indianbanksassociation Chapter 206 Breaking the Ice
Chapter 206 Breaking the Ice
May 3rd.
An unexpected email appeared in Su Chen's inbox.
He had never seen the sender's name before—Fritz Meyer. The signature field read "Head of Strategic Partnerships, Bosch Group, Asia Pacific".
The email was worded in an extremely formal manner:
Dr. Su Chen:
On behalf of Bosch's Sensors division, I would like to express our intention to exchange ideas regarding your research findings in the field of MEMS thermoelastic coupling.
Bosch is currently advancing its 400mm wafer MEMS production line construction project. During this process, we have taken note of your published third-order nonlinear correction theoretical framework and have developed a strong interest in its potential applications in large-size wafer process optimization.
We would like to arrange a preliminary technical exchange meeting to explore potential complementarities between our two parties in this field. The format and timing of the meeting are entirely at your convenience.
If you are interested, please provide the appropriate contact information.
Sincerely,
Fritz Mayer
Bosch Group Asia Pacific Strategic Cooperation
Stuttgart"
Su Chen read the email three times.
He noticed several key details each time he read it:
First, the sender was not Stein himself—but the head of strategic partnerships for the Asia-Pacific region. This means Bosch followed a formal process, not a private one. This was an organizational decision.
Second, the wording is "intention to academic exchange," not "commercial cooperation." This is a wording that leaves room for interpretation—it expresses sincerity without promising any specific results.
Third, "complementary possibility"—this word is brilliantly chosen. It's not "importing," "purchasing," or "licensing," but rather "complementary." It implies that both sides have something the other needs.
Fourth—and most subtly—the email was sent from Stuttgart, not Shanghai or Tokyo. This indicates that Mayer is currently at headquarters. The decision originated from headquarters.
Su Chen did not reply immediately.
He forwarded the email to two people.
The first one was from Zhou Zhiyuan. He added, "Bosch has sent a formal letter."
The second one is Lin Wei. The caption reads: "Please see."
Then he stood up and walked to the window.
The weather in Beijing in May is already quite warm. The ginkgo trees outside the window have fully unfurled their fan-shaped leaves, their dense green so opaque that it's almost impossible to see through. Students are playing soccer on the playground, their shouts echoing faintly in the distance.
Su Chen stood there for about a minute.
He was thinking about one thing—what Bosch's email meant.
It's not about what it means to him personally, but what it means to the overall situation.
Three days ago, Kosuke Yamamoto's preprint sparked a discussion about the "debunking of the myth of the third-order model." Industry media headlines became increasingly sensational. Some potential clients began to "wait and see."
Then Bosch sent an email.
Once this email gets out—and in the MEMS industry, such information can never be kept completely secret—it will send a more powerful signal than any Zhihu answer:
The world's largest MEMS manufacturer is actively seeking technical cooperation with Vilan.
When Bosch—a giant that has invested 180 million euros in the MEMS field—deems the third-order model worthy of serious consideration, all those discussions about "myth shattered" and "12.7% deviation" instantly lose their weight.
Because in this industry, Bosch's judgment is more convincing than any media headline.
Su Chen returned to his desk. He decided to wait for Lin Wei's opinion before replying to Mayer.
……
On the same afternoon.
Shanghai.
After seeing the email forwarded by Su Chen, Lin Wei sat in her office for a full ten minutes without moving.
Then she picked up the phone.
"Su Chen."
"Sister Lin."
"I saw it."
There was a few seconds of silence on both ends of the phone.
"What do you think?" Lin Wei asked.
"Formal process. An organizational decision. Not a personal act." Su Chen's voice was calm. "Meyer was arranged by Stein. The day after that three-way call, Stein said he would propose a cooperation framework in Q3. Now, it's only early May, and he's already sent a letter—at least two months ahead of his own plan."
Why do you think it was moved up?
"Two possibilities. First, Yamamoto Kosuke's preprint. Bosch might be worried that Italy's strategy would push Villand into a defensive posture, making future cooperation more difficult. So they chose to extend their hand when Villand needed a positive signal the most—making the terms of cooperation more favorable to Bosch."
"second?"
"Secondly, Bosch's 400mm production line is ahead of schedule. Stein's twelve-page evaluation report must have specified a timeframe. If they only start cooperation negotiations in Q3, and considering the normal procedures, they might not actually obtain the license for the third-order model until next year. And their 400mm production line process development can't wait that long."
Lin Wei's lips twitched slightly.
"Your analysis is very clear. So the question is—how do we respond?"
"My suggestion is to accept technical exchanges, but set clear frameworks."
What framework?
"First, technical exchanges are possible, but limited to the academic level. No commercial terms will be involved. Second, online formats are recommended. A preliminary meeting should be held initially, lasting no more than one hour. Third—and most importantly—no licensing-related topics will be discussed before the paper is formally published."
Why?
"Because our bargaining power was increasing every day before the paper was published. The second round of peer review at NM hadn't even finished. Vogt's symposium hadn't even taken place yet. The patent application had just been filed. Every day that passed, we gained more leverage. Talking about licensing now was tantamount to setting a price when we were at our weakest."
