Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 439 Looking to the Future
It's unknown how much everyone will reflect on He Yuzhu's words, but at least everyone has remembered what the future of mobile phones will look like.

After the family dinner, life returned to its usual rhythm, but He Yuzhu's blueprint for the future did not stop.

He knew perfectly well that the rise of future behemoths like smartphones and mobile internet depended on a key component—the battery.

Without sufficiently durable and lightweight energy sources, all portable devices are just empty talk.

The next day, he summoned He Yaozong, who was still there.

"Yaozong, what's the progress on the battery solution for the new mobile phone from the communications side?"

He Yaozong produced a report: "Dad, the mainstream battery is still nickel-metal hydride, which has low energy density and a memory effect. Lithium-ion batteries are the future direction, and they are already commercially available overseas, but they are expensive and safety is still an issue, especially in terms of large capacity and fast charging and discharging, where there are significant technological barriers. The mass-produced models that our existing suppliers can provide to support the kind of high-performance smartphone you envision will struggle with battery life."

He Yuzhu nodded; this was within his expectations. “We can’t let our lifeline be completely in someone else’s hands. Issue the order: establish an ‘Advanced Energy Laboratory’ within the group, under Yellow River Communications, and managed by the Resources Group. Two directions: First, keep up with lithium-ion battery technology, strive to digest and master it as quickly as possible, and establish our own R&D and pilot production lines; second, invest some resources in researching next-generation battery technology, such as solid-state batteries, even if it’s just theoretical tracking and basic materials research, we must get started.”

“Dad, this is a huge investment, and the returns will be slow. Also, there are already people deeply involved in this industry. We should enter the market now,” He Yaozong reminded him.

"Let me be clearer: I want you to research high energy density, lightweight design, and rechargeability of batteries, as well as components such as battery cells and protection boards."

“I know,” He Yuzhu said calmly. “This is like making maps or building systems; it’s infrastructure. The investment now is for the future, five or ten years from now. If you personally oversee this, you can recruit talent from universities or collaborate with relevant institutes of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. If necessary, you can ask the North American team to provide some technical support.”

"Understood." He Yaozong noted it down, knowing that his father rarely made mistakes in terms of technological foresight.

After dealing with the battery issue, He Yuzhu turned his attention to another seemingly insignificant area that holds a special place in his future plans.

He had Fan Hu drive him and Xiao Man to a small factory in the Tianjin Development Zone. This was a remote control toy factory that the Yellow River Group had just acquired and was on the verge of bankruptcy. It mainly produced some simple remote control cars and boats, and its profits had always been mediocre.

When they arrived, He Yuzhu was quite surprised because the information said the factory only had more than 200 workers, but looking at the size of the factory, it was more than enough to accommodate 2,000 people.

A rough estimate of the entire factory area is over 10,000 square meters. The walls are very high and look quite old, with some of the whitewash peeling off. The old man at the gatehouse is dozing off.

Looking at the somewhat faded "Jinmen Xiangfei Toy Factory" sign in front of the gate, Xiaoman asked in confusion, "Brother Zhu, are you really planning to open a toy factory to entertain the kids? Aren't you spoiling them too much? There are plenty of toys on the market, can't you just buy some? Or at the very least, have our own experienced craftsmen make a few nice ones for the children. Why bother making a special trip to Tianjin and even acquiring a factory?"

"Am I such a lazy person?" He Yuzhu said irritably.

“It wasn’t like that before, but for those kids, I’m not sure!” Xiaoman teased.

"Well..." He Yuzhu does indeed dote on his nephews, nieces, grandsons, and granddaughters, but of course, he can also be very strict when necessary.

"Boss, the people from the factory are coming out," Fan Hu reminded him.

"Let's go in and take a look," He Yuzhu said.

The car drove into the factory area, and the parking lot was completely empty; there wasn't a single car in sight.

The factory and office building are integrated, a two-story building that occupies less than one-fifth of the entire factory area. There are also some single-story buildings next to it, which house warehouses, canteens, and so on.

