Tech startup: I really do make mobile phones!

Chapter 234 Oranges - Fixed Production
The office of the general manager of Orange Technology is located on the 16th floor of Building B in the Yuancheng Building.

The morning sunlight streamed through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a clear halo on the floor and making the interior's main color scheme of sophisticated white and natural wood even more technologically advanced.

Chen Mo sat upright behind his large desk, with three monitors placed side by side in front of him, calmly browsing technology news and market reports from around the world.

The only sounds in the air were the occasional crisp taps of his keyboard and clicks of his mouse, contrasting with the faint buzzing of the park outside the window.

His attention was first drawn to the series of reports on the International Consumer Electronics Show (ICEE).

As expected, the front pages of major international technology media outlets were dominated by dazzling new products from giants such as Apple, Sanjing, and LC, with considerable coverage.

Domestic companies like Fantasy Group, which integrated Motorola after its acquisition, and Chrysanthemum Corporation, which relied on its deep expertise in communications and terminal products, also gained a certain degree of international exposure.

The name "Cheng Zi" was like a pebble thrown into a lake in these major reports, failing to create any significant ripples.

"Indeed, building brand awareness is not something that can be done overnight."

Chen Mo silently thought to himself, not feeling too disappointed.

Oranges have long been accustomed to finding their own opportunities in the cracks of the market.

However, one phenomenon did catch his attention.

Japanese brands that once dominated the consumer electronics field, such as Sony, Sharp, and Sungia, were almost completely silent in international media coverage of this exhibition.

When it is mentioned, it is mostly about its traditional business or component supply, and its innovation in end products has declined.

"Times have changed!" he sighed softly.

In Chen Mo's mind, the current global landscape of consumer electronics was clearly outlined.

North America (especially Apple) has firmly controlled the high-end market by leveraging its ecosystem and brand premium;
Korean companies (Sanjing, LC) rely on their full-industry chain advantages and aggressive counter-cyclical expansion to compete with North America in the mid-to-high-end market;
China, with its unparalleled supply chain efficiency, cost control, and ever-improving quality, has become the undisputed king of the low-to-mid-end market and is constantly pushing its way into the high-end market.

In the consumer electronics field, this is an era where the "American, Cold, and Rare" three-way balance is constantly being broken.

As for Japan and South Korea, sorry, we've fallen behind!
After a patient search, he finally found a report in the online edition of the Mosk Times, a newspaper dominated by Dutch people, which was not overly complimentary but all the more valuable.

"30-second charging? -60℃ operation? The authenticity of the 'orange phone' that supposedly grows flowers sparks heated debate among experts."

The report details the technical controversy sparked by the Orange booth at the exhibition.

In particular, the super-fast charging performance of gaseous lithium and its claimed ability to operate in extreme environments have made some local technical experts deeply skeptical, but they also acknowledge that the product experience it has demonstrated is "impressive".

Chen Mo smiled slightly. He knew that this was probably due to Orange Micro Motor's successful entry into ASMI's supply chain.

This sparked Dutch media's curiosity about "CZ," the parent company behind the mysterious "CK."

Controversy, attention, even questioning, is far better than being ignored.

Chengzi's skills are genuine; he's not afraid of scrutiny.

As for the local Moscow media outlets that received travel expenses for their reports, he didn't need to search for them personally; the market research department would compile and summarize them.

Fang Zhihui went to develop the Ross market, and Wang Kai's market research department also sent a compliance specialist there, who also took on employee care responsibilities.

Expanding into overseas markets requires patience, strategy, and solid product strength.

Orange has already taken its first step.

After dealing with the affairs of Ross, Chen Mo turned his attention to the broader global technology stage.

Apple officially released the second-generation iPad and publicly announced for the first time the development of the iOS in Car (later renamed CarPlay) in-vehicle infotainment system, intending to extend Apple's ecosystem empire into the automotive field.

"Cook is a top-notch businessman!" Chen Mo whispered.

He acknowledged the new leader of Pingguo's ability to excel in supply chain management and business operations, but remained skeptical of his product aesthetics and disruptive innovation.

Meanwhile, a covert battle for power and ideology is unfolding in Pingguo, far away in North America.

The relationship between Chief Research and Development Designer (CRO) Jeff and CEO Cook is becoming increasingly strained due to issues with the R&D budget and design freedom of the Apple Watch.

