Tech startup: I really do make mobile phones!

Chapter 230 Handover Between the Old and the New

At the Dalangshan Mountain Climbing Plaza in the early morning, the thin mist had not yet completely dissipated, and the air was filled with the moist scent of grass and trees unique to the southern mountains and forests.

Lin Xiaoxia and Lu Yuanshan, fully armed, were already waiting there. Although they had never met before, they both knew that the other was likely their competitor in this "mountain climbing" trip.

They sized each other up, their eyes filled with curiosity and scrutiny, neither speaking first, as if waiting for something.

The atmosphere suddenly changed when a low-key black Mercedes S600 (W221) drove up smoothly and stopped at the edge of the square.

Lin Xiaoxia and Lu Yuanshan stood up almost simultaneously, their eyes fixed on the car door.

The car door opened, and Chen Mo and Gong Yun, both dressed in professional mountaineering gear, got out one after the other. The driver and bodyguard, Xiao Zheng, quickly took out the necessary supplies from the trunk.

Suppressing her excitement, Lin Xiaxia immediately went to greet them and respectfully said, "Good morning, President Chen and President Gong!"

Lu Yuanshan mainly knew Gong Yun, the logistics manager in charge of his interview. He stepped forward and greeted Gong Yun politely.

"Hello, Mr. Gong!"

Gong Yun nodded gently to him and stepped aside to introduce him, saying, "Yuanshan, this is Chen Mo, the founder of our Orange Technology!"

A hint of surprise flashed in Lu Yuanshan's eyes.

He never expected that "Orange Chen," who had clashed with Fantasy Liu and Ali Ma in the business world and was hailed as a new generation leader in the Chinese business community, would be so young and appear calm and reserved.

Lu Yuanshan quickly adjusted his expression and greeted him with professional composure: "President Chen, hello, I've heard so much about you!"

Seeing this, Lin Xiaxia, who was standing to the side, immediately tensed up.

Sure enough, this seemingly experienced "Lu Yuanshan" was his rival for the position of marketing manager.

Chen Mo smiled and said in a gentle tone that was characteristic of someone in a position of authority but not offensive, "Since there wasn't much going on at the company today, I invited President Gong to come and go hiking together for some exercise!"

He then looked at Lin Xiaoxia and explained as if it were just a casual remark.

"I originally invited Zhao Tiezhu, the head of your marketing department, but that kid never wastes his energy on these kinds of 'trivial matters,' so I just let him be!"

Lin Xiaxia immediately chuckled and cleverly smoothed things over for her boss.

"General Manager Zhao has definitely set his sights on another tough supplier channel. You know General Manager Chen, that's just how he is, he can't stay idle!"

She subtly maintained the image of the marketing department team in front of Lu Yuanshan, an "outsider."

Chen Mo smiled, seemingly quite satisfied with Lin Xiaoxia's unwavering support and protection of her roots.

Without further delay, the group set off from Dalang Square.

At first, Chen Mo didn't talk about any work. Instead, he acted like an experienced leader, easily explaining the precautions for hiking to the three of them, from breathing rhythm and pace adjustment to the techniques for using trekking poles.

"The journey from Dalang Mountain to the panoramic viewpoint at the top of Yangtai Mountain takes about 4 hours one way, which is considered a moderate hike. It is a test of physical strength and energy for beginners."

Chen Mo spoke as he walked, his tone calm yet powerful.

"Actually, it's the same for everything; physical strength and energy are the most basic 'support pillars'."

Whether it's expanding distribution channels or conducting technological research and development, if you stay up all night every day and lack energy, even the best ideas will remain castles in the air.

Just like climbing a mountain, without physical strength, you won't see the view from the summit; similarly, without energy to handle pressure, you won't accomplish anything.

After walking for about half an hour, fine beads of sweat appeared on Gong Yun's forehead.

She laughed self-deprecatingly, "Looks like I've been sitting in the office too long and haven't been getting enough exercise!"

Chen Mo said with concern, "Sister Gong, you really should go out more often when you have time, or go to the gym in the leisure area in the afternoon to exercise."

We'll have HR recruit a few professional nutritionists and fitness coaches; the health of our employees is the foundation of the company's development!

Lin Xiaxia listened silently, lost in thought.

The reason Mr. Chen organized this mountain climb before promoting candidates was probably not only to test their physical strength, but also to observe their thinking ability and willpower under the condition of physical limits.

