Tech startup: I really do make mobile phones!

Chapter 212 Afternoon Routine
Orange Technology, General Manager's Office.

Afternoon sunlight streamed into Chen Mo's office through the floor-to-ceiling windows, making it bright and warm.

But the tropical acrylic fish tank in the office is overgrown with brown algae, and it's foreseeable that the cleaning staff will be extremely busy after get off work.

Hmm! Chen Mo hadn't noticed that the fish tank walls didn't clean themselves; that's how Xiaomi always "sneaked" in with the cleaners!

After Chen Mo finished processing the last document, he rubbed his slightly sore temples and gave Zhou Yumeng, who was busy in the outer room, some instructions.

"Xiaomeng, unless it's something really urgent, don't let anyone bother me for the next hour or so!"

“Okay, Mr. Chen!” Zhou Yumeng nodded in agreement.

Chen Mo picked up his personal phone and dialed his mother's number.

After a few rings, my mother's familiar and warm voice came from the other end.

"Hey, kid? What brings you here to call at this hour?"

"Mom, did I disturb your rest?" Chen Mo asked with a smile. "I have a small favor to ask you. Please write down an address and have Xiaomin in Shanghai receive it. Also, please send a box of our best oranges over there, pick out the big, juicy ones!"

My mom was taken aback for a moment, then teased, "Oh dear, does your third aunt's family lack oranges? You've sent them all this way to Xiaomin, the shipping cost is probably more expensive than the oranges themselves! What's going on?"

"Haha!" Chen Mo laughed and explained the reason: "It's for her boss. He did me a big favor, and I promised to send her some local specialties from my hometown as a token of my appreciation!"

Upon hearing this, my mother's tone immediately became interested, and she lowered her voice as if afraid others would hear: "A leader? Male or female?"

Chen Mo knew it was happening again, and said helplessly, "A woman."

Sure enough, my mom's voice immediately rose a few decibels on the other end of the phone, filled with undisguised joy.

"A woman? How old? What does she do? Oh my, kid, is she your girlfriend? You've finally figured it out!"

Chen Mo was both amused and exasperated: "Mom! What are you thinking! We're just ordinary friends. I helped them out at work, but I'm so busy all day long, I don't have time to think about this!"

To Chen Mo's surprise, his mother did not start pressuring him to get married as usual this time.

Instead, she said in a relaxed tone, "Okay, okay, we're just friends. You can decide for yourself. I won't rush you!"

Chen Mo was somewhat surprised and asked with a smile, "Huh? Did the sun rise in the west? Mom, I thought you were going to start nagging about how so-and-so's grandson in the village is old enough to run errands!"

On the other end of the phone, my mother smiled, her voice tinged with emotion.

"Sigh, it's because you suddenly pulled out two million last year, which shocked your dad and me. Your dad and I don't know anything about these things and can't help you much, so we didn't dare to cause you any more trouble, for fear of delaying your important business!"

She changed the subject, her tone becoming more serious.

"And also, your second sister..."
Even though she's someone else's wife now, she's still your second sister.

You need to take good care of her, but don't let her get away with anything. Don't let her ruin your business!

Then, Mom quietly added, "She sent a lot of new clothes and shoes to your dad and me a while ago, all brightly colored!"

"The young city folks who come to the village all say it's some kind of 'luxury item,' and the brand is... Valentina?"
They say a single piece of clothing sold online costs tens of thousands of yuan!

Scared to death!

Don't let her spend money recklessly!

"Hahaha!" Chen Mo couldn't help but laugh when he heard this: "Mom, you and my second sister are really funny. You argue when you see each other, but you miss each other when you don't see each other."

"She called me a few days ago and asked me to take better care of you, and now you're asking me to take better care of her."

Don't worry, Mom. The things my second sister sent back are probably from her own clothing brand, 'Valentina Orange'.

My plan is to spin off this brand independently. My company will hold the majority stake, and I'll give her a smaller share. Let her run it herself; any losses are mine, and any profits are hers. It won't affect the main company!

Hearing this, Mom smiled with relief.

