Who would still start a business seriously after being reborn?

Chapter 684 This guy is more interested in money than life.

Lee Jae-yong's smile froze slightly.

Du Yusheng lowered his voice and whispered, "Our Momo Group learns from outstanding modern international companies that emphasize the separation of ownership and management. As our major shareholder, Enze Capital has hired a professional management team to handle the day-to-day operations. Therefore, you'll probably need to talk to our group's CEO or directly with Enze Capital about these matters."

At this moment, the report on the power structure of the Momo Group provided by the intelligence department appeared in Li Zairong's mind with perfect clarity.

Du Yusheng, the chairman in name only, is also the spiritual leader.

The real decision-making body is the man hidden behind the scenes, who has been given full authority by Enze Capital.

Cheng Yi.

He had been skeptical before, but now, looking at Du Yusheng's calm and even somewhat hands-off expression, he understood the true rules of power operation in the Momo Group.

His high-profile visit and meticulously planned pressure were like punching cotton; the other party's core interests were not in this situation at all.

Suddenly, an indescribable feeling of suffocation welled up in Li Zairong's heart.

He had prepared for a long time, intending to have a high-level dialogue with his opponent, but found that he couldn't even see his opponent's face and could only deal with a hands-off manager.

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to maintain his composure, and said, "Oh? I see. Then, I wonder if I might have the honor of meeting Mr. Cheng Yi? I believe we would have many things in common."

Du Yusheng, still smiling, said, "President Cheng is indeed very busy lately. He needs to personally oversee the group's daily operations and several major technical projects. I will definitely convey Chairman Li's wishes, but I cannot guarantee President Cheng's schedule."

Du Yusheng's Mandarin was already masterful; his main skill was saying nothing at all.

Without refusing or promising, he lightly kicked the ball back.

Lee Jae-yong knew that further discussion would be fruitless.

He raised his glass in acknowledgment, his face regaining its businesslike smile: "Then I'll have to trouble Chairman Du. I hope we'll have the opportunity to talk soon."

After saying that, he turned and left. His back was still upright under the bright lights, but his determination to win had been somewhat diminished.

He realized that if he wanted to get back the $30 billion or truly gain the upper hand at the negotiating table, he had to confront the guy he hated most: Cheng Yi.

The dinner ended in an atmosphere that was outwardly warm but inwardly subtle.

The next day, Lee Jae-yong did not leave Gyeongju. He checked into the presidential suite of a five-star hotel booked by Samsung, attempting to contact Sung Yi through a more direct channel.

He instructed his assistant to formally request a meeting with Momo Group. The request was of a very high level, using the title "Samsung Group President Lee Jae-young invites Momo Group President Cheng Yi to have a high-level dialogue on industry development and potential cooperation of mutual interest."

The request was sent but disappeared without a trace.

One day, two days... Momo Group still hasn't responded.

Li Zairong's assistant called Momo Group's general manager's office several times, only to receive the standard, polite reply: "[It has been recorded and will be reported upwards. Please wait patiently.]"

This feeling of being ignored made Lee Jae-young, who was used to being surrounded by people and treated with courtesy, extremely uncomfortable.

He is the future leader of Samsung. He personally came to Gyeongju and took the initiative to invite them, but the other party was so dismissive that they didn't even give a basic response.

"What exactly does Cheng Yi want?" In the suite, Lee Jae-yong, unusually losing his composure, growled at his trusted assistant, "Does he think that by hiding, he can keep that $30 billion forever? Or does he think that with those underhanded tricks, he can really shake Samsung and Microsoft?"

The assistant cautiously replied, "President, according to our analysis, Cheng Yi's behavior is unpredictable. He may be deliberately trying to provoke you. He probably has no intention of negotiating this 3 billion US dollars at all."

Li Zairong quickly calmed down. He walked to the window, looked at the endless stream of cars below, and frowned, saying, "What exactly is he relying on? We've already formed a pincer movement, how can he still be so fearless?"

After Samsung's rapid implementation, Lee Jae-young has regained his confidence.

Cheng Yi's petty tricks are actually insignificant in the face of absolute strength.

By controlling the hardware pricing channels, they essentially control the lifeline of the Momo Group.

