One Yuan First Recharge: I'm Actually the Boss Behind a Fortune 500 Company

The group got into the car and drove towards the Economic Development Zone.

On the way, Old Zhang sat in the passenger seat, looking at the street scene outside the window, and couldn't help but ask:

"Manager Zhou, how's the tech atmosphere here?"

Zhou Jianjun smiled and answered very frankly:

"To be honest, it's not good. The industrial base in the provincial capital is mainly based on equipment manufacturing and chemicals, and the consumer electronics sector is basically nonexistent."

Old Zhang nodded without saying anything.

He had expected this long ago.

"However—" Zhou Jianjun changed the subject, "it is precisely because of this blank space that there is room for growth."

The industrial chain can be built gradually, and talent can be cultivated gradually, but core technology is something you either have or you don't. And our boss happens to possess the most crucial piece of technology.

His words were very practical, without avoiding the important points, but he also clearly explained the core advantages.

After listening, Old Zhang nodded thoughtfully.

When they arrived at the company building, Zhou Jianjun led four people upstairs.

He didn't take them to the conference room, but instead led them directly to the entrance of the 10,000-square-meter factory building.

"This factory building will be our future R&D and production base," Zhou Jianjun said, standing at the factory entrance and pointing inside.

"It's a 10,000-square-meter, single-story steel structure with a floor height of eight meters. The renovation hasn't started yet, but the water, electricity, and gas are already connected."

Old Zhang was the first to walk in. He looked around the empty factory building, his footsteps echoing on the cement floor.

He walked to the center of the factory, stood still, looked up at the structure of the roof, and then squatted down to tap the flatness of the ground.

"The ceiling height is sufficient, and the floor is fairly flat. If we're building a cleanroom, we can just lay epoxy flooring on it."

Old Zhang stood up, dusted off his hands, and turned to look at Zhou Jianjun. "Do you have a planning proposal?"

"Yes." Zhou Jianjun pulled a drawing from the file folder and handed it over.

"This is our preliminary layout plan. The entrance leads to the administrative office area, the middle is the R&D laboratory, the back is the cleanroom and assembly and testing line, and the very back is the warehouse."

Old Zhang took the blueprints, examined them carefully, and then handed them to Old Liu and Brother Tao:

"You two take a look too."

Old Liu and Brother Tao huddled together and watched for a while. Brother Tao spoke first:

"This plan... is logically sound. Putting R&D and testing together facilitates communication and iteration."

The cleanroom is located at the back, separate from the office area, which meets the requirements.

Old Liu nodded as well:

"Well, the only suggestion is to leave a buffer zone next to the assembly and testing line, so that if production needs to be expanded later, we won't have to tear down the wall again."

After listening, Zhou Jianjun immediately memorized the suggestion:

"Mr. Liu's suggestion is excellent; we can adjust it later."

The group walked around the factory and looked at the surrounding environment.

Zhou Jianjun led them to the management committee of the Economic Development Zone and pointed to that building in the distance:

"That's the Economic Development Zone Management Committee. We've already signed a framework agreement with them for our project, and the capital verification has been completed."

Old Zhang and his companions looked at the office building, their faces expressionless, but they were all silently assessing it in their minds.

After leaving the factory, Zhou Jianjun led them back to the company's small conference room.

Tea, fruit, and snacks had been prepared in the meeting room. Several people sat around the conference table, and the atmosphere was much more relaxed than before.

Zhou Jianjun, seated in the main seat, spoke first:

"Gentlemen, since you've all come here in person today, let's lay things out and talk about it."

"Anything you want to ask or know, please feel free to ask. I will answer truthfully to the best of my ability."

Old Zhang spoke first, without any preamble, and asked directly:

"Manager Zhou, I want to ask a very crucial question—if I come to work here, how much say will I have in projects?"

Zhou Jianjun smiled after listening. He knew that this was the question these people cared about most.

"Mr. Zhang, to be honest with you," Zhou Jianjun leaned forward slightly, "our boss's attitude towards this matter is—let professionals do professional things."

"The boss has completely delegated the technical aspects to me, but I don't have a technical background, so I need someone who really knows the stuff to lead the entire R&D team."

He looked at Lao Zhang and said, "If you become the head of R&D, you'll have the final say on all technical decisions. What resources are needed, what people are needed, how much money is needed—you propose the plan, and I'll coordinate. As long as the plan is reasonable, the company will fully support it."