A middle-aged man in a suit was already waiting there with several people, his face showing tension.

He Yuzhu and Xiaoman got out of the car, and the middle-aged man quickly stepped forward.

"Mr. He, Mrs. He, welcome, welcome! I am Liu Jianming, the factory manager of Xiangfei Toy Factory." He extended his hands to shake hands with He Yuzhu, but He Yuzhu simply nodded. Liu Jianming awkwardly smiled and withdrew his hands.

"Give us a tour."

"Alright, alright!" Mr. He, Mrs. He, this way, this way. The factory... the factory has no orders, so production has stopped. It's a bit deserted, please bear with us." Liu Jianming led the way while trying to explain the contrast between the overly large factory area and the lack of workers.

The office building also exuded an air of disrepair, with some areas of the walls yellowed and peeling, and the corridors were quiet.

"This factory is quite large," He Yuzhu said casually.

"Yes, yes, it was originally built to the scale of a large factory, with the idea that it could grow and expand in the future."

Liu Jianming quickly replied, but his tone was somewhat hesitant, "But, but the market competition has been too fierce in recent years. Our products don't have any unique features, so, so they've gradually become unsustainable. All the workers have been given leave to go home and wait for further notice, leaving only a few on duty."

He pushed open the door to a conference room. The tables and chairs inside were clean, and there was a faint smell of disinfectant in the air.

Xiaoman subconsciously covered her nose; the smell was just too awful.

Liu Jianming was embarrassed and didn't know whether he should offer the seat or not.

He Yuzhu spoke up: "Let's go straight to the workshop and take a look."

“Alright, you two, follow me!” Liu Jianming led the way.

Guided by Factory Director Liu, He Yuzhu and Xiaoman entered the main workshop.

The workshop was even more spacious, with the sound of a few people's footsteps echoing in the tall space.

Some old injection molding machines and lathes sat there quietly, covered with a thin layer of dust.

The assembly line was empty except for some semi-finished plastic parts and a few boxes of packaging with crude cartoon tank and airplane patterns printed on them in the corner.

"Mr. He, you see, our equipment is still very well maintained, it's just that there's no work to do." Factory Director Liu rubbed his hands, trying to demonstrate the value of the factory, but the current desolation was hardly convincing.

Looking at the scene, Xiaoman frowned slightly and whispered, "Brother Zhu, this factory..."

He Yuzhu didn't respond to Xiaoman. He walked to an injection molding machine, reached out and touched the cold metal surface, then picked up a plastic tank track part that had fallen on the ground and weighed it in his hand.

"Director Liu," He Yuzhu began, his voice ringing out clearly in the empty workshop, "how many full-time employees do you have left in the factory? How many key technical personnel are still around?"

Liu Jianming quickly replied, "There are still 217 people on the register. However, many of the skilled veterans have left in recent years, and those who remain are all getting older. Currently, the factory only has two technicians, who are mainly responsible for equipment maintenance and simple mold repairs."

"Did you make the mold yourself?" He Yuzhu asked.

“Most of it is outsourced; we can only repair, not operate.” Director Liu’s voice grew softer and softer.

He Yuzhu nodded, understanding the situation.

Apart from this piece of land and these old, barely usable equipment, this factory has almost nothing of value left; it doesn't even have the most basic product design and mold development capabilities.

"Did you have a plan for the resettlement of the workers?" He Yuzhu asked again.

“We’ve coordinated with the district, but there aren’t many positions available, and most workers are just staying home with basic living expenses,” Liu Jianming said, looking troubled. “Mr. He, if you could take over, you would truly be a lifesaver for everyone!”

He Yuzhu remained noncommittal, then turned to Fan Hu and said, "Go and find the factory's floor plan."

Fan Hu agreed and went with someone.

A short while later, Fan Hu returned with a slightly yellowed map of the factory area.

The blueprints show that the factory area covers nearly 30 acres, with the remaining space consisting of empty land in addition to the existing factory buildings and office buildings.

