179: Chapter 180 Shen Hai is secretly gambling with Shen Du's life!

October 9th. The early morning river breeze carried the chill of early autumn.

Shen Du pushed open the door of the black Maybach, his leather shoes stepping firmly onto the newly paved asphalt of the Zhangjiang Technology Park.

His purpose for rushing here early this morning was clear.

He was here to personally inspect the fortress that would carry the future hardware foundation of Jiyuan Technology.

He looked up, his gaze passing over the morning mist that had not yet fully dispersed, locking directly onto the minimalist gate ahead.

There were no ostentatious decorations, nor any high-end promotional slogans.

On the grey-white concrete pillars, eight large characters were deeply embedded in the coldest, hardest metal: Jiyuan Technology Semiconductor Park.

"Mr. Shen."

General Manager Chen Shengqiang, who had gotten out of the car behind him, walked up quickly.

Pointing at the massive complex of buildings before them, his voice filled with the excitement of someone who had been supervising work through sleepless nights:

"We managed to finish all the rushed renovations just before the National Day holiday ended."

Shen Du didn't speak; he walked straight through the gate and strode into the park.

His gaze, like a precision scanner, quickly surveyed the territory before him that had been completely reshaped.

Just a few months ago.

This place was still an abandoned car manufacturing plant, left unfinished due to complex contract disputes.

To save time on acquiring new land and going through tedious, lengthy approval processes.

Shen Du had used the most ruthless capital tactics to forcibly take over.

Organized engineering teams had been working day and night, destroying and rebuilding inside.

"The old car assembly lines and chassis workshops have all been demolished."

General Manager Chen Shengqiang followed closely by Shen Du's side, pointing at the brand-new architectural layout ahead as he quickly reported:

"According to your blueprints, we forcibly erected a ten-story main laboratory building in the center.

The five core experimental factory areas surrounding it have also been completed, meeting the highest level of cleanroom standards."

Shen Du's gaze followed General Manager Chen Shengqiang's finger, past the main building, toward the neat cluster of low buildings at the back of the park.

"The unfinished vacant land at the very back has also been leveled."

General Manager Chen Shengqiang continued, following Shen Du's gaze:

"It has all been cleared and built into a fully enclosed residential and living area for the research staff.

The logistics team moved in and was fully in place late last night."

Shen Du withdrew his gaze, not stopping his pace as he led General Manager Chen Shengqiang toward the main entrance of the laboratory building.

"It's not just the construction inside the park."

General Manager Chen Shengqiang hurried to keep up.

He quickly pulled a document with several bright red official seals from his black briefcase and handed it to Shen Du:

"The efficiency of City Hall this time is so fast it's actually unsettling."

Shen Du took the document with one hand and opened it as he walked.

"The residential complex we had our eye on for the research staff originally had complex property rights involving several departments.

But the Municipal Committee used their special approval authority to forcibly transfer the land to our name within a few days."

General Manager Chen Shengqiang swallowed and pointed at a road network plan attached to the approval document:

"Also, the Transportation Bureau changed three major bus routes around Zhangjiang overnight."

Shen Du's gaze swept over the plan.

There was a crude red dashed line on it.

It connected the gate of the residential complex directly to the gate of Jiyuan Technology Semiconductor Park.

"A direct line, fifteen to twenty minutes, with no extra stops in between."

General Manager Chen Shengqiang's tone was filled with complex emotions:

"Mr. Shen, the entire Shanghai approval system seems to have received some kind of 'do-or-die' order this time.

No department, no link in the chain, dared to block our applications.

It's like they've completely uprooted all the toll booths on the road."

Shen Du snapped the document shut and handed it back to General Manager Chen Shengqiang.

His expression remained as cold and hard as iron, but a flash of clear-headed light crossed his deep eyes.

General Manager Chen Shengqiang couldn't understand this illogical administrative green light, but he knew exactly what was going on.

Taking advantage of the favorable wind of the domestic semiconductor industry's urgent need for a breakthrough.

Secretary Shen Hai, who sat firmly in the position of Municipal Party Secretary, was using a subtle yet powerful hand to pave the way for him frantically.

This was not conventional investment promotion at all.

That powerful uncle was using this top-tier logistical support system to send him an absolutely clear signal:

Aside from the core R&D that he had to conquer himself.

All external administrative friction, daily trifles, and even those shady obstacles, the Shen Family would crush them into dust for him in the shadows.

The sensor-activated glass doors of the main laboratory building slid open silently, and a blast of extremely dry, constant-temperature air rushed to meet them.

Shen Du stepped into the spacious hall, his leather shoes clicking on the mirror-like marble floor, the echo clearly audible.

He looked at this place before him, which was about to carry the country's highest cutting-edge computing power.

What appeared in his mind, however, was the current domestic mobile phone market, which seemed to be booming but was actually deformed to a sickening degree.

"General Manager Chen Shengqiang, don't mistake these green lights from above for simple political-business friendship or investment promotion."

Shen Du stopped, his gaze piercing through the heavy glass curtain wall to look at the cleanroom workshop behind, which was undergoing final adjustments:

"It's 2013, and the domestic smartphone market is indeed exploding wildly.

But look at those domestic brands selling hot on the counters.

Which one of them holds their own core technology?"

General Manager Chen Shengqiang followed Shen Du's gaze, his expression tightening slightly, and he didn't reply.

"Not a single one."

Shen Du's voice was cold enough to scrape bone:

"They all buy foreign customized systems and foreign core chips at high prices.

And then pair them with foreign screens and memory.

The entire domestic mobile phone industry boasts to the outside world about being tech companies.

But once you tear open the packaging, they are all just low-end assembly plants kneeling to work for foreign capital."

As an operator, he loathed this kind of patchwork business that lacked any moat.

