Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 448 Big Event, Next City

In early August, in the office of Dongda Investment Company in North Carolina, He Yaozu received a satellite phone call from his father.

"Yaozu".

“Dad, please speak.” He Yaozu immediately put down the documents in his hand and sat up straight. He knew that his father rarely called him directly through this line.

How many employees do we have in New York?

"New York?" He Yaozu paused for a moment, then quickly did some mental calculations. "The group's directly affiliated and related companies in New York, plus some management personnel from the Grand Hyatt Hotel, have about seven or eight hundred people permanently stationed there. They are mainly finance, trade, and hotel management teams. Is this what you're asking about?"

"Are the specific office locations mainly concentrated in the World Trade Center building?" He Yuzhu's voice was devoid of emotion.

“Yes, they’ve rented out three entire floors of One World Trade Center (North Tower), mainly for investment and trading company teams. There are some scattered offices elsewhere, but the main force is all there. Dad, is there a problem?” He Yaozu felt a sense of unease. Why would his father suddenly be concerned with such specific administrative details?
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, after which only a faint static could be heard.

He Yaozu could even picture his father in his study.

“In early September, find a pretext to organize a large-scale team building or training event,” He Yuzhu’s voice rang out again. “Set the date for early September, and the location for Los Angeles, or any place on the West Coast far from New York. All employees of the New York World Trade Center office, including administrative and support staff, must attend, without exception.”

"Huh? All of them? Early September?" He Yaozu was completely dumbfounded. "Dad, this is too sudden! September is the end of the third quarter, a very busy time for business. And such a large-scale out-of-town activity will cause problems with costs and coordination. What reason can we use? Many projects will be affected!"

He simply couldn't understand the instruction.

Although Huanghe is a powerful company in North America, it is not powerful enough to take its entire core business team on vacation.

This does not conform to the efficiency principle that my father has always emphasized.

"You can come up with your own reasons." He Yuzhu's tone remained unwavering. "It could be a high-level strategic seminar, company-wide technical training, or even a luxury trip as a performance-based reward. I don't care how you make it up, what I want to see is the result: before the end of September, none of our employees can be working in that World Trade Center building."

"Before September 11th?" He Yaozu caught this strangely precise timing, his doubts deepening. "Dad, what happened? Is there some security threat we haven't identified? If so, we can strengthen security, or contact the local authorities..."

“Don’t ask why.” He Yuzhu interrupted him, his tone unusually stern. “Do as I say. Remember, the actions should be natural. You can let the employees spread the word, but don’t attract unnecessary attention, especially not the FBI or local authorities. Just treat it as a normal company event.”

He Yaozu held the microphone, his palms slightly sweaty.

He understood his father; behind these seemingly random yet forceful commands lay a deeper meaning that he could neither express nor comprehend.

This is a form of obedience based on absolute trust.

He took a deep breath, suppressing all his questions, swallowed to moisten his dry throat, and replied, "I understand, Dad. I will make arrangements as soon as possible to ensure that the evacuation is completed before the time you requested."

"Okay, handle the details well. If you encounter any difficulties, just contact your Uncle Bai." After saying that, He Yuzhu hung up the phone.

He Yaozu put down the satellite phone, leaned back in his chair, and looked out at the clear North Carolina sky, but a fog shrouded his heart.

He rubbed his temples and began to think rapidly about how to perfectly execute this strange command.

A few days later, a notice titled "Yellow River Group North American Millennium Elite Forging Program" was sent to the email addresses of all employees in the World Trade Center office in New York.

The notice stated that, in order to enhance team cohesion and meet future challenges, the group will invest heavily in a ten-day closed-door strategic seminar and team building activity from September 5th to 15th in Los Angeles, California and the surrounding area.

The event includes courses taught by top business school professors, outdoor activities, and exchanges with the West Coast technology community.

All expenses will be borne by the Group, and participation will be included in the annual performance evaluation.

The announcement caused an uproar in the office, which quickly turned into a frenzy.

Most people felt excited and looking forward to it, after all, it was a rare perk to go to California for such a high-end event at public expense.

However, a few key personnel responsible for critical projects felt troubled, worried that it would affect the progress of the work.

