allonlinenovel Chapter 158 Education Fund
Chapter 158 Education Fund
November 10, 2020, 4:30 PM.
Less than two hours after the industry roundtable live stream ended.
Zhao Mingyuan, the editor-in-chief of Yuchen.com, was ready to wrap up work, but an unexpected phone call changed his plans.
The call was from Zhou Zhiyuan.
"Editor-in-Chief Zhao, after the live broadcast, I'd like to record a separate supplementary interview. There's something I must say today."
"Professor Zhou, what is it?"
"A decision regarding Su Chen and Hongyuan Feibiao. He originally didn't want me to discuss it, but today's roundtable discussion made me change my mind."
Forty minutes later, Zhao Mingyuan arrived at Zhou Zhiyuan's study in the Tsinghua Heqingyuan residential area with two photographers.
"Professor Zhou, please go ahead."
Zhou Zhiyuan sat at his desk, the MEMS development board design blueprints sent by Su Chen still spread out in front of him. He looked at the camera, remained silent for a few seconds, and then slowly spoke.
"At today's roundtable, Professor Fang Jianhua repeatedly questioned whether Hongyuan Feiniao's push to launch its IPO in universities was premature and a purely commercial move. So, I'll share a decision Su Chen made—let everyone judge for themselves whether this is a commercial move or something else entirely."
He paused.
"Su Chen made a decision last month—for the first three years after the MEMS development board goes into production, all profits from the sale of the development boards will be invested in an education fund called the 'MEMS Seed Program,' with not a single penny kept."
"The Seed Project?" Zhao Mingyuan's eyes widened slightly.
Yes. This fund has three uses—
Zhou Zhiyuan held up one finger.
"First, we will provide MEMS experimental teaching kits to universities nationwide free of charge. This is not a discount, not a subsidy, but completely free. Each kit costs 48.5 yuan, and we plan to provide more than 50,000 kits free of charge in the first three years."
He raised his second finger.
"Secondly, we will establish the 'MEMS Seed Scholarship' to support one hundred science and engineering students from disadvantaged families each year, enabling them to complete their studies without worry and learn a real skill."
He raised his third finger.
"Third, establish 'MEMS Open Laboratories' in ten pilot universities, equipped with complete MEMS experimental equipment, and open them to all students free of charge."
Zhao Mingyuan remained silent for a few seconds.
"Professor Zhou, what are Mr. Su Chen's projected profits for these three years?"
"According to Hongyuan Feiniao's internal market estimates—" Zhou Zhiyuan's tone became serious, "if the development boards can successfully enter the university system, and industrial customers also begin to purchase them, then the profit in the first year will be approximately between five and fifteen million. In the second year, as MEMS chips gradually enter mass production, the profit will grow to thirty to fifty million. By the third year, when the first batch of students using Hongyuan Feiniao development boards begin to enter the industry, the industrial effect will begin to appear, and the profit may reach one to two hundred million."
He looked at the camera and said, word by word:
"Over three years, the total is conservatively estimated at two to three hundred million. Su Chen didn't keep a single penny; he invested it all in education."
Zhao Mingyuan took a deep breath.
Two to three hundred million.
For a company that has been established for less than a year and whose monthly revenue has just exceeded one billion, this number may not seem like much. But it's important to understand that the MEMS development board is one of Hongyuan Feiniao's most important strategic products for the future—it's not meant to make money in the short term, but to cultivate the entire ecosystem.
Su Chen's decision was to return all profits from the first three years of this ecosystem to education.
"Professor Zhou," Zhao Mingyuan carefully chose his words, "why did Mr. Su Chen make this decision?"
Zhou Zhiyuan smiled slightly.
He once told me, "Professor Zhou, seeds aren't for selling; seeds are for planting. The profits in the first three years are for watering. Only after watering them enough will a forest grow."
Zhao Mingyuan remained silent for a long time.
Then he slowly said:
"Professor Zhou, we will release this interview tonight."
"good."
"There's one more thing—" Zhao Mingyuan hesitated for a moment, "What Professor Fang Jianhua said at the round table… do you think he genuinely believed that things were too hasty, or…?"
Zhou Zhiyuan did not answer directly.
He simply said:
"Editor-in-Chief Zhao, you can tell whether someone's opinion is sincere by looking at their vested interests. I don't need to answer the question of who funded Fang Jianhua's joint laboratory."
Zhao Mingyuan nodded knowingly.
……
That evening at 8 PM, Yuchen.com simultaneously released a supplementary interview video of Zhou Zhiyuan on its official Weibo, WeChat official account, and Bilibili.
The title is: "Professor Zhou Zhiyuan exclusively reveals: Hongyuan Feiniao's 'MEMS Seed Project' will invest all profits from the past three years in education."
Within the first hour of the video's release, it was retweeted over 30,000 times and received over 20,000 comments on Weibo.
The hashtag #MEMSSeedProject# rose to fourth place on Weibo's trending topics within two hours.
In the WeChat group "Drone Technology Exchange Group".
Old Chen, the pilot, was the first to share this video.