Looking at the blueprints, He Yuzhu already had a preliminary plan in mind; what he really wanted to see was the land area.

"Alright, I've finished looking at it. Someone will come to discuss the follow-up matters with you. I'm taking this." He Yuzhu waved the blueprints in his hand.

“Then I will,” said Director Liu.

“You are selling the factory as a package deal, which does not include yourself. Of course, if you are capable, we welcome you to stay.” He Yuzhu did not give a definitive answer.

"Okay, thank you, Mr. He."

He Yuzhu then went to the Tianjin branch with Xiaoman. Li Chengru knew that the boss had arrived, so he quickly came down to greet him.

"Boss, why didn't you let me know you were coming? I could have come to pick you up."

"It's only a little over 100 kilometers in total, why bother to make a special announcement? Are you afraid I'll do a surprise inspection?"

"No, no, boss, feel free to check, I guarantee there won't be any problems," Li Chengru said.

"Let's go, find a meeting room, I have something to talk to you about."

"Should we call anyone else?"

He Yuzhu thought for a moment and said, "If you have any suitable candidates for factory manager or something similar, you can call them up."

"Director?"

"Correct."

"Okay, I'll take you two to the conference room first."

After leading He Yuzhu and the other man to the conference room, Li Chengru first had someone bring him tea. Then, he went back to his office and made a phone call.

About twenty minutes later, Li Chengru led a few people into the conference room and then made introductions.

The group knew on the way that the big boss had arrived, but they were still very reserved when they met He Yuzhu.

"Please sit down," He Yuzhu said casually.

The group sat up straight, waiting for He Yuzhu to continue.

He Yuzhu said, "We're here today to discuss the group's newly established model company."

“A model company?” Li Chengru asked.

"Yes, you remember I asked you to take over a toy factory, right? I went to see it today."

"Oh, ah, boss, why didn't you invite me to come along?"

“You have a lot of things to do here, and a small factory doesn’t need to take up your time.”

The group was genuinely bewildered by this. The big boss had said his subordinates were busy and he was worried about wasting time, so he went to check on the small workshop himself to find out what was going on.

Li Chengru knew about He Yuzhu's situation; the boss did indeed have more time than him.

"Then boss, assign us the task, and we promise to do it perfectly."

After giving some instructions, He Yuzhu left the company with Xiaoman. They then went to see his halal chef, and then went to Xiaoman's mother's grave to sweep the tomb and offer incense.

Xiaoman goes there often, but He Yuzhu is usually busy, so Xiaoman goes alone or is accompanied by her daughter-in-law or daughter.

Now that we're in Tianjin, of course we have to go and see it. But Xiaoman won't cry anymore, because she's a grandmother now, and time heals all wounds.

On the way back to Beijing from Tianjin, Xiaoman looked at the fields rushing past the window and couldn't help but ask again, "Brother Zhu, I still don't quite understand. You went through all this trouble just for that dilapidated toy factory? Even if you wanted to make something new, we have so many factories under our umbrella, which one isn't better? We could just set up a workshop, and the equipment and workers would be readily available, wouldn't they?"

He Yuzhu leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes to rest, and upon hearing this, the corner of his mouth twitched slightly: "Ready-made things have their advantages, but they also come with their own burdens. That factory is like a blank sheet of paper, without so many tangled interpersonal relationships, without fixed ideas, without rigid production processes, and most importantly, the investment is not large, so you can do whatever you want."

He opened his eyes and looked at Xiaoman: "Moreover, what I'm going to make isn't an ordinary toy."

"What else could it be but a toy? Remote control cars and remote control airplanes, aren't they just fancy toys for kids?" Xiaoman asked, puzzled.

“They’re toys now,” He Yuzhu said, gazing into the distance as if he could see the future. “In the future, they can be eyes, arms, tools that can fly to places people can’t reach and see things people can’t see. Just imagine, if rescue teams had small planes that could fly into collapsed buildings to check the situation; if military reconnaissance soldiers could use a small vehicle to see the enemy’s position without risking getting close—would they still be considered toys?”

