Tech startup: I really do make mobile phones!

Chapter 117 The Three Horsemen of Far Orange

Far Orange Workshop
The roar of the equipment on the production line echoed in the factory, carrying a mixed smell of rust from the new equipment and lithium battery materials.

Chen Mo strode forward, followed by Liu Jiping, who had just returned from "advanced studies" at the Shenzhen laboratory, and Liu Mingzhen, the laboratory expert he had recently recruited.

His goal was clear: a second medium-sized production line supported by BTD engineers, which he had reserved for the production of MOF-honeycomb batteries.

Yuancheng General Manager Xu Mingyuan greeted him with a beaming smile.

"Mr. Chen, you've finally arrived! Look at this line, the renovation is almost complete!"

Since Yuantu was acquired by Chen Mo and renamed Yuancheng, he no longer worries about the company's cash flow.

Yuancheng is a completely different company now. Not only did it receive a generous investment of 1000 million yuan from Chen Mo, but it also exchanged patents with BTD for two medium-sized production lines worth 8000 million yuan. Recently, it also brought in Lei Jun as a shareholder.

Now, thanks to Xu Mingyuan's efforts, Yuancheng is on the right track for development, and he has completely given up the idea of ​​returning to North America. He plans to bring his wife, children, and elderly parents back once the company has stabilized.

"Mr. Chen! A week ago, Ningde suddenly suspended the battery manufacturing for Orange 1, and we immediately adjusted our production line."

This is not surprising.

Initially, Ning was the first to come into contact with Orange Technology through Teacher Lin's introduction, but Chen Mo left in a huff because of the "slow treatment" from a mere production line manager.

The turning point came when BTD acquired Yuantu—BTD's CEO discovered, after inquiring about the background of their competitor Orange, that the other party actually held a patent for solid-state lithium nitride batteries—a pleasant surprise.

It's worth noting that BTD is researching power batteries, and this is how the optimal solid-state battery approach for power batteries came about.

So the two of them discussed it and decided to exchange the production line for the patent. The two-year exclusive rights to the patent for the nitride solid-state battery path have been transferred to BTD.

Orange Technology and BTD have now become allies who were not originally allied.

Two years! We dare not gamble that BTD will not be able to develop a practical product within two years. Once a practical solid-state nitride battery is launched, its leading position in the domestic battery industry will be threatened.

Therefore, Mr. Zeng visited Professor Jiang three times, and the two sides reconciled and agreed to formally switch to the "sodium ion" solid-state battery route.

As part of a strategic shift, Ningde abruptly stopped renewing its contract for gaseous lithium batteries from Orange Technology, effectively cutting off the supply.

Fortunately, Yuancheng stepped in in time: by increasing its own production capacity, it solved Orange Technology's urgent problem and prevented the risk of a sudden supply chain disruption.

Xu Mingyuan pointed to the assembly line, his tone calm yet exuding professional confidence.

"This medium-sized production line, originally planned for MOF-honeycomb batteries, has now been converted to produce 800mAh/3.7V MOF gaseous lithium batteries, with a daily production capacity of 8 sets, which has relieved the urgent needs of the mobile phone industry."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the unused structural components of several devices, all of which had reserved compatibility interfaces.

"President Chen! We've also made provisions for the compatibility of the production line. This line can also handle the battery specifications for President Lei's new machine next year."

Chen Mo paused, his gaze sweeping over the busy production line, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.

I clearly told them that this production line was reserved for producing new battery configurations. Was it misappropriated?

Moreover, Xu Mingyuan didn't even consult me ​​before making this decision on his own?
Having spent so much money only to end up with a hollow control, a sense of being sidelined suddenly welled up in Chen Mo's heart.

When he successfully bid for a business deal in Nietzsche's conference room, the powerful aura he developed without any formal training still holds sway today.

The sudden sense of oppression from Chen Mo made Xu Mingyuan unconsciously lower his eyelids, but he saw that the other party quickly adjusted and spoke in a calm and even tone.

"Mr. Xu, the emergency response was handled well. We should indeed prioritize ensuring the supply chain of Orange Mobile phones."

However, his tone suddenly shifted, and his gaze turned sharp as he looked at Xu Mingyuan: "But what about the MOF-honeycomb battery production line that I previously instructed you to reserve? What are you going to do with it?"

Xu Mingyuan pursed his dry lips and, as if he had expected it, quickly pointed to the small production line next to him.

