Tech startup: I really do make mobile phones!

Chapter 94 Chrysanthemum Intern

The Chrysanthemum Factory is located just across the street from Yuancheng New Energy, which was renamed today, in the Longgang Industrial Park.

Hong Jie, the head of the terminal battery R&D department, led intern Xiao Liu toward Yu Dazui's office.

She patted the young man on the shoulder: "Don't be nervous later, just show your face."

Xiao Liu clutched the battery design proposal in his hand, the word "Intern" on his work badge casting a blurry shadow under the corridor lights.

As a master's graduate from Shenzhen University, a university that is neither a 211 nor a 985 institution, Xiao Liu is incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to stay at a large factory like GC.

It's worth noting that this year, Chrysanthemum Factory's nationwide campus recruitment acceptance rate was only 2.3%, and the R&D positions even have a high threshold of "bachelor's and master's degrees from 985 universities + top conference papers".

His palms were sweaty as he gripped his employee badge. He recalled how, during the interview, when asked "What outstanding laboratories does Shenzhen University have in the field of batteries?", he managed to force himself to say that his mentor was Lin Heming, the director of the National Standard Energy Storage Committee.

then
Xiao Liu managed to secure an internship opportunity by publishing a relatively minor SCI paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of North America (PNAS). He stood out from a group of top students with both bachelor's and master's degrees from prestigious 985 universities and published papers at top conferences.

Fortunately, Xiao Liu was self-aware and devoted himself to the laboratory after his internship, deeply understanding the essence of the wolf-like culture of the Chrysanthemum Factory.

While others were off work, he was studying materials, spending his lunch break cramming on knowledge about terminal lithium batteries in the literature database, and even coming back to measure data on his days off. If he were in later generations, he would definitely be a top scholar.

During one of his visits to the production line with the engineers, he discovered a hidden deviation of 0.3°C in the production line's temperature control system due to material aging.

Based on this, he pointed out the reason why the battery error deviated from the preset 2%, and based on this, he spoke at the weekly meeting and won the appreciation of Sister Hong, the person in charge of terminal batteries.

Soon, the two arrived at Yu Dazui's office. Sister Hong didn't forget to give Xiao Liu a final word of advice.

"Remember! President Yu is known for his decisiveness!" Sister Hong lowered her voice: "We'll get to the point later. When it's your turn to speak, don't dawdle and provoke him."

Before the words were finished, a sound of someone slamming their hand on the table came from the office in front.
"Mr. Yu! I supported your decision to retain the terminal business at the board meeting so that you would use our own chips. What do you mean by this now?"

The woman slammed her hand on the table, the words "Maritime Silk Road Semiconductor" on her name tag swaying slightly with her movement, her fingertips almost poking Yu Da's nose.

"President He! It's not that I don't support it!" Yu Dazui's voice was barely restrained, almost cracking: "Last year, when the K3V1 was used in small batches in low-end machines, complaints about three motherboards being burned through were still piling up on my desk!"

The leaders were arguing, so the junior staff stepped aside. Sister Hong and Xiao Liu exchanged a glance and didn't rush to knock on the door.

In the office, He Tingbo, with short hair and black-rimmed glasses, was placing a modified K3V1 engineering sample on the table, his plain shirt collar slightly undulating.

"Three improvements! The newly added IPPS technology has undergone 10 hours of reliability simulation testing. Would you rather use Lianfa's outdated products than trust your own people?"

Yu Dazui remained silent.

Then He Tingbo tried to reason with him and appeal to his emotions.

"Old Yu, you make smart terminals, and I make chips. Logically speaking, we're both working for Huawei's future, so we should support each other!"

Yu Dazui didn't disagree with this and nodded.

He Tingbo continued, "The flagship Chrysanthemum U8800 is a high-end phone. You've used the high-performance MSM7230 chip, which we in the Maritime Silk Road don't have. I accept that."

"For the mid-range model Chip U8150, I understand that you feel the commercial chips used in our Maritime Silk Road project are not stable enough, and that you are using two suppliers, Unimicron and Spreadtrum."

"The improved K3V1 is more than enough for your entry-level Huawei U8100 and Huawei C8500. You should at least support your own chips!"

