Chapter 916
One person propelled an era
The news of Galaxy Semiconductor being injected with state-owned capital was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, with ripples spreading outward at an astonishing speed.
Those who were first to feel the shockwave were those who had close ties with Galaxy Technology.
Lei Jun saw the news at his headquarters in Beijing.
At the time, he was meeting with executives from Xiaomi Motors to discuss the final design of their first model.
When the pop-up window on his phone lit up, he glanced at it and then froze.
"Mr. Lei?"
The product director on the other end asked cautiously, "Are you alright?"
Lei Jun didn't say anything, he just turned his phone around so the screen was facing everyone.
The meeting room was silent for three seconds, then erupted into chaos.
"Eight hundred billion? The national team is all involved? This..."
"Core employees have permanent positions? What kind of operation is this?"
"Mr. Lei, don't you have shares in Galaxy Technology? This is a windfall!"
Lei Jun did not respond.
He leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the table, his mind racing.
He recalled the time a few years ago when Wang Donglai first released Galaxy Technology shares to the public.
At that time, everyone thought Wang Donglai was crazy—why should a tech company with an uncertain future be valued so high? Why should he demand so many conditions from investors?
But he took the gamble.
Five billion yuan was exchanged for a small stake in Galaxy Technology.
At the time, many people said he was stupid, saying he was giving money to Wang Donglai.
But now, the value of those shares has increased many times over.
More importantly, those shares don't bring money, they bring a ticket to the ticket.
It is a ticket to enter the Galaxy Technology ecosystem.
He picked up his phone and sent a message to Wang Donglai: "Mr. Wang, congratulations, I saw the news about Galaxy Semiconductor."
Less than a minute after the message was sent, a reply came: "Mr. Lei, you're too kind. Please feel free to contact us anytime if you need anything regarding Xiaomi Auto."
Lei Jun stared at that reply for a long time.
Then he laughed.
"The meeting continues."
He told the executives, "But let's add one more issue: the employee benefits package we agreed on before isn't enough. Let's raise it another level."
The product director paused for a moment, then said, "Mr. Lei, our budget has already..."
"I'll handle the budget."
Lei Jun interrupted him, his tone leaving no room for argument: "You've all seen what happened with Galaxy Technology. Being good to employees isn't a cost, it's an investment. I've understood this principle before, but today, I understand it more clearly than ever before."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone present: "Do you know what my most valuable asset is right now? It's not Xiaomi's stock, nor is it the house in Beijing, but the shares of Galaxy Technology that I bought from Wang Donglai a few years ago. Those shares didn't cost much, but what they brought is something money can't buy."
He stood up, walked to the window, and looked out at the capital city.
"I've known Wang Donglai for a while now. At first, I couldn't understand his path, then I understood it but couldn't keep up, and now..."
He turned around and looked at everyone present: "Now I understand, when you can't keep up, it's not about giving up, it's about accelerating. Xiaomi Motors, I want to make the best electric car in China, not just one of the best, but the only one."
"Mr. Lei, isn't this target a bit...?"
"A bit... a bit big? A bit difficult? A bit unrealistic?"
Lei Jun laughed and continued, "Before, some people said Wang Donglai's rocket project was unrealistic; some said his lithography factory project was a pipe dream; some said his room-temperature superconductivity project was a scam. And now? The rocket has gone into space, the lithography factory is in production, and room-temperature superconductivity has been achieved. Tell me, what does 'realistic' even mean?"
No one answered.
"Therefore, Xiaomi Auto's goal is not 'realistic,' but 'ambitious.' What Wang Donglai can do, we can't do, but we can follow in his footsteps. We'll follow the path he's paved. We'll abide by the rules he's set. He leads us forward, and we'll charge forward."
He sat back down in his chair, his voice regaining its calm: "After the meeting, draft a new employee benefits plan. Increase base salary by 15%, ensure full social insurance and housing fund contributions, and provide a year-end bonus of at least three months' salary. Also, provide commercial insurance for all frontline workers. The plan must be implemented within this month."
"Mr. Lei, what about the shareholders..."
"I'll handle the shareholders."
Lei Jun's tone was calm but undeniable: "The best way to persuade them is through Galaxy Technology. Tell them this is the ticket. If they want to make money with Wang Donglai, they have to follow his rules."
Meanwhile, Jack Ma, who was far away in Hangzhou, also saw the message.
