Tech startup: I really do make mobile phones!

Chapter 141 Double Happiness

mountain city.

The atmosphere in the conference hall rented by a five-star hotel was as lively as during the Chinese New Year.

The air was filled with the aroma of hot pot broth, and the exhilarating feeling of the successful "Orange Wind Breaking Waves 2.0 Plan" swept away the gloom in the hearts of the ground promotion team in September.

Zhao Tiezhu, the marketing director of Orange Technology, has a new scar on his left eyebrow that adds to his heroic and charismatic aura!

From September until now, Chen Mo has not been by his side to help him make decisions. This period of self-imposed training has given him a sense of composure and strategic thinking.

At this moment, he was standing on the stage, facing a huge report on the projection screen, making the final summary of the Southwest Campaign of "Orange Wind Breaking Waves Plan 2.0".

The employees below him ate and drank as usual, and Zhao Tiezhu didn't engage in any formalism.

The data on the screen represents the solid achievements of these 33 days.

"My dear brothers and sisters! Our trip to the Southwest has come to a perfect end!"

Zhao Tiezhu's voice was loud and clear, with a particularly penetrating quality, and it was very persuasive.

"87 units! 93.7% completion rate!"

The mountain of inventory that was originally weighing on our heads has been tackled by us!

8.2 million yuan was returned 7 days ahead of schedule!
To the channel team members in the marketing department, and to all our comrades-in-arms fighting side by side, you are the ones who make this possible!

He gave a thumbs up, and the audience erupted in applause.

“Look at the market share of mobile phones in the Southwest market!” He pointed to the soaring curve: “From 3% to 17%, with a peak of 35% in Chongqing in a single day. What does this mean?”
Zhao Tiezhu asked and answered his own questions, his emotions building layer by layer.

"This means that in the southwest, especially in Chongqing, a city known for its hot pot, in the past 33 days, one out of every three mobile phones sold was our Orange 1!"

If there's one thing that impressed Zhao Tiezhu the most during those 33 days, it's that there's no non-spicy hot pot in the mountain city, and he couldn't find any other food.

"Those college students, 42% of them have the intention to repurchase, these are our future seed users!"

Zhao Tiezhu then emphasized the miracle of cost control.

"Our original budget was 3 million yuan, but we only spent 1.2 million yuan, saving 1.8 million yuan. We also saved 4600 million yuan in warehousing fees. Every penny we saved was earned through hard work and efficiency!"

Another round of cheers erupted from the audience.

"The credit belongs to everyone!"

Zhao Tiezhu changed the subject, his gaze sweeping across the audience: "But when it comes to rewarding merit, we have to have a hierarchy! Especially our channel team's 'Four War Gods,' each and every one of them is outstanding!"

His gaze fell on one of the young, capable girls with bright eyes.

"Your team leader, Lin Xiaoxia, not only produces excellent reports, but also boasts the highest sales performance in the entire team!"

"After discussing with General Manager Chen, we have decided to award Lin Xiaxia 100,000 yuan personally, and each of her team members, Xingdi and Yuemei, will receive 20,000 yuan!"

Applause and whistles instantly filled the auditorium.

Lin Xiaoxia appeared calm and collected as she stood up and bowed to everyone, but a smile was already playing on her lips.

"The other three team leaders will each receive 20,000 yuan, and each team member will receive 10,000 yuan, no one will be left out!" Zhao Tiezhu continued to announce, "And all our temporary comrades-in-arms, Chengzi will not forget your contributions, each of you will receive a 1,000 yuan bonus, which will be distributed on the spot today!"

At this point, staff immediately carried several large boxes and began distributing money on the spot, bringing the atmosphere to a climax.

Zhao Tiezhu raised his voice: "In addition, the company has recommended 15 temporary comrades who performed exceptionally well in this event to work at the 'Shancheng Flagship Store' which is currently under preparation. We hope you will continue to work with Orange to create even greater glories!"

The fifteen people whose names were called all showed surprise and anticipation on their faces.

"at last."

Zhao Tiezhu smiled and looked at a seat in the front row below the stage.

"Our success in Chongqing this time is inseparable from the strong support of a local expert, Chen Lan, the store manager of our Orange flagship store!"

"Next, please welcome Manager Chen to come up and say a few words to everyone!"

Dressed in a trendy and fashionable outfit, Chen Lan, dressed in clothes from unknown brands but not at all tacky, gracefully walked onto the stage.

She is no longer the feisty shop owner who used to run a small supermarket. After spending time with these people in the Orange distribution system, her aura has changed.

She took the microphone, displaying the straightforwardness characteristic of women from Chongqing.

