Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 914 It Has to Be You
Looking at his eldest nephew, Zhou Zhengdong immediately laughed and said without hesitation, "Of course I'll go with him."

Clearly, he had already made his decision, and only now is he being so decisive.

After a pause, Zhou Zhengdong continued, "Originally, my idea was to connect the Zhou family with Yali and..."

At this point, he suddenly remembered that Xiao Fan's three masters didn't know that half of Ya Li's company belonged to Xiao Fan, so he swallowed back what he was about to say and abruptly changed the subject, "Separate the business from that of other shareholders. This way, each has its own assets, which makes management easier and reduces potential conflicts in the future."

However, some of the elders in the family later said that since they were family, if everything was divided too clearly, it would inevitably create distance, and outsiders might think the Zhou family was having internal strife. It was better to let things take their natural course; things that could be divided should be divided, and projects that could be collaborated on could continue to be done, the only difference being who would lead the project.

He turned to look at Li Shangde and the other two, and smiled, "Brothers, don't you agree?"

Li Shangde immediately nodded, "Yes, yes, that's right. It's just like the unity against Japan back then. Whether it was the Central Army, the local army, or our Red Army, we fought our own battles behind closed doors, but we had to be of one mind when facing the outside world."

Lin Yuanxiang wiped away a cold sweat, looked left and right, and said in a low voice, "Isn't this analogy a bit inappropriate? After all, they are family, unlike back then when everyone had their own agendas."

Li Shangde waved his hand, "Anyway, that's the gist of it."

Chen Fan chuckled to himself, not responding to the conversation. Feeling his tea getting a little cold, he picked up his teacup and took a sip. Then he looked at Zhou Zhengdong and said, "I did suggest that Yali focus on the communications field before. If you follow her lead, I doubt she'll give up the dominant position."

Despite Zhou Yali's constant arguments with him, she would always support him to the end. In less than half a month since their initial phone call, she had already spoken with Chen Fan several times, all about the progress of acquiring pager and mobile phone technology.

The acquisition of the pager patent went very smoothly. Bell Labs offered a reasonable price, which Zhou Yali agreed to without even haggling, and the transfer agreement was signed the next day.

The problem is with mobile phones.

Currently, Motorola holds a monopoly on this technology, and they have no intention of sharing it. Instead, they are fully committed to building commercial base stations, so there is virtually no possibility of them acquiring the technology. ...However, after Zhou Yali sent people to contact Motorola, they turned around and tried their best to win over Wan Muchun Company, saying that since you have such good judgment and have taken a liking to this technology, why not invest in the project?

Upon hearing that such a good thing was possible, Chen Fan immediately asked Zhou Yali to negotiate the investment details with Motorola.

Don't expect to gain control, but with enough funds, you can secure one or two board seats in a mobile phone company.

If my uncle could step in and exert his influence, a seat on the board of directors of the group company might be within our reach.

After all, Wanmuchun Company is now a rare gem in the American technology industry, and aside from everything else, its "multi-protocol router" is a technology that is unique in the world.

Since the invention of this technology, the United States has outwardly dismissed it, but anyone with a discerning eye knows that connecting different computers is a promising application technology!
Countless people sighed behind Engelbart's back, realizing that his prediction had come true: personal computers were indeed about to become widespread, especially with the help of "multi-protocol routers".

Unfortunately, the patent for this technology belongs to Wanmuchun Company. As a result, it cannot be praised like Apple, but must be belittled.

But both Dr. Engelbart and Zhou Yali understood that all the belittling and suppression were for the purpose of "bargaining," and that it would be normal to completely ignore them if they were not really interested.

Similarly, Chen Fan, Zhou Yali, and Zhou Zhengdong all knew that this technology could not be monopolized unless it was left to rot in their hands.

To bring this technology to market as quickly as possible, support from various sectors in the United States is indispensable, making it imperative for Wanmuchun Company to open its equity to foreign investors.

Clearly, the current negotiations with Motorola present an excellent opportunity.

Connecting the dots, in Chen Fan's plan, even if Zhou Zhengdong didn't ask to participate, he would still encourage Zhou Yali to drag her father into the mess.

