Tech startup: I really do make mobile phones!

Chapter 138 Ou Runji - Play
In the early morning at Orange Technology, it's so quiet you can hear the low hum of the fresh air system.

Zhou Yumeng, the receptionist, moved with light steps; aside from the night shift security guard, she was the first to sneak into the company.

She pushed open the door to the general manager's office with practiced ease, her gaze habitually sweeping over the huge aquarium in the corner.
Her pupils suddenly contracted!
The fish, named "Xiao Mi," was all golden except for its white feet. It was squatting intently on the specially widened walkway at the edge of the fish tank, its rear end sticking out.

It carefully hovered one paw over the rippling blue water, with a small piece of its favorite freeze-dried chicken hooked at the tip!

Several brightly colored tropical fish were foolishly circling around the floating "bait," about to be caught!
"My little darling!"

Zhou Yumeng was terrified and nervously glanced back at the empty corridor—thankfully, President Chen hadn't come!
She rushed over in one stride, swiftly scooping up the freeze-dried meat that was about to cause disaster, and with her other hand, she grabbed the failed fisherman, Xiao Mi, and held it tightly in her arms.

"Phew," Xiao Zhou breathed a long sigh of relief, and carrying the still-squeaking little Mimi, headed quickly toward its private "manager's office."

A cozy little place next to the sunlit area with a small sign that reads "Manager Mi's Office".

She placed Xiaomi on the softly cushioned, cartoon-style office chair, took out a delicate cat bowl, poured in fresh freeze-dried food, and couldn't resist stroking its soft, fluffy fur, whispering a "remonstrance":
"Manager Mi! Please, have some mercy! You absolutely can't go fishing at President Chen's place anymore! Sister Gong is away on a business trip, so no one will plead for you. If President Chen catches you stealing his fish and really fires you, do you want to end up homeless again?"

Her tone was exaggerated, with a touch of playful coaxing for a child.

"It went to steal fish again?"

A woman's voice, carrying a gentle smile but unable to conceal the weariness of the journey, sounded from behind.

Xiao Zhou turned around in surprise: "Sister Gong! You're back!"

Gong Yun wore a smart dark gray suit, looking travel-worn but with a gentle smile.

When Xiaomi saw her, it immediately meowed, jumped off the chair, and affectionately rubbed against her trouser leg.

Gong Yun bent down and picked it up, but her gaze was drawn to a bright little ornament on Xiaomi's desk.

It was an extremely exquisite Q-version "Manager Mi" figurine, right there on that small desk!
The main body is a crystal-clear half-orange model, round and cute, with the surface simulating the texture of 54 plump orange segments, reflecting an enticing luster under the light.

What's amazing is that below the orange, the cartoon image of Xiaomi is cleverly incorporated—a spirited lion cat wearing a mini bow tie, with an arrogant expression and a bit of a business elite vibe, and it is also "holding" a miniature document in its paws!
The entire orange model is perfectly encapsulated in highly transparent epoxy resin, making it crystal clear and revealing every minute detail inside.

The base is a deep walnut color, polished to a smooth and warm finish, with the following clearly engraved on it:

Orange Technology
Little Mimi
Employee ID: CZ-0000004
"Sister Gong, look!"

Xiao Zhou picked up the ornament as if it were a treasure.

"As you instructed, we had it custom-made by a manufacturer. It's sealed with epoxy resin, and Manager Mi's employee number is even on the bottom. It's very exquisite. Everyone in our core team has one. Yours is with me; I'll go get it!"

She was about to run out when she said that.

"etc."

Gong Yun called out to her, holding Xiaomi in one arm and carefully playing with the novel souvenir in the other, her eyes filled with warmth.

"Take me to see everyone else's!"

In Meeting Room 2, where souvenirs were temporarily stored, Gong Yun saw even more "orange pulp".

At the heart of each ornament is a half-cut orange model with 54 segments, but beneath the orange are unique chibi-style employee figures:
002—Zhao Tiezhu, with a sly grin, carries a slightly exaggerated orange-shaped mobile phone model.
005—Jiang Yu solemnly pushed up his glasses to look at the circuit diagram.
006—Lin Junfeng was holding a thick law book.
003—Gong Yun herself held the report with gentle grace and quiet demeanor.
Each one is unique in shape and vivid in its expression, perfectly integrated with the orange model above their heads, with their names and employee numbers engraved below.