He Yaozu personally convened a meeting of the management team and forcefully unified their thinking: "This is a strategic decision of the group headquarters, and it is of great significance. All projects must give way to this event, and everyone must participate without exception. For the work at hand, handle it remotely if possible, and for the rest, make handover and contingency plans in advance."

Meanwhile, the administrative team efficiently booked meeting facilities and rooms at several hotels near Los Angeles, made flight reservations, and arranged the event flawlessly.

The whole process looked like a well-planned, generous large-scale corporate benefit.

In early September, the Yellow River Group's offices in the World Trade Center in New York began to empty.

With a vacation-like mindset, the employees flew to the West Coast in batches. By September 7th, the last group of employees had also left the building.

The huge office area fell completely silent, with only the servers still humming in the server room.

Of course, He Yaozu had already notified the IT department to back up the data on the server and send it to Junyue for safekeeping.

After calling He Yaozu.

He Yuzhu used a satellite phone to connect to Bai Yifeng's line.

"Boss." Bai Yifeng's voice came through, as steady as ever.

"Old Bai, I have something important to tell you. I want to know if you have anyone with top-notch skills, a clean background, and who has already joined the relevant department in North America." He Yuzhu didn't beat around the bush.

"We have manpower, but what kind of personnel are needed?" Bai Yifeng asked.

"Now there's an opportunity—no, there's going to be a major event that will shake the world and create chaos and a huge demand for personnel within our adversaries. So, I need you to select absolutely reliable people and make thorough preparations in advance. After that event happens, take advantage of the ensuing chaos, panic, and the inevitable reviews, expansions, and internal audits that our adversaries' intelligence and security agencies will undergo. Let them stand out as civilian heroes or highly skilled applicants and infiltrate their core departments, such as the FBI, CIA, and the homeland security agencies that will inevitably be strengthened."

There was a long silence on the other end of the phone, lasting more than ten seconds.

Bai Yifeng was clearly processing this highly impactful and far-reaching instruction.

This is no longer a simple intelligence gathering or business competition, but a deep strategic plan for the next ten years or even longer.

“Boss, I understand what you mean.” When Bai Yifeng spoke again, his voice was more solemn than ever before. “This requires the most outstanding people. Not only must their abilities withstand the most rigorous scrutiny, but their psychological qualities must also be extraordinary. They must also have a clean educational background, work experience, social connections, and even some seemingly insignificant details of life.”

Is it difficult?

"I will try my best to select people, and I want to know how much time I have left to prepare."

"About a month, preferably with staff from New York."

"New York? I understand. I'll give you an answer in a couple of days."

"Okay, you know how important this is. Be careful to keep it a secret."

"I'm awake."

Two days later, Bai Yifeng sent He Yuzhu a fax. He didn't quite trust email, believing it to be the safest method.

After reviewing the applications, He Yuzhu selected three people to correspond to three important departments. The others were not eliminated; they were asked to find ways to enter departments such as the NYPD.

In early September, the California sun was still blazing.

At a seaside resort and adjacent conference center in southern Los Angeles, hundreds of employees of the Yellow River Group North America region are participating in what is known as the "Millennial Elite Forging Program".

The event was packed with activities: the morning featured courses on macroeconomics and strategic management from renowned business school professors, the afternoon included team-building exercises and outdoor activities, and the evening was a relaxed social dinner or group discussions.

With its azure sea and sky, swaying coconut palms, and luxurious accommodations fully covered by the company, most employees were immersed in a pleasant atmosphere that blended learning with vacation.

"The company really went all out this time!" A young analyst from the New York investment department exclaimed to his colleagues while sipping juice on a lounge chair by the pool. "It feels like they've given out their year-end bonuses early."

“Yeah, it’s a bit intense, though. We had group discussions until 10 p.m.,” a colleague chimed in, but without much complaint on his face. “But it’s nice to be able to escape the fast-paced environment of New York for a while.”

A small number of key personnel responsible for urgent projects were granted special permission by Ho Yiu-cho to work remotely from the resort's business center, which was equipped with high-speed internet and secure communication facilities. Although not as convenient as the New York office, essential business operations did not cease.

He Yaozu himself also moved between various event venues, talking with employees and participating in discussions, behaving like an enlightened leader who cares about employees and values ​​team building.

Only when he was alone would a faint, almost imperceptible seriousness flash across the depths of his eyes.