Some tabloids even used the word "break," implying that Jeff was dissatisfied with Cook's overemphasis on cost and profit, which led to a decline in the influence of the design and development department, and that his future was uncertain.

Cook quickly calmed the restless atmosphere on Wall Street by announcing that the development of the Apple 5, "Last Work of Roberts," had entered its final stage.

Chen Mo, on the other hand, observed the gossip on the internet, realizing just how complex the power struggles within large corporations can be.

Jeff is quite talented; he was involved in the entire research and development of the Apple 4 and 4S. However, he lives far away in North America, and Apple's facilities are too small to accommodate him.

Our attention has turned to the new energy sector.

Tesla has announced that it has overcome all the production challenges of its Model S and will deliver 5000 vehicles to the first batch of pre-order customers in North America in June, promising a "revolutionary performance upgrade" at that time.

More notably, Maestro announced that Tesla would collaborate deeply with Sunrise and successfully secured a $4.65 million low-interest loan from the North American Department of Energy.

The plan is to build a "super factory" in the Nevada desert, comparable to the Shenzhen Yuancheng New Energy Base, with the goal of producing tens of millions of battery cells annually.

Chen Mo shook his head and chuckled as he read the report in which Maestro lavished praise on the Far Orange plantation and exaggerated the sense of crisis that "North America is lagging behind in the battery field."

This guy is a master at manipulating public opinion and capital. Yuancheng's production capacity is still ramping up, but he has already used it as a perfect model and hypothetical enemy to lobby President Black in North America.

The headlines in academia, however, are exhilarating.

The Daya Bay Neutrino Experiment has achieved a major breakthrough, with Chinese scientists successfully discovering a third neutrino oscillation mode. This achievement was named one of the top ten scientific breakthroughs of the year by the journal Science.

"Well done!" Chen Mo exclaimed sincerely.

This reminded him of when gaseous lithium technology emerged in 2010, and it was also included on the list.

But the Nobel Prize, why is there absolutely no buzz about it?

He had already looked into the complicated nomination and judging rules, which were more like a "club" that required connections and long-term management within the industry to enter.

Stop saying that foreigners don't have nepotism or favoritism. A candidate needs to be nominated by a previous Nobel Prize winner, which directly eliminates many people!
Chen Mo remained calm about this, knowing that his situation was sensitive.

There are some international stages that we shouldn't force for the time being.

The domestic tech scene was equally vibrant.

361 Security, a company that started with security software, announced its entry into the mobile phone industry. Its founder, Zhou Hongyi, and Lei Jun, founder of Xiaomai, even joined forces to stage a marketing farce on social media called "fighting in Chaoyang Park," which attracted a lot of attention.

"They're all ancient foxes!"

Chen Mo saw through it at a glance; it was nothing more than a publicity stunt where both sides were using each other's influence to gain attention. Even negative publicity is still publicity.

The later showdown between Zuckerberg and Markus generated immense buzz, causing their faces to become familiar and Tesla's market value to skyrocket, but ultimately the fight never materialized.

Meanwhile, the three internet giants, BTA, and Alibaba, have also been making frequent moves:
After Ali launched its AliCloud OS last year, its subsidiary Qingyun Technology personally stepped in and released the Qingyun phone, which was sold at cost price, in an attempt to promote its own system.
Baidu and Tencent followed suit, launching their own Baidu OS and Tencent OS.

However, judging from the dismal sales of only 5 units in the first three months of the Qingyun phone's launch, it seems that the internet giants are still testing the waters and have not yet fully committed themselves.

After a brief analysis, Chen Mo concluded that this would not have an immediate impact on the mainstream mobile phone market, and therefore ceased to pay close attention to it.

Rubbing his temples, which were slightly sore from staying up all night working on the mass production process of the third-generation Phoenix Glass, Chen Mo got up and walked towards a hidden door in the office that looked like a decorative wall.

Gently push open the door, and you'll find a simply furnished yet fully functional private lounge.

He needs to conserve his energy for the tough battles to come.

After an unknown amount of time, Chen Mo was awakened by the ringing of the internal phone on his desk.

He straightened his clothes and returned to his desk to answer the call.

"President Chen, we received news from General Manager Jiang in the Technical Department that all pre-production tests for the Orange 3 have been completed, the prototype is in stable condition, and we can hold a production mobilization meeting now!"

Zhou Yumeng's clear and capable voice came through.

