Return to the Day When My Pregnant Wife Jumped Off the Building-Chapter 261 Mutual Admiration_1

Chen Tianyou and Tang Qingbai were both stunned, and Tang Qingbai’s expression seemed a bit awkward and embarrassed.

"This... I’m sorry, there may have been some misunderstanding caused for Mr. Xiao. What I just described is overly idealistic, and it’s simply not possible."

Impossible?

Xiao Ming chuckled inwardly, How very wrong you are! It is precisely because Esmail Corp has made what you’ve described a reality that the EUV lithography machine will come into existence seven years from now.

The next ten years will be a decade of lightning-speed development in technology; with money, nothing is impossible.

"Have you made a rough estimate?" he asked.

Tang Qingbai nodded, "To truly achieve that scenario, I estimate the cost would exceed a hundred billion, and after successful research and development, the total cost should reach between four hundred billion to five hundred billion."

"What if I were to first give you twenty billion, could you establish the basic team within two years?"

At these words, Chen Tianyou and Tang Qingbai were dumbfounded.

"Mr. Xiao, do you... do you really intend to develop a high-precision lithography machine?"

Chen Tianyou’s mouth gaped in astonishment, "No disrespect intended, but... such a scale of funding and research is usually at the national level; your single company might find it tough to handle, right?"

"Everything is determined by human effort," Xiao Ming smiled. "If I can put up twenty billion just like that, don’t you even have the courage to give it a try?"

Bang!

Tang Qingbai suddenly picked up his glass, drained it in one gulp, and said with bulging eyes, "A warrior will die for those who appreciate him!

If Mr. Xiao is not just amusing himself with us, I can make a military order: within two years, not only will I have formed the basic team, but I will also develop a mid-to-low-end photolithography machine, enabling the company to generate revenue!

Otherwise, I am willing to work for a lifetime under any one of your companies."

Chen Tianyou exclaimed in alarm, "Qingbai, don’t be rash. Even if you really can do it, achieving revenue is difficult. Our country doesn’t produce lithography machines precisely because those chip manufacturers simply don’t buy domestic brands.

For such cutting-edge technology, they only trust the big international factories."

"You needn’t worry about sales," Xiao Ming said. "As long as Qingbai can make it, I can sell it.

To boast a little, making money has been the least difficult thing for me in this lifetime."

Tang Qingbai’s eyes were red as he thrust out his palm.

"Mr. Xiao, do you dare to make a solemn promise with me?"

Xiao Ming’s smile was brilliant as he slapped his hand firmly against Tang Qingbai’s.

"The day the company is successfully registered is the day the funds will be in place. Twenty billion, not a penny less."

Chen Tianyou sprang up, "You... You’re going to give us twenty billion all at once?"

Typically in investment, it’s rare for all the funds to be in place all at once, as the recipient of the funds spends them gradually, and the investor also needs to consider risk.

Moreover, there’s the issue of cash flow. Even the biggest companies would not let tens of billions lie idle in an account.

Therefore, the larger the investment amount, the more numerous and prolonged the installments and timing tend to be.

For Xiao Ming to come up with twenty billion so readily was virtually unheard of; naturally, Chen Tianyou was shocked.

Xiao Ming’s smile was rather smug, "As I said, making money is no difficulty for me."

Chen Tianyou’s expression rapidly changed for a moment before he suddenly picked up the liquor divider, downed the full two ounces of white spirits in one gulp, like a mountain king exuding the breath of alcohol, and declared:

"Two years from now, if we can’t sell our own lithography machines, I am willing to give up all my shares for the price of one Hua Currency, leaving the company with nothing but the clothes on my back!"

"Agreed!"

Xiao Ming also stood up, drank the white spirits from his own divider, and announced loudly, "Unless it’s unnecessary, if Ruiye can’t provide at least forty billion Hua Currency in funding support before the advent of the high-precision lithography machine,

then Ruiye will sell its shares in the company to you all for the price of one Hua Currency!"

"It’s a deal!"

Three hands clasped together tightly across the table and then they burst into hearty laughter, even Yang Hanqing felt the warm camaraderie exclusive to close friends.

Soon after, the three men quickly became drunk, with Chen Tianyou singing loudly and Tang Qingbai slamming the table and cursing the profit-seeking businessmen.

For it was these very people who had destroyed the domestic lithography machine industry.

Many people don’t know that, back in the 1980s, we had already developed our own lithography machines, with technology that was only seven years behind the most advanced from America, and at the same level as that of Fusang.

This even forced Western countries to lift the related technological embargo.

Then came the slogan "foreign monks can chant better," cloaked in the purely commercial rhetoric that it was better to buy or lease than to manufacture, quickly dominating the entire industry.

Without orders, the developers had no money to continue, and the lithography machine project was thus put on hold indefinitely.

As a result, when world geopolitics underwent drastic changes and globalization faced serious challenges, technology embargoes reemerged, lithography machines advanced to the fifth generation, and our process level was still stuck at the third.

Numerous chip manufacturers were in great distress, and many leaders regretted their previous decisions.

And Tang Qingbai was a student of the soul behind those early lithography machine projects.

He inherited his teacher’s knowledge and his regrets, remaining steadfast until he was so disheartened by the betrayal of new-era traitors like Dong Jingyi that he left for far-off lands.

Fortunately, Xiao Ming returned, and everything could start over—it wasn’t too late.

Of course, he also knew that many key components required for manufacturing lithography machines couldn’t be produced domestically yet, meaning full independence was still out of reach for the time being.

But that didn’t matter, globalization was still booming, with a complete supply chain, and it would be at least ten more years before technology could possibly be locked down again. This was the perfect opportunity to put in the effort, to imitate where possible, to copy when feasible, and to headhunt talent wherever they could.

To make up for the past regrets of being unable to cook without rice.

With hope came joy, and when men are happy, they often drink too much.

By the end of the feast, the three were utterly drunk, leaving the restaurant with arms draped over each other’s shoulders, taking the elevator down, and even singing loudly, drawing sideways glances from other patrons.

Upon exiting the restaurant, Chen Tianyou and Tang Qingbai were picked up by their drivers, and Xiao Ming collapsed onto Yang Hanqing’s plump thigh as soon as he got into the car.

"You! You toss out twenty billion with just a word; my heart nearly stopped listening to you, yet you’re still so cheerful. I really don’t know what goes on in your head,

If anyone else conducted business like this, they’d have probably gone bankrupt long ago.

Only you—with your wild and unconventional ways, somehow always end up making a fortune. Where is the justice in that?"

As Yang Hanqing’s fingers gently rubbed Xiao Ming’s scalp, she mused to herself, only to hear him interject, "What exists is rational. What you don’t understand is the ’human rationale’ people have come up with, which has nothing to do with the heavens."

Hearing that his tongue was a bit thick, but his mind still seemed clear, Yang Hanqing then asked, "Then tell me, where is the ’heavenly rationale’ when you agree to a bet of forty billion on your second meeting, without even inspecting their company?"