Chapter 890
Copying Future Homework
Three days later, in Shenzhen, Nanshan High-tech Development Zone.
The air was filled with the unique humid and hot atmosphere of the South, mixed with the smell of newly paved asphalt and the faint rumble of factories in the distance.
In a somewhat empty factory area, brand-new factory buildings stand, their blue and white exterior walls dazzling under the blazing sunlight.
This is the new production and R&D base of Langke Company, which has just completed its expansion and has initially moved in its equipment.
Compared to the bright, clean, and technologically advanced R&D centers that Lu Yang envisioned for the future, everything before him seemed rather rudimentary.
The empty cement ground was not yet completely leveled, and some areas were still piled with building material packaging. The newly installed production line equipment was covered with dust cloth, like a lurking beast. The walls were painted snow-white, but no decorations had been hung up yet. Only a few red banners with the words "Safety First" and "Efficiency is Life" were particularly eye-catching.
However, the internal layout displays a sense of efficiency and order characteristic of emerging enterprises.
Technicians in uniform blue overalls hurried along, while various instruments and disassembled electronic components were placed on the experimental table. Circuit boards, chips, and casing samples were sorted and stacked, appearing chaotic yet orderly.
A discreet black sedan silently glided into the factory area.
The car door opened, and Lu Yang, dressed in a well-tailored dark casual suit, stepped out first.
Following closely behind was Wei Shu, who was dressed in a smart suit and exuded a powerful aura.
The two core technical leaders of Langke Company, Deng Guoshun and Cheng Xiaohua, who had been waiting for a long time, immediately greeted them with smiles on their faces.
Their excitement was almost palpable, carrying the tension and anticipation of students about to present their work to their mentor.
"Chairman Lu! President Wei! Welcome to our visit and guidance!" Deng Guoshun spoke first, his voice slightly hoarse with excitement.
Cheng Xiaohua nodded vigorously, her eyes following Lu Yang closely, as if trying to read any subtle reaction from his face.
Lu Yang nodded slightly, his sharp gaze sweeping over his new "battlefield," his face revealing little emotion, and he simply replied, "Yes, thank you for your hard work."
His gaze finally settled on the door in front of him that marked "Product Development Center".
"Chairman Lu, President Wei, this way please!" Cheng Xiaohua quickly stepped aside to lead the way, warmly guiding the two into the depths of the R&D center.
Inside the research and development room, the temperature seemed slightly higher than outside, and the air was filled with a mixture of smells from solder, rosin, and new plastic products. On the huge workbench, various measuring instruments flashed their indicator lights, and several computer screens displayed complex charts and data.
On the central display stand, a dark blue anti-static cloth was laid out, on which were placed several MP3 prototypes of various shapes and bright colors, as well as their disassembled internal structures. Circuit boards, flash memory chips, batteries, LCD screens, and button components were all on display, and design drawings and technical parameter documents were scattered around.
Seven or eight core R&D engineers stood around, holding their breath and watching Lu Yang's movements. A silent sense of anticipation and pressure filled the air.
"Chairman Lu." Deng Guoshun cleared his throat, picked up a sample with a silver-white casing and a relatively rounded shape, and began a detailed introduction.
His voice carried the meticulousness characteristic of a technologist, along with a hint of barely perceptible pride. "This is our flagship first-generation MP3 product, developed by integrating the best available resources. Its internal codename is 'Silver Shuttle.' As you can see, it uses the latest ABS engineering plastic combined with a partial metal frame, achieving both lightweight design and strength. The 1.5-inch monochrome LCD screen on the front is top-of-the-line, displaying information clearly. The operation uses a combination of a five-way navigation joystick and side buttons, conforming to mainstream operating logic."
He carefully disassembled the casing to reveal the tightly packed components inside: "At the core, we used a decoding chip with a main frequency of XX MHz, which supports mainstream MP3 formats. The sound quality has been repeatedly tuned to achieve the best possible performance under the current chip conditions. The most crucial part is the storage section!"
Deng Guoshun's voice rose a few decibels as he pointed to a chip the size of a fingernail. "We've integrated the most stable 64MB flash memory chip currently available for mass production in the industry! This allows us to store approximately 10-12 standard-compressed songs while maintaining stability and sound quality! This has reached the top level of high-end MP3 products on the market, far surpassing ordinary products that can only store 6-8 songs!"
