Tech startup: I really do make mobile phones!

Chapter 132 Are you so brave?

In Shenzhen, a quiet tea garden resort.

In early September, the domestic smartphone market was thrown into turmoil by a policy from the Ministry of Information Industry—a national subsidy of 120 billion yuan!
The three major telecom operators will hold tenders for "representative domestic manufacturers" to provide subsidies for contract phones.

Countless manufacturers are eager to compete for this tempting piece of the pie.

At this moment, inside a highly private mountain villa, the atmosphere is completely different from the hustle and bustle outside.

Shen Yiwei, in the middle, was introducing Chen Mo to two composed middle-aged men, whose presence was immediately recognizable as big shots.

"Xiao Chen, this is my senior brother, Mr. Jin Ming, the general manager of Bubu Ointment." Shen Yiwei pointed to a man with a refined appearance and deep, unfathomable eyes.

Jin Ming smiled slightly, nodded in greeting, and exuded a composed demeanor, displaying the Confucian elegance of an ancient gentleman.

"This is my second senior brother, Cheng Yonghao, the CEO of Green Factory." The other one appeared more capable and pragmatic, with sharp eyes that seemed to see right through people.

Cheng Yonghao nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

Chen Mo smiled politely, his posture neither humble nor arrogant.

"I have long admired your names, seniors! Brother Wei, your Bubu Ointment brand is full of talented people, and President Duan has a keen eye for talent. All three of you are pillars of the business world, which is truly admirable."

His words both praised the other man's master and highlighted his personal relationship with Shen Yiwei.

After a round of mutual flattery, the atmosphere seemed harmonious.

Shen Yiwei picked up his teacup, his expression becoming more serious.

"Xiao Chen! Let's stick to the facts today. Whether the deal goes through or not won't affect our friendship of hiking together for so many years, right?"

Chen Mo understood.

At their level, there are indeed not many friends with whom one can truly be an equal, and Shen Yiwei is no exception.

He laughed heartily: "Don't worry, Brother Wei, business is business, and friendship is friendship. I can tell the difference!"

"Alright!" Shen Yiwei put down his teacup, his smile vanished, and his gaze sharpened. "Then let's get down to business!"

"Mr. Chen, the three of us from the same school have our eyes on your gaseous lithium batteries. Name your price!"

Chen Mo turned his gaze to Jin Ming, his expression carrying just the right amount of doubt.

"Mr. Jin? Bubu Gao, which focuses on electronic education and music feature phones, also needs gaseous lithium batteries?"

Jin Ming smiled politely, but his words went straight to the point.

"Mr. Chen, you may not know this! Parents are willing to pay a premium for the 'technological feel' and 'safety' of electronic educational products."

"As for the BubuGao music phone, although it's a feature phone, we could try a differentiated version with 'fast charging and long battery life' to see how the market reacts?"

His words revealed that Bubu Ointment is not a stubborn old-fashioned product, but also knows how to accept new technologies.

Chen Mo pondered.

After Jiang Yu's reminder, he also realized that the second-generation battery of the Orange 2 had only a limited improvement over the first generation (920mAh vs 800mAh), and its advantage was not absolute.

The fact that BubuGao is now willing to enter the "fast charging battery route" to solve the problem of battery life is of great benefit to promoting gaseous lithium battery technology, expanding the order scale of Yuancheng, and reducing costs.

The only obstacle is that Far Orange has signed a contract with Wheat for its first-generation battery, granting it a six-month exclusivity period.

His mind raced: there wasn't much difference between the first and second generation batteries, so persuading Lei Jun to switch to the second generation batteries and release the first generation batteries to the Bubu Gao series was entirely feasible!
The Orange 2's main selling point is the replacement of the gyroscope and motor with a self-developed one. Anyway, as of the end of August, the Orange 1 has sold at least 380 million units, which will amount to 380 million R&D points when the final settlement is completed.

After gaseous lithium batteries, we can at least develop from Level 1 high-tech batteries to Level 3 (100 million R&D points) high-tech batteries.

