32: Chapter 32: The Pain of a Broken Core, A Declaration of Desperation

The bad news arrived in a nearly humiliating manner, crashing in simultaneously from every corner of the globe.

Almost in the same hour, TSMC, Samsung, and other major global chip foundries, as well as ARM architecture licensing companies, successively issued announcements that were rigorous in phrasing yet bone-chillingly cold.

The core content was highly consistent: "In view of uncontrollable external compliance factors, we will suspend foundry cooperation and architecture licensing for advanced process chips with Spark Technology and all its affiliated entities, effective immediately."

This was not sniping; this was strangulation.

The goal was clear, the methods ruthless, leaving no room for maneuver.

"It's over..."

At Spark Technology headquarters, Production Director Liu Jian looked at the red production status map on the screen, his face deathly pale as he muttered to himself.

Behind him, on the giant electronic screen, the light strips representing the drone and camera production lines turned from green to red at an unprecedented speed from front-end to back-end, and finally went completely dark—a total production shutdown.

In the warehouse, the chips reserved for the peak season had been completely consumed in the past three weeks.

The phones of distributors calling to urge for shipments were instantly overwhelmed, and the explanations from the marketing staff sounded pale and weak amidst the anxiety and complaints.

"Those bastards from the 'Star Hunter Alliance'!" Marketing Director Zhang Shuo slammed his fist onto the desk, his eyes bloodshot.

He had just received news that old rivals like Lingyun Technology, Yihang, and Jiguang had already taken the opportunity to jointly launch promotional campaigns, with advertisements directly targeting Spark—"The Reliable Choice That Never Absents Itself"—full of malice, kicking them while they were down.

The capital market reaction was even more violent.

One hour after the announcement, Spark Technology's stock price plummeted like a vertical roller coaster into a bottomless abyss.

Panic selling surged out, and the limit-down boards were pierced through one after another as if they were made of paper.

Shen Nanpeng stood on the second floor of the trading hall, watching that glaring, almost ninety-degree downward line on the screen, his fingers icy cold.

In just one trading day, the company's market value evaporated by over 16 billion rmb.

"Spark myth shattered?" "Core technology constrained by others, unicorn wings clipped overnight?" "Su Chen's gamble, ultimately backfiring?"

Various financial headlines and analysis reports predicting their downfall flooded the internet, and the media that had previously placed Su Chen on a pedestal turned their guns faster than anyone else.

Internal pressure also came crashing down like a landslide or tsunami.

In the emergency board meeting, the atmosphere was suffocating.

An independent director who had invested in Spark Technology in the early years and was highly respected, currently holding 2% of the circulating shares, spoke tremblingly: "Mr. Su, we know you have guts and technology. But... this time, we are not facing a single company or an alliance, but... but the entire Western-led tech system! Did we... were we too aggressive in our strategy and made too many enemies?"

Another director representing the interests of small and medium shareholders also spoke with excitement: "Self-developed batteries, entering the camera market, and now engaging in military trade! You've taken steps that are too big, and now someone has grabbed our most fatal weakness! chips! Without chips, everything we have is a castle in the air! Mr. Su, you must give the board and all shareholders a clear explanation and solution!"

Doubt, anxiety, and even a hint of resentment permeated the meeting room.

All eyes were focused on Su Chen, who was sitting at the head of the table, silent throughout.

Shen Nanpeng took a deep breath, preparing to present the loss assessment and response plan calculated by the finance department overnight, trying to stabilize the situation.

However, before he could speak, Su Chen slowly lifted his head.

There was no anger, panic, or frustration on his face as everyone had expected, only an extreme calmness, so calm it was almost cold.

His deep eyes swept over everyone present, and wherever his gaze landed, the noisy discussions involuntarily died down.

"Explanation? Solution?" Su Chen's voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears, carrying a metallic texture.

"Gentlemen, did you get something wrong?"

He stood up, placed his hands on the table, and leaned forward slightly, an invisible pressure instantly enveloping the entire meeting room.

"From the day we brought out 'Spark 1', from the day we broke Lingyun Technology's siege, from the day we released 'Spark Super Energy'! We were already on their opposite side! It's not that we wanted to make enemies, but when we showed the power to subvert their rules, we became the enemies they had to clear!"

His voice suddenly rose, like a thunderclap: "Kneel down and beg them to let us go? Hand over our technology? Like countless enterprises in the past, forever in their downstream, trading one billion shirts for a single airplane? Trading the market for forever-lagging technology?!"