Zhou Zhengdong was responsible for negotiations with Motorola, equity transactions with the United States, subsequent operational involvement, and even access negotiations with relevant domestic entities.

Chen Fan himself didn't have time, and Zhou Yali was still too inexperienced. He wouldn't feel comfortable entrusting this matter to anyone else, so it was truly a case of "who else but him?"

However, while it can be used, the control cannot be given away. In the next twenty years, this will be a hen that lays golden eggs.

Most importantly, if this move succeeds, the cooperation between mainland telecommunications companies and the US-based Wanmu Spring Company will be able to support the initial workload of a technology research laboratory.

Yes, it's what Chen Fan told Zhou Yali this year: that they want to set up a research and development institution similar to Bell Labs in the future.

Therefore, we absolutely cannot relinquish this dominant position.

Upon hearing Chen Fan's words, Zhou Zhengdong couldn't help but laugh and said, "I never intended to get involved in this matter anyway, so the initiative naturally belongs to Yi and Yali."

He sighed, his expression like that of a Versailles, "Little Fan, you have no idea how fast the Zhou family's traditional businesses in the United States are developing, especially the core trade and real estate, which are growing exponentially."

For example, didn't you tell Yali about a real estate idea involving an urban complex before?

Chen Fan raised his right hand, immediately interrupting him, "I am merely relaying a specific case from the history of real estate development; please do not overinterpret it."

Zhou Zhengdong waved his hand, "Who's over-interpreting it? Anyway, it's what you said, there's no mistake."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "After Yali went back, she told me that I thought the idea was great. It integrates shopping malls, apartments, office buildings, hotels and other commercial and residential buildings to form a miniature urban ecosystem. Especially since there are no direct competitors at present, it can definitely bring prosperity to both people and businesses."

At that time, I was making a fortune selling books, and the money in my bank account was increasing exponentially every day. If I just left it there, wouldn't that be a free ride for the bank?

I immediately found an architectural firm that designed several mixed-use developments for us, and then we bought the land and started construction.

They've built one in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Atlanta, and even Miami, and they're all open now. They're selling what they can and renting what they can—they're incredibly popular.

As he spoke, he kept shaking his head, which made Chen Fan's eyes twitch. He silently picked up his teacup and brought it to his lips, avoiding looking at him.

The cities he just mentioned are basically similar to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen in China in later generations, belonging to the ranks of popular cities in the United States. Detroit, in particular, although it has become almost a hollowed-out city in later generations, that was after the automobile industry moved away. Moreover, even though it went bankrupt, its total economic output still exceeded 120 billion US dollars, ranking among the world's top 100 cities.

As for now, it's still a world-class "automobile capital," with a level of prosperity that rivals New York and Los Angeles, and countless people are flocking there.

Building "urban complexes" that integrate offices, living spaces, leisure facilities, and consumption in these cities where wealthy people congregate would probably make money faster than robbing. Seeing Chen Fan's expressionless face, Zhou Zhengdong felt there was no point in bragging, so he picked up his teacup, took a sip of water, put it down, and said, "Anyway, business in America is quite busy, especially since your aunt has been dragged to do hard labor by you guys, and she doesn't get home until midnight every day. Your little cousin is already crying and calling for his mother."

"Hey, what's with that look? You don't believe me, do you?"

Zhou Zhengdong immediately turned around and pointed to the telephone, "It's daylight in America right now. If you don't believe me, call and ask if your aunt has gone to work yet."

Chen Fan nodded quickly, "I believe you, I believe you, I didn't say I didn't believe you."

He sighed as he spoke, "Tsk tsk, my poor little cousin!"

"I'm more pitiful."

Zhou Zhengdong sighed, "She could have helped me, but she went to help you guys, so I have to do a lot of the work. And now we've had to coordinate a large batch of supplies with the domestic authorities. I probably won't be able to sleep well for the rest of this year."

As he spoke, he looked up and pointed at Chen Fan, "So, this time I'm just tagging along. I'll just invest the money, and you can handle the rest yourselves."

Chen Fan blinked repeatedly. "Uh... Uncle, this might not work."

Zhou Zhengdong was stunned for a moment, staring straight at him, "What do you mean?"