He followed his father's instructions strictly, ensuring that the World Trade Center offices were completely deserted, but the doubts deep in his heart did not dissipate with the California sun.

Meanwhile, in New York and other major North American cities, some men and women who seemed to have no connection with the Yellow River Group were living their peaceful and regular lives.

Among them are Chinese assistants who have just graduated from prestigious law schools and are interning at law firms; technical experts who work as cybersecurity engineers at IT companies; teachers who teach languages ​​at community colleges; and white-collar workers who work as junior analysts at financial institutions.

They come from all walks of life, have clean backgrounds, and lead ordinary lives.

They were complete strangers to each other. Their only common ground was that they had all received extremely rigorous skills training far exceeding the requirements of their apparent professions, and maintained a one-way, absolutely secretive relationship with a man codenamed "Fisherman"—Bai Yifeng.

They waited, waited calmly, like a silent current in the deep sea.

Time quietly slipped towards September 11th.

It was a Tuesday, and the sky over New York was a clear, deep blue, with a crisp, refreshing autumn air.

In California, employees of the Yellow River Group have just finished breakfast and are preparing to head to the conference center to begin a new day of classes.

Then, like a bolt from the blue, the news shattered the tranquility of the resort instantly via mobile phones, television, and the internet.

"The plane crashed into the World Trade Center!"

"My God! It's a terrorist attack!"

“We…our office…”

Shock, disbelief, and panic instantly replaced the previous relaxed atmosphere.

The staff gathered in front of the television in the hotel lobby, watching the familiar images of the Petronas Twin Towers billowing smoke and eventually collapsing on the screen. Many covered their mouths, their eyes filled with shock and lingering fear.

If they were in New York right now, in that building.
Standing at the back of the crowd, He Yaozu watched the horrific scene on the screen and felt a chill run down his spine. He instantly understood the astonishing foresight and profound meaning behind his father's seemingly absurd command.

He clenched his fists tightly to suppress the slight trembling in his body.

He immediately realized that, as the top leader, he had to stabilize the situation.

He strode to the makeshift stage, picked up the microphone, and his voice, carried by the speakers, resounded throughout the hall, conveying both sorrow and an undeniable composure:

"Dear colleagues, you have all seen the devastating news from New York. This is a huge tragedy. Please allow me to emphasize first that, according to the information we currently have, all our colleagues at the Yellow River Group's office in the World Trade Center in New York are safe because they participated in this group-organized event! Not one of them was at the scene of the incident!"

These words acted as a reassurance, calming the restless crowd somewhat, but what followed was an even stronger sense of relief at surviving a disaster.

"Thanks to the group's decision, it saved our lives!" someone said, choking back tears.

He Yaozu continued, “In this critical moment, I hope everyone will remain calm and orderly. The company's management will immediately activate the emergency plan and maintain close communication with all parties. The scheduled activities are temporarily suspended. Please remain in the resort and do not leave without permission, and wait for further notice from the company. At the same time, let us observe a moment of silence for those who have lost their lives in this incident.”

He organized the response effectively and calmly, quickly calming the employees and averting any potential chaos.

The news also reached Bai Yifeng.

He stared at the television screen with eyes as sharp as an eagle's.

Shocked, he immediately realized that the window of opportunity predicted by his boss had opened.

He picked up the satellite phone and issued a brief instruction: "The storm is coming. Proceed according to the 'Morning Star' plan."

Chaos and panic are spreading in New York.

The collapse of the World Trade Center caused enormous casualties and communication disruptions.

Grayish-white dust covered Lower Manhattan, like the end of the world.

Official agencies, especially the FBI, CIA, and various security departments that have just faced severe challenges, are caught in an unprecedented state of busyness, self-blame, and immense pressure.

Calls for self-criticism, accountability, and strengthening domestic security, expanding manpower, and enhancing intelligence gathering and analysis capabilities instantly became the mainstream of politics and public opinion.

Amidst this chaos, the pawns that Bai Yifeng had carefully selected and nurtured over a long period of time began to move.

A Chinese-American assistant interning at a law firm, with her fluent Arabic, knowledge of Middle Eastern law, and composure and professionalism displayed after the incident, caught the attention of the FBI's New York office, which was in dire need of language and cultural talent. After an initial background check, she was recruited as a contract translator and analyst.

