Tech startup: I really do make mobile phones!

Chapter 190 When a person is too discerning, he has no relatives.

Orange Technology General Manager's Office
There was a gentle knock on the office door, and then the secretary, Zhou Yumeng, pushed the door open and entered, followed by Wang Kai, the head of the market research department.

Zhou Yumeng's voice was clear and crisp: "President Chen, Supervisor Wang has arrived!"

Chen Mo looked up from the document, glanced at Wang Kai, and instructed Zhou Yumeng, "Xiaomeng, keep an eye on the outside. Unless it's something very important, don't let anyone disturb us."

“Okay, Mr. Chen!” Zhou Yumeng nodded in agreement and gently closed the door.

Chen Mo sat behind his large desk and pointed to the seat directly in front of him: "Wang Kai, tell us about the latest market situation that your market research department has learned!"

Wang Kai stood ramrod straight, opened the folder he carried with him, and began to give a report in an orderly manner.

"Mr. Chen, as of August 1, 2011, the global smartphone market continues to grow rapidly. The following are the main models and features worth noting in China in July."

I. Flagship Model Representatives

The Pingguo 4S: Launched in North America in July, it broke sales records again in its first 24 hours, reaching 1 million units.

Chen Mo thought to himself: Well! In the 24-hour sales ranking of smartphones, Apple 4S is first (1 million), Apple 4 is second (100), and Wheat 60 is third (50). Orange 2, with 45, has been squeezed out of the top three.

"This model is hailed as Lauber's masterpiece, featuring an A5 dual-core processor and iOS 5 system, introducing the Siri voice assistant for the first time, and equipped with an 800-megapixel camera."

Of particular note is its innovative double-sided glass body design, which is likely to lead the next wave of industry design trends.

Chen Mo nodded: "Although the glass body is fragile, its appearance and texture are indeed top-notch. However, it is positioned as a flagship, which is not in the same category as us. Let the flagships of the four major manufacturers have a headache!"

Essentially, that's the case. Oranges and apples have very different market positioning and are not competitors in the same market segment.

Wang Kai then spoke up, bringing up Pingguo's competitors.

"Sanjing Galaxy S2 (I9100): 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus screen, equipped with Exynas dual-core processor (Tiger), is currently the performance benchmark in the Android camp, and was launched in China in July."

Chen Mo couldn't help but sigh, "Samsung's efficiency is really high. They released the S2 in February and the S2s in July. They can't compete with Apple in terms of quality, so they resort to a sea of ​​models. Two flagship phones a year, they can be considered to have their own merits!"

"HYC Sensation (G14): The first dual-core model pre-installed with Android 2.4, equipped with a 1.2GHz processor and HYC Sense 3.0 UI, emphasizing multimedia performance."

Chen Mo raised an eyebrow: "Is HYC desperately grasping at straws? They've already released four new models in the first half of this year, haven't they?"

Wang Kai smiled and added.

"Mr. Chen, you've underestimated the numbers! HYC has already released seven new models in the first half of this year:"
Two flagship phones (Dazzling and Inspiration), two carrier-customized phones (Dual-Engine and Fish-Driving Master), two G-series phones, and even a 'HYC Heart' model targeting women, all flopped!

Chen Mo shook his head: "HYC is beyond saving!"

If you do a simple calculation, they released 7 new models in the first half of 2011 alone, averaging one per month. Do they really think they're a counterfeit factory? Will they just change brands once they've ruined their reputation?

HYC's gradually declining sales don't lie; it's eroding the reputation it built up over time!
II. Other popular models

"Motorola Atrix 3G: Positioned in the mid-range market, it is equipped with a Tegra 1 dual-core processor. Its biggest highlight is the pioneering support for SD card memory expansion, which can be expanded up to 16GB."

Wang Kai analyzed: "The market research team believes that supporting SD card expansion will become a common solution for solving users' memory anxiety in future mid-to-low-end models."

Chen Mo agreed: "Yes, this feature is useful. We can consider adding it to the future Orange 3! Downloading movies on a computer using a card reader can save a lot of data!"

You know, these days, anyone who dares to use a carrier's 3G data to watch videos is a rich person!

3G data traffic is 5 yuan for 30MB (any amount exceeding this will be charged at 10.24 yuan/MB).

