At 7:20 a.m. on September 16, 2025, I was already sitting in the China Eastern Airlines lounge at Xi'an Xianyang International Airport. Having finished China Eastern's signature noodles, I started working on Casual Talks on Sensors (Article 147), with an hour and a half left before the official boarding time. 

      For those living in Xi'an, catching an early-morning flight from Xianyang Airport means facing an awkward timing issue. If you wake up too late, you’ll get stuck in the morning rush-hour traffic and definitely miss the flight; if you wake up too early, the roads will be empty, and you’ll end up waiting much longer at the airport. Fortunately, with today’s convenient communication tools and the elegant airport environment, this extra time isn’t wasted—waiting has become a time for learning and writing.     

      At 6 a.m, on my way to the airport, I looked out the car window at rows of tall buildings, with only a few scattered windows lit up. The streets were only filled with rushing taxis, ride-hailing cars, and sanitation workers. Thinking that most people were still in sweet sleep, a line of poetry slipped out: “How many windows shine among ten thousand houses?” Yet, I couldn’t come up with a rhyming second line right away to pay tribute to these hardworking early risers—friends are welcome to help complete it.     

     Today, I’m heading to Tianjin to attend two events scheduled last week: an annual meeting of the Internet of Things Committee under the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, and a symposium with the Tianjin Hexi District Government. However, today might be the busiest day for our company—Xi'an Chinastar M&C Co., Ltd.—in terms of guest reception this year, and perhaps the worst day for me to be away. But integrity is the most important thing, so I must keep my commitment.     

      First, last Thursday, the Administration Department suddenly notified us that 11 examiners from the National Intellectual Property Administration would visit the company for a full-day discussion. The meeting aims to understand our company’s intellectual property strategy and issues related to patent applications, and it also serves as a valuable opportunity for us to learn about patent application processes. As a national intellectual property examiner internship base in Xi'an High-Tech Zone, Chinastar M&C is duty-bound to cooperate.  

      Second, an Australian client who was originally supposed to visit on Monday rescheduled their trip to today (Tuesday) due to itinerary changes. This client is one of our most promising partners among multiple Australian clients, mainly purchasing our pressure sensors and liquid level sensors.   

     Third, yesterday, Mr. Zhao, our overseas sales engineer, suddenly informed me that an Indian client—who buys our wireless smart manhole cover sensors—would visit the company today. He picked up the client and checked them into a hotel in Xi'an High-Tech Zone at midnight last night. What I find confusing is that I only sent the invitation letter for the client’s Chinese visa application last week. I’m amazed by the high efficiency of the Chinese Embassy and how tight and quick the Indian client’s schedule is.     

      I often have this feeling: when I’m at the company, there seem to be not many things that require my personal involvement; but as soon as I leave, a lot of things that need me pop up. Nevertheless, I trust my colleagues will receive the three groups of guests—from Beijing, India, and Australia—in an orderly manner, and I also believe big orders will be coming.

#08:15, September 16, 2025, China Eastern Airlines Lounge, Xi'an Airport#     

      Inside the cabin of flight MU6923, the announcement said the flight would be delayed by one hour due to air traffic control, so we had no choice but to stay on board. It’s really a case of “waking up early only to end up running late.” I still don’t know if I can make it to the afternoon meeting in Tianjin.     

      Just now, while scrolling through WeChat on the plane, I suddenly came across a piece of news.    

      Xirenma United Measurement & Control (Quanzhou) Co., Ltd. announced bankruptcy liquidation. This is an explosive piece of news in the sensor industry, which is enough to shock many people in China’s MEMS sensor sector. Quanzhou Xirenma was quite a well-known enterprise in China’s MEMS sensor field, having been recognized as one of the “Top 10 MEMS Enterprises in China” by certain authoritative institutions twice. In recent years, it has raised over 1 billion yuan through multiple rounds of financing. Regardless of the reasons, most of us working in the sensor industry probably feel both shocked and regretful.

#09:22, September 16, 2025, Flight MU6923 (Xi'an-Tianjin)#       

      I visited Quanzhou Xirenma in 2019. Chairman Nie showed me around the company’s workshops and exhibition halls, and he was full of confidence and ambition to make great achievements. At that time, my immediate impression was that the company had a wide range of sensor products and diverse application scenarios. In the following years, we had several more interactions. As a founder with a technical background, Mr. Nie had his own insights in the MEMS field—it seemed that they could develop many types of MEMS sensors and apply them in various fields. Now, I can’t help but reflect: is this a common problem that many in the sensor industry tend to have?Sensors may seem simple, but they are actually “precision work.” Being able to develop a basic sensor is the first level; being able to make it reliable is the second level; and being able to achieve commercialization is the highest level—and that is the true demand and goal of an enterprise.

      Due to the flight delay, I arrived at Tianjin Airport at 12 noon. I rushed to the hotel to check in, had a quick lunch, and just made it to the exchange seminar between the Internet of Things Committee under the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce and the Tianjin Hexi District Government, which started at 1:30 p.m. During the exchange with Tianjin’s Executive Vice Mayor and Secretary Wang Xu of the Hexi District Committee, I deeply felt Secretary Wang’s sincerity, straightforwardness, and conciseness in investment promotion work, which showed an unusual level of efficiency. 

      During the mutual exchanges, the introduction by Mr. Fan from Beijing Core Vision Technology Co., Ltd. about their water environment multi-parameter sensor based on quantum dots left a deep impression on me. It is said that quantum dots are currently the smallest light spots. By analyzing light scattering, establishing corresponding models, and then embedding them into MCU chips, a small-sized multi-parameter water sensor is built on this basis, which is used to analyze water pollution conditions. At present, it has been promoted and applied in several major cities in China.     

      Tianjin looks even more beautiful after the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit, which has also brought a huge flow of attention and development opportunities to the city.   

#20:48, September 16, 2025, Tianjin Crystal Palace Hotel#