Shortly after the incident, a cybersecurity engineer submitted a detailed report to his company on using big data to analyze potential security threats. After going through several rounds of communication, the report's ideas and demonstrated technical capabilities caught the attention of a newly established technical department under the Department of Homeland Security, which invited him to an interview.

A community college teacher, who actively participated as a volunteer in the community's post-incident relief and assistance work, was commended by the local government for his outstanding organizational and coordination skills and stable psychological qualities, and his resume was included in the reserve pool for expanding grassroots emergency management talent.

A financial analyst, based on publicly available information, wrote an analytical report on the financial flow patterns of terrorist organizations. After being delivered through specific channels, its logic and insights attracted the attention of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network under the Ministry of Finance.

Their actions seemed natural, their timing precise; each person appeared to have stood out through a combination of excellence and coincidence amidst the immense chaos and the resulting demand for talent.

Background checks were simplified or accelerated to some extent during special periods, and their clean records and outstanding abilities became the best passport.

No one would associate them with the distant East, much less imagine that this was a long-planned, deep infiltration operation that exploited the chaos and opportunities brought about by a national tragedy.

Inside the safe house, Bai Yifeng listened expressionlessly to his subordinates' report on the initial progress.

He knew this was just the first step. Whether these individuals could pass more rigorous follow-up reviews, establish themselves within the other organization, and convey valuable information in the future remained to be seen.

But the boss had already pried open a door for them that was otherwise almost impossible to open.

Bai Yifeng felt that leaving his hometown for North America was the right thing to do; he had been waiting for this opportunity, and it had come to him.

The New York branch of the Yellow River Group unexpectedly gained extremely high employee loyalty and cohesion during this incident, as well as praise from the outside world for its luck and humanistic care.

As a prophet, Ho Yiu-cho was anxious and filled with countless questions.

After the team building activity ended, He Yaozu contacted He Yuzhu via satellite phone as soon as possible.

His voice trembled: "Dad... about New York..."

"It's good that everyone is alright," He Yuzhu said with a smile. "Don't ask any more questions, just keep them to yourself."

"You can still laugh? That's quite something."

"You should be grateful, shouldn't you? Your men should be even more grateful, shouldn't they?"

He Yaozu took a deep breath, "Then why not?"

He Yuzhu interrupted him directly, saying seriously, "Do you think anyone will believe this? Have you thought about what you'll face if they do? I don't want to lose a son."

"I just"

"It's all in the past now, so you need to look forward. What I need to know now is how this event will affect our previous plans?"

He Yaozu felt like his brain was about to explode. How did things jump straight to this? Fortunately, he and his team had done some analysis over the past few days, and after sorting things out in his mind, he replied, "The impact is significant, with both advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that the global financial market will inevitably suffer a severe blow, and panic will spread. This provides a better environment for us to short certain overheated sectors and acquire cheap, high-quality assets. We've made our moves in advance and gained the upper hand. In addition, our opponents' attention will be greatly drawn to counter-terrorism and domestic security, and the regulatory and scrutiny of our minor actions in the commercial and technological fields may be relaxed in the short term. This provides a window of opportunity for our actions against Nvidia and Qualcomm, as well as for secretly acquiring shares in some sensitive technology companies."

"What about the downsides?" He Yuzhu pressed.

"The downside is that the global economy is likely to fall into a period of stagnation as a result, with shrinking demand affecting the short-term revenue of some of our physical businesses. Moreover, in the long run, given that the other side has experienced such a major domestic attack, its strategic focus and foreign policy may undergo profound changes, greatly increasing uncertainty. The future international environment may be more complex and severe. What we face may no longer be just commercial competition."

"Yes, you've grown." He Yuzhu affirmed after hearing this.

"What's next?" He Yaozu asked. "Proceed steadily according to the original plan. Your mother will manage the pace of the financial market operations. You need to stabilize the business in North America, especially by calming the employees and demonstrating the company's responsibility and stability. As for Nvidia and Qualcomm's actions, we can take advantage of this period of chaos to slightly increase our efforts, but remember, too much of a good thing can be bad, and we shouldn't get burned."

"I understand, Dad."

A few days later, in Midtown Manhattan, New York, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel.