"Brothers, look at this! Su Chen invested all of his profits over three years in education! Two or three hundred million!"
Shenzhen resident Xiao Wang exclaimed, "Holy crap... he doesn't want two or three hundred million? Is this guy crazy?"
Drone A-Jie: "It's not that they're crazy, it's a matter of vision. Think about it, three years from now, all the MEMS engineers graduating from universities across the country will have grown up using Hongyuan Feiniao's technology. At that point, will they still need to make money from development boards?"
A calm analyst commented, "From a business perspective, this is actually quite shrewd. But from an ethical perspective... to be honest, I'm moved. A 25-year-old investing two or three hundred million yuan in education to cultivate a generation. I've really rarely seen anything like this in the Chinese business world."
Old Chen, the Flyer: "Thinking back to what that vice dean Fang Jianhua said about it being a commercial transaction... haha."
Xiao Wang from Shenzhen: "Don't even mention it. That guy's joint lab funding came from Bosch, and he still has the nerve to accuse others of commercial activities."
On Zhihu, the question "How do you evaluate Su Chen of Hongyuan Feiniao's announcement that all profits from the past three years will be invested in the MEMS education fund?" received more than 800 answers within an hour.
The most upvoted answer came from an anonymous user who claimed to be a "PhD candidate in microelectronics at a 985 university":
Let me tell you the truth.
I've been doing my PhD for three years, and I've always used Bosch lab boards. It's not because Bosch boards are better; it's because our lab only uses Bosch. My professor says he won't teach anything else, and the textbooks only use Bosch boards.
Today I watched Professor Zhou's interview, where he said that Hongyuan Feiniao will provide 50,000 MEMS experimental kits to universities free of charge, and will also build ten free open laboratories.
To be honest, I'm jealous.
It's not because it's free, it's because finally someone is doing this. We MEMS students studied Bosch for three years, only to find upon graduation that domestic MEMS companies use completely different solutions than Bosch, and most of what we learned in school is useless.
If I had had Hongyuan Feiniao's development board when I was in graduate school, or if my school's lab had domestically produced MEMS kits... perhaps my doctoral dissertation wouldn't have taken so many detours.
So what Su Chen did was not charity, nor was it empty promises; it was filling a gap in China's MEMS education that had been lacking for twenty years.
Two or three hundred million, it's worth it.
On Bilibili, the interview video garnered over five million views within four hours. The most intense barrage of comments occurred when Zhou Zhiyuan said, "Seeds are not for selling money, seeds are for planting"—the entire screen was filled with the words "tears welling up" and "awesome."
Outside the live broadcast room, Fang Jianhua returned to his office at Beihang University.
He sat in the chair, staring at the overwhelming news on his phone screen, his face ashen.
#MEMS Seed Program#. All profits over three years will be invested in education. 50,000 free experimental kits will be provided. One million yuan in scholarships will be awarded. Free laboratories will be provided at ten universities.
Every word he uttered at the round table—"too hasty," "a dragon-slaying technique," "too risky"—seemed utterly pale and powerless in the face of this news.
Su Chen is willing to invest in education for three years without making a single penny, so what right do you, Fang Jianhua, have to say that it's a commercial transaction?
The phone rang.
It was Akira Ishikawa on the phone.
"Professor Fang, I saw that video..." For the first time, a hint of anxiety appeared in Ishikawa Akira's voice. "The impact of this 'Seed Project' is far greater than we anticipated. If universities really start using Hongyuan Feibiao's free kits on a large scale, Bosch's experimental board market will be completely eroded within three years."
"I know," Fang Jianhua said in a hoarse voice.
"So...we need to upgrade our response." Ishikawa Akira paused. "Professor Fang, you have a wide network in academia. Among the professors you know, is there anyone willing to co-sign an open letter?"
"An open letter? What does it say?"
"It's not about MEMS education—we've already lost that round," Ishikawa Akira said in a low voice. "It's about Su Chen himself. His technical abilities, the attribution of his achievements, his so-called 'genius' image… If we can shake the public's trust in Su Chen's personal abilities, then everything built on his personal halo—the Seed Project, the Asuka Alliance, the Light Armor—will also crumble."
Fang Jianhua remained silent for a long time.
The humiliation of being crushed by Zhou Zhiyuan at the round table today was still vivid in his mind. He knew that he had already lost face in front of 670,000 people, and if he withdrew now, his reputation in the academic circle would plummet even further—he would never be able to shake off the label of "Bosch's spokesperson" for the rest of his life.
But if we continue...
Akira Ishikawa seemed to sense his hesitation.
"Professor Fang, we can increase the joint laboratory agreement to eight million. Furthermore, the visiting scholar position at MIT can be extended from six months to one year."
Fang Jianhua closed his eyes.
"You draft the contents of the open letter," he said softly, as if afraid he might hear himself. "I'll find people to sign it."
"Okay. I'll send you the first draft by tomorrow afternoon."
After hanging up the phone, Fang Jianhua opened his WeChat contacts and found a group chat called "Deans of Microelectronics Departments in Universities".