On a mobile phone, a two-hour standard definition movie is about 500MB. Now, using 3G data to cache a movie on a mobile phone would cost at least 4817.8 yuan.

Therefore, during the 3G era in China, the most popular mobile games were single-player games, while lightweight text applications like puns and jokes were so popular!
Ultimately, the level of infrastructure development is the decisive factor in determining the level of applications.

Next, Wang Kai mentioned the transformation projects of several major feature phone manufacturers.
Sony Ericsson LT18i (Arc S): 8.7mm ultra-thin body, 1.4GHz high-performance processor, 810-megapixel Exmor R camera, sales were mediocre.

Nokia Lumia 800: The first mobile phone to be equipped with the Microsoft WP 7.5 system, featuring a unibody polycarbonate design, marking Nokia's determination to transform into a smartphone manufacturer.

Chen Mo was speechless.

"Is Nokia's current president a spy sent by Microsoft? They sold Symbian, and they still dare to use Microsoft's system during this critical period of transformation? The landscape of Android and iOS is already very clear!"

The market characteristics data provided by Wang Kai also corroborate this point:
The domestic market share of Android has rapidly climbed to 49%, with iOS dominating the high-end market (12.1%), and other systems accounting for a combined 38.9%.

With increased attention on models priced above 3000 yuan, Sanjing is seizing the domestic flagship market through price reduction strategies.

After listening, Chen Mo asked, "What about Duowei? Last year, they pulled a fast one on us, poaching our startup team and treating us as a competitor. Why haven't we seen them making any moves this year?"

Wang Kai laughed and said, "The Duowei D2 was originally scheduled to be released in June, but seeing the explosive sales of the Orange 2 and Wheat 1, especially since the Wheat 1's mid-range positioning overlaps with it, it is said that the release has been postponed to August to avoid direct competition!"

The sudden emergence of wheat has made outsiders envious, but also alarmed insiders!

Even companies like Duowei, which are positioned in the mid-range women's market, have had to temporarily avoid competing with Xiaomai.

After all, the mid-range market includes the female market. If Duowei were released around the same time as Xiaomai, its sales would definitely be reduced.

Chen Mo commented with a smile.

"Dovy focuses on the women's market and can still support itself for now, but relying solely on the premium of appearance is not a solid foundation. When everyone has finished competing for channels, supply chains, and technology, and starts competing for appearance, it will be in trouble!"

Wang Kai flattered, "President Chen's insight is brilliant!"

After reporting on the market situation, Wang Kai paused for a moment, his expression becoming slightly serious. He took out another document from the folder and handed it over with both hands.

"Mr. Chen, this is some internal information that the 'Employee Care Team' has recently learned!"

Chen Mo understood.

The name "Employee Care Team" was changed at his suggestion, and he was naturally aware of the team's other, little-known function.

He reached out and took the document, flipping through the cover with his fingertips. The first few pages were full of cases of middle and lower-level employees abusing their power to enrich themselves, and most of them were concentrated in the two key departments of the Marketing Department: the Supply Chain Group and the Smart Orange Procurement Group.

Chen Mo was not surprised by this; as long as there is an opportunity, there will always be people who take chances.

His approach was straightforward: dismiss those who should be dismissed, and transfer those who should be transferred to judicial authorities.

He might turn a blind eye to suppliers offering meals and meals while guaranteeing quality, but he absolutely cannot tolerate allowing substandard parts to enter the market and damage Orange's reputation.

However, his fingers paused slightly when his gaze fell on the last few pages of the document.

His throat felt a little dry, and he subconsciously pursed his lips. Then, a complex, almost self-deprecating smile appeared on his face.

The names of Orange Technology executives, and even executives from Orange Treasure, appeared prominently on those pages.

"If the water is too clear, there will be no fish; if a person is too discerning, there will be no friends." Chen Mo muttered to himself, then looked up sharply at Wang Kai: "Is the source reliable? Is the evidence conclusive?"

Wang Kai stood up straighter, his expression serious, and assured him, "President Chen, the people I sent to investigate have all obtained substantial evidence that can corroborate each other, so there shouldn't be any problem with its authenticity."