Several large banquet halls, originally used for business meetings and high-end banquets, have been temporarily transformed into compact and efficient office areas. Rows of tables and chairs are closely arranged, and laptops, multiple monitors, filing cabinets, and constantly ringing telephones constitute the daily routine here.

The air was thick with the scents of caffeine, printer toner, and an indescribable, post-traumatic tension.

This is the temporary "home" for the employees of the Yellow River Group's New York branch.

The contrast between the spacious, bright, modern offices overlooking New York Harbor in the North Tower of the World Trade Center and the temporary cubicles in a hotel banquet hall is enormous.

The building's view is gone, and there are no private office spaces, but no one complains.

On the contrary, a kind of almost tragic cohesion permeates this place.

Everyone who works here knows that they can sit here comfortably because of the company's seemingly "whimsical" team-building plan in California.

They escaped death, but many familiar or unfamiliar faces who once worked in the same building are now gone forever.

This intense survivor's guilt, intertwined with a near-life-saving gratitude towards the company, transformed into a terrifying work ethic.

"Jason, have you gotten through to the call in London? We need to confirm the settlement details for that energy futures contract!"

"Sarah, prioritize processing the component list that just arrived from Huagao Technology. Use the expedited channel; shipping costs are not a problem!"

"Mike, check with AMD's graphics card division to see when the countermeasures against Nvidia's new price reduction strategy will be finalized?"

The office was bustling with noise—the sounds of keyboards clicking, telephones ringing, and rapid conversations blended together, at a pace more than twice as fast as in the World Trade Center.

Everyone's eyes were bloodshot, but their gazes were unusually bright and determined.

They seemed to be using their frantic work to dilute the shock in their hearts, and it was also as if they were using this method to silently declare war on that disaster—we are still alive, and we will do better.

He Yaozu moved through the temporary office area, looking at his seemingly tireless subordinates, and felt a mix of emotions.

He raised his voice: "Everyone, I know you're all working very hard and are exhausted! The company has arranged for a psychological counseling team to be on standby at any time. Don't push yourself if you need anything! The logistics department will ensure everyone has meals and rest!"

A young trader looked up, adjusted his glasses, and gave a tired but determined smile: "Mr. He, we're fine! Compared to those who couldn't come back, what's a little hardship like ours? Now is the most volatile time in the market, with the most opportunities. We can't afford to let them down!"

"Yes! We can't let the enemy think we've been defeated!" someone else chimed in.

He Yaozu nodded heavily, saying nothing more. He understood that any words of comfort would be futile at this moment; only by leading them forward and achieving victory could he offer the best solace to the departed and fulfill his responsibility to the living.

Thanks to this extraordinary cohesion and fighting spirit, Yellow River Capital stirred up quite a storm in the chaotic global financial market after the *** incident.

Xiaoman, stationed in Beijing, maintains contact with He Yaozu and nodes around the world via encrypted lines, issuing instructions.

The panic caused by the *** incident had a very wide impact, covering almost all industries. The stock market plummeted, oil prices fluctuated wildly, and a large number of high-quality assets were sold off in a panic.

The short positions that the Yellow River Group had positioned in advance began to generate huge unrealized profits, while the massive funds that had been injected in a dispersed manner and hidden under normal business activities were now like sharks smelling blood, quietly launching their attack.

"Acquisition Target A is a long-established European company in the chemical materials sector. Its stock price has fallen below 30 percent of its net asset value. It has deep technological reserves and complements our heavy industry sector. We will launch the 'Alpha' plan and acquire it in batches through three offshore funds."

"Target B is a small, near-bankrupt LiDAR R&D company on the West Coast with a top-notch team and severely undervalued patents. We'll have New-Vision's venture capital arm get involved under the guise of a technology collaboration to try and gain a controlling stake."

"Target C, a regional bank in North America, is facing a liquidity crunch due to its large holdings of airline bonds. Have Yao Zu coordinate a bridge loan through our financial institutions in the Caribbean in exchange for some of its high-quality collateral and a seat on the board of directors."

One instruction after another was executed, and one transaction after another was quietly completed amidst the market's cries of despair.

Meanwhile, the crackdown on Nvidia has intensified.

Although the *** incident briefly attracted attention across the United States and even the world, business competition never stopped.