Xiaoman was stunned. She pondered her husband's words carefully and gradually began to understand their deeper meaning.

"You mean those self-driving machines like in the movies?"

"Yes, the concept is similar, but we have to take it one step at a time." He Yuzhu closed his eyes again. "Let's start with the most basic, civilian-use toys. We need to solidify the foundations of remote control stability and small-scale power. We can talk about other things later."

Xiaoman finally understood. She nodded and said, "No wonder you insisted on setting up a separate factory. But shouldn't you have just given this idea to Huagao Technology?"

"Do you think they have the time to do this? At this stage, this thing is less important to them than a toy," He Yuzhu chuckled.

"That's true, they're the real deal."

"Heh, the real deal."

"Never mind, I won't ask anymore. Judging from your tone, something extraordinary might happen in the future."

"Perhaps," He Yuzhu gave an ambiguous answer.

A few days later, a joint working group led by Li Chengru and composed of the group's human resources, finance, legal and technical departments entered Tianjin Xiangfei Toy Factory.

The first thing to do was to hold a general meeting of all factory workers.

As the news spread, the workers who had been waiting at home returned to the factory from all directions with a mix of trepidation and anticipation.

The once deserted factory area was now bustling with activity, with small groups of people gathering in the factory courtyard, discussing the situation.

"I heard the new owner is the Yellow River Group! That's a huge company!"

"Big companies are good, but would they even want our run-down factory? What if they just sell the land and get rid of us?"

"Well, it's hard to say. These days, jobs are hard to find."

"."

The conference was held in the factory compound. There was no auditorium or a large enough conference room in the factory. On the makeshift stage, Factory Director Liu Jianming sat in the first row, feeling extremely uneasy.

Li Chengru, representing the group, took the stage and, without any unnecessary formalities, got straight to the point: "Fellow workers, hello everyone. I am Li Chengru, the head of the Tianjin branch of the Yellow River Group. The group has officially completed the acquisition of Xiangfei Factory. The purpose of today's meeting is to inform everyone that the factory will not be sold! Moreover, the group will invest funds and technology to comprehensively upgrade and transform the factory!"

The audience fell silent instantly, followed by low murmurs and gasps of disbelief.

Li Chengru raised his hand to press down, and continued, "The new factory will be renamed 'Yellow River Precision Model Technology Co., Ltd.' Its main business will no longer be low-end remote control toys, but will shift to high-precision, high-value-added dynamic scale models."

"what is that?"

"Yeah, so we're not making toys anymore?"

"."

Li Chengru surveyed the audience, gestured for them to quiet down, and continued, "We're still making toys, but high-end toys. We need employees with technical skills, a sense of responsibility, and a willingness to learn new knowledge! The group has decided to conduct standardized skills assessments and interviews for all registered employees. Those who pass the assessments will compete for positions based on the new job requirements! The group will organize comprehensive skills training to ensure everyone can keep up with the new production demands!" "Competitive selection?" The workers exchanged bewildered glances; the term was still quite novel at the time.

“Yes, it’s a competitive selection process!” Li Chengru said confidently. “The capable rise, the average step aside, and the incompetent are dismissed. This is the rule of the Yellow River Group. Of course, for those who cannot adapt to the requirements of the new position, the group will provide reasonable compensation and resettlement in accordance with the law, and will do its best to assist everyone in finding new job opportunities.”

These words elicited varying reactions from the audience.

Those with skills and younger age were eager to try, seeing hope; while older people with limited skills looked worried.

Liu Jianming's face paled. He knew that his time as factory director was probably up.

Sure enough, Li Chengru then announced: "The original management team also needs to re-apply for positions. The group will send a new management team and technical backbone to lead everyone in building the new company!"

After the conference, the working group immediately began the screening and placement of personnel.

The assessment consists of a written theoretical test and a practical operation test, covering basic mechanical drawing, electrical engineering fundamentals, and equipment operation safety. Meanwhile, the interview stage focuses on assessing the employee's willingness and attitude towards learning.

