"Mr. Carlin, Boss Zhang is very resourceful. He is the most famous short seller in America, Zhang Tianxing. This amount of money is nothing to him," Feng Changlun said hurriedly upon seeing this.
Carlin's expression changed instantly, faster than the Peking Opera's face-changing.
Carlin beamed, "No wonder the magpies are chirping in the trees today; good things are coming. Boss Zhang wants five machines, and I couldn't be happier. This way, my performance will far exceed expectations."
Damn it, you can't judge a book by its cover. He never expected this handsome young man to not only be dashing but also incredibly wealthy.
The turmoil in the US stock market was recent hot news, and the world's eyes were on it, including Carlin's.
However, he never imagined that the number one short seller would be Chinese, which was beyond his expectation.
When did Chinese people become so formidable in the stock market that they single-handedly caused the Nasdaq to plummet and trigger a massive stock crash?
It was no exaggeration to say that the dot-com bubble was caused by Zhang Tianxing, who directly burst this bubble prematurely, leading to the stock market downturn.
However, the number one short seller amassed a colossal fortune during this stock crash, a sum beyond ordinary imagination.
He initially thought this young man was Feng Changlun's junior, brought along to broaden his horizons. He never expected him to be Feng Changlun's boss.
Carlin's face immediately lit up like a blooming chrysanthemum, his smile incredibly bright. "A true hero emerges from the youth. I've heard the name 'Number One Short Seller' so much that my ears are calloused. Come, this way, let's discuss the price properly."
Feng Changlun secretly tugged at Zhang Tianxing. Zhang Tianxing immediately understood, "Mr. Carlin, please wait a moment. We'll talk later. I need to use the restroom first."
"Oh, alright, alright. I'll wait for you here," Carlin could only nod with a smile. He hoped nothing would go wrong this time.
ASML was at a critical juncture. They needed technological upgrades, but there was a technical problem they couldn't solve.
They were unsure of the path forward, whether to modify existing technology or break from the old order and explore a new path based on new theories.
They were currently operating with two teams, pursuing both approaches, but neither had made a breakthrough. The most crucial point was that ASML's liquid cash was depleted.
If these five lithography machines could not be converted into money in a timely manner, ASML would face a financial crisis, a hurdle they would find difficult to overcome.
Therefore, as soon as Carlin heard that Zhang Tianxing was the number one short seller and was immensely wealthy, his attitude did a complete 180-degree turn.
Feng Changlun pulled Zhang Tianxing aside. "Boss Zhang, are you crazy? Do you know how many chips one lithography machine can produce in a year? What do you need five for? We can't possibly use that many chips."
Even with money, one shouldn't spend it like this; it was a complete waste. Good steel should be used on the blade, and his research projects were also black holes for money.
He worried that when he applied for funding, Zhang Tianxing might casually say, "Let's pause that project for now; all my money is going towards lithography machines." One should always be prepared for the worst. Besides, one lithography machine should be enough.
"We can sell them, can't we? Whoever has a say in chips in the future will seize the initiative in future development," Zhang Tianxing said in a deep voice.
Feng Changlun nodded repeatedly. "I understand that. Besides, I specialize in chip research, so I'm an expert. But we truly don't need five, and our technology still needs improvement. Our technical level requires enhancement."
Hearing this, Zhang Tianxing chuckled. "Brother Changlun, you might misunderstand my intention. From what I know, over ninety percent of the parts in current lithography machines come from other countries. Very few parts are actually produced by ASML themselves. They are merely assemblers, but they do possess the technology."
"To be frank, I'm also interested in this. I want to make this money too. Isn't it just about burning money to research and develop technology? We have the money. This means that apart from producing our own, the lithography machines I buy will also serve as samples."
Upon hearing Zhang Tianxing's explanation, Feng Changlun's eyes widened in surprise. Good heavens, he never expected Zhang Tianxing to be thinking so far ahead. However, Feng Changlun didn't hold much hope for this.
The number of parts in a lithography machine was too immense, totaling over 100,000. A lithography machine weighed 180 tons. What did that even mean?
Hearing this, Feng Changlun quietly asked, "Boss Zhang, you want to take one apart and see if we can produce it?" His tone was filled with disbelief.
Damn it, there were too many parts, and the precision requirements were extremely high. It wasn't that Feng Changlun looked down on China's technology.
If China were to produce those parts, perhaps even half of them wouldn't pass quality inspection.
This lithography machine was an incredibly delicate piece of equipment; not the slightest error was permissible.
Zhang Tianxing nodded. "The precision will only get higher. Currently, it's 193 nanometers. In twenty years, won't it reach one nanometer? So, if we can build this ourselves, we'll feel secure."
"You have a point. It's always more convenient if we can build it ourselves," Feng Changlun nodded. But then he suddenly realized, "That's not right, Boss Zhang. If you have money, you can just buy it. It's that simple. Furthermore, investing money doesn't guarantee production. I feel it's better to buy finished products than to develop the technology."
He never expected Feng Changlun to have the same idea. Zhang Tianxing sighed helplessly.
"Changlun, you're thinking too simply. Some things cannot be bought with money. After all, everyone is increasingly valuing patents. Perhaps one day, when we want to buy something, the patent holder might say, 'Due to economic sanctions, this product cannot be sold to China.' What will we do then?"
Zhang Tianxing said with deep emotion, "One should not harbor ill intentions, but one must guard against them."
It's always convenient if we control the technology ourselves. If others refuse to sell, then we can produce it ourselves.
"Boss Zhang, you're overthinking. You must be joking. They produce goods to sell and make money. How can they refuse to sell something after receiving payment? I don't believe what you're saying," Feng Changlun shook his head directly. How could that be possible?
Not being able to buy equipment with money, targeted sanctions – this was impossible. The next step would be globalization. The reason ASML became a giant in lithography machines was because they focused on a specific field and didn't intend to control lithography machine technology themselves.
Ninety percent of the parts in a lithography machine were not produced by them; they were merely assemblers, although they did possess a few core technologies.