The three walked and talked, and before they knew it, they had climbed several hundred meters.

After passing through a wild and charming path, the view suddenly opens up, revealing five Lengshuikeng Reservoirs of varying sizes, scattered like sapphires among the mountains, their surfaces reflecting the verdant mountain scenery and the swirling morning mist.

In the distance, the occasional roar of an early morning high-speed train passing through a tunnel can be heard, intertwining with the tranquil and strange landscape.

Soon, they entered the middle section of their hike – Butterfly Valley.

Upon arriving here, Gong Yun, Lin Xiaoxia, and Lu Yuanshan were clearly nearing their physical limits. Their breathing was heavy and their steps were slow, but all three gritted their teeth and did not suggest taking a break.

Just then, Chen Mo casually posed a question to Lin Xiaxia.

"Xia, you've just finished developing the direct sales channels in the west. Based on your experience, what aspects of our direct sales channel plan for entering the Greater Ross market do you think can be improved?"

Lin Xiaxia suddenly felt as if her brain was stuck in a quagmire, and her thoughts became sluggish.

Maintaining clear and coherent thinking when the body is under extreme conditions is indeed a difficult challenge.

She now deeply understood the meaning of what President Chen had said earlier: "Physical strength and energy are the foundation."

Lin Xiaxia, leaning on her trekking poles, took a few deep breaths, tried to concentrate, and answered:
"Mr. Chen."
The first point is that the channel model needs to be adjusted.

In the West, we mainly focus on 'community stores + commercial stores', but in the Greater Ross area, consumers prefer 'brand experience stores' and large appliance chain stores, such as M.Vidao in Mosk and Technaperk in St. Petersburg.

We need to shift our focus from a "centralized" multi-store model to a "centralized" flagship experience store.

Moreover, logistics there are slower than in China, so the experience store must keep sufficient inventory of core products, especially the Orange phone that is compatible with the Great Russian language system, so as not to keep customers waiting.

Additionally, for directly operated stores in smaller cities, cooperation with reputable local distributors could be considered, but strict screening criteria must be established in advance to prevent cross-selling and price wars.

She paused, took a deep breath, and continued, "The second point is that the on-the-ground promotion methods must be localized."

In the West, we achieved good results through 'community outreach and offline trials', but the people of Great Ross have a low acceptance of cold calling; they have more faith in the influence of 'KOL reviews' and 'offline exhibitions'.

We should contact influential local tech KOLs in advance to conduct product testing and make our selling points, such as 'strong battery life' and 'smooth system operation,' focus on them.
For example, 'Our gaseous lithium battery has stable battery life in low-temperature winter environments' and 'The Great Russian language association in Orange Treasure Input Method is accurate'.

In addition, there is a consumer electronics show in Moscow on the 3rd of next month. It is the first large-scale international exhibition since the Great Russia joined the WTO. We can buy a booth and let customers experience the actual products on site. This is much more efficient than sending salesmen to our door.

Furthermore, the ground sales team must include locals who understand Russian; they can't just use Mandarin like they did in the West, as communication barriers are a major problem.

After saying this, Lin Xiaxia almost had to lean on her trekking pole to stand up, but she was glad that she had withstood the pressure and hadn't lost her train of thought.

Chen Mo nodded approvingly, noticing that all three were exhausted, except for Xiao Zheng, who was still breathing steadily as he followed behind.

He then smiled and found a grassy spot by the roadside where people could watch monarch butterflies and blue swallowtail butterflies fluttering about, and let everyone rest briefly on the rocks to replenish their water.

"Sip it slowly!" Chen Mo reminded everyone: "Drinking too fast will make you choke, and since you're all sweaty now, chugging cold water will irritate your stomach and intestines, and you'll feel uncomfortable when you walk on the mountain path later."

As an extreme hiking enthusiast, Chen Mo knows better than anyone that sipping water slowly is the best way to replenish fluids.

After finishing his conversation with Lin Xiaxia, Chen Mo turned his attention to Lu Yuanshan, who had been quietly listening and observing from the side.

He smiled and asked, "I saw your information from Sister Gong. You were previously the channel manager for the North China market at Motorola, right?"

Hearing Chen Mo address Gong Yun as "Sister Gong," Lu Yuanshan's heart stirred slightly, and he immediately realized that this President Gong held an extraordinary position in the company.