"If I, He Tingbo, can't even rely on my family, how can you expect me to rely on outsiders?"

When He Tingbo said this, there was already a hint of sadness in his voice.

Her fingertips were still pressing on the modified K3V1 engineering sample on the table, carrying a hint of metallic coolness, much like the status of the Maritime Silk Road, which had been hovering on the edge of the Chrysanthemum Factory for years.

Since the establishment of the Maritime Silk Road in 04, and the successful first tape-out of the K3V1 in 09, she has been walking alone in the dark for five years.

When will the Maritime Silk Road finally usher in its own era?

"President He! As you know, this year the company has transformed into making smartphones, and President Ren has put all the resources into my hands."

Yu Dazui rubbed his temples and tapped his knuckles on the desk.

"Yes! Maritime Silk Road Chip is the company's own child, but even the most beloved child has to learn to walk before it can run a marathon, right?"

"Fine, fine, fine!" He Tingbo grabbed the chip and stuffed it into his bag. The metallic clanging sound clearly carried emotion: "Your terminal division is Ren Zhengfei's real son, while we at Haisi are the backup plan. A backup plan is like a stepmother's child!"

The door was slammed shut. As she passed Sister Hong, the words "Maritime Silk Road Semiconductor" on her name tag flashed past Xiao Liu's nose and disappeared before his eyes.

This allowed Xiao Liu to experience firsthand the charisma of He Tingbo, one of the legendary Seven Swordsmen of Chrysanthemums and the Queen of Chips.

Of course, Xiao Liu will soon experience the prowess of another member of the Seven Chrysanthemum Swordsmen.

Mr. Yu had just returned triumphantly from the European 3G wireless communications market when Mr. Ren appointed him as the fire chief for the terminal business in a time of crisis.

Over the past three years, General Manager Yu has increased the chrysanthemum factory's market share in Europe from a bottom-ranked 2% to the top spot with 33%.

In order to save the chrysanthemum factory's declining terminal business, he made a bold promise at the board meeting: to catch up with Sanjing in three years and surpass Pingguo in five years.

At this point, Sanjing had already shown its potential as the second-largest player, and decisively abandoned its self-developed Bada OS, joining the Android camp.

Upon seeing this, Android immediately agreed to stop HYC's system updates.

With Sanjing cutting off the screen supply again, the combined hardware and software efforts have strangled HYC, effectively crippling the latter's most profitable flagship phone business.

HYC's second-place position is in jeopardy.

HYC is now preparing to abandon the Dopod brand and directly enter the mainland market in an attempt to recoup some losses.

And then... the senior executives on the domestic side didn't even have decision-making power.

In the first major smartphone war in China, HYC's domestic executives still had to consult with superiors before engaging in the battle, and then, that was the end of it.

As for Apple, it's now widely recognized as the top smartphone brand, which goes without saying.

Catching up with Sanjing in three years, and surpassing Pingguo in five years.

This is more than just arrogant; it's downright presumptuous.

Therefore, his nickname "Big Mouth Yu" spread from Chrysanthemum Company.

Of course, Yu Dazui wasn't just talking nonsense; President Ren was giving him considerable support.

Now, in order to help Huawei transition from feature phones to smartphones, Yu Chengdong is preparing to launch four new Android smartphones in October.

Flagship phone: Huawei U8800 (comparable to Apple 4).

Mid-range: Chrysanthemum U8150 (comparable to the Galaxy series released by Sanjing Gang).

Entry-level models: Chihuahua U8100, Chihuahua C8500 (testing the market in lower-tier cities).

To transform into a smartphone manufacturer, Chrysanthemum Factory has invested heavily in resources, basically covering the entire market from high-end to mid-range to entry-level, which shows its ambitious plans.

"Cough cough cough~"

At this moment, Mr. Yu also noticed the two people at the door. They had obviously witnessed Mr. He slamming the door and leaving.

The atmosphere in the office instantly froze as their eyes met.

Upon seeing this, Xiao Liu immediately knocked lightly on the door frame: "President Yu! Our terminal battery R&D team is here to report on the battery solution for the model."

