Reborn in 2005, starting with repairing mobile phones

Chapter 171 continues to generate buzz, with media interviews.

The buzz surrounding his speech at Shenzhen University hadn't died down when Lin Dong's phone started ringing non-stop.

Uncle Cai pushed open the office door, a notebook in his hand, a smile on his face.

"Mr. Lin, several media outlets want to interview you. The technology section of Southern Metropolis Daily, the economic section of Shenzhen Special Zone Daily, and Pacific Computer Network are all reputable media outlets."

Lin Dong leaned back in his chair.

"Let's make an appointment. But no photos of the phone, no mention of prices. We'll talk about the company, the flagship store, and the product philosophy."

Uncle Cai nodded and jotted it down in his notebook. "President Lin, where should we arrange it?"

"Flagship store. Second floor."

On the day of the interview, Lin Dong arrived at the flagship store early.

Zhou Jing has already tidied up the second floor.

The sofa, coffee table, and tea set were arranged neatly.

Sunlight streamed through the glass curtain wall and fell on the light-colored carpet, making the whole space bright and airy.

The first customer was a reporter from the Southern Metropolis Daily, surnamed Chen, in her early thirties, wearing black-rimmed glasses, and carrying a voice recorder and notebook. She stood on the second floor looking down for a while, then turned to Lin Dong and asked, "Mr. Lin, how big is this store?"

"Two thousand five hundred. One thousand five hundred for the first floor, one thousand for the second floor."

Reporter Chen nodded and made a note in his notebook.

She sat down, placed the recorder on the coffee table, and pressed the record button.

"Mr. Lin, your company has made such a big splash near Shenzhen University, many people are very curious. Could you tell us the differences between your mobile phones and those from Nokia and Motorola?"

Lin Dong leaned back on the sofa, his hands folded on his knees.

"No keyboard. All touchscreen. You can use it as soon as you pick it up. No manual needed, no one to teach you."

Reporter Chen was taken aback.

"A full touchscreen? Even Nokia couldn't make one, how could you?"

Lin Dong looked at her, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

"It's finished. Come and see it on December 25th."

"Then why can't we watch it now?"

"It will be even more interesting to watch the press conference later."

Reporter Chen smiled and didn't ask any further questions.

She asked a few more questions about the company, the flagship store, and the team, which Lin Dong answered one by one, calmly and patiently.

When asked about his initial motivation for starting his business, Lin Dong paused for a moment before saying, "When I was repairing mobile phones in Huaqiangbei, I was repairing Nokia, Motorola, and Samsung phones. At that time, I thought, when will we be able to make our own?"

Reporter Chen stopped writing, glanced up at him, then lowered his head to continue taking notes.

After the interview, reporter Chen stood up and put the recorder back in his pocket. "Mr. Lin, I'll show you the draft when it's finished."

Lin Dong nodded.

The second person to come was a reporter from Pacific Computer Network, surnamed Liu. He was young and looked only a few years older than Lin Dong.

He carried his camera, took pictures around the store, and then sat down. His first question was, "Mr. Lin, domestic mobile phones used to be all knock-offs. What makes you think you're different?"

Lin Dong looked at him.

The reporter's tone was off; it carried a sense of skepticism.

"We started from scratch. No copying, no rebranding, we developed it ourselves."

The reporter then asked, "So how does your technology compare to Nokia's?"

Lin Dong leaned back on the sofa, looking into his eyes. "Nokia couldn't make a full touchscreen phone, but we did. What do you think?"

Reporter Liu opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything.

He lowered his head, wrote a few words in his notebook, then looked up again. "Mr. Lin, how much do your phones cost?"

"You'll find out at the press conference."

"Could you give me a general idea?"

"cannot."

Reporter Liu asked a few more questions, which Lin Dong answered, but he only said what he should say and not what he shouldn't say.

After the interview, reporter Liu stood up, did not shake hands, said "Thank you, Mr. Lin," and turned to leave.

Uncle Cai accompanied him downstairs, and when they returned, he didn't look too good.

He closed the door and said in a low voice, "Mr. Lin, this reporter might be one of Zhang Hongsheng's people."

Lin Dong didn't speak, but stared out the window for a while.

The tower cranes in Futian CBD are still turning, there's a lot of dust, and the sunlight shines on the glass curtain wall, reflecting a blinding light.

"Regardless of whose people they are, let's get the article published first," Lin Dong said.

The report was published quickly.

The Southern Metropolis Daily article was titled "Lin Dong, a student at Shenzhen University: I want to make a mobile phone that everyone can understand how to use."

The article describes Lin Dong's entrepreneurial experience, the flagship store's over 12 square meters, the concept of a fully touchscreen store, and December 25th.

The press conference on the day.

The tone was neutral to positive, without questioning or overpraising.

The article on PConline was titled "Oriental Technology, a New Player in the Domestic Mobile Phone Market: Innovation or Gimmick?"

The article begins by stating, "Recently, a company called Oriental Technology made a high-profile appearance in Futian CBD, and its founder, Lin Dong, claimed that he would make full-touchscreen mobile phones."

