44: Section 44

Although they were using purchased photolithography machines, they were developing their own chips. However, research and development take time, and most had just started, only for others to demand the equipment back.

Without the photolithography machine, even if the chips they developed were advanced, they would have no source!

If they could not manufacture them, having chip technology was the same as having nothing. As for exchanging it with foreign countries, that would only make them die even worse!

"The Netherlands and Cherry Blossom Country, these guys without credibility, are they actually going to force a recall?"

"I spent over three billion on that 14-nanometer photolithography machine! Are these guys really going to destroy it instead of leaving it for me?"

"What exactly is the attitude of the Chinese government?"

"What? They're still stalling, telling us to follow the rules and not give others an excuse?"

"Damn it! What's the point of talking about morality at a time like this? If the other side doesn't keep their word, we should just tear up the treaty ourselves!"

"What's the policy from above? Subsidies? Subsidies again? But what's the use of these subsidies? We take them this time, but what about the future? It's not like our entire electronics industry can just switch professions, right?"

Because when they originally purchased the photolithography machines, the other party had left a loophole in the contract, explicitly stating the free usage period, after which they had the right to force a buyback at any time.

Moreover, the buyback price was only ten percent of the original cost; it was completely an unfair clause!

But!

This was the result of having one's throat choked by technology; they could not resist at all and could only grit their teeth and sign the treaty.

Consequently, this time, although the other party's actions were extremely unreasonable from a moral standpoint.

In reality, however, it was completely legal. The large factories or organizations that had purchased the photolithography machines could only swallow their bitterness.

Faced with this situation, China only gave some subsidies to appease them, without taking any further action.

This also caused the Chinese electronics industry to instantly come to a large-scale standstill, and the price of the remaining chip inventory skyrocketed, becoming over thirty times more expensive than before!

If it weren't for the government issuing a policy forbidding price gouging, it would be normal for the price of the remaining inventory to increase a hundredfold.

However, these actions of constant concession made the practitioners in the electronics industry begin to worry.

"It's over, it's over. We don't have our own photolithography machine; we have absolutely no room to fight back!"

"It's all because of that previous total ban on rare earth elements policy, which caused them to start targeting us comprehensively!"

"Exactly! Isn't it better to make money in harmony? What was the harm in giving them rare earths? They gave us photolithography machines, didn't they!"

"Right now, it's just economic suppression and technical blockades. If the Western Countries take bigger actions later, how are we supposed to withstand it?"

"What we lack is time to develop. What's wrong with swallowing our pride for now!"

"Right! We shouldn't have confronted the big powers head-on! We simply can't win!"

...

Chapter 56: lin's lithography machine is unveiled! Lighthouse Country is stunned!!

Chapter 56: lin's lithography machine is unveiled! Lighthouse Country is stunned!!

Finally, panic began to spread from top to bottom.

First, the industries that were effectively targeted, the group of electronic product manufacturers, suffered heavy losses in this blow.

And subsequently, the entire electronics industry began to be affected, and prices started to rise one after another.

After all, no one knew if, without photolithography machines and without their own chips, these products would directly become the last batch of out-of-print goods.

And when prices were affected.

Ordinary people finally realized something was wrong.

"Damn, you simply wouldn't believe it; the price increase of domestic phones is almost comparable to Apple phones!"

"Have you heard? Because domestic electronic products now have no core chips at all and rely entirely on imports, they are gouging us with sky-high prices! So domestic electronic products will only get more and more expensive!"

"It's just expensive, but the problem now is that without photolithography machines and without chips, there is absolutely no improvement or progress. Who would buy such expensive things!"

"My god, they said before that if the sky fell, the country would hold it up, but now, they only gave the electronics industry a small subsidy and then there was no follow-up."

"China's electronics industry is finished. Won't it regress back to the situation of the nineties after a while?"

"What exactly is the government doing? How can they just let the Western Countries sanction us without any countermeasures?"

While everyone was full of doubts, many people jumped out on the internet to stir up trouble.

"Hahaha, I told you, the air abroad is sweeter, but you guys wouldn't believe me!"

"They're just losers without money. If they had money, who would stay here? They would all have immigrated abroad."

"Who told you to be incompetent? You deserve to be sanctioned, hahahaha!"

"Damn, why did so many foreign agents suddenly jump out? Can I report them and claim a reward?"

"What's wrong with foreign agents? What they say is right. Now anyone can see that China has been shaken to its core!"