A gyroscope plus a motor can even be developed up to level 3.

Since Orange 2 can come up with "new technology", then the Yuancheng 2nd generation battery can be shared by Wheat 1 and Orange 2.

Under the same conditions, Chen Mo also upgraded Lei Jun's battery to a new generation. As long as Lei Jun is not out of his mind, he will not refuse this offer.

Now that he could get Lei Zong on board, Chen Mo could naturally supply the first-generation gaseous lithium batteries to the Bubu Gao Group.

"Mr. Jin, your insight is brilliant!" Chen Mo smiled after thinking it through: "Using gaseous lithium batteries in Bubu Gao's electronic educational products is no problem!"

"As for the phone," he paused deliberately, noticing the slight narrowing in the eyes of the three people opposite him, "I need some time to coordinate with Lei Jun, but it shouldn't be a big problem. However, let me make it clear first, I can only provide the first-generation battery, 800mAh."

The three brothers of Bubu Gao looked at each other, their eyes flashing with joy, and raised their cups at the same time, using tea instead of wine.

"Mr. Chen is very straightforward! It's a pleasure doing business with you!"

It's not that the three brothers can't drink; their master was a "war god" who could talk business over drinks, so it's a matter of lineage. It's just that Chen Mo's status is so high that he can't drink, so they have to go along with the guest's wishes.

"Haha!" Shen Yiwei patted Chen Mo's shoulder affectionately, "You're so generous, Chen! I was just about to leave the newbie village when you sent me this amazing artifact!"

Chen Mo couldn't help but laugh and joke, "Of course! When I first started hiking, you gave me a whole set of 'outdated' new gear!"

With their friendship as a bridge, the atmosphere warmed up again.

Since they were all in the mobile phone business, the conversation naturally turned to the upcoming national subsidy bidding.

Jin Ming laughed and said, "It's a pity that our Bubu Gao mainly deals in feature phones, so we won't be joining in this time."

Chen Mo's heart stirred; in his previous life, this CEO Jin was a key figure in the transformation of Bubu Ointment.

He tentatively asked, "Why doesn't Mr. Jin consider making a music smartphone based on Bubugao? With the user base that Bubugao has accumulated in the music phone field, there is great potential!"

Jin Ming waved his hand, his smile carrying a hint of calmness from someone who had seen it all.

"Mr. Chen! I'm being presumptuous and calling you 'Little Chen,' but I'm 49 this year, almost at the age of knowing one's destiny. These smartphone waves are too much for my old bones to handle. I'll leave them to you young people to deal with!"

Just as Chen Mo was about to try to persuade him again, Shen Yiwei burst out laughing.

Seeing everyone looking at him, he quickly waved his hand: "Excuse me, Xiao Chen, please continue!"

Chen Mo glanced at him helplessly, then turned to Jin Ming.

"Mr. Jin is joking. Fifty is the peak of experience and courage. Look at Mr. Liu, who is 66, he is still strategizing and remotely controlling Li Qingyuan to make smartphones. Isn't he doing a great job?"

A glint of light flashed in Jin Ming's eyes, a half-smile playing on his lips.

"Xiao Chen, are you encouraging Bubu Gao to make smartphones? Are you trying to take advantage of this and promote gaseous lithium batteries as the standard battery solution for domestic smartphones?"

Chen Mo nodded frankly, his expression turning serious.

"Mr. Jin has a keen eye, but more importantly, I want to talk to you about the 'chip' problem of domestic smartphones!"

He looked around at the three people and said, "We make mobile phones, and we all know that over 70% of the profits from core components like chips, screens, and storage are taken by foreign patent royalties!"

"For non-core specialty components, such as cameras, batteries, various sensors, gyroscopes, speakers, etc., the profit loss also exceeds 50%!"

"Foreign companies are using their huge profits to invest in research and development, while the gap between our domestically produced parts and components will only widen. There will never be a day when domestic products can succeed!"

