172: Chapter 172 Vanme's Chief Scientist is No Simpleton!!

Tesla China Headquarters, top-floor office.

Liu Wei looked at the hung-up phone, his face grim.

He frustratedly ran his hands through his hair, then looked at Zhu Danyang sitting in the CEO's chair, forced to put on a smile again.

"Those two useless pieces of trash! They took the money but didn't do the job, even saying Fanmi shouldn't be touched. They must be incompetent and failed to photograph what we wanted!"

He was fuming inside, feeling that those two were too unreliable.

Isn't it just taking a few photos? Why act like it's some spy movie, saying they can't be provoked? No matter how impressive Fanmi is, can they really flip the world upside down?

"..."

Zhu Danyang didn't speak, his fingertips sliding gently across Apple's latest iPad. He was an Apple fan; he basically supported all of Apple's latest products, including the apple 4, which had already been crushed into dust by the fanmi 2.

The iPad screen showed a satellite map. Looking closely, one could see it was an aerial view of the Fanmi New Energy Base.

Red boxes circled three areas under construction, with the place labeled "Battery Workshop" already fitted with a massive solar panel array.

His brow furrowed deeper and deeper; Liu Wei's attitude of underestimating the enemy made him very dissatisfied.

To go from a startup to the leader of the mobile phone industry in less than two years, to develop their own self-developed system and chips, and even defeat Apple—which he had always taken as his goal—he knew very well that Fanmi was definitely no pushover.

When he got the news that Fanmi was planning its layout for new energy vehicles, he already had a premonition.

This would definitely be a difficult opponent.

"What did they say?"

Zhu Danyang's voice was deep, carrying an unquestionable sense of pressure.

"They didn't say anything, just that Fanmi isn't simple and told us not to provoke them..." Liu Wei curled his lip, his tone full of disdain. "I think they're just making excuses. A phone company crossing over into cars—do they really think anyone can just make cars? I've looked into it; because of the sanctions, they can't buy high-end equipment at all right now!"

Zhu Danyang looked up, his gaze behind his lenses sharp as a knife.

"Have you looked into Lei Jun and Fanmi's Chief Scientist?"

"I've checked Lei Jun, but that Chief Scientist..." Liu Wei hesitated. "Fanmi's security level for that person's information is very high; nothing can be found from the outside. I've only heard it's a very talented young man..."

He didn't understand why the boss would suddenly mention Fanmi's Chief Scientist.

He hadn't paid much attention to it; in his view, how formidable could a young greenhorn be?

"A young man?" Zhu Danyang sneered and pulled up an encrypted file.

"Three months ago, Fanmi established a partnership with Haicheng Microelectronics, and then... their 45nm Lithography Machine made a breakthrough. As for the core technical personnel of this project, anyone with half a brain can guess... can be certain that Fanmi's Chief Scientist was involved!"

"Do you really think Fanmi is just making phones?"

"This... how is this possible! You mean the breakthrough of the 45nm Lithography Machine is related to that young man?" Liu Wei was stunned, somewhat unable to believe it. That was a 45nm Lithography Machine; it already exceeded his understanding of a "genius."

"Age has never been a measure of ability!"

Zhu Danyang closed the file and leaned back against his chair, his expression grave.

"Do you think they built the new energy base on a whim? Fanmi applied for twenty-three patents related to car batteries six months ago. Among them, the technical route for breaking through energy density highly overlaps with the ternary lithium batteries we are currently developing!"

Liu Wei opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by Zhu Danyang: "More importantly, they have their own lithography machine now. What does that mean? It means from chips to battery management systems, they can achieve full-chain independent control. This is something even we at Tesla cannot do!"

The office fell into silence, with the central air conditioning vent making a slight hissing sound.

Cold sweat broke out on Liu Wei's forehead. He finally understood why those two paparazzi were scared like that.

Obviously, they must have accidentally photographed Fanmi's mysterious Chief Scientist!

As the one responsible for the breakthrough in 45nm Lithography Machine technology, he would naturally be a key target of national protection.

Recalling how he had previously puffed out his chest in front of Zhu Danyang, saying he could handle intelligence on Fanmi, it now seemed like a joke. He had no way of dealing with Fanmi's Chief Scientist.

He couldn't even get close... otherwise, his end would probably be the same as those two paparazzi.

"Then... what do we do now?" Liu Wei's voice was a bit weak.

Investigating in secret was out, and doing it openly was even more impossible. He was now at a bit of a loss, not knowing where to start.

Zhu Danyang's fingers tapped gently on the desk, his gaze falling on the bustling streets of Jingdu outside, as he fell into silence.

After a long time, he spoke in a low voice again: "Notify the R&D department to speed up the project for selling the latest Mod S in the China Region. Also, send a report to the North America Headquarters suggesting they immediately start the progress for Tesla's car manufacturing plant in Huaxia. We must build our own supply chain!"

"Building a factory at this time... isn't that a bit too rushed?" Liu Wei's eyes widened. "This doesn't align with our previous plan, does it?"

Zhu Danyang's sudden decision seemed irrational to him. The Mod S hadn't even been launched domestically yet. Even if the progress was accelerated, it would still take at least half a year. Building a factory now, no one could guarantee the outcome.

"We have to do this to seize the market!" Zhu Danyang's eyes turned cold.

"Fanmi's car manufacturing plant is also still under construction. They shouldn't be able to solve the equipment problem in the short term. What we lack most right now is time. What we need to do is completely occupy the market before their production lines start running."

He knew very well that it would definitely be much simpler for Tesla to establish a Huaxia factory compared to Fanmi.

If they pushed with all their might, they could even get the plant built within a few months.

Not to mention the equipment; they could have as much as they wanted.

After all, they would certainly not face a blockade.

Moreover, new energy vehicles were an important track in Huaxia's plan for the next five or even ten years. The earlier they placed their bets, the greater the advantage would surely be.

He had ambition and knew this was his golden opportunity!

Zhu Danyang paused, then added: "Also, check the background of those two paparazzi and see exactly what they photographed that would make the Special Department mobilize. I'm actually a bit curious... wait, forget it, no need to go looking for trouble."

After thinking it over, he shook his head again.

His cautious instinct made him drop the idea of digging deeper into the matter.

After all, he didn't want to end up with the same fate as those two paparazzi.

"Yes!" Liu Wei nodded vigorously, only realizing his palms were covered in sweat when he picked up his phone.

He walked out of the office, his head still feeling a bit muddled.

Until this moment, he truly realized that the seemingly unremarkable Fanmi Technology had turned into a beast hidden in the shadows.

And they might have accidentally touched the opponent's most sensitive fangs.