Reborn in 2005, starting with repairing mobile phones

Chapter 166 The War of Information

Some time passed.

In a teahouse in Huaqiangbei, several business owners who ran distribution channels sat together drinking tea.

The topic of conversation was Eastern technology.

Some people say that the store is finished, with a glass curtain wall, more than 2,000 square meters, located at the corner of an intersection, and when the lights are on at night, the whole building looks like a lamp.

Some people say they recruited a hundred students from Shenzhen University, trained them for several months, and now they are setting up an exhibition in the store.

Some people say that their phone screens are from LG, batteries are from ATL, and chips are from TI—all products from major manufacturers.

"That sounds plausible." The chubby middle-aged man put down his teacup.

"What's the use of that? Where's the phone? Has anyone seen it?" The tall, thin man shook his head.

"Just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean it doesn't exist."

"Let's talk about it after we open it. All the hype now is useless if we can't produce anything of substance."

.

When the news reached Lao Ma's ears, he was looking at goods in a mobile phone store in Huaqiangbei.

The shop assistant told him that several people had recently come to ask about Dongfang Technology, asking if the store sold their phones.

Old Ma said no, and the shop assistant asked when they would release it. Old Ma said he didn't know.

The shop assistant sighed and said that these people must have heard it from somewhere.

Old Ma didn't say anything, turned around and left.

Back in his office, he told Zhang Hongsheng about the situation.

"Mr. Zhang, everyone in the industry is talking about Dongfang Technology. Some say their store is finished, some say they've hired a hundred people, some say they're using products from major manufacturers." Old Ma paused, "And some people are asking when their phones will be released."

Zhang Hongsheng was looking at the report when he heard this and paused for a moment.

He looked up at Old Ma. "What about Nokia's sales?"

Old Ma hesitated for a moment. "It dropped by three percentage points this month."

Zhang Hongsheng put down the report and leaned back in his chair.

"Three dots," he repeated, his voice low.

Old Ma didn't respond.

Zhang Hongsheng said, "It's because everyone in the industry is talking about Eastern technology, and nobody is paying attention to Nokia anymore."

Old Ma nodded.

Zhang Hongsheng picked up his teacup and took a sip. The tea had gone cold. He frowned and put the cup down.

"This can't go on any longer."

He stood up, walked to the window, and turned his back to Old Ma.

"His shop is located in Futian CBD, more than 2,000 square meters, at the corner of an intersection."

How many people pass by every day? Thousands? Tens of thousands? When those people see it, they'll think, "What kind of phone is that? Why is it located here? Why is it so big?" They won't think about whether the phone is good or not; they'll only think, "This brand has strength."

Old Ma stood there, listening.

"So we need to make people in the industry think this through—are domestically produced mobile phones up to par? Are full touchscreen phones up to par? Is that brand really trustworthy?"

Zhang Hongsheng turned around and looked at Lao Ma. "Go and contact a few tech media outlets and publish an article. Don't name names, but make sure every sentence hits the mark."

Old Ma took half a step forward. "Mr. Zhang, what do you mean?"

"They say domestic mobile phones are no good, that full touchscreens are just a gimmick, and that the truly good phones are still Nokias." Zhang Hongsheng's voice was flat, as if he were commenting on the weather. "Don't mention Dongfang Technology; let them figure it out themselves."

Old Ma nodded, turned around and left.

Old Ma contacted several tech media outlets.

There are newspaper reporters, magazine editors, and website managers.

He treated them to dinner in a private room at an upscale restaurant in Futian.

They ordered quite a few dishes and opened several bottles of wine. Old Ma raised his glass, offered a few toasts, and then slowly steered the conversation toward business.

"Everyone, there's been a lot of talk about Dongfang Technology in our circle lately, have you heard?"

A reporter put down his chopsticks and nodded. "I've heard about it. That shop in Futian CBD is making quite a splash."

Old Ma chuckled. "The buzz is considerable. But a big buzz doesn't necessarily mean the product is good. Our CEO Zhang has been a Nokia distributor for ten years; what kind of phone hasn't he seen? A full touchscreen? Nokia researched that years ago but gave up. Why? Because it wasn't mature enough."

Another reporter picked up a pen and jotted down a few words in his notebook.

:

Old Ma continued, "Many domestic mobile phone brands have emerged in recent years, but how many have survived? Consumers shouldn't be fooled by new concepts; usability is the key. Nokia has been around for so many years, and in terms of quality, signal strength, and durability, how is it not superior to domestic mobile phones?"

The reporters exchanged glances but remained silent.

Old Ma raised his glass and offered another toast. "Everyone, please help me write an article. Don't name names, just talk about the current state of the industry. Our boss Zhang's point is to help consumers think things through and not be fooled."

The reporters nodded.

.——

The article was published quickly.