"Don't worry, Mr. Chen! While the BTD engineers are still here, I've already had them modify the original small line to fit the MOF-honeycomb configuration (920mAh/3.7V)."

Then, he explained in a low voice, "Chengzi 2 is still in the planning stage. Why not use the small production line to stock up first? This will maximize the utilization rate of Yuancheng's production capacity and avoid any waste."

"Oh?"

Chen Mo raised an eyebrow. Xu Mingyuan was quick to act and his reasons were quite plausible. Chen Mo couldn't find anything wrong with him to attack him.

He stared at the other person's face, which seemed to say "everything is for the company's sake," and after a two-second silence, he gave a half-smile.

"Great! Mr. Xu, thank you for going to so much trouble!"

These words sounded like praise, but the tone at the end carried a hint of indifference.

Xu Mingyuan's smile remained unchanged: "Of course, President Chen!"

But in his mind, he was rapidly calculating:
This time, by acting first and informing later, taking advantage of Ningde's decision to cut off the supply of batteries to Orange phones, they openly tested the young boss's bottom line and even gave him a small counterattack.

As expected, Eunuch Cao was right; once people are full, they have countless worries.

Xu Mingyuan initially hoped someone would lend him a hand, but now he wants to fight for greater freedom.

Judging from this test, although Mr. Chen was concerned about overstepping his authority, he valued the actual results more. For Xu Mingyuan, this means that he can now unleash his full potential and make a big splash at Yuancheng.

After touring the workshop, Chen Mo had a good idea of ​​Yuancheng's financial situation:

1. Small-scale production line: MOF-honeycomb battery (920mAh, 3.7V), theoretically producing 2.5 sets per day. BTD engineers are currently debugging the line, and it has not yet been put into formal production.

BTD's engineers are like bricks; they're always there wherever Yuancheng needs them, and even Chen Mo is almost reluctant to return them.

However, upon further reflection, it's clear that they've just completed a patent-production line exchange with us, making them quasi-allies. Poaching them at this time would indeed be inappropriate.

After all, such an unseemly approach would be detrimental to long-term cooperation with other companies. Chen Mo isn't Lei Jun; his focus should be on serving consumers and pleasing them is sufficient.

Yuancheng manufactures battery components. It is foreseeable that Yuancheng will develop more basic mobile phone components in the future, and will need to deal with many companies and even competitors. They can't just poach other people's engineers all the time.

2. Medium-sized production line 1: MOF gaseous battery (2000mAh, 5V), with a daily output of 2.8 sets, is currently in production and is dedicated to providing power solutions for outdoor portable devices.

Once the MOF-hospital new battery trial production is successful, we need to use this structure to put 2000mAh/5V batteries into production as soon as possible.

However, one issue deserves attention:

This gaseous lithium battery is almost twice the size of the 2000mAh battery in the OPPO X8 released last week, making it impossible to fit into a smartphone.

Therefore, Chen Mo was full of expectations for the system's year-end sales settlement.

Once the system completes the sales settlement for Orange 1, research points will be used to further explore the Level 2 and Level 3 gaseous lithium battery black technology.

By then, the energy density of gaseous lithium batteries will be able to improve, and your energy density is less than half that of liquid lithium batteries. How dare you call it cutting-edge technology!

Well, even though gaseous lithium batteries charge incredibly fast, it can't hide the fact that their energy density is only half that of commercially available lithium batteries.

3. Medium-sized production line 2: MOF gaseous battery (800mAh, 3.7V), with a daily output of 8 pieces, is currently in production and is exclusively supplied to Orange 1 mobile phone.

The production line has been designed with compatibility in mind, and the batteries for Lei Jun's new Wheat 1 phone next year will mainly be supplied by this MOF line.

As for the new battery from MOF-Honeycomb, it was left by Chen Mo for his Orange 2.

But now that Wheat 1 is already pursuing high-capacity chips, the development team for Orange 2 is still nowhere in sight.

The four of them returned to the meeting room, and the atmosphere of the visit in the workshop instantly vanished, replaced by a serious tone.

Chen Mo sat down in the main seat and got straight to the point.

"Mr. Xu, now that the company has expanded, what are your thoughts on Yuancheng's next steps?"

Xu Mingyuan was clearly prepared, and he opened his notebook and began to speak eloquently.