Yu Dazui pointed to the sofa and said, "Let's talk over there." His fingers were loosening his tie knot, revealing beads of sweat under his temples.

Sister Hong led Xiao Liu inside, unfolded the materials, and focused on introducing the high-rate battery solution of the flagship Chrysanthemum U8800.

Xiao Liu was keeping him company on one side, but he noticed out of the corner of his eye that President Yu's gaze was always fixed on the window.

Over there, you can see the glass curtain wall of the Maritime Silk Road R&D building. He Tingbo's figure is walking quickly past, his stubborn short hair forming a straight line in the wind.

"Mr. Yu!" Sister Hong gave Xiao Liu a timely opportunity to showcase himself in front of the leader: "Next, Xiao Liu, our department's outstanding intern this time, will introduce the solution for the entry-level model!" "Mr. Yu! Hello!"

Xiao Liu was a little nervous meeting such an important person for the first time, but he gradually calmed down when they started talking about work.

"For this entry-level model, the Huawei C8500, we recommend using a 1500mAh lithium polymer battery."

Xiao Liu opened the data manual, his voice more composed than before: "The cost is controlled at 32 yuan per unit, and it supports 6 hours of battery life."

Yu Dazui suddenly spoke up: "Does HaiSi have a compatible baseband chip?"

chip???

We are terminal battery pack manufacturers!

Xiao Liu was stunned for a moment, unsure of how to respond.

Hongjie paused for half a second before hurriedly replying, "President Yu! My colleagues from the C8500 R&D team said that Lianfa Technology's and Zhanxun's solutions have already been submitted for testing."

“Go and inform the C8500 R&D team to give HaiSi three more days,” Yu Dazui said, picking up a pen and annotating the plan: “Have them make a version compatible with HaiSi Balong 700.”

The HaiSi 700 baseband chip is the world's first terminal baseband chip to support TD-LDTE/LTE FDD dual-mode. It is a chip developed by HaiSi for early technical demonstration of 4G communication and has reached the level of mainstream products on the market.

Yu Dazui used his fingers to prop up the nose pads of his glasses, gently leaned back against the sofa back, closed his eyes, pinched the sides of his nose, and then the reflection from the lenses obscured his gaze.

“Tell them that one of the two alternative baseband suppliers must be Maritime Silk Road.”

"Yes, Mr. Yu! I will convey the message!"

Sister Hong gripped her pen and carefully wrote down General Manager Yu's requirements.

Xiao Liu watched Hong Jie with curiosity, learning from the example her direct supervisor was giving her in the workplace.

On the top floor of the Maritime Silk Road R&D building, He Tingbo slammed the door open and entered, his black-rimmed glasses sliding down to the tip of his nose.

The marketing manager followed up with a stack of documents, the air conditioner blowing up the top chip price list: the words "K3V1 Improved Version" looked a bit glaring under the fluorescent lights.

"What did Fantasy and Kupa say?" She loosened her shirt collar, her fingertips unconsciously tracing her name tag.

The marketing manager piled documents on his desk, the sound of metal clips hitting the surface was particularly jarring.

Both companies declined, saying they looked forward to a future opportunity to cooperate as our technology matured.

As for Zhongxing, it's the sworn enemy of Chrysanthemum Factory, there's no need to even ask about it.

"I'll give you a 20% discount!" He Tingbo turned around abruptly, adjusting his black-rimmed glasses that had slipped down to the tip of his nose: "They won't even use the entry-level model?"

The supervisor smiled wryly and pulled out a competitor analysis table from the pile of documents.

"Lianfa Technology's MT6573 is already in mass production, and its power consumption is 15% lower than ours."

"Where's the M9?" She suddenly grabbed the other person's arm, as if grasping at a lifeline.

The supervisor withdrew his arm and took out a document.

"That Mr. Zhang just came back from the Apple store in Niuyue. He completely changed the configuration of the M9. These past few days he's been chatting away with Lei Jun, that internet guy, and even the September launch event has been postponed to the end of the year."

The sky outside the glass curtain wall seemed a bit gloomy; after so many hot days, it looked like it was about to rain.