Lin Wei chuckled softly on the other end of the phone.
"Su Chen, you don't seem like a 23-year-old doctoral student."
"I'm a 23-year-old PhD student. I've just seen too many times the price of underestimating one's own worth."
"Okay. I'll draft a reply. You can review it and then send it."
"good."
……
It was 8 p.m. that evening.
Meyer received a reply from Su Chen.
The reply was equally formal:
Mr. Meyer:
Thank you for your interest, Bosch. We would be very happy to arrange an initial technical exchange at an academic level.
Given our current academic work (including papers under review and ongoing multi-platform validation research), we suggest scheduling the initial exchange in mid-to-late May. The format will be an online video conference, lasting approximately one hour.
Our contact person is Ms. Lin Wei, COO of Vilan Microelectronics. Her contact information is attached.
Looking forward to exchanging ideas with Bosch.
Sincerely,
苏辰
East China University of Science and Technology
This reply contains several carefully crafted details.
First, the timeframe is set for "mid to late May"—meaning there will be at least a two- to three-week buffer period. During this time, patent applications will be submitted, self-built packaging lines will begin production, and preliminary results from NM's second round of examinations may be available.
Secondly, the contact point was given to Lin Wei. This means that all subsequent communication will be filtered through the business side, rather than directly dealing with Su Chen, a "pure academic researcher."
Third, the signature used "East China University of Science and Technology" instead of "Weilan Microelectronics". This maintained the positioning of "academic exchange" and avoided prematurely entering the framework of commercial negotiations.
Every word is a bargaining chip.
……
May 4th.
Stuttgart.
Meyer forwarded Su Chen's reply to Stein, adding a comment: "They accepted, but with a grace period. The contact point is the business side. Very professional."
After reviewing the documents, Stein made a judgment in his mind—there were knowledgeable people overseeing things on Wei Lan's side. Twenty-three-year-old Su Chen might be a theoretical genius, but the COO behind him, Lin Wei, was clearly not an easy negotiating opponent.
"Reply to confirm. Tell them we will follow their suggested schedule," Stein said.
"Additional instructions?" Meyer asked.
"No. At this stage, it's just for academic exchange. Don't rush."
Stein paused for a moment, then added:
"But before the meeting, we should compile a shareable version of our internal third-order model reproduction report. It will be useful during the discussion."
"Are you planning to share our reproduction data at the very first meeting?"
"Yes. That's called sincerity. If we want the other party to open up technical cooperation, we need to demonstrate our sincerity first. Unilateral demands are not Bosch's style."
Meyer nodded.
……
May 5th.
Beijing.
A message from Zhou Zhiyuan popped up on Su Chen's phone.
"There was a department meeting today. Dean Chen mentioned your name."
Su Chen replied with a question mark.
"List of recommended candidates for Outstanding Young Scientists. Dean Chen said your qualifications are sufficient."
Su Chen stared at the message for a long time without replying.
The National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars is one of the most prestigious talent programs in China's academic community. Recipients are typically referred to as "Distinguished Young Scholars" and are under the age limit of 45. Under normal circumstances, a 23-year-old doctoral student is not even qualified to apply—the Distinguished Young Scholars are usually awarded to researchers at the associate professor level or above.
However, Su Chen's situation is not a "normal situation".
A paper soon to be published in Nature Materials. A theoretical framework validated by more than four independent research groups worldwide. Multiple core patent applications. And an industrialization team derived from it.
Dean Chen recommended him not out of favoritism, but because it would have been abnormal not to.
Su Chen finally replied with two words: "Understood."
Then he turned off his phone and continued writing his paper.
……
May 6th.
Shanghai.
Zhenxin Microelectronics' additional order for 100,000 sensor chips has all arrived.
The warehouse manager signed the receiving list. Seventeen boxes, approximately six thousand pieces per box. The anti-static packaging was intact, and the transport temperature records were normal.
Lin Wei stood at the warehouse entrance for a while.
One hundred thousand units. Including previous inventory and ongoing production, Vilan currently has a stockpile of 140,000 sensor chips. Based on current monthly shipments, this inventory is sufficient to last four to five months.
A four- to five-month buffer period is sufficient to cover the commissioning of the self-built packaging line, paper publication, the Vogt conference, and initial technical exchanges with Bosch.
"Have the production department schedule production according to plan. After the packaging line goes into operation in mid-May, the first batch of products will be packaged using our own process."
"clear."
Lin Wei turned and walked back to her office.
She ran into Xiao Chen, the assistant in charge of alliance affairs, in the corridor.
"Mr. Lin, there's news from Ruiheng Precision."
Lin Wei stopped in her tracks.
"They called to say they wouldn't withdraw for the time being, but they wanted to change the cooperation model from 'price-price-only' to 'negotiable pricing per order.'"
Price negotiable per order. This means that Vilan will no longer receive discounted prices, and instead, a separate quote will be provided for each order.