The title is "Nokia's Shenzhen general agent talks about domestic mobile phones: Innovation is not easy, but there is still a long way to go."

The article doesn't name Dongfang Technology, but every sentence suggests that full-touchscreen phones are unreliable.

It says, "Some young people want to make a full touchscreen phone, which is a good idea, but phones aren't made based on ideas." and "Nokia has been around for so many years, what technology hasn't they tried?"

We've already researched full touchscreens, but we gave up on them. "Consumers shouldn't be fooled by new concepts; usability is the only true measure of success."

After the article was published, it started circulating again within the circle.

In a teahouse in Huaqiangbei, the same group of channel business owners sat together drinking tea.

"Who is Mr. Zhang referring to?"

"Who else could it be? The one in Futian CBD."

"Is Mr. Zhang getting anxious?"

"What's the rush? They're Nokia's authorized distributor, what's the hurry?"

"Why not publish this article in a hurry?"

When the news reached Uncle Cai's ears, he was having tea with an old acquaintance in Huaqiangbei.

The man showed him the article, and Uncle Cai finished reading it without much expression on his face.

He picked up his teacup and took a sip.

"Aren't you going to respond?" the man asked.

Uncle Cai chuckled. "What's there to respond to? They didn't name names."

"Everyone in the industry knows they're talking about you guys."

"If you know, you know. Our CEO Lin said, just do your own job well."

The man glanced at him and didn't ask any more questions.

Uncle Cai returned to the company and went straight to Lin Dong's office.

"President Lin, Zhang Hongsheng has made his move."

Lin Dong was looking at the research and development progress report when he heard this and looked up.

Uncle Cai placed a newspaper on the table. "He found a media outlet and published an article. He didn't name names, but every sentence was about us. He said the full touchscreen was just a gimmick, domestic phones were no good, and the truly good phones were still Nokia."

Lin Dong picked up the newspaper and read it through.

After reading it, he put it down, his face expressionless.

"He's getting anxious," Lin Dong said.

Uncle Cai was stunned for a moment.

"He wouldn't publish this kind of article if he wasn't in a hurry." Lin Dong leaned back in his chair and stared out the window for a while. "The more anxious he is, the more right we are. Since he's helped us with publicity, we can't waste it."

Uncle Cai looked at him.

"Contact those media outlets and tell them that Oriental Technology will be holding a press conference on December 25th at its flagship store in Futian CBD. They are welcome to report on it," Lin Dong said.

"It's either a response to Mr. Zhang's article or a notification."

Uncle Cai's eyes lit up. "Mr. Lin, you mean... 'take advantage of his momentum,'" Lin Dong said. "He wants people in the industry to question us, so we'll let them come and see us. Once they come and see, they'll naturally know."

"Okay, I'll get on it right now."

The news spread faster than Uncle Cai had anticipated.

The next day, people in Huaqiangbei started talking about it. People in the mobile phone distribution business, those who wholesale accessories, those who work in retail stores, and those who do repairs—everyone was talking about it.

"Have you heard? Oriental Technology, that company in Futian CBD, is going to hold a press conference."

"In December, right in their own store."

"Are they going against General Manager Zhang?"

"They said it's either confrontation or a notification."

"Isn't this the time to directly challenge the election? Mr. Zhang just published his article, and he's already holding a press conference."

..

In a teahouse in Huaqiangbei, several business owners who dealt in distribution channels sat together drinking tea. The tea was Tieguanyin, freshly brewed and steaming hot. Several plates of snacks were on the table, untouched. They were all talking about this matter.

"So, what's the deal with that phone from Dongfang Technology?" A chubby middle-aged man put down his teacup and wiped his mouth.

"I don't know. But since Mr. Zhang is so nervous, it must be something special."

"Is Mr. Zhang nervous? Mr. Zhang can't stand anyone taking away his job."

"Steal his job? A domestic mobile phone manufacturer stealing Nokia's job? You must be kidding me."

"That's not necessarily true. Have you ever seen a fully touchscreen display?"

"I've never seen anything like it. That's why it seems so risky. Even Nokia wouldn't dare to do it, how could a student from Shenzhen University possibly make it?"

The group remained silent for a moment.

One of the tall, thin men picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said slowly, "Whether he can do it or not is one thing, whether he dares to do it is another. Mr. Zhang is anxious not because he's afraid he can do it, but because he's afraid he can't do it and will still cause trouble."

Everyone laughed.

.. *

In the office, Lao Ma told Zhang Hongsheng about the recent situation.

"Mr. Zhang, everyone in the industry is talking about Dongfang Technology's press conference. Some say they're going against you, some say they're using your popularity for publicity." Old Ma paused, "And some say you're getting impatient."

Zhang Hongsheng was looking at the report when he heard this and paused for a moment.