"Mr. Zhao, you flatter me! We're all brothers here, no need to be so polite!"

When Chen Lan opened her mouth, her down-to-earth Chongqing accent made people feel very close to her.

"The Orange Wind Breaking Waves Project has been able to sweep through the mountain city so successfully thanks to General Manager Zhao's skillful command, the hard work of the brothers in the marketing department, and the support of all the temporary comrades. As for me, I just ran errands, gave some encouragement, and took care of the logistics for everyone!"

Her gaze fell upon the 15 temporary workers who were about to become her subordinates, and her smile was genuine.

"I welcome you to the Orange Mountain City flagship store family. I have seen your abilities and hard work. Don't worry, once you're here, you're family."

Then, she looked at Zhao Tiezhu, her "direct supervisor," and everyone else.

"I, Chen Lan, promise that I will protect the empire we have built in Chongqing for the company and for President Zhao. Together, we will make our flagship store the brightest star in the country!"

Chen Lan's speech was confident and concise, full of practical information and warmth, drawing applause from the audience once again.

The Orange Wind Breaking Waves Project 2.0 concluded ahead of schedule thanks to Chen Mo's decisive decision.

Chen Mo then generously transferred the 1.8 million yuan saved to the "Southwest Mountain City Flagship Store Construction Fund".

In a private phone call, Chen Mo didn't forget to remind his second sister: "Second sister, spend this money as soon as possible. The main purpose is to build stores and consolidate the market. If you need more money, come to me for approval!"

When Chen Lan heard her brother's keywords on the phone—"spend it as soon as possible," "build a store," and "approve more if it's not enough"—and then thought of her own "flagship store," her eyes lit up instantly.

"Don't worry, little brother, I know what I'm doing! I'll handle things perfectly and make those people who look down on oranges furious. If you need more money, I'll come to you again!"

Zhao Tiezhu had clearly revealed some of Orange Technology's recent predicament to Chen Lan.

Chen Mo listened to his second sister's assurance and hung up the phone with satisfaction. He assumed that his second sister understood it as building a network of directly operated branches in the southwest.

But what Chen Lan was thinking was: 180 million! Spend it all on the "flagship store" project, and if that's not enough, we can ask for more!
My brother's trying to establish his authority in this mountain city!
The two, despite their seemingly contradictory communication, miraculously reached a consensus, though their directions were somewhat completely opposite.

Zhao Tiezhu, along with the elites of the marketing department and the honored field promotion team, left the mountain city in high spirits.

Chen Lan immediately transformed into an "infrastructure maniac," wielding the "imperial sword" of 1.8 million yuan, and began to execute her understanding of the "flagship store" plan with full force.

Leave professional matters to professionals!
Chen Lan's eyes immediately fell on the unfinished twelve-story "sky garden" building that was backed by mountains and faced the river.

This building has an excellent location, adjacent to the core business district. The developer originally had high ambitions to create a rooftop garden for the rich, but the back mountain was infested with mosquitoes, and the positioning was wrong. As a result, it was stuck in the hands of the developer and could not be sold. The price was halved. In Chen Lan's eyes, it was like getting a great deal!

She acted swiftly and decisively, quickly reaching an agreement with the developer for the entire acquisition.

Following that, they hired a top-notch team from the Mountain City Design Institute at great expense.

The design institute took this huge, unexpected order very seriously and worked overtime to quickly come up with a renovation plan.

The designer was in a spacious conference room, talking animatedly about the models and drawings.

"Mr. Chen, our core concept is to create a landmark, semi-orange building nestled against the mountains and overlooking the water, inspired by your company's logo and technological culture, symbolizing openness and inclusiveness."

The entire facade uses a top-grade glass curtain wall with high light transmittance and low reflection. During the day, the light and shadow change, and at night, with the help of the intelligent LED lighting system, it can present a dazzling "one orange double cut" visual effect with the reflection on the river. It is definitely a unique new landmark in the mountain city!

The interior design integrates scenic views, an immersive shopping experience, specialty dining, and exhibitions; the top floor can also serve as exclusive office and warehouse space for Orange's Southwest region.

Chen Lan's eyes lit up as she listened, especially when she saw the rendering of the huge, rounded "half-orange" building at night. She slammed her hand on the table.

"Great! This is it! It's perfect! It's like the mandarin oranges from our mountain town, and it also looks like the symbol of oranges. It's perfect!"

She made the decision on the spot, not even bothering to scrutinize the budget. Anyway, her brother said he could ask for more if it wasn't enough!
When this ambitious "Orange Flagship Store (Shancheng) 'Half Orange' Landmark Building Construction Plan" was submitted to the relevant municipal departments of Shancheng, it was like dropping a bombshell.