He calmly replied, "Yes, Mr. Chen!"
I graduated from Shanghai Fudan University and later obtained an EMBA (Electronic Marketing) degree recognized by China-Ou.

He started his career at Nokia as a sales supervisor, and later joined Motorola, where he became the North China channel sales manager.

After Motorola was acquired by Fantasy last year, President Yang Qingyuan began personnel adjustments, which is why I started considering new opportunities after the New Year.

Upon hearing this, Chen Mo looked at Lin Xiaxia and teased, "Xiaxia, what a coincidence! You and Yuanshan are both top students from Fudan University!"

Lin Xiaxia immediately understood, smiled gracefully at Lu Yuanshan, and called him "Senior Brother".

However, she subtly emphasized that she was a "veteran" at Orange Technology and said, "If you have any questions in the future, senior, you can ask me anytime," thus drawing a line between herself and others.
Lu Yuanshan naturally understood the implied meaning and responded with a smile, emphasizing that he was a "veteran in the industry".

"If you have any questions about the industry in the future, junior sister, we can always communicate with you!"

The air between the two was thick with the tension of their first encounter.

Chen Mo smiled as he watched the two men secretly competing. In his view, healthy internal competition was a good thing.

Gong Yun sipped her water silently, observing the two men's behavior.

Chen Mo then asked the two about their future development plans for the marketing department.

As a company veteran, Lin Xiaoxia's explanation focused more on consolidating the supply chain foundation and deepening the construction of direct sales channels, demonstrating a sound approach.

Lu Yuanshan, with his extensive industry experience, focuses more on innovative marketing strategies and the development of diversified channels, with supply chain cooperation being a secondary consideration.

After listening, Chen Mo pursed his lips and had already made a preliminary decision in his mind about who would take charge of the marketing department after Zhao Tiezhu went to pursue further studies.

Lu Yuanshan had only been with the company for a week and didn't seem to fully understand that Orange Technology's core value was "technology-driven" rather than simply "marketing-first".

After resting, Chen Mo asked Gong Yun, who was exhausted, to hand her backpack to Xiao Zheng. The five of them then set off to tackle the last and steepest section of the mountain.

Just before they were about to climb to the viewing platform, Chen Mo suddenly sent Lu Yuanshan to buy a few bottles of water from an old lady selling water at a nearby stall.

Lu Yuanshan was stunned for a moment, then seemed to understand something, and a helpless bitter smile appeared on his face.

Gong Yun smiled gently at him and said, "I'll go with you!", which eased his embarrassment.

Lin Xiaxia felt a surge of excitement as she watched this scene.

According to the unspoken rules of the "mountain climbing and sightseeing" event that Fang Zhihui had previously revealed to her, those who could ultimately ascend the sightseeing platform with President Chen were basically the ones selected for promotion.

It seems she won this time!
When Chen Mo and Lin Xiaoxia finally stood on the Yangtaishan Scenic Platform, there were no other tourists around because it was not a holiday and the Dalangshan side was quite steep.

A mountain breeze caressed their faces, and the view was excellent. Chen Mo pointed into the distance and introduced to Lin Xiaxia, "Yangtai Mountain spans Bao'an, Longhua, and Nanshan, with a vertical elevation of nearly 500 meters. It is the highest peak in western Shenzhen."

Lin Xiaxia couldn't help but open her arms wide, feeling the vastness of "standing at the top of the mountain." In essence, she was still a young person, a young person who was growing rapidly with the help of Orange Technology.

“wo~wo~wo”

She couldn't help but shout out to the mountains, expressing her excitement and joy.

Chen Mo looked at her, his tone becoming serious.

"Xia, now that your General Manager Zhao is going to pursue further studies, I'm handing over all the work in the marketing department to you!"

He paused, then continued, "I hope you can continue the talent development management model that your CEO Zhao used."

With the company officially entering the Greater Ross market this year and taking its first step towards globalization, talent reserves are a key issue.

When Tie Zhu was around, he brought out your 'Four Heavenly Kings'.

When you went to the west, you also brought out the 'Twelve Vajras'.

"Don't wait until you get promoted, or our marketing department's talent pipeline will be cut off."

Lin Xiaoxia nodded confidently and earnestly: "President Chen, rest assured, I will definitely not let the marketing department run out of talent!"

Chen Mo nodded in satisfaction.