Under He Yaozu's command, ATI maintained a high-pressure stance.

The price war has escalated to this point, and it's no longer a simple battle for market share, but a contest of cash flow and willpower.

Although Nvidia's GeForce 4 series boasts impressive performance, its market share continues to be eroded by ATI's price offensive, which is 15% to 20% lower than comparable products.

Distributors and OEMs, driven by business interests, have increased their purchases of ATI graphics cards.

Even more fatally, ATI continued to acquire small batches of Nvidia's circulating shares in the secondary market.

Although the shareholding ratio of each individual account is kept below the regulatory disclosure line, the cumulative effect of these small amounts, with the shares scattered under different offshore entities, has approached 10%, making it a potential troublemaker that cannot be ignored.

In Huang Sir's office at Nvidia headquarters.

"CEO, this is the most aggressive NV40 architecture roadmap we can come up with, but tape-out and mass production will still take at least nine to twelve months," the technical lead reported, his voice hoarse.

"The cash flow can only support us for two more quarters at most. If AMD continues to throw money at the market without regard for cost..." The CFO didn't finish his sentence, but everyone understood what he meant.

"Our first-mover advantage in the general-purpose computing (CUDA) concept cannot be translated into sufficient revenue to support losses in the consumer market in the short term," the marketing director added.

Huang Renxun looked at the report on the table, which showed the stock price continuing to decline and the cash flow crisis, and his face turned ashen.

He had a premonition that the company he had poured his heart and soul into was being dragged step by step into the abyss by an invisible hand.

The competitors' goal seems to be more than just winning the market; it seems to be completely crushing them.

After a series of arrangements, there was still no improvement. Sitting in his office, Mr. Wong looked at the latest financial report and cash flow forecast on the table and felt a chill in his heart.

ATI is tightening the noose little by little.

"What was Intel's response?" he asked the vice president in charge of business development in a hoarse voice.

The vice president shook his head, his face grim: "They said they couldn't help. On the one hand, their own performance is under pressure, and on the other hand, they'd like to see AMD spending its resources on graphics, which might ease its offensive in the CPU market. They're only willing to provide limited support within the existing chipset cooperation framework."

"What about Microsoft?" Huang Sir asked, clinging to a sliver of hope.

Microsoft reiterated its neutral stance, emphasizing that DirectX will fairly support all standards-compliant hardware. They do not wish to, and will not, intervene in specific commercial competition between hardware manufacturers.

The last straw they had grasped sank to the bottom.

Efforts to seek external strategic investment or bank loans have also repeatedly failed.

Wall Street bankers are shrewd; with Nvidia's cash flow so tight and its market share being squeezed by competitors, no one wants to take on this hot potato.

Of course, some funds with complex backgrounds are willing to offer high-interest loans, but with extremely harsh conditions attached, almost equivalent to a contract of servitude.

“We can’t sign that kind of agreement.” Inspector Huang categorically rejected the preliminary report on a high-interest loan scheme submitted by the CFO. “That would be tantamount to handing over the company’s future to someone else.”

However, the reality is cruel.

Without new funding, the massive R&D investment and marketing expenses are like two bottomless pits, rapidly devouring the company's already meager cash reserves.

The stock price continued to decline, the market value shrank significantly, and market confidence nearly collapsed.

The arguments at the board meeting grew increasingly heated, with some shareholders beginning to exert pressure to consider "strategic alternatives," and some even making private contact with potential acquirers.

Mr. Wong was exhausted.

He knew that if things continued this way, the company would either go bankrupt and be liquidated, or it would have to accept extremely unfavorable merger and acquisition terms.

Just when these internal and external troubles reached their peak, an unexpected olive branch appeared.

Through an intermediary, a capital group from a certain island expressed strong interest and was willing to provide Nvidia with an emergency loan that would give it a breather. The condition was that most of the company's assets and core patents be used as collateral. Furthermore, they required Huang Sir to lead the core R&D team to temporarily relocate the company's operations and R&D focus to the island, arguing that it had more favorable industrial policies, lower labor costs, and a more friendly business environment, which would facilitate the company's recovery and revitalization.

This was undoubtedly a difficult and even humiliating decision.

He mortgaged almost all his assets, fled to a distant land, and his future was uncertain.