This is an exclusive badge awarded to the core team of Orange after weathering storms together.

"The design team really put their heart into this project; these would be considered high-quality collectibles!"

Gong Yun sincerely praised her and handed Xiaomi over to Xiao Zhou.

"Give me Mr. Chen's! I'm going to report to him anyway, so I'll take it with me."

When Xiao Zhou was distributing these "orange granules" that embodied team spirit at the company, the "internal software team employees" of the Orange Treasure Group held their own—a Q-version image of a programmer holding a computer keyboard.

Wang Teng leaned over to his brother with envy, his eyes shining brightly.

"Dude, can I borrow this? Wow, this design is amazing! It even brings out your dark circles from staying up all night!"

General Manager's Office.

Gong Yun knocked and entered. Chen Mo was deep in thought in front of the computer screen. When he looked up and saw her, a hint of surprise and delight flashed in his eyes.

"Sister Gong? You're back so soon? I thought you were going to stay on your business trip for a few more days!"

Gong Yun smiled and gently placed the "orange pulp" ornament that belonged to Chen Mo on his table.

"I just went back to my hometown and found that everything had changed. There was nothing to miss, so I came back after taking care of my business!"

Her tone was nonchalant, yet it concealed a subtle hint of melancholy.

Chen Mo keenly noticed this and wisely stopped asking questions, his gaze drawn to the ornaments on the table.

"Hey! What's this? A local specialty from your hometown?"

Gong Yun shook her head, her smile becoming more genuine.

"This is a souvenir I customized for the company's core team, and it's also to enhance team cohesion. The names of the 54 members of our core team are on the back of the base."

"Here, Mr. Chen! This is yours!" She pointed: "54 fruit pieces, symbolizing our core team. Below is your chibi-style image, specially designed by the design team. The orange is gone once it's eaten, but this can be displayed forever!"

Chen Mo picked up the ornament, its surface smooth and warm to the touch.

The epoxy resin is as clear as water, reflecting the Q version of myself inside, wearing a shirt and with a determined look, as well as the 54 plump "fruit pieces" on top of my head, symbolizing the team's cohesion.

He ran his thumb along the inscription carved on the walnut wood base:
Orange Technology
Chen Mo
CZ-0000001
Chen Mo's lips curled up: "Haha, that really makes sense. Sister Gong, you did a great job. Contact Engineer Jiang and give the design team a bonus. They deserve a lot of credit for building the company's team culture!"

After exchanging pleasantries, Gong Yun got down to business and reported on the key achievements of the trip.

"Mr. Chen, that inventory only amounted to 100 million units!"

Her tone was so calm, as if she were talking about something trivial, and you could even see a hint of self-reproach in her voice.

"Only 100 million has been resolved?"

Chen Mo raised an eyebrow; this speed had far exceeded his expectations.

"Did our distributors take over? How much did they reduce the price?"

Gong Yun gently shook her head: "The retail price is 499 yuan per unit. The 60% deposit has already been received. The balance will be paid within six months!"

"Retail price! 499!"

Chen Mo suddenly stood up from his chair, his eyes widening instantly, as if he had heard something out of a fantasy.

"Sister Gong! Are you...are you sure this is the retail price, and not the wholesale price?"

It's important to understand that if Orange 1 goes through normal distribution channels, after multiple layers of cost-sharing, the company's gross profit margin is only around 13%.

With a retail price of 499, the gross profit margin for these 100 million units soared to an astonishing 35.1%!

Even after deducting warehousing costs, the profit from these 1 million units is at least 100 million!

According to his original promise, Gong Yun would personally receive a commission of 5000 million yuan!
Looking at the calm woman in front of him, Chen Mo felt for the first time that he didn't recognize her.

A landlady from Shenzhen, bored at home, out looking for work?

In his personal account, he had spent 1 million yuan to pay off debts back in his hometown, borrowed 500,000 yuan from Zhao Tiezhu after returning, and spent another 2 million yuan to acquire the micro motor factory in Shancheng. Now he only has a little over 1 million yuan in cash on hand.