He looked up at Old Ma. "Am I getting impatient?"

Old Ma didn't respond.

Zhang Hongsheng put down the report and leaned back in his chair. He stared out the window for a while without saying a word. The crowds in Huaqiangbei were still just as large, and the sun was already setting, so the light wasn't so glaring anymore.

Zhang Hongsheng picked up his teacup and took a sip. The tea had gone cold. He frowned and put the cup down.

"That's his strategy. The store hasn't even opened, the phone hasn't even been sold yet, but he's already established the brand. By the time the product launch is held, no matter what the phone is like, the brand is already established."

Old Ma stood there, listening.

"That's why I published that article," Zhang Hongsheng said. "It's not about suppressing him, but about making people in the industry think carefully: Are domestic mobile phones any good? Full touchscreens, are they really any good? Is his brand really trustworthy?"

Old Ma nodded.

"But it seems that the results are not very good."

Zhang Hongsheng stood up, walked to the window, and turned his back to Lao Ma. "When he holds a press conference, people in the industry don't go to question him; they go to see him. Once they go and see him, regardless of their phones, they'll all think—this young man dares to do it."

Old Ma asked, "Mr. Zhang, what should we do then?"

Zhang Hongsheng remained silent for a while.

"Don't do anything. Anything you say now is just publicity for him. Let's see what he can come up with after the press conference." He turned to look at Old Ma. "But keep a close eye on Nokia. This month's sales can't drop."

Old Ma responded and turned to leave.

A few days later, Nokia's sales figures came out.

Old Ma walked into Zhang Hongsheng's office with the report in hand, a slight smile on his face.

"Mr. Zhang, sales have increased this month."

Zhang Hongsheng took the report and glanced at it. The numbers had indeed increased, by eight percent compared to last month.

"What happened?" he asked.

Old Ma said, "After that article was published, many distributors called to ask if Nokia had any new moves since Mr. Zhang had spoken out."

I took the opportunity to subtly suggest they stock up on the new models, saying they'd be arriving soon. The distributors immediately started placing orders.

Zhang Hongsheng put down the report and leaned back in his chair.

"It was a lucky accident," he said.

Old Ma didn't respond.

Zhang Hongsheng picked up his teacup and took a sip. This time the tea was hot, and he slowly swallowed. "He used my popularity to hold a press conference, and I used his popularity to sell Nokia phones. Who wins and who loses is still uncertain."

Old Ma nodded, turned around and left.

When the news reached Uncle Cai's ears, he was having tea with an old acquaintance in Huaqiangbei.

The man told him that Nokia's sales had increased this month, and the distributors all said it was because of Mr. Zhang's article.

Uncle Cai didn't say anything, just smiled, picked up his teacup, and took a sip. Back at the company, he told Lin Dong about it.

"Mr. Lin, after Zhang Hongsheng's article was published, Nokia's sales increased. Distributors thought Nokia had some new move and stocked up on more inventory."

Lin Dong was looking at the code Li Hu had sent when he heard this and looked up. He looked at Uncle Cai but didn't say anything.

Uncle Cai, wait.

"That's good," Lin Dong said.

Uncle Cai paused for a moment. "Mr. Lin, aren't you worried?"

"What are you worried about?" Lin Dong leaned back in his chair. "He sells his Nokia phones, I make my mobile phones. There's no conflict."

Uncle Cai thought for a moment and nodded. "People in that industry are still talking about it, saying that our press conference is going against President Zhang."

"Let them say it," Lin Dong said. "They can say whatever they want, as long as they come."

Uncle Cai didn't ask any more questions and turned to leave.

In a teahouse in Huaqiangbei, several business owners who run distribution channels sat together again, drinking tea. This time, they weren't talking about Oriental Technology's product launch, but about Nokia's sales figures.

"I heard Nokia is selling well this month."

"Of course, after Mr. Zhang published that article, the distributors all thought Nokia was going to release a new model, and orders increased significantly."

""

"Mr. Zhang's move is brilliant. He's suppressing Oriental Technology while simultaneously selling his own products."

"What's so great about it? Dongfang Technology didn't say anything, they just held a press conference. You can suppress me all you want, I'll hold a press conference."

"Everyone does their own thing."

"So, what do you think? Is that phone from Dongfang Technology any good?"

"I don't know. But whether it works or not, the signboard is already up. Have you seen that store in Futian CBD? Glass curtain wall, over 2,000 square meters, at a corner intersection. Just that store alone is not something an ordinary person can manage."

"That's true."

The group remained silent for a while.

The tall, thin man picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said slowly, "Mr. Zhang is still in a hurry, afraid that he will do something wrong."

Nokia's retail space is about to be squeezed. If retail space is squeezed, sales will drop. If sales drop, he'll have less money. That's why he's in a hurry.