The process was open and transparent, but also brutal.

Ultimately, out of 217 registered employees, 103 passed the assessment and qualified to join the new company.

This includes several experienced and skilled fitters, electricians, and injection molding machine operators.

The remaining staff received compensation according to the plan, and some were recommended for interviews at other factories of the group in Tianjin.

Knowing that his abilities were far from meeting the requirements of the new company, the former factory manager, Liu Jianming, voluntarily chose to leave with compensation.

The management team was almost entirely replaced. Li Chengru transferred a hardworking and experienced deputy manager from the Tianjin branch to temporarily assume the responsibilities of factory manager, in charge of the initial transformation and team integration.

Meanwhile, the group headquarters began looking for senior managers with backgrounds in precision manufacturing or electronics to serve as the official head of "Yellow River Precision Molding".

The factory renovation was launched simultaneously.

The dilapidated office building was repainted and the wiring was inspected and updated.

The largest main workshop has been planned as the core production area for the future, and old and useless equipment has been eliminated and sold to free up space.

He Yuzhu asked the real estate company to provide a floor plan, requesting that it be divided into a precision machining area, an electronic assembly area, a debugging area, and an independent R&D laboratory.

Most importantly, it is about building a research and development team.

He Yuzhu's instructions to the new company were clear: spare no expense in recruiting talent. The target was professionals in radio control, micromechanical structures, lightweight materials, and image signal transmission.

The job posting was released through the group's channels and had a high entry barrier: applicants were required to have a bachelor's degree or above in a relevant field, those with practical project experience were given priority, and the compensation was highly competitive in the industry.

It didn't go smoothly at first.

In the late 1990s, most of these talents were concentrated in research institutes, universities, or some emerging electronics companies in the south, and they had little interest in an unknown "model company" located in the north.

After learning about the situation, He Yuzhu immediately called He Yaozong and Chen Sheng.

Soon after, several young engineers from the Yellow River Communications R&D department, who had research experience in radio frequency circuits and embedded systems, were internally transferred to Tianjin.

Meanwhile, NeoComm has also identified two Chinese engineers working on miniaturized antennas and micro-motor control in Europe and the United States who have expressed their willingness to return to China and are currently in talks with them.

Just as the "Yellow River Model Project" was quietly taking off in Tianjin, Yellow River Communications encountered a minor problem.

The atmosphere in the conference room of Huanghe Communications was somewhat heavy.

He Yuzhu sat in the main seat, listening to the reports from He Yaozong and several senior executives.

"Chairman, this is last month's market report." He Yaozong pushed a document in front of He Yuzhu. "In the program-controlled switch market, our old domestic competitors, such as Huawei and ZTE, are waging an increasingly fierce price war. They are using their local cost advantages and policy support to squeeze our market share in some low-end and mid-range projects and rural markets. Our technological advantages are still there, but the cost pressure is getting greater and greater."

He Yuzhu flipped through the briefing, which clearly showed the slight decline in market share and profit margin.

He wasn't surprised; this is an inevitable stage in the development of the industry.

“As expected.” He Yuzhu put down the briefing. “We can’t keep relying on our technological barriers and rest on our laurels. We must reduce costs and increase efficiency, and optimize the supply chain. In addition, our research and development of next-generation switches cannot stop. We must develop towards higher capacity and greater intelligence to maintain our advantages in the high-end market and specific fields (such as the military and finance).

He looked at He Yaozong: "Yaozong, you need to understand that the telephone exchange is the foundation and cash flow of Yellow River Communications. We can't lose this position. But at the same time, we need to broaden our horizons. How is the telecommunications company's research and development on mobile networks, especially the pre-research on future 3G technology, progressing?"

He Yaozong nodded, gesturing for a vice president in charge of research and development to answer.

