279: Chapter 278 Welcome to the Club

"Is this the company mentioned above?"

He Chenguang took the phone with a puzzled look, but his expression changed slightly after just one glance.

"This company was added to the Chip foundry blacklist this morning. Wanji Semiconductor and Samsung Semiconductor have already issued statements that they will not have any form of cooperation with Frontier Technology."

The Middle-aged man said softly: "If you are thinking of going to this company, I'm afraid you should think twice."

This was also his final well-intentioned piece of advice for young man before him.

However, to his surprise, He Chenguang only paused for a brief moment before breaking into a faint smile.

"General Manager Yu, would you like to take Huaneng Group's consumer business to the next level?"

The Middle-aged man was taken aback: "What do you mean?"

He Chenguang pointed at the phone: "General Manager Yu, the opportunity is right in front of you—a chance to offer support when it's most needed."

"I'm not at liberty to discuss the specific details with you, but please believe me, a mere Chip cannot stump this company. If Huaneng Group can communicate with them in advance and establish a partnership, the advantages will be immense."

The Middle-aged man finally understood. He raised his head and stared quietly at young man before him.

"Are you serious?"

"General Manager Yu, I am very serious right now." He Chenguang nodded: "I'm only saying this because it's you and Huaneng Group. If it were anyone else, I wouldn't have leaked a single word."

The Middle-aged man pondered slightly, then suddenly asked: "Does this unspeakable reason have anything to do with your resignation?"

"Yes." He Chenguang nodded again. The non-disclosure agreement did not restrict the disclosure of this content.

"I understand."

The Middle-aged man nodded gently and said: "I will seriously consider your proposal."

"Additionally, leave your resignation letter with me for now. Resignations of T20-level personnel require Elder Ren to be informed."

He Chenguang nodded in understanding, stood up, and walked toward the door.

"Xiao He."

The voice came faintly from behind. He Chenguang stopped and turned around.

The Middle-aged man's gaze was calm.

"If you regret your decision, the doors of Huaneng Technology will always be open to you."

He Chenguang fell silent.

In that instant, he truly had a moment of hesitation. He really wanted to stay at Huaneng Technology and just dismiss everything he had said before as nonsense, but in the end, he didn't.

"Thank you, General Manager Yu. Thank you, Huaneng Technology, for cultivating me."

He Chenguang said softly.

After saying this, he opened the door and turned to leave.

The Middle-aged man watched quietly until the door closed.

After a long while, he let out a soft sigh, took out his phone, and placed a WeiChat call.

The WeiChat call was connected quickly. An old man with white hair and beard appeared on the screen, looking kind and benevolent.

"Elder Ren."

The Middle-aged man's expression was respectful.

"It's Xiao Yu."

The old man said with a smile: "Do you need something from me?"

The Middle-aged man revealed a bitter smile. In all of Huaneng Technology, the only person who would dare to call him "Xiao Yu" was likely just the old man before him. Organizing his words, he said: "Elder Ren, He Chenguang has submitted his resignation. I would like to ask for your instructions on whether to approve it."

"He Chenguang?"

The old man on the screen recalled for a moment before saying: "I remember this child; he is a good child. What happened? Was he wronged?"

The Middle-aged man was slightly speechless.

He couldn't be wronged, no matter who else was. Who would dare to wrong someone that you personally remembered, Elder?

"No," the Middle-aged man shook his head, "He wants to resign on his own."

"Is that so?"

The old man nodded slightly and looked at the Middle-aged man:

"Tell me in detail."

... A dozen minutes later.

"You mean... Xiao He asked you for leave, and then suddenly proposed his resignation?"

The old man asked slowly.

"Yes."

The Middle-aged man nodded.

"Frontier Technology..." the old man pondered: "I seem to have heard of this company somewhere."

"Elder Ren, this is the company that released the Artificial Intelligence product."

The Middle-aged man prompted: "Xiao He previously ordered their product."

"Hmm, their Artificial Intelligence is called zero egg, right?"

The Middle-aged man nodded again.

The old man nodded slightly and added: "I remember you all seemed to have analyzed that this zero egg was just a gimmick. Now it seems that might not be the case?"

"This..."

The Middle-aged man was slightly tongue-tied, not knowing how to explain.

Fortunately, the old man did not intend to make things difficult for him. After asking that one question, he didn't dwell on it anymore and just said: "What else did Xiao He say?"

The Middle-aged man said in a deep voice: "He asked us to investigate this Frontier Technology Company and strive to reach a cooperation with them."

"Cooperation?"

The old man was taken aback, his brows slightly furrowed: "What were his exact words?"

"He said..." the Middle-aged man recalled, "A Chip cannot stump this company. He told us to reach a collaboration with them early on, which would give us every advantage."

"I speculate that the reason Xiao He said this might be related to the reason for his resignation."

"If that's the case, this company is not simple."

The old man sighed.

"Elder Ren, are you saying...?"

The Middle-aged man's expression shifted slightly.

"Don't guess blindly." The old man softened his tone: "I understand Xiao He's temperament, and I am very confident in his technical ability. He wouldn't make baseless claims."

As he spoke, the old man sighed: "Our situation is so similar to theirs. If we cannot huddle together for warmth, we will eventually be left vulnerable."

The Middle-aged man was silent. He certainly knew what Elder Ren meant by this.

On some level, the problems Huaneng Group faced were very similar to those of this Frontier Technology.

Or rather, Frontier Technology had already turned the things they were worried about into reality ahead of time.

This was also the reason they valued He Chenguang so highly.

Some things are ultimately more reassuring when done by oneself.

The old man sighed for a long while before looking at the Middle-aged man.

"Xiao Yu, I will leave this matter to you. I don't trust anyone else..."

"Understood, Elder Ren."

"Listen more, observe more, ask more. Make bold hypotheses, verify them carefully, and do not be afraid of making mistakes."

The Middle-aged man nodded slightly: "I know what to do."

"However, Elder Ren, there is one thing I would like to ask for instructions on in advance. If we can reach a cooperation this time, what should the scale of our involvement be?"

The old man smiled, a meaningful smile. He retorted: "How much have we invested in these past few years? And what have been the results?"

The Middle-aged man felt a jolt in his heart and nodded slowly.

"Elder Ren, I know what to do now."

... He Chenguang did not know about the conversation between the Middle-aged man and the old man.

He only waited in the Human Resources Department for half an hour before receiving notification that his resignation was approved.

Looking at the resignation certificate in his hand, He Chenguang knew that from now on, he had lost this superior job that made others envious, jealous, and hateful. He had lost the high income that allowed him to stand tall in front of his family, classmates, and friends.

Any regrets?

Perhaps a little.

To say he didn't regret it would be a lie.

This was a job with an annual salary of 2.8 million; how many people dreamed of it but could never obtain it.

And he had possessed it.

With a faint smile, he put the resignation certificate into his backpack and walked out of the Huaneng Building.

The midday sun was blindingly bright, making it impossible to keep one's eyes open.

He Chenguang looked at the familiar gate, stood dazed for a long while, then took out his phone.

"Beep... Beep..."

The call was connected.

He Chenguang said faintly: "I have resigned."

The person on the other end seemed to pause for a moment, and then a soft laugh came through. A clear male voice emerged from the receiver and into He Chenguang's ears.

"Welcome to Frontier Technology."