Gong Yun met his shocked gaze and nodded firmly.

"The contract is signed, the deposit is in place, and the goods have been shipped!"

"Sister Gong, what's wrong with you?"

Chen Mo digested this explosive good news, which finally turned into a sigh of admiration and heartfelt joy. He walked around the desk, looked at Gong Yun, and smiled brightly: "Amazing! Absolutely amazing! Congratulations, Sister Gong, on receiving your 5000 million commission. You truly deserve it!"

"Whenever you need money, just deduct it from our account. We have 20 billion yuan sitting in our account right now!"

Because Orange Technology drastically reduced its production capacity, the money that was originally used for compound interest to increase production was all returned, easily exceeding 20 billion.

"You have no idea, President Ma keeps chasing me around trying to sell me this wealth management fund and that large deposit discount. It's driving me crazy!"

Chen Mo's tone was relaxed, with a touch of Versailles-style banter about "the company having money but also troubles."

Gong Yun smiled and then asked, "What are your thoughts on President Ma's side, Mr. Chen? Does the company have any specific investment plans for this money in the near future?"

Chen Mo sat back in his chair, tapping his fingers on the table as he pondered.

"Currently, the production of Orange 1 is enough to feed the rural market with Nietzsche's small production line, and there are still more than one million units in stock. Orange 2 will not be in production for at least another six months. In the short term, I really don't have any large-scale investment plans."

"Sister Gong, you're more of a professional. What do you think is the best way to put this money?" He counted on his fingers: "It needs to be safe, generate some returns, and be readily available in case of any emergency!"

Gong Yun was clearly prepared. She hadn't been idle during her business trip; she took out her laptop, pulled up a clear financial allocation plan, and analyzed it logically:
"Mr. Chen, based on the company's cash management principles and the current situation, I suggest the following:"
Basic safety line: 7.2 million is reserved to cover daily operating expenses (procurement, wages, taxes, etc.) for the next 6 months, plus 6.25 million as a risk emergency reserve fund (calculated at 12.5% ​​of annual revenue). This is life-saving money and cannot be touched without authorization.

Available funds: After deducting the above 13.45 billion, there is still 6.55 million left out of the 20 billion in the account, which can be used flexibly.

Optimization configuration recommendations:

A 2 million yuan deposit in a bank for 6 months is a large-denomination certificate of deposit with an annualized return of about 1.1%. It is safe, transferable, and has good liquidity.

I'm investing 3 million in structured deposits (choosing the principal-protected, floating-rate type), with an expected maximum annualized return of 4.83%, hoping for a high return.

The remaining 1.55 million is placed in a money market fund (the T+0 type), with an annualized return of about 2.5%, which can be withdrawn at any time to supplement liquidity.

With this tiered allocation, the overall annualized return can reach around 2.3%, and it is estimated that you can earn 1128 million in six months, which is much better than depositing all of it into a regular six-month fixed deposit (the return is about 359 million).

The key is to ensure the safety of your funds. Don't exceed the 50 yuan insurance limit of a single bank, and avoid structured deposits that promise guaranteed returns—these are often scams. Also, make sure to set aside enough budget for potential large expenditures in the next quarter.

"You can only afford to deposit 6.55 million?"

Chen Mo was slightly surprised, but quickly came to terms with it; Gong Yun's caution and professionalism reassured him even more.

Gong Yun didn't presume to be clever and correct Chen Mo's statement that he took out 6.55 million to deposit, but actually took out 6.55 million to make a capital allocation and investment plan.

“Okay! Let’s go with your plan, Sister Gong! It’s better to save a little. It’s a way to give Director Ma an explanation. After all, he helped us before. This way, we won’t be caught off guard when we really need a lot of money.”

Just then, there was a gentle knock on the office door.

"Come in~"

Wang Teng poked half his head in and saw that Gong Yun was also there, and immediately felt a little embarrassed.

His gaze swept quickly over the "Orange Piece Q" ornament that Gong Yun had placed on Chen Mo's desk, and he mustered his courage to say, "President Chen, I want that ornament too!"

Wang Teng's hesitant face was full of longing.