“Chairman,” the R&D vice president adjusted his glasses, “our lab has been tracking the development of international 3G standards (mainly WCDMA and CDMA2000). Currently, we are still in the stage of standard negotiation and technology accumulation. We have collaborated with Huagao Technology's electronic lab to conduct some preliminary research on core network element architecture and some baseband algorithms, and we have also attempted to establish joint labs with several universities. But frankly, the investment is huge, and with the standards still undetermined, the risks are very high. Most importantly, we still heavily rely on imports for some core components.”

"We still need to import? What are those electronics companies doing?" He Yuzhu turned to look at He Yaozong.

"Chairman, we only have a portion of the patents, and our production capacity is insufficient."

"What's the solution?" He Yuzhu asked.

He Yaozong was not surprised by his father's question. Since the question had been raised, he must have been prepared, otherwise he would have been in for a scolding.

He calmly replied, “Chairman, we are already working on solutions. We're taking a two-pronged approach: First, we've deepened our cooperation with several promising domestic semiconductor design and packaging companies. This includes not only order collaborations but also joint technical research, developing customized chips for the specific needs of our communication equipment. Although the initial costs are high, in the long run, this will gradually reduce our reliance on foreign suppliers. Second, through our trading companies in Hong Kong and the Special Administrative Region, we've established a more complex and diversified international procurement network to mitigate risks and avoid being held hostage by a single channel. Additionally, Huagao Technology's electronic laboratories are accelerating the design and tape-out of relevant specialized chips.”

After listening, He Yuzhu's expression softened slightly, and he nodded: "The idea is correct. We must master the core technologies and ensure the supply chain is secure. We must persevere even if it requires large investments and long cycles. Communication networks are the nervous system of the future, and we cannot be dependent on others for key components."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, his tone becoming more serious: "We must deal with the price war, but we can't let it become a vicious cycle. Our advantage lies in our technological accumulation and system stability, especially in areas where reliability is extremely important. We must hold this ground, and at the same time, we must steadfastly evolve towards the next generation of technology. 3G is the cornerstone of the mobile internet; investing now is securing our position for the future. Yaozong, you personally oversee this, allocate resources to R&D, and submit reports directly for anything requiring coordination from the group."

“Understood, Chairman.” He Yaozong replied solemnly.

After resolving the matters concerning the telecommunications company, He Yaozong organized another meeting with Huanghe Internet Company.

The atmosphere in the conference room of Huanghe Internet Company was much more somber than that at the telecommunications company. They were not profitable at all and were being overtaken by newcomers.

He Yaozong sat in the main seat, while the heads of the internet company, including CEO Duan Mingyu, seemed somewhat uneasy.

"Mingyu, report the data from last quarter and the recent situation to the chairman," He Yaozong said.

Duan Mingyu took a deep breath and turned on the projector: "Chairman, President He. This is data on user growth and market share for our portal website Yellow River Network, instant messaging software HICQ, and email service."

The chart clearly shows that although Yellow River Network still has a certain influence in news and information thanks to the group's resources and early investment, its user growth has shown signs of fatigue.

Meanwhile, the instant messaging and email services market is being rapidly overtaken by similar products launched by a company called "XunJie Technology," which is gaining market share by adopting designs that are closer to the habits of local users and employing aggressive marketing strategies.

“Our HICQ's feature iteration speed can't keep up with the competition, user feedback indicates the interface isn't user-friendly enough, and file transfer stability is also problematic,” Duan Mingyu added with difficulty. “In terms of email service, their free storage is larger than ours, and their attachment support is better.”

He Yuzhu listened quietly, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the table, revealing no emotion.

After Duan Mingyu finished his report, He Yuzhu slowly spoke, his gaze sweeping over the management of the internet company: "I remember that the group allocates a considerable amount of R&D funding to you every year. The Vison system has hundreds of millions of users worldwide, and its underlying network protocols, graphical interface technology, and enterprise email are all excellent. As our strategic partner, haven't you borrowed anything from it for your own internet products? Do you only realize the problem when others are using the operating system developed by our group's partners, creating more popular applications, and coming knocking on our door?"

His voice wasn't loud, but every word struck a chord in everyone's hearts, and everyone lowered their heads.

