Tech Giants: Starting from Bankrupt Companies

194: Chapter 194 System Reward: Rocket Recovery TechnologyMarch 15th, late night.

Shenzhen, Spark Technology headquarters, top-floor office.

11:00 PM, Su Chen sat alone in his office.

Outside the window was the night view of Shenzhen, the city where he had struggled for three years, now a symbol of China’s technology.

The screen displayed a congratulatory message from the Xingchen Academy of Sciences: ’14nm process test successful, yield rate 92.3%. Thank you for your support, Mr. Su. We did it.’

Su Chen looked at these words, remaining silent for a long time.

Three years.

Three years ago, he transmigrated into this parallel world, and a ’System’ appeared in his mind. At that time, he was a college graduate of three years, his father had retired early due to illness, and he had taken over the near-bankrupt Spark Technology with no resources.

He still remembered every word the System said when it first appeared:

[I am not magic, nor alien technology. I am the ’Super-Dimensional Technology System’ from the year 2545—more accurately, I am a hybrid of human technology databases and business deduction models from that era.]

[My mission: Before human civilization encounters the ’Technological Singularity Crisis,’ lay out key technological paths in advance to prevent civilization from stagnating. The timeline the host is in is a critical turning point.]

[All rewards are ’near-future technologies’ achievable by the current human technology tree, and I have already constructed a complete intellectual property chain and compliant transaction records for the host. Please use them reasonably to promote the progress of civilization.]

At that time, Su Chen thought he was dreaming.

But then, the System issued the first task. Over the past three years, it had only issued three tasks.

He followed its instructions and took over Spark Technology.

Three years later, today, Spark is a giant with a market value of six trillion.

And the System has always been in his mind, like a silent mentor, appearing only at critical moments.

[Ding—]

A familiar mechanical sound rang out.

[Main Task 3 ’Resisting Sanctions’ completed.]

[Task requirements: Under America’s technology blockade, achieve full-chain self-sufficiency in chip manufacturing, ensuring that the company’s stock price and sales do not drop by more than 50%.]

[Completion time: 90 days ahead of schedule.]

[Evaluation: S-rank.]

Su Chen leaned back in his chair: ’What is the reward this time?’

The System did not answer directly but unfolded a virtual panel.

[Reward 1: One 16nm chip production line, with an annual production capacity of 1 million units, including a full set of equipment such as lithography machines and etching machines at the same technical level as ASML.]

[Execution plan: The physical equipment is stored in a Hong Kong bonded warehouse, and ownership belongs to ’Morning Star Trading Co., Ltd.’ registered in the Cayman Islands. The company was registered in August 2015, Legal Representative: Su Chen, mainly engaged in precision equipment trading, possessing full import/export qualifications and tax payment records.]

Su Chen frowned.

He had some impression of this ’Morning Star Trading’—three years ago, the System made him register a bunch of offshore companies, saying they would be ’useful in the future.’ He did as he was told but never paid attention to them.

Now, these companies had come in handy.

’Shipping it directly from abroad? How do I explain it to customs?’ Su Chen asked.

[A complete transaction chain has been generated: The original equipment manufacturer is the Netherlands’ ’Van der Veer Precision Equipment,’ which went bankrupt and was liquidated in June 2017. Morning Star Trading acquired all its inventory for 8 billion euros, including an unopened 16nm production line.]

[All customs declaration documents, certificates of origin, and technology export licenses (issued by the Dutch government) are complete. Tax records are complete. The equipment arrived at the Hong Kong bonded warehouse in December 2017, and storage fees have been paid until 2020.]

[Key point: Van der Veer Company actually existed and did go bankrupt. The acquisition transaction is on record at the Dutch court, and payment records are verifiable at Swiss banks.]

Flawless.

Su Chen took a deep breath.

The System was always like this—packaging all ’unreasonable’ things into ’reasonable’ ones. Over the past three years, he had long become accustomed to it.

’What about Reward 2?’ he asked.

[Extra reward (due to completing the task early): ’Full-Stack Solution for Reusable Rocket Engine Technology,’ ’Multi-Satellite Intelligent Deployment System.’ Technology maturity: Equivalent to the level of SpaceX in 2024.]

[Support: Relevant patents have been registered in major countries around the world, with the registered entity being ’Morning Star Aerospace Research Institute’ (registered in Panama). Star Rocket can obtain them through licensing.]

Su Chen held an encrypted hard drive in his hand, which could be linked to a computer to read the data.

He entered the password—a password only he knew.

Inside the folder were:

3000 pages of rocket engine design blueprints, in PDF format, with detailed annotations.

2000 lines of core control algorithm source code, in C++ language, with clear comments.

Material formula document: A new type of high-temperature alloy called ’Spark-7,’ which can be mass-produced using Spark’s existing material processes, with performance 30% higher than Inconel 718 used by NASA.

Test data: Virtual test run records, engine ignition for 1000 seconds without anomalies.

Su Chen flipped through the pages, his hands trembling.

This was not a chip; this was aerospace—the pinnacle of human engineering.

’System,’ he asked softly, ’where do you actually come from?’

The System was silent for a few seconds.