The article quoted the questions asked by reporter Liu, with a neutral to slightly negative tone, but it did not directly say no.

The article concludes with the sentence, "Whether Dongfang Technology can break the curse of domestic mobile phones will be revealed on December 25th."

Uncle Cai placed two newspapers on Lin Dong's table and said, "The effect is good."

Lin Dong picked up the copy from Pacific Computer Network, glanced at it, and put it down.

It's better to have someone step on you than to have no one care.

The forum was in an uproar.

On the Shenzhen University campus forum, someone forwarded both reports.

The comments below were in an uproar.

Some people say, "This senior is the pride of Shenzhen University, we support him."

Some people say, "This is just another hype game; how many domestic mobile phone manufacturers can actually succeed?"

Some people say, "A full touchscreen? Even Nokia wouldn't dare to do that, how could a college student like him make it?"

Some people say, "Just because you can't do it doesn't mean others can't."

They argued over hundreds of times, and the argument got more and more heated.

Li Hu saw the post in the lab and ran over to find Lin Dong with his laptop.

"Fourth brother, look, someone's saying you're a liar."

Lin Dong took the notebook, glanced at it, and handed it back to him.

"Let them argue. The louder they argue, the more people will find out."

Li Hu became anxious.

"But one"

"No buts," Lin Dong interrupted him. "Let them argue, we'll do ours."

Li Hu opened his mouth, then turned and went back to the laboratory.

In Zhang Hongsheng's office in Huaqiangbei.

Old Ma pushed open the door and came in, carrying two newspapers.

He placed the newspaper on Zhang Hongsheng's desk and began to speak.

"Mr. Zhang, the interviews with Dongfang Technology are out. The one in the Southern Metropolis Daily is fine, but you arranged the one on Pacific Computer Network, right?"

Zhang Hongsheng picked up the newspaper, read the article on Pacific Computer Network, put it down, and took a sip of tea.

"Reporter Liu said that Lin Dong's answer was very firm, and he didn't gain any advantage." Old Ma paused, "This guy is not easy to deal with."

Zhang Hongsheng put down his teacup, leaned back in his chair, and stared out the window.

"That's good enough. People who are easy to deal with aren't worth my time."

He stood up, walked to the window, and turned his back to Old Ma. "Have Reporter Liu schedule another meeting. This time, ask him some tough questions."

Old Ma took half a step forward.

"Mr. Zhang, what is it?"

"Ask him where his money came from, ask him who his backers are, ask him why a college student can make mobile phones."

Zhang Hongsheng's voice was calm, as if he were commenting on the nice weather. But the content was chilling: "Whether he can answer these questions or not, they're enough to give him a hard time."

Old Ma nodded, turned around and left.

As soon as they moved, Uncle Cai told Lin Dong about Zhang Hongsheng's actions.

"Mr. Lin, Zhang Hongsheng has made another move. It's that reporter Liu again, wanting to do another interview and ask even tougher questions."

Lin Dong was reviewing the research and development progress of each team when he heard this and looked up. "What's an even tougher problem?"

"Ask where the money came from, ask who your backers are, ask what qualifications a college graduate has to make mobile phones." Uncle Cai paused, "President Lin, should we refuse?"

"Don't refuse. Say yes," Lin Dong said.

Uncle Cai was taken aback. "Mr. Lin, isn't this just asking for trouble?"

"I can answer the questions he asks. If I can't answer them, it's pointless for him to ask." Lin Dong turned to look at Uncle Cai. "Besides, it's better for him to ask than for him to write something down randomly."

Uncle Cai thought for a moment and nodded.

"Then I'll ask him out."

The second interview was scheduled for three days later, also on the second floor of the flagship store.

This time, reporter Liu brought a photographer with her, and they started taking pictures as soon as they entered the room.

He took photos from the first floor to the second floor, from the outside to the inside, for more than ten minutes before finally sitting down.

He placed the recorder on the coffee table, pressed the record button, and started speaking without any pleasantries.

"Mr. Lin, some people are saying that the source of your start-up capital is dubious. Can you explain that?"

Lin Dong looked at him, his face expressionless.

"I earned that money repairing mobile phones in Huaqiangbei. I repaired more than a dozen phones a day, earning tens of yuan per phone, and I saved up for more than half a year."

Reporter Liu then asked, "Some people say you have connections in Shenzhen, that you have powerful backers, otherwise how could a college graduate secure a shop in Futian CBD?"

Lin Dong leaned back on the sofa, a smile playing on his lips.

"I bought the shop in Futian CBD with my own money. The contract is there, the invoice is there, anyone who wants to see it can. I don't need any backers, all I need is money. And that money I earned myself."

Reporter Liu's expression changed for a moment, then returned to normal.

"So where did you get your skills from? Did you learn them at Shenzhen University?"

Shenzhen University can't teach this.

Lin Dong said, "Technology is a team effort. Everyone involved in hardware, software, touch control, design, and supply chain was recruited from their respective fields."

