Reborn in 2012, building a new energy empire

Chapter 150 The Stage is Set

April 28th, 7:00 AM.

Jiang Haoran drove to the provincial government building.

On the passenger seat was a black briefcase containing the final design data report for Kirin Technology's "Kirin No. 1" diamond wire, as well as two vacuum-packed samples.

The report cover is simple, with only one line: "Report on the Phase Results of the Domestic Production Project of Diamond Wire Saws", signed by "Kirin Technology Co., Ltd. and Jinling University Joint Laboratory of Materials".

At 8:20, the car stopped at the side gate of the provincial government building. He gave his name and showed his ID card. The guard checked the appointment record and let him through.

Walk through the internal parking lot and enter the solemn gray building.

The corridor was carpeted in dark colors, completely absorbing the sound of footsteps, with only the faint sound of a telephone ringing in the distance.

The secretary was already waiting outside the office. "Mr. Jiang, the boss is waiting for you."

He knocked and entered. Bai Jingming was sitting behind his desk, reviewing a document. When he saw him come in, he took off his glasses.

"Uncle Bai, I apologize for disturbing you." Jiang Haoran bowed slightly.

"Sit down." Bai Jingming gestured to the chair opposite him, his tone calm. "The exhibition is about to start, isn't it?"

"Yes, in a few days." Jiang Haoran sat down, took out a report and sample from his briefcase, and handed them over with both hands. "This is the latest progress report for the project, and here is a sample."

Bai Jingming took it, first looked at the two rolls of silver thread sealed in a transparent bag, and then opened the report.

He read very slowly, his gaze lingering on the technical parameters summary page for a long time.

That page listed three sets of key data: benchmark values ​​for top-tier imported brands, measured values ​​from "Kirin-1," and comparison values ​​for ordinary domestic products.

In terms of "wire diameter uniformity (±µm)", "breaking force (N)", and "tTV of silicon wafer cutting (µm)",

After the columns “m”, the values ​​of “Kirin-1” have closely followed or even surpassed the import benchmark in some aspects.

He tapped the numbers next to "wire diameter uniformity" twice with his finger, then looked up and asked, "Have these data all been verified by a third party?"

"Yes," Jiang Haoran replied, "Both the Jiangsu Provincial Institute of Metrology and the Shanghai Institute of Materials issued test reports, which are attached to the last page."

Bai Jingming flipped to the last page, glanced at the two test report summaries stamped with red seals, and nodded.

He closed the report, leaned back in his chair, and a complex expression appeared on his face—a mixture of relief, emotion, and a sense of accomplishment.

"Xiao Jiang," he said, his voice gentler than before, "you young people have really accomplished what we wanted to do back then but were never able to."

He picked up the sample roll and looked at it against the light from the window: "Back in the 1990s, I studied electronics in university. My professors always said that what our manufacturing industry lacked wasn't ideas, but solid craftsmanship and meticulous artisan spirit."

"Later, I joined a government agency, saw many projects, and visited many companies. I often felt that I was still chasing and imitating, and the core things were always in the hands of others."

He gently placed the sample back on the table: "This product of yours may not have a large output value, but it's a critical bottleneck. It's not easy for you to make it, and to this level."

Jiang Haoran listened quietly.

"This SNEC exhibition is of a very high standard." Bai Jingming changed the subject, his tone regaining the composure of a leader. "It's not only a technical exchange within the industry, but also an important window for the province to observe breakthroughs in high-end equipment manufacturing and materials. Officials from the Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology and the Provincial Department of Science and Technology will be attending."

He looked at Jiang Haoran with clear certainty in his eyes: "Go ahead and showcase your talents with confidence. Bring out your best performance. My colleagues and I from the relevant departments will make time to visit and support you."

He spoke the word "platform" very naturally, but it carried immense weight.

This wasn't private encouragement, but a formal statement made in the provincial government office.

"Thank you, Director Bai." Jiang Haoran stood up and said sincerely, "We will definitely do our best to live up to your expectations."

"This is not my expectation, but the industry's expectation."

Bai Jingming also stood up and shook hands with him. "Do a good job. If you encounter difficulties, report them according to the procedures. But ultimately, you have to walk this path step by step on your own."

It was just past ten o'clock when I left the provincial government building. The sunlight was perfect, shining on the neatly arranged pines and cypresses in the courtyard.

Jiang Haoran got into the car but didn't start it immediately. He gripped the steering wheel, Bai Jingming's last words echoing in his mind.

You have to walk your own path.

But if someone is willing to give you the green light when you start out, that support is like sending charcoal in snowy weather.

He took a deep breath, started the car, and drove onto the highway towards Shanghai.

Four o'clock in the afternoon, the Bund.

The private club on the top floor of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel offers a window view overlooking the entire Huangpu River.

Ships come and go on the river, and the skyscrapers of Lujiazui on the opposite bank glow with a golden-red light under the setting sun.

Zhou Mingyu had arrived and was sitting on the sofa by the window with a glass of whiskey in front of him.

Seeing Jiang Haoran enter, he smiled and raised his glass.

