Reborn in 2012, building a new energy empire

On Wednesday, after a college-wide lecture on "Innovation and Industrial Transformation," the host allowed time for Q&A.

Professor Wu Weizhen sat on the stage and encouraged the students to ask questions boldly.

Jiang Haoran raised his hand. After receiving the signal, he stood up, politely nodded to the guests on stage and Professor Wu Weizhen in the front row, and then asked his question:

"Thank you, teacher. My question may be more from the perspective of industrial investment."

"In industries where technology iterates rapidly, such as photovoltaics, how can we more effectively assess the true investment value brought about by a new technological breakthrough? It often goes beyond the improvement of technical parameters themselves."

Upon hearing this, Professor Wu leaned forward slightly, revealing an interested expression. He took over the conversation and responded in a guiding manner: "This is a very good question, hitting the core of industry research."

"Technological breakthroughs must be examined within the context of the entire business chain. Jiang, since you mentioned photovoltaics, why don't you use the field you're most familiar with as an example and elaborate on your thoughts?"

Encouraged, Jiang Haoran continued calmly: "For example, the technology roadmap that is currently taking place in the silicon wafer market."

"On one side are polycrystalline silicon wafers with mature technology and low cost but whose efficiency improvement has peaked, and on the other side are monocrystalline silicon wafers with higher efficiency potential but also higher cost."

"This is not just a choice between two options, but it will determine the competitive foundation of the entire industry for the next few years."

Professor Wu Weizhen astutely grasped the key point and pressed further: "This is a classic industrial upgrading proposition. In your opinion, what key variable might disrupt the current equilibrium and prompt monocrystalline silicon to replace polycrystalline silicon?"

"What does this substitution mean for businesses in different locations?"

This is exactly what Jiang Haoran wanted to explain. He calmly replied, "I believe the key lies in whether the 'efficiency premium' of monocrystalline silicon wafers can cover their 'cost premium,' and this window of opportunity is approaching."

"First of all, for silicon wafer manufacturers themselves, switching to monocrystalline means huge sunk costs and risks of process reconstruction. It is a gamble on the future, betting that the technological potential will eventually be realized as a market advantage."

Jiang Haoran emphasized slightly, pointing out another side of the problem: "But looking at it from another angle, there is almost no option of 'not participating' in this high-stakes gamble."

"Because once the technology maturity and cost curve of monocrystalline cross that critical point and it is officially chosen by the market as the mainstream technology route, the value of the huge production capacity, supply chain and market share originally built around polycrystalline technology may face a precipitous revaluation."

"By then, companies that have missed the window of opportunity will likely not be facing a question of how much profit they make, but rather a question of whether they can survive and stay at the table."

Jiang Haoran paused briefly, and seeing Professor Wu Weizhen's look signaling him to continue, he continued, "Secondly, for downstream battery and module manufacturers, the higher conversion efficiency brought by monocrystalline silicon wafers means that they can obtain higher power output on the same area."

This directly enhances the competitiveness of end products, especially in markets where system efficiency and limited installation space are becoming increasingly important.

Therefore, once the cost of monocrystalline silicon is reduced to a critical point through technological iteration and economies of scale, downstream demand will generate strong pull.

This substitution is not a simple replacement; it will reshape the entire value distribution pattern from silicon materials and wafers to solar cells. The fates of companies that made the right bets early on and those that reacted slowly will be drastically different.

As soon as Jiang Haoran finished speaking, Professor Wu Weizhen clapped his hands and laughed, his eyes full of admiration: "Brilliant! You're not just asking a question, you're giving us a vivid lesson in industry analysis."

"From technological bottlenecks to cost curves, and then to downstream demand and value reconstruction of the industrial chain, this analytical framework is very comprehensive."

Professor Wu Weizhen turned around and faced the audience, using Jiang Haoran's answer as a starting point to further elaborate on the general laws of "leader dividend" and "laggard trap" in the transformation of technological routes, and repeatedly quoted "just as this student just analyzed".

What was originally a planned Q&A session turned into a professional dialogue between Professor Wu Weizhen and an outstanding student, drawing surprised and admiring glances from many students in the audience, especially those in related majors.

The lecture concluded in a warm and enthusiastic atmosphere.

The crowd began to loosen, and many students rushed to the podium. Some wanted to ask the professors questions, while others looked curiously at Jiang Haoran, who was calmly saying goodbye to Professor Wu Weizhen.

All of this was clearly seen by Gao Qian, who was sitting in the front row.

She specially put on a delicate "no-makeup" makeup look today and wore a dress that best highlighted her temperament, thinking that she could maintain her usual elegance and attract attention on this occasion.

However, from the moment Jiang Haoran stood up to speak, to his fluent conversation with Professor Wu, and then to becoming the subtle focus of the entire room, the polite smile on her face gradually became somewhat stiff.

She looked at the tall, confident boy on the stage, at Professor Wu's undisguised praise, and at the whispers and glances that occasionally fell on Jiang Haoran among the students around her... A complex mix of emotions welled up inside her.

Her fingers unconsciously tightened around the soft hem of her clothes, and the edges of her carefully manicured nails turned slightly white.

It was no longer just surprise or annoyance, but a sharper kind of feeling, mixed with incomprehension, intense loss, and the embarrassment of being completely outdone.

She suddenly felt that her carefully chosen outfit today seemed so superficial and ridiculous in this occasion centered on knowledge and insight.

The boy she could easily ignore or manipulate in the past is now standing under a beam of light that she can never reach.

The anger and resentment in my heart were replaced by a sharper shock and an irrepressible curiosity.

She suddenly realized that she had never truly "seen" him, and now, this boy she had once considered as a backup option had risen to a height that she could not reach or even understand.

A strong urge to bring him back under control, or at least to make him take notice of him again, quietly began to grow.

As the lecture ended, the crowd surged. Gao Qian took a deep breath, composed herself into a perfect smile that was both admiring and shy, and walked toward Jiang Haoran, who was saying goodbye to Professor Wu.

"Jiang Haoran, your speech was really brilliant. I didn't understand it all. Can I ask you for some pointers?" Her voice was soft and sweet, and her eyes revealed just the right amount of thirst for knowledge and admiration.

Jiang Haoran turned his head at the sound, his gaze calmly falling on her face, his eyes looking at her as if she were any ordinary classmate, or even more indifferent.

He glanced at his watch and said to Professor Wu Weizhen, "Professor, I'll head back now. I've benefited greatly from our exchange, and I'll come back to consult you again next time."

Then he gave Gao Qian a slight nod, his tone polite but distant: "Sorry, I have something urgent to attend to right now. The lecture outline and recommended readings on related issues may be posted on the college's official website later."

After saying that, he walked straight past Gao Qian without stopping.

Gao Qian froze on the spot, her perfect smile frozen on her face. She could only watch his straight back disappear quickly at the end of the corridor, while the faint whispers of other girls could be heard around her.

For the first time, she felt that the carefully practiced, invincible weakness and worship were so pale and powerless in the face of absolute, unequal strength and focus.

A deep sense of embarrassment and an even more intense flame, mixed with resentment and a desire for conquest, flashed across her eyes.

Jiang Haoran was completely unaware, or rather, completely indifferent to the turmoil behind him.

To him, these were nothing more than insignificant noises in a prologue that had long since been turned over.

His battlefield, his journey, has already unfolded in a broader and more solid world.

The professor's approval, the trading strategy about to be tested, and the industrial layout that has already begun—these are the true cornerstones of the kingdom he wants to build upon his return to this world.