Haifeng sat with Ren Zhengfei and his VP, continuing the heart-to-heart that had evolved far beyond simple business discussion.
"We launched our lithography machine R&D project as soon as we started the semiconductor arm of China Star last year," Haifeng explained.
"Many people didn't understand why—why burn so much capital when you could just license from foreign firms?"
Ren's expression shifted.
"We understand. We understand best."
He leaned forward, his voice steady but grim.
"In 2002, we nearly lost everything in that lawsuit with Cisco.
That year was the darkest time in Huawei's history."
Ren described it vividly:
The IT bubble had burst
The entire tech and internet sector was crumbling
Huawei faced negative growth for the first time
Internal conflict surged
Panic was everywhere
"We realized then that our dependence on outside systems made us vulnerable.
We were always a single restriction away from collapse."
He looked at Haifeng, eyes serious.
"For you to start your lithography line from the beginning? That's vision. That's courage."
Haifeng nodded slowly.
"I read about Huawei's legal war with Cisco.
I studied your Huawei's Winter speech… and Extreme Survival Hypothesis."
"Those ideas shaped me.
They're why I ignored all the pushback and chose the most arduous path—independent R&D."
Xu Wenwei and Zhang Yu were stunned.
And Ren?
He smiled quietly, clearly moved.
Ren took a sip of tea and said plainly:
"Be ready to burn through hundreds of billions.
Sometimes, you'll feel like drawing water with a bamboo basket."
"Even with money and time, there's no guarantee of success.
Patent walls are real. Traps are everywhere."
"The path ahead is a long war. You will fall. Just don't stop moving."
Haifeng gave a long breath.
"Buying from overseas is easy. You assemble, you ship, you make money."
"But think beyond ten years."
"Aviation. AI. Defense. They all rely on chips.
And chips rely on lithography machines."
"If the upstream supply chain gets cut off—even once—the damage won't be billions or trillions."
"You lose the entire industry—the entire market.
Your company could die overnight."
That line hit hard.
Ren looked at Haifeng with rare emotion.
Even Xu Wenwei was shaken—he'd heard similar words from Ren himself years ago, but not with this clarity.
Ren nodded, a serious look in his eyes.
"Most foundational tech is still in foreign hands.
We're in a honeymoon period right now—because we don't threaten their share."
"But the moment we start winning, they'll come after us hard."
Haifeng didn't flinch.
"People call it paranoia. But it depends where you're standing."
"Our competitors aren't just Apple or Qualcomm.
They're the entities standing behind them."
"Across the ocean. With resources we can't imagine."
"They'll strike the moment we grow too fast."
Ren stared at him in silence.
This young man isn't just a CEO.
He's already standing where only national-level strategists stand.
Haifeng continued:
"China Star is growing.
But growth makes us a target. The day someone flips the switch—we'll feel it instantly."
"And Huawei is already feeling it."
Ren raised an eyebrow.
"What stage do you think we're in?"
Haifeng sipped his tea and answered confidently:
"From what I've analyzed, Huawei has entered its fifth stage."
"Your growth has crossed 30% annually. Over 100,000 employees.
R&D staff makes up 45% of your headcount. Your next phase has already begun."
He outlined Huawei's stages as he saw them:
1987–1994: Survival
1995–2003: Order out of chaos, rebirth
2004–2009: Self-awareness and future vision
"During that time, you expanded globally and became a high-tech giant. You matured—so your strategy had to evolve with you."
"Now, you're at the gates of a new era."