He Tingbo gripped the edge of the table tightly with his fingertips, his knuckles turning white.

A moment later, she abruptly took off her black-rimmed glasses, quickly wiped the lenses, and concealed the soreness on her face.

She took a deep breath, her aura gathering once more. Hai Si couldn't afford to wait for her, the sect leader, to indulge in self-pity.

She grabbed her mug and gulped down her cold coffee: "I heard that Duomei and Bubugao are making new phones? Surely they can use domestically produced chips, right?"

"Dome's new product brand has signed with Lianfa Technology!" The manager pulled out the information: "It's a brand called 'Duowei,' targeting the female market!"

The marketing manager felt that President He was making a desperate move. Duomei is a manufacturer of wireless communication equipment, how could they possibly cooperate with Huawei's chip subsidiary? This would be aiding the enemy.

"The brand of the 'Step-by-Step Cream' is from the Green Factory, they said..." The supervisor hesitated for a moment, then added, "I'll definitely get it next time!"

Seeing that President He was holding the mug with a somewhat disappointed expression, he suddenly lowered his voice.

"Mr. He! Have you heard about the recent craze for a low-end smartphone in Shenzhen?"

After leaving General Manager Yu's office, Sister Hong patted Xiao Liu on the shoulder.

"Xiao Liu! You did a good job in front of General Manager Yu today, keep it up!"

Xiao Liu quickly bowed his head to express his gratitude, revealing a slightly damp collar beneath his employee ID badge.

Just then, her phone vibrated in her pocket, and Sister Hong smiled and pointed to the elevator.

"The elevator has arrived. You answer the phone first, I'll go to group C8500."

Xiao Liu clutched his phone and ran towards the stairwell, the metal handrail brushing against his palm with a cool touch.

"Hello! Teacher Lin!" He pressed the answer button while panting, and his teacher's familiar voice came through the receiver.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Teacher Lin suddenly lowered her voice.

"Your junior brother Chen Mo, do you still remember him?"

Xiao Liu's fingers paused on the glass door of the fire hydrant, his fingertips tapping lightly.

That junior who dropped out of graduate school halfway through his studies to force himself to manufacture mobile phones in North China.

At this moment, the blurry outline in Xiao Liu's memory slowly became clear again.

"I remember. Professor Lin, I recall that his model was referenced in your paper back then."

"Cough cough."

Ms. Lin across from me coughed to cover up her embarrassment. How come you only remember this?

"He came to me today and said he wanted to invite you to dinner!" Teacher Lin's tone was somewhat amused: "He said he has something important to discuss with you."

Xiao Liu stared at the fire escape at the corner of the stairs, and could almost hear himself swallowing.

Could it be that Chen Mo's small workshop messed up and he's trying to use his teacher's connections to get promoted to the chrysanthemum factory?

But I haven't even been officially hired yet, so I'm afraid I can't help you.

After hanging up the phone, Xiao Liu stared blankly at the "Teacher Lin" contact name on his phone screen.

A bolt of lightning suddenly flashed past the stairwell window, casting a flickering shadow on the word "Intern" on his employee badge.

On the bright side, if there are shadows, then there must also be light.

After Chen Mo acquired Yuancheng New Energy, he promised not to interfere in its operation. However, having lived two lives, he knew that trust and supervision were not contradictory.

Human hearts are fickle!
Although Xu Mingyuan was also a student of Teacher Jiang, since it concerned the core lifeline of the gaseous lithium battery production line, he needed someone to keep an eye on things so he could feel at ease.

I don't expect Senior Brother Liu to be able to keep track of every move Xu Mingyuan makes, but I do hope that if the other party has any ulterior motives, he will consider the eyes watching him from behind.

From a later perspective, although Senior Brother Liu suffered a major setback in love, his judgment in choosing women was nothing short of disastrous.

However, the fact that he was able to rise to the position of head of the R&D team at the Chrysanthemum Factory shows that his technical skills and workplace survival abilities are not to be underestimated.

Sending him to represent me at Yuancheng and keep an eye on Xu Mingyuan would be enough to prevent the latter from having any disloyal thoughts.

(End of this chapter)