"What? Orange Mobile is going to build its flagship store into a landmark and locate it in our mountain city?" The leader in charge of approval was both surprised and delighted.

It should be noted that at that time, Chongqing was just a second-tier city with a GDP of just over 700 billion yuan, which needed the assistance of Guangzhou.

It's like a windfall that attracted a well-known smartphone brand in the city to set up such an important flagship store in such a prominent landmark building.

The official attitude was extremely enthusiastic, giving the green light all the way, and the approval process was incredibly fast.

Moreover, in order to create a better environment for this future "new city landmark", the municipal department even took the initiative to coordinate the expropriation of the old stilted buildings along the river in front of the unfinished Sky Garden building.

The official commitment is to build a high-standard highway directly connecting the "Bancheng" orange flagship store to the core business district.

Xiaoying, who lives in a stilted house by the river, looked at the bright red "demolish" character on the wall and felt complicated.

She took out her beloved Orange 1 phone and dialed her mother's number, who was working in Shenzhen. Her voice carried a hint of nervousness and anticipation.

"Mom, our house is going to be demolished. Grandma and I are worried we won't be able to handle it. Can you come back for a visit?"

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone before the mother's tired but decisive voice came through.

"Okay, Xiaoying, don't worry, Mom will take leave and come back!"

After hanging up the phone, Xiaoying looked at the rushing river outside the window, and a faint smile finally appeared on her lips.

Does demolition and relocation signify the start of a new life?
Perhaps Mom can stay!
Meanwhile, Chen Mo, far away in Shenzhen, was engrossed in the research and development of Orange 1Q. He believed that the 1.8 million yuan was like a seed, quickly taking root and sprouting in the fertile land of Southwest China, and that more than 50 Orange direct-operated branches would soon open.

He never imagined that, under the tireless efforts of his second sister Chen Lan, this huge sum of money was being poured into a colossal structure called "Half Orange," destined to become a landmark of the mountain city, in a way he could never have imagined.

The misunderstanding of speaking at cross purposes was quietly brewing a huge "surprise" for him.

Meeting room number 2 at Orange Technology in Shenzhen.

Today, there is no bustling noise like at a large conference; only Chen Mo, Zhao Tiezhu (marketing department manager), and Jiang Yu (technical department deputy manager) are here.

The air was filled with the aroma of tea and coffee. If this weren't the main conference room of the "Logistics Department," Zhao Tiezhu would have been surrounded by smoke long ago. In the end, he could only stay awake with the mints that Sister Gong brought him.

The three of them went into meeting room number 2 in the morning and worked until late at night without finishing.

The constant clash of thoughts throughout the day is exhausting for anyone.

Chen Mo believes in the principle of "holding small meetings for important matters and large meetings for minor matters." The product successor of the company after November, or rather, Orange 1Q, a strategic extension of "Pingguo Companion," clearly belongs to the former category.

He sat in the main seat, his notebook open in front of him, the top page already filled with densely packed drafts of ideas.

Chen Mo got straight to the point, without any pleasantries.

"Orange 1 will be officially discontinued in a week, and Orange 2 will not start mass production until May next year. We must have a product to fill this gap and at the same time seize a new opportunity."

He glanced at the two of them: "These past few days, you've probably heard that 'Pingguo Companion' has been using our Orange 1 as a power bank! This gave me an idea: why don't we make our own power banks?"

Zhao Tiezhu immediately chimed in, his tone resolute. "Brother Chen, you're right! The power bank market has huge potential, and the demand for extended battery life among Apple 4 users is skyrocketing. It's perfectly legitimate for us to make our own power banks!"

"Ahem!" Chen Mo coughed. "It's because smartphone users' demand for longer battery life has skyrocketed!"

Zhao Tiezhu smiled without saying a word; Brother Chen was just that concerned about saving face.

"However, we don't just make power banks?"

Chen Mo's lips twitched. This kid really is getting out of control if he's not disciplined for three days.

"Not entirely?"

"Yes! We want to make power banks that can make calls!"

A power bank that can make calls?

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yu, the deputy director currently in charge of the technology department at Orange Technology, immediately frowned.

He bluntly suggested, "Mr. Chen, please forgive my bluntness."

I have carefully reviewed the company's business scope: battery R&D, manufacturing and sales, smart terminal equipment R&D, production and sales, and IoT technology development and services. This covers all the elements of power banks!
We could easily make a high-performance, fast-charging power bank based on gaseous lithium batteries; that would be a game-changer in the market!

He spoke faster, his words carrying the bluntness and bewilderment of a technician.

Why is it necessary to add a call function?