"Oh, that's good. It's better to let her have something to do than to have her follow that good-for-nothing man around all day. Just don't tire her out too much!"

It's obvious that Mom still harbors resentment towards her second sister's husband for "kidnapping" her without saying goodbye.

But after Chen Mo met his second sister and brother-in-law, he always felt that his brother-in-law didn't have the guts, and he guessed that it was his second sister's idea!

My second sister is quite like our mother; she's always been bold and has strong opinions!

Hearing the awkward yet genuine concern in his mother's words, Chen Mo couldn't help but smile. It seemed that his mother had forgiven his second sister.

Then, Chen Mo steered the conversation back to the oranges.

"Mom, let's get down to business! I remember our oranges can be harvested in three batches at a time, with each batch weighing about 4 tons, right?"

He helped his family carry oranges in urea bags when he was a child, so he has a deep impression of the yield.

"The sunshine and rain have been good this year, and the oranges are growing exceptionally well. There are more than this many!" Mom's voice was filled with the joy of a bountiful harvest.

Chen Mo thought for a moment and said, "Okay, Mom! This year, you can pay someone to help pick our oranges. Let me know when they're done, and I'll send a delivery truck from the company to pick them up. I'll take care of all the oranges."

Mom asked in confusion, "Son, why are you making such a fuss? We can eat some ourselves, why are you taking it all away? To feed the pigs?"

"Haha, it's not feeding pigs, it's feeding the employees!" Chen Mo explained with a laugh, "We brought it back as employee benefits!"

"You little rascal!" Mom was amused. "Are you bragging? Your little workshop only has a few people, how could it possibly eat so many oranges?"

"Mom! Your information is so outdated!"

Chen Mo couldn't help but proudly report to his mother.

“Your son now manages five or six thousand people! The company is one of the top in the country, and I've met and reported to many of the top leaders! It's no longer some small workshop!”

The mother naturally believed her son's words and was even happier to hear them.

"Oh my, my son has really made something of himself! He's become a big shot! Alright, Orange, just send someone to pick it up. It's our own stuff, why would we need money!"

Chen Mo insisted, "Mom, this is different! The company's money belongs to the company. This is a legitimate employee welfare purchase, and it needs to be accounted for. Otherwise, wouldn't this money just be wasted on taxes? We have to do it legally and compliantly!"

My mother didn't know much about taxes, but she listened to her son's serious expression and hesitantly agreed.

"Oh! There are rules about this and that. Okay, whatever you say!"

Taking the opportunity, Chen Mo suggested again, "Mom, now that things are stable for me, why don't you stop growing oranges? It's too hard work. Why don't you just come to Shenzhen instead!"

"I'll buy you a small villa with a yard, so you can come and enjoy your retirement. It will also make it easier for me to take care of you!"

Just then, his father's excited voice came from the other end of the phone, getting closer as he spoke: "Son! Son! I'm going! I'm going! I've never been to a big city like Shenzhen before! I've heard that..."

Before he could finish speaking, his voice abruptly stopped, as if his mother had covered the microphone. He could still vaguely hear his mother scolding him in a low voice.

"Where are you going! Stay home and don't cause trouble for our son."

After a while, Mom answered the phone again with a smile.

"Son, don't listen to your dad's nonsense, he just spoke off the cuff."

We're used to living in the village. Our neighbors, relatives, and friends are all here. We grow oranges and exercise when we have free time. We have plenty to eat and drink, which is great.

"If you're truly filial, just remember to come back and visit your dad and me more often each year. We won't go anywhere else!"

Chen Mo tried to persuade him: "Mom, Dad really wants to go out and see the world. I'm not kidding, I really have money, it's no problem for you to come over."

"Haha!" Mom interrupted him with a laugh: "Mom knows you have money, but Mom just doesn't like going out. There are too many people and cars, it's too noisy!"

"Your dad doesn't like him either, right, old man?" Her last question was clearly directed at the person next to her.

The father's voice, barely audible and aggrieved, came through the phone: "I'm not curious about my son at all, and I don't want to leave my hometown. Don't try to persuade me!"

