Chapter 579: Would Sir be Interested in Chips?

Liu Yutong was at a loss for words, not knowing how to respond, because she felt that no matter what she answered, it would be held against her.

She glanced down at the plate in front of her, suddenly had an idea, and pointed at it: “Sir, are you going to eat your fish?”

Sir waved his hand: “No.”

Before he could react, Liu Yutong picked up her chopsticks and moved the small yellow croaker from his plate to hers.

“Thank you, Sir.”

Sir: “…….”

What kind of move was this? Were young people today really this clever?

No, he had to recover.

He paused, then pointed at the red-braised pork: “Are you going to eat this?”

“I’ll eat half!”

Without hesitation, Liu Yutong scooped the fattiest pieces of red-braised pork from her plate onto his.

Sir: “…….”

He stared at the extra pieces of ninety-percent-fat pork in his plate and fell into deep contemplation.

Where had things gone wrong?

No, no—this girl was changing the subject.

“Miss Liu, what do you think about the current gaming industry, and what’s it called—e-sports, and its development prospects?”

Liu Yutong’s chopsticks paused mid-air. She was genuinely surprised; she hadn’t expected Sir to ask this question. Weren’t they supposed to be discussing why Li Xiaohui had become a gaming addict?

Speaking of Li Xiaohui, she hadn’t even shown up yet—probably deliberately avoiding Sir.

“Sir, if you’re asking about its commercial value and development potential, then I believe e-sports will soon become an emerging industry worth hundreds of billions.”

The massive figure Liu Yutong suddenly dropped did indeed surprise Sir. People of his generation could hardly imagine that a mere gaming competition could generate such value.

“Hundreds of billions? Isn’t that a bit exaggerated? What’s your basis for that?”

“First, e-sports’ core audience is young people aged 15-35. This demographic is not only massive but also has strong purchasing power. Second, the e-sports industry chain is extensive—from game development, tournament operations, and live streaming, to club management, merchandise, and education training—every segment can create enormous economic value.”

“Take our neighbor South Korea, for example—they’ve already elevated e-sports into a national cultural industry, driving economic growth and enhancing national soft power. And China has the largest number of gamers in the world; this market potential is immeasurable.”

Sir nodded thoughtfully, then asked a question on many people’s minds: “But there are many negative perceptions about gaming in society. What’s your view on that?”

“That’s precisely the key issue we need to address. We need to promote the professionalization and standardization of e-sports. For instance, establishing comprehensive player training systems, setting industry standards, and hosting high-level professional tournaments. When e-sports can demonstrate professionalism and competitiveness like traditional sports, public perception will naturally shift.”

“Of course, game companies must also shoulder social responsibility, such as establishing effective anti-addiction systems and setting reasonable playtime limits…”

Liu Yutong spoke at length, and Sir listened carefully. He knew his daughter’s temperament—once she set her mind on something, not even nine bulls could pull her back.

Besides, he hadn’t insisted his daughter join the civil service; he just didn’t want her to become a gaming addict with no prospects.

“It seems you’ve thought this through thoroughly. To be honest, when we first heard Xiaohui was running off to play games and compete in e-sports tournaments, her mother and I were very worried. After hearing your explanation, I actually think this industry might be suitable for her.”

“But as her father, I still hope you can maintain proper boundaries.”

Liu Yutong: “We will, Sir. You can rest assured.”

“Actually, Xiaohui often mentions you and your wife to me, saying you’ve always supported her choices. She thinks you’re very open-minded parents, and she’s truly grateful.”

“Is that so?” Sir chuckled. “It’s rare for that girl to appreciate us.”

This conversation seemed to lift a weight off Sir’s shoulders.

Then he changed the subject, bringing up Wanlong Society.

“Your Wanlong Society Group has grown quickly. Over the past six months, you’ve created many jobs in Pearl City and attracted numerous companies to invest and build factories.”

Liu Yutong could read between the lines: “Sir, we’ve invited over a dozen companies from the industrial chain to set up in the development zone. Once all investments are complete, we estimate they’ll create more than twenty thousand direct and indirect jobs, and we will continue working hard to attract investment to our hometown.”