Cheng Yonghao, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke, his voice steady and powerful.

"So, it was because of Mr. Chen's sincere dedication that he dared to risk switching to the Maritime Silk Road chip during the ripening stage of Orange 1?"

"I admire your courage! But Xiao Chen, business is business. We all support domestic products, but if something relies on sentiment without technology, users will vote with their feet!"

"People say one thing and do another. They generally value practicality more. How can you convince me that supporting domestically produced parts isn't a 'losing money to gain publicity' business?"

"President Cheng has hit the nail on the head!" Chen Mo's eyes lit up: "The market is the only standard for testing technology!"

"The idea of ​​joint procurement by the three of us today has given me a major inspiration—why can't we establish a 'domestic smartphone component procurement alliance'?"

"Unified Procurement Alliance?"

The three members of the Bubu Gao (a type of ointment) group frowned simultaneously, their expressions thoughtful.

"Correct!"

Chen Mo spoke faster, his words carrying the infectious energy of an idealist and martyr.

"The core components have too high barriers to entry, we can't handle them for now, but what about the specialized components?"

He suddenly looked at President Jin, his words full of inflammatory rhetoric.

"For example, since BubuGao mainly focuses on music phones, could it seek a breakthrough in speaker technology?"

Chen Mo then turned to Cheng Yonghao and began to patiently guide him.

"OPPO's main focus is photography; can it delve deeper into camera modules?"

"Blue Factory." He looked at Shen Yiwei and said with a light laugh, "In pursuit of the ultimate charging experience, can you develop a super-fast charging interface standard that can be plugged in either way, and create '5 seconds of charging, 2 hours of talk time'?"

Shen Yiwei's eyes lit up, and he kept pounding his fist on his palm.

"Xiao Chen! This is great! This is really good! You won't believe it, but it's exactly what I wanted!"

It would be strange if it didn't suit your taste; it's exactly what you're thinking about in the future.

Chen Mo smiled and continued, "Orange's battery technology will continue to iterate. After each of you develops a product that is comparable to or even surpasses the mainstream, the latest generation can be used by yourselves, and the mature generation or the previous generation can be included in the centralized procurement alliance!"

"We, Orange, Bubu Ointment, Green Factory, Blue Factory, and I can even bring in wheat, can place massive orders together! Economies of scale can significantly reduce component costs, allowing us to use price and technology to compete with foreign patented components!" "This not only reduces our respective supply chain costs but also supports our domestic technologies—isn't that a win-win situation?"

Cheng Yonghao is the most pragmatic; he immediately grasped the core issue.

"Mr. Chen, your idea is excellent, but what if several companies develop components that overlap in their positioning, for example, if everyone is making cameras?"

"President Cheng's consideration is truly thorough!"

Chen Mo responded calmly: "We encourage healthy competition within the alliance, and differentiate ourselves according to high, medium, and low-end positioning. If we really run into products with the same positioning, we'll rely entirely on our technology!"

"We simply encourage members to prioritize the purchase of domestically produced components from within the alliance, provided that the technology and costs are comparable. We don't require them to use them; they can do it according to their own circumstances!"

This alliance is actually somewhat similar to the early "globalization" in North America, which involved bringing Chinese companies into the group. The one that can truly "eat the meat" is the one with the strongest self-developed technology and industrial chain.

Jin Ming, a seasoned veteran, slowly put down his teacup, his gaze sharp and piercing.

"Xiao Chen, a snake can't function without a head. This alliance needs someone to steer it. Who's going to be in charge?"

President Jin's question goes straight to the core of the distribution of power and interests.

Chen Mo immediately kicked the "ball" back, his smile genuine.

"Mr. Jin is a senior figure in the business world, highly respected, fair and just. I think you are the most suitable person to take the helm!"

Jin Ming gave Chen Mo a deep look and gestured to Shen Yiwei, who was about to speak, to calm down.

