chsdbacks Chapter 192 Reverse Training Project
Chapter 192 Reverse Training Project
Late September 1989.
Less than 48 hours have passed since hundreds of Cayman Islands accounts across the United States voluntarily submitted Form 13D and completed the legally binding merger.
The headquarters of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in Washington, D.C.
Inside Arthur Vance's office, the central air conditioning system continuously spewed out dehumidified cool air. The dark gray slats of the blinds sliced the harsh morning light from outside into pale streaks that shone directly onto the walnut desk.
The large glass ashtray on the corner of the table was filled with burnt-out cigarette butts. The topmost piece of ash finally succumbed to its weight and fell onto the table, scattering into a cloud of grayish-white powder.
Arthur Vance bent down.
His fingers touched the crumpled and unfolded thermal paper on the anti-static carpet. The rough edges of the paper brushed against his fingertips. He picked up the paper, placed it back on the walnut wood table, and smoothed it out little by little with his palm.
On paper, the handwriting on SA Investment's compliant "Technology Licensing Confirmation Announcement" remains clear.
He picked up a heavy, transparent glass plate with both hands and steadily placed it over the freshly laid-out thermal paper. The weight of the glass held the paper firmly in place.
The merger is a fait accompli from a legal standpoint. The opposing party exploited a loophole in the disclosure rules of securities law, completing the exercise of proxy voting rights within a very short timeframe and thoroughly filing the shareholding change in the SEC's public filing system. This process is flawless within the legal framework, and any attempt to reverse the shareholding ownership in court will only lead to a protracted and hopeless transnational litigation quagmire.
Arthur's mind quickly switched to defensive logic.
In the game of international technology blockade, patent licensing agreements and equity subscription agreements on paper only have legal effect. As long as the physical hardware that carries the technology remains in the United States, the other party has no chance of crossing the Pacific to conduct any substantial reverse engineering or data stripping.
Cutting off physical exit routes can also achieve the ultimate goal of blockade.
He reached out his right hand and grabbed the black secure telephone receiver from the corner of the table. His fingers moved rapidly across the dial, the metal contacts making a snapping sound.
The line is connected.
"This is the CBP (U.S. Customs and Border Protection) officer's hotline," a deep male voice came through the receiver.
"I am Arthur Vance from the SEC."
Arthur spoke extremely fast, and each syllable was pronounced exceptionally clearly.
"Based on the emergency authorization of the Committee on National Security Review (CFIUS), I request the immediate issuance of a physical freeze order on all heavy equipment belonging to the California Extreme Ultraviolet Light Source Laboratory and three multi-axis machine tool companies in Ohio."
He looked up, his gaze fixed on the thermal paper pressed under the glass plate.
"Completely seal off all major commercial freight routes to ports and air routes on the North American West Coast. Any containers and crates bearing the labels of the aforementioned companies are strictly prohibited from crossing the border."
"Instruction received. The freeze order will be synchronized to all interstate highway checkpoints and customs cargo terminals within thirty minutes."
"Click".
The earpiece was put back into the plastic base.
Once the physical pipelines for bulk logistics are blocked, those precision machine tools weighing several tons and with enormous size, as well as extreme ultraviolet light source generators, will become piles of immovable scrap metal.
Do you dare to covet the core technologies of the United States?
As the absolute leader of the world, the United States has plenty of ways to make you arrogant foreign capitalists pay the price!
……
Santa Clara Valley, California.
It's 2 a.m. The Pacific sea breeze, carrying a damp mist, weaves through the low-rise buildings of the science park.
Inside the cleanroom of the extreme ultraviolet light source laboratory, dozens of high-pressure shadowless lamps illuminated the vast space in a stark white light.
"Sizzle—sizzle—!"
The high-powered pneumatic wrench emitted a piercing roar. A powerful airflow impacted the metal bolts, producing a sharp metallic scraping sound. One after another, large hexagonal bolts were removed, falling onto the cement floor covered with anti-static mats with a clanging sound.
Frank's team is conducting a high-intensity disassembly operation that defies all common sense about the maintenance of precision instruments.
The team leader, dressed in a white cleanroom suit, had a fine layer of sweat on his forehead, clinging to the edge of his cleanroom cap. His gaze kept glancing at the Seiko watch on his wrist, calculating the passage of time.
Just forty minutes earlier, an informant planted on K Street in Washington, D.C., had urgently relayed intelligence back to Manhattan that physical assets were about to be frozen, within a very short time after Arthur Vance hung up the CBP (Customs and Border Protection) line. SA Investment's highly paid federal legal team then produced a detailed, minute-by-minute simulation of the administrative obstruction.
The Customs and Border Protection's bulk cargo freeze order is entered into the system at its Washington headquarters, issued through the administrative network, and then simultaneously transmitted to the grassroots terminals of California interstate highway checkpoints and major commercial ports, requiring it to traverse three cumbersome physical confirmation levels.