Cheng Xiaohua added at the opportune moment, "Chairman Lu, President Wei, to meet your previous requirement of 'first touch,' we've put a lot of effort into the casing's craftsmanship. Although limited by cost and mass production processes, we can't yet achieve the extreme precision you demand, the current matte finish already feels quite good, and the edges have been rounded to minimize any sharpness. Moreover,"
He pointed to several other samples on the table, "We have designed a variety of popular color schemes to meet the aesthetic needs of different users, which will make the initial market promotion more impactful."
He picked up a sample of bright orange and a sample of sapphire blue; the colors were indeed vibrant and eye-catching.
The entire research and development room was silent, with everyone's eyes focused on Lu Yang, awaiting his final decision.
Deng Guoshun and Cheng Xiaohua's eyes were filled with confidence in their team's achievements and a desire for Lu Yang's recognition.
The capacity of ten songs was indeed a remarkable technological achievement at the end of 1999.
Wei Shu stood to the side and behind Lu Yang, her gaze calmly sweeping over the samples and the two technical backbones. She already had a clear judgment on the advantages and disadvantages of this product.
As a first-generation mass-produced product, it met the standards, and could even be said to have exceeded the current market average.
But her boss... was never someone who aimed for "acceptance" or "market average".
Lu Yang listened quietly, his face expressionless.
He casually picked up the "Silver Shuttle" sample that Deng Guoshun had first introduced, weighed it in his palm, ran his fingertips across the frosted surface of the casing, then picked up the bright orange one, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.
He put the sample down and scanned the disassembled internal components one by one, finally settling on the 64MB flash memory chip that Deng Guoshun had emphasized.
The entire research and development lab was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; the atmosphere instantly became heavy. The engineers' anticipation gradually gave way to trepidation.
Finally, Lu Yang spoke.
His voice wasn't loud, but it was like cold metal scraping against glass, instantly shattering the silence in the room and the nascent sense of pride:
"It still feels too plasticky and lacks precision. Also, there's no need to make the colors so flashy."
He picked up the bright orange casing, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable conviction: "The simpler, the better. Do you understand what 'minimalism' means? Less is more."
The smiles on Deng Guoshun and Cheng Xiaohua's faces froze instantly, and the surrounding engineers looked at each other in disbelief.
Pursuing a wide range of colors is a suggestion from the marketing department, and it's also a current trend in consumer electronics!
Lu Yang's gaze returned to the flash memory chip, his tone suddenly turning cold, carrying a condescending scrutiny: "I understand what you just emphasized, that mainstream MP3 players on the market can only store 6 to 12 songs, while ours can store 10, 'not too bad'." He emphasized the words "not too bad," his icy gaze sweeping over Deng Guoshun and Cheng Xiaohua's pupils, which had contracted due to tension.
“But I don’t like hearing those two words.” Lu Yang’s voice was resolute, echoing in the quiet R&D room, carrying an undeniable authority. “We invested huge resources in acquiring Netac, not to be a ‘not bad’ participant within someone else’s rules. What we want to do is create the best MP3 player on the market, a benchmark that will disrupt the existing landscape!”
He picked up the 64MB chip, tapped it with his fingertip, making a soft tapping sound: "I acquired Netac because I value your accumulated experience and potential in flash memory technology. The goal is to utilize your latest technology to break through the capacity limits of our MP3 products!"
His tone suddenly turned sharp, "But I haven't seen any groundbreaking application of new technologies in your so-called 'flagship' product! It's just a collection of existing products on the market, piled up to be 'top-tier'!"
An uproar!
The R&D engineers' faces instantly filled with shock and resentment.
64MB is already the largest and most stable flash memory chip that can be mass-produced at present!
How can we break through? Isn't being "the best on the market" enough?
Do we need to push the limits of physics further?
Several young engineers couldn't help but exchange glances, their faces revealing expressions of "Does this boss not understand technology?" and "Is he just daydreaming?"
Deng Guoshun and Cheng Xiaohua turned pale, and cold sweat instantly soaked their backs.
They had anticipated that their boss would be demanding, but they hadn't expected him to be so strict, even negating their proudest breakthrough in storage capabilities.
Lu Yang took in their shock and incomprehension without feeling anything in his heart.
He couldn't very well tell them that in about a year, on the other side of the Pacific, a company called Apple would launch a product called the iPod, with an initial capacity of 5GB, enough to store thousands of songs!
In comparison, his current requirement of 100 songs is already the "minimum threshold" after fully considering current technical feasibility and cost!