"Whoo~"

Chen Mo let out a long breath, his fingers unconsciously tapping the table. He remained silent for nearly a minute before slowly speaking.

"How about this!"

Your market research department should establish a separate "compliance monitoring team" to be responsible for overt auditing and supervision, serving as a deterrent. "And 'employee care' can't be limited to Orange Technology anymore. All Orange-affiliated subsidiaries must be covered."

It is essential to ensure that every employee feels the 'care' from the parent company.

"I will have Zhou Yumeng assist you in this matter, coordinating with the various subsidiaries to provide you with the necessary support."

Wang Kaiqiang suppressed his excitement; he knew he had made the right move!
The market research department's authority and influence will be greatly expanded through this opportunity.

He immediately and solemnly replied, "Yes, Mr. Chen! Please rest assured, I will definitely implement the internal compliance monitoring and external employee care system in all subsidiaries by the end of the year!"

"Okay, go ahead and get busy!" Chen Mo waved his hand, his tone revealing a hint of barely perceptible fatigue.

Wang Kai bowed and left, gently closing the door behind him.

Chen Mo was the only one left in the office.

He leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling, his eyes somewhat dim, and remained motionless for a long time.

Neither of the two founding members could give him any peace of mind.

The three issues raised in Wang Kai's report concerning "Orange Group executives" were like three thorns stuck in his heart.

Gong Yun: Last year, she led the company's portfolio investment of idle funds, reporting an average annualized return of 2.3%, with a return of approximately 1128 million yuan in six months.

However, Wang Kai found that the actual average annualized return was as high as 4.1%, with the whereabouts of nearly 1500 million yuan in returns unknown.

Zhao Tiezhu: He accepted high-value expenses from suppliers for food, drinks, entertainment, and bathing, as well as gifts worth more than 200 million yuan.

He Jian (Chengbao): I've been in frequent contact with a major internet company in Beijing recently, but I haven't found out which one yet.
But Chen Mo estimated that among the major internet companies in Beijing, at this time, only one major internet company was eyeing the mobile entry point.

Ali has Taobao, an e-commerce mobile infrastructure application; Tencent has QChat, a social mobile infrastructure application.
Only Baidu, with its browser dominating mobile devices and replacing search engines, urgently needs a mobile infrastructure application traffic entry point.

After all, judging from current trends, the growth rate of mobile internet users is much faster than that of the internet.

Of the three, Chen Mo had the most complex feelings towards Zhao Tiezhu, mostly feeling disappointed and disappointed that he was not living up to his potential.

Chen Mo had long known that Zhao Tiezhu had limited abilities and some streetwise habits, and that he was slowly falling behind the pace of the company's development, but he did not expect him to become so unrestrained.

Ultimately, no one is perfect. Zhao Tiezhu now holds absolute power in the marketing department. His youthful nature and preferences have long been thoroughly understood. He is constantly flattered and pampered by suppliers and subordinates, so it's natural that he would find it difficult to resist the temptations of sugar-coated bullets.

Having figured all this out, Chen Mo finally made up his mind.

A kind heart cannot command an army, and a righteous heart cannot manage finances. Rather than waiting for him to make a big mistake that you can't cover up in the future, it's better to let him stay on paycheck now and send him to study and further his education to broaden his knowledge and horizons.

Chen Mo felt a deep sense of disappointment and confusion regarding Gong Yun.

Sister Gong lives a simple life, unlike Zhao Tiezhu who lives a luxurious life. Her pet cat doesn't cost much either.

What's more, she personally received nearly 100 million yuan in commission from disposing of the 1 million Orange 5000 inventory last year!

Would she really resort to such means for 1500 million?

Chen Mo couldn't understand it at all; this suspicion made him feel suffocated.

As for He Jian from Chengbao, Chen Mo didn't feel any psychological burden.

He Jian joined later, so the two didn't have much contact and weren't close.

If he truly harbored ulterior motives, Chen Mo wouldn't have struggled with the same issues as he did with Zhao Tiezhu and Gong Yun.

"Whoo~"

Chen Mo got up, walked to the fish tank in the corner, and absentmindedly sprinkled some fish food.

The fish in the pond were scrambling for food, but his thoughts were like a tangled knot, impossible to unravel.

