Tech startup: I really do make mobile phones!

Chapter 9: A Hot Trend or a Huge Pit?
The morning light peeked through the cracks in the small window of the rented room, casting a few rays of light on the gray cement floor.

The bunk bed creaked as Chen Mo slowly woke up, propping himself up halfway with his hands. His head was still a little dizzy, and the aftereffects of the hangover made him subconsciously rub his throbbing temples with his fingers.

As soon as the drowsy feeling subsided, Chen Mo opened his eyes and was immediately greeted by a strong smell of lamb skewers.

He suddenly sniffed and looked in the direction of the smell. He saw a familiar yellow paper bag from a barbecue stall on the grassland lying in the trash can, with oil stains already seeping out of the bag.

Chen Mo shook his head helplessly, tapped the bed board above his head, and chuckled in a slightly hoarse voice, "Zhao Tiezhu! You little rascal, you were sneaking around eating all by yourself yesterday!"

A creaking sound came from the upper bunk, and a furry head drooped down.

Zhao Tiezhu's single eyelids narrowed into slits as he smiled: "Brother Chen, you're wronging an innocent man. Last night you were completely drunk, and I was worried the meat skewers would get cold and upset my stomach, so I did it for you in response to the 'Clean Plate Campaign,' otherwise it would be such a waste if they went bad!"

Chen Mo got up, stretched, and moved his still sore shoulders, saying, "That's quite a plausible excuse you came up with!"

Zhao Tiezhu's eyes darted around, and he reminded him with a smile, "Brother Chen! You made a big promise yesterday, saying that if Orange Generation 1 sells well, you'd give me a year and a half's salary as a bonus. I remember that!"

Chen Mo was delighted upon hearing this.

He pointed at Zhao Tiezhu: "You little rascal! You really know how to switch things up. I clearly said it was half a year's salary. You've got a really clever plan. Aren't you afraid I'll default on the debt? You've tried to steal a chicken but ended up losing the rice instead."

Zhao Tiezhu smiled broadly and said casually, "Brother Chen! You're not the kind of person to renege on your debts! Since I started working with you, I've been busy with Orange Generation 1, and I've stayed up a lot of nights."

He sat up, looking very dutiful.

"If you really give me a year and a half's bonus, Brother Chen, I'll sleep in the workshop and work overtime to assemble the parts. I'll even save you the final subcontracting fee. So, will you agree?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Mo laughed and joked, "Tiezhu, you're really risking your life for money."

"However, do you think our company can produce the first batch of 1000 Orange phones if we release the Orange 1st generation ahead of schedule in late June?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Tiezhu looked surprised. He straightened up instantly from his previously carefree sitting posture and blurted out.

"What! Wasn't the Orange 1 originally scheduled for release in September? How come it's been moved up so much? That's such a rushed schedule!"

Chen Mo smiled mysteriously, keeping everyone in suspense.

"You're so out of touch! I call this 'borrowing the east wind,' do you even understand the value of 'standing in the right place at the right time'?"

Zhao Tiezhu looked puzzled and asked, "Brother Chen! What are you planning to take advantage of?"

There was a discouraging remark Zhao Tiezhu didn't say, for fear of discouraging him.

Don't end up not getting any favorable winds, but instead being blown around by strong winds and losing your bearings.

Orange Technology is a small workshop that hasn't even established itself yet, so it can't afford any setbacks. If Brother Chen blindly follows the trend and ends up with nothing, and he can't even pay his own salary next month, then he'll be in real trouble.

Chen Mo, however, had no idea what Zhao Tiezhu was thinking, and instead confidently asked a question in return.

Do you know about the Apple 3G phone?

Upon hearing this, Zhao Tiezhu immediately perked up. As a skilled disassembly and assembly worker who had worked in North China for many years, how could he not know about this popular mobile phone that still held its value in North China?

He nodded eagerly: "Of course I know! This phone was really popular for a while. I heard that its manufacturer is in North America, and it's a pretty well-known tech company."

Chen Mo patted Zhao Tiezhu on the shoulder and said with a smile, "It's this Apple company. They're going to release a groundbreaking smartphone in North America in early June, but they won't officially launch it in China until September."

"Our Orange Technology is going to take advantage of the smartphone boom caused by Apple phones in China, and during the gap between June and September when domestic smartphones are starting to heat up, we will be the first to release our first domestic smartphone!" After hearing this, Zhao Tiezhu was not as excited as Chen Mo, but frowned slightly.

Smartphones!!!

Dongfeng? ???

Isn't this smartphone craze a huge trap?!
Two years ago, the media was already buzzing about the emergence of a revolutionary smartphone, with Nokia, BlackBerry, and HYC taking turns jumping into this pit.

This smartphone trend isn't a hot one at all, it's clearly a huge pitfall!
This is not surprising. The arrival of the Apple 4 completely overturned the market's perception of mobile phones.

It has redefined the smartphone industry standard and optimized the user experience through comprehensive innovation in material processing, display technology, imaging capabilities, hardware performance, and system ecosystem.

Zhao Tiezhu's impression of smartphones is still stuck on the slow-responding Android system, where you have to swipe with your finger for ages, or the comical action of having to swipe with your fingernail when you lose your stylus.

Zhao Tiezhu's face was full of worry, but when he spoke, he tried to be as tactful as possible.

"Brother Chen! I know this perfectly well; this is indeed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

“But look at this time, it’s really too tight.” He counted on his fingers as he spoke, “From the procurement of parts, we have to carefully consider which supplier is reliable and which one offers the best price.”

"The assembly process is even more crucial; the slightest mistake could render the phone a defective product."

"The final quality inspection is of utmost importance. Even the slightest flaw could render all our previous efforts futile."

Zhao Tiezhu looked at Chen Mo with sincere eyes and said earnestly, "Brother Chen! I really think we need to do the preparations perfectly before releasing Orange Generation 1."

Seemingly in an effort to increase the persuasiveness of his words, Zhao Tiezhu even resorted to reverse psychology.

"Brother Chen, don't forget the bold words you made yesterday in front of your competitors in North China, promising to make Orange Technology a globally recognized technology brand?"

"If you ruin your reputation because of hasty preparations, Old Wang will laugh you to death!"

Chen Mo met Zhao Tiezhu's worried gaze with a firm expression and an unwavering determination in his eyes.

"Tiezhu! Listen to me, the smartphone that Apple will release in North America in early June will definitely cause a huge upheaval in the global market and completely overturn the status quo of the mobile phone industry."

"We must seize this opportunity and launch our Orange 1st generation in late June. The first batch of 1000 units must be delivered, not a single one can be missing." He said as he paced around the small room, each step firm and powerful, as if he were measuring the future of Orange Technology.

Zhao Tiezhu wanted to speak again to dissuade him, but before he could finish, Chen Mo waved his hand, raised his voice, and adopted the authority of a boss.

"Tiezhu! I'm the boss of Orange Technology, and I'm the one who calls the shots in this matter."

"Late June!" His voice echoed in the simple rented room, carrying a powerful, do-or-die spirit: "The Orange 1st generation must be officially released. Our Orange Technology will release the first smartphone in China and fire the first shot that will shake the market!"

Looking at Chen Mo's resolute expression, Zhao Tiezhu felt helpless and secretly thought that Brother Chen had been blinded by the empty title of being the number one smartphone.

He hung his head and reluctantly got out of bed, slowly putting on the faded T-shirt as he buttoned it, silently calculating in his mind.

If the early release of the Orange 1st generation in late June goes wrong, I don't know if I'll even have a salary next month.

Zhao Tiezhu frowned deeply, his heart filled with worry about next month.

(End of this chapter)