There exists an extremely brief time lag in the administrative process, artificially created by a massive bureaucratic system. As long as the core components are dismantled, loaded onto vehicles, and driven out of the restricted area before this window completely closes, they can, both legally and physically, completely penetrate this iron curtain that has not yet fully fallen.
"Abandon all external chassis and universal power supply modules!"
The person in charge loudly issued instructions, his voice echoing through the empty workshop.
"Only the core exciter assembly, multi-layer molybdenum silicon reflective lens, and control motherboard will be extracted! All other components will remain in place!"
Several technicians in cleanroom suits immediately turned their tools around.
The massive metal casing was roughly cut and peeled away. The heavy cooling water circulation system and transformer module were pushed aside, exposing the intricate and complex internal wiring and optical cavities.
The metal core, which smelled of rust-preventing oil and ozone, was carefully lifted out.
A row of brand-new aviation aluminum engineering cases were already waiting nearby.
The metal latches popped open. The inside of the enclosure was lined with high-density shock-absorbing foam cut to a specific shape.
Technicians smoothly placed the exciter assembly and special lens into the sponge groove. This shock-absorbing material can protect the atomic-level flatness of the optical lens surface to the greatest extent possible during high-altitude flight and severe turbulence.
The lid was closed.
"Slap, slap."
The heavy metal latches were fastened tightly one by one.
The person in charge quickly stepped forward, took out a stack of pre-forged logistics labels from his pocket, and skillfully affixed them to the surface of the aluminum engineering box.
【Item Name: Replacement Parts for Standard Medical X-ray Machines】
[Category: Civil Medical Devices]
"Load it onto the truck."
Several burly men lifted heavy engineering boxes and strode towards the unloading channel at the back of the workshop.
Three unpainted, dark-colored Ford vans were parked in the night. The engines were idling, and white exhaust fumes billowed from the exhaust pipes into the cold air.
The aluminum box was pushed into the cargo compartment, and the securing straps were quickly tightened.
The car doors slammed shut.
The truck drove out of the park, rolled over the asphalt road dampened by the mist, and sped towards the coastline.
……
Four o'clock in the morning.
Santa Monica Airport, VIP exclusive tarmac.
The night breeze, carrying the scent of sea salt, caressed the empty concrete track.
A deep blue Gulfstream G4 private jet sat silently in the night. At its tail, the silver-white three-stripe family crest gleamed coldly in the dim indicator lights. This aerial fortress, which had once been forcibly acquired for a premium of $21.6 million to open up private air routes for the Saionji family in North America, was now demonstrating its ultimate value as a strategic vehicle.
The auxiliary power unit (APU) emits a steady, low-frequency hum, and the red anti-collision lights under the fuselage flash regularly.
Security checkpoints in the private aviation sector are naturally physically separated from customs clearance for bulk commercial cargo, creating a blind spot for inspection. VIP terminals used by politicians and the wealthy for their luxurious travels are completely outside the commercial logistics radar heavily monitored by CFIUS.
Three Ford vans came to a stop in the shadow of the wing.
The car door opened.
The team members quickly jumped out of the car.
The boarding stairs in the cabin had already been lowered. Several burly men lifted heavy aviation aluminum cases, stepped onto the metal stairs, and strode into the cabin.
The interior of the sky palace, originally intended for the travel of the ultra-wealthy, has been completely altered.
The large, off-white leather airline seats were roughly covered with thick industrial waterproof tarpaulins. On the precious walnut bar and wool carpet, wooden trays were laid out to distribute the weight.
The heavy engineering containers were stacked one on top of the tarpaulin. Straps were threaded through the base of the seat, securing the containers tightly.
A few kilometers away in the commercial freight zone, CBP (Customs and Border Protection) agents, flashlights in hand, were meticulously inspecting all the heavy containers registered under "SA Investment" and the five target companies. Arthur Vance's physical freeze order was extremely tight; once the massive national machinery was activated, it would inevitably block all known escape routes for its prey.
However, in the underlying operating logic of the bureaucratic system, implementing physical blockades requires precise "entity names" for data anchoring.
The Gulfstream G4 parked on the VIP runway has a legitimate U.S. registration number starting with "N" (see Chapter 78 foreshadowing for details). According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) filings, its ownership belongs to an anonymous shell company based in Delaware. The cash transaction completed two years ago in Santa Monica legally and financially separated this aircraft from the Saionji family and the SA Foundation from the outset.
On the radar screens of the Customs and Cargo Administration, this private jet appears completely unrelated to the financial battlefields of Wall Street.
Furthermore, the execution team's unconventional and brute-force dismantling reduced tens of tons of semiconductor industrial equipment to just a few aviation-grade aluminum cases. This exploited blind spots in VIP security checks within the private aviation sector, coupled with a perfectly concealed ownership structure, completely bypassed the physical interception lines of CFIUS (Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States).