This is completely superfluous!

This will only increase hardware costs, software complexity, product size, and power consumption!
What the market needs most is a pure power bank with unparalleled charging speed!

Isn't the core value of that "Apple Companion" fast charging?

The conference room fell silent instantly.

Zhao Tiezhu also looked at Chen Mo, his eyes filled with the same doubt.

How about adding a call function to a power bank?

This move is indeed a bit baffling.

Chen Mo smiled gently. He didn't directly refute Jiang Yu's technical logic, but instead said in an unquestionable tone:

“Jiang, from a technical point of view, your concerns are entirely correct!” He paused, his gaze sharpening. “However, I have my strategic considerations!”

Chen Mo couldn't explain too much about the system and R&D site; he could only use his boss's authority to force it through.

"This call function is non-negotiable, it's a must!"

Jiang Yu opened his mouth, wanting to argue his point, but seeing the unwavering determination in Chen Mo's eyes, he swallowed his words.

He knew that once President Chen made a decision on Orange Technology's strategic direction, he rarely changed it, and in hindsight, his judgment was often proven to be astute.

Jiang Yu took a deep breath: "I understand, Mr. Chen. Please explain your ideas in detail."

The next few hours, past midnight, saw the meeting transform into a clash between efficient technology research and development and market supply chain adaptation.

Chen Mo put forward the core concept:

Product Name:

Orange 1Q, where Q stands for Quick and also represents the youth version.

Although it is completely different from the Orange 1, and even its main functions are completely different, it is still a derivative product that takes an unconventional approach.

Core positioning:

The world's first 'talking power bank'!
Key selling point: Yuancheng second-generation gaseous lithium battery, fully charged in 32 seconds!
At the same time, it had to be a 2G phone capable of making independent calls, which felt like a return to the millennium era.

Although Jiang Yu had reservations about the call function, his professionalism was immediately apparent once the technical implementation was discussed.

He picked up a pen and, following Chen Mo's instructions, quickly drew diagrams and made calculations on the whiteboard.

"The cost must be kept below 100 yuan, while still meeting the requirements for call quality and fast charging. The most streamlined solution must be adopted!"

The three of them discussed and compromised together, developed a solution adapted for mass production, and the Orange 1Q solution gradually took shape.

The baseband chip can only use the MTK 6250D solution with the highest integration, which can handle 2G calls and basic audio processing for just 9 yuan, saving the need for a separate RF module!
"Where's the screen? A capacitive screen?" Jiang Yu asked.

"This costs only a hundred yuan, and you still want a cheap capacitive color screen?" Zhao Tiezhu said directly, "Go for a 1-inch non-backlit segment LCD like those used in calculators!"

"128x64 pixels is enough to display the time, signal strength, and phone number. It'll cost you 4 yuan!"

"Where's the keyboard?" Jiang Yu filled in the hardware details.

Chen Mo raised an eyebrow and said, "The cheapest T9 silicone module, the kind for kids' music phones, will cost 5 yuan!"

The power bank's call function was just an experiment Chen Mo used to verify that a regular mobile phone could also be considered a research and development point, so he tried to save money wherever possible.

"OTG output chip?"

This involves a knowledge gap for Chen Mo and Zhao Tiezhu, Jiang Yu asked and answered himself.

"The domestically produced AX9836 supports 5V/1A, is stable and sufficient. The price I encountered in the first half of the year was about 4 yuan!"

"Battery?"

This needs no further explanation, Chen Mo said directly.

"Yuancheng's second-generation 920mAh gaseous lithium battery costs only 67 yuan including the protection board. This is both its core cost and its core advantage!"

After Jiang Yu wrote down the battery's name and cost, he then asked, "The casing?"

Zhao Tiezhu, who was very familiar with the plastic mold factory in Dongguang, smiled and spoke directly.

"I'll take some time to go to Dongguang and get it done. It'll be a second mold for the common mold, made of ABS plastic, matte black, with our orange buttons as accents. 5 yuan, OK!"

"Speaker microphone?"

"This can be done with any of Orange 1's suppliers," Zhao Tiezhu replied.

"The most basic miniature components, 2 pieces! Charging port with USB 2.0 + miniB compatibility, 2 pieces!"

Jiang Yu's fingers traced patterns on the whiteboard, cost calculations racing through his mind before finally settling on a single number.

"Mr. Chen, Mr. Zhao, according to this plan, the hardware BOM cost is 98 yuan! This meets your budget requirement of ≤100 yuan!"

He then listed the detailed specifications and features of the Orange 1Q on the whiteboard.