“Excellent, excellent. You’re doing great work.”

Sir shifted direction: “However, Pearl City is, after all, a third-tier city with limited development space. The provincial capital is building a digital economy industrial park with substantial policy support. Have you considered relocating Wanhui Preferred here?”

Here it comes.

Being personally poached by the senior official gave Liu Yutong a slight sense of honor.

“Well… to be honest, the leaders of Pearl City have been very supportive. We’ve already committed to continuing our investment in Wanhui Preferred locally.”

She raised her voice slightly as she said this. Uncle Gao, sitting not far away, couldn’t help but smile with satisfaction.

This girl’s not bad! Reliable!

Good thing he had the foresight to speak with Liu Yutong beforehand; otherwise, Wanhui Preferred might have been poached.

Although they were all part of the same province, local officials still didn’t want quality enterprises to leave. He had previously proposed a software technology park to Liu Yutong precisely to retain Wanhui Preferred. If Wanhui Preferred could grow into an internet giant, it would boost the entire development zone.

The senior official showed no disappointment: “Enterprise development must indeed consider all factors. Your desire to contribute to your hometown is commendable.”

Just as he was about to end the conversation, Liu Yutong suddenly spoke up quietly: “Sir, Wanhui Preferred is off the table, but would you be interested in chips?”

“Chips?”

Sir was taken aback: “You’re sure you mean those chips?”

Liu Yutong nodded: “Yes. I plan to build a wafer fabrication plant domestically. If the provincial capital is interested, I could consider investing and building here.”

Sir frowned at this, deep in thought.

In 2008, China’s chip industry was still in its infancy. For this girl to suddenly propose investing in a wafer fab—wasn’t that too much of a leap?

He knew about Wanlong Society Group. It had nothing to do with chips. No technology, no talent—how could they possibly do it?

Suddenly, Sir recalled a scandal from years ago—the Hanxin incident.

Could this girl be planning to defraud subsidies too?

At this thought, Sir’s expression turned serious, his gaze sharp as he looked at Liu Yutong: “Miss Liu, the chip industry is no joke. I advise you to be cautious.”

He was already being tactful. If his daughter weren’t involved with her, he would have directly criticized her.

The Hanxin scandal had been too damaging.

As the saying goes, once bitten by a snake, one fears ropes for ten years. Besides, neither Liu Yutong nor her company had the technology or talent to possibly develop chips.

Suddenly wanting to develop chips now—wasn’t that just playing children’s games?

Did she think she was Zhang Rujin?

Yet what Liu Yutong quietly told him next left the senior official speechless.

“You’re telling the truth?!”

The outburst startled everyone nearby, who turned to look. What had Liu Yutong said to make the senior official so excited?

Liu Yutong said earnestly: “Li Xiaohui is my best friend. I wouldn’t joke about this with her father.”

She had mentioned Li Xiaohui to signal that because of their relationship, she was choosing to be candid. After all, her controlling stake in that foreign company, Mapper, was confidential. She wouldn’t easily tell outsiders for fear of leaking it and alerting certain foreign parties.

As the saying goes: move in quietly, don’t advertise.

Therefore, only a few core members of Wanlong Society knew about it.

But when she actually began investing and building factories, she would definitely need Sir’s support—specifically, a senior official at the provincial level. Local support alone would be completely insufficient.

That’s why the provincial capital was the only choice.

In fact, building factories in major coastal cities would be the optimal choice. The main reason she brought it up with Sir was that he was Li Xiaohui’s father.

Of course, she had another option: investing and building in BS Province where Zhu Silin’s father was located. But that place was too far from Wanlong Society’s headquarters, and she wanted to be able to check on this industry anytime.

Sir pondered for a moment, then made his decision.

“Come to my office next week for a formal presentation. If the feasibility study passes, this project will be designated as the provincial priority project.”

Liu Yutong smiled: “Thank you, Sir!”