Tech Giants: Starting from Bankrupt Companies

101: Chapter 101 National Strategy. Leadership SupportThe plane took off on time at seven in the morning.

Su Chen sat in the window seat of the first-class cabin, watching Shenzhen gradually shrink outside the porthole. The city woke up in the morning light, the glass curtain walls of the skyscrapers reflecting the golden morning sun, the flow of traffic on the streets beginning to surge; a new day had begun.

Lin Wan sat next to him, holding a thick folder. It was the report material prepared overnight—the technical roadmap, R&D progress, market layout, and future planning for Spark Technology and Xingchen Heavy Industry, totaling two hundred and seventy-three pages, with every number checked repeatedly.

”President Su, do you want to check the data again?” Lin Wan asked softly.

Su Chen shook his head and closed his eyes: ”No need. Everything that needs to be prepared has been prepared. What is needed now is not data, but judgment.”

He knew who he was going to meet today. It wasn’t just any ”person,” but a big figure who could decide the direction of the country’s technological strategy. The development of Spark had already exceeded the commercial scope and entered the field of national security. Stealth materials, chips, and automobiles—every line was related to the construction of the country’s core competitiveness.

During the two-hour flight, Su Chen hardly spoke. He practiced repeatedly in his mind—what to say, what not to say, which technologies could be disclosed, which must be kept secret, and how to express Spark’s ambitions without being overly flamboyant.

When the plane landed at the Imperial Capital International Airport at 9:10 AM, a black Red Flag sedan was already waiting on the tarmac, with no license plate, only a special pass under the front windshield.

The person picking them up was a military officer in his thirties, with two bars and two stars on his shoulder straps, a Lieutenant Colonel. He gave a standard military salute: ”President Su, I am General Zhao’s aide, surnamed Chen. The chief sent me to pick you up.”

”Thank you for the trouble,” Su Chen nodded.

The car drove out of the airport, not through the city center, but onto the ring road, then turned toward the western suburbs. There were few vehicles on the road, with lush green belts on both sides. About forty minutes later, the car drove into a seemingly ordinary park—there was no sign at the gate, only two armed sentries.

After three checks, the car stopped in front of a gray-white three-story building. The architectural style was simple, but Su Chen noticed that the windows were all bulletproof glass and there were hidden communication antennas on the roof.

”Please follow me,” Aide Chen led the way.

Walking into the building, the interior decoration was also very simple. Beige walls, dark carpets, and some landscape paintings hanging on both sides of the corridor. But Su Chen could feel the ubiquitous surveillance and the solemn atmosphere that only important organs have.

They came to a conference room at the end of the second floor. Dark red solid wood double doors, with two staff members standing at the entrance.

”President Su, please come in. Secretary Lin, please wait in the lounge next door.”

Su Chen took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

The conference room was not large, with an oval mahogany conference table that could seat about ten people. At this moment, five people were already sitting at the table. Su Chen recognized three of them at a glance.

An elderly man sat in the main seat, wearing a dark jacket with a gentle smile. To his left was the Minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology, a scholar-type official wearing glasses; to his right was the Minister of the Department of Commerce, with a capable expression. Next to them were the Director of SASAC and the Vice Minister of the Ministry of National Defense.

”Comrade Su Chen, you’re here.” The elderly man stood up and took the initiative to reach out his hand.

Su Chen stepped forward quickly and shook it with both hands: ”Greetings, Chief.”

”Sit down, don’t be formal.” The Elder gestured for him to sit in the opposite position, ”Today is just a chat to hear about the situation of your Spark. You know everyone here, right?”

”I do. I often study the spirit of your speeches in the news,” Su Chen maintained a respectful but neither humble nor arrogant attitude.

The Minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology smiled: ”President Su is being modest. We have all seen your speech videos. ’chips can be remade, but people cannot come back.’ That was well said. Putting people first, that is the warmth a tech company should have.”

After a few pleasantries, they got down to business.

”Su Chen, we invited you here today mainly to fully understand the development of Spark Technology and Xingchen Heavy Industry,” the Elder said straight to the point. ”You’ve been making quite a stir lately—chips, cars, and military materials, three lines advancing simultaneously. The state needs to know: What is your plan? What support do you need? What contribution can you make to the country?”