"Mr. Chen, our 2000mAh/5V medium-sized power supply is positioned as a power solution for high-net-worth products: outdoor power supplies and industrial equipment. That's our market target!"

He counted the main areas on his fingers: Medical emergency: portable ultrasound, electronic infusion pump, AED life-saving power supply, emergency ventilator.

Fire emergency response: power supply for thermal imaging camera, equipment power, and emergency lights.

High-end equipment: backup power for surveying drones and marine detectors.

Industrial explosion-proof: hazardous environment detectors, oil pipeline monitoring, power grid fault recorders.

"The advantages of our gaseous lithium batteries go far beyond fast charging. For example, they can be used in low-energy, high-voltage battery packs, automatically solidify and become flame-retardant when exposed to air, and have outstanding safety and explosion-proof performance!" He tapped his fingertips on the table: "We need to specialize in high-barrier, high-profit fields and create customized power solutions!"

Chen Mo nodded repeatedly, "President Xu has a keen eye; this is a great direction!"

Then, he changed the subject.

"Mr. Xu just mentioned surveying drones. I do know there's a DJ company in Nanshan and a JF company in Guangcheng."

When Xu Mingyuan mentioned surveying drones, Chen Mo suddenly thought of two leading companies in the field of multi-rotor drones in later generations.

Putting everything else aside, Dajiang's consumer-grade aerial drones are definitely the most compatible products with Far Orange gaseous lithium batteries.

Although gaseous lithium batteries have a lower energy density, they are one-third lighter than ordinary batteries of the same volume.

As for the energy density issue, we can at least develop a Level 3 battery next year, and maybe the energy density of gaseous lithium batteries can catch up. Who dares to say that it is not the best battery solution for drones?

"One of them is a consumer-grade aerial photography platform, and the other is an agricultural plant protection drone. Both are companies with great potential, especially Dajiang. I think the consumer-grade aerial photography market has huge potential and is definitely a client that Yuancheng should focus on developing!"

Xu Mingyuan quickly jotted down "Dajiang" and "Feiji," then circled them heavily: "Understood! Mr. Chen, I'll get the power supply solutions from these two companies ready as soon as possible!"

Chen Mo nodded. As long as Xu Mingyuan's little schemes didn't hinder Yuancheng's development, they could be tolerated.

He looked around at everyone, his demeanor suddenly tightening, and he became serious.

"Yuancheng is already at the forefront of the new energy trend, and its foundation is solid. Now it's time to go all out!"
I will only propose three plans:
First, stabilize the fundamentals.

As a new technology production line, the small-scale production line must quickly begin trial production of new batteries to bring the technology to fruition. Once the MOF-Honeycomb small-scale production line is fully debugged, trial production will begin immediately!

He turned his gaze to Liu Jiping, but then turned his words to Xu Mingyuan.

"President Xu, Senior Brother Liu has thoroughly mastered MOF-cellular technology at the Shenzhen National Laboratory. From now on, we will entrust him with full responsibility for this small production line, handling both the technology and production. What do you think?"

This is clearly a signal that Chen Mo has planted his cronies in Yuancheng.

Xu Mingyuan's smile remained unchanged, and his tone was warm. Ever since Liu Jiping joined the company, he knew that this day would come.

"That would be perfect. Mr. Liu has solid technical skills, and I feel at ease with him overseeing this crucial production line!"

He knew perfectly well that Chen Mo had planted spies in key positions on Yuancheng's production line to balance the power in his hands.

If Xu Mingyuan wanted to stop producing Orange mobile phone batteries, he simply couldn't do it without Liu Jiping's cooperation.

It seems the previous probing went a bit too far, ultimately prompting the young boss to consider setting up a system of checks and balances.

Chen Mo stared at Liu Jiping: "Senior Brother Liu! 3 sets per day is the bottom line. Within six months, optimize the process, increase production capacity by 20%, and keep the battery capacity error within 5%!"

Suppressing his joy at finally gaining power, Liu Jiping nodded earnestly: "Don't worry, President Chen! I will definitely do it!"

Chen Mo nodded, nodded to Senior Brother Liu, and continued speaking.

"Secondly: I hope that Far Orange will keep pace with Orange's development and make preparations ahead of time in future research and development. The development progress of MOF-honeycomb batteries must be closely linked to the development rhythm of Orange 2 phones. It is absolutely unacceptable for the phone to be released before the battery is even in sight!"