[Host’s authority is insufficient to answer this question. Please focus on the current task: Propelling human civilization toward space.]

That sentence again.

For three years, every time he asked core questions, the System gave this answer.

Su Chen stopped asking.

He picked up the phone and dialed a number.

’This is Su Chen. Connect me to the office of the Chief Engineer of the Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation... Yes, now. There is an important collaboration to discuss.’

On the morning of March 16th at 9:00 AM, Xinghuo Chip released an announcement:

’Announcement Regarding the Purchase of Production Equipment from a Related Party’

Key points:

Xinghuo Chip plans to purchase a 16nm chip production line from Morning Star Trading Co., Ltd.

Priced at 100 billion rmb (tax included).

The production line can achieve an annual output of 1 million 16nm chips, with an internationally leading technical level.

Morning Star Trading is a related party controlled by Su Chen, the actual controller of Spark Technology, and this transaction constitutes a related-party transaction.

The transaction has been reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors and is still subject to approval by the General Meeting of Shareholders.

Once the announcement was released, the capital market exploded.

Doubts were overwhelming:

’Related-party transaction! Tunneling of benefits!’

’100 billion? What kind of production line is worth 100 billion?’

’What the hell is Morning Star Trading? Can’t find any information!’

’Spark is trying to hollow out the listed company!’

The media mobilized urgently to dig deep into ’Morning Star Trading.’

The results were surprising:

Morning Star Trading Co., Ltd., registered in the Cayman Islands, Legal Representative Su Chen, registered capital of 100 million USD. Main business: Import and export of precision equipment.

The company was established in August 2015. Over the past three years, Morning Star Trading operated low-key, mainly importing high-end machine tools and precision instruments from Europe and reselling them to domestic enterprises. The annual report showed the company’s annual revenue was around 1-2 billion rmb, with average profits.

But the key information was: In June 2017, Morning Star Trading acquired all assets of the Dutch company Van der Veer for 8 billion euros (approximately 64 billion rmb).

Van der Veer Company, established in 1982, was once a well-known European semiconductor equipment manufacturer, mainly producing supporting equipment for lithography machines and etching machines. However, due to poor management, it went bankrupt in 2017.

The acquisition case had public records in the Netherlands: Morning Star Trading paid 8 billion euros and obtained all of Van der Veer’s technical patents, production equipment, and inventory products.

This included an unopened 16nm production line—originally customized by Van der Veer for a client, but the client went bankrupt, and the production line had been sitting in a warehouse.

These production lines were based on ASML’s technical architecture but had been improved, with performance equivalent to the level of ASML in 2016.

’So, Xinghuo Chip used 100 billion to buy a production line worth 120-150 billion?’ an analyst did the math. ’And the equipment is already in Hong Kong, ready to be shipped in at any time?’

’It seems so.’

’So Morning Star Trading made a 36 billion profit margin? Su Chen moving money from his left hand to his right?’

’But Xinghuo Chip is getting a bargain. If they went to buy the same production line themselves, it would cost more, and they might not be able to buy it—the America ban is still in effect.’

The debate continued for the whole morning.

At 2:00 PM, the report from the third-party evaluation agency was released.

Deloitte, PwC, and CICC jointly issued an evaluation report:

If this production line were purchased from ASML, the market price would be approximately 120-150 billion rmb.

Technical level: Equivalent to the international advanced level of 2016, slightly behind the latest technology, but fully meeting the mass production requirements for 16nm chips.

Equipment condition: 100% intact, unopened, with original factory warranty.

Conclusion: The transaction price is fair, and Xinghuo Chip did not harm the interests of shareholders.

At the same time, Customs released documents: The equipment arrived at the Hong Kong bonded warehouse in December 2017, customs declaration procedures are complete, and the technology export license is legal and valid.

Public opinion began to turn.

’So they picked up a huge bargain.’

’Morning Star Trading laid the groundwork three years ago; Mr. Su has a truly sharp eye.’

’No wonder Spark dared to spend 150 billion to build the Daya Bay factory—the equipment was already prepared.’

At 4:00 PM, Xinghuo Chip held an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders.

Online voting, approval rate: 89.7%.

The transaction was passed.

That night, 100 billion was transferred from the Xinghuo Chip account to the Morning Star Trading account.

After taxes, Morning Star Trading received about 80 billion.

Su Chen signed the documents, injecting all 80 billion into the newly established ’Star Rocket Technology Co., Ltd.’ And he held a press conference to promote the entry into the rocket launch field.

A reporter at the press conference asked: ’Mr. Su, Spark has just made a breakthrough in the chip field. Why are you suddenly wanting to engage in rockets? Isn’t this too abrupt?’

Su Chen stood on the stage, with the Star Rocket logo behind him—a rocket orbiting the Earth.

’chips are the cornerstone of the information age, allowing us to connect with each other,’ he said. ’Aerospace is the ladder to the future of civilization, allowing us to head toward the starry sky.’

He paused, looking at the camera.

’We cannot keep engaging in internal competition on the ground—fighting for market share, litigating over technical patents, and shedding blood over line widths of a few nanometers.’

’Human civilization needs a bigger stage. And space is the ultimate stage.’

Silence fell in the audience.

Then, applause thundered.