Everyone took their seats again.
The vice president of Huahong impatiently steered the conversation toward the 12-inch project, talking at length about the broad prospects and funding needs after the project's restart, hoping Qiu Ciyun would put in a good word to persuade President Liu to invest.
In a sense, Qiu Ciyun was already considered one of their own, lacking only the formal onboarding procedures, so the vice president did not shy away from speaking in front of him.
As Qiu Ciyun listened, his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
When the other party finished, instead of following along to hype up the project, he spoke frankly to Liu Yutong: "It's a good thing that President Liu is interested in semiconductor manufacturing. But investing in Huahong, especially restarting the 12-inch line, requires careful consideration. To be honest, my recent research shows that Huahong's current technological foundation and management system are still quite far from successfully operating an advanced 12-inch line. You'd have to wait at least three to five years to see any returns."
His words were quite blunt, even carrying a hint of sabotage.
Of course, he said this on purpose because he could tell that Liu Yutong and her team were not sincerely looking to invest, so he didn't beat around the bush.
Better to clear things up early and go home, rather than waste each other's time.
Hearing this, the faces of the Huahong executives immediately turned awkward, and they even somewhat regretted inviting him.
Who exposes someone's shortcomings like that?
After hearing this, however, Liu Yutong's eyes lit up. As expected of the man she had her eyes on—he had character.
"Dr. Qiu's assessment is very fair, and this is also my biggest concern after my inspection. Semiconductor manufacturing is a marathon, not a short-term capital game. Without a clear and feasible technical path, a core team capable of fighting tough battles, and the determination to persist in long-term investment against all kinds of interference, even if you invest a massive amount of money, it might just go down the drain."
Her words unexpectedly coincided with Qiu Ciyun's views, being even sharper and more direct. It also implicitly stated her attitude: she wasn't just playing around; she was prepared for a long-term battle.
The conference room fell silent again. The expressions of the Huahong executives were no longer just awkward, but rather ugly.
Their understanding of Liu Yutong's words was different; it felt as if she was directly calling out Huahong for its chaotic management and lack of planning.
For the first time, Qiu Ciyun looked at Liu Yutong with a serious gaze.
Could he have misjudged? Was this young woman truly here to invest?
Liu Yutong said, "Dr. Qiu, I have some questions I'd like to discuss with you privately. I wonder if it's convenient to step aside for a chat? After all, our investment decision requires the advice of a professional like you."
This request was perfectly reasonable.
Although the Huahong side was dissatisfied, they could not refuse, as they were still counting on Liu Yutong's investment.
Qiu Ciyun did not refuse: "Sure."
...............
The two arrived at a relatively quiet small reception room within the park, with Su Mansu accompanying them to take notes.
As for why they didn't bring Pony Ma, it was because the subsequent conversation involved some confidential matters. Pony Ma would just have to suffer a bit and deal with the vice president and other Huahong executives.
The moment the door closed, the atmosphere in the room noticeably changed.
Liu Yutong didn't beat around the bush. Her commercial smile faded, replaced by earnestness.
"Dr. Qiu, time is limited, so I'll be direct. My visit to inspect Huahong today is a facade; coming to see you is my true purpose."
"I don't want you to join Huahong."
Qiu Ciyun's gaze suddenly sharpened. He was clearly surprised, but he didn't interrupt, just watching her quietly, waiting for her to continue.
"I know you are currently in contact with Huahong and are very likely to take over as CEO. But I believe that's a massive quagmire, and it will be very difficult for you to pull it out quickly on your own. Most importantly, if you exhaust your time and energy there, you will only drift further away from your ultimate goal—building a truly internationally competitive, technologically independent and controllable advanced production line."
"Forgive my presumption, but you should be around fifty this year, right? At this age, your energy is ultimately not what it used to be. Are you really willing to burn out your remaining passion in endless internal friction and compromises?"
The corners of Qiu Ciyun's mouth twitched slightly, but he didn't deny it.
Liu Yutong's words had indeed struck a chord in his heart and moved him.
Whether at Huahong or previously at Zhongxin, there were truly a lot of messy problems. Often, as a manager, it was hard to focus on conquering manufacturing processes; instead, one's energy was consumed by many trivial matters.
At the end of the day, it was a lack of autonomy.
Seeing that the timing was right, Liu Yutong laid her cards on the table: "So, I want to offer you another choice. A brand-new platform, a complete blank slate. The project is named Longxin. The goal is to build and mass-produce a 12-inch wafer fab with independent intellectual property rights within three years, catch up with world-class levels in five years, and completely surpass them in ten."
"The initial investment is ten billion, and the funds are already fully in place. This is absolutely not an empty promise."
Qiu Ciyun was finally somewhat moved. Ten billion right off the bat—this girl's generosity was truly staggering!
"I want to know where the funds are coming from? And how do you guarantee the sustainability of the funding?"
"The funds are jointly provided by my own capital firm, renowned overseas investment banks, and top domestic internet companies."
"Companies like Ali, Penguin, and Baidu are all investors. They are willing to invest because they want to become Longxin's first major clients and ecological partners."
"Dr. Qiu, let me just tell you the conditions I'm offering. You will serve as the CEO of Longxin Semiconductor, possessing absolute autonomy over technology and operations, an unlimited research and development budget, the authority to recruit a team globally, and a 10% equity stake in the company."
"A 10% equity stake?"
Qiu Ciyun abruptly looked up, his eyes full of disbelief.
Wait, giving him a billion for free before he had even done anything?
This... this girl was really making a grand gesture, or perhaps she was just too bold, giving off a more money than sense vibe.
You have to know that even when Zhongxin International was first established, it was very difficult for core executives to get such a high percentage of equity, including the founder, Zhang Rujin.
Besides the equity, what truly tempted him was the absolute autonomy. This meant he could build the factory and conduct R&D entirely according to his own concepts, no longer bound by capital or other people.
Why did he leave Zhongxin in the first place? Wasn't it because his ideals clashed with Zhang Rujin and some other executives?
"In addition to your personal share, I will also set aside a 15% options pool," Liu Yutong added.
Revealing all her trump cards right upon meeting was actually a very foolish move. In a normal negotiation, who lays all their cards on the table at once?
But after seeing Qiu Ciyun in person and hearing his initial remarks, she felt there was no need to beat around the bush with someone of his personality.
She might as well be straightforward to the end.
Isn't there a saying? Sincerity is the ultimate weapon!
The 25% equity she was giving away in total was worth 2.5 billion in the early stages of the project, and it was solid, without any inflation. It would probably be hard to find a second boss as generous as her in the whole country, right?
Qiu Ciyun took another deep look at the young woman, who was young enough to be his own daughter. He had to admit, he was genuinely tempted.
If one overlooked the fact that she currently had "almost nothing but money," her offer left Hua Hong's miles behind. It was incredibly hard to turn down.
Even so, he didn't want to agree so hastily. At the very least, he needed to learn more about the equipment and technical details.
"President Liu, since you're looking to break into the semiconductor industry, you must have done your research. You should know that the most advanced lithography machines are currently impossible for us to buy."
Liu Yutong smiled.
Parting her pale pink lips, she named a company. "I wonder, Dr. Qiu, have you ever heard of a company called Mapper?"
At those words, Qiu Ciyun could no longer sit still. "President Liu, you can actually get your hands on their equipment?"
