Chapter 903
"Our Own People"
The clamor at the press conference gradually subsided like the receding tide, leaving behind lingering excitement and the faint warmth emanating from electronic devices. Reporters, carrying their cameras and microphones, dispersed, some satisfied, others filled with doubt, leaving behind an empty stage and the still-flashing giant poster of the "Waterdrop" MP3 player. The price tags of "999 yuan" and "1699 yuan" gleamed like two drawn swords, their cold light sharp and menacing.
Lu Yang stood in the shadows at the backstage entrance, a playful smile on his face, watching the staff busily clean up the mess.
Wei Shu was surrounded by several core executives and two technical experts, Deng Guoshun and Cheng Xiaohua, discussing something in hushed tones. The sharpness she displayed at the press conference had slightly diminished, but her eyes remained bright, radiating confidence in controlling the overall situation.
"President Lu," the assistant approached quickly, his voice low, "General Manager Duan from BBK Electronics has arrived with Vice Presidents Shen Wei and Chen Mingyong, and they are waiting in Conference Room Two."
Lu Yang raised an eyebrow, his smile deepening, as if everything was within his expectations. "Understood." He nodded, his gaze drifting towards the distant conference room, a sharp, insightful glint in his eyes.
He straightened his neatly undisturbed suit cuffs and walked calmly toward conference room number two.
Pushing open the door, you see Duan Yongping standing with his back to the door, in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the bustling traffic of Shenzhen in the afternoon.
Shen Wei and Chen Mingyong sat at the conference table, the atmosphere somewhat somber, especially Shen Wei, whose face still held a trace of barely perceptible resentment.
"President Duan!" Lu Yang's voice, tinged with just the right amount of enthusiasm, broke the silence in the room. "Oh dear, is it too much of a presumption for you to come? You're too kind! I'm overjoyed that you, my esteemed guest, could come! The press conference just ended, please forgive my neglect!"
Upon hearing the voice, Duan Yongping turned around, his face instantly plastered with the impeccable smile typical of businessmen. He quickly stepped forward and extended both hands to firmly grasp Lu Yang's hands: "President Lu, you're too kind! We've come uninvited and have disturbed your celebration. 'Waterdrop' has truly made a stunning debut, shocking everyone present. We couldn't help but come to congratulate you in person, and also... to learn from your experience!"
He shook Lu Yang's hand vigorously, his tone sincere, as if the person who had smashed the remote control and turned ashen-faced in the hotel suite had never existed.
"Haha, Mr. Duan, you flatter me! It's just a small achievement, nothing to mention." Lu Yang laughed loudly, and naturally put his arm around Duan Yongping's shoulder, the gesture as intimate as that of a longtime friend. "Come on, come on! What are we talking about here? Come with me to the celebration banquet! We'll drink and chat! It's also a good opportunity for Mr. Duan to taste the cooking of the master chef we specially invited from Chaoshan!"
Without a word, Lu Yang half-embraced and half-pushed Duan Yongping and led him outside. His enthusiasm made Shen Wei and Chen Mingyong's eyelids twitch, but they had no choice but to get up and follow.
Duan Yongping stiffened for a moment, but immediately relaxed, his smile unchanged, and replied, "Since Mr. Lu is so kind, we will gladly accept!"
The group walked through the corridor toward the banquet hall that had been prepared in advance. Lu Yang's arm was still draped over Duan Yongping's shoulder, as if declaring a kind of unspoken closeness and dominance.
"President Lu." Duan Yongping turned his head during a break in walking, a businessman's smile both frank and probing on his face. His voice was low enough that only the two of them could hear him. "At the press conference just now, the flash memory technology that Engineer Deng and Engineer Cheng demonstrated was truly eye-opening. Starting at 64MB, self-developed... amazing! With two such talented people like Deng and Cheng, and President Lu's strategic vision, it would be difficult for Century Netcom not to succeed!"
He paused, then seemingly casually changed the subject: "I wonder... has your group's subsidiary, Century Netac, considered... selling this high-performance flash memory to external parties?"
Lu Yang's steps seemed to continue without any pause, but the arm around Duan Yongping's shoulder tightened almost imperceptibly.
His smile remained bright as he turned to look at Duan Yongping, a knowing glint in his eyes, as if he had already seen through the other's thoughts: "Oh?"
He drawled out the last syllable, his tone playful, "Mr. Duan... is also interested in this tiny flash memory chip?"
“Let’s not beat around the bush, Mr. Lu.” Duan Yongping met Lu Yang’s gaze, his smile now showing a hint of camaraderie. “To be honest, BBK… is indeed preparing to enter the MP3 market. The initial investment has been substantial, and the team has been assembled. But after seeing ‘Waterdrop’ today, and especially after learning that Netac has the trump card of self-developed flash memory…”
He shook his head, his smile carrying a perfectly balanced mix of helplessness and envy. "The pressure is immense! So, I've swallowed my pride and wanted to ask President Lu if there's any possibility of cooperation? If we could get the same flash memory as 'Waterdrop,' it would be a godsend for our new project at BBK!"