"Wrong!" Su Chen slammed the table, causing the cups to rattle. "They think that by cutting off our chips, they can strangle us? Make us kneel and beg for mercy? I tell you, they are wrong! Dead wrong!"

He looked around the room, his eyes burning as if there were flames inside: "This is indeed our most dangerous moment, but it is also our only chance to break the shackles and truly be reborn! If they can cut off our chips today, they can cut off anything they control tomorrow! Depending on someone else's heart, you only live by their faces!"

"So—" Su Chen said, word by word, his voice resolute and determined, carrying the desperate resolve of burning the bridges, "From today on, we will no longer have fantasies, no longer beg! If they don't give it to us, we will make it ourselves! If they want to strangle us, we will grow a stronger heart!"

He looked at Shen Nanpeng: "Shen, announce the 'spark core' plan!"

Shen Nanpeng took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart, and turned on the projector.

Four grand words appeared on the screen: spark core Plan. Below it was a series of shocking numbers.

"Everyone," Shen Nanpeng's voice was slightly hoarse with excitement, "Per Mr. Su's decision and the support of the core management, the company will launch the 'spark core' plan. We will use all of the group's reserve profits up to the end of the first half of the year—this is all the profit gained from drones, cameras, and Spark Power batteries in the first two quarters, totaling 12 billion rmb—to invest in the full-link independent R&D and manufacturing of chips!"

"Wow—!"

The meeting room completely exploded! 12 billion! Almost all the profits Spark Technology had earned by giving its all in the first half of the year! All invested in a field with huge investment, long cycles, and slim chances of success?

"Crazy! Simply crazy!"

"12 billion down the drain? What about our existing business?"

"Are chips that easy to make? Just building a mature production line costs over 10 billion! This is simply a drop in the bucket!"

Facing the surging doubts, Su Chen just coldly spat out a few words: "This is an order, not a discussion."

The meeting ended in an extremely oppressive and uncertain atmosphere.

The directors left with different expressions, each carrying a heavy stone in their hearts.

Late at night, Su Chen remained alone in the top-floor office.

Outside the window were the still-dazzling city lights, but the future of Spark Technology seemed to be hanging by a thread.

He closed his eyes, and his consciousness sank into the system space.

"System, redeem [Advanced chip Design and Manufacturing Full Industry Chain Technology Package]."

[Command confirmed. Consume 400 million in cashback... Transferring...]

[The technology package includes: 16nm advanced process full-set PDK, EDA software optimization algorithms, key technologies for lithography machine dual-worktables and light source systems, detailed explanation of FinFET and GAA transistor architecture design, cutting-edge chip packaging and testing technology... Data transferring...]

[Supporting scientist team generated, currently matching reasonable identities and resumes in this world...]

[Team members: Luo Qinghe (58), system rated [Architecture Master]. Formerly the chief scientist at a top international chip design firm, he returned due to ideological differences and patriotism, proficient in CPU/GPU/NPU complex heterogeneous architecture design, with unique insights into autonomous instruction sets. Jiang Jing (45), system rated [Process Magician]. A former senior technical director at an overseas foundry giant, she has mastered the core tips for advanced process integration and yield improvement, with profound attainments in materials, etching, deposition, etc. Anderson Li (42), system rated [Equipment Breakthrough Specialist]. Of Chinese descent, he was formerly an R&D director at an ASML core component supplier, proficient in the design and engineering of lithography machine core subsystems (e.g., light sources, objective lenses, worktables), and is a key figure in solving "choke point" equipment problems.]

[The three will report to you within 24 hours in different ways.]

A massive stream of knowledge poured into his mind, and countless cutting-edge technologies and details regarding chip design, manufacturing, and packaging became incredibly clear.

Meanwhile, detailed information about the three scientists was also presented; the system had arranged impeccable reasons for their "return" or "joining."

Su Chen opened his eyes, and the previous fatigue and pressure were swept away, replaced by a calmness and confidence in controlling the future.

He walked to the floor-to-ceiling window and looked at the boundless night sky.

"The pain of disconnected chips?" He whispered to himself, the corner of his mouth hooking into a cold arc, "This pain will make us remember today. And this 'spark core' about to be born will light up all our future roads."

Give up fantasies, prepare to fight.

The dice had been cast for this gamble on the company's fate.

The gear of fate for Spark Technology began to spin crazily again; this time, it pointed to the brightest and hardest pearl on the crown of technology.