Dimensions: 100mm×55mm×5mm, credit card size, lightweight!
Weight: 98g, which is comparable to a regular power bank, but with the added function of making calls!

核心：联法科MTK 6250D 2G基带（GSM 900/1800MHz），远橙二代920mAh气态锂电（32秒自充），国产AX9836 OTG芯片（5V/1A输出）。

Interaction: 1-inch non-backlit LCD (displays basic information), physical T9 silicone keyboard (12 keys), USB 2.0 + miniB (charging/data port), long press 1 to power on/off, ↑↓ to switch call logs, # key to activate charging mode.

Appearance: Matte black ABS molded shell, orange silicone buttons for brand color accents, push-button card slot, non-removable back cover.

Chen Mo remained silent, intently watching Jiang Yu's analysis. When the cost calculation was completed, his eyes lit up.

"98 yuan! That's good cost control!" He immediately got into character: "The terminal is priced at 168 yuan, which is a bit more expensive than a regular charger. It can be marketed as a 'talking treasure' that allows you to make calls and charge at the same time."

This Orange 1Q only has 2G calling capabilities and can't even send text messages.

Zhao Tiezhu added with a smile, "Ours can fully revive in 32 seconds, definitely a high-end power bank!"

Chen Mo said, "For the market to accept this premium, your marketing department needs to find some gimmicks in your promotions. The main thing is to maintain our optimal 13% compound interest growth rate!"

Zhao Tiezhu nodded, indicating that there was no problem, and then brought up the matter of mass production.

"In terms of mass production, the use of common mold casings and mature chip solutions can greatly shorten the cycle. MTK's solutions have high integration and software debugging is also much faster."

As for the supply chain, it is already in place. After the production capacity of the medium-sized production line has been ramped up, the supply of Yuancheng's second-generation batteries is not a problem.

I estimate that from project initiation today to mass production, two weeks should be sufficient!

Chen Mo looked at the strange, "four-not-like" product that Jiang Yu had sketched out on the whiteboard.

It looks like a thicker card-sized power bank, but it also has a small screen and a T9 keyboard embedded in it, but he still nodded in satisfaction.

This power bank doesn't look like a power bank, nor does it look like a phone; calling it a "talking phone" would be quite fitting.

This is exactly what Chen Mo wanted: to fit the most basic soul of a mobile phone into the body of a power bank. If the "Talking Bank" counts when the R&D points are settled at the end of the year, he might even have to put a SIM card in his car to make calls in the future!
"it is good!"

Chen Mo finally made the decision.

"Jiang Gong, Tie Zhu, proceed according to this plan. Immediately assemble a project team to refine the details. The internal code name is 'Project Q.' The goal is to mass-produce and launch Orange 1Q within two weeks!"

"By the way!" Chen Mo looked at Zhao Tiezhu: "The channel pre-heating plan will be launched simultaneously, and the core slogans will revolve around 'fully charged in 30 seconds' and 'a phone call device that can save lives'!"

Looking at Chen Mo's determined eyes, and then at the 98 yuan cost plan on the whiteboard, Jiang Yu felt that although he still thought the call function was a bit "useless", the challenge of cost control and technical balance made him secretly excited.

He finally nodded: "Understood, Mr. Chen! I guarantee that the specific hardware and appearance design parameters will be delivered to Mr. Zhao within three days!"

Zhao Tiezhu, on the other hand, was eager to get started.

"Don't worry, Brother Chen!"
With its 168 yuan "Talking Treasure" and the gimmick of 30-second fast charging, I'm confident it will become Orange's next blockbuster product!
Pingguo Companion?

"Hmph, given the chance, I'll show those North Americans what genuine fast charging really is!"

After the meeting, Jiang Yu hurriedly left with a head full of technical details and a hint of doubt, to gather his task force.

Zhao Tiezhu then began to plan. He would personally visit those suppliers, while others could be handled by Zeng's supply chain team. As for channel promotion, he planned to entrust it to Lin Xiaoxia, a capable member of the channel team.

Chen Mo remained alone in the conference room, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, his gaze fixed on the words "Orange 1Q Mobile Phone" on the whiteboard in front of him.

A slight smile appeared on his lips.

Is a phone or a power bank really that important?

As long as research and development facilities are available, everything can be made into a mobile phone.

Once he had a breakthrough, Chen Mo suddenly understood the true meaning of the system. From then on, he spent his days figuring out how to insert a phone card into his new product, which became something he enjoyed doing immensely.

Two weeks later, the "surprise" that his second sister Chen Lan had unintentionally prepared for him in the mountain city officially started production, and Orange 1Q was also successfully put into production.

This is truly a double blessing for Chen Mo!

(End of this chapter)