Sure enough, no tech geek can resist the allure of "cute chibi figurines".

Chen Mo and Gong Yun exchanged a glance and couldn't help but laugh.

"no problem!"

Chen Mo readily agreed and looked at Gong Yun.

"We'll also customize one for Manager He from the Orange Treasure team. Instead of 54 fruit pieces, we'll just put a single orange segment inside. We'll have the design team add some Orange Treasure design elements to highlight its unique features!"

Gong Yun nodded and added, "Since the two supervisors from the Orange Treasure Group have already received theirs, I think the three from the Far Orange Group should also receive one. What do you think, President Chen?"

"Of course!" Chen Mo declared decisively, "We're all on the same side!"

Wang Teng's wish came true, and he ran off happily.

Gong Yun also picked up her things and prepared to leave.

The office returned to silence, with only the glistening "orange pulp" on Chen Mo's desk quietly radiating a soft glow. The Q-version of Chen Mo inside and the 54 half-orange "particles" symbolizing the team on top of his head were clearly visible.

Meanwhile, the Tuen Mun bonded warehouse in Hong Kong.

The huge warehouse was filled with packaging boxes bearing the words "Orange Technology".

Holding the delivery slip, Ah Bao directed the workers to load boxes of mobile phones onto the truck.

Fat Ki, with a cigar in his mouth, stood to the side with Ah Hu, supervising the work.

The car drove into a small, secluded processing plant, where the workers began to get busy.

Their task was simple and brutal: to use a special solvent to completely wipe off the word "Chin" from "Made in Chin" on the packaging box and the back of the phone, leaving only the bare "Made in".

"Brother Ji, Attorney Huang asked what our phone brand is called in North America?" Ah Bao put down his phone and came over to ask.

Fei-Ji casually picked up an Orange 1 phone with the country of origin erased, weighed it in his hand, squinted his eyes, and tried to strike a sophisticated pose.

"Goods sold to foreigners should be in English, of course! Orange is English! Yes, let's call it Orange One! Sounds good, right?"

Ah Hu looked at him with admiration: "Brother Ji, you're so knowledgeable! You even understand what foreigners are saying!"

Fatty raised his chin smugly: "Of course! Back in my day..."

The words had barely left his mouth when he suddenly remembered something, his face stiffened, and he gave Ah Hu a sharp rap on the head.

"Damn! Trying to find out what I'm capable of? Don't you know that the more you know, the faster you'll die?!"

Ah Bao suppressed a laugh as he grabbed the transit document and invoice and hurried off to find Attorney Huang to handle the transit trade contract and customs clearance documents.

The next day.

Hong Kong International Airport, the world's second largest air cargo terminal.

With a tremendous roar, a Boson 747-400F freighter, painted with the eye-catching "Flat Wind" logo, crashed onto the runway like a giant steel roc, then activated its powerful thrusters and slowly taxied toward the cargo terminal.

Ah Hu craned his neck, staring in disbelief.

"Brother Ji! That plane is awesome!"

Fatty also looked up at the behemoth worth hundreds of millions of dollars, his eyes filled with complex emotions, a mixture of envy and an indescribable sense of emotion.

He exhaled a smoke ring, his voice tinged with a hint of melancholy.

"Damn! A single flight costs $86, how can that not be impressive?"

Fei Ji stared at the plane that belonged to Wan Mingji, his mind churning with memories of the past:
Back in the day in Hong Kong, who the hell respected Ji Mingzai, the "parallel trader" who pushed a cart to collect parcels?

But now?

They're using big planes to haul cargo now!

If only I had been more clear-headed after Lao Ding left, and instead followed Ji Mingzai instead of that short-lived Zhao Jie and was just messing around!
The cargo door slowly opened, and the North American journey of "Orunji Play" had just begun.

Meanwhile, on the streets of Shenzhen, more and more Apple 4 users are happily "carrying" their beloved phones with the magical "Apple Companion" that can "extend" their lives for 30 seconds.

No one noticed that behind that "Pingguo Companion" was a name that was quietly taking root and growing towards the sun after the storm had passed—Orange.

Life will find its own way, and it has already quietly found its own new direction by following the light.

(End of this chapter)