"The last box has been loaded."
The person in charge handed the logistics list to the captain standing at the cabin door and wiped the sweat from his chin.
"Understood, we will take off immediately."
The captain took the list, nodded, and turned to walk towards the cockpit.
The hatch slowly retracted, the hydraulic struts emitting a dull groan. Thick sealing strips completely blocked the airflow between the cabin and the outside.
It happened in the very second the hatch lock indicator light came on.
Suddenly, a blinding flash of red and blue light illuminated the entrance to the commercial cargo area outside the airport.
Several law enforcement vehicles bearing the CBP (Customs and Border Protection) logo blared their sirens, their wheels rubbing against the turns, emitting a burnt rubber smell, as they forcibly smashed through the freight station's barriers and rushed into the bulk logistics inspection area.
The beams of searchlights swept back and forth across the container yard, searching for any heavy containers that met the criteria for the freeze order.
And on the VIP runway a few kilometers away from this bustling freight area.
The Rolls-Royce twin turbofan engines of the Gulfstream G4 roared deafeningly.
The immense thrust tore through the Santa Monica night wind.
The dark blue fuselage glided at high speed along the runway. The tires screeched against the concrete.
The nose of the aircraft suddenly pulled up.
The landing gear retracted into the belly of the aircraft with a dull thud.
The Midnight Ghost pierced through the low-hanging clouds along the California coast, completely avoiding the physical line of sight of the red and blue police lights below, and soared proudly into the deep, boundless night sky over the Pacific Ocean.
……
More than ten hours later.
Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo.
Saionji Industrial Headquarters Building.
Four underground floors.
This black box laboratory, buried deep underground and equipped with the highest level of security, is currently in an extremely oppressive silence.
An industrial-grade exhaust fan hummed deep within the ceiling, continuously drawing away the faint ozone odor and static dust from the air. Indicator lights for the constant temperature and humidity system flashed green on the wall.
The heavy scraping sound of steel cables being pulled could be heard from the heavy freight elevator shaft at the end of the corridor.
The floor indicator lights jumped down one by one.
"bite."
The elevator came to a complete stop.
The metal car doors open smoothly to both sides.
Several security personnel in black uniforms pushed a hydraulic pallet truck steadily out of the elevator car. On the truck were stacks of aviation-grade aluminum engineering crates bearing false medical device labels.
The polyurethane rollers rolled over the antistatic floor, making a slight "gurgling" sound.
The transport vehicle was parked in front of the large stainless steel workbench.
Dr. Klaus Weber, dressed in a gray dust suit, stood with his hands trembling slightly at his sides. His gaze was fixed on the scratched aluminum boxes, the cold light of the incandescent bulbs reflected in his cloudy eyes.
Dieter and Frank stood behind him, holding their breath.
The security personnel responsible for escorting the shipment stepped forward and extended their hands, which were gloved with tactical gloves.
Fingertips grip the metal latches on the edge of the box.
Apply force and pull upwards.
"Clatter".
"Clatter".
The crisp sound of metal snapping open echoed repeatedly in the empty basement.
The heavy aluminum lid was slowly lifted and flipped backward, revealing the core object tightly wrapped in high-density sponge.
Incandescent light cascaded down.
The bullets struck the metal modules that had just crossed half the globe and escaped the North American administrative blockade.
The outer casing of the extreme ultraviolet exciter assembly has a cold, hard luster, and the special lens refracts a deep, dark blue halo under light.
The security personnel stepped back and disappeared into the shadows at the edge of the laboratory.
Next to these newly arrived metal modules.
The other side of the stainless steel workbench.
A miniature film roll, wrapped in layers of waterproof paper and brought back from the Carl Zeiss Jena plant in East Germany, along with a sample of a translucent high-purity quartz crucible bearing the logo of Takada Quartz, an external supplier of Shin-Etsu Chemical, are quietly placed on a metal table.
The light shone straight down from directly above.
Top-tier optical design blueprints from Europe under the Iron Curtain of the Cold War, core extreme ultraviolet light sources from North America under strict censorship, and silicon wafer cultivation containers of the highest purity from Japan.
This is not the final product.
However, in the eyes of top researchers like Dr. Klaus Weber, abandoning those bulky and easily locked-up external general-purpose chassis, these few pieces of the puzzle plus legal patent licenses are enough to start a full-scale reverse engineering simulation in an underground laboratory with an unlimited budget.
The cold light penetrated the curved surface of the quartz crucible, struck the black outer shell of the miniature film roll, and reflected off the cold, hard metal surface of the North American light source module.
These few physical sparks, which broke through the heavy iron curtain, cast a thick, overlapping shadow on the anti-static floor.
A massive smelting process aimed at reshaping the underlying rules of the global semiconductor industry has officially entered the physical assembly stage.