He is currently meeting with the head of Taotianyun to discuss the next steps in the cloud computing business.
When the pop-up notification on his phone lit up, he picked it up, glanced at it, then put it down and continued the meeting.
But he stood up after less than ten minutes.
"That's all for today's meeting."
He walked out of the conference room, returned to his office, closed the door, and sat on the sofa for a long time.
Countless thoughts churned in his mind.
He recalled the scene a few years ago when he first approached Wang Donglai to discuss cooperation.
Back then, Galaxy Technology was far from having the momentum it has today.
He is already a business tycoon in China, and he is undoubtedly a senior figure in terms of both capital and qualifications.
However, when facing him, Wang Donglai remained calm, as if he were just an ordinary person.
Not only did they not give me face, they also directly contradicted me.
He thought the young man had a lot of ideas, but he didn't take it too seriously.
Galaxy Technology may not actually survive, so it's fine not to invest.
But who could have imagined that Wang Donglai would lead Galaxy Technology to its current state, charging ahead recklessly?
Making batteries, chips, aerospace, superconductors, e-commerce, and short video platforms—in each field, we started from scratch, and in each field, we have achieved global leadership.
And now, the national team has entered the field.
This is not symbolic support, but a real injection of funds, a policy endorsement, and a strategic recognition.
An investment of 408 billion is more effective than anything else.
Jack Ma picked up his phone and sent a message to Wang Donglai: "Mr. Wang, congratulations! When would be a convenient time to discuss our previous collaboration?"
He sent the message and waited a long time.
The reply finally came, consisting of only one sentence: "Mr. Ma, you're too kind. We can discuss Taotian's business anytime."
Jack Ma stared at the reply and suddenly smiled.
There was relief in that smile, but also something else that was hard to explain.
He recalled a statement he made when he was young: "If banks don't change, we'll change the banks."
Now, someone has gone further than him.
That person isn't just changing one industry; he's changing the rules of the entire business world.
And he, the former "change-maker," is now trying to catch up with that person's footsteps. When the news reached Shenzhen, Ren Zhengfei was in his office reading a technical report.
The news of Galaxy Semiconductor receiving investment made him put down the report he was holding.
He picked up his reading glasses, carefully read the joint statement, then leaned back in his chair and remained silent for a long time.
He recalled the scene a few years ago when Wang Donglai first approached him to discuss the HarmonyOS system.
At that time, Chrysanthemum's HarmonyOS was just a backup plan, a Plan B to deal with extreme situations.
Wang Donglai approached him, saying he wanted to buy HarmonyOS.
Ren Zhengfei thought about it for a long time before finally nodding.
It wasn't because he thought HarmonyOS could make money, but because he saw the light in Wang Donglai's eyes.
That's the kind of light that only someone who truly wants to do great things can have.
Subsequent events proved that decision to be correct.
Under Wang Donglai's leadership, HarmonyOS has transformed from a backup plan into a mainstay of China's mobile operating systems.
As a result of this collaboration, Chrysanthemum also gained priority supply rights for Xuanwu batteries, thus stabilizing its position in the high-end mobile phone market.
What does it mean that the national team has collectively invested in Galaxy Semiconductor? It means that the path Wang Donglai has taken has been recognized by the state.
This means that those who follow him will not go wrong.
He picked up his phone and sent a message to Wang Donglai: "Mr. Wang, Chrysanthemum is willing to fully cooperate with the national strategy and engage in in-depth cooperation with Galaxy Semiconductor in areas such as chip design, system optimization, and terminal applications."
The message was sent out, and the reply came quickly: "President Ren, Chrysanthemum has always been Galaxy's most important partner, and we look forward to cooperating with you."
Ren Zhengfei looked at the reply and smiled.
That smile held a sense of satisfaction, as well as the感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a complex feeling of mixed emotions) of a veteran witnessing the rise of a new star.
He recalled his youth, when he was also full of passion and wanted to turn chrysanthemums into a world-class enterprise, and he did it.
But now, someone has gone further than him.
That person isn't just running a business; he's redefining the business.
He wasn't just involved in technology; he was driving technological progress across the entire country.
He's not just making money; he's changing the way wealth is distributed.
He put down his phone and picked up the technical report again.
But this time, his mind wasn't on the report.
He was thinking about what the next step should be for the chrysanthemum.
Following Wang Donglai was the right thing to do.