Su Chen opened the folder Lin Wan had prepared, but closed it after just one glance. The data was in his head; more important was the thought process.

”Chief, leaders, I will report in three parts.” He adjusted his sitting posture, his voice steady and clear.

”Part one, current status. Spark Technology currently has three main lines: chip R&D, automobile manufacturing, and advanced materials. Xingchen Heavy Industry has two main lines: industrial mother machines and precision equipment.”

”Regarding chips, our self-developed EDA toolchain is 85% complete, the 16nm process library is 70% complete, and joint debugging with Shanghai Micro Electronics Equipment’s 28nm lithography machine has been completed. It is expected to launch the first 16nm general-purpose processor in December this year, with performance benchmarking against Intel’s 10th generation Core i5.”

The Vice Minister of the Ministry of National Defense’s eyes lit up: ”Completely independent?”

”From the instruction set to the manufacturing process, it’s 100% independent and controllable,” Su Chen affirmed. ”We have already reached a strategic cooperation with the HarmonyOS system, and the Flint Architecture will become one of the recommended architectures for HarmonyOS.”

”Regarding automobiles, the car model has just received fifty thousand firm orders. Although facing price war pressure, we insist on the value route. The 48V mild hybrid system equipped on the car model has 20% lower fuel consumption than joint-venture cars in the same class. More importantly—” Su Chen paused, ”we are developing smart cockpit chips and autonomous driving chips based on the Flint Architecture, planned to be equipped on new Red Flag models at the end of next year. Next year, we expect to release the mid-range H8 and the high-end H7.”

The Minister of the Department of Commerce nodded: ”The automobile industry chain is long and has a large driving effect. If Red Flag can rise, it will be a major boon for the revitalization of the old industrial base in the Northeast.”

”Regarding materials, ’Phantom’ stealth materials and ’Heavenly Bow’ carbon fiber have already passed military testing.” Su Chen looked at the Vice Minister of the Ministry of National Defense, ”Yesterday, we signed a ten-billion-yuan procurement agreement with General Zhao. These two materials’ performance fully surpasses similar international products, with lower costs.”

The elderly man was recording something, then looked up and asked: ”Can the production capacity keep up?”

”Currently, the production line produces five hundred tons annually, and can reach two thousand tons after expansion. But if there is a need, we can expand further,” Su Chen answered. ”The key is the raw material—the raw material for high-end carbon fiber is polyacrylonitrile. Our joint laboratory with Sinopec has broken through the high-purity preparation technology, and the localization rate can reach 100%.”

”Good.” A simple word, but it carried great weight.

”Part two, short-term planning.” Su Chen continued, ”In the next two years, Spark will accomplish three things: First, mass production of 16nm chips, breaking the foreign monopoly; second, monthly sales of Red Flag exceeding thirty thousand units, establishing a firm foothold in the mid-size car market; third, forming a complete product matrix of military materials, covering the fields of sea, land, air, and space.”

The Minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology pushed his glasses: ”The time is very tight. What difficulties are there?”

”Many difficulties,” Su Chen said frankly. ”The biggest difficulty for chips is the ecosystem. No matter how good the Flint Architecture is, it’s just scrap metal without software. We need the state to coordinate and promote the adaptation of mainstream software.”

”This can be coordinated,” the Minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology stated on the spot. ”The MIIT can take the lead in establishing an ’Independent Chip Ecosystem Alliance’ and bring in all domestic software companies.”

”The biggest difficulty for automobiles is brand recognition,” Su Chen continued. ”Consumers still have prejudices against domestic brands. We need time, and also policy support—for example, government procurement and official vehicles. If there can be more Red Flags, it will be a huge boost for the brand.”

The Director of SASAC nodded: ”There is room for this. The direction of official vehicle reform was originally to support domestic products.”

”The biggest difficulty for materials is...” Su Chen hesitated for a moment, ”confidentiality and security. These two materials are of great significance and will certainly attract all kinds of spying and sabotage. We need a higher level of security.”

The Vice Minister of the Ministry of National Defense said in a deep voice: ”Rest assured about this. Spark Materials has been included in the list of national key protected units. We will station a special security team to be responsible for the protection of core personnel and technology.”