"Very good!" Chen Mo's spirits lifted: "Notify all department managers of Orange Technology, as well as representatives of Orange Treasure and Smart Orange who are cooperating with this project, to meet in Conference Room 1 on the 10th floor in half an hour."

"Understood. I'll arrange it immediately."

Half an hour later, Chen Mo walked out of the office, led by Zhou Yumeng.

After passing through her clearly defined and well-organized "L"-shaped secretary work area, one enters the high-speed elevator reserved for senior executives.

The elevator arrived at the 10th floor smoothly and quickly.

The moment the door opened, Zhou Yumeng quickly stepped forward and pushed open the heavy solid wood door of the No. 1 shared meeting room.

"President Chen has arrived!"

With Zhou Yumeng's clear voice, the previously faint conversation in the meeting room instantly disappeared.

All attendees sat around the oval conference table.
Gong Yun from the Logistics Department, Lin Xiaoxia from the Marketing Department, Jiang Yu from the Technology Department, Shi Xin from the Finance Department, Lin Junfeng from the Legal Department, Wang Kai from the Market Research Department, as well as Wang Teng, Technical Director of Chengbao Internet, and Zeng Baifang, General Manager of Zhicheng Procurement.

They stood up in unison, like well-trained soldiers.

All eyes were instantly drawn to the doorway, and a silence filled the air, a mixture of respect, anticipation, and a touch of tension.

Chen Mo walked in with steady steps, his gaze sweeping across the faces of every core member with a calm yet penetrating intensity, a hint of barely perceptible approval on his face.

He gently raised his hand and pressed it down: "We're all family, no need for formalities, please sit down!"

Everyone then sat down as instructed, their postures still upright.

Zhou Yumeng quickly took her place at the designated recording area behind Chen Mo and opened her notebook.

Without any unnecessary pleasantries, Chen Mo cut straight to the point, his voice steady and powerful. "Gentlemen, we have just received confirmation that Jianggong's technical department has successfully completed all pre-production testing for the Orange 3."

This means that we will now officially enter the critical sprint stage of production ordering, capacity ramp-up, and market launch.

He turned his gaze to Jiang Yu: "Jiang Engineer, before we discuss the specific arrangements, let everyone experience firsthand the results of our hard work over the past six months!"

Jiang Yu nodded and took out several engineering prototypes wrapped in protective shells from a specially made secure box beside him, distributing them to the core executives present one by one.

When the prototype was actually held in their hands, carefully examined and scrutinized, even these executives who were already familiar with the parameters couldn't help but reveal a look of amazement in their eyes, and subtle exclamations of surprise could be faintly heard in the quiet conference room.

The Orange 3 smartphone brings a new experience to everyone.

Positive visual impact:

The 4.3-inch TFT screen features a stunning 7.2mm ultra-narrow bezel thanks to Jingdongfang's leading COG packaging technology, resulting in a screen-to-body ratio of up to 65%, far exceeding that of mainstream competitors (which typically have a screen-to-body ratio of around 58%).

The moment the screen lights up, the field of vision is wide open, and the content seems to overflow from the palm of your hand.

The earpiece and front-facing camera are strictly centered and symmetrical, with three physical capacitive buttons (back, home, and menu) with soft amber backlighting below. They can be clearly seen even in low light conditions, and the overall design exudes a rigorous, balanced, and orderly aesthetic.

Body feel and texture:
The phone features a meticulously crafted 2.5D curved tempered glass back cover with perfectly curved edges that fit the palm of your hand, providing a smooth and comfortable grip.

The three main color options featured this time, "Obsidian Black," "Coral Blue," and "Honey Gold," are not simple solid colors, but rather reflect a delicate shimmering effect under specific lighting conditions, showcasing understated luxury.

The edges of the glass back cover are also etched with a fine diamond-shaped anti-slip texture, ensuring that it is not easy to slip during use, reflecting a dual consideration of detail and practicality.

The soul of the design is the futuristic dynamic cooling system, which is the most distinctive feature of the Orange 3.

The central part of the back is not just a simple decoration, but an exposed copper pipe that integrates the YML-3.0 leaf vein micro-cooling system.

These pipes are bent and welded with exquisite precision, forming the abstract outline of Orange Technology's brand logo "CZ".

Even more ingenious is that the surface of the copper tube is covered with a special electrochromic graphene coating.

In standby or low-load conditions, it blends seamlessly with the back cover color, appearing understated and subtle.

Chen Mo personally picked up a "coral blue" prototype and gently pressed the power button.