Lu Yang's steps finally came to a stop at this moment.
He slowly turned around to face Duan Yongping, his smile still on his face, but the smile in his eyes had deepened and become unfathomable.
He looked at Duan Yongping with a half-smile, his gaze seemingly able to penetrate the other's carefully maintained facade of "frankness" and reach straight to the core.
The corridor fell silent instantly, with only the faint sound of music drifting from the banquet hall not far away.
Shen Wei and Chen Mingyong's hearts were in their throats as they nervously watched Lu Yang.
Wei Shu, Deng Guoshun, Cheng Xiaohua and others also stopped not far away, their eyes focused on the two big shots.
"President Duan." Lu Yang finally spoke, his voice not loud, but with a peculiar penetrating power, clearly reaching everyone's ears, "If it were anyone else... coming to me today, saying they want to buy our Langke flash memory that we've just warmed up and don't even have enough of ourselves."
He shook his head slightly, his tone carrying an undeniable determination, "I will definitely refuse without hesitation! There will be no room for negotiation!"
His tone suddenly changed, and a warm smile returned to his face. He patted Duan Yongping's shoulder forcefully: "But! Since you asked, Mr. Duan, that's different! No matter how difficult it is, as your brother, I have to help you find a solution! After all, we're on the same side, right?"
Lu Yang pronounced the words "our own people" with exceptional clarity.
Duan Yongping's smile immediately became much more "genuine," and he quickly said, "Oh, Mr. Lu, that's so kind of you! Thank you for your understanding, Mr. Lu!"
"What are you thanking me for? Don't be so formal." Lu Yang waved his hand, then glanced at Deng Guoshun and Cheng Xiaohua standing to the side. His voice rose a few decibels, carrying an undeniable command, "Engineer Deng! Engineer Cheng! Come here!"
Deng Guoshun and Cheng Xiaohua exchanged a glance and quickly stepped forward.
Lu Yang pointed to Duan Yongping and introduced him to the two core technical staff: "Come, let's get to know each other formally. This is our CEO Duan from BBK! My good brother! One of our own!"
He emphasized his "one of us" status before getting to the point: "President Duan is very interested in our Netac flash memory technology, and BBK also plans to enter the MP3 market. We're all family here, so we should think of our own people when there's good news! You two, while ensuring the supply of our 'Waterdrop' MP3 players, could you perhaps find a way to overcome the difficulties and allocate some flash memory to support President Duan's project?"
Lu Yang's words were sincere and heartfelt, as if he was thinking of Duan Yongping, "one of his own," in every way.
Upon hearing this, Deng Guoshun and Cheng Xiaohua both showed obvious signs of embarrassment. They quickly exchanged a glance, their gazes unconsciously drifting towards Wei Shu, who was standing behind Lu Yang.
Wei Shu's face remained expressionless, but the moment their gazes fell upon him, he shook his head very slightly, almost imperceptibly.
The movement was so subtle, like the slightest tremor of an eyelash, that it would have been impossible for Deng Guoshun and Cheng Xiaohua to notice it if they hadn't been paying close attention.
At that moment, the two of them understood perfectly.
Deng Guoshun adjusted his glasses, a smile of apology and helplessness spreading across his face. He spoke first, his tone sincere yet with the straightforwardness of a technician: "President Duan, President Lu, this... I'm truly very sorry. It's not that we don't want to support President Duan, it's just that... our current production capacity is really tight!"
He quickened his pace and began to describe the difficulties: "Our new flash memory production line has only recently been debugged and stabilized, and the yield rate is still in the ramp-up stage. The market expectations for the 'Waterdrop' MP3... Mr. Lu, as you saw at the launch event, the order volume will probably be astronomical. We are currently operating at full capacity, with three shifts, and even with all the flash memory chips prioritized for 'Waterdrop,' we are still struggling to meet demand, fearing that we might not be able to supply enough and delay important matters. As for inventory? It's practically nonexistent; it's packaged into MP3 players as soon as it's produced."
Cheng Xiaohua immediately chimed in, adding, "Yes, Mr. Duan. What Engineer Deng said is true. Although flash memory technology has made a breakthrough, large-scale mass production and stable supply still require a process. Right now, let alone allocating it to external companies, even other potential project needs within Langke have to give way to 'Waterdrop.' This is the group's highest priority strategy at present."
He paused, looked at Duan Yongping with a wry smile full of "understanding," and said, "So, in the short term... it will probably be very difficult. We really have the will but not the strength."
