Not only could Microsoft not acquire Applied Materials, it would also be impossible to replace it with Bush.
Of course, it would be useless for Zhou Xin if there was only an empty shell. It would be an impossible task to move some production lines and Guan Jian's research and development laboratories back to China.
But that doesn’t mean that Zhou Xin has nothing to do with Applied Materials. The financial crisis that will come in five years will be the best opportunity.
This crisis seems huge, but it is not enough for Washington to sell Applied Materials to Zhou Xin, and it is even less likely for Zhou Xin to move Applied Materials back to China, even if it is only part of it.
Not to mention moving key parts back to China, Chinese people who only serve as senior executives of Applied Materials will face lengthy investigations. Take Liu Yangsheng, the global director of Applied Materials, as an example. It took him half a year from receiving the offer to joining the company.
In the past six months, I have mainly been facing investigations from various federal agencies.
The opportunity that Zhou Xin is thinking about is layoffs. The financial crisis means massive layoffs. Even companies like Applied Materials that have a monopoly in the semiconductor industry chain will also start to lay off employees on a large scale.
In Zhou Xin's impression, Applied Materials laid off more than a quarter of its employees during the financial crisis. Because senior engineers generally receive higher salaries, Applied Materials' layoffs almost always start from these senior engineers.
It's just a matter of cultivating new blood to make the company more dynamic again. This is the external saying.
The photovoltaic industry in China in later generations was so strong that it was inseparable from Applied Materials. At its peak, Applied Materials accounted for more than 50% of the market share in the field of thin-film solar production equipment.
They set up the world's largest thin-film solar R&D center in Xi'an, with more than 3,000 R&D engineers. Later, many of these engineers became the backbone of China's photovoltaic industry.
Five years later, during the financial crisis, layoffs were not limited to Applied Materials, but also TSMC. During the 2008 financial crisis, TSMC's capacity utilization rate was less than 40%, and it laid off more than a thousand people.
What Zhou Xin wants to do is to add fuel to the flames of the financial crisis and make its impact even worse, so that the layoffs of these semiconductor companies will be even more exaggerated.
As for how to exacerbate the financial crisis, the early arrival of the mobile Internet will naturally delay the outbreak of the financial crisis. Coupled with the two powerful medicines of virtual currency and online finance, the financial crisis will come later and erupt more violently.
Zhou Xin had a hunch that it would take a long time for this crisis to be resolved, and it would also have consequences that he could not predict.
As for what he has to do is to cultivate his internal strength, and by then he can get the capital to expand against the trend.
Even if he can't do it, he must make China believe in his judgment and use four trillion real money to support China's semiconductor industry.
Infrastructure, including real estate, is very important. It drives more upstream and downstream industrial chains than semiconductors, and can benefit a much larger population than semiconductors. However, this industry does not need to be supported by policies. Only by allowing it to develop according to natural laws can it benefit in the long run. change.
The consequences of ripening are often unacceptable.
After the merger between Matrix and Apple was officially launched, the Nasdaq exchange quickly approved the transaction, and Apple's stock was frozen indefinitely. However, Apple's stock price had more than doubled before the freeze.
There are very few ordinary investors who have caught up with this rocket, and most of the profits are made by the institutions behind it.
The investment institutions that hold Apple have all made a lot of money in this wealth game, and of course the most profitable one is Zhou Xin.
Because only Zhou Xin knows what the merger of Apple and Matrix means, which means that MOS will firmly occupy at least half of the market share in the field of mobile operating systems.
Apple, which has both high-end and mid-range product lines, can make Samsung miserable.
"I'm glad to see Newman again. Four years have passed since your first interview. How do you feel about coming to this familiar studio again?" Charlie Rose was very excited to interview Zhou Xin again.
You must know that Zhou Xin has almost never been interviewed by the outside world. The interviews he accepted in China will be subtitled and moved back to America. Many audiences even watch such subtitled interviews.
Not to mention live broadcast, Newman's name is a natural gimmick and a guarantee of ratings.
Zhou Xin's rare appearance in public can be regarded as a kind of hunger marketing, whetting the audience's appetite.