But looking around, it seemed there was nowhere to go.

Staying in North America would only mean waiting to die.

Looking at the technical backbone around him who had followed him for many years, Huang Sir saw in their eyes a sense of resentment and dedication to technology.

"We still have the NV40, and the dream of CUDA," he said to himself, and also to his team. "We can't fall here. As long as the core team and technology are still here, there's a chance to make a comeback!"

After a painful struggle and intense internal discussions, in order to save the company, Mr. Wong finally gritted his teeth and accepted the plan.

He signed an extremely stringent mortgage loan agreement with that capital group and began secretly planning the relocation of his team.

The message was circulated within a small circle of the core team, causing a huge shock and disagreement.

Some were willing to follow Inspector Wong and fight to the death, while others hesitated because of family ties, fear of uncertainty about the future, or concerns about the political environment of their new location.

At this critical juncture of widespread anxiety and uncertainty, ATI made its move, or rather, Ho Yiu-cho made his move.

He astutely detected signs of instability within Nvidia.

Through the shares he acquired in the secondary market and the informants he planted, he was fully aware of Nvidia's predicament and Huang Sir's plans.

Just before Huang Sir secretly convened his core team members to announce the final relocation plan and list, ATI's human resources department and several headhunting companies controlled by He Yaozu, like cheetahs smelling blood, launched a precise poaching raid.

Almost simultaneously, a series of incredibly attractive job offers were quietly delivered to the homes or personal email addresses of Nvidia engineers and technical executives who were identified as key targets.

Salaries and benefits have generally increased by 30% to 50%, job promises are more promising, R&D resources and platforms are broader and more stable, and there is no need to leave the familiar North American environment and family.

Even more devastatingly, some of the offers came with signing bonuses, the amount of which was enough to solve the financial difficulties faced by many engineers due to the shrinking of their stock options caused by the company's stock price plummeting.

Psychological offensives followed.

Some vague industry analyses and well-intentioned reminders about the uncertainties in the business environment on the island, potential risks to intellectual property rights, and limitations on future development began to circulate among the target audience in a small circle.

Loyalty versus reality, dreams versus stability, uncertain future adventures versus readily available benefits—under these meticulously designed offensives, many core members who were originally determined to follow Inspector Wong wavered.

When Mr. Wong was in the reserved meeting room, facing the sparsely populated core team members who were less than half of the expected number, he turned pale and almost couldn't stand up straight.

He looked around at the familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar faces, some of whom avoided his gaze.

He understood that ATI, or rather the person behind ATI, not only wanted to crush him in the market, but also to break his backbone.

"Is anyone still missing?" he asked in a dry voice.

The assistant whispered the names of several key figures, adding, "They just submitted their resignations; they're supposedly going to ATI."

There was dead silence in the conference room.

Not only were some personnel absent, but even more alarming was the subsequent verification of data and code repository permissions. It was discovered that some outdated, yet extremely important, technical documents and backups related to early research on the NV40 architecture and CUDA library optimization had vanished without a trace following the departure of several core engineers. Despite strict confidentiality agreements, the loss of such outdated core data is undoubtedly another heavy blow to NVIDIA's future R&D potential.

Looking at the remaining team before him, and thinking of the heavy mortgage and the prospect of leaving for some distant island, an unprecedented despair welled up in Huang Sir's heart.

He led this severely depleted and demoralized remnant force, along with a company that had been mortgaged and was almost completely empty, on a journey to an island.

Behind him, ATI's market share continued to climb, and it also acquired all of Nvidia's factories and mortgaged shares.

It almost caused Mr. Wong to have a heart attack.

The ending was beyond everyone's expectations. He Yaozu quickly reported to his father, his tone filled with unbelievable excitement.

"Dad, we've basically secured Nvidia. Huang Sir took the remaining troops and the funds secured by the mortgage to the other side. The factory and most of the mortgaged shares are now in our hands. It went more smoothly than we expected, and at a much lower cost."

On the other end of the phone, He Yuzhu's voice was calm and even, as if he had expected this: "Okay, I understand. Assume the factory and technical data properly, integrate the personnel as much as possible, and handle the rest properly to avoid future problems."