"President Jiang, you've rushed back from Nanjing? I don't know what you're doing messing around with your little business. You should just stay at Jiutian Investment and not make yourself all travel-worn."

"Young Master Zhou, making money through investment is important, but this is my ideal." Jiang Haoran sat down opposite him, and the waiter quietly brought him a glass of lemonade.

"I heard the product design is finalized. How are the preparations for the exhibition going?" Zhou Mingyu swirled his wine glass, the ice cubes clinking against the glass. "A few of the LPs at Jiutian are quite curious because they heard you have another business project to showcase."

"It's basically ready." Jiang Haoran said simply, "For our first public appearance, we don't aim to make a splash, but rather to proceed steadily and surely."

Zhou Mingyu looked at him for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed: "I heard that the performance specifications of your diamond wire are already approaching those of imported products?"

The news spread very quickly.

Jiang Haoran was not surprised: "The data from the lab and small-batch trial production are okay, but the real test is on the customer's production line."

"That's quite impressive." Zhou Mingyu leaned forward, his tone inquisitive. "Honestly, Haoran, I initially thought you were just dabbling in real businesses, or just playing around with concepts. I never expected you to actually get involved and produce results so quickly."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "I'm familiar with the financial sector, and I also have many friends in the industry. If you need further funding for expansion, or if you need to connect with key supply chains or customer resources, feel free to ask. We can discuss it with Jiutian Phase II, or with me personally."

The words were spoken subtly, but the meaning was clear.

Capital has the keenest sense of smell; it detected the potential commercial value of technological breakthroughs and also saw the potential of Jiang Haoran as a person who moves between different fields.

"Thank you, Mr. Zhou." Jiang Haoran raised his water glass and lightly clinked it with his. "After the exhibition, we'll see the market feedback. If needed, we'll definitely trouble you."

The two chatted about the latest developments in the secondary market. At 7 p.m., Jiang Haoran said goodbye and left.

He needs to keep another appointment.

At 8 p.m., in Pudong, a teahouse hidden deep in a bamboo forest.

When the door to the private room was pushed open, two people were already seated inside. Both were around forty years old, wearing casual jackets, and looked cautious.

Lin Miaomiao sat to the side and nodded slightly when she saw him come in.

"President Jiang, this is Engineer Zhang, and this is Engineer Li," she introduced. "They are both top technical experts in the industry."

Without any pleasantries, we got straight to the point.

Jiang Haoran took out another set of more detailed technical documents from his bag, as well as several silicon wafer samples cut from the "Kirin-1".

The other party was clearly an expert, asking one question after another, from the fatigue life testing method for wires to the adaptation of cutting parameters under different silicon material hardness, and then to the quality traceability system after large-scale production.

Jiang Haoran answered each question one by one, speaking calmly and providing clear data.

When it was mentioned that the line consumption data was 8% lower than that of imported similar products during a continuous 200-hour cutting test, Mr. Zhang picked up the silicon wafer and examined it carefully under the light for a long time.

"The surface damage layer is indeed very thin," he whispered to his companion. "This data—if it can be stabilized, will be of great value."

Mr. Li was more concerned about practical applications: "How long of continuous cable can you supply now? Do you have a technical solution for disconnecting broken wires? If we want to do small-batch testing, when is the earliest you can provide samples?"

"Currently, the continuous length of a single roll can reach over 100 kilometers. We have mature splicing technology, and the strength loss is controlled within 5%," Jiang Haoran replied. "Test samples can be arranged for delivery within a week after the exhibition ends."

The talks lasted an hour and a half.

At the end, the two sides exchanged contact information.

Before leaving, Engineer Zhang patted Jiang Haoran on the shoulder: "President Jiang, you're on the right track with your self-developed technology. See you at the exhibition."

After they left, only Jiang Haoran and Lin Miaomiao remained in the tea room.

"How is it?" Lin Miaomiao asked, her eyes shining.

"Very professional and pragmatic." Jiang Haoran sat down, rubbing his temples. "It's a good sign. The two companies behind them, while not the largest, have excellent reputations in their niche markets. If they can be put to good use, that would be the best thing ever."

"My dad's side—" Lin Miaomiao hesitated for a moment, "I'll look for another opportunity. But like you said, the product itself will speak for itself."

Jiang Haoran looked at her; the bamboo shadows swayed outside the window, reflected in her clear eyes. "Thank you, Miaomiao. Without your help, I wouldn't have been able to connect with such a key person."

Lin Miaomiao blushed slightly and looked away: "I did it for—us."

It was late at night. Jiang Haoran drove back to the hotel.

The lights flicker on the elevated highway, the city's night never sleeps.

The composed face of Director Bai, the inquisitive gaze of Zhou Mingyu, and the focused expressions of the two technical experts flashed through his mind—

Politics, capital, and property.

Three forces, like three streams, are quietly converging in the channels he has carefully constructed, flowing in the same direction.

And tomorrow, the exhibition will open.

He parked his car downstairs at the hotel and looked up towards the southeast.

There, the outline of the Shanghai New International Expo Centre is hidden in the night, quietly awaiting dawn.

The stage is set up. We're just waiting for the show to begin.