Solving Middle Age Crisis by Intelligence System-Chapter 502 - 317: Qi Yun’s Magnanimity

When Wei Zhe saw what was inside the box, his previously calm face seemed to be struck by lightning, and his hand holding the teacup trembled uncontrollably.

He leaned forward, his gaze fixed intently on the box in front of him.

Seeing the shocked expression of his counterpart, Qi Yun felt a slight sense of relief. He had been somewhat worried whether this item could truly move him, but upon seeing Wei Zhe’s expression, he knew that he had already been captivated.

"Mr. Wei, why not take a closer look?" Qi Yun said, placing the box on the table.

Wei Zhe looked up at Qi Yun, then carefully reached out to take the Nine-Eyed Celestial Pearl from the box.

This Celestial Pearl was smooth in texture, with distinct nine-eyed patterns on its surface. It was the same one that had been enshrined at the Sangye Temple, which, after several twists and turns, had finally come into Qi Yun’s possession.

Wei Zhe gently caressed the pearl’s surface with his fingers, his voice slightly trembling as he said, "It’s really the Nine-Eyed Celestial Pearl..."

Some things, no matter how much money one has, cannot be obtained and depend on fate.

For example, this Celestial Pearl in front of him, of which there are only three in the world, is considered a divine object in the hearts of countless Tibetan Buddhist followers, with the miraculous efficacy of warding off disasters and purifying oneself, and it can no longer be measured by money.

In earlier years, Wei Zhe had also contacted that superstar, offering a staggering five billion to retrieve the Nine-Eyed Celestial Pearl in their possession, but was ruthlessly refused. Even as the CEO of T-Jingda, he couldn’t possess it.

After appreciating it for a good ten minutes, Wei Zhe slowly placed the Celestial Pearl back into the box, covered it, and pushed it back to Qi Yun.

Although his heart deeply longed for it, as an outstanding businessman, without knowing the price he had to pay, he could control his desires well.

This sounds simple, but in reality, ninety-nine percent of people find it very hard to do.

"Mr. Qi, to be honest, I never thought I’d have the chance to see the Nine-Eyed Celestial Pearl in my lifetime. Thank you for bringing it for me to see."

Qi Yun glanced at Wei Zhe, then pushed the box back towards him, speaking calmly: "Mr. Wei, I obtained this item by chance and have always wanted to find a suitable home for it."

"It wasn’t until I came to Formosa and heard a friend mention your past that I learned you have always been paying attention to Tibetan Buddhist culture and have been searching for such lost sacred items."

"I think, instead of letting it sit idle in my hands, it would be better to give it to someone who truly has a connection with this sacred item."

"I am willing to gift it to Mr. Wei!"

Having recovered from his earlier shock, Wei Zhe showed no expression when he heard that Qi Yun was willing to gift him the priceless Nine-Eyed Celestial Pearl; he didn’t even blink an eye.

Being seasoned and experienced, he naturally understood that there is no such thing as a free lunch; the more valuable the "gift," the heavier the price hidden behind it often is.

"Mr. Qi, I greatly appreciate your recognition, but without merit, I cannot accept a reward."

"I’ve read about Mr. Qi’s experiences in reports and know that you are a selfless person. If there is anything I can help with, please feel free to say so."

"As long as it’s within my power and doesn’t violate principles, I will do my best to help you achieve it."

Wei Zhe’s words were exceedingly gracious. Given his status, even if a troublesome individual were to come, he wouldn’t need to heed them.

The reason he treated Qi Yun so kindly was partly because of the Celestial Pearl.

Additionally, as he himself said, he greatly admired Qi Yun for donating a large number of precious artifacts. He too had purchased several precious treasures at auctions and donated them to the Taibei Museum.

Seeing that Wei Zhe had spoken frankly, Qi Yun no longer beat around the bush, taking a sip from the teacup on the table, his tone becoming solemn: "Mr. Wei, indeed, I have something I’d like to trouble you with."

"Christophe from ASML must have already approached you; the purpose of my trip is to seek your agreement to his request."

Upon hearing this, Wei Zhe’s gaze flickered with surprise as he looked at Qi Yun, his eyebrows slightly furrowing, clearly not expecting him to propose such a condition.

Christophe had already discussed the matter of lithography machines with several major shareholders. Though officially stating that it was for sale to a Huaxia company, deep down, everyone knew the truth.

Huaxia had been developing lithography machines recently, but there is no shortcut to surpassing such cutting-edge technology. To catch up with top-tier manufacturers like ASML in a short time, they must start with imitation and research.