Su Chen breathed a sigh of relief: ”Thank you, Chief.”

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”Part three, long-term strategy.” Su Chen’s voice became more forceful. ”The ultimate goal of Spark Technology is not to be the most profitable enterprise, but to build an autonomous and controllable hard technology system for China.”

He pulled up the blueprint in his mind: ”In the chip field, we will catch up with the international mainstream level within five years and achieve partial leadership within ten years. In the automotive field, within five years, we will make Red Flag a representative of domestic high-end brands, and enter the global market within ten years. In the materials field, we will achieve world-class status within three years and world-leading status within five years.”

”But this is not enough.” Su Chen looked at the elder. ”Chief, I believe the true value of Spark Technology and Xingchen Heavy Industry lies in the fact that we are a ’system’—chips provide computing power, automobiles provide scenarios, and materials provide the foundation. The synergy of the three can support a complete technological ecosystem.”

He gave an example: ”For instance, smart cars require chips (computing power) + materials (lightweighting) + software (algorithms). Spark Technology has layouts in all of these. Another example is military equipment—it requires stealth materials + high-performance chips + precision manufacturing. Xingchen Heavy Industry can provide the manufacturing capability.”

The conference room was very quiet, with only the rustling sound of pens scratching across paper.

The elder put down his pen and leaned forward: ”Su Chen, the ’system’ you just mentioned is exactly what the country needs most. International competition today is no longer about competition in single technologies, but competition between systems. Why is America strong? It’s not because it has Intel, General Motors, or Lockheed Martin, but because these enterprises have formed a mutually supportive system.”

He paused and looked around at everyone present: ”My opinion is to designate Spark Technology and Xingchen Heavy Industry as national strategic-level technology enterprises. The four ministries must form a joint support mechanism.”

The four ministerial-level leaders nodded in unison.

”The Ministry of Science and Technology is responsible for technical coordination and R&D support,” the Minister of Science and Technology said. ”National key R&D programs can be tilted towards Spark Technology. Achievements from universities and research institutes will be prioritized for transfer to Spark Technology.”

”The Department of Commerce is responsible for markets and international cooperation,” the Minister of Commerce continued. ”We can provide green channels for Spark Technology’s product exports. In case of international patent disputes, the Department of Commerce’s legal team can assist.”

”SASAC is responsible for resource allocation,” the Director of SASAC said. ”If land, funds, or policies are needed, we can use the fast track. State-owned banks can provide special loans.”

”The Ministry of National Defense is responsible for security guarantees and order support,” the Deputy Minister of National Defense said finally. ”In addition to existing orders, materials for subsequent new equipment models will be prioritized from Spark Technology. The security level will be raised to the highest.”

The elder summarized: ”In short, there is one principle—whatever Spark Technology needs, as long as it is reasonable, the country will support it. You are doing the work that the country needs most urgently; we cannot let you fight alone.”

Su Chen felt his eyes getting a little hot. He took a deep breath: ”Thank you, Chief, thank you, leaders. Spark Technology will definitely live up to expectations.”

”Don’t be in such a hurry to thank me,” the elder waved his hand. ”There is support, but there are also requirements. First, technology cannot stop. You must maintain R&D investment and continuous innovation. Second, quality cannot be relaxed. Military materials relate to the lives of soldiers, automobiles relate to the safety of the people, and chips relate to information security; none of these can have any problems. Third, talent cannot be cut off. You must cultivate your own scientists and engineers to form a talent pipeline.”

”Understood,” Su Chen solemnly promised. ”Last year, Spark Technology’s R&D investment accounted for 10% of revenue, and this year it will increase to 15%. Regarding quality, we have established a three-level inspection system. Leaders may have heard about the 300 Red Flag H9 units we reworked—that is our attitude. Regarding talent, the Spark Academy of Sciences has already recruited 1,200 graduate students and established joint training mechanisms with 12 universities.”

The report lasted an hour and a half. Su Chen clearly explained Spark Technology’s technical roadmap, R&D progress, market strategy, and future plans. The five leaders asked questions and discussed from time to time, and the atmosphere of the meeting was serious and efficient.

