Who would still start a business seriously after being reborn?

Chapter 671 Do you want to or not?

Back in his top-tier suite, Ali Sharif's perfect, confident smile, typical of Raymond Lam, vanished instantly, replaced by a deep weariness.

The four female bodyguards quickly conducted another thorough inspection of the suite.

"Safety."

No listening devices were found.

"The windows are locked, and the view of the outside is clear."

After they finished reporting, Nightingale, the leader of the four-person team, stepped forward and said respectfully, "Sir, your change of clothes have been prepared. All your personal items that you have used, including your suit, shirt, tie, handkerchief, and even this cigar, need to be recycled and disposed of according to regulations."

Ali Sharif nodded, tacitly approving their actions.

He knew that this was to prevent the leaving of any DNA or biological information, a necessary step to ensure that Lei Jun's mysterious veil was not lifted.

He cooperated by taking off his coat and handing it to them.

“Your speech was a great success, sir.” Nightingale took the clothes and put them into a specially made sealed bag, adding in a calm tone, “Your family also watched part of the press conference, and they are very proud of you.”

Ali Sharif's body trembled slightly.

He looked at the nightingale, trying to glean more information from her unchanging eyes, but he failed.

"Thank you." He smiled politely and didn't say anything more.

He knew very well that Nightingale's words were actually a form of invisible intimidation.

But he didn't care, because he never considered betraying them.

“It’s our duty.” Nightingale nodded slightly. She glanced at the two female bodyguards beside her, who immediately stripped off their clothes and lay down on the bed in the bedroom.

They need to make sure they can see Ali Sharif 24 hours a day.

Seeing the two alluring bodies disappear into the silk quilt, Nightingale then took the sealed bag and left the bedroom.

Ali Sharif walked to the window and gazed at the dazzling night view of Munich.

His slightly pale face was reflected in the glass, a stark contrast to the radiant Lei Jun of just a few hours earlier.

For the sake of his family's happiness and safety, he must continue to perform this act perfectly forever.

Zhang Bao's ruthlessness and Lei Jun's unfathomable depths made him realize that he had no room for error.

Today's success is just the beginning.

He must constantly refine his acting skills to make the character of Lei Jun more deeply ingrained in people's minds, until...

Perhaps, we'll never know.

Meanwhile, the global media has been in an uproar.

CNN's financial headline went straight to "[Mysterious billionaire Lei Jun makes a stunning appearance, vowing to usher in a new era]".

The BBC's headline read: "[Rebus arrives in Munich, announces he will soon become a British citizen]".

Because it received money from Enze Capital, the Financial Times wrote in more detail, opening with the headline: "Regardless of the success or failure of BBA's mobile phones, Lei Jun himself has become the most dazzling star in the global business world this year. His emergence has redefined the necessity of combining capital and technology."

Online, speculation about Lei Jun's background is rampant, with all sorts of bizarre claims emerging, from exiled prince to reclusive genius, which only further enhances his mysterious aura.

Meanwhile, in Jingzhou, Cheng Yi, who had watched the entire press conference via an encrypted connection, closed the video window and a satisfied smile appeared on his lips.

Ali Sharif's performance exceeded his expectations.

This stand-in was a good choice.

Next, he was just waiting for one person to return to China.

At ten o'clock the next morning, Lei Jun pushed open the door, looking travel-worn and with a hint of fatigue and doubt on his face.

He was accompanying Lei Jun on a visit to several small European countries when Cheng Yi urgently summoned him back to Jingzhou with a phone call.

In his memory, Cheng Yi rarely acted so eagerly.

"President Cheng, why did you call me back so urgently? Is something wrong?" Lei Jun asked directly as soon as he entered the door, his tone carrying his usual pragmatism.

Having known this young man for over a year, he was well aware of his quick thinking and far-reaching strategic vision. Cheng Yi would not have called him back to China unless there was an urgent matter.

After all, it was a minor matter that was instructed over the phone.

Cheng Yi had an enigmatic smile on his face as he pointed to the chair opposite his desk.