After listening, Old Zhang didn't say anything, but the scrutinizing look in his eyes clearly softened a bit.

Old Liu then asked, "And what about the salary?"

Zhou Jianjun didn't hesitate and directly gave a number:

"The starting annual salary for a chief engineer position is 800,000 yuan, with no upper limit."

Specific figures can be discussed based on the position and individual capabilities. In addition, core R&D personnel are eligible for stock options.

"Starting at 800,000?" Old Liu raised an eyebrow.

Old Zhang was also slightly taken aback. This figure wasn't particularly high in Shenzhen, but in the provincial capital, considering the much lower housing prices and cost of living, the purchasing power of this salary was quite considerable.

"Yes, starting at 800,000." Zhou Jianjun nodded. "And that's just the basic salary."

If the project progresses smoothly, there will be project bonuses and profit sharing after the product is launched.

Old Zhang and Old Liu exchanged a glance but neither of them spoke.

Brother Tao spoke up at this moment, his tone more composed than that of Lao Zhang and Lao Liu:

"Manager Zhou, besides salary and autonomy, I have a few more questions I'd like to ask."

Zhou Jianjun sat up straight: "Engineer Chen, please speak."

"First, how should we assemble our team?"

"Will we recruit ourselves after we arrive, or does the company already have some potential candidates?"

"The R&D team is currently a complete blank; it's entirely up to you to build it," Zhou Jianjun said.

"You list your requirements, including what kind of people you need and how many you need, and the company will be responsible for recruitment and interviews."

Of course, if you have suitable candidates you'd like to poach, the company will also offer a signing bonus.

Tao nodded and continued, "Secondly, regarding the coordination with upstream and downstream supply chains, is the company responsible for this, or is our R&D team handling it ourselves?"

"In the initial stages, I will assign dedicated personnel to handle supply chain coordination and business negotiations. The R&D team only needs to provide technical parameters and standards; they don't need to personally negotiate prices," Zhou Jianjun said.

"Once the team is stable, if technical exchanges with suppliers are needed, the company can send someone to accompany them on business trips."

"Third, what is the company's expected timeframe for this project?"

Zhou Jianjun thought for a moment and replied, "My personal idea is to complete the formation of the core team, the construction of the laboratory, the chip tape-out and testing in the first year, and produce an engineering prototype that can run."

In the second year, small-batch trial production and internal testing were completed, and the development of the complete machine was launched. In the third year, the product was launched on the market.

After listening, Brother Tao remained silent for a few seconds, then slowly nodded: "This pace... is reasonable."

Old Zhang spoke up again at this point:

"Manager Zhou, I have another more direct question—who exactly is your boss? Could we possibly meet with him?"

Lao Liu and Lao Tao also looked at Zhou Jianjun, clearly wanting to know the answer as well.

Zhou Jianjun did not evade the question. He smiled and said, "To be honest, I myself have never seen the boss's true face."

Everyone was stunned for a moment.

"But—" Zhou Jianjun changed the subject, "From my experience working with the boss for so long, he is a very visionary person who trusts his subordinates a lot."

He gave me full authority, allowing me to do things on my own, and never interfered with specific matters.

Several projects our company has worked on before, from their inception to their explosive growth, were all carried out within the framework set by our boss.

He shrugged: "I know this answer may not completely satisfy you."

But what I want to say is—a person who can produce that core chip solution, a person who can secure funding, facilities, and policies behind the scenes, is trustworthy.

The meeting room was silent for a few seconds.

Tao spoke first, looking at Zhou Jianjun with a serious tone:

"Manager Zhou, one last question—if I come here, could I bring a few of my own people with me?"

Zhou Jianjun immediately replied:

"Of course. As I just said, the team will be entirely built by you."

The company welcomes all your trusted former colleagues and partners, as long as their abilities match.

Signing fees and other benefits can be negotiated based on your standards.

After listening, Brother Tao didn't immediately express his opinion. He turned to look at Old Zhang, then at Old Liu.

The three of them exchanged glances.

Then Brother Tao stood up and extended his hand to Zhou Jianjun:

"Manager Zhou, let's make it a deal then."

Zhou Jianjun stood up, shook Tao Ge's hand firmly, and said, "Engineer Chen, welcome to the team!"