Although Orange 2 doesn't even have a plan on an A4 sheet of paper yet, Chen Mo has to give them a heads-up in advance to prevent them from making excuses later.

"Thirdly, research and development in the laboratory." He looked at Liu Mingzhen: "Director Liu, you will personally lead the team and allocate 30% of the profits to research and development every month. If the funds are insufficient, we can apply for allocation from Orange Technology, focusing on improving the supporting technologies for batteries!"

"Within six months, you must improve the overall performance of the battery by 15%. The battery is the core weapon that allows Orange phones to crush the competition!"

Chen Mo directly called Director Liu, without even asking Xu Mingyuan's opinion on the appointment, before turning around to give him a formal introduction.

"This is Director Liu Mingzhen, a top-notch technical expert I specially invited. He will be the head of our Yuancheng Lab from now on!"

Xu Mingyuan frowned slightly, but immediately stood up and shook hands politely.

"Director Liu! I've heard so much about you! From now on, the reputation of our Yuancheng Laboratory will depend on you!"

He carefully observed the aloof technical director, and Chen Mo's personnel deployment plan within Far Orange Company became clearer.

The nails in the production department made Xu Mingyuan uncomfortable, and this Liu Mingzhen directly took away his position at the core of Yuancheng's technology.

go?
No way! Yuancheng is doing so well, I should at least wait until I can cash out my shares!
Xu Mingyuan then began to listen to Chen Mo's eloquent explanation. The ideas seemed to be things he had personally experienced, and he gradually began to find them quite reasonable.

“Yuancheng can expand in the consumer electronics market. In addition to mobile phones, we can also expand into laptops, tablets, learning machines, and portable DVDs!”

Since we've already broken ties with Ningde, what's wrong with taking away its lithium battery market share?

"We can also collaborate deeply with product manufacturers to develop customized power solutions, catering to all needs, from camping to outdoor office work!"

"Please take good care of this, Mr. Xu."

"In addition, we need to make technological preparations in advance in the field of power batteries. New energy vehicles are the consumer end of the national new energy strategy, and Yuancheng cannot be absent!"

"In the next five years, I want to see our own power batteries from Far Orange!"

Chen Mo's tone was resolute, carrying an air of unquestionable authority.

"Director Liu, starting this year you can gradually build a team, find top experts in electrochemistry and materials science, and focus on one long-term goal—developing supporting technologies for high-performance gaseous lithium batteries for vehicles."

"The core technologies we need to overcome are mainly: how to package the battery cells? How to build a control system using automotive intelligent electronic control chips? How to achieve 4C super-fast charging?"

He raised an eyebrow: "As for the battery itself, I'll take care of that!"

Chen Mo stood up, his sharp gaze sweeping over the three of them.

"From now on, my focus will be on Orange Mobile, and I entrust the future of Far Orange to the three of you."

He looked at Xu Mingyuan with a serious expression.

"Senior Brother Xu, you're in charge of the company's operations, business expansion, and market expansion!"

Then, Chen Mo turned to Liu Jiping and said, "Senior Brother Liu, I'm entrusting the production, technology implementation, and quality control of all production lines to you!"

Finally, they focused on the newcomer, Liu Mingzhen.

"Senior Sister Liu, laboratory research and development, technological innovation, especially the supporting technology for power batteries—this long-term strategic project is your battlefield!"

Chen Mo's meaning is now crystal clear.

Xu Mingyuan manages the business, Liu Jiping oversees production, and Liu Ming controls the technology.

The three leaders each managed their own area, supporting each other while also keeping an eye on each other.

This way, even if any link in the chain of Far Orange goes wrong, Chen Mo, the behind-the-scenes boss, can step in at any time to set things right.

After finishing his sentence, Chen Mo left decisively.

In the conference room, Xu Mingyuan closed his laptop, his eyes gleaming with ambition. Yuancheng's situation was excellent, and he would have to wait until the shares were exchanged before he could leave.

Liu Jiping was eager to get started, thinking about how to do a good job on the small production line that General Manager Chen had entrusted to him, and how to take over the production of all of Yuancheng's production lines.

As for Liu Mingzhen, he had already started typing on his phone, brainstorming a list of his research and development team members.
Under Chen Mo's swift and decisive planning, Yuancheng New Energy, this small boat of the new era, has clearly set its course, and the three generals have each received their own "military orders".

The real show is just beginning.
(End of this chapter)