At 11:30, the elder looked at his watch: ”That’s about it. Su Chen, stay behind; the rest of you can go get busy.”

The four ministers got up and left. As they left, they all shook hands with Su Chen and said some words of encouragement.

Only the two of them were left in the conference room.

”Let’s go, join me for lunch,” the elder stood up. ”Keep it simple, a cafeteria work meal.”

Su Chen followed behind, walked through the corridor, and arrived at a small dining room. There were several square tables and long benches, like a university cafeteria. Inside the window, there were four dishes and one soup: braised pork belly, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, mapo tofu, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and seaweed egg drop soup.

Staff wanted to make separate arrangements, but were stopped by the elder: ”Just here, it’s fine.”

The two got their food and sat down opposite each other.

”Do you usually eat in the cafeteria in Shenzhen?” the elder asked.

”Yes. Spark Technology’s cafeteria is not bad, it’s a buffet with more than 10 dishes to choose from,” Su Chen said.

”That’s good. Entrepreneurs cannot be disconnected from their employees,” the elder picked up a piece of braised pork belly. ”You’re 28 this year, right?”

”27.”

”So young,” the elder sighed. ”When I was 27, I was still training at the grassroots level. You are already doing things that change the destiny of the country.”

Su Chen didn’t know how to respond.

”Don’t be nervous, this is private time now,” the elder smiled. ”Let me have a heart-to-heart talk with you. Do you know why I support Spark Technology?”

Su Chen shook his head.

”Because you are doing the right thing,” the elder put down his chopsticks. ”In the forty years of reform and opening up, we have achieved great success, but we have also paid a price—trading market for technology, but in the end, we gave away the market without getting the technology. Automobiles are like this, chips are like this, and large aircraft are also like this.”

His expression became serious: ”Now the international situation has changed. They won’t give it to us; they are strangling us. What to do? We have to do it ourselves. But doing it ourselves takes time, money, and people. It even more requires entrepreneurs like you who have courage and vision.”

”Chief, you overpraise me,” Su Chen said. ”I just did what I should do.”

”Many people dare not do what they should do,” the elder looked at him. ”Investing in chips might mean tens of billions down the drain. Taking over Red Flag might drag down the entire group. Researching military materials might mean no results for years. You did all of it, and you succeeded. That is not simple.”

He took a sip of soup and continued: ”Today I give you a promise—Spark Technology and Xingchen Heavy Industry, as long as you don’t break the law or do things that harm national interests, the country will be your backing. If you encounter difficulties you cannot solve, you can contact me directly.”

The elder took a card out of his pocket; it had no text, only an eleven-digit phone number.

”This is my confidential phone number, on 24 hours a day. Remember, this number is only for the most urgent times. For normal work, just find the corresponding department.”

Su Chen took the card with both hands, feeling its heavy weight.

”Thank you, Chief.”

”Don’t thank me; if you want to thank someone, thank yourself and all the employees of Spark Technology,” the elder stood up. ”China’s rise requires hard power, hard power requires hard technology, and hard technology requires backbone. Spark Technology is now a backbone of the country.”

He reached out his hand: ”Su Chen, work hard. The next thirty years are the critical thirty years that will determine the fate of the Chinese nation. We cannot lose this technology war, and we cannot afford to lose.”

Su Chen grasped that hand, feeling the thickness and strength of the palm.

”Please rest assured, Chief. Spark Technology will definitely not fail the country.”

Lunch ended at 12:30. Su Chen was sent back to the airport for his 2:00 PM flight back to Shenzhen.

As the plane took off, he looked at Beijing outside the window; this ancient yet modern city appeared solemn and full of strength under the autumn sun.

Lin Wan asked softly: ”Mr. Su, did the meeting go well?”

Su Chen nodded, looking at the wordless card in his hand. Sunlight shone through the porthole onto the card, reflecting a faint luster.

”Very well,” he said. ”From today on, Spark Technology is no longer fighting alone.”

The plane soared into the clouds, heading south, towards Shenzhen, towards that future they needed to pioneer.

Outside the window, the sea of clouds churned like the waves of history.

Inside the window, Su Chen closed his eyes. He knew that the more arduous battle had just begun.

But this time, behind him, was the entire country.