Old Zhang and Old Liu also stood up.

Old Zhang laughed and said, "Anyway, I don't have anything to hesitate about."

"I've been waiting for this opportunity for many years: to be able to build a truly competitive product from scratch in a company that gives me full autonomy."

Old Liu chimed in:

"Me too. At my previous company, I felt like I was just a tool. Now that there's such a great platform, it would be foolish not to come."

Looking at the three people, Zhou Jianjun felt a surge of inexplicable excitement.

He gestured for the others to sit down again, then sat down himself, picked up his teacup, took a sip to calm himself, and then began to speak:

"Gentlemen, now that we've decided to do this, let's have a short first meeting today to set up the initial framework for this project."

Old Zhang and the others nodded.

Zhou Jianjun pulled a blank sheet of paper from the folder, picked up a pen, and wrote down a few keywords on the paper:

"The first thing – building the team."

He looked at Lao Zhang: "Zhang, you come from a hardware architecture background, so you'll take the lead in hardware development. What kind of people do you need? Make a list."

After thinking for a moment, Lao Zhang said, "On the hardware side, I need at least one senior structural engineer, one PCB layout engineer, one RF engineer, and one test engineer. That's the bare minimum."

Zhou Jianjun quickly jotted it down on the paper: "Okay, I've got it."

He turned to look at Lao Liu: "Engineer Liu, will you take the lead on the software side?"

Old Liu nodded: "Okay. On the software side, I need a low-level driver engineer, a system optimization engineer, and someone to develop the Hal layer. If possible, we'd also like to have someone work on algorithms."

"Okay, I've noted that down." Zhou Jianjun continued writing.

He looked at Brother Tao: "Engineer Chen, you are the chief engineer, and you are in charge of the overall project."

Besides hardware and software, what other positions do you think are needed?

Tao thought for a moment and said, "We also need a project manager to be responsible for connecting with the supply chain and coordinating the progress of various departments."

This person doesn't need a particularly strong technical background, but they must have excellent communication and execution skills.

"Understood. I'll find this person." Zhou Jianjun wrote the words "project management" on the paper.

He put down his pen and looked at the three people: "Regarding the team configuration, let's set this preliminary framework today."

"Please each of you submit a list of your specific job responsibilities and salary expectations when you get back, and I will report it to the boss."

Several people nodded.

Zhou Jianjun then asked, "The second thing—the budget for the laboratory and equipment. Could you give a rough estimate of how much start-up capital we'll need?"

Old Zhang and Old Liu exchanged a glance, but neither of them spoke. Instead, they looked at Brother Tao.

After a moment of contemplation, Brother Tao said, "If it's just about buying core equipment and building a basic laboratory, it will probably cost between 20 million and 30 million."

Of course, if we can reach agreements with some suppliers or secure equipment leases, this number can be reduced further.

Zhou Jianjun listened without any change in expression, simply nodding.

"Okay, I've noted down that number. I'll report to the boss and get back to you as soon as possible."

The group chatted for a while longer, discussing every detail from the specific layout of the laboratory to the selection of equipment and the initial assessment of the supply chain.

The meeting lasted for nearly two hours.

As dusk settled, Zhou Jianjun closed his notebook and checked the time.

"Gentlemen, let's call it a day. It's time for dinner. I'll treat you to a welcome dinner."

The group didn't refuse and left the office together.

As he reached the door, Brother Tao suddenly stopped and turned to look at Zhou Jianjun.

"Manager Zhou, there's something I want to tell you."

Zhou Jianjun paused for a moment, then said, "Engineer Chen, you speak."

Tao looked him in the eyes, his tone calm, but every word carried a heavy weight:

"Give me a year. Within a year, I will build the core team, set up the laboratory, and get the first chip fabricated and running successfully."

He paused, then continued, "Within three years—I'll give you a competitive mobile phone brand that can stand firm in this market and impress the entire industry."

After he finished speaking, he patted Zhou Jianjun on the shoulder, then turned and walked towards the door.

Old Zhang and Old Liu followed.

Zhou Jianjun stood there, watching the three people's backs, and a surge of warmth suddenly welled up in his heart.

He couldn't quite put his finger on how he felt, but he had a gut feeling that what he had just signed was more than just a cooperation agreement.

Rather, it was the first true cornerstone of the Xingyue Technology project.