Some came from Harbin Institute of Technology, some from Stanford, and some from high-end retail.

It wasn't something I did alone; it was done by a team.

Reporter Liu paused for two seconds. "One last question. Do you think you can beat Nokia?"

Lin Dong looked at him.

"Nokia doesn't need me to win. Time will win."

Reporter Liu was stunned.

He opened his mouth, but no words came out.

He turned off the recorder, stood up, and reached out his hand.

"Mr. Lin, I'll show you the draft once it's finished."

Lin Dong shook hands. "Okay."

Reporter Liu turned and left.

This time he shook hands.

The report was published with the title "Lin Dong of Dongfang Technology Responds to Doubts: The Money Was Earned by Himself, the Technology Belongs to the Team, and the Shop Was Bought with Real Money."

The article included Lin Dong's response, the flagship store's size of over 2,000 square meters, and the date of the press conference.

The tone is neutral to slightly positive.

Uncle Cai placed the newspaper on Lin Dong's desk and asked with a smile, "Mr. Lin, where did you come up with that line, 'Nokia doesn't need me to win, the times will win'?"

Lin Dong didn't answer, and lowered his head to continue looking at the code.

The office fell silent.

Lin Dong leaned back in his chair, staring out the window.

When reporter Liu asked, "Do you think you can beat Nokia?", he didn't think about anything before his mouth started moving.

He was stunned for a moment after saying it.

But the moment he said it, he knew it was the truth.

It wasn't that he beat Nokia; it was that the times beat Nokia.

He simply found himself in the right place at a turning point in history.

He picked up the newspaper on the table and read the report again.

When he saw the sentence "Nokia doesn't need me to win, the times will win," he paused, then put down the newspaper and continued looking at the code.

When the news reached Zhang Hongsheng's ears, he was drinking tea in his office.

Old Ma stood in front of him, handed him the newspaper, and didn't dare to say a word.

Zhang Hongsheng put down his teacup, took the newspaper, and read it through.

When he saw the sentence "Nokia doesn't need me to win, the times will win," his hand paused for a moment.

He placed the newspaper on the table, leaned back in his chair, and didn't say anything.

After waiting for a long time, Old Ma asked, "Mr. Zhang, shall we continue?"

Zhang Hongsheng remained silent for a while.

"Whether we continue or not is no longer important." He picked up his teacup; the tea had gone cold. He took a sip, frowned, and put it down. "That young man's words weren't directed at me. He was referring to Nokia."

Old Ma didn't respond.

Will Nokia go bankrupt?

Zhang Hongsheng seemed to be asking Lao Ma, but also seemed to be asking himself.

Old Ma did not answer.

Zhang Hongsheng didn't wait for his reply.

I never imagined Nokia would go bankrupt.

But now, an eighteen or nineteen-year-old stands in that glass-walled store and tells him, "The times will win."

He suddenly felt a little uncertain.

It's not that we're unsure if Nokia will collapse, it's that we're unsure how long we can stay afloat.

The sentiment on the forum has begun to shift.

Someone forwarded the report, and the comments below changed from "liar" and "hyping concepts" to "this senior is something else", "Nokia doesn't need me to win, the times will win - that's amazing", "no matter what the phone is like, I admire this person".

Someone dug up the video of Lin Dong's speech again and re-uploaded it, and the number of views was even higher than the first time.

Some people said, "I've decided to go see what's so amazing on December 25th."

Some people suggested, "Let's go together and form a team."

Li Hu came across these posts in the lab and ran over to find Lin Dong with his laptop.

"Fourth brother, look, the wind direction has changed!" Lin Dong took the phone, glanced at it, and handed it back to him.

"I understand," Li Hu said hastily.

"Is this all you're going to do?"

Lin Dong ignored him and continued staring at the code.

"Survival of the fittest is a normal phenomenon."

He tapped the keyboard twice, the cursor moved up a line, and he continued reading.

Li Hu opened his mouth, "Tch, pretending to be profound. If you keep doing this, I won't write it into the system for you."

Lin Dong turned to Li Hu and said, "Third brother, look at the mobile phones we developed. Soon, there will be these kinds of phones everywhere. What will happen to Nokia if it doesn't get eliminated? I'm not pretending to be profound; I have a sharp eye for technology."

Li Hu thought about it again and realized that it made sense. The phone that Lao Si had made was in the final stages of completion. Both its appearance and feel surpassed those of Nokia and Motorola phones.

At this moment, Uncle Cai pushed open the office door again, holding a notebook in his hand.

"Mr. Lin, several more media outlets want to interview you."

Lin Dong didn't look up.

"I declined. Now is not the time."

Uncle Cai paused for a moment. "Then when is the right time?"

"After the press conference."

Lin Dong raised his head. "From now on, we will not accept any interviews. We will focus on research and development and make final adjustments. Let them bear with it. We have done everything we need to achieve. In fact, the more they suffer from holding back, the more satisfying it will be when they finally come out."

""