Zhao Liu, a struggling office worker in Zhonghai City, endured a work schedule from nine in the morning to ten at night. Although the working hours weren't excessively long, the combined daily commute added up to four hours. He woke before the sun rose and returned to his rented apartment under the starlight, only to sleep.
His girlfriend, Xiao Fang, was a university classmate. However, his girlfriend had achieved a better position, securing a civil servant role in Shengjing. They were currently in a long-distance relationship.
Initially, Zhao Liu had lost confidence in his relationship. His girlfriend had become a stable government employee, while he was still toiling away as an external worker. He couldn't provide his relationship with effective security. Such a life was agonizing, and the inconvenience of long-distance communication was even more disheartening. Emails and chat software online couldn't convey the sound of each other's voices, deepening his longing.
Driven by his yearning for his beloved, Zhao Liu resolved to spend three months' salary on a mobile phone to stay in touch with his girlfriend. Regardless of the cost, he had to work hard for her, aiming to get a promotion to Shengjing as soon as possible. He owed his girlfriend an explanation. Life was short, and she had given him her most precious youth; he couldn't let her down.
With a heavy heart and torn over which phone to choose, Zhao Liu's attention was captured when someone introduced him to the Tian Xing Xiaolingtong. He was immediately captivated. This Tian Xing Xiaolingtong was incredibly cost-effective, priced at only 5999 yuan – arguably the lowest price in all of China. Crucially, receiving calls was free, a pioneering move that initiated a one-way charging model. This pricing was perfect. His girlfriend had a phone, and when she called, he could receive calls for free. At worst, he could reimburse her for her call charges each month. He had to get a Tian Xing Xiaolingtong; this would solve his communication dilemma.
His junior colleague was truly remarkable, achieving such success at such a young age. Zhao Liu checked his wallet. This was great! He could save up for his annual leave, then take his girlfriend on a trip. Finding a way to move to Shengjing was his ultimate goal.
Upon arriving at the Zhonghai Telecom Company, Zhao Liu was stunned. Good heavens, how could there be so many people? The crowd at the opening of the Bai Fa Supermarket wasn't even this large. Had there been a crime? He struggled to push his way forward and asked, "Brother, can you tell me what's happening up ahead? Why are there so many people?"
The person smiled and said, "Brother, I have to say, you're here to buy the Tian Xing Xiaolingtong, aren't you?" Zhao Liu nodded repeatedly, "Isn't it obvious? I planned to buy one. One-way charging is so much more reasonable than two-way charging."
The guy pointed forward, "You're out of luck today. Everyone up ahead is buying the Tian Xing Xiaolingtong. The telecom company has just issued a policy: one per person, purchased with an ID card." Hearing this, Zhao Liu felt like he could vomit three liters of blood. He had anticipated the Tian Xing Xiaolingtong would be popular, but he never expected it to be this popular. Damn it, it seemed his trip was in vain; he wouldn't be able to buy one.
Dejected, he walked back towards his dorm. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. Zhang Tian Xing was reportedly still a student. Perfect! He would find his old classmate, Ma Qiang, who was a counselor at the school. He found a public payphone and dialed. "Qiangzi, I need an urgent favor. My buddy is in trouble. You have to help me." Ma Qiang on the other end was immediately alarmed, "Old Liu, what happened? Don't tell me Xiao Fang's pregnant, or that Xiao Fang broke up with you?" After much thought, only such events could possibly shake Zhao Liu. "Qiangzi, it's not what you think. It's like this, you know about the Tian Xing Xiaolingtong now?" Zhao Liu asked. "I know. The Tian Xing Xiaolingtong is produced by our school-run factory, and I'm in charge now. You want one, don't you?" Ma Qiang said with a smile. This Old Liu, he finally had to ask for his help. "Really? That's great! Get me one." Zhao Liu was overjoyed. It was truly a case of 'searching high and low for something, only to find it easily.'
...
Zhao Liu soon got his hands on the Tian Xing Xiaolingtong. Upon opening it, he was immediately drawn to its appearance. Its streamlined design, its sapphire blue color, were so dazzling it made his heart ache. The exterior was remarkably appealing, and holding it felt incredibly satisfying.
After setting it up, he called Xiao Fang. "Xiao Fang, it's me, Old Liu. Yes, this is my new number. It's a new phone just released in Zhonghai called the Tian Xing Xiaolingtong. The rates are incredibly cheap, and most importantly, receiving calls is free. Next time, try to call me, and I'll reimburse you for the call charges. I miss you."
As he spoke, Zhao Liu walked into an underpass, and the phone signal immediately dropped. Zhao Liu was exasperated. Damn it, why was the signal so poor? Entering an underpass completely killed the signal. He hurriedly rushed back to the surface, looking for areas with good signal for his Xiaolingtong. Finally finding a signal, he quickly dialed Xiao Fang. "Hello, my dear. I just went into an underpass. The signal here is really bad. It seems I can only contact you when I'm above ground from now on. Yes, okay, you call me. Receiving calls here is free. Two-way charging when you call is a bit of a waste."
Zhao Liu hung up the phone with satisfaction. Well, the only downside was the poor signal; otherwise, Zhao Liu was very pleased. Nothing is perfect, just as gold is never pure. For this price, getting such a phone was already good. Moreover, the quality of the Tian Xing Xiaolingtong was genuinely good, not just for show. It was usable, on par with other brands costing eight or nine thousand yuan.
It seemed a previous joke had come true: Zhang Tian Xing had indeed driven down the price of mobile phones. Someone had once said, "This Xiaolingtong is probably just a transitional product; it won't amount to much. It's just that the telecom leaders graduated from Zhonghai University and are helping out a junior. Even if it's cheaper, if the quality isn't good, it's all for nothing and won't cause any waves." Another scoffed, "You can only get away with something once or twice, not three or four times. Zhang Tian Xing just got lucky. I don't believe he can succeed this time. If he does, I'll eat my hat." "Brother, I truly admire your courage!" Everyone was waiting to see. It wouldn't be long before the Xiaolingtong bloomed in various cities, and a drop in mobile phone prices would be inevitable. Although it hadn't happened yet, people could already see the outcome. If you don't lower your prices, no one will buy your phones, and then the mobile phone market will be dominated by the Tian Xing Xiaolingtong. On the very first day of sales, in Zhonghai City alone, ten thousand mobile phones were sold. The sales department's phones never stopped ringing, all with requests for replenishment from the telecom companies.