It is common knowledge that Momo Group's main business is internet cafes. If they raise the price of hardware first and then win over the internet cafes under Momo Group with discounts, it will be enough to make these internet cafes submit to them.

This is only a 25% price increase; what if they doubled the price?

At its peak, their prices tripled.

Even if the price increases tenfold, users worldwide will still have to pay the price, because they enjoy the benefits of a monopoly.

With Samsung Speedata already established and Microsoft XP Lite rapidly gaining market share, Momo Group will eventually lose its core businesses in operating systems and internet cafes.

Is there still a need for Momo Group to exist?

All their business operations are built upon these two existing businesses.

This is also the source of Li Zaiyong's confidence in coming to negotiate in person.

He knew that Cheng Yi must be very panicked right now. Any group, even the two giants Nokia and Motorola, would not have an easy time if they faced the suppression from Samsung and Microsoft.

They could even bring Nokia to its doom if they joined forces.

Moreover, this is not just an idea; they are now planning to dethrone Nokia, and it's time for Samsung phones to rise again.

He wanted to give Cheng Yi a chance to apologize. If Cheng Yi gave up the $30 billion deposit, he could consider taking away only the operating system and internet cafe control of Momo Group, leaving a little room for other businesses of Momo Group to survive.

Li Zairong stayed in Jingzhou for three whole days, but still couldn't see Cheng Yi.

This only fueled Lee Jae-young's anger to its peak.

Although he didn't see Cheng Yi, he could already feel Cheng Yi's feelings.

That bastard really values ​​money over life.

It seems he's confident he can keep his $30 billion deposit.

"Fine, since you're courting death, don't blame me for leaving you nothing." Li Zairong slowly placed the glass of red wine in his hand on the table, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes. His experience as a leader over the past two years had taught Li Zairong to cultivate his character.

His habit of easily becoming hysterical has also changed significantly.

He was well aware of the complexity of the Chinese market and the importance of connections. Since he could not speak directly with Cheng Yi, he turned his attention to a higher level and potential partners who could become new allies.

This is the relationship that Samsung has maintained for over a year, and it is also the third weapon against Momo Group.

On September 13, Lee Jae-yong's private jet quietly landed at Yenjing Airport. Unlike his high-profile trip to Gyeongju, Lee Jae-yong's trip to Yenjing was quite low-key.

Through an intermediary, he finally arrived at a quiet courtyard house in Houhai in the afternoon.

The courtyard is filled with ancient trees, birdsong, and fragrant flowers, making it seem like a completely different world from the bustling traffic outside.

In the elegantly furnished study, Li Zairong finally met this influential figure in China's telecommunications industry.

Qi Hongjun.

Qi Hongjun was dressed in a traditional Chinese jacket, holding two shiny walnuts in his hands, exuding a unique aura that was both rough and official.

"Mr. Qi, I've long admired your name. I apologize for the intrusion and for disturbing your peace and quiet," Li Zairong said in practiced Chinese, adopting a very humble posture.

Qi Hongjun laughed heartily, his voice booming. He gestured for Li Zairong to sit down in front of the sandalwood tea tray and said with a smile, "Mr. Li, you're too kind. Samsung is a world-class company. It's an honor for you to come to my humble courtyard. Come, try this brew of aged Pu'er tea. My friend just brought it back from Yunnan."

Amidst the fragrant tea and a few pleasantries, Li Zairong got down to business, saying, "President Qi, Starcom's PHS (Personal Handyphone System) business is booming right now, covering the whole country with hundreds of millions of users, which is truly admirable."

Lee Jae-young began by offering a flattering remark.

Qi Hongjun showed a hint of smugness on his face and waved his hand, but the satisfaction in his eyes was obvious.

There's no way around it; when it comes to flattery, it depends on who's doing it.

Some people's flattery is pleasant, while others' is annoying.

Li Zairong's flattery made Qi Hongjun quite comfortable.

Qi Hongjun humbly replied, "It's all thanks to the support of our friends and the recognition of the people. We at Starcom are just focused on making solid products and providing affordable and convenient communication tools for the people."

He particularly emphasized the words "affordable and convenient," clearly showing his great pride in the business model of Xiaolingtong.