Hearing this statement about "the husband's authority being weak," Chen Mo couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle, so she had no choice but to give up.

"Alright, alright, as long as you're happy. I'll definitely make time to go back and see you this Chinese New Year!"

My mom was pleasantly surprised, but also a little teasing: "Huh? Aren't you always saying you're busy on the phone, never having a moment to spare? How come you suddenly have some free time?"

Chen Mo laughed and said, "You're saying I'm unfilial, so it would be really inappropriate not to go back and visit! The main thing is that I've recently found suitable people to share some specific tasks, so I can squeeze out a few days, which shouldn't be a problem!"

"That's great!" Mom's face lit up with joy. "Sweetie, I specially raised several more of your favorite local ducks this year, they're all plump! When you come back, I'll have your dad cook you some beer-braised duck!"

Then, Mom started her familiar rambling again.

"Sigh, you three were born, that's not a small number, is it? But none of you are around. The eldest is nowhere to be found, the second married so far away, and you're so busy you're never even seen."

Listening to this blissful chatter, Chen Mo felt both warm and a little overwhelmed, so he quickly chuckled.

"Mom, I think I got a call coming in. It might be urgent, so I'll hang up now! Take care of yourselves! I'll call you back later!"

After saying that, Chen Mo quickly hung up the phone.

Chen Mo put down his phone and let out a long sigh of relief.

It's strange. If I don't call, I'll worry about her, but if I do call, I'm afraid of my mom's nagging.

However, after making this mundane phone call filled with everyday family matters, Chen Mo felt all the fatigue and pressure in his heart disappear, and he felt refreshed.

He sat back in his office chair and quickly and efficiently finished processing the remaining documents on his desk.
The enjoyable time of slacking off has begun.

With practiced ease, Chen Mo opened his browser, set up the proxy, and began browsing international news.

President Blake visited Australia and announced a strengthening of military deployments in Australia, seen as part of a strategic adjustment in response to the Asia-Pacific region.

The 10-nation summit of the Dongmeng Alliance will discuss community building in Bali and promote the establishment of a peace and reconciliation institution.

Looking at these two somewhat contradictory news items, Chen Mo keenly sensed: "Hmm, with geopolitical tensions escalating, it looks like gold prices are about to rise again!"

Next, he browsed manufacturing news:

[Zhang, the second-generation head of Haier, officially takes over] He has secured his position by successfully acquiring the white goods business of Neon Sanyang Electric.

[Midea's founding father, Mr. Fang, takes over as the second generation leader] The eldest son, who was originally the designated successor, left the family business to engage in waste incineration power generation. Mr. Fang made a big move to acquire shares in Miroca, the second largest power company in Egypt, and started Midea's internationalization.

Sany Heavy Industry acquires German company Ptsmao Maister. The global concrete machinery giant has become a shell for Chinese companies going global.

Chen Mo couldn't help but sigh, "This year, Chinese companies are really making waves with overseas mergers and acquisitions, especially in the energy and high-end manufacturing sectors. The momentum is really strong!"

So many well-known, long-established foreign manufacturing giants have quietly become shells for domestic companies!
Meanwhile, the "reflective party" in China is still fixated on the industrial crown of ballpoint pen tips!

Finally, he looked at domestic tech news.

As expected, the most popular figures are still this year's tech industry "celebrities".

[Luo Yonghao, founder of Smartisan, smashes Qianmenzi refrigerator in anger] Due to product quality issues and differential treatment between domestic and foreign markets.

The gate-closing device is available abroad, but not in China.

Luo Yonghao smashed three refrigerators in front of the headquarters of Qianmenzi with a hammer, and the video of his protest went viral online. [The Hammer phone R&D team will be selected from among fans] Luo Yonghao claimed that he would create "the second best smartphone in the world".

Although there isn't even a design sketch of the Hammer phone yet, and the supply chain is nowhere to be seen, its excellent marketing and ability to generate buzz have already generated a lot of anticipation online.

