Chapter 1205 The Former Giant

The Asia-Pacific Network Information Security Summit came to an end, and the meeting passed a resolution to finalize the new international encryption algorithm standard.

Referring to this standard, the communication departments of various countries will upgrade a series of systems with security risks such as finance and the Internet according to their own needs, and replace them with more secure quantum encryption algorithms.

Of course, most countries still directly copy the QS2000 encryption algorithm proposed by Huaguo.

After all, both this thing and the quantum computer were created by Professor Lu, and probably no one knows how to defend against cyber attacks launched by quantum computers better than him.

And no matter how you look at it, Professor Lu's achievements in mathematics are still a little higher than those in physics.

Even if it is a psychological comfort, it is better than nothing.

California, North America.

At SubCom headquarters, a board meeting is about to take place.

After walking into the meeting room and sitting down, the expression on CEO Malkadi's face sank into water, and there was no trace of relaxation. Even if he tried hard to make himself look more comfortable with the current situation, he couldn't do it at all.

Things have been pretty bad lately.

The No. 3 Asia-Pacific cable project failed, the company’s stock price continued to fall, and the profit failed to meet expectations. Although some of this was caused by the external environment, it cannot be ignored that the board of directors did not see any chance of turning the situation around.

In particular, East Asia Communications has completed the merger and reorganization of domestic communication companies, and is aggressively entering the international market.

There is no doubt that these industry giants who have monopolized the market for decades are facing the most severe crisis in history.

Just a few days ago, at the just-concluded Asia-Pacific Network Information Security Summit, Huaguo has united more than 50 countries to establish the "New Global Submarine Optical Cable Committee", abbreviated as GSOC, and planned a route along the way The Tropic of Cancer crosses the Pacific Ocean, runs through Central America, connects the Atlantic Ocean, crosses the Mediterranean Sea, and leaps over the quantum optical cable of the Indian Ocean.

And this fiber optic cable worth more than 50 billion U.S. dollars has nothing to do with them.

Not only that, the United States, which was originally opposed to this submarine quantum optical cable, suddenly became ambiguous.

At least Congress has decided to put aside the White House, and let the Federal Communications Commission come forward to discuss "network access" with Huaguo.

The national interest is important, but it must be under the premise of protecting the interests of Wall Street.

If Wall Street loses control of the global economy, the United States, which has turned the service industry into a pillar industry and has completed deindustrialization, will absolutely not be able to support the current economic scale. Once such a thing happens, the consequences will be unimaginable.

Not surprisingly, this technique of absolute secrecy is the trend of the future.

After all, in the case of traditional optical cables, the data transmitted has no secrets at all in front of quantum computers. It only needs to cooperate with a nuclear submarine for data collection, and it can monitor the communication of the entire line without being discovered by anyone.

With the computing power of quantum computers, those who collect data definitely have the ability to filter out useful parts from the ocean of data.

If even the basic security cannot be guaranteed, there will be no such thing as credit.

"Mr. Malcati," looking up at Malcati sitting in front of the conference table, Chairman Bob Carter stared into his eyes, tapped his notebook lightly with the pen cover and said, "You are finally here."

Trying to withstand the pressure in his sight, Malkadi said with a tense face.

"The things at work have been delayed for a while, can we start?"

"Of course, but before the meeting starts, I want to ask you one thing."

"whats the matter?"

"We understand that in the global submarine optical cable project, our company seems to be completely excluded, and there is no progress at all." His eyes gradually became sharper, and Carter raised his voice slightly to question, "Is this the case? "

Guessing that the chairman would ask this question, Malcati took a deep breath and tried to defend himself, but after thinking for a while, he couldn't figure out how to do this, so he could only speak reluctantly.

"We're working on it."

Carter nodded and continued.

"I appreciate your efforts, but some things can not only be solved by hard work, we need to see the results, not a mess of financial reports and falling stock prices."

Marcati: "Financial reports and stock prices do not represent everything. Many things are invisible. We have entrusted the Institute of Quantum Communications of Argonne National Laboratory to jointly develop quantum repeater technology, and wait until we solve the most critical technical bottlenecks. -"

Carter asked sharply.

"How long will this take?"

Malkadi's tone was stagnant, and he was silent for a full minute.

"...I can only assure you that it will be done within two years."

"It seems that you are quite honest, you can solve the problem without fooling me in three months," the chairman nodded, and casually put the report in his hand aside, "Unfortunately, honesty and hard work are the same It doesn't solve any problems."

Malcati fell silent, clenched his fists under the table unconsciously, and then loosened them slowly.

"You're right."

Carter: "Is there a solution?"

Looking at Malkati who fell into silence, Carter sighed, with an expression on his face as expected.

Although he cannot be blamed for this happening, the fact is that they had to make some changes in order to survive.

Even so, they may have to make some sacrifices for this.

"East Asia Communications has provided us with an interesting proposal," he gestured to his secretary, and Carter took a contract from him and gently placed it on the table, "A copy is worth about two hundred A financing proposal of around US$100 million.”

20 billion!

Many people here gasped.

Especially for those minority shareholders whose shares are not very high and who have just heard the news, apart from gasping, their faces are changing with uncertain expressions.

East Asia Communications became a shareholder.

It's hard to say what impact the major shareholders will have. After all, they will definitely reach an agreement with East Asia Communication that they don't know about. However, it is definitely not a good thing for small shareholders like them and trust companies holding shares of SubCom.

But in order to survive, the board of directors obviously intends to sacrifice their interests...

"You can't take it!"

Almost like a conditioned reflex, Malkati stood up abruptly, propped his hands on the table, and said excitedly.

"This is a conspiracy of the Chinese people. Although they do have a certain advantage in quantum communication technology, they are at least 20 years behind our experience in the laying of submarine optical cables and construction experience. Once those Chinese people enter our board of directors—”

Carter: "You don't need to worry about this, the directors here will vote..."

Malcati said in a threatening tone: "It is impossible for the Ministry of Commerce to approve it!"

As if he didn't hear this sentence, Carter calmly looked at the stiff-faced Malkadi, and said in a casual tone.

"...As for you, thank you for your dedication to SubCom over the years. East Asia Communication hopes to appoint a new CEO to facilitate business connection."

"After the meeting is over, go to the financial side to settle the salary."

Looking at Malkati, who was furious, slamming the door out of the conference room, and the board members who were looking at each other, Carter sighed softly in his heart with a blank expression.

Regardless, SubCom has lost.

Soon the entire submarine optical cable market will usher in an earth-shaking reshuffle, and neither SubCom nor NEC can prevent this change from coming.

In fact, this is also the case. NEC has withdrawn from the submarine optical cable market and has begun to focus its business back on their basic electrical industry. Their old rivals in Europe are also trying to carry out industrial transformation and have laid off many employees.

Regardless of whether his decision today is correct or not.

This is their only option.