He laughed and said, "Mr. Chen, you flatter me! Our Bubu Gao doesn't even have two generations of speakers yet, Green Factory doesn't have a mature camera, and Blue Factory is just a fledgling startup."

"On the other hand, Orange is a well-established and powerful company, already a rising star in the domestic technology industry, and its gaseous lithium battery technology is a truly leading technology in the world!"

"I think this leadership position belongs to President Chen without a doubt!"

Chen Mo inwardly praised Jin Ming's shrewdness as a senior figure in the business world, but outwardly declined.

"Mr. Jin, you flatter me! How about this, after I consult with Mr. Lei, we, the founding members, will discuss it together?"

Jin Ming smiled and nodded, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

"It's good that Mr. Chen has a plan. As for whether or not the 'Step-by-Step Cream' will be made into a smartphone, I will seriously consider it!"

Chen Mo practices Tai Chi, and so does Jin Ming.

Cheng Yonghao is quite pragmatic and asked directly.

"President Chen, the alliance concept is grand, but it needs to be put into practice. Do you have specific terms and conditions?"

Chen Mo had anticipated that Wei Ge would talk about gaseous lithium batteries before he arrived, so he had prepared a response in advance.

"My initial idea is that September 5th is a weekend, so I'll try to invite Mr. Lei to Shenzhen. Each of our founding companies will symbolically contribute 1 million yuan to establish an independent centralized procurement and operation company!"

"The founding company has veto power, and subsequent members must be approved by more than half of the existing members. What do you two think?"

Cheng Yonghao pondered for a moment and nodded: "President Chen has considered everything thoroughly. We at Green Factory have no objections!" This was his initial approval.

Jin Ming glanced at Cheng Yonghao and smiled. Every middle-aged man has a boy inside him. He didn't say anything more and respected his junior brother's choice.

The atmosphere at the dinner at the resort relaxed once again.

When talking about returning to China to complete the bidding process, Shen Yiwei asked with a smile, "Xiao Chen, did your oranges also submit a bid?"

Chen Mo nodded.

Shen Yiwei said, "Our Blue Factory's Blue Machine V1 has also been submitted!"

Chen Mo smiled and patted him on the shoulder, everything understood without words.
After the dinner at the resort ended, Chen Mo drove off in his Mercedes-Benz S600 (W221), while Jin Ming, Cheng Yonghao, and Shen Yiwei moved to a private tea room.

Jin Ming took a sip of tea and said leisurely, "This young CEO Chen has quite the ambition!"

Cheng Yonghao toyed with the teacup, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"9567, the waters of the Chinese business world are about to get muddy!"

The two looked at each other and smiled meaningfully.

Only Shen Yiwei was completely bewildered, frowning as he asked, "Brother Jin, Brother Cheng, can you guys stop imitating Master and keep using those cryptic phrases all day long?"

Jin Ming looked at his somewhat "naive" junior brother and offered some guidance: "Xiao Wei, did you really think he was 'giving in' just now?"

"This centralized procurement company established by Mr. Chen, who is holding high the banner of domestic products, will become the 'Bosch' of the smartphone industry once it takes off. Just think about Bosch's position in the automotive parts industry!"

Shen Yiwei gasped in shock!
Bosch Group, at its peak, was a behemoth that monopolized 60% of the non-core automotive parts market, claiming that two out of every three cars used Bosch parts.

It relies on the scale of centralized procurement and the setting of standards!

If Chen Mozhen truly integrates the non-core component supply chain of domestic smartphones, the potential of this unified procurement alliance is simply terrifying!
"Why is he pushing such a big cake onto us? Is it simply to unite us in support of domestic products?"

Shen Yiwei was puzzled.

“There are definitely people who genuinely want to unite us; you can tell from their substantial financial support for the Maritime Silk Road!”

Jin Ming said slowly and deliberately, "But more importantly, he is confident in Orange's R&D capabilities to the core. He is convinced that Orange's technology can firmly hold the top position in the league, making us indispensable to Orange, rather than Orange being indispensable to us!"