This is not a withdrawal, but it is not a true stay either. It is an "intermediate state"—retaining nominal alliance membership, but in reality reducing the depth of cooperation and commitment.
"I accept," Lin Wei said.
"Huh?" Xiao Chen was a little surprised.
"Accept their adjustments. Now is not the time to haggle with Ruiheng. Maintaining nominal membership is more important than the price."
"clear."
Lin Wei continued walking back to her office.
Twenty-seven companies. Actually, it's twenty-six and a half.
However, the core eight companies—including Jingce Microelectronics, Zhenxin, and several key design companies—remain stable.
This is enough.
In the MEMS industry, what truly matters is never the number of members in an alliance, but rather the quality and commitment of its core members.
……
May 7th.
A subtle shift has occurred in public opinion on the internet.
It started when an anonymous user posted a thread on the r/MEMS subreddit on Reddit:
"Heard from a reliable source that Bosch has initiated formal contact with WeLan Micro regarding potential technical collaboration on the third-order model. Can anyone confirm?"
The post contained no substantial evidence. However, the amount of discussion it sparked far exceeded anyone's expectations.
More than 600 comments within 48 hours.
One of the comments came from a user who frequently posts on r/MEMS and claims to work for a European semiconductor company:
"I can't confirm the specific details, but I can tell you that there's been a noticeable shift in how Bosch's sensor division talks about the third-order model internally. Six months ago it was 'interesting but unproven.' Now it's 'strategically important.' Make of that what you will."
This comment received over 800 upvotes.
After the news reached the Chinese internet, a user named "Semiconductor Veteran 2003" posted a brief status update on Zhihu:
"If Bosch is indeed in contact with Villand, then all the talk about 'the third-order model being obsolete' can stop. Bosch's money speaks louder than its words."
It received 4,600 likes in three hours.
In the comments section, someone dug up those sensational media headlines from three days ago—"Myth Shattered," "Seriously Overestimated," "Key Flaws"—and posted screenshots of them.
The contrast is extremely striking.
Three days ago: The third-order model encountered a major challenge.
Three days later: Bosch took the initiative to seek cooperation.
Netizens have started using one phrase to describe these media outlets: "They contradict themselves too quickly."
Titanium Media quietly removed the "Myth Shattered" article from its homepage. 36Kr's "Seriously Overestimated" article added an editor's note: "The information in this article was incomplete at the time of publication; please follow up with further reports."
Only the news flash from Semiconductor Industry Watch, titled "Deviation Sparks Concern," was not withdrawn—because their headline and wording were restrained from the beginning.
He Wentao added an update below that news flash:
Update (May 7): According to unconfirmed reports, Bosch has established initial contact with Vilan through official channels. If true, this would be a significant signal regarding the industrialization of the third-order model. I will continue to monitor the situation.
The wording remains cautious, but the direction is already very clear.
……
May 8th.
Beijing.
Su Chen finished the first draft of Chapter 5 of his second paper in the laboratory.
Four and a half of the five chapters have been completed. The first draft is expected to be finished by mid-May and submitted to Zhou Zhiyuan for review.
He stood up and stretched his shoulders. Then he opened NM's submission system.
The status remains "Under Review".
He closed the page.
The sky outside the window had already darkened. In early May in Beijing, the days are getting longer, but the evening light still changes rapidly. The sky changed from bright blue to dark gray in half an hour, and the streetlights on the campus in the distance lit up one by one.
Su Chen's phone rang. It was a message from Lin Wei.
"Packaging line installation progress: Main equipment is in place and undergoing commissioning. The first batch of products is expected to roll off the line before May 15th."
Su Chen glanced at it and replied with a "Okay".
He updated the timeline on his laptop:
May 5th: Three patent applications have been submitted to the State Intellectual Property Office and the PCT international application process has been initiated.
May 6: Additional orders for oscillators arrived. Inventory: 140,000 units.
May 15 (estimated): The first batch of products from the self-built packaging line will roll off the production line.
Mid-to-late May: Initial technical exchange with Bosch.
Late May to early June: Results of the second round of peer review by NM are released.
Mid-June: Vogt Thematic Conference. Seven group reproduction demonstrations + keynote speeches by Su Chen and Zhou Zhiyuan.
End of June: Tian Shu chip solution three deadline.
He looked at this timeline.
April is the month for sowing seeds. In April, he submitted a revision, started his second paper, completed three initial drafts of patents, established a material extension agreement, and responded to Bosch's formal contact.
May is a month of growth. Packaging lines went into production, patents were submitted, exchanges were held with Bosch, and research papers continued to be developed.
June will be a harvest month. Or perhaps not.
But in any case—he has done all he could. The rest is up to time.
Su Chen closed his laptop.
He glanced at the water glass on the table. It was empty. He realized he hadn't drunk any water since 2 p.m.
He went to the water dispenser, filled a glass with water, drank it, and then returned to his table.
I opened the outline of Chapter Six of the second paper.
The cursor is blinking on the screen.
He started typing.