Chapter 257 No One Else Can Handle It
"Old Zhang absolutely must stay," Li Mingliu interjected. "And he also suggested that all of us working in IC design should go intern at the wafer plant for a while to better understand how chips are made and how the engineering process works. I think it's a great idea."
"Mhm..." Su Yuanshan nodded. "Once the wafer plant is fully up and running, we'll make that a standard practice."
As someone who had experienced the future development of the IC industry, Su Yuanshan knew very well that in later years, engineers at IDM (Integrated Device Manufacturer) companies like Intel and Samsung typically had hands-on experience at wafer fabs. It was one of IDM's core advantages.
In fact, IDMs had many advantages over fabless companies like Apple, AMD, and Qualcomm.
It's just that not every company could be Intel or Samsung. Plus, IDMs could sometimes become too bloated and lose competitiveness — like a whole slew of Japanese companies later did.
Ultimately, it all came down to money —
As long as there was enough funding, IDMs could thrive spectacularly — dominating the industry.
"Tomorrow, I'll go have a proper talk with Old Zhang. Even if he doesn't want to resign early, we have to find a way to keep him in the mainland."
"Right."
...
The next day, Su Yuanshan and Zhou Xiaohui were picked up by Chen Jianguo and taken directly to the tech park.
After half a year of construction, the wafer plant buildings were no longer just a rough outline but were beginning to take real shape.
With heavy government support, one high-rise after another was springing up in the tech park. Based on the construction schedule, it was said that in at most another six months, the installation of water, electricity, and gas would be completed, and the buildings would be ready for occupancy.
The local government had even tried multiple times to persuade Su Yuanshan to move Yuanxin's headquarters here — or at least relocate himself personally.
But Su Yuanshan saw right through their little scheme and shamelessly refused.
While the policies here were indeed generous — nearly tax-free for the wafer plant — the overall policy environment still couldn't beat the provincial capital.
The capital, sitting in a basin and serving as the heart of the "Third Front" initiative, had fully committed to using technology to drive provincial development.
And Yuanxin was the engine at the heart of this grand plan.
Even if Su Yuanshan had wanted to enjoy a more glamorous setting, the capital wasn't about to let him go...
Perhaps knowing Su Yuanshan's importance, Zhang Rujin had come out early from the plant to wait for him.
Telling their assistants to stay back, the two men walked alone along the central avenue cutting through the park.
"The weather's decent today, cloudy," Zhang Rujin chuckled.
After a busy summer, his skin had darkened considerably, but he looked even more energized —
The same kind of vigor Su Yuanshan had seen in his own father before — the sign of a "second spring."
"Yes, though it's a shame there's no breeze."
"You want a breeze? You have to go to the riverbank," Zhang Rujin smiled, looking off into the distance before turning his gaze back.
"Come to think of it, except for the few times I've crossed the bridge by car, I haven't properly toured the riverbanks since I got here."
"Uncle Zhang, you should take care of yourself," Su Yuanshan said with a smile.
"If you keep pushing yourself like this, I might have to drag you off on vacation."
Zhang Rujin was momentarily stunned, then burst out laughing, hands on his hips.
Ever since the machinery started arriving at the wafer plant, the CPU department people from Yuanxin often came over to discuss process-related matters.
Thus, Zhang Rujin knew all about Su Yuanshan once forcing the workaholic Li Mingliu to take a break.
"I'm actually doing fine," Zhang Rujin said.
"And the plant really can't spare me right now."
"They all call me an expert at building plants, thinking I have some magic formula. You know what the secret is?"
"What secret?" Su Yuanshan asked.
"Haha, there's no secret. It's just keeping a close eye on everything and minimizing mistakes," Zhang Rujin said seriously.
"In precision industries, whoever makes fewer mistakes, wins. It's the same for semiconductor processing. Even though I'm not a process engineer by training, the principle is the same — whoever gets lucky and stumbles on the right method, gets ahead faster."
Su Yuanshan nodded in agreement.
"Exactly... so, Uncle Zhang, once the seniors from Singapore return, do you think we'll be able to handle 0.5-micron processes?"
Zhang Rujin stopped walking and pondered seriously for a moment before shaking his head.
"Difficult. In Singapore, the process node is still 0.8 microns. They won't be moving to the latest process technology until the end of the year — and since we've recalled hundreds of staff, their schedule will be delayed even further."
Su Yuanshan stared at him and asked,
"So now that policy barriers are gone, can we introduce the 0.5-micron process from TI?"
Zhang Rujin fell silent again for several seconds before shaking his head.
"That's not for me to decide. It needs negotiation with the board and higher management."
"But let me remind you —"
Zhang Rujin looked straight at him.
"The next node will be 0.35 microns, maybe even an aggressive move to 0.25 microns. New lithography machines are already hitting the market."
Su Yuanshan nodded slowly.
Although Zhang Rujin said he couldn't decide, from his comments about the process roadmap, it was clear that he leaned toward believing TI might be willing to release the 0.5-micron process.
After all, this wasn't just a purchase — it was a collaboration.
"I should also mention," Zhang Rujin said gravely,
"TI invested nearly $200 million into developing their 0.5-micron process.
You need to think very carefully about the cost."
"I understand," Su Yuanshan said, biting his lip and falling silent for a long time before speaking quietly:
"Uncle Zhang, in your opinion, what price would we have to pay — both for TI to release the 0.5-micron process and for you personally to stay?"
He added seriously:
"At that time, you'll be a director of the wafer plant."
Zhang Rujin blinked and quickly grasped Su Yuanshan's intentions.
"You mean, I'll continue to oversee the plant's operations?"
"Yes, you will still be in charge," Su Yuanshan nodded, looking him directly in the eye, speaking with total sincerity.
"Uncle Zhang, you know better than anyone — there's no one else in the country with your qualifications who could manage Derun Semiconductor."
"This plant, even though it's built with TI's cooperation and TI is the second-largest shareholder, still essentially belongs to Yuanxin — and it will be the first world-class wafer plant in mainland China."
Zhang Rujin exhaled deeply, and a smile slowly formed on his lips.
As the person who had personally led the establishment of the plant, he knew better than anyone just how significant its scale and specifications were.
If the plant could successfully begin production, achieve high yield rates, and scale up its output, it would immediately rank among the top foundries in the world.
And with Yuanxin's design division supporting it, it could even instantly transform Yuanxin into a world-class IDM!
Such an enormous enterprise was not something just anyone could manage.
At least for now, within China — no one else could.
And now, it seemed clear — he was the only one who could lead it.
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