"Who do you think calls the shots in the league? By voting? We can just quit!"

"Now! This young Mr. Chen's meaning is very clear—let's let our technical strength speak for itself!"

Shen Yiwei was stunned: "Is Xiao Chen really that cunning?" He couldn't believe it!
As the senior disciple, Jin Ming smiled and patted his junior disciple on the shoulder, offering earnest advice.

"Xiaowei, you've been abroad for three years, people change, and besides..."

He then changed the subject, his tone becoming more persuasive and encouraging.

"I'm asking you, can you develop a gaseous lithium battery?"

"No!" Shen Yiwei answered honestly.

"Can you start from scratch and grow a small workshop in North China into a 30 billion yuan business in just six months?"

Shen Yiwei pondered for a moment, then shook his head and smiled bitterly: "No!"

"Can you chat and laugh with the owner of a multi-billion dollar corporation when you're 25?"

"."

Shen Yiwei fell silent.

"so!"

Jin Ming drank his tea and gestured to Cheng Yonghao to ask him to give his junior brother some pointers.

Cheng Yonghao put down his teacup, picked up the conversation, and took out two exquisitely crafted invitations from the coffee table beside him, handing them to Shen Yiwei.

"Take a look at this! If you still don't understand, go back to North America and find a master to study with for another two years!"

Shen Yiwei took it and looked at it.
A document, with luxurious gold lettering, reads: "President Liu of Fantasy Group cordially invites Mr. Jin Ming of Bubu Gao Group to attend the Top 500 Flower Enterprises Exchange Summit (Beijing) on ​​September 6th."

Another document, in the style of ink painting and martial arts, reads: "Ali Group's Ali Ma cordially invites Mr. Jin Ming of Bubu Gao Group to attend the 'Zigeu Sword Debate' (Hangzhou) on September 7th."

Shen Yiwei's pupils contracted slightly!
This is a war between the "new and old leaders" of the flower business!

He suddenly remembered Chen Mo's words: "On September 5th, I invited Lei Bus to Shenzhen to establish the Unified Procurement Alliance!"

"Depend on!"

Shen Yiwei couldn't help but swear, looking at the two heavy invitations in his hands, and then thinking of Chen Mo's seemingly casual remark, "September 5th."

A chill, like well water poured over his head on a sweltering summer day, suddenly rushed to the top of his head, accompanied by an unprecedented youthful excitement at challenging authority.

"This kid is really bold. He's trying to steal the 'Alliance Leader' banner before the new and old leaders even have a 'Sword Debate'!"
Whether Chen Mo can truly wield this banner is another matter, but his courage alone is enough to earn admiration.

What the hell!

Shen Yiwei admired Chen Mo's reckless behavior with boundless admiration.

I kick Fantasy Liu, punch Ahri Ma, Orange is the best!
He usually only dared to think about it, but Xiao Chen actually did it!
Before the 5th, he stole the limelight from both the old and new leaders, offending two generations of leading figures in the Chinese business world in one fell swoop. Has Xiao Chen's style of doing things been this bold since we last met three years ago?

Since we're brothers after all, and I, Brother Wei, am all about loyalty, I'll have my master get some people to help you out.

Mr. Duan and Mr. Liu, whom he fantasized about, didn't get along in the past, but he was still happy to help him out when he caused trouble.

Ah!
Chen Mo, who found out later: Damn it! Couldn't you have told me the whole story?!

I clearly said the 5th, which is a weekend, and they didn't invite me, so how the hell am I supposed to know their dates? *beep beep beep*
Also, don't go around calling on people to stir up trouble!
What? It's already been shaken!

Uh... I'm in a state of near-death: I... beep beep beep.
It is foreseeable that oranges will soon be "targeted" by two generations of leading figures in the Chinese business world.

Although Chen Mo is protected by "golden light," he is not in any life-threatening danger, but Chengzi is definitely going to be treated unfairly.

(End of this chapter)