The Orange OS 3.0 system interface is presented smoothly. Based on Android 4.0, it is a deeply customized multi-language version. Whether it is the icon design, interactive animation or color matching, it reflects a unique "cyberpunk aesthetic", which is smooth and intuitive.

Chen Mo quickly clicked on the four pre-installed games provided by Orange Treasure Internet:

In addition to the familiar games "Orange Treasure Racing" and "Orange Treasure Cool Run" (both of which have been upgraded to support four-player online battles, and a computer-controlled replacement mechanism has been added to address the initial unstable 3G/4G network conditions),
There are also two brand-new titles, "Defend the Orange" (tower defense) and "Orange Wars" (strategy). Due to tight development schedules, the latter two have not yet included online functionality.

Chen Mo was the first to experience the online mode of "Orange Treasure Racing". With the help of the test 4G network deployed inside the Yuancheng Building, he smoothly completed a lap and easily won the championship.

While the computer's behavior patterns were somewhat rigid, network latency was well controlled.

He then quickly tried out three other games.

Soon, Chen Mo keenly noticed a difference. The game's overall art style seemed to have deviated from Orange Treasure's early "pure and cute" approach, incorporating some more mature and "seductive and cute" elements.

He put down his phone, turned his gaze to Wang Teng, and spoke in a calm but scrutinizing tone.

"Wang Teng, the art style of these games has changed quite a bit!"

Wang Teng's expression changed slightly, and he immediately stood up to explain.

"Mr. Chen, due to the simultaneous development of four games, our internal art team is facing a severe shortage of production capacity, and we have had to outsource some art resources to a third-party studio."

However, the feedback after its launch was very positive; the new art style increased the daily active users of both "Orange Run" and "Orange Racing" by 17%!

"And," he paused, then added somewhat awkwardly, "this game studio's angel investor is Brother Zhao!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Mo's eyes flashed with understanding, then he chuckled, with a hint of teasing.

"That kid Zhao Tiezhu, he's quite resourceful. Letting him go to Shanghai to focus on learning foreign languages, he's got a knack for it!"

"However," he said, his smile fading, "you have good judgment. Since Zhao Tiezhu invested in you, you can be considered half one of us."

Wang Teng, please provide more support to Chengbao in terms of technology and distribution resources so that we can work together to make the product a success.

Originally, Chen Mo thought that Chengbao was short of people, so he sent Lin Junfeng to acquire the studio. But since Zhao Tiezhu invested, he decided to let it go!

It's just a studio, so let Zhao Tiezhu experience what it's like to be an angel investor!

After this little incident, Chen Mo gestured to Jiang Yu, wanting to see the actual effect of the cooling system with his own eyes.

Jiang Yu took the prototype from Chen Mo, quickly entered the engineering development mode, input the command, and forcibly activated the YML-3.0 system.

The next moment, a suppressed gasp echoed in the conference room.

On the back of the phone, the copper tube outlining the "CZ" logo had its original dark coating seemingly infused with a life-giving energy.
Starting from the bottom, a warm and vibrant fluorescent orange, like the juice of a ripe orange, slowly and evenly spreads and flows upwards, eventually illuminating the entire outline of the orange logo.

The phone is dazzling and features extremely smooth and futuristic dynamic effects, as if it contains a breathing energy core.

"It's so shocking!"

Chen Mo took the phone back, holding it with obvious delight, his face beaming with barely suppressed excitement and pride.

"In the past, our Orange 1 and Orange 2 were only practical and functional in terms of appearance. We were often ridiculed online by people like Luo Yonghao for having 'technical straight male aesthetics'."

With the release of Orange 3, let's see who dares to say our designs are bad!

This design, this unique technological feel—it's absolutely one of a kind in the market!

He even jokingly remarked, "If it weren't for Ye Xinghong of Orange Company treating Li Qiaoli like a treasure and keeping a close eye on her, I would really want to poach her and make her the chief designer for our mobile phone product line!"

Upon hearing this, the executives in the audience all smiled knowingly.

Everyone knows this is almost an impossible task. Liu Zhiyu, the technical director of Orange Home, is still "exchanging and learning" at Orange Technology in Chongqing and can't come back yet. How could Ye Xinghong possibly let go of the core designer as well?

After the joke, Chen Mo's expression turned serious, and the atmosphere in the entire conference room became serious and focused.