[Luo Yonghao attacks Fang Chuanzi] Because Fang Chuanzi had previously praised but criticized Qianmenzi and mocked him, Luo Yonghao turned around and launched a fierce attack on Fang Chuanzi and his "Enjiou Technology Anti-Fake Fund".

First, questions were raised about his wife's academic credentials, the lack of transparency in the fund's operations, and suspected tax evasion.
Some of the clues also stemmed from the irrefutable information that was accidentally revealed during the previous lawsuit between Chengzi and Fang Chuanzi. These clues have now become "ammunition" that Lao Luo is using to attack Fang Chuanzi, who is like a broken ship.

Netizens watched this drama unfold with rapt attention, completely stunned and thoroughly entertained!
When it comes to online flame wars, Lao Luo is truly unmatched.

Chen Mo scrolled down and discovered an interesting phenomenon.

Luo Yonghao hyped up the "anticipation" for smartphones to the extreme, while his own product remained indefinitely delayed. Meanwhile, the Xiaomai 1 sold out again through online channels, truly a model of making a fortune quietly.

At that time, there wasn't much news about wheat, but Lei Jun did create a small but significant news story.

As an angel investor, he attended a startup forum and uttered the famous quote that would later become widely known: "If you stand at the right place at the right time, even a pig can fly!"

Chen Mo smiled knowingly as he looked at the news.

He could understand Lei Jun's complex feelings after sticking to Xinshan for 20 years and witnessing the rise and fall of domestic software, and then using five years of Zhuoyue to earn more money than Xinshan could earn in 20 years!
Xinshan: 20 years, 2 million RMB; Zhuoyue: 5 years, 60 million USD.

However, at this moment, in the open office area of ​​Orange Treasure upstairs, technical director Wang Teng saw this sentence from his former idol and felt a sense of loss as if his faith had collapsed.

In his naive world of technological idealism, Lei Jun, who championed domestic software at Xinshan and stood up against industry giants, was a symbol of a lone hero.

In his view, the notion of "pigs on the wind" is a betrayal of the original intention and ideals of technology, and is full of speculative elements.

In a fit of passion, Wang Teng directly reposted the news using his verified Weibo account, tagged Lei Jun, and wrote a message full of disappointment and questioning.

"@LeiBusi, you said today, 'If you stand at the right place at the right time, even a pig can fly.' Have you ever thought about yourself twenty years ago when you were holding high the banner of domestic software at Xinshan?"

Back then you said you wanted to "carry the banner of domestic software", but now you're teaching people to chase trends.

The shelving of VVPS and the failure of the Pangu Project: are these problems of opportunism or of perseverance?

We programmers admire technological idealism, not opportunism!

Your words have shattered the faith of countless programmers who support domestically developed technologies.

This Weibo post quickly went viral among programmers and tech media, sparking a lot of discussion and resonance.

The hashtags #LeiBus'sPigInTheWind# and #WangTengQuestionsLeiBus# quickly trended on social media, even overshadowing the buzz surrounding Luo Yonghao's talent show for entrepreneurs.

Chen Mo was having a great time slacking off when his personal cell phone rang. The caller ID showed it was Lei Jun.

He answered the phone with a puzzled look, but before he could even speak, Lei Jun's slightly helpless and teasing voice came from the other end.

"Mr. Chen! Your Director Wang from Chengbao Company called out names on Weibo, and she seemed quite angry."

Chen Mo was taken aback, and quickly went online to check, only then did he understand what was going on.

So it turns out that Wang Teng's idol image has collapsed, and his fans are turning against him!

He could only give a wry smile and say to Lei Jun, "Sorry, Mr. Lei, I'll go and find out what's going on!" Then he got up and walked upstairs to the Orange Treasure office area.

Finding Wang Teng still indignant, Chen Mo pulled him into Orange's No. 2 meeting room and gave him psychological counseling, like a teenager going through puberty.

"You feel disappointed that CEO Lei has betrayed his original intention and given up on carrying the banner of domestic software, right?" Chen Mo asked bluntly.

Wang Teng nodded vigorously.