Duan Mingyu's forehead was sweating as he tried to explain, "Chairman, the Vison system is primarily designed for personal computer desktop environments, which does differ from the development environment for internet applications. Moreover, we previously focused more on content operations and marketing, and our investment in tackling underlying technical challenges and agile product development was limited."

"What could it be?"

No one dared to utter a sound. Seeing the awkward silence, He Yaozong quickly said, "Chairman..."

"Alright, you don't need to cover for them."

He Yaozong didn't dare to utter a sound.

He Yuzhu continued, "Do you think that having a powerful backer is good for you? You think you can protect the market by taking the group's money and doing some superficial work?"

He picked up the laser pointer, turned it on, and pointed to the curves where the competitors had overtaken them: "The market is fair, and users are realistic. They won't be lenient with you just because you're a company under the Yellow River Group. The current situation isn't that the competitors are too strong; it's that you yourselves haven't done a good enough job, or even—you've failed in your duties!"

The last two words sent a chill down the spines of everyone in the conference room.

"The internet is the future, but that future won't automatically fall into our hands." He Yuzhu looked around at everyone. "Given that the current development of internet companies is seriously inconsistent with the group's strategic expectations, I have decided:"

"First, Duan Mingyu, CEO of the Internet company, as well as the R&D director and marketing director, are relieved of their posts and will be reassigned."

"Second, effective immediately, Yellow River Internet Company will be restructured, with He Yaozong temporarily assuming the role of CEO and reporting directly to me."

"Third, during the restructuring period, all ongoing projects and product lines will be reassessed. Resources will be concentrated on refining the instant messaging and email products, technical bottlenecks will be overcome within a specified timeframe, and user experience must be improved. The portal website business should be diversified, with deeper integration with the communication and email businesses, and new models should be explored."

"Fourth, immediately restart the technical communication channel with New-Vision. We must quickly translate the advanced features of the Vision system in network communication and graphical interface into our Internet applications. I want to see substantial progress, not just empty talk."

The series of decisions were made cleanly and decisively, without any hesitation or delay.

Duan Mingyu and the others turned pale, but no one dared to speak up.

He Yaozong sighed, then said in a deep voice, "Yes, Chairman. I will immediately begin the restructuring process to ensure a smooth transition of business and to come up with a new development plan as soon as possible."

After leaving the internet company and getting into the car, He Yaozong rubbed his temples and said to He Yuzhu with a wry smile, "Dad, it's my fault for not doing a good job."

"You know you didn't do a good job. Shouldn't you be the one to resolve this and report back to me?" He Yuzhu said irritably.

“There is no precedent in the group for dismissing senior executives,” He Yaozong said.

"What a joke! I think you've had it too easy. If something like this happens again, you'll be sent back to Hong Kong to train under your brother." He Yuzhu rarely lost his temper.

“I understand, Dad,” He Yaozong said in a deep voice.

"Hmph, what good is knowing? If you don't handle this well, don't think I'll go easy on you. You're not even as good as your wife!"

"Dad, your son isn't that bad, is he?" He Yaozong said with a wry smile.

"What do you think?" He Yuzhu asked in return.

The next day, at the headquarters of the Yellow River Group, in He Yuzhu's temporary office.

He Yaozong stood in front of the large desk, his expression calm but his eyes firm.

“Dad, I’ve thought it over repeatedly. I’m not suitable to hold the position of CEO of an internet company.”

"Tell me why?"

"The communications sector is facing a critical period of transformation and upgrading, and we are also expanding into overseas markets, so I must concentrate my efforts. The internet sector needs a leader who can be fully committed, understands the logic of internet products, and is adept at agile development. My current knowledge structure and energy allocation are not optimal."

He Yuzhu looked up at his son but did not immediately express his opinion. He could tell that Yaozong's words were well thought out and not simply a matter of fearing difficulties or shirking responsibility.

A few breaths later, He Yuzhu spoke.

"Have you thought this through? This means you're giving up direct control over a business segment that could be extremely important in the future."

