Rebirth 08: Can a mobile game company also build a tech empire?

It was exactly 7:30 p.m.

A spotlight suddenly shone on the entrance on the left side of the stage.

Lu Chen stood outside the light and shadow, taking a deep breath.

Then he stepped into the spotlight.

He walked steadily to the center of the stage.

There was no grand opening, no rousing musical accompaniment.

The stage was empty, with only him on it.

And thousands of eyes in the audience.

An invisible pressure swept through the air.

"Good evening."

Lu Chen walked to the center of the stage.

The sound was transmitted through the microphone to every corner of the venue.

"I am Lu Chen, the founder of ZhengTu Technology."

A gentle smile appeared on his face.

Thank you all for coming tonight.

Or stay in front of the screen

I know,

Many people came specifically for the song "The Brightest Star in the Night Sky," or for Cheng Lin.

A knowing chuckle came from the audience.

This slightly eased the initially serious atmosphere.

"But tonight, I'd like to talk about something else first."

Lu Chen's tone became serious.

Let's chat.

Why are we standing here?

Why make a mobile phone?

Lu Chen paused.

He did not directly introduce the product.

Instead, they started reminiscing about the past.

"A year and a half ago,

A few colleagues and I squeezed into a 70-square-meter office in Hangzhou and created Angry Birds.

The familiar photo appeared on the big screen at just the right moment.

In a cramped room, on a table piled high with instant noodle boxes, several young people were gathered around a computer.

"Back then, someone asked me,"

Lu Chen, what is your purpose in making games?

Lu Chen's voice rose slightly.

I said, I want the whole world to see.

Chinese developers can also make fun games.

So later,

We made Plants vs. Zombies, and IGN gave it a 9.6.

A screenshot of the IGN ratings page appeared on the big screen.

Offstage,

Jiang Chang and other employees who have been with the company since the very beginning.

My eyes started to feel hot.

As Lu Chen slowly introduced the game they had created.

It felt like I was back on the day the company was about to go bankrupt.

"Later, we made an MP4 player called Journey Z1."

The screen then switched to the grand occasion of the Journey Z1 launch.

A long queue of shoppers formed outside the store.

And the various heated discussions on the internet.

It sells well; many people like it.

Back then, people often asked me,

Lu Chen, what are you going to do next?

To make better MP4 players? To make more games?

Lu Chen surveyed the audience.

"I said, we want to make mobile phones."

Many people think I'm crazy.

cell phone?

That's something giants like Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, and Apple do.

You're a small company that makes MP4 players and games.

Isn't it better to make money steadily and peacefully?

Why bother making phones at all?

His tone was calm, yet carried a powerful force.

"Because we see a bigger future,"

A future that belongs to everyone, a future held in our own hands.

The large screen behind him lit up, displaying a simple line of text:

Why a mobile phone?

In 2007, Apple's iPhone made its debut.

It defines what a smartphone is.

Many people were amazed by it.

It turns out that mobile phones can be completely without a physical keyboard.

It ushered in a new era.

But its price,

This deters most people.

Also last year,

Meizu released the M8.

We respect the pioneers.

It proves that Huaxia Corporation can also make smartphones.

Lu Chen changed the subject.

"But we also see problems."

Expensive price, system ill-suited to local conditions, complex and difficult-to-use interface.

Smartphones

It shouldn't just be a toy for a few.

Users shouldn't be forced to accommodate it.

Lu Chen's tone became deep and forceful.

"The phone that our ZhengTu Technology wants to make..."

It should be a truly national smartphone.

It needs to have the best design and the smoothest experience.

But more importantly,

It should be needed by every ordinary Chinese user.

And it's easy to own.

"This is our original intention in making mobile phones."

A round of enthusiastic applause erupted from the audience.

Lu Chen raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet and continued:

"But the original intention is easier said than done."

"We really have to do it..."

He gave a wry smile and shook his head.

"It's difficult, really difficult."

We are from software and MP4.

This relatively simple hardware transitioned over...

I know almost nothing about mobile phones.

Radio frequency, baseband, communication protocols, more complex structural design, supply chain management,

It was all unfamiliar territory.

Our hardware team,

Back then, we had to learn how to wire a mobile phone motherboard from scratch.

The large screen displays a new image.

It turned into some early design sketches, messy lab photos, and test benches piled high with components.

And when team members stay up late.

Close-up of a tired but focused face.

We lack manpower, experience, and supply chain resources.

During the most difficult time,

We have to search all over South China for even a single suitable screw.

Our first draft of the design

It was rejected outright by the factory's experienced workers.

"I'm telling you, you couldn't possibly make something like this!"

Lin Bing and Hong Feng exchanged a smile in the audience.

The hardships of that period.

Only those who have experienced it firsthand can understand.

Many people advised us to give up.

They say the title of China's first smartphone has already been taken by someone else.

They say this road is too difficult.

They said we were destined to fail.

"But we didn't give up."

Lu Chen's tone became firm again.

"Because we know,

We are not fighting alone.

We found like-minded partners.

The camera focuses on Lin Bing and Hong Feng.

"Lin Bing, Dean Lin"

Former Vice President of Google China Engineering Research Institute

He is now the president of our ZhengTu Technology.

He gave up an enviable high salary and position.

Come here and start from scratch with us.

As Lu Chen explained.

Applause erupted again from the audience.

Hong Feng, Senior Product Manager at Google China.

Now he is the head of the ZUI system.

He has an almost obsessive pursuit of product experience.

They can argue with us for three days and three nights over a single animation effect.

Lu Chen's words drew a burst of good-natured laughter.

Hong Feng, sitting in the audience, touched his nose sheepishly.

"And every engineer in our hardware team."

Every programmer in the software team,

Every colleague in the testing team,

It is the result of everyone's tireless efforts, day and night.

That's what brought us to where we are today, despite all the stumbles and setbacks.

Lu Chen's gaze softened.

We say,

We want to create a phone designed for Chinese users.

This is not just a slogan.

It means that,

We need to start from the very bottom.

Rethink how a mobile phone should work.

The stage lights behind him suddenly changed.

The background screen displays a flowing starry sky.

It comes together to form three huge and simple letters:

ZUI

"So, we created ZUI,"

An Android-based

However, it is an operating system that is completely customized for Chinese users.

It didn't just change the skin and the icon.

From a system architecture perspective,

It restructured the interaction logic, service ecosystem, and countless details.

Lu Chen's tone was full of confidence.

"today,

We are about to release Conquer Online 1.

It runs on the ZUI system.

We believe,

It's more than just a mobile phone.

This is also our first answer to the question of human-computer interaction.

Lu Chen paused briefly.

The stage lights were dimmed slightly.

A soft spotlight shone on the other side of the stage.