He cleared his throat, and the meeting moved on to its core agenda—the mobilization for the production of Orange 3 and the deployment of its full-scale market launch:
Logistics Department (Gong Yun): Ensures the efficient and stable operation of the company as a whole, and provides a solid rear base.

During the launch of a new product, all logistical support, including administration, logistics, security, and personnel allocation, must be seamlessly integrated and foolproof.

Marketing Department (Lin Xiaoxia): Immediately launch the "Orange Wind Plan" marketing pre-launch campaign.

Develop a complete and impactful publicity plan within a week.

At the same time, we proactively contacted and confirmed the inventory plans and delivery capabilities of all non-Orange component suppliers (such as screens, chips, external sensors, etc.) to ensure unimpeded supply chain flow.

Technical Department (Jiangyu): Provide the final version of mass production process guidance documents and testing standards, and immediately start small-batch pilot production line at our own contract manufacturer (no less than 5000 units).
Strictly monitor the stability of key modules such as production yield, quality consistency, and cooling system to remove the final obstacles to large-scale mass production.

Finance Department (Shi Xin): Overall coordination of funds.

We will quickly recover the working capital that was tied up after the end of the Orange 2 project and closely monitor the settlement of returns from the foreign exchange and gold futures investments in cooperation with Morgan Stanley.

Ensure sufficient "ammunition" to support the initial large-scale production, material procurement, and market promotion of Orange 3.

Ministry of Justice (Lin Junfeng): Launch "Operation Fortress".

He was fully responsible for the unique exterior design of the Orange 3 (especially the dynamic cooling system), the UI/UX interface, and any patentable technological innovations.

Both domestically and internationally, we pay particular attention to patent applications in markets we have already entered or plan to enter, in order to build a solid intellectual property barrier and prevent potential disputes.

Market Research Department (Wang Kai): Implement the "Window Action".

We conducted in-depth research into the competitive landscape of the market, combined with historical data, and accurately analyzed and selected the optimal release window for Orange 3.

The objective is clear: to avoid the fierce competition between international giants and domestic manufacturers in September and October, and to concentrate resources on the relatively empty prime time period from late May to early September, striving to monopolize market attention.

Chengbao Internet (Wang Teng): Established an "Experience Optimization Team".

We will continue to optimize the online battle experience of "Orange Treasure Racing" and "Orange Treasure Run", with a focus on improving the intelligence level and behavioral diversity of computer opponents.

At the same time, we will accelerate the development of online functions for the two new games, "Defend Orange" and "Orange Wars," and strive to launch an update shortly after the mobile phone release to enhance user engagement.

Zhicheng Unified Procurement (Zeng Baifang): Launched the "Collaborative Guarantee" mechanism.

We are making every effort to coordinate the internal supply chain resources of the Orange Group to ensure a stable supply and quality of core components such as the Phoenix Glass (FH-1.0) cover plate, fuselage, YML-3.0 blade cooling system, and gaseous lithium battery.

We will absolutely not allow any delays or quality issues to occur during the "our own brothers" stage.

General Manager's Secretary (Zhou Yumeng): Preparing to once again fulfill the duties of "Chief Experience Officer (CXO)".

Begin participating in the preparation of the new product launch event immediately, including venue selection, process design, speech writing, and visual presentation.

To ensure that this launch event perfectly conveys the design aesthetics and technological breakthroughs of the Orange 3.

Chen Mo leaned forward slightly, his hands resting on the table. His gaze was piercing as he slowly swept over each of the executives present. His voice was calm yet carried an undeniable power:
"Ladies and gentlemen, the Orange 3 is more than just a new product. It is a crucial turning point for Orange Technology to shed its labels of 'cost-effectiveness' and 'technologically practical but mediocre design,' and upgrade its brand to 'design-led and technology-driven'!"
The 'sharp sword' in our hands has been tempered and its edge is beginning to show. Now, each of us needs to lead our respective teams to win this crucial battle—a battle where victory is the only option!

The tasks for each department have been clearly defined. What I want to see is execution and results! Meeting adjourned!

"Yes, Mr. Chen!" The unanimous response was full of confidence and determination.

As Chen Mo finished speaking, a crucial battle concerning the future of Orange Technology, and determining whether it could truly gain a foothold and break through the encirclement in the fiercely competitive global consumer electronics market, entered its final countdown.

Everyone understood four words from Chen Mo's deep and determined gaze: target big companies, determined to succeed.

(End of this chapter)