“I’ve thought it through.” He Yaozong nodded. “This isn’t about giving up, but about making it develop better. I will serve as the nominal executive vice president to coordinate resources. Grasping the strategic direction, specific execution, and daily management requires more professional people. Moreover, this restructuring also needs a fresh start. If I take on the role concurrently, the people below may still have a dependency mentality, which is not conducive to completely changing the atmosphere.”

He Yuzhu nodded and smiled slightly: "You're quite self-aware, kid. It's good that you thought of this."

"So, what are your plans regarding the selection of a candidate?"

“I suggest we recruit globally, not just within the group.” He Yaozong had clearly thought it through. “Candidates need to possess several core qualities: First, a deep understanding and successful experience with internet technology and products, preferably with experience in developing a product from scratch; second, keen user insight and a habit of data-driven decision-making; third, strong team management and cross-departmental coordination skills, and the ability to understand and adapt to the culture of Huanghe; fourth, preferably Chinese or with long-term work experience in China, and a deep understanding of the local market.”

“The requirements are not low,” He Yuzhu commented. “Such people are either in Silicon Valley or are pillars in one of the few emerging domestic internet companies. The difficulty and cost of poaching them will not be small.”

“Yes, but it’s worth the investment,” He Yaozong affirmed. “The success or failure of an internet company largely depends on its leader. We need someone who can ignite the team, lead rapid product iteration, and carve out a path in fierce competition.”

“Okay, let’s look for candidates based on these criteria first.” He Yuzhu finally made the decision. “Bring the final candidates to me for personal review.”

"Understood." He Yaozong breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that he had passed his father's test.

"I'd like to add one more point: there are actually many newcomers who could be given a chance. Of course, whether they can get to me depends on their own abilities!"

"this."

"Just do as I say. The standards in this industry can't be measured by conventional methods."

"Okay, I'll do it right away."

Recruitment information was quietly released through headhunters and the group's overseas channels.

As expected, such high-level job requirements have attracted the attention of a select few truly top talents, along with high salary expectations and complex negotiations.

A month later, after several rounds of screening by He Yaozong and the human resources department, three candidates were selected for the final list.

He Yaozong faxed their detailed information to He Yuzhu, who had already returned to Beijing.

He Yuzhu spent some time carefully reviewing the resume.

The first candidate is Zhang Zhixing, a Chinese-American, 40 years old, with a PhD in Computer Science from Stanford University. He previously served as Vice President of Technology at a well-known software company in Silicon Valley, leading the development of large-scale enterprise-level software products. He possesses a strong technical background and rich management experience. His weaknesses include a lack of experience with purely consumer-level internet products, and his long-term overseas experience may limit his understanding of the rapidly changing Chinese internet market.

The second candidate is Li Minghan, a 38-year-old professor in the Computer Science Department of a well-known domestic university. He has achieved remarkable academic results, participated in early national informatization projects, possesses a solid theoretical foundation, and has established connections within the industry. His strengths include familiarity with the domestic environment and a broad technical perspective. His weaknesses include a lack of direct management experience in large internet teams and experience in commercializing products. His academically inclined personality raises questions about his ability to adapt to the fast-paced, highly competitive culture of internet companies.

The third candidate, Liang Wenyuan, is 35 years old. He previously served as the core product director at a promising internet company in southern China, where he was a key figure in the company's flagship instant messaging software's growth from its initial stages to reaching millions of users. He has successful product experience, is sensitive to user needs, and has a decisive and passionate work style. His weaknesses include relative youth and less experience compared to the previous two candidates. He has never independently managed a company, and his previous company culture differs significantly from Huanghe's, potentially posing challenges for integration.

He Yuzhu closed the documents and pondered for a long time.

These three people represent three different paths and possibilities, but that's not enough.

Then He Yuzhu made a phone call to He Yaozong.

"Yaozong!"

"dad!"

"I don't think any of these people are the best candidates; we need to keep looking."

"what"

(End of this chapter)