Charlie Rose's face was bright red, and he gave Zhou Xin a cordial hug and then looked directly at each other with his eyes, as if waiting for Zhou Xin's answer.
Zhou Xin, wearing a white short-sleeved shirt with Matrix's technological logo printed on the front, answered with the same smile: "When I come back here, I feel like I'm back at home.
It feels very friendly, even the camera and lighting effects are so friendly. "
Charlie Rose laughed: "It seems that Newman also likes it here. If Newman wants to be the host, I will consider giving you the host position of The Charlie Rose Show.
From now on, this show will be called the Newman Show, and I will work behind the scenes as a producer. "
Zhou Xin waved his hand: "Compared to being a reality show host, a billionaire is more suitable for me."
Not only was Charlie Rose amused by Zhou Xin's humor, but the audience also burst into laughter and applause.
Charlie Rose raised his eyebrows: "I forgot that we can swap roles, which shows that I still don't have the mindset of a rich person. When I invite you to be the host, I actually want to be the producer behind the scenes instead of playing your billionaire role." The role of a millionaire.
Okay, let’s get back to the topic. As we all know, Newman sold Quora to Time Warner at a sky-high price not long after his last appearance on The Charlie Rose Show. This deal has been talked about by Wall Street and Silicon Valley to this day.
Later, some entrepreneurs believed that the Charlie Rose Show brought good luck to Newman, which also made it easier to invite guests to the Charlie Rose Show.
This is Newman's legacy on The Charlie Rose Show.
So from then to now, you have undergone such a big change. At that time, you were just an entrepreneurial star in Silicon Valley with outstanding achievements. Now, you don’t need what you have done to prove yourself. You only need the six letters of Newman. It says it all.
How do you view your own growth over the past few years? "
This is the rhythm of Charlie Rose. After this interview, the program officially gets on track. Before that, it was a warm-up.
Almost all of the audience in the audience came from the Bay Area. Everyone got the opportunity to get up close and personal with Zhou Xin by grabbing tickets through the official account. The audience was quiet, waiting for Zhou Xin's answer.
Zhou Xin said: "There may be some lies in saying this, but this is what I really think in my heart. The last time I came here for an interview, I no longer had to worry about money.
Therefore, my biggest feeling from the last time to now is that I have provided emotional value to more people and taken another small step forward on the road to changing the world.
This is my biggest achievement in the past few years. "
Why do big guys say they are unhappy when being interviewed? Because it is really difficult to provide a happy feeling if wealth is accumulated to a certain level. The upper limit of the emotional value that money can provide has been touched.
Zhou Xin was thinking that in addition to starting an Internet business, he had done a lot of work in the semiconductor field. China's chip industry was far healthier than in the original time and space.
Huahong, which originally could only do some foundry business and whose chip production line utilization rate was less than 50% all year round, was revived in his hands.
The integrated chips that originally led MediaTek to take the lead in mobile chips were developed by Xinxin first. The crooked semiconductor industry was far less developed than later generations.
Cutting off MediaTek and poaching TSMC, these two moves have made TSMC struggle to catch up in advanced manufacturing processes, without forming an absolute advantage at all.
Xinxin's advanced manufacturing process in Lion City has already started construction. According to Zhou Xin's plan, Lion City can consume at least one-third of TSMC's advanced manufacturing process. If the relationship with Intel is good, swallowing two-thirds is not a problem. no way.
The only problem is that China has too many lessons to make up for in the semiconductor industry and is still catching up. Except for mobile chip design, there is no other field of research and development that can be said to be a world leader.
Charlie Rose asked: "This is not a simple small step. More and more friends around me are starting to use smartphones. Smartphones are as great an invention as personal computers.
I used to have to turn on my computer five days a week, but now I only have to turn on my computer one day a week. At other times, I only need to look at my phone to bring me services that a computer can provide.
This would have been unimaginable two years ago. "
Zhou Xin looked at many of the audience in the audience raising their iPhones to him, as if they were recording: "It seems that the audience are all loyal fans of Mphone.
The logo on the back of so many mobile phones is M. The audience sitting next to you, why is the logo on your mobile phone Sony Ericsson? " Zhou Xin asked.