“Great!” Chen Mo looked at him. “Now, in the mobile internet era, operating systems have one last window of opportunity.”

"I'm giving you a chance to prove that someone can persevere for 20, 30, or even 40 years until it's done! You'll take up this mantle, how about it?"

"Huh?" Wang Teng was stunned, not reacting for a moment: "President Chen, do you mean we want to develop our own mobile operating system?"

Chen Mo smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Don't be so narrow-minded! Why limit yourself to mobile phones? PCs, tablets, mobile phones, TVs, car systems."

"With so many platforms, each operating independently, how troublesome is that?"
Can we create a truly unified operating system across all platforms?
How can an app run seamlessly on all existing devices?

"Ah!!!" Wang Teng was so shocked that his mouth dropped open. After a long while, he stammered, "President Chen! The technical difficulty of this is roughly equivalent to Qin Shi Huang unifying the world!"

"Let's not even talk about how to implement the technology. Just the dense wall of basic patents held by foreign giants is enough to completely block us!"

"Hahaha!"

Chen Mo laughed loudly, waving his hand as if he were talking about a trivial matter.

"What's there to be afraid of! When the time comes, we'll just hire a legal team of several thousand people to fight them in court all over the world!"
Slowly drag it out, slowly wear it down!
Once our system and ecosystem have matured and become a fait accompli, we can simply share some of the benefits with them and eventually reach a settlement!

The scenario he described resembled a power struggle within the tech industry.

That's just how the world is: Gaotong sues Pingguo, Pingguo sues Google, Google sues Sanjing, Sanjing sues Juhua, and Juhua sues Gaotong.
Even if you win the case, it drags on and both sides suffer. Ultimately, technology patents are a vicious cycle; everyone just compromises with each other to maintain the existing interests.

Wang Teng was stunned by Chen Mo's "inhumanly extravagant" and strategically visionary ideas, but the geek passion in his blood was ignited!
If this can really be accomplished, what a great achievement it would be!
He immediately accepted this seemingly impossible task with great enthusiasm: "Great! Mr. Chen, I'll do it! I refuse to believe that we can't create our own product!"

Chen Mo instructed him to secretly scout for talent, conduct preliminary research and design plans, and then officially launch the project when the time was right.

Wang Teng excitedly agreed, and then
Then this guy posted another Weibo message, tagging Lei Jun, saying that he would take up the banner of domestic operating systems and prove it to everyone!
Chen Mo was both amused and exasperated by Wang Teng's immature behavior.

He had no choice but to call Lei Jun himself to explain.

Lei Jun, on the other end of the phone, was quite open-minded, laughing and indicating his understanding.

"Young people should be idealistic, that's a good thing. I was like that back then. But, Mr. Chen, since you've caused me a little trouble, how about granting me a small request as compensation?"

Chen Mo chuckled inwardly; as expected, they were waiting for him here.

I knew it! A cunning old fox like Lei Jun wouldn't have time to pay attention to a greenhorn like Wang Teng!

"Haha, Mr. Lei, so you were lying in wait here? Tell me, and I'll do my best if it's within my power!"

Lei Jun first complimented Chen Mo a few times, and then got to the point.

"That's right, our Xiaomai Technology hopes to join the 'Smart Orange Centralized Procurement Standard Company' and become a member unit. We hope Mr. Chen can support us!"

Chen Mo was somewhat surprised; so that's what it was about.

He hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Mr. Lei, what about Fantasy Group?"

He knew that the relationship between Lei Jun, Liu Zong of Fantasy, and the Daishan Association was quite delicate.

Lei Jun's tone became somewhat indifferent.

"Mr. Chen, I have already withdrawn from the Daishan Club!"
And didn't you notice?
This year, the sales of the Fantasy Phone have been surpassed by Zhongxing's explosive growth overseas.

Gaotong has abandoned its full support for Fantasy and has instead begun a formal partnership with our Xiaomai!

Chen Mo suddenly realized that, without his knowledge, the industrial landscape behind the domestic smartphone industry had already changed.

