71: stunned

He pondered for a long time, then cautiously asked, "Mr. Xu, how exactly does this technical equity investment you mentioned work?"

"I can join your team under a different identity," Xu Ning replied. "Give me sixty days, and I will ensure you are no longer restricted by TSMC."

"What?" General Manager Zhang Jianxia was so surprised he could barely believe his ears. He had originally anticipated this problem would take at least two years to solve. TSMC's deep foundation in this field made any change impossible to achieve overnight.

However, Xu Ning confidently guaranteed it could be resolved in just two months.

General Manager Zhang Jianxia took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. If it weren't for Xu Ning's reputation, he might have thought the other party was either an amateur or overly optimistic...

Xu Ning saw through his thoughts and continued, "I know this sounds sudden, but please recall why you came to me."

"Weren't you here for my technology?"

General Manager Zhang Jianxia suddenly understood. That's right, the reason he had taken the risk to come was precisely his desire for talent, especially after learning about Xu Ning's background; he was even more convinced of the genius's ability.

Although it wasn't clear why there was so little public information about his weapon systems, in the military industry, Xu Ning had undoubtedly created many miracles.

Perhaps, he really could help him surpass TSMC!

Thinking this, General Manager Zhang Jianxia decided to take the plunge and nodded firmly, "Alright, I agree."

After the matter was settled, Xu Ning smiled and extended his hand. "Please give me a week to handle the matters at hand."

"In a week, I will report to your company. Please guide me, Zhang Zong."

General Manager Zhang Jianxia wiped the sweat from his forehead and quickly clasped his hands together. "Mr. Xu is too humble."

He felt both honored and somewhat overwhelmed by the arrival of such a heavyweight figure.

After seeing General Manager Zhang Jianxia off, Xu Ning turned to face Xiao Jianhao and Tang Ziwei. He didn't speak, just watched them quietly.

It wasn't until the two of them began to feel uncomfortable that he finally spoke.

"Alright, tell me, why were you barking like a dog just now?"

Xiao Jianhao remained silent, his gaze fixed coldly on Tang Ziwei.

He really wanted to explain, but wouldn't saying it just be humiliating himself...

At this moment, Xiao Jianhao's resentment towards Tang Ziwei was practically gushing out.

If it weren't for him, he wouldn't have made a fool of himself in front of the secretary!

This person usually looked serious, but at crucial moments, he was better at teasing people than anyone else.

Seeing this, Tang Ziwei knew he couldn't hide it, so he explained the whole story to Xu Ning.

"Actually, it was all because after you stayed up late..."

Xu Ning listened quietly, his face expressionless.

"That's roughly what happened..."

"After all, there are rules in a bet, and I was just reminding him at the time."

"You..." Xiao Jianhao was about to argue, but Tang Ziwei immediately raised his hand to stop him, signaling him not to make another mistake.

Xiao Jianhao could only swallow his words back down.

Xu Ning saw it all but said nothing, just turned around and said:

"Let's go, I'm hungry. Let's go eat Western food to celebrate the successful negotiation."

Xiao Jianhao's heart warmed. Only Xu Ning could offer him comfort at a time like this.

When they arrived at the Western restaurant, it was already close to ten o'clock at night, but the restaurant was still full of customers.

A young waiter led them to a table and handed them the menu.

Xu Ning just glanced at it briefly and handed it back to the waiter.

"Two sirloin steaks."

Hearing this, Xiao Jianhao couldn't help but swallow. He was truly starving.

Although he had stayed in high-end hotels several times, this was his first time eating steak.

Xu Ning is really generous today, he thought.

Wait...

Why only two servings?

Xiao Jianhao looked at Xu Ning in confusion, noticing his smile seemed to hold a deeper meaning.

A bad feeling arose spontaneously.

Please don't be like this, he silently prayed in his heart.

Xu Ning seemed to read his mind and added with a smile to the waiter, "Oh, right, this gentleman isn't hungry. Just give him a glass of water."

The waiter slowly turned back, looking at Xiao Jianhao with a hint of surprise, but still maintaining a professional smile, waiting for his confirmation.

In Xiao Jianhao's eyes, only Xu Ning's annoying smile and Tang Ziwei's suppressed laughter beside him remained.

He tried to retort several times but ultimately could only turn it into a silent sigh. He couldn't possibly act out in front of the waiter; that would not only be embarrassing but also humiliating.

Seeing his reaction, the waiter nodded politely and turned to leave. Soon, the steaks and water were brought over. Xiao Jianhao held the water glass, watching them pick up their knives and forks to prepare for their meal.

This feeling of helplessness made him more uncomfortable than anything else. If he could say a few satisfying words, he would definitely express his dissatisfaction.

This old and young duo are really more cunning than the other...

...The next day, Gu Cheng, his face full of

smiles, walked towards General Manager Zhang Jianxia's office. With his hands behind his back, he held the list of the technical team he had carefully selected. He had completed the task in just one day, and he believed his Teacher would definitely be satisfied with his efficiency.

Thinking this, his smile became even brighter. After gently knocking a few times, he entered the room under the gaze of Wang Jie, the secretary.

"Teacher, you were looking for me?" he said.

"Mm," General Manager Zhang Jianxia replied.

Gu Cheng excitedly walked towards General Manager Zhang Jianxia and handed him the list. "Teacher, this is the list of technical team members I compiled yesterday. Please review it."

General Manager Zhang Jianxia took the list but didn't look at it immediately. Instead, he pushed a thick folder in front of Gu Cheng.

"Look at this first."

Gu Cheng was stunned for a moment and asked in confusion, "Teacher, what is this?"

"Open it and see!" General Manager Zhang Jianxia's voice carried a hint of seriousness and anger.

Gu Cheng's heart tightened. He picked up the folder with trembling hands. Although he felt like he had seen this folder before, he couldn't recall where at the moment. After taking a deep breath, he slowly pulled out the first drawing.

Seeing the contents of the drawing, his face instantly changed. Wasn't this the document he had criticized before? He had clearly instructed that lady to discard it, so how did it appear on his Teacher's desk again?

Just as he was thinking, General Manager Zhang Jianxia spoke, "Keep looking!"

He examined the circuit diagram again with confusion. After confirming his initial judgment, the bewilderment on his face deepened. This thing clearly looked unremarkable, so why was his Teacher so angry?

Although he didn't understand, he still followed his Teacher's instructions and picked up the second drawing to examine it carefully. Upon seeing it, he suddenly made a discovery, and his eyes immediately became serious.

This time, without needing a reminder, he flipped through the pages himself, one by one. The further he went, the more shocked his expression became!

"This, this is a block-based layout?" he murmured in disbelief.

By the time he saw the last page, Gu Cheng was completely dumbfounded. He realized the uniqueness of this mask design and was amazed by the excellent performance of the wafer.

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