The factory manager ran to the man in time and handed the microphone to him: "Because Mphone2 is so easy to use, my girlfriend and I changed phones after trying it. I am now using the Sony Ericsson she bought before.
Newman, you have to believe me, I'm a huge fan of yours. "
Zhou Xin asked: "Then why didn't she come today?"
Charlie Rose answered helpfully: "I guess I didn't grab a ticket. It's very difficult to win the ticket for the talk show you participated in. The probability of winning seems to be only three thousandths."
The man nodded quickly: "Yes, I wanted to bring her with me, but unfortunately I only got one ticket."
Zhou Xin asked: "Then why is it you instead of your girlfriend?"
There was a hint of obscenity in the man's smile: "Because she didn't know that I won the lottery. What I told her was that I went to work overtime."
Zhou Xin thought well, he was still a thinking dog, not hopeless.
Charlie Rose said: "Sir, we will put this on Friday's live TV broadcast without editing. I believe your girlfriend will give you a surprise when she sees it."
Before the man finished shouting "No", the factory manager had already taken away the microphone, and the laughter of other audience members quickly drowned out the man's wail.
Zhou Xin continued: "It seems that the sales of Mphone are indeed good, and the vast majority of the audience here are using Mphone.
I have said many times on various occasions the difference between Mphone and other mobile phones. Various media have also told you back and forth, including your own personal experience, which can prove that Mphone is so different.
Its experience is so good compared to other mobile phones that its sales volume has exceeded 15 million with a price of more than 700 US dollars. "
Yes, in four months, the sales of Mphone2 have exceeded 15 million.
Along with the rapid growth of Mphone in the sales market, the market value of traditional mobile phone manufacturers has been declining. Nokia and Motorola have both fallen by one-third from their highs.
Zhou Xin said: "I had a similar idea when I was working on Quora, why do I have to sit at the table and turn on the computer whether I am asking or answering questions, or just looking at the questions.
Is there any way that I can enjoy Internet service without so much trouble? As for handheld computers, both battery life and operating experience are terrible.
The functions of mobile phones are too single, which gave me the idea of combining a handheld computer with a mobile phone.
The advancement of technology allowed my ideas to be realized, and I was rich enough to start this project. It was the combination of so many factors that allowed me to bring you such an epoch-making product as Mphone2.
Have an idea first, then consider feasibility, and finally take action. "
Charlie Rose applauded: "Beautiful Newman methodology, let's discuss another question, why can't Nokia and Motorola?
Even if they know what form of smartphone they need to make to be popular with consumers, Mphone has inspired them, why they still can't do it.
I believe they can't do it with Mphone2 because of the limitations of touch screen technology, but why can't their smartphones even catch up with the experience of Mphone1? asked Charlie Rose.
Zhou Xin smiled awkwardly. His inner answer was that these two companies had obvious big business problems and were extremely slow in making decisions.
But he didn't want to be so straightforward.
“I think it’s because they have accumulated too much successful experience in the past, and these successful experiences make them want to copy their past successful experiences into smartphones.
But in fact, the key points pursued by traditional mobile phones are completely different from those of smartphones.
It would be too complicated to dismantle the issue. I believe that after the show is broadcast, the media will analyze what I said. "
It’s okay for the media to watch the excitement. Charlie Rose said so. Zhou Xin’s answer clearly made it clear that he didn’t think Nokia and Motorola could pose a threat to him in the field of smartphones.
The media will exaggerate this. Tencent, owned by Zhou Xin, was unhappy with these two companies because of software licensing.
Zhou Xin continued: "Mphone is the pioneer. We can use our ideas freely. Compared with us, Nokia and Motorola face too many constraints."
After listening, Charlie Rose asked: "Newman, I'm curious about the differences between Mphone 3 and Mphone 2?
In our opinion, Mphone2 is so perfect, it is hard to imagine that Mphone3 can continue to optimize and improve in the above areas.
Will smartphones fall into the same dilemma as computers, that is, the chips are becoming more and more powerful, but the functions have not been substantially improved? "
(End of chapter)
