Rebirth 2010: I taught Mr. Lei how to make a mobile phone

Chapter 985 Sanctions
January 21, 2019, Beiqijia Town.

After attending the annual meeting of the Beyond Group, Chen Mo drove here.

Wutong College, which was expanded and completed before the Lunar New Year, stands silently in the winter sun, its brand-new buildings forming a stark contrast with the neighboring Qing Teng College.

His trip was to conduct an on-site inspection—the opening ceremony here after the New Year will attract the attention of everyone in the Chinese business community.

Two months ago, Lakeside University, another training and education institution for entrepreneurs, quietly closed down.
Two months from now, "Wutong Academy" will set sail.

The message conveyed to the outside world by opening and closing this gate is self-evident.

The core difference lies in the fundamental difference.

After several conversations with Lao Ma recently, Chen Mo has gained a deeper understanding of the "Lakeside" model:
It was initiated by entrepreneurs and is a private, non-degree-granting educational institution.

Its high threshold and low acceptance rate model has inadvertently created an elite circle club. Although the courses cover platform economy, resource connection and art, its form is more likely to foster a close and exclusive "community of interests", which is getting further and further away from the sense of responsibility for fair competition in society.

The "Wutong Academy" that Chen Mo reported to higher authorities had a completely different focus—it was more inclined to help business owners improve their modern management skills, build harmonious labor relations, and ultimately serve the broader goals of economic and social development.

This elevates it beyond mere business training, giving it significant social and public value.

Despite being called an "academy," it actively clarifies its nature as a "non-degree education and training" institution in all its publicity and operations, adhering to boundaries and avoiding any statements that could mislead the public.

This profound understanding and respect for the policy is the core reason why its application was successfully approved.

The "Qing Teng Academy" next door has become a cradle for ordinary workers. In today's competitive workplace environment, it focuses on teaching "how to work normally and reasonably".
The "Wutong Academy" in front of us aims to become a cradle for cultivating the "entrepreneurial spirit" of the new era—the "entrepreneurial spirit" here refers not only to innovation and hard work, but also to upholding the rule of law and taking on social responsibility.

Strolling through the brand-new campus, looking at the new classrooms and various facilities
Chen Mo's tense nerves finally relaxed a little.

"Looks like I can finally have a good New Year this year," he murmured to himself, gazing into the distance.

However, under the same sky, decision-makers on the other side of the ocean clearly have different ideas.

Mr. Dong looked at the newly drafted document on his desk, a cold smile creeping onto his lips.

"There are less than ten days left until the Spring Festival in the East."

He whispered instructions to his assistant beside him.
"Once you're ready, announce it to the public and let them have a memorable New Year."

"Yes!"

Just as hundreds of millions of Chinese people begin their annual mass migration in preparation for the Spring Festival.

In the last few days of January 2019, the calm in the international market was suddenly broken.

It was the other side of the ocean that stirred up this storm.

On January 28, 70 affiliated companies, led by a leading global telecommunications giant, were named and banned from obtaining components and technology from companies in that country without approval.

On January 29, the "list" was expanded to include core companies involved in high-performance computing, such as Mianxinsheng and a certain computing technology research institute.

On January 30, Xiaomi Technology, which was riding high, was added to the list.

On January 31, Megvii Technology, iFlytek, SenseTime, DJI, and TT (the overseas version of TikTok) were among the companies listed.

The media, both domestic and international, were in an uproar, describing this series of whirlwind actions as "crazy."

This is no longer just a business competition. All the companies named immediately went into a state of emergency mobilization at the highest level, preparing to face the coming "storm".

On Lunar New Year's Eve, heavy snow fell in the capital.

Chen Mo rushed back to the Other Shore Science and Technology Park, covered in dust and snowflakes still clinging to his shoulders.

He made an urgent trip to the city to find out more in-depth information.

It turns out that it's not just technology; there's also talk about tariffs and trade. Compared to that, having these companies on the list seems like a bonus.

The atmosphere in the conference room on the top floor of the main building was somber.

Seeing the grim expressions on the faces of the "Heavenly Secrets Pavilion" strategists, Chen Mo smiled, attempting to dispel some of the oppressive atmosphere:
"It seems that one really shouldn't be too optimistic."

I just told everyone that I would have a good year, and then I immediately set a goal.

There are people who deliberately don't want us to have a peaceful New Year's Eve dinner.

He then shared the latest information he had gathered with the experts present, and then listened to Lu Qi's report.

“Moss,” Lu Qi handed over a document, “Compared to other companies, our Other Shore entity has been relatively less affected. This is an analysis report and preliminary response plan that we have been working on overnight for the past two days. Please take a look.”

Chen Mo took the document, and Lu Qi explained in unison:

"The other party first targeted HW, intending to sabotage its rapid rise in high-tech fields such as 5G, especially the ICT industry, making it the primary target."

Secondly, the aim of targeting Xiaomi is to create stock market panic by cutting off its supply chain and prohibiting overseas investment, thereby dethroning it from its position as the world's number one smartphone brand and paving the way for brands like Apple.

"What's the reason?" Chen Mo asked.

"XX"

"Heh." Chen Mo raised an eyebrow, offering no comment, only silently criticizing in his mind:
Why did you have to be called "Jun" (军)? Well, now even foreigners understand puns.

"The remaining task is to conduct precision strikes against areas that may pose a threat in the future, including domestically produced chips, advanced computing, and AI."

The most crucial point is this trend—the other side may be wary of the size and influence of the other side, and this time their 'knife technique' is even more precise than Apple's Cook's.

We only focus on the periphery, namely the companies we invest in and have deep partnerships with, such as Megvii, SenseTime, USTC, and DJI.
The fact that such a concentrated, precise, and widespread attack was launched in just four days indicates that this was a premeditated and meticulously planned operation.

"It seems like one company is missing from the list," Chen Mo reminded him.

"The one most affected and the most unique is indeed TT (the overseas version of TikTok). Please let Mr. Yiming report on the specific situation."

The next moment, Zhang Yiming's voice rang out, tinged with weariness and gravity:
"The allegations we received are vague and unsubstantiated—'data risk' and 'propaganda tool.' They demanded that we divest our TT business in the US within 90 days or face a complete ban and removal from app stores."

"Do we have these problems?" Chen Mo asked, getting straight to the heart of the matter.

“User data is stored locally and is subject to strict regulation, so there is absolutely no risk as they have alleged.”

"That's a fabricated charge."

"Yes. Their move is an attempt to use administrative power to exert pressure and force their local companies to take over the business at a very low cost."

(End of this chapter)