Without further hesitation, he readily replied, "I see! Welcome, Mr. Lei! You're familiar with the rules of Zhicheng's centralized procurement, right?"

Lei Jun confidently replied, "Of course! Wheat promises that the total procurement amount through Zhicheng Procurement Standard Company's platform in 2012 will not be less than 1000 million US dollars."

"As for the technology patent equity investment plan..."

He paused, then smiled and said, "My Rank Capital recently acquired a chip design company. They just successfully taped out a power management chip, and once it goes into mass production, it can be added to Zhicheng's parts library and technology patent pool at any time!"

"Power management chip?"

Chen Mo laughed as soon as he heard that.

"What a coincidence! Our Orange family is developing a miniaturized NTC power detection hardware for the second-generation smart power bank, and with Xiaomai's high-efficiency power management chip and the hardware system for displaying the power level on a desktop computer, we've got it all set!"

Upon hearing this, Lei Jun smiled and tentatively asked.

"Mr. Chen, if our company, Xiaomai, also wants to enter the power bank market in the future, you wouldn't mind, would you?"

Chen Mo deliberately put on a serious face and said in a half-joking, half-serious tone, "Ha! If you use other battery cells and technologies, Mr. Lei, I will be very angry, and the consequences will be severe!"

"After all, I hold most of the core patents related to portable power banks, so I'm definitely going to sue you!"

But if you use our Far Orange gaseous lithium battery cells, I'd welcome that wholeheartedly, and I can even license the relevant patents to Xiaomai for free!

Lei Jun laughed heartily on the other end of the phone: "Of course I'll use Yuancheng's battery cells! The quality is guaranteed! Besides, I was an early investor in Yuancheng!"

Chen Mo smiled and then casually dropped a bombshell.

"By the way, Mr. Lei, I have another piece of good news for you! Yuancheng New Energy is expected to launch its Series A financing next year."

Lei Jun was visibly surprised: "So fast?"

But he immediately realized something: "Is this what the higher-ups mean?"

It's clear that Lei Jun has heard some rumors, referring to government-level initiatives.

After all, Yuancheng was selected for the Ministry of Equipment's whitelist, received a large number of military orders, and even jumped the queue to receive the first batch of national subsidies for new energy vehicles this year!
With such support from above, Yuancheng naturally has to shoulder some additional responsibilities.

Chen Mo smiled without saying a word, and did not answer directly, but promised: "At that time, it will be impossible for Shunwei Capital to get such a high percentage of shares as in the angel round."

But I can assure you that the shares you provided in the early stages, when you were in dire need, will not be diluted, and there will be no problem with you continuing to invest in line with our schedule!

Lei Jun understood immediately, and his tone became much more cheerful.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Chen! It's a pleasure doing business with you!"

"Happy cooperation!"

After hanging up the phone, Chen Mo looked out the window at the bustling Huabei Qiang Electronics Market and a smile appeared on his lips.

The domestic technology industry is becoming more and more interesting.

The hardware for desktop power management is ready: Lei Jun has power chips, and Orange Home is miniaturizing NTC power sensors.

However, a problem arises: there is still a lack of patents for Android system compatibility and related software development.

Chen Mo immediately asked Lin Junfeng to check the patent situation, and the result was quite unexpected.

Not only did Xiaomai register some related software patents on its own, but it also bought a batch of power management chip patents from Gaotong. The cooperation mentioned by Lei Jun is indeed real.

But Chen Mo wasn't worried, since Lin Junfeng had already obtained a patent for the miniaturized mobile phone application of the NTC power sensor last year under his instructions.

It's important to understand that the key to making this NTC sensor solution, which indirectly measures electricity through temperature measurement, a standard feature in later Android phones, lies in its unparalleled cost advantage.

This means that the next-generation Android 5.0 system must be compatible with a miniaturized NTC power sensor to display the remaining battery level, and the patent for the miniaturized NTC power sensor for mobile phone applications is held by Orange!
Although Orange currently holds very few mobile phone patents, at least it has something to use in negotiations with Google when developing a future operating system.

(End of this chapter)