His finger hovered above the screen, hesitant to press it.
Outside the window, the lights of Beihang University's campus shone quietly in the night.
Fang Jianhua recalled the autumn of 1993, the afternoon he arrived at Beihang University after graduating from Tsinghua University. At that time, he was full of vigor and ambition, his mind filled with the desire to make a name for himself in the field of MEMS.
Twenty-seven years have passed.
He did achieve some results—a position as vice dean, dozens of papers, and two provincial and ministerial-level research projects. But compared to Zhou Zhiyuan, who graduated at the same time, he knew he was far behind.
Now, in order to close that gap, he has chosen a shortcut.
However, the cost of this shortcut was much greater than he had initially imagined.
……
Meanwhile, in another direction from Beijing—
The lights were on in an office in the Department of Higher Education of the Ministry of Education.
Three officials are discussing a document.
"Did you watch that industry roundtable livestream today?" Chen Weiliang, deputy director of the Department of Higher Education, put down his pen and looked at his two colleagues.
"I saw it. 670,000 people watched it online." Wang Jianping, director of the Science and Engineering Department, nodded. "Professor Zhou Zhiyuan's explanation was very convincing. His analogy with the 51 microcontroller and his supply chain security argument regarding Huawei's entity list are hard to refute."
"Did you watch the video about the Seed Project tonight too?" Chen Weiliang asked again.
"I've seen it." Wang Jianping's expression became complicated. "All of three years' profits have been invested in education. To be honest, if this is true, then Hongyuan Feiniao's sincerity is beyond question."
Chen Weiliang was silent for a few seconds, then made a decision.
"Draft a document to include Hongyuan Feiniao's MEMS sensor development version in the recommended list of experimental teaching in universities. The first batch of twelve pilot universities are: Tsinghua University, Beihang University, Zhejiang University, Harbin Institute of Technology, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Southeast University, Beijing Institute of Technology, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and National University of Defense Technology. Implementation will begin in the spring semester of 2021."
"Included in the recommended list? Not a mandatory replacement?" Wang Jianping confirmed.
"Yes, a recommended list," Chen Weiliang emphasized. "We're not trying to eliminate Bosch and ST's experimental platforms, but rather to give universities more options. Professor Zhou Zhiyuan is right—a backup plan isn't a waste, it's insurance. Let the mayor and faculty decide for themselves what to use."
"Understood. This document needs expedited approval. When can it be issued at the earliest?"
"Three days." Chen Weiliang glanced at the calendar. "Send them to the pilot universities before November 13th."
……
On the same evening.
Shenzhen, headquarters of Hongyuan Flying Bird.
Lin Wei received an unexpected phone call—from a colonel in the military's equipment development department.
"Mr. Lin, our department is discussing including Hongyuan Feiniao's MEMS sensors in the list of designated suppliers for military drones. Our report was submitted this afternoon, and we expect approval this week."
"Thank you for your trust." Lin Wei's voice was steady, but her heart was beating a little faster.
"Furthermore, we hope to obtain a production license for the military-grade version of Hongyuan Feiniao MEMS sensors. Of course, the relevant patent fees and licensing fees will be paid according to market standards."
"I need to confirm with President Su."
"Of course. And another thing—" the colonel's tone became serious, "We also watched today's industry roundtable livestream. Professor Zhou Zhiyuan's remarks resonated deeply within our organization. Supply chain security isn't just a civilian issue. Our reliance on Bosch and ST in the military MEMS sensor field is even deeper than in the civilian sector. Therefore, what Hongyuan Feiniao is doing is of great significance to us."
"I understand." Lin Wei took a deep breath. "President Su has always said that our technology ultimately serves the needs of the nation."
"Please thank Mr. Su Chen for me. Tell him to focus on his technical work; we'll take care of things back home."
After hanging up the phone, Lin Wei leaned back in her chair and let out a long sigh of relief.
The Ministry of Education and the military... within a single day, two of the most important official signals came simultaneously.
She picked up her phone and sent a message to Su Chen:
"The Ministry of Education wants to include our open classes in the recommended list of experimental teaching for universities, with the first batch of 12 pilot universities, starting in the spring semester of 2021. The military also wants to include our MEMS sensors in the designated supply list for military drones and wants production licenses."
Five minutes later, Su Chen replied with two words:
"agree."
Then he added:
When will Chen Guodong be able to deliver the new 250mm cavity?
Lin Wei smiled helplessly and replied:
"I've already urged them. Chen Guodong said it would take at least eight days, and maybe seven days if it's expedited."
"Make him pay in six days."
"...You know that's unrealistic, right?"
"Seven days then. No more than that."
Lin Wei sighed and typed a line on the keyboard:
"Can't you be happy for even a minute first?"
This time, Su Chen replied.
"I'll treat the whole company to dinner the day the DRIE prototype passes full verification."
Lin Wei looked at these words and finally a genuine smile appeared on her lips.
This man has only one standard—technological breakthroughs.
Before that, everything was just a process.