"Mr. Lei, please sit down." Cheng Yi gestured for Lei Jun to sit down and said, "What do you think of this BBA mobile communications company? Putting aside the media's biases, tell me your most honest thoughts as an outsider."

Lei Jun took a deep breath, a habitual action he took to enter a state of deep thinking.

“They have big ambitions and a high vision.” Lei Jun spoke slowly but carefully, saying, “Using the brand endorsement and existing high-end channels of the three German automotive giants, avoiding direct competition with Nokia and Motorola in the mainstream market, and directly entering the high-end segment of the automotive-grade market is theoretically a shortcut.”

He paused, then changed the subject, pointing out the key difficulty, saying, "However, Mr. Cheng, the ideal is very beautiful but the reality is very skinny. This so-called smartphone sounds wonderful, but it is extremely difficult to make. Otherwise, giants like Nokia would have made it long ago."

"The most important thing is ecosystem building." He continued his analysis: "Why is Microsoft so powerful? It's not because the Windows system is so perfect, but because it has built a huge software ecosystem. BBA mobile phones also need an ecosystem."

"It needs to attract developers to create exclusive applications for it. Nokia's Symbian system is already very mature. Now, how do you get developers to invest their energy in a new system? It's a chicken-and-egg problem."

"Secondly, there's the balance between cost and market." Lei Jun finally gave a pragmatic assessment, saying, "If the positioning is too high, the price will inevitably be expensive. A starting price of $500 is almost the price of mainstream laptops nowadays. How many consumers will pay such a high price for a mobile phone that can make calls?"

"How big is its market size? No one can guarantee that. If it cannot generate enough shipments, how can it recoup its huge upfront R&D investment? Enze Capital and the three car companies can burn money, but how long can they do it? It's more like a high-stakes gamble, betting on future trends, but I have serious doubts about its short-term commercial returns."

After Lei Jun finished speaking, he leaned back in his chair and looked at Cheng Yi. This was his most rational analysis, based on his current understanding of the market and technological conditions, and in line with the thinking of a mature manager.

He believed that Cheng Yi could understand the risks and difficulties involved.

Cheng Yi listened quietly, his face showing no displeasure, but rather an expression of appreciation.

"Your analysis is very insightful. What you've mentioned are the most pressing issues on the table," Cheng Yi said with a smile. "However, if we only focus on the problems, how are we any different from those companies that keep backing down in front of Microsoft?"

He stared intently at Lei Jun and said something that made Lei Jun's heart tremble: "If I wanted you to take on the role of Vice President in charge of marketing at BBA Mobile Communications Company, responsible for the market positioning, brand promotion, channel strategy, and even the initial ecosystem building of this groundbreaking product, would you dare to take on this responsibility?"

"What?" Lei Jun suddenly stood up from his chair, his face filled with disbelief, and he even thought he had misheard.

"Me? Vice President of BBA Company? President Cheng, this is impossible! This is simply impossible!" Lei Jun shook his head repeatedly, feeling that Cheng Yi's idea was simply a fantasy.

"That's a company led by Enze Capital and the three German giants, a project driven by the mysterious Lei Jun. How could they possibly accept an outsider, especially a Chinese person, to hold such a core executive position? Moreover, being in charge of marketing is like handing over the product's appeal and initial user perception to me. That's absolutely impossible."

Lei Jun's reaction was exactly what Cheng Yi had expected.

The gap between them seems almost insurmountable to anyone.

However, although Lei Jun said it was impossible, behind every "impossible" he said was a deep longing.

Cheng Yi wasn't in a hurry. He waited until Lei Jun calmed down before saying in a seductive voice, "President Lei, don't rush to say it's impossible. In this world, many things seem impossible to everyone before they are accomplished."

"First, we must choose to believe. We must believe that this is a possibility of success, believe that you have the ability to manage this stage, and believe that Momo Group, as one of the shareholders, although only holding 5% of the shares, can still play a key role."

He deliberately emphasized the words "choose to believe first," which made Lei Jun's heart tremble.

"Although we have a small share, we are not without a say."

