Leveling Up With My Pet



As Liu Yong pondered the situation, Hu Shijun noticed his contemplation and swiftly inquired, "Brother Yong, have you come up with something?"

Liu Yong nodded, indicating his speculation. "If I'm correct, the other party must have come for the lithography machine."

"What? The lithography machine?" Hu Shijun exclaimed, suddenly filled with anxiety. His reaction was strong, and he spoke loudly, "They've got some nerve, daring to target our lithography machines."

"It's a precious asset that cannot be easily replaced," Liu Yong remarked. "When you meet them tomorrow, if their intention is indeed the lithography machine, make it clear that we do not possess such a thing."

"Yes, I understand," Hu Shijun nodded earnestly.

The following day arrived, and following Liu Yong's instructions, Hu Shijun, as the general manager of Universal Semiconductor Corporation, received Ernesta and his group.

As soon as the two parties met, Ernesta wasted no time and delved straight into the matter at hand. "I've heard that your company has 5-nanometer and 8-nanometer lithography machines."

Hu Shijun saw no reason to conceal this fact and decided to be straightforward. "Yes, we do possess such lithography machines."

Ernesta responded mockingly, his tone filled with disdain. "With the strength of your country, it's highly unlikely that you can manufacture such advanced lithography machines."

Hu Shijun felt the sting of ridicule and retorted, "What does that have to do with you?"

"It does concern us," Ernesta asserted confidently. "We suspect that your company's lithography machine was a result of our plane crash and ended up in the sea."

Hu Shijun turned his face directly, spreading his hands in disbelief. "Where's the evidence? Show us the evidence."

Ernesta's audacity seemed to grow. "We don't need evidence. The lithography machine in your possession belongs to us. Return it to us immediately."

Hu Shijun scoffed at the sheer audacity. "Who do you think you are? You can't simply demand something without evidence."

"If there's no evidence, then leave," Hu Shijun declared, firm in his stance. Realizing the purpose of the opposition, he had no intention of wasting any more time with Ernesta.

Ernesta, considering himself a high-ranking executive of a significant company, believed that Nibik possessed great strength in the field of chip foundry. Therefore, he resorted to a direct threat. "Fine, I'll leave now. But your company will be held responsible for any future consequences."

Hu Shijun's anger grew, and he loudly said, "Security, remove these individuals from here."

Immediately, seven or eight security guards entered the scene. Faced with this situation, Ernesta and his companions had no choice but to leave in despair.

After a while, Hu Shijun knocked on Liu Yong's office door and entered, reporting the recent events. The anger in Hu Shijun's heart had not subsided.

"They think highly of themselves and even try to threaten us. It doesn't scare me," he vented.

Liu Yong offered comforting words. "Don't bother with such rabid dogs. Once our two factories are operational, Universal Semiconductor will issue a public announcement."

"The announcement will be straightforward, explicitly stating that we refuse to engage in chip foundry with any company that collaborates with Nibik."

Hu Shijun's eyes lit up upon hearing this plan.

He gave Liu Yong a thumbs-up, expressing his admiration. "Brother Yong, this strategy is brilliant, truly remarkable."

Considering the global market, where chip consumption is highest, it undoubtedly lies in the country of Yan. The annual import of chips reaches hundreds of billions of dollars. The reason behind this extensive import is our inability to produce chips domestically.

While we excel in chip design and R&D, the production and manufacturing stages remain our bottleneck due to the lack of lithography machines. However, this problem will soon cease once Universal Semiconductor is established and production begins. With such a vast domestic chip consumer market, there is no need to fear external threats.

Liu Yong strategically played his cards, employing a tactic that would yield significant results. He had to make a choice between two options: any company that collaborates with Global Semiconductor would be prohibited from conducting business with Nibik. This move was truly remarkable.

Such brilliance!

Absolutely fantastic!

They won't know what hit them!

After comprehending the power behind this strategy, Hu Shijun admired Liu Yong's ingenuity.

Ernesta and his group left in disgrace.

Upon their return to Nickelby Company, the first thing they did was report to Morde Gavin.

Observing Ernesta's expression, Morde Gavin already understood what had transpired. He inquired, "Did you manage to retrieve the lithography machines?"

Ernesta expressed his anger, saying, "Those lithography machines are clearly ours. If we can't get them back, I won't let this slide."

Morde Gavin patted Ernesta's shoulder gently, offering words of solace. "Let it go. The four lithography machines fell into the sea and can't be recovered."

In reality, Morde Gavin couldn't think of a better solution.

The Overlord had been lingering near an island in the North Pacific Ocean for a few days. It would catch fat walruses to satisfy its appetite when it grew hungry. When satiated, it would rest or engage in nearby surfing, displaying an air of nonchalance.

Great white sharks, killer whales, and other formidable predators surrounded the island. Ever since the Overlord appeared nearby, their numbers had significantly dwindled.

After several days of feasting on walrus, the Overlord began to crave a change in its diet. It decided to swim south, covering thousands of nautical miles in a single stretch.

The latitude in this region was slightly lower and warmer, suggesting that walruses would be challenging to find. The Overlord intended to explore the ocean's depths in search of something more substantial. Perhaps it would stumble upon some colossal creatures.

Previously, in the Indian Ocean, it had encountered massive beings in an unnamed trench, including an unusual white fish weighing several hundred tons. The largest one weighed over 300 tons, which was more than sufficient to satiate the Overlord by 80%.

With its current weight surpassing 900 tons, consuming 300 tons of food in one go posed no problem. It could effortlessly devour dozens of walruses weighing three to five tons each during a single meal.

Having swum thousands of nautical miles south, the Overlord sensed that the water depth had gradually increased. It estimated the depth to be around three to four thousand meters, potentially indicating the presence of a significant trench or similar structure below.

The Overlord aimed to locate a substantial trench, swim inside, and investigate. If luck was on its side, it might discover some colossal creatures, thus ensuring a steady food supply.

After swimming to great depths, the Overlord reached the seafloor. Activating its extraordinary perception, it slowly made its way across the seabed. However, its initial disappointment was palpable as the area turned out to be a vast underwater plain.

The seabed was remarkably flat, with a depth ranging from 3,600 to 7,000 meters. Despite swimming for dozens of nautical miles, the Overlord found nothing but a featureless plain. It wondered how expansive this submarine plain was.

Feeling disappointed, the Overlord reminded itself that it was searching for a trench, not a plain. Continuing its slow exploration, it swam for over ten nautical miles until it came to a halt. Before it lay a colossal underwater cave.

This enormous cavity resembled the three giant holes discovered in the North Atlantic Ocean. It had a perfectly circular shape and extended vertically downward, mirroring the characteristics of the previous findings.