"Lu Yuanshan is a veteran in the industry with rich experience. He will be your deputy in the future, and you should make good use of his strengths."

But remember, we are always a technology company with 'technology' at its core and 'channels' as a supplement. Never put the cart before the horse and turn Orange into a purely marketing company.

“I understand, Mr. Chen!” Lin Xiaxia replied solemnly.

Then, Chen Mo gave Lin Xiaxia a few pointers on the future strategic direction of the marketing department and the things to pay attention to during the internationalization process.

The two lingered on the viewing platform for a moment before slowly descending the mountain.

Back at the place where Gong Yun and Lu Yuanshan were waiting, Chen Mo looked at them and said with a smile, "We've already reached the top of the mountain, why don't we go up and take a look?"

Gong Yun responded humorously, "I'll move up when Mr. Chen promotes me!"

Lu Yuanshan pursed his lips, glanced at Lin Xiaoxia with a complicated look, then turned to Chen Mo, his tone sincere but tinged with resentment.

"Mr. Chen, I look forward to climbing the Panorama Terrace with you in the future."

"Ha ha!"

Gong Yun stepped in to smooth things over and ease the tension.

"President Chen, it seems that from now on, all the ambitious young people at Orange Technology will have to practice mountain climbing! This 'climbing to the summit' is likely to become a regular event for our company's talent selection!"

Chen Mo laughed as well: "Brother Wei once told me that whether I like it or not, it's inevitable that those above will follow suit."

Then I won't deliberately avoid it.

Whether it becomes a healthy company culture or not, hiking is not only good for your health but also tests your character, which is far better than those degenerate cultures that involve roundabout conversations and drinking contests at the dinner table!

Upon hearing this, the group smiled knowingly, and the journey down the mountain seemed much easier.

The following day, a mobilization meeting was held at the shared conference center in Building B of the Far Orange Building.

All team leaders and above department managers from the company gathered together.

Chen Mo stood on the stage, his gaze sweeping over each core member below, his voice steady and powerful:
Colleagues!
Today, we are here to bid farewell to our two partners who are about to embark on a long journey!
One of them is Zhao Tiezhu, our marketing manager. He will be leaving us temporarily to pursue advanced studies for three years, accumulating even greater energy for the grand blueprint of Orange's future!

The other is Fang Zhihui, a pioneer in our global market expansion, and his team of three. They will represent Orange in a trip to Great Russia to officially launch our globalization strategy!

The applause of the audience was thunderous.

"Globalization means a bigger stage, but it also means greater challenges!"

But I believe that with the fighting spirit of us Orange people and with our excellent technology and products, we will definitely be able to open up a new world for Orange on that vast land!

We also believe that our Marketing Director, Mr. Zhao, will bring us more cutting-edge concepts and technologies upon his return after completing his studies!

Chen Mo's speech was impassioned and greatly boosted morale.

Subsequently, Fang Zhihui, representing the expedition team, went on stage and made a pledge.

"Please rest assured, Mr. Chen, and please rest assured, the company!"
Our four-person team will certainly live up to expectations, go all out, overcome all difficulties, and resolutely complete the expansion tasks assigned by the company, ensuring that the Orange banner flies high in the Greater Ross market!

When it was Zhao Tiezhu's turn to speak, his demeanor changed completely. He said in a carefree manner, "Brothers, I, Old Zhao, am going to study for three years, but I'm coming back to do something big."

When the time comes, I want to build our own new energy vehicles!
"Everyone, you'd better make sure you have plenty of ammunition for the next three years!"

Then, true to his old ways, he shouted loudly to Lin Xiaxia, who was about to take over, "Xiaxia! From now on, I'm entrusting the management of these guys in the marketing department to you!"

Chen Mo and Gong Yun, sitting in the audience, exchanged a glance and couldn't help but smile wryly.

Building a headquarters like "Orange Town" now requires nearly 30 billion yuan.

If the investment in car manufacturing is astronomical in three years, we'll talk about it then.

Chen Mo and Gong Yun were well aware that Chengzi currently did not have many advantages in car manufacturing.

In the three most important systems of new energy vehicles, only Yuancheng's honeycomb power battery has technological reserves, Chengke's motor is still under development, and the BMS power management system is almost non-existent.

After the rally, Chen Mo invited Gong Yun, who was holding Xiaomi, and Zhao Tiezhu to have a simple dinner together as a farewell dinner.

