172: Chapter 173 The Survival Rules of South Korean Chaebols

Listening to the Chairman's hair-raising, deep deduction,

the air in the top-floor conference room seemed to freeze.

The Samsung Chairman's cloudy yet sharp eyes slowly swept over the group of pampered chaebol executives present.

Like a cruel mentor, he mercilessly tore open the bloodiest truth of the global tech industry.

"Do you think the semiconductor industry is purely about technology?

You are dead wrong!

In essence, it is a global war of hegemonic harvesting disguised as technology!"

The old man's voice was low and hoarse, yet it carried an extreme clarity that saw right through the power games of major nations:

"In the past few decades, the rules of the world's chips have been dominated by the United States.

Silicon Valley is responsible for setting standards, and Europe's ASML is responsible for controlling the manufacturing tools.

And we, Samsung, are the most loyal and powerful executors on this chain of interests."

"As long as this old order is still functioning, and as long as the West's technological barriers remain insurmountable,

we, Samsung of South Korea, can attach ourselves to this hegemonic system and sit securely at the top of the industry chain."

The Chairman suddenly clenched his fist and made a forceful downward chopping motion:

"We can take that sickle forged from Western patents and harvest the world's wealth without any scruples!

Especially that massive market across the sea, with a population of over a billion, desperately crying out for high-end chips!"

"In front of them, we are gods looking down from on high.

We can cut off their supply whenever we want, and raise prices however we please!"

At this point, the Chairman's tone suddenly shifted, bursting with an unprecedented level of wariness and solemnity.

"But now, everything has changed!"

"Within China, a terrifying beast has emerged that is completely uncontrolled by Western rules!

That young man named Shen Du.

He doesn't just refuse to play by the rules of the game we set.

He won't even look at the trump card the United States is so proud of; he is directly preparing to flip the entire gaming table!"

The Chairman pointed to the analysis report on the table, his voice sounding somewhat harsh with excitement:

"If Jiyuan Technology can really completely bypass ASML and all the patent barriers of Silicon Valley, and manufacture high-performance chips entirely behind closed doors...

Do you know what this means?"

"It means that the 'big stick of sanctions' waved by the United States, when struck against Jiyuan Technology,

will be no different from a scrap of waste paper!"

"It also means that the seemingly indestructible iron curtain of semiconductor monopoly—woven by century-old Western syndicates, which has shrouded the global tech industry for decades..."

The old man took a deep breath and announced this harsh reality word by word:

"has been violently torn open with a fatal rift by Shen Du!"

As the words 'fatal rift' fell heavily from the Chairman's mouth,

the air in the entire top-floor conference room was completely sucked dry, and all the executives felt a shudder that verged on suffocation.

Looking at this group of subordinates who were usually high and mighty but now looked as if they were facing a formidable enemy,

a complex, almost desolate sneer suddenly appeared on the Samsung Chairman's weathered face.

"However, you don't need to put on such an expression, as if the sky is falling."

The old man slowly leaned back in his chair, his eyes revealing an extremely slick, worldly shrewdness and opportunism:

"What I said just now wasn't to ask you to pledge your loyalty to our American masters, let alone fight to the death with Jiyuan Technology."

"You must always remember who we are at our core.

We are Samsung of South Korea!

In this Shura Field of great power games, we are just a 'small-nation chaebol' struggling to survive in the cracks!"

The Chairman mercilessly ripped away the Samsung Chaebol's glamorous disguise,

laying the bare, bloody truth of their core 'fence-sitter' survival philosophy on the table.

"Clinging to the strong is our instinct for survival.

But we must absolutely never hang ourselves on a tree that is about to rot; this is our century-old bottom line!"

The old man's gaze was like two ghostly flames: "If the chip business can always be dominated by the United States,

then we will go with the flow and continue to follow them in harvesting wealth globally.

But once someone can completely bypass the West's technological barriers, produce high-end chips independently, and break this damn absolute monopoly..."

The Chairman suddenly leaned forward, pressing his hands firmly on the table, and spat out that vital core strategy through gritted teeth:

"Then we must immediately, right now, make a backup plan!"

This was the most realistic and shameless shrewdness of a small-nation oligarchy.

They did not blindly and rigidly act as dogs for the superpower.

Instead, at the very early stage of keenly sensing that a 'second option' was about to appear in the world,

they would quietly place another chip on the gambling table in advance.

"As long as China's epoch-making technological dragon can truly rise against the heavens,

we, Samsung, must ensure that we have the qualifications and the bridge to turn our vehicle around at the very first moment and smoothly switch to Jiyuan Technology's camp!"

It was only at this moment

that Kim Cheon-sik felt as if he had been struck by a sudden realization,

fully comprehending the terrifying strategic depth of the Chairman's 'fence-sitting in the cracks' approach.

It turned out that the contract manufacturing order worth several hundred million was not a simple technological test at all,

but a retreat that the Samsung Chaebol had quietly prepared for themselves as a precaution!

Kim Cheon-sik wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, casting aside all the contempt and arrogance in his heart.

He suddenly stood up straight and bowed deeply to the Chairman.

"Chairman, I completely understand!"

Kim Cheon-sik's voice became incredibly solemn and cold:

"I will immediately set to work making arrangements.

This home appliance OEM contract worth several hundred million is our best cover!"

"I will deploy the densest network of informants around Magic City and even Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park!

Under the pretense of delivery, quality control, and technical coordination, I will keep a death grip on every single pulse of Jiyuan Technology in the shadows!

If there is any breakthrough movement in their mountain base, Samsung will definitely be the first to sense it!"

Looking at Kim Cheon-sik, who had finally seen the light, the Samsung Chairman finally closed his eyes in satisfaction and waved his hand slightly.