Chapter 226: Finding a Partner

Meanwhile, a unique "roast session" is unfolding online in China.
【- Holy crap, are all these mobile apps constipated lately? They're all lagging more and more.】
【- Maybe you need to replace your phone, you caveman.】
【- Don't be ridiculous, it has nothing to do with your phone! Aren't all apps the same these days? Especially that 'Douyin' app, it's practically a slideshow!】
【- Insider information, the servers can't keep up. Amazon's new data center is finished, but they don't have the chips to build servers, they're going crazy.】
Right now, the hottest topic on the internet, in various tech enthusiast and casual online communities, is "servers."
At first, no one took it seriously, until the short videos they watched and the games they played every day became increasingly slow and had increasingly high latency.
The visibly noticeable lag and delays began to truly torment every netizen.
【- This is our own fault.】
【- How much did the person upstairs drink? They're spouting nonsense again.】
【- Damn, there are so many illiterate people these days. Don't they know we've turned the global chip market upside down?
TSMC, originally the kingpin of the foundry industry, offended our bigwigs, and now their supply chain is cut off, they're about to go bankrupt!】
【- What? What does TSMC have to do with us?】
【- Please read some financial news, you illiterate! Let me break down the core logic for you:】
Fang Huan's investment controlled shipping -> cut off raw material ships to TSMC -> TSMC couldn't manufacture chips -> global chip supply disruption -> server paralysis. Get it?
【- So you mean... a company in our country, single-handedly, crashed the world's internet speed?】
【- Holy crap? What kind of cyberpunk-style wish-fulfillment plot is this? Front row seat for some gossip!】
Indeed, data centers need massive amounts of CPU, GPU, and memory chips to expand server capacity.
And the core of manufacturing all of this is semiconductor chips.
Simply put: without chips, there are no servers.
Therefore, countless new data centers around the world nearing completion have collectively sounded the red alert.
Even worse, servers need a major upgrade every three to five years, and they've all happened to be at this critical juncture.
Under this double blow, a global "chip shortage" has completely erupted, bringing devastating damage to countless network services that rely on servers.
Su Hao, one of the instigators of this storm, is now also "deeply affected."
He initially thought it was a problem with his computer, but after browsing forums online, he discovered that people all over the world were lamenting.
Server latency was absurdly high; playing games felt like watching slow-motion replays—a terrible experience.
"A major company originally planned to build a new, ultra-large cloud server center in Asia, but that's fallen through now,"
Huang Fengwen's secretary was reporting. "Without chips, the server expansion plan has to be indefinitely postponed."
“It’s not just them. ‘Xinyi’s’ self-built data center is also due for server replacements, and they can’t get the parts. They’re as anxious as ants on a hot plate.
They should have replaced them earlier, but they kept delaying. Now look what’s happened, they’re in a real bind.”
“So, after all this trouble, we created this mess ourselves?”
Huang Fengwen summarized succinctly after hearing the report, but his eyes unconsciously glanced at Su Hao.
On the surface, he remained unmoved, maintaining the air of a chairman, but his eyes, frantically urging 'Find a solution, brother,' completely betrayed his inner turmoil.
Su Hao understood and cleared his throat:
“Everyone, let’s adjourn the meeting for now. Please take a break. I need to speak with Chairman Huang privately for a few minutes.”
“Yes.” The executives, relieved, filed out.
As soon as the office door closed, Huang Fengwen, who had been so authoritative just moments before, instantly lost his composure, his demeanor completely changing.
"Oh my god, Hao! This is killing me!"
He grabbed Su Hao's arm, his face contorted with the withdrawal symptoms of a "gaming addict about to be shut down."
"Our guild! It's probably going to go bankrupt!"
For Su Hao and Huang Fengwen, gaming had long been an indispensable and sacred part of their lives.
They met through gaming, and within the game, they forged a group of brothers who would go to great lengths for each other.
It wasn't just a game; it was another chapter in their lives!
It was a belief, a way of life.
But now, their belief was teetering on the brink of server collapse.
"We're already an old-timer playing that game.
And this new DLC is top-notch, attracting a huge influx of newbies!"
Huang Fengwen analyzed with a heavy heart,
"The problem is, the servers simply can't handle it!
And those bastards at the game company, just like 'WeChat,' missed the server upgrade window. The European servers are already down!
I heard the guys on the European servers haven't been able to log in for three days!"
The game they play is a global blockbuster, with servers divided by region.
If the European servers are down, the Asian servers won't be far behind. It's just a matter of time.
Thinking about the terrible consequences, Huang Fengwen felt like the sky was falling.
"This kind of human tragedy absolutely cannot be allowed to happen, right!"
The most painful thing in the world is wanting to play a game but being unable to log in no matter what.
The thought that this torment might last for days also made Su Hao feel suffocated.
"Is there anything Jiang Jin Group can do?" Huang Fengwen asked urgently.
“I heard their chip factories are already operating 24/7, but it’s unrealistic to expect them to completely fill the huge hole left by TSMC in the short term.
Besides, building a new factory isn’t something that can be done overnight,” Su Hao explained.
Moreover, the problem isn’t just in semiconductors.
Memory chips are also facing a severe supply shortage.
Without either of these, the servers are useless.
“AMC is frantically producing new GPUs and CPUs, but their production capacity is practically nonexistent…”
Only today did Su Hao truly understand the extent to which TSMC had permeated the very fabric of modern life.
If it shut down, the whole world would tremble.
No wonder Qin Han was willing to do anything to bring it down.
"But that old bastard Qin Han is too greedy, his ambitions are too big. Trying to do everything himself will only lead to disaster!
He's making such a huge fuss, yet he didn't even think to find a partner to share the burden!"
Huang Fengwen muttered with exasperation.
The moment the word "partner" left his lips—
Buzz!
A faint but clear current flashed through Su Hao's mind!
"Partner?"
"Yeah!" Huang Fengwen slapped his thigh,
"Isn't there Xia Lian Group? Although their technology is relatively backward, not as good as Jiang Jin's, at least they still have semiconductor and memory chip technology!"
This time, the faint current Su Hao felt became increasingly clear.
“Speaking of which, the Xia Lian Group has been trying to arrange a meeting with me for a while,” Huang Fengwen continued.
“I figured they're sworn enemies with Jiang Jin, and I didn't want to cause you trouble, so I kept refusing.
Now they're probably going crazy. The market's so hot, and Jiang Jin has snatched all the orders.
If you ask me, if that old fox Qin Han just loosens his grip a little, wouldn't this be resolved?”
But Qin Han, that old fox, isn't exactly a pushover. Does he seem like the type to offer concessions willingly?
However, before Huang Fengwen could finish speaking, Su Hao's private phone rang.
Caller ID: Qin Han.
Jiang Jin Group and Xia Lian Group.
Trying to bring these two sworn enemies together seems a bit unethical…
But if this continues, his beloved game might really have to shut down!
Besides, didn't his incredibly accurate intuition just react to the name Xia Lian Group?
“Brother Huang,” Su Hao took a deep breath, “Could you please pass on a message to Xia Lian Group?”