Ignoring the commotion around him, he fixed his piercing gaze on Deng Guoshun and Cheng Xiaohua, and issued his final instructions, word by word:
"Therefore, I am not satisfied with this plan. Send it back and redesign it!"
He paused, then presented the standard that sounded like a fantasy to everyone:
“Listen, if you can’t download and stably store 100 high-quality songs at once, don’t bring me any more so-called finished products. I have no interest in trying out products that I believe still have huge flaws and are not competitive at all.”
100 songs?!
The gasps of surprise could no longer be suppressed; the research and development room erupted in chaos! Questions, confusion, and cries that the boss had gone mad nearly pierced the roof.
64MB存10首，100首意味着需要至少640MB甚至1GB的容量！
In 1999, this was simply a pipe dream!
The existing chip technology, cost, and size are insurmountable obstacles!
Deng Guoshun and Cheng Xiaohua were struck dumb, their faces turning from white to red, and then from red to green.
The immense pressure made it almost impossible for them to breathe.
They instinctively looked at Wei Shu, hoping to find support or a buffer in the eyes of this calm and rational president.
Wei Shu met their gazes, her face expressionless, only shaking her head almost imperceptibly, her eyes conveying a clear message: the boss's orders are not to be questioned, just execute them.
She had long been accustomed to Lu Yang's seemingly out-of-date "unreasonable demands," and understood that these demands often concealed revolutionary foresight.
The suffocating silence lasted for more than ten seconds.
The veins on Deng Guoshun and Cheng Xiaohua's foreheads throbbed as they engaged in a fierce internal struggle.
The enormous technological gap made them instinctively want to argue and explain the difficulties.
But looking into Lu Yang's unfathomable eyes, which seemed to see through everything, feeling the undeniable determination and power in his words, and recalling the terrifying financial resources and precise vision he displayed when acquiring Langke and securing copyrights...
Finally, the two technical leaders gritted their teeth, their eyes flashing with a do-or-die determination!
"Yes, boss!" Deng Guoshun's voice was slightly hoarse, but unusually firm.
Cheng Xiaohua nodded vigorously and added, "Understood, Chairman Lu! We will organize a task force immediately! We will definitely... definitely follow your instructions, overcome all difficulties, and do our best to produce a finished product that meets your requirements!" They dared not guarantee that they could do it, but their determination was made, and they had to go all out to challenge that seemingly impossible goal.
Seeing them grit their teeth and agree, Lu Yang's tense expression finally eased a little.
What he needs is this kind of courage and drive to overcome difficulties.
If he doesn't even have the determination to handle the storage capacity of 100 songs, then he should really doubt whether the "top domestic storage company" he acquired at great expense is just an empty shell with a hollow reputation and a lack of ambition.
"Hmm." Lu Yang nodded, his tone regaining some warmth. "This is the backbone of the Langke technical team that I value. I'm entrusting it to you."
He glanced one last time at the pile of "outdated" samples on the table, turned around, and walked out under the complex gazes of the crowd.
Wei Shu followed closely behind, and as she passed by Deng Guoshun and Cheng Xiaohua, whose faces were resolute yet filled with immense pressure, she whispered: "The boss's requirement is both a direction and an opportunity. We must mobilize the entire company and all resources. Within two days, I need to see a feasibility report on the new technical path."
Deng Guoshun and Cheng Xiaohua exchanged a glance, seeing the same solemnity and fervor in each other's eyes.
An opportunity? This is a life-or-death challenge! But the attitude of the boss and General Manager Wei left them with no choice but to fight to the death.
Stepping out of the research lab, the afternoon sun was a bit too bright. Lu Yang stopped, squinted slightly, and gazed at the new buildings rising from the ground in the distant development zone.
In his mind, the white rectangular figure that changed the world of music was clearly outlined—the first iPod.
It not only boasts a revolutionary capacity, but also a revolutionary "scrolling wheel" interactive design that allows users to quickly swipe their thumbs through thousands of songs, as well as an extremely minimalist and unforgettable industrial aesthetic.
“Rolling wheel… minimalism…” Lu Yang murmured to himself, a clear and forward-thinking blueprint taking shape in his mind.
What he needed was not a "better" MP3 player, but a key that, like the iPod of later generations, could redefine portable music players and usher in a new era.
He glanced back at the closed door of the research lab, a cold yet expectant smile curving his lips.
Where is this?
The future is in his hands; the true upheaval is only just beginning to brew. (End of Chapter)