its impact on all of human society, will unfold before his very eyes.
Therefore, what happened in the stock market was entirely to be expected.
This is probably just the beginning.
……
Presidential suite of a five-star hotel in Tangdu City.
Cook sat in his study, looking at the real-time Nasdaq quotes.
On the table was a newly printed report—"The Complete Transcript of the Galaxy Technology Century Press Conference".
His phone was vibrating as board members took turns calling, but he didn't answer any of them.
"Tim."
Operations Director Jeff Williams walked in and said, "The board has requested an immediate emergency meeting, and someone has suggested activating Plan B."
"Plan B?"
Cook sneered: "Move the production line back to America? Or sue the Chinese government?"
Williams remained silent.
Cook stood up, walked to the window, and looked out at Tangdu City.
Jeff.
He suddenly asked, "What do you think Steve would do if he were still alive?"
Williams thought for a moment and said, "He might swear and then say, 'We have to make a better product.'"
"Can we now produce products that are better than those from Galaxy Technology?"
Williams did not answer.
No answer is an answer in itself.
"I'm just a professional manager, I don't own much of Apple stock."
"I am fully capable of increasing profit margins and boosting stock prices in a short period of time."
"However, these tactics are devastating to the Apple brand."
"I came to China for the long-term development of Apple."
"The reason we can dominate the smartphone market is because we represent the most advanced technology products."
"If we lose this halo, we won't be far from going bankrupt."
"The lessons learned from Nokia's experience are already too painful, and I don't want that to happen to us."
"But there are some fools who just can't see this clearly. They cling to their wrong ideas and think that cooperating with China is something they can't accept."
"Even the green US dollars can't change their minds!"
"Tell me, what exactly do these people want to do? Are they only happy when they've dragged us all into bankruptcy?"
The more Cook spoke, the bolder his statements became.
Williams stood by, trembling with fear, not daring to utter a single word.
After venting his anger, Cook's eyes became serious and resolute.
"We don't have much time left. I need to contact the top ten shareholders and persuade them, otherwise we really won't have any chance at all."
After saying that, Cook sat back down, picked up the phone, and dialed a number.
……
Geneva, CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research).
Director-General Fabiola Giannotti is holding an emergency meeting.
The audience consisted of representatives from 23 member countries, as well as top scientists from CERN.
On the big screen, a clip from Wang Donglai's press conference video is playing.
When the conch shell model appeared, someone in the audience couldn't help but gasp.
"ladies and gentlemen."
Giannati's voice was calm, but everyone could hear the tremor beneath the calm: "We invested tens of billions of Swiss francs, mobilized more than 10,000 scientists from around the world, and built the Large Hadron Collider. We discovered the Higgs boson, and we thought we were exploring the ultimate mystery of the universe."
She paused, then pointed to the conch shell model on the screen.
"But now, someone is telling us that maybe we've been going around in circles in the wrong framework. What we've been searching for might not exist at all. Or it might exist, but be interpreted in a different way."
The audience was silent.
"I propose that a special committee be established to reassess our research direction. At the same time, we should initiate in-depth cooperation negotiations with the Chinese scientific community."
A German representative raised his hand and said with an unfriendly expression, "Fabiola, are you going to give up your leading position in Europe?"
Giannatte looked at him, gave a wry smile, and said, "Wilheim, do you think we still have a leading position?"
“Go and take a look at the ‘conch model’ proposed by Academician Wang Donglai from the East. It directly refutes our understanding of dark energy and dark matter, and completely negates our research direction.”
"Not to mention that this Academician Wang is leading modern high-energy physics to make great strides. His paper is just released like this, and we all have to question and criticize it, but who can do that?"
"Don't be misled by China's performance in modern times. Hundreds of years ago, or even thousands of years ago, the East was always the center of human civilization in the world."
"Our library contains many books with irrefutable evidence of the strength of this nation and this country."
"He has only been lost for a few hundred years, and now he is returning to the historical place he rightfully belongs to."
"What we need to do is not to question, but to find ways to gain the most benefit in the process."
"The best option to achieve this goal is to establish cooperation with China as early as possible."
"I have finished expressing my opinion. Everyone can consider it carefully." After saying this, the room fell silent.
Putting aside emotions, everyone has seen China's achievements, and no one can deny them.
As a result, everyone fell silent.
……
Prime Minister's residence in Nagata Town, Tokyo.
The Prime Minister urgently convened a cabinet meeting.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and the Minister of Defense were all present.
On the table was a "Galaxy Technology Assessment Report," a thick document of three hundred pages.
"Everyone, you are all aware of the situation."
The Prime Minister's voice was low: "We now face three choices. First, continue to follow the United States and strengthen the technological blockade against China. Second, seek cooperation with China and strive for technology licensing. Third, rely on our own efforts and increase investment in research and development."
Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Hiroshige Seko was the first to speak: "Prime Minister, from an industrial perspective, we have no choice. Sakura's semiconductor industry is heavily reliant on exports to China. If Galaxy Technology's lithography plant goes into full production, our exports of photoresist, silicon wafers, and equipment will suffer a devastating blow. Shin-Etsu Chemical alone could lose hundreds of billions of yen."
"Not to mention Galaxy Technology's Xuanwu battery, the damage it has caused to our industry has already exceeded hundreds of billions..."
"Furthermore, our losses will only increase over time."
Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Yoshimasa Hayashi added: "From a scientific research perspective, Wang Donglai's breakthrough in string theory has completely deprived our theoretical physics community of its voice. I just received a report from the Faculty of Science at the University of Tokyo that seventeen top theoretical physicists have applied to change their research focus or to go to China for exchanges."
Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said with a grave expression, "From a security perspective, if Galaxy Technologies' quantum computers and AI technology are applied to the military field, our technological advantage will vanish. Our communication encryption, missile guidance, and intelligence analysis will all be at risk of failure."
The Prime Minister remained silent for a long time.
Then he asked a question: "Is Professor Hiroshi Amano of the University of Tokyo currently in Tangdu?"
"Yes. He was among the first group of participants to register."
"Let him figure out a way to arrange a meeting with Wang Donglai."
The Prime Minister stated firmly, "This is not an official meeting; it's a private exchange. Tell him that any terms are open for discussion."
……
Great Mao, the Cleveland Palace.
The Emperor closed the "Briefing of the Century Academic Conference" and looked at Sergeyev, the president of the Academy of Sciences, across from him.
"Sergei, you're a physicist, are you telling me this is true?"
Sergeyev smiled wryly: "Sir, if it were anyone else, I would say it's fake, but this is Wang Donglai. When he proved the Navier-Stokes equations, physicists around the world said it was impossible. When he landed on the moon, aerospace experts around the world said that private companies couldn't do it. Now he has presented room-temperature superconductivity and quantum computers, and I... dare not say it's fake."
The emperor nodded, seemingly lost in thought.
"I remember that China invited us to participate in its thorium-based molten salt reactor project, didn't it?"
"We have been invited. Our team of experts will depart next week to go directly to Gansu Province for exchanges."
"it is good."
The Emperor stood up, walked to the window, and said, "Tell our experts to learn everything they can. For what they can't learn, find ways to cooperate. The energy of the 21st century cannot be controlled by just one country."
He turned around and looked at Sergeyev.
"Also, I'd like to have a video chat with him for a bit. You can stay and participate as a technical advisor."
Sergeyev paused for a moment: "Sir, you personally..."
"correct."
The Emperor smiled, a smile tinged with complexity, and said, "A scientist who can wipe out 800 billion dollars from American tech stocks in a single day, such a top-notch scientist, is worth talking to in person."
……
New Delhi, Jawaharlal Nehru University.
Physics professor Sharma is showing his students a video of the press conference.
When Wang Donglai demonstrated how a brain-computer interface could restore sight to a blind person, a gasp of surprise rang out from the audience.
"Professor, can we use this technology?" a student asked, raising his hand.
Sharma paused for a moment: "If someone in our country is willing to invest in research and development, it might be usable in twenty years. But if we buy directly from Galaxy Technology, it might be usable within five years."
The students looked at each other in bewilderment.
"Professor, you mean..."
Sharma sighed. "What I mean is, maybe we should change our perspective. Before, we looked up to the West; now, the East has a new beacon."
……
On the morning of the fifth day, the main venue was still packed.
Wang Donglai walked onto the stage, and a futuristic-looking aircraft appeared on the large screen behind him.
The lines are smooth and the design is futuristic.
On the surface, it looks like a car without wheels, plus drone propellers.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is the 'Mysterious Maiden' personal aircraft that we are currently developing. Based on the combination of Xuanwu batteries and drone technology, it can achieve vertical take-off and landing and low-altitude flight."
"Our initial target range is 300 kilometers and the top speed is 180 kilometers per hour. We expect it to be officially launched within three years."
The audience erupted in uproar once again.
But that's not what I want to talk about today!
Wang Donglai pressed a button on the remote control, and the screen switched.
A huge factory workshop appeared, filled with batteries of various models.
"We are rapidly expanding the production capacity of Xuanwu Battery. By the end of this year, the annual production capacity will reach 20GWh, which can meet the needs of 500,000 new energy vehicles. By the end of next year, the production capacity will double to 40GWh."
He paused, then continued, "More importantly, with mass production, the price of Xuanwu batteries will decrease."
The representatives from the car manufacturers in the audience immediately sat up straight.
"The price of the flagship model has been reduced from $1400/kWh to $1000/kWh. The price of the standard model has been reduced from $900/kWh to $700/kWh."
A collective gasp of surprise erupted from the audience.
The boatman was sitting in the first row, his hands were shaking.
The BYD vice president next to him whispered, "Mr. Wang, our costs..."
"I know."
"The boatman muttered to himself."
Ignoring the commotion below, Wang Donglai continued, "At the same time, we will be opening up the technology licensing for Xuanwu batteries. Not the core formula, but the battery management system, thermal management solution, and safety testing standards."
“Any car company that meets our technical specifications can produce Xuanwu batteries, provided that they meet our employee compensation standards.”
The car company representatives in the audience looked at each other in bewilderment.
What are the employee compensation standards? What are these conditions?
A sense of unease crept into everyone's hearts.
The employee compensation standards of Galaxy Technology have become a running joke online.
In any industry that Galaxy Technology enters, employees will inevitably feel the pressure of receiving high salaries and benefits from Galaxy Technology.
Just as everyone was thinking this, Wang Donglai's voice rang out: "It's very simple!"
"Any company that obtains authorization for Xuanwu Battery technology must pay social insurance and housing fund contributions for its frontline workers, must ensure that the working hours per week do not exceed 44 hours, and must establish an employee stock ownership or profit-sharing mechanism."
"We will conduct regular inspections, and those that fail to meet the standards will have their authorization revoked directly."
After he finished speaking, the entire room fell silent.
Zeng Qun's face immediately turned extremely ugly, and the boatman also frowned. (End of this chapter)