98: Chapter 98 We must never subsidize Huayao again!

The three ministers sat with Bai Jingqing,

followed by various officials from Shi City,

while the rest of the people sat wherever they pleased.

In order to keep a constant eye on Bai Jingqing,

Xue Haixin had specifically chosen a good spot,

sitting not far from Bai Jingqing,

just close enough to overhear the conversation between Bai Jingqing and the three ministers.

Zhan Ruijie, the Minister of Industry and Information Technology, focused on the various stir-fried dishes in front of him,

taking large bites,

barely managing to finish the small bowl of rice before him.

It wasn't that the stir-fry tasted bad,

but rather that the surrounding environment was simply too terrible.

He constantly felt as if he were in a pigsty,

which killed his appetite.

But how could he know?

Before they arrived,

the migrant workers who came here to work

and help build the towers basically lived and ate in this kind of environment every day.

Seeing that Zhan Ruijie had finished his bowl of rice, Bai Jingqing

quickly beckoned to the nearby staff,

asking them to come over and help serve another bowl.

Zhan Ruijie waved his hands repeatedly. "That's enough,

that's enough, I'm full."

Beside him, Minister of Commerce Zhan Ruijie and Minister of Science and Technology Cheng Huachang also quickly finished the rice in their bowls,

then both said they wouldn't be having seconds.

Bai Jingqing asked if the food wasn't to their taste,

adding that this was already prepared according to their highest standards.

What could the ministers say?

They could only make up some excuses.

"My appetite really isn't great today,

one small bowl is about enough to fill me up."

"We'll treat you to a proper feast another day,

let's leave it at that for today."

Because the three ministers were sitting close to Bai Jingqing,

they had to save face for him,

so they forced themselves to finish one small bowl.

As for those further away,

some just took a few bites,

while others didn't eat a single mouthful,

simply opting to play with their phones instead.

Bai Jingqing didn't care about any of that,

downing two large bowls of rice in a row.

During this period, he had been eating and living with the workers,

so he was long used to it.

Seeing that they had no appetite,

a sly smile played at the corners of Bai Jingqing's mouth.

"Everyone, please eat and drink your fill!"

After he finished eating,

Bai Jingqing stood up and urged everyone to have more food.

As the three ministers wiped their mouths with handkerchiefs,

Minister of Commerce Zhan Ruijie said, "Little Bai,

your conditions here are truly too difficult!

Considering you've won such great honor for our country,

how large is your funding gap?

We happen to have a new support project recently,

and we can allocate some more funds to you."

Upon hearing this, Bai Jingqing's

eyes lit up.

This was exactly the purpose of his performance today.

Just as he was about to speak,

he heard a somewhat familiar voice say, "No!

Absolutely not!"

Instantly, everyone's attention was drawn to that voice.

When the crowd looked up,

they realized it was Xue Haixin again.

The three ministers looked up,

and seeing that it was Xue Haixin blocking them,

they couldn't help but frown.

Before the World Mobile Communication Congress,

all three of them had been very optimistic about Li Xiang Technology,

holding high expectations for it.

At that time, they had even kept Xue Haixin behind for a private talk,

asking if he was confident.

Back then, Xue Haixin had practically guaranteed them that they would definitely win a major award,

but in the end, they came away empty-handed.

Instead, it was the obscure Huayao Communications that took home three major awards,

an outcome that left the three ministers with very little goodwill toward Xue Haixin.

However, Xue Haixin said at this moment, "Ministers,

I just heard that you intend to give Huayao Communications more subsidies.

I believe that is absolutely out of the question!"

Minister of Industry and Information Technology Zhan Ruijie was puzzled. "Why not?"

Xue Haixin said, "Ministers,

it's not good for me to say much in front of Boss Bai,

but I really can't bear to let the three of you be kept in the dark!"

The three ministers were now full of suspicion,

and Bai Jingqing didn't know what Xue Haixin was up to either,

so everyone continued to listen.

Xue Haixin continued, "We took a tour today,

and I wonder if everyone noticed

that the way Huayao Communications is now,

it's entirely living off its past glory!

We all know that Huayao Communications won big at the World Mobile Communication Congress,

earning great honor for our country.

From that perspective,

it is indeed impressive.

However, the state has already rewarded it.

Now, hearing that Minister Zhan wants to continue supporting and subsidizing Huayao,

I think it's a bit much.

First of all, it's unfair to other mobile phone manufacturers on the market.

Furthermore, everyone saw during today's visit that Huayao Communications' factory is in this state.

All those impressive technologies

must have been accumulated previously.

Huayao Communications' predecessor, Huayao Technology,

is something everyone should know about.

So, all these powerful technologies

are entirely the results of the former Huayao Technology.

After Bai Jingqing took over Huayao,

can there be any more new breakthroughs or new results?

That's a very big question mark.

If the three ministers rashly allocate funds today,

I'm afraid all that money will go down the drain!"

As soon as these words were spoken,

the three ministers immediately showed expressions of contemplation.

Seeing that his rhetoric was effective,

Xue Haixin acted even more righteously indignant,

though the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes could no longer hide his smile.

Bai Jingqing looked at Xue Haixin coldly,

for a moment not knowing what to say.

Are you so jealous

seeing me make a comeback?

Most of the people present also nodded silently,

conceding that Xue Haixin's argument had some merit.

After all, Huayao Technology had only recently collapsed,

and a large part of the reason Huayao Communications could win awards now

was likely due to the technical accumulation of the former Huayao Technology.

As for how much innovation Bai Jingqing could achieve after taking over and establishing Huayao Communications,

no one knew.

Just as everyone was looking thoughtful,

Xue Haixin added another blow. "And everyone,

during today's visit,

I also discovered a very interesting thing.

Did you notice that

whenever it came to some of the more precise production workshops,

such as the screen component production workshop

or the semiconductor process production workshop,

those places were basically all closed off?

Little Boss Bai naturally had his reasons,

claiming it was due to high environmental requirements

and trade secrets,

which is why we weren't allowed inside.

There's certainly some truth to that.

But is there really no way at all?

For example, our Li Xiang's own semiconductor chip production workshop is completely open to visitors,

as long as proper protection is taken,

like wearing isolation suits and anti-static shoe covers,

anyone can go in.

This is a very simple matter,

and I don't believe Huayao Communications can't manage it.

So, I think it's very likely those workshops don't have complete production equipment

capable of producing the chips, processors,

or even the screens that Huayao is currently using."