Their words were like a bucket of cold water, dousing the glimmer of hope that Duan Yongping had just felt because of Lu Yang's statement that he was "one of their own."
Shen Wei's face darkened, while Chen Mingyong frowned slightly, seemingly assessing the situation quickly.
Lu Yang's smile vanished instantly, his brows furrowed, and he looked very unhappy.
He straightened his face, his tone slightly reproachful, and looked at Deng Guoshun and Cheng Xiaohua: "Engineer Deng! Engineer Cheng! Did you two not hear what I just said?"
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an invisible pressure. "I've emphasized this before! Mr. Duan is my good brother! He's the helmsman of BBK! What's our relationship with BBK? We're family, blood relatives! What difficulties can't we overcome? Hmm? Technical problems are meant to be solved, aren't they? Give me a straight answer, stop beating around the bush! I understand that overcoming difficulties takes time! But how long exactly? Give Mr. Duan a clear timetable!"
His last sentence was almost a command, his gaze fixed intently on the two of them.
Deng Guoshun and Cheng Xiaohua seemed somewhat nervous after Lu Yang's sudden change of expression and interrogation.
Deng Guoshun wiped non-existent sweat from his forehead, while Cheng Xiaohua took a deep breath, as if he were rapidly calculating something.
The two glanced at Wei Shu again, but Wei Shu still didn't react.
Finally, Cheng Xiaohua seemed to have made up her mind, and with a "what the heck" expression, she said, forcing herself to speak, "President Lu, President Duan, if... if we absolutely have to squeeze in..."
He gritted his teeth and gave a number, "The fastest...the fastest will be three months! And the quantity...the quantity will probably be quite limited, at most only enough to meet the needs of initial small-batch trial production. This is assuming the production line goes smoothly and the yield rate steadily improves."
"Three months?!" Shen Wei couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice, his voice filled with disappointment and anxiety.
Three months! This means that BBK's MP3 project will be severely delayed!
By the time their product hits the market, the MP3 market landscape will likely have been completely rewritten by "Waterdrop," with consumers' minds already captured and channel resources devoured! It'll be too late!
Duan Yongping's heart sank.
Three months—this timing was extremely precise and crucial. It was enough for "Waterdrop" MP3 to complete its first wave of explosive market expansion and user accumulation, establishing a strong brand barrier.
Even if BBK gets the same flash memory, it can only follow behind and eat scraps, unable to form effective competition, let alone achieve its original intention of "getting rid of the influence of the Century Group".
This so-called "support" is essentially a pass that is delayed in taking effect and has limited validity.
Lu Yang, however, seemed oblivious to the fleeting shadow in Duan Yongping's eyes. His face instantly brightened, and he put on a warm smile again, giving Duan Yongping a firm pat on the shoulder: "President Duan! See! I told you, there's always a way! Three months! Although the timeframe is a bit tight, since Engineer Deng and the others dared to make that promise, they can definitely do it!"
He turned to Deng Guoshun and Cheng Xiaohua, his tone carrying an unquestionable "promise": "Engineer Deng, Engineer Cheng, remember this! Three months! No matter what, squeeze out a batch of goods for me! Prioritize our General Manager Duan's needs! Understand?"
Deng Guoshun and Cheng Xiaohua nodded quickly: "Understood, President Lu! We will definitely do our best!"
Lu Yang turned back with satisfaction, put his arm around Duan Yongping's shoulder again, as if he had solved a huge problem, and said in a relaxed and warm tone: "Alright, President Duan! Problem solved! The flash memory will be in three months! Are you relieved now? Come on, come on! We've been waiting for the celebration banquet! Today, the two of us brothers must have a few drinks and wish President Duan's MP3 project a great success!"
He half-pushed, half-embraced Duan Yongping, whose expression was complicated and who could only force a smile, and strode towards the brightly lit banquet hall filled with laughter.
Deng Guoshun, Cheng Xiaohua, Wei Shu, and others followed silently behind.
Looking at Lu Yang's seemingly generous and affectionate yet irresistible back, and then at his own boss Duan Yongping's slightly stiff profile in Lu Yang's arms, Shen Wei felt an indescribable sense of suffocation and powerlessness stuck in his chest.
Chen Mingyong sighed softly, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
In this battle over flash memory, it seems that BBK "begged" for cooperation and obtained a "promise," but the initiative was firmly in the hands of Mr. Lu, who was always joking and talking about "our own people."
The banquet hall doors opened before us, and a wave of lively atmosphere filled with clinking glasses rushed out.
Led by Lu Yang, Duan Yongping put on a polite smile again and stepped into the clamor of the victors. However, deep within that smile, a trace of coldness and calculation quietly settled.
Three months... In these three months, he has risen step by step. Must he just sit and wait? (End of Chapter)