At the dinner table, Chen Mo, unusually serious, gave Zhao Tiezhu some instructions.

"When you get to North America, you'd better be careful. The environment there is complicated. I won't say much else, but you'd better be careful with women and don't get set up!"

Zhao Tiezhu put away his usual playful demeanor and made a serious promise.

"Brother Chen, don't worry, I know what I'm doing!"

Then he chuckled, revealing his true nature: "Hey, Brother Chen, you see, I'm going to pursue further studies, and I'm a bit worried about the funding..."

Chen Mo laughed in exasperation: "You still owe me 500,000 yuan!"

Zhao Tiezhu muttered, "Didn't I pay you back three thousand last year, and then another three thousand this year?"

Chen Mo remained silent.

"Your annual salary plus bonuses is almost a million yuan, I really don't know how you spend it!"

Gong Yun watched the two bicker like children, and couldn't help but lower her eyes and chuckle. She gently stroked the little kitten in her arms, and then spoke to Zhao Tiezhu.

"Xiao Zhao! President Chen has already arranged the money for you."

You have an employee stock ownership plan representing 5% of Yuancheng's total share capital. This year, Yuancheng is launching its Series A financing round, and Mr. Chen will prioritize helping you realize a portion of it!

Zhao Tiezhu's eyes lit up, and he asked curiously, "Sister Gong, how many can there be?"

Gong Yun patiently explained: "Yuancheng's current lowest valuation given by the capital market is about 800 billion. A 5% equity pool is 40 billion. According to the plan, you can get about 0.6% in three years, which is about 2400 million."

"Be good!"

Zhao Tiezhu suddenly stood up, so excited that he waved his arms and legs, wildly mimicking a set of incoherent boxing techniques in the air, his excitement overflowing.

Chen Mo pretended to look disgusted.

"Are you out of your mind? Don't tell anyone you're Chen Mo's brother when you go out! Your marketing department handles five or six hundred million in revenue every month, is it really necessary to get this worked up over such a small amount?"

After finally calming down, Zhao Tiezhu grinned and said, "Brother Chen, is it really necessary? Of course it is! That revenue is the company's money, but these 20 million are mine! I can buy as many sports cars as I want in the future!"

Chen Mo was both amused and exasperated, and gave him a sharp rap on the head: "You think you can buy a sports car with this little money? Do you even know how to drive one?"
I've already planned out the money for you.

Listen to me, take half and buy Apple and Tesla stocks, and keep the other half for your usual expenses and socializing in North America.

"Huh?" Zhao Tiezhu immediately deflated: "Brother Chen, you have your eye on Pingguo and Tesla. The company can invest in them themselves. Why use my money?"

Chen Mo gave him a mock kick, clearly annoyed.

"Get lost! What do you know? These two companies' stocks still have a lot of room for growth in the future."

Otherwise, why do you think I would be willing to include them in the Zhicheng unified procurement system?
This is called combining strategic planning with financial investment! We're letting you buy so you can benefit too!

Although Zhao Tiezhu didn't quite understand, he nodded earnestly out of unconditional trust in Chen Mo.

"Got it, Brother Chen! I'll do as you say. Half will be used to buy stocks, and the other half for networking. We'll also see if we can poach some car manufacturing talent from North America, especially Tesla!"

"Yes, that's right!" Chen Mo nodded.

"It would be best to pay attention to the people on Tesla's side."

You should also pay attention to those foreign car brands that have a strong foundation but are poorly managed. We lack the foundation to manufacture cars, so acquiring an existing brand as a shell and a platform for learning technology is one possible approach!

Zhao Tiezhu slapped his thigh: "Got it! Brother Chen, I know this trick all too well!"
Our Yuancheng, Chengke, Chengchuang, and Chengjia all originated from this!

First, acquire or take a controlling stake, then gain technological control, gradually penetrate management, and finally fully assimilate them, turning them into our 'Orange Group' elite force!

After thinking about it carefully, Chen Mo realized that the kid's summary actually made some sense.

Except for Orange Treasure, which was incubated by Orange's internal studio, the other companies under the Orange Group have indeed followed this expansion model of "first controlling technology, then integrating management".

He looked at Zhao Tiezhu, his eyes flashing with anticipation: hoping that this advanced study would allow this veteran and good brother, who was gradually falling behind the company's development speed, to regain his vitality and shine even more brightly in the new era.

(End of this chapter)