Chen Fan chuckled and said, "Well, pagers and mobile phones are both forms of communication, right? You used to handle all the communication with various units in the mainland, so..."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Zhengdong's eyes widened. "No, you mean I can't just stand by and watch; I have to pave the way for you?"

Chen Fan pursed his lips and chuckled, "Didn't you say you wanted to join in? It's also to pave the way for you—no, I should say for your little cousin. Why make such a big deal out of it?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Zhengdong was so angry that he laughed. He turned to Li Shangde and the other two and said, "Brother, this is something else! Your apprentice is extraordinary. He wants both money and people, but he won't delegate any authority."

Li Shangde, Lin Yuanxiang, and Zhang Xuansong exchanged glances. The next second, the three of them picked up their teacups in unison, their faces beaming with smiles. "Come, come, have some tea."

We can't go any further. If we keep talking, it'll be impossible for us to pretend we don't know about your nephew and daughter's joint venture to make money.

Seeing that his uncle's blood pressure seemed to be rising, Chen Fan quickly took out a cigarette and handed it to him, saying, "Uncle, Uncle, don't worry, listen to me."

Zhou Zhengdong took the cigarette, put it in his mouth, and pointed at him with a lighter, saying, "I'm waiting to see what you have to say."

Chen Fan coughed lightly, lit a cigarette and took a puff, then smiled and said, "Well, there's an opportunity to become a director of Motorola Group. Are you interested?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Zhengdong immediately looked up at him, forgetting even to put out the cigarette butt.

This is Motorola. Although it can't compare to IBM, the "Big Blue," its position in the US tech industry is firmly in the top tier.

Companies at this level cannot be simply described as a single enterprise. With tens of thousands of employees, a vast portfolio of patents, and a network of connections built over half a century, they wield immense influence in American society.

It was only in the last two years that the Zhou family, riding the wave of opportunity, grew several times larger, and by chance, he became a consultant lawyer for the Trade Representative's office, which barely gave him the qualification to talk to Motorola.

He never even dreamed of joining the board of directors of such a giant company.

Is this something I dare to even think about?

Chen Fan stretched out his palm and gently fanned out the flames, then said with a smile, "These past few days, Yali has been in contact with Motorola. She originally wanted to buy Motorola's mobile phone technology patents, or at least obtain a patent license, but Motorola refused."

Moreover, they also wanted Wanmuchun Company's investment to accelerate the construction of mobile phone base stations.

This is the opportunity to join the Motorola Group's board of directors.

In short, you won't lose out.

Zhou Zhengdong then came to his senses, frowning as he fell into thought.

Only when the smoke swirled around him did he raise his head and say, "It's not enough. Even if we invest a hundred million US dollars in them, they can only secure one management position in the mobile communications division at most, and a board seat in the group. That's definitely not enough."

He took a deep breath and said, "It's time for Wanmuchun Company to introduce strategic capital."

Chen Fan smiled slightly, "That's why I said earlier that this matter requires your personal involvement. How far we can negotiate depends on your courage and Dr. Engelbart's performance."

Zhou Zhengdong nodded slowly, gave Chen Fan a deep look, and after two seconds, suddenly laughed, "You kid, you and Ya Li were in cahoots, weren't you?"

Chen Fan immediately denied it, "No way, even if Yali doesn't care about her father, I still have to take care of my uncle."

He silently apologized to Zhou Yali in his heart, then continued with a righteous expression, "The main issue is that no one else can do this job better than you. Tell me yourself, besides you, who else can shoulder the heavy responsibility of negotiating with Motorola and the leaders of relevant domestic units?!"

The three men beside Li Shangde were quietly smoking and drinking tea. When they saw this scene, they couldn't help but smile at each other and sigh inwardly. The shamelessness of this brat is just like the style of "you guys" back in the day.

Chen Fan had no idea that his three masters were teasing him; in any case, he was quite satisfied with his performance of "genuine emotion."

Look, my uncle's face is all smiles now.

Zhou Zhengdong picked up his teacup, took a sip, and sighed, "If Yali could learn even a fraction of your shamelessness, I could close my eyes in peace now."

(End of this chapter)