Because as soon as foreign capital turned hostile, it could strangle the entire domestic industry at any moment.

"In the face of this kind of technological gap, even if domestic brands eat up the entire domestic market, they have no qualifications to go overseas and compete for dominance."

Shen Du turned around, the cold white dome lights of the hall reflected in his pupils, rationally pointing out the real reason why the higher-ups were betting everything:

"In the eyes of high-level officials like Secretary Shen Hai, this false prosperity is a dead end that could explode at any time.

Wanting to break through foreign technological barriers was originally a distant hope.

And that Cold Etching Machine we hold in our hands is the only heavy weapon they can see right now that can forcibly tear through this blockade."

His fingers tapped lightly on the smooth metal railing.

"So, they are not paving the way for me personally at all."

Shen Du's tone revealed a coldness that went straight to the core:

"They are using the entire resources of City Hall to bet on the country's semiconductor industry."

9:50 AM, the temporary viewing platform outside the main laboratory building.

There were no overwhelming media cameras or deafening gongs and drums.

The scene was very restrained.

There were only a few rows of low-key black leather chairs and a ribbon stretched across the center of the red carpet.

Shen Du stood in the center of the viewing platform, his gaze like a tangible blade, calmly sweeping over the figures seated in the front row below.

Li Jianfeng of Jianfeng Precision was whispering to an elderly man beside him.

The three traditional giants of Shanghai, Wu Tianheng, Zhou Zhenghai, and Zhu Qingshan, sat side by side.

On the right, Qin Zhengye, who controlled Sheng Tang Communications and the power grid; Chen Mingyuan, who controlled the throat of e-commerce; and Su Yunjing, the leader in biopharmaceuticals.

Even the rarely seen Shanghai private real estate giant, Fu Zhaonan, was prominently on the list.

Shen Du's gaze swept quickly over these faces.

His brain, like a supercomputer, instantly gave a terrifying calculation assessment.

These few dozen men chatting below.

Their combined net worth had already smashed through the ceiling of the hundred-billion level, and they held the lifeline of at least 30% of Shanghai's assets firmly in their hands.

As of today in 2013.

This was a capital group capable of causing a magnitude-10 earthquake in the national business world in an instant.

And at this moment.

These industry oligarchs, who could make the Huangpu River churn with huge waves just by stomping their feet.

Were all stopping their conversations, looking up in unison, watching the young man standing in the main position on the stage.

Shen Du met the gaze from below, his deep pupils showing no stage fright.

He knew better than anyone.

Compared to the intricate family foundations below, he had only entered the game for a short two years, and his resume was as thin as paper.

All the chips and vast funds in his hands.

Had all been hacked out in these last two years in the bloodiest business meat grinder, stepping on the bones of countless foreign capital and local snakes.

But so what?

Shen Du held the ribbon-cutting tray with one hand, a cold, hard arc curling at the corner of his mouth.

No matter how long these old foxes below had lived or how deep their connections were.

Today, only he held that semiconductor heart that the country craved.

Only he possessed the Jiyuan empire with a terrifying monthly turnover of two billion.

In this power handover without smoke, he had the shallowest foundation.

But even so, he was the eye of the storm in Shanghai.

The early autumn sunlight passed through the thin clouds and hit the large gold-plated scissors in Shen Du's hand, refracting a blinding, cold light.

Facing that group of hundred-billion-yuan tycoons below, who ate people without spitting out the bones in the business sea.

Shen Du's movements paused for a brief moment.

He was not experiencing stage fright.

Instead, in this quiet confrontation, he was coldly deducing what methods to use next.

To be able to tie this group of independently fighting giant crocodiles onto Jiyuan Technology's chariot.

Just in this moment of distraction, a broad, powerful palm naturally rested on his right shoulder.

"Time is up, it's time for the ribbon-cutting!"

Secretary Shen Hai's low voice sounded in his ear.

This high-ranking official, who sat firmly in the top seat in Shanghai, did not reveal that secret blood relationship at all.

Instead, he used the most impeccable official posture.

To forcibly suppress the overwhelming sense of capital oppression in the audience for Shen Du.

The weight on his shoulder made Shen Du's eyes tighten instantly, and his churning thoughts returned in an instant.

He didn't hesitate at all, his wrist exerting force suddenly.

With a crisp "snap," the taut red ribbon broke on cue under the spotlight.

Applause thundered below.

The ceremony was completed, and Secretary Shen Hai did not stay on stage for even a second longer.

He strictly adhered to that bottom line of political-business separation, never overstepping.

With a normal expression, he exchanged a few simple pleasantries with the few giants in the front row, then decisively led the City Hall team and turned to leave.

As the official motorcade drove away, the atmosphere at the scene immediately underwent an extremely subtle chemical reaction.

The business giants, who had retracted their fangs because of the high-level officials' presence, converged their gazes again, locking tightly onto Shen Du on the stage.

Shen Du raised his wrist and glanced at his watch.

10:30 AM.

The timing was perfectly precise.

He tossed the gold-plated scissors in his hand into the tray beside him, his dark grey suit cutting a cold, hard arc in the breeze.

Shen Du stepped forward, looking down at the group of top oligarchs who controlled 30% of Shanghai's wealth.

His voice was steady, without a ripple:

"Welcome to everyone for coming to support Jiyuan Technology today."

His gaze swept sharply over Wu Tianheng, Li Jianfeng, and others, directly throwing out the admission ticket for the second half of this blockbuster show:

"Special cars have been prepared outside the park.

Please move on, and let's go to the Peace Hotel together."

Shen Du buttoned his suit with one hand, a look of extremely rational composure curling at the corner of his mouth:

"Thank you all for coming.

For the next round, let's change places and talk slowly."