"Weren't they quite tough before when the government said to completely ban rare earth elements? Now they don't even dare to make a peep!"

For a time, public sentiment was in turmoil, and many people were waiting for the government to come out and explain, hoping to get some reassurance.

However.

The government was also busy and overwhelmed right now.

Of course, what they were anxious about was not the sanctions and blockades imposed by the Western Countries.

What they were anxious about was that piece of news that hadn't been submitted yet—Academician Wang's research report!

All the current problems stemmed from the fact that they did not have their own photolithography machine technology.

Once they broke through this layer of blockade.

The entire electronics industry, high-end products, cutting-edge technology, and military information confrontation would no longer be problems!

In the current situation, no matter what they said in public, it would seem powerless and pale.

Only after a photolithography machine that belonged entirely to them was unveiled would it be the most powerful counterattack!

Therefore, in the Yanjing headquarters building, everyone in the entire building looked solemn.

This was an important scientific research achievement that would determine their future, and even their foundation for a hundred years!

The pressure from abroad, the pressure from the public, the pressure from the electronics field, and the pressure from the high-end technology field all fell on Chief Yun's shoulders simultaneously.

But he still believed that the technology brought by Lin Bai's ability was absolutely incomparable to anything abroad!

He just needed to withstand the pressure and wait for the results now!

Special R&D team.

Academician Wang looked at a machine in front of him that weighed over three hundred tons.

Looking at a row of black buttons in front of him, his expression was incomparably nervous.

"Hoo—"

"Success or failure depends on this one move!"

They had almost mobilized the power of the entire China to replicate the machine in the data in the shortest possible time.

They even went as far as dismantling the 90-nanometer machine they had only recently achieved a breakthrough with, replacing all the parts that could be used, in order to complete the assembly in such a short time.

But this was tantamount to a high-stakes gamble.

Because now the foreign countries were imposing a comprehensive blockade on them.

Once they failed, not to mention that this new photolithography machine would be gone, even that 90-nanometer photolithography machine itself would be unable to be reproduced in a short time due to the lack of some materials and parts!

If that happened, it would be no exaggeration to say that the entire Chinese electronics industry would regress by ten years!

"Experiment..."

"Start!"

...

On the continent on the other side of the ocean.

The Western Countries saw that China had only been stalling with various major powers these past few days, which was completely an inactive response.

They had already applauded and celebrated one after another, even holding a grand banquet at The White House, which was very rare.

Numerous high-ranking officials and dignitaries came to celebrate yet another astute decision made by the president.

"Hahahaha, those yellow-skinned pigs in China are already in complete chaos!"

"It won't be long before they come crying to us, begging us to provide technology, begging us to sell them photolithography machines again."

Two senators each raised the champagne in their hands to toast, and began to talk eloquently.

"This is what China brought upon itself. Who told them to dare to ban the sale of rare earth elements to us? Even if they develop new technology, they must still give us rare earth elements!"

"Daring to affect the development of our great Lighthouse Country, this is a serious infringement on the freedom of development of our Lighthouse Country, and they must be sanctioned!"

"By the way, when they kneel down to beg for mercy, we must also demand that they disclose the manufacturing formula for that asthma medicine, and then cancel the patent rights so that everyone can have it."

At this time, the department in charge of foreign trade also joined the conversation with great interest.

"Gentlemen, you simply wouldn't believe it. These past few days, all those big bosses and big businessmen in China have been begging us to loosen our policies, wanting to get our chips."

"Haha, our immigration department is the same; these past few days, we have suddenly received a pile of immigration applications from China."

"As expected, the Chinese need to be knocked down a peg, otherwise they won't be obedient."

"They should just serve as our factory, responsible for helping us manufacture products; they shouldn't master their own technology!"

Watching the increasingly chaotic situation in China recently, the senators in The White House were as excited as if it were Christmas.

The president also arrived in the main hall and spoke excitedly, stating that from now on, China would no longer be a threat.

As long as they continued to suppress them, sooner or later they could become another one of their vassal states!

"China is nothing to fear; our great Lighthouse Country is the only beacon in the world!"

At this time, the minister in charge of diplomacy stood up and said with a mocking face:

"By the way, Mr. President, China seems unable to withstand the pressure from the public and is preparing to hold an official press conference."

"I suggest that at this wonderful party, we can watch this Chinese official press conference."

"They must be preparing to surrender to our great Lighthouse Country at this conference!"