Human nature inherently contains selfishness, so when judging a matter, should we value the result or the process?

In terms of results, Gong Yun's initiative in taking on the management of idle funds has genuinely earned the company 1128 million yuan in revenue, without a trace of falsehood.

But if we're talking about the process, how do we explain the fact that the whereabouts of 1500 million in profits are now unclear?
Moreover, human cognition is inherently limited. Although Wang Kai discovered that the whereabouts of the 1500 million yuan was a mystery, ultimately, the evidence chain that directly points to Gong Yun's embezzlement of funds is incomplete!

Chen Mo is a typical STEM guy who always values ​​logic and evidence. He knows very well that it would be too arbitrary to draw conclusions without gathering enough evidence at this time.

He tried to convince himself of this.

Chen Mo had always thought that the person he trusted most in the company was Gong Yun. Although Zhao Tiezhu often caused him trouble, it was still within his tolerance range.

But now.
He slowly turned around, his gaze falling on the dazzling skyline of Shenzhen outside the floor-to-ceiling window. A heavy sense of loneliness unconsciously crept into his heart.

How to do it?

The two most trusted veterans seem to have problems, and a drastic change in leadership would directly destroy the company, especially in this era of rapid development of smartphones, where falling behind is tantamount to extinction.

He picked up the internal phone several times, his finger hovering over the "3" line, wanting to call Gong Yun over directly to get to the bottom of things, but in the end he put it down each time.

Chen Mo felt a vague fear of hearing an answer that wasn't what he expected, and he was even more afraid of shattering the facade that maintained the harmony on the surface.

Now, the company can function normally even without Chen Mo, regardless of the size of the internal affairs, but it cannot function without Gong Yun.

In the end, after much hesitation, he chose to "pretend to be confused even though he knew the truth."

Chen Mo walked to the paper shredder and fed in the report about the senior executives that Wang Kai had submitted, page by page. He watched as the paper was shredded into fine pieces, and then shredded it twice to ensure that it was completely irreparable.

Then, he took a deep breath, picked up the internal phone, and dialed the "6" hotline, the number of Lin Junfeng, the head of the legal department.

"Manager Lin, please check immediately whether the software copyright and related core patents for 'Application Treasure' are registered under He Jian's personal name or under Chengbao Company's name. Be quick and keep it confidential!"

Water that is too clear has no fish; a person who is too discerning has no friends.
Chen Mo didn't want to end up as a true "lonely man," as that wasn't the lifestyle he aspired to.

Therefore, he chose to temporarily endure and observe Zhao Tiezhu and Gong Yun in secret.

But he must be decisive in guarding against He Jian, an "outsider," and have enough leverage to keep him in check.

After dealing with He Jian's matter, Chen Mo called Wang Kai over without taking a break and gave him serious instructions in person.

"Go and investigate where that 1500 million difference went, but one thing is crucial: keep it a secret, especially don't let Sister Gong know!"

Actually, there's an even simpler way: Chen Mo could go directly to the finance department to check all the purchase receipts and bank statements for the financial products.

However, he never went beyond Gong Yun to investigate these things.
Therefore, before things were clear, Chen Mo, a man of deep feelings (and indecisiveness), still didn't believe that Sister Gong would do such a thing.

Trust between people is never built overnight; it requires years of mutual understanding and trust. It is very fragile and can collapse completely in a single word, a single event, or even in a short moment.

Even offending two of the biggest business giants in China hadn't made Chen Mo frown, but now he was inexplicably afraid of not handling Gong Yun and Zhao Tiezhu's affairs well, which would ultimately leave him all alone on his entrepreneurial journey.

Sigh! I really don't know how those successful entrepreneurs manage to handle this crisis of trust and resolve this inner turmoil.
Chen Mo suddenly felt a little regretful. Why did he ask Wang Kai to keep an eye on those executives?
Anyway, nothing bad has happened yet, and even if something does happen, there's still time!
Now Chen Mo felt he was in a dilemma, and he could only hope that Wang Kai's investigation would meet his expectations.

otherwise
The office returned to its previous quiet, but beneath this silence lay an undercurrent. A silent storm concerning internal personnel adjustments within Orange seemed to be brewing unnoticed.

(End of this chapter)