Guo Jiajia felt her prideful brain couldn't keep up with Zhang Tianxing's line of thought. What was happening?
He was abandoning the investment company to go into physical manufacturing directly? Was that reliable?
"Hold on, Boss Zhang, we don't even have a production plant, and you're already talking about making phones. Aren't you afraid of overpromising and then failing?" Guo Jiajia asked bluntly.
In her opinion, this was no different from a bear picking up sticks: pick one, drop one, and in the end, you're left with nothing.
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
Guo Jiajia understood this principle. In her view, Zhang Tianxing already held a very strong hand.
He had the crayfish production base, the catering industry, a game company, and an investment company. What was all this, and why was he branching out into so many disparate fields?
And now, he was boldly declaring he wanted to make phones, with the sole reason that phones could change people's lives.
Guo Jiajia was going crazy. How much money did Zhang Tianxing make shorting the Nasdaq?
To be able to say such a thing without any preparation.
Zhang Tianxing saw Guo Jiajia's resistant expression. "Don't overthink it. First, find people to form a team, preferably those who already hold patents."
Guo Jiajia was on the verge of tears. Boss Zhang, do you know how unreasonable your request is? It's practically impossible.
A ready-made technical team? How could that be? Besides, phones are selling so well now, each costing tens of thousands of dollars. It's truly a luxury only the rich can afford.
For the sake of the salary Zhang Tianxing was paying her, Guo Jiajia decided to let him have his way. She would go look around, casually take in the sights of the beautiful country, and enjoy herself. After all, coming here without spending a bit wouldn't be fair to her naturally beautiful face and her bulging wallet.
...
Zhang Tianxing found Xu Dachuan, who was quite surprised. What was Zhang Tianxing up to lately?
"Brother Xu, I need your help. I want to assemble a mobile phone research and development team. Could you ask your former classmates if any of them are willing to join?" Zhang Tianxing asked.
Xu Dachuan was very surprised to hear this. "You want to build a mobile phone R&D team? Where will it be located?"
It seemed that once people had money, they started getting restless. This Zhang Tianxing actually wanted to get into the phone business.
It was a good entry point, but was Zhang Tianxing entering the market too late?
In Xu Dachuan's opinion, the mobile phone market was already fiercely competitive. Rushing in now wouldn't be a wise choice.
Moreover, Zhang Tianxing was a complete outsider, which would be a fatal blow to leading a team.
"The location will be in Zhonghai City, China," Zhang Tianxing replied solemnly. He was definitely returning to China. While the US was good, it wasn't his home.
Xu Dachuan was very surprised. He lowered his head and pondered, "Zhang Tianxing, if it were abroad, you might find it easier to recruit people. But if it's in Zhonghai City, China, I must say frankly, there won't be many willing to return with you."
"We can offer a high salary, definitely not lower than in the US," Zhang Tianxing guaranteed.
"Zhang Tianxing, I know you have money. You made a lot from shorting the Nasdaq, but it's not entirely about money. What have those of us who studied diligently for over a decade been striving for?" Xu Dachuan asked emotionally.
"It's for fame and recognition, for the beauty and wealth described in books, for the golden house. Anything you desire, I can fulfill, as long as you come to work," Zhang Tianxing said solemnly.
Xu Dachuan let out a long sigh, his tone filled with reluctance. "Zhang Tianxing, I admit you are sincere in inviting people back, but I can tell you honestly, very few will return with you, no matter how much money you offer."
"What is the reason for that?" Zhang Tianxing asked curiously. The US championed the spirit of contracts, and everything had a price. He had already shown considerable sincerity.
He offered a high salary, yet Xu Dachuan directly said few would be willing to return to China. What was going on? Zhang Tianxing was utterly perplexed.
"It's about the academic environment. There are many inconveniences in China. After all, advanced technology is in the West. Everything in China is just beginning. If we go back, a clever cook cannot make a meal without ingredients. We studied the art of dragon-slaying, but we'd only be able to kill chickens back home," Xu Dachuan said helplessly.
This was a stark reality, and Zhang Tianxing's anger flared.
Damn it, to forget one's roots, to be so ungrateful.
"How about this, no matter what, help me ask. Money is not an issue. Besides, the internet bubble is already showing signs of bursting. I believe finding satisfactory jobs won't be easy right now. All benefits can be written into the contract beforehand," Zhang Tianxing promised.
If he still couldn't find anyone, Zhang Tianxing would have to hire foreign employees. With generous rewards, there must be brave souls. He refused to believe anyone would refuse money.
Seeing Zhang Tianxing's extravagant demeanor, Xu Dachuan nodded. What Zhang Tianxing said was true. He would go ask. As far as Xu Dachuan knew, none of the graduates he knew had found ideal jobs.
With ideas and potential, Xu Dachuan pondered but still hadn't made up his mind.
Before coming to the US, Xu Dachuan had decided to return to China directly after finishing his studies to contribute to his homeland.
However, by the time he was doing his post-doctoral research, he realized how naive he had been, how simple his ideas were.
His acquired knowledge only found a place to be applied here. Returning to China, the industry was a blank slate, requiring him to start from scratch.
Development would be too difficult then, with no machinery and no equipment.
His research couldn't be conducted in China.
If the equipment issue could be resolved, returning wouldn't be impossible, but Xu Dachuan shook his head.
How could that be easy? Those machines were custom-made. Transporting them back to China was simply not feasible.
Zhang Tianxing, at most, had a little money, a few hundred million US dollars, which wasn't enough to cover such expenses.
Thinking of this, Xu Dachuan vigorously shook his head. It seemed he hadn't rested well recently, even seriously considering the possibility of returning to China.
That thought was too terrifying. The environment in China was something he, as an individual, couldn't change.
It would still come down to real money in the end. It wasn't that Xu Dachuan wasn't patriotic, but rather, for the sake of applying his knowledge, he didn't want to learn a skill only to find himself without an opportunity to showcase it.
Fine, he'd ask for Zhang Tianxing first, see if anyone wanted to return to China to develop their careers. After all, Zhang Tianxing had said salary was not a problem, whatever you ask for, he could fulfill. The only requirement was for you to demonstrate your value.