Langkawi Island, Malaysia
DEEP IN HIS HEART, Chen Chin-lung knew he probably shouldn’t be there. Certainly not with his family on an all-expenses-paid holiday in a five-star beach resort. This was not something that a mid-level software engineer working at the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company would normally be able to afford. But the gods of Taiwan Lottery had been kind to him this year, and although not life-changing, his winning ticket had been enough to let him splash out on a week for himself and his family at the luxurious Datai Resort on the shores of the Andaman Sea.
At least, that was the story he had told his boss.
The truth was a little murkier. Chen Chin-lung had been approached some weeks earlier by a charming young researcher while he was dining alone at a rather basic restaurant, not far from his place of work in Hsinchu City in north-west Taiwan. Like everyone with access to sensitive technical data at TSMC, he had been warned to be wary of suspicious approaches by strangers. Taiwan guarded its expertise in nanotechnology as closely as a mother with her newborn. The nation’s unique ability to refine its semiconductors down to just three nanometres was its crown jewels.
But this encounter, reasoned Chen Chin-lung, was surely different. There was nothing suspicious about the young lady’s questions. She had not asked him anything about his job or what he did there. She had simply asked if she could join him in the empty seat at the table for two as he gulped down a plate of noodles after a long day at work, and Chin-lung was glad of the company. It wasn’t the first time he had seen her there. This lady had smiled at him on a previous occasion and, being of a shy nature, he had simply looked down at his food, too embarrassed to return her innocent gesture. Yet now here she was, keeping him company and talking at length about her research into possible cures for leukaemia and how she was hoping to get a grant from a company in Hsinchu. And then, just as they were sharing a steaming pot of jasmine tea, their empty plates pushed to one side, her face suddenly brightened. There was a corporate conference coming up at a resort in Malaysia, she remembered, a meeting of innovators looking to harness tech with advances in bio-medicine. They were looking for someone to give a talk about the semiconductor industry, nothing too specific, just an overview, and he would be ideal. Would he be interested? It could be a great opportunity for him to network with others in his profession. Americans would be there from Silicon Valley. And, of course, it would be all expenses paid – he could even bring his family.
Chen Chin-lung wasn’t stupid; he knew the rules. He should have gone straight to his bosses the next morning and reported this encounter. In fact, there was probably even a form he was supposed to fill in and submit online. But where was the harm in this? he asked himself. It was just a holiday with a tiny bit of work thrown in. And, goodness knows, they could do with a proper holiday. His job at TSMC was intense and it was keeping him working long hours, such that he rarely had time to relax with his wife. Even when he did, she seemed to be permanently exhausted from looking after their three school-age children. No, this would be good for all of them – and who knew? It might lead to promotion prospects or even a job offer in Palo Alto.
From the moment they arrived at the resort Chin-lung’s family were treated like VIPs, offered complimentary drinks and taken by golf cart to their seaside villa. The children were ecstatically happy playing on the beach where the gentle waves of the Andaman Sea lapped at the pure white sand. His wife was treated to a complimentary massage, all covered by the company hosting the conference, and for the first time in months he could see her really starting to relax.
It was on their second evening that he was required to deliver his talk on the microchip industry and the recent advances made in nanotechnology. Chin-lung had brought a PowerPoint presentation with him but he was careful not to reveal anything sensitive about TSMC’s operations. The audience was entirely from the region: some Malaysians and Singaporeans and a lot of Chinese but, disappointingly, no Americans after all. ‘They had to cancel at the last minute,’ he was told. His audience applauded politely and afterwards there was a lavish dinner in a delightful thatched longhouse called the Gulai House, where a personalized menu had been printed out for him, along with his name, on a large brown leaf from the forest above. Wine flowed, photographs were taken.
Chin-lung found himself placed next to a senior administrator from Beijing, dressed in typical corporate off-site gear of polo shirt, chinos and blue yachting loafers. He was most complimentary about the presentation he had just heard. Toasts were made to new-found friendships and partnerships, all in the service of promoting advances in sciences that would benefit humanity.
Before the holiday ended Chen Chin-lung was presented with a beautifully mounted photograph of him sitting with his Chinese hosts, along with an invitation to another all-expenses-paid trip. This time it was just for him. It was to give a talk to the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing. And this time there were some quite specific requests for material he should bring with him.