But you can't just follow along; you have to develop your own ideas.
Chrysanthemum has thirty years of technological accumulation, world-leading communication technology, and profound chip design capabilities.
What kind of chemical reaction will occur when these things are combined with Wang Donglai's technology? He didn't know, but he was looking forward to it.
……
The chain reaction triggered by the news of the 408 billion yuan capital injection is still unfolding.
When the news reached South Korea, Samsung's Lee Jae-young was holding an emergency meeting in his office in Seoul.
The meeting was attended by core executives of Samsung Electronics, and the only topic was: how to deal with the rise of Galaxy Technology.
"Galaxy Semiconductor has received a collective investment from the Chinese national team, and its valuation is 800 billion yuan."
Li Zairong's voice was calm, but the atmosphere in the conference room was as heavy as the sky before a storm: "What does this mean? It means that China's chip industry is no longer an opponent that we can easily suppress."
The president of the semiconductor division looked grim: "Chairman, our largest customer for wafer foundry business is a Chinese company. If Galaxy Semiconductor's lithography factory goes into mass production, our order volume will drop by at least 30%."
"It's not just a matter of orders."
Li Zairong shook his head and said, "It's a matter of technological approach. Galaxy Semiconductor's lithography factory is taking a completely different path from ours. Our lithography machines rely on ASML, while their lithography factory is self-built. Our technology is controlled by others, while their technology is completely independent. Once this path is successful, our advantage in the semiconductor field will cease to exist."
The meeting room fell silent. Everyone understood that what Li Zairong said was true, but no one was willing to face it.
"President, what should we do?" someone asked.
Lee Jae-yong remained silent for a long time before saying, "Go find Wang Donglai and ask him if Samsung can become a partner of Galaxy Technology. Not a competitor, but a partner."
"President, this..."
"I know what you're thinking."
Lee Jae-yong interrupted him: "Samsung is the pride of South Korea and a leader in the global semiconductor industry. We should not bow down. But have you ever thought about it? If we don't bow down, when Galaxy Semiconductor's lithography factory is fully operational, when China's chip industry chain is completely self-sufficient, when we no longer even have the chance to catch up, will it still be too late to bow down then?"
No one answered.
"Go and do it."
Lee Jae-yong waved his hand, looking somewhat weary, and said, "Be sincere and offer attractive terms. Tell Wang Donglai that Samsung is willing to cooperate with Galaxy Technology with sincerity."
When the news reached Tangdu, Wang Donglai was drinking tea in his office.
Wa's voice rang out: "Boss, Lei, Ma, Ren, Li Zairong... have all sent messages. Some companies that weren't very friendly before have also expressed their willingness to cooperate."
Wang Donglai put down his teacup, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"Wa, do you think they genuinely want to cooperate, or are they afraid of being left behind?"
Wa paused for a second, then said, "Both. But the fear of being left behind is greater. The investment in Galaxy Semiconductor sends a very clear signal—China must take the path of self-reliance and control in the semiconductor field. Galaxy Technology is the leader on this path. If you follow the leader, there is still a chance; if you don't, you will only be left behind. They all understand this principle."
Wang Donglai nodded.
"Wa, tell me, how do those who previously tripped us up feel now?"
"According to monitoring, they are very anxious, worried, and fearful. Those who previously occupied our land are trying to find ways to remedy the situation. Several companies that poached our engineers have stopped contacting us. And the legal representative of a public relations company that previously spread rumors online has deregistered the company."
Wang Donglai smiled.
There was no smugness in that smile, only a calm certainty.
"Wa, they are not targeting me, they are protecting their own interests."
"But now, they should understand—some things cannot be stopped. The pace of technological progress cannot be stopped. The awakening of employees cannot be stopped. The direction of national strategy cannot be stopped. What they can do is not to stop, but to keep up. If they keep up, there is still a chance. If they don't keep up, they will only be eliminated."
He stood up, walked to the window, and looked out at Tangdu City.
"Wa, tell me, when will those who are still observing figure things out?"
"Boss, they've already figured it out."
"Okay, this is the last chance I'm giving them. Next time, it won't be so easy."
Wang Donglai nodded and said calmly.
The sun was shining brightly, illuminating his face and the rising city.
He knew that those who were still observing would eventually figure things out one by one.
Because time waits for no one.
And he is leading this era forward. (End of Chapter)