The issue is that America is unwilling to let Huaxia master such advanced technology, so they enacted a tight blockade; Europe had to comply under pressure, which forced ASML in the Netherlands to follow Europe’s requirements.

Seeing that Wei Zhe remained silent, Qi Yun didn’t add more, waiting for him to slowly consider.

After quite a few minutes of silence, Wei Zhe sighed, glanced at the box holding the Nine-Eyed Celestial Pearl, and slowly spoke: "Mr. Qi, this matter is highly complicated."

"If Christophe is only asking me to support him at the board meeting, I can agree."

"However, attempting to use T-Jingda’s channels to bypass Europe’s blockade to sell the equipment to the mainland is different in nature, and I cannot decide this alone."

"America’s Department of Commerce has long had T-Jingda on their watch list, and they have issued multiple warnings to us, forbidding technology from flowing to the mainland. If we really did that, we would definitely be kicked out of the North American market, which the company’s shareholders cannot accept."

After hearing this, Qi Yun sighed internally, realizing that even the Nine-Eyed Celestial Pearl couldn’t capture his counterpart...

He had been quietly observing the other’s expressions. Wei Zhe didn’t seem to be lying, but he couldn’t be entirely sure, since such a high-level figure could conceal his emotions well.

Although Qi Yun didn’t know T-Jingda’s real situation, he had heard some bloggers’ analyses that T-Jingda, while appearing to be an industry giant, was actually strangled by American technology and markets, unable to be truly independent.

"I understand Mr. Wei’s difficulties; is there no room for negotiation on this matter?" Qi Yun cautiously inquired.

The hall fell silent once more, with Wei Zhe’s brows furrowed and his gaze deep, as if contemplating something.

After a long time, he turned to Qi Yun, musing: "My advice is to switch directions and approach Samsung."

"I can agree to support Christophe at the board and help him communicate with Samsung. If Samsung is willing to use their channels to get equipment to the mainland, then for the subsequent installation and maintenance, I can secretly send T-Jingda engineers to assist you in completion."

"This is the maximum extent I can offer."

Qi Yun’s eyes lit up; he hadn’t expected Wei Zhe to propose this compromise, which maneuvered around T-Jingda’s direct involvement in risks while indirectly helping him achieve his goals. It certainly seemed like a viable solution.

"Will Samsung agree?" Qi Yun expressed his concern.

"I can’t be certain, but Samsung’s situation differs from T-Jingda’s; their primary markets are the mainland and Europe, so they aren’t fearful of America’s market blockade."

"What Samsung currently lacks is the priority supply right for the new generation of EUV equipment. As long as Christophe promises to prioritize Samsung for next year’s first-quarter EUV equipment quota, I think achieving the goal is possible."

Qi Yun pondered for a moment, realizing there was no better approach, and ultimately chose to trust this old man in front of him once.

"I’ll trouble you, Mr. Wei, to help facilitate this transaction."

Wei Zhe adjusted his reading glasses: "Since I’ve agreed, I will naturally endeavor to advance it."

Qi Yun nodded, stood up, and pushed the box holding the Nine-Eyed Celestial Pearl forward: "The Celestial Pearl is yours; I won’t disturb your religious practice further and will await good news."

Wei Zhe looked at the wooden box pushed in front of him, stunned: "The matter hasn’t been settled yet, and you’re already entrusting this to me?"

Qi Yun smiled: "Mr. Wei, I never intended to take this Celestial Pearl back when I brought it."

"Your willingness to help is sincerity enough; whether the ultimate goal can be achieved involves multiple parties."

"Moreover, the Celestial Pearl being with you might be its best destiny."

Qi Yun’s answer was filled with spirit, extraordinarily pleasant to hear.

However, there was a slight air of posturing in his words.

He was willing to hand over this treasure to Wei Zhe first because he believed that with Wei Zhe’s status, he wouldn’t lie or deceive him, and there seemed to be a certain feasibility to this matter.

Moreover, outsiders would see that Qi Yun’s attempt to buy lithography machines was on behalf of Huaxia.

There’s no issue in refusing, as it’s a business matter, but if one dared to maliciously deceive, it would be seen as a serious provocation.

Additionally, Qi Yun could sense that the other’s attitude was relatively close to his side. After all, his willingness to allocate engineers for the subsequent installation and maintenance demonstrated substantial effort, even if it entailed considerable risk.

Therefore, Qi Yun decided to entrust the Celestial Pearl to him outright.