Cheng Yi said with a smile, "I'll figure out how to handle this. Now, I only have one question for you."

Do you want to or not?

"Put aside all concerns about the impossibility and just ask your heart: Do you want to stand on that stage, alongside world-class brands like Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi, and personally launch a product that could potentially change the industry landscape to the global market? Do you want to step out of the domestic market and venture into a larger ocean?"

Lei Jun was stunned.

Cheng Yi's words were like a key, unlocking the door to ambition deep within his heart.

He recalled the difficult years he led Jinshan against Microsoft, his worries about the future of WPS, and his keen sense of awareness and powerlessness regarding the mobile internet wave.

If... if there really were such an opportunity, an opportunity that would allow him to stand at the forefront of global technology and participate in, or even lead, a transformation that could potentially overturn the existing order...

His heart began to beat faster involuntarily, and his blood began to feel slightly warm.

The excitement and desire to conquer that he felt when facing a huge challenge began to quietly grow in his heart.

Seeing the glint in Lei Jun's eyes, Cheng Yi immediately smiled.

"It seems you're interested." Cheng Yi smiled slightly and said, "However, just being interested isn't enough. If you want to become the vice president of BBA Mobile Communications, then from now on, you need to completely immerse yourself in the role."

He walked to the bookshelf, pulled out a folder with the word "Top Secret" printed on the cover, and handed it to Lei Jun.

"This contains a preliminary assessment report from Enze Capital's technical team on ARM mobile chip architecture, Liangyan Technology's capacitive touch technology, and Android system automotive adaptation, as well as some analysis on global high-end consumer electronics channels and marketing models. This is only a part of it."

"There is still a lot you need to catch up on: the standards and supply chain of automotive-grade electronic components, the consumer psychology in the high-end market, the cooperation models of global telecom operators, and even the core values ​​and historical heritage of the three brands Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi. You need to understand all of these. You need to quickly transform from a manager of a software company into a cross-disciplinary elite who is knowledgeable in hardware, software, automobiles, and marketing."

Cheng Yi's tone became serious as he said, "This is not a simple job transfer. Before you are officially appointed, the effort you need to put in will far exceed your imagination."

“Now, tell me your decision.” Cheng Yi’s gaze locked onto Lei Jun again, and he said, “Do you want to stay in your comfort zone and continue being your European influencer, or do you want to seize this opportunity and gamble on a different future?”

The air in the office seemed to freeze.

Only the faint sounds of the city outside the window remind me of the passage of time.

Lei Jun looked down at the heavy folder in his hand, then looked up at Cheng Yi's eyes, which seemed to see through everything.

He took a deep breath and did not immediately answer yes or no.

"I've been studying hard since I was a child. Once I've decided on a field, I will definitely do my best."

Lei Jun's voice calmed down, carrying a sense of composure after entering a battle state. He said, "President Cheng, I just want to know what specific path you're trying to take. Even with Enze Capital's support, how do you persuade those three proud German car companies? They have an almost obsessive desire to control their brand image and market strategy, and they will never easily hand over a core position to an outsider they don't understand."

Cheng Yi was very satisfied that Lei Jun was able to quickly grasp the key issues.

What he needs is a partner who can stand on his own in overseas fields, not a follower.

He had many followers, like Li Xiang and Kong Feng...

These people are good at maintaining existing businesses, but they are far from capable of expanding their territory.

Often, he had to personally issue the orders before Li Xiang and the others would carry them out.

Despite their perfect execution, they never questioned Cheng Yi's decisions.

But this kind of thing has both advantages and disadvantages.

The advantage is that Cheng Yi can execute tasks precisely where he points them out, which will greatly improve the group's development efficiency.

The downside is that the group has become a one-man show, with no one questioning his opinions. If this atmosphere continues, he will probably fall into a vicious cycle of buying, merging, forming circles, and so on.

However, to be fair, this "buy, buy, buy, merge ...

Cheng Yi thought for a moment, crossed his hands on the table, and smiled, "It's very simple to persuade them; all it takes is an exchange of benefits."

(End of this chapter)