The next morning, Feng Changlun called Zhang Tianxing directly.
"Boss Zhang, I've made up my mind. I'm joining your team."
Hearing this news, Zhang Tianxing was overjoyed, as if finding a needle in a haystack.
"Really? That's great. With you here, I'll feel much more confident," Zhang Tianxing chuckled heartily.
Yesterday, he had heard from Guo Jiajia that Feng Changlun was exceptionally skilled in chips. Not only Siemens but even Motorola had extended an olive branch to him.
These major mobile phone manufacturing groups never expected that Feng Changlun would choose the newcomer Zhang Tianxing.
"This is interesting. I thought Zhang Tianxing was just foolishly rich, but now Feng Changlun is going to him too. It looks like there's going to be a show."
"Zhang Tianxing has money, Feng Changlun has talent. The combination of these two seems promising."
"Don't boost others' morale and dampen your own. Even if Feng Changlun's technology is brilliant, what of it? It's easy for them to produce phones, as long as they pay. Patents can't be used for free. The more they produce, the better."
"Wise words. The more they produce, the more profit they generate for the major corporations. It seems young people aren't very capable; they're almost there."
"Zhang Tianxing has money, but how much can he have? A few hundred million US dollars at most. How much can he invest? He can't pour all his assets into the factory. Moreover, I heard he plans to develop in China. I don't think he has a chance there; it's impossible."
Zhang Tianxing summoned Feng Changlun. "Brother Changlun, I have something for you to do. If it's convenient, could you go on an errand for me?"
"What is it, Boss Zhang? Just tell me," Feng Changlun said with a smile, eager to know Zhang Tianxing's first assignment.
"Do you know about the PHS system, the Personal Handy-phone System?"
"I do. This technology is a bit outdated now. Most top mobile phone manufacturers use CDMA and GSM. No one uses PHS anymore," Feng Changlun said, somewhat puzzled.
This was a technology destined for obsolescence. He wondered why Zhang Tianxing was asking about it.
"Here's the thing. With the rise of mobile phones, China has several major companies: China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom. Among them, China Unicom and China Mobile have wireless licenses. My plan is to use PHS as a breakthrough and cooperate with China Telecom to promote PHS," Zhang Tianxing revealed his intentions.
Feng Changlun pondered, thinking about how to persuade Zhang Tianxing. "This might not work. There's no technical difficulty in producing PHS. Do you think it can really change lives? It's difficult; a doomed-to-be-eliminated technology has no room to survive."
Zhang Tianxing smiled. "Brother Changlun, let me explain first. You mentioned ease of production; that's also an advantage. We can apply for some patents, giving us independent intellectual property rights."
"Another point is that we need to stick close to China Telecom. It's better to be under a big tree for shade. China Mobile and China Unicom don't care about this; they have wireless licenses. Only China Telecom, if we cooperate with them, can we jointly occupy the domestic blank market."
"The most crucial point is the low cost. We can completely lower the price of mobile phones. What do you think of this proposal?"
Zhang Tianxing laid out the advantages directly, making Feng Changlun blink repeatedly.
Good heavens, is it as magical as he says?
"Boss Zhang, the poor signal quality is an undeniable fact. How can that be resolved?" Feng Changlun raised his concern.
"That's easy. We'll mainly sell in cities. The signal just needs to cover the urban areas. Our first goal is to survive and make our presence known in the mobile phone market," Zhang Tianxing's demands were not high.
First, seize the market, then it's every man for himself, and see who laughs last.
"Alright, with your explanation, this matter seems to have great potential and room for operation," Feng Changlun nodded. Zhang Tianxing's analysis was quite comprehensive; this should have a market.
However, it was uncertain how long it could last, given its technical flaws.
"In that case, you should go to Japan as soon as possible. We need base stations and accessories, and we need manufacturers to produce them. Let's see if there are domestic or international manufacturers," Zhang Tianxing stated his requirements.
Feng Changlun's face fell. Good heavens, Boss Zhang, how could you say that? You're essentially just assembling phones. Calling it producing phones is an exaggeration.
"Boss Zhang, who from China Telecom will handle this? Do you have any connections?" Feng Changlun was concerned about this. If the way isn't paved first, and orders are placed, but then there's no opportunity for cooperation, all the orders will be wasted.
"Don't worry about that. I'm looking for someone to contact right now. I'm an exchange student from Zhonghai University, and a leader at China Telecom is our senior alumnus. I'll have someone handle this matter right away." Zhang Tianxing immediately contacted Gao Ningning.
"Sister Ning, there's something I need you to handle. Remember our senior alumnus Wang Wei? He's now a leader at China Telecom. I want to cooperate with China Telecom. I'll send all the documents to your email later. You can contact him first and see if there's a possibility of cooperation."
Zhang Tianxing hung up the phone. "Brother Changlun, everything is arranged. You can prepare to depart."
"Do I need to wait for the result from your end before I go? What if I go for nothing?" Feng Changlun mused, afraid that he would place an order outside while Zhang Tianxing faltered at home.
"Don't worry, just go. Investigate first, and then place your order after a letter of intent for cooperation is reached. Time is of the essence. If it doesn't work out, just consider it a paid trip for tourism and study," Zhang Tianxing said with a smile.
Speed is of the essence now; opportunities are fleeting.
Seeing Zhang Tianxing's expression, Feng Changlun gave a wry smile. "Alright, Boss Zhang, don't worry. I guarantee I'll complete the mission. However, producing OEM phones lacks any challenge."
"Brother Changlun, this is just the beginning. Our company has already applied for over ten patents. We're just starting out on our journey. Bread will come, phones will come, and production lines will come," Zhang Tianxing consoled Feng Changlun.
This was a technical genius; he couldn't let him go.
First, they would make a fortune with PHS to increase their cash flow.
"Boss Zhang, I have a question. Do you have a factory in China?" Feng Changlun suddenly remembered this. It didn't matter if there was no factory abroad, but there had to be one in China, otherwise, they couldn't operate like a home workshop, right?
"I have a canned food factory and two companies. No other factories. However, we can temporarily borrow the school-run factory of Zhonghai University. They have space, ready workshops, and some equipment."