“Understood. So, can we now focus our efforts on dealing with Qualcomm?” He Yaozu asked. After the battle with Nvidia, he had a deeper understanding and greater confidence in his father’s strategic plan.

He Yuzhu pondered for a moment and said, "Qualcomm is a tougher nut to crack. Its patent barriers and political and business connections in the communications field are unmatched by Nvidia. A head-on confrontation won't work; we need to find a different approach."

He paused, then continued, "You were in North America before, so you're more familiar with the situation there. I'm giving you two tasks."

“Please speak.” He Yaozu listened intently.

"First, keep a close eye on that island. Don't underestimate it just because it's small. Their electronics industry, especially their contract manufacturing, has developed rapidly in recent years thanks to the international industrial transfer. We need to pay close attention to companies like TSMC and MediaTek. In the future, they may become a key link in chip manufacturing and terminal design, and could even be used by certain forces to hold us back. We need to prepare for this. We either need to find ways to infiltrate and cooperate with them, or we need to be prepared to replace them. You should personally take charge of this matter and find reliable people to conduct assessments and make contact."

He Yaozu's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately wrote it down: "Yes, Dad. I will arrange for people to conduct in-depth research from both commercial and technical perspectives to assess the possibility of cooperation and competition."

"Secondly, there's Qualcomm. We can't deal with it like we did with Nvidia through a price war. Its lifeblood is its patents. So, our main battleground isn't in the market, but in the courts and standards-setting organizations."

"Get NeoComm's legal and patent teams mobilized, and together with our partners in Europe and Asia, challenge Qualcomm's core CDMA patents in major global markets. If we can find prior technical evidence, that would be best; if not, we should file lawsuits from the perspectives of patent drafting flaws, antitrust, and abuse of market dominance. The goal is not to win immediately, but to stall them, to keep them embroiled in endless legal disputes, and to exhaust their resources and energy."

"At the same time, we need to be more proactive in international standards organizations like 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project). We should unite all forces that can be united to promote the diversification of technical standards and prevent Qualcomm from monopolizing the standards. We also have a lot of relevant patents, and we should make good use of them. If necessary, we can get our domestic partners like ZTE to work together."

He Yaozu quickly digested his father's strategy; it was indeed a more covert and more effective approach.

“I understand, Dad. We’ll wage legal battles and standards battles simultaneously to weaken its patent deterrent and fundamentally shake its business model.”

"And then there's the capital market," He Yuzhu added. "The ongoing lawsuits and standards disputes will inevitably affect market confidence in Qualcomm. Our traders can take advantage of this to conduct some swing trading when appropriate. But remember, the scale must be carefully controlled, so as not to give anyone ammunition for malicious short selling."

"Understood, I will keep a good eye on things."

"Okay, I'm leaving North America to you. Remember, stabilize the core business, be precise and ruthless in your actions, but even more importantly, be smart. If you encounter obstacles that you can't overcome, communicate promptly."

"Dad, I'm not going back?"

"Come back after you've chosen a successor over there."

"it is good."

After hanging up the phone, He Yaozu took a deep breath, feeling the burden on his shoulders grow heavier, but also the direction became clearer than ever before.

He immediately began making arrangements.

On the one hand, through clandestine channels, he instructed several consulting firms registered in Hong Kong and overseas to conduct comprehensive investigations and analyses of core electronics companies on the other side of the strait, such as TSMC and MediaTek, covering everything from equity structure, technology roadmap, customer base to management background, striving for thoroughness. At the same time, he also tentatively extended some informal business cooperation invitations to gauge public opinion.

On the other hand, he assembled a special task force targeting Qualcomm, bringing together NeoComm and other experts within the group who were proficient in intellectual property and international standards.

A large amount of legal resources were mobilized to launch a series of lawsuits in multiple jurisdictions around the world, carefully selecting breakthroughs against Qualcomm's core CDMA patent portfolio.

At the 3GPP meeting, the representatives of the Yellow River Group changed their previous relatively low-key style and participated more actively in technical discussions. They joined forces with other companies that were dissatisfied with Qualcomm's patent charging model to try to embed more diversified technical solutions into the next generation of communication technology standards and dilute Qualcomm's absolute influence.

This war without gunfire is quietly escalating in the shadows of courts, international conferences, and capital markets.

(End of this chapter)