In the past two years, with the aggressive promotion of Momo Group's TV shopping channel, Starcom PHS has indeed reached an unprecedented peak, not only acquiring the PHS businesses of ZTE and Huawei, but also further expanding its scale.

Qi Hongjun certainly has reason to be proud of this.

Li Zairong smiled slightly and said, "President Qi is right. However, as a colleague in the industry, I also have some immature opinions that I would like to discuss with President Qi."

"Oh? Go ahead." Although this was Qi Hongjun's first time meeting Li Zairong, they had spoken on the phone several times before.

The middleman between them was a highly respected senior figure in the business world, who usually acted as the liaison for communication.

Qi Hongjun still attaches great importance to Li Zairong, after all, he is the heir to the strongest technology giant in all of Asia.

Li Zairong slowly said, "Then I'll be frank. The success of Xiaolingtong lies in its accurate grasp of the needs of a specific group of people at a specific time, coupled with its very high cost performance. But I wonder if President Qi has considered that communication technology is changing rapidly, and the limitations of the PHS technology on which Xiaolingtong is based are becoming increasingly apparent? For example, signal coverage, data transmission speed, and limited functionality... In the future, it will inevitably be the world of smartphones."

Qi Hongjun paused slightly as he played with the walnuts, his smile fading slightly, but he still said calmly, "Does Chairman Li mean that the era of Little Smart phones is coming to an end?"

“That’s right,” Lee Jae-yong said. “Companies like us and Nokia have been developing smart systems. Take Symbian phones as an example. Users can not only make calls, but also play games and chat. This is equivalent to ushering in a new era of mobile internet.”

"Has it been started?" Qi Hongjun chuckled.

“We’re always on the move,” Li Zairong said. “I can guarantee that within five years at most, a true mobile internet phone will definitely be available. At that time, the phone will even be able to make video calls just like a computer, without spending a penny on phone bills.”

"Hahahaha." Qi Hongjun burst into laughter.

video call?

Are you kidding me?
Even if they actually create this thing, will they allow it to be implemented?
They make money from phone bills without spending a single penny on phone calls.

Qi Hongjun's tone carried a barely perceptible hint of sarcasm as he said, "My PHS phone now has over 1.6 million users, and in developed coastal areas, almost everyone has one. You're telling me it's going to be obsolete? Don't you think you're joking?"

He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and moved with unhurried ease, displaying great confidence.

Li Zairong was not surprised by Qi Hongjun's reaction.

No entrepreneur who has achieved great success will easily deny the foundation upon which their success is built.

He needs more persuasive arguments.

“President Qi, I’m not exaggerating.” Li Zairong said sincerely, “The glory of Xiaolingtong was built on the extension of the fixed-line network and low cost, but the 3G era has arrived. Countries like the US, Japan and South Korea have long entered the 3G era. China has not yet entered this era, so you may not be very familiar with the 3G era.”

"In countries with 3G networks, 3G phones have already begun to change people's communication and lifestyles. Once China's 3G service is launched, PHS (Personal Handyphone System) will definitely be phased out. Its functions cannot support such a future."

He carefully observed Qi Hongjun's expression and saw that although the other party remained calm, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes, indicating that his words had had an effect.

"Mr. Qi has been deeply involved in the telecommunications industry for many years. His channels, resources, and understanding of the Chinese market are unmatched. And Samsung, on the other hand, possesses world-leading mobile phone R&D and manufacturing technology and a global supply chain." Lee Jae-yong tried to throw out the bait, saying, "If the two of us join hands to create a new mobile phone brand, combining Starcom's channel advantages with Samsung's technological strength, we will surely be able to occupy a place in the upcoming era of Internet mobile phones, and even replicate, no, surpass the glory of PHS."

Qi Hongjun remained silent.

Seeing that Qi Hongjun remained silent, Li Zairong knew that things were looking up, and he immediately elaborated on the possibility of cooperation between the two sides.

The joint investment in research and development involved customizing mid-to-high-end 3G mobile phones for the Chinese market, leveraging Starcom's nationwide sales network for promotion, with Samsung providing core components and technical support.

Qi Hongjun listened quietly, then smiled and said, "Let's talk about the conditions first."

Li Zairong looked at Qi Hongjun very seriously and said, "The condition is Momo Group."

(End of this chapter)