Go back in time and be a chaebol

Chapter 2810 A Pioneer of the Times (Second Update, Please Subscribe)
At nine o'clock in the morning, the subway was packed with people as usual during the morning rush hour. The air conditioning in the carriage was strong. The doors opened with a "ding" and a rush of cool air poured out. People flooded in like a tide, and pushing, shoving, and even hushed complaints were unavoidable.

As a metropolis with a population of 30 million, the subway is always busy; perhaps this is an unavoidable urban problem.

After years of commuting on the subway, Li Yiyu had long since gotten used to it. He stood at the connection between the carriages, his back to the carriage, his entire body pressed against the wall. Unlike the crowds elsewhere, this place was spacious.

Holding a magazine in his hand, he looked down at it as usual. The light from the carriage ceiling illuminated his face, highlighting his distinct features, high nose bridge, sharp jawline, and focused gaze, as if the surrounding crowds and commotion had nothing to do with him.

The subway slowly started moving, the train swayed slightly, and the crowd leaned on each other and moved around in the hustle and bustle.

The girl instinctively grabbed the handrail next to her, but her gaze involuntarily drifted towards that figure. She unconsciously nudged her friend with her elbow.

"Look, it's a handsome guy!"

"Really!"

The girls' eyes held an undisguised affection, a quiet stirring of girlish feelings, as they discreetly observed his tall, upright figure in the crowd.

"He's so handsome..."

"Yeah, her profile is absolutely stunning..."

Soft, low whispers rang out from the girl's mouth, and many similar gazes fell upon Li Yiyu.

There are young girls, young women, and of course, some married women.

Li Yiyu, leaning against the carriage, seemed oblivious, intently flipping through the magazine.

"A camera without film...that's interesting."

This is less of an article and more of a semi-advertisement. In fact, there are many similar product introductions in these kinds of e-magazines, and some even offer mail-order purchases.

"It costs 1799 yuan, that's really not cheap..."

However, Li Yiyu is more concerned about its performance details. Several years ago, after graduating with a master's degree, Li Yiyu started his own business.

He didn't join the company—in fact, all his siblings would eventually join the company, but Li Yiyu didn't want to be like them; he had his own plans.

Just like when he was studying at Nanyang University, he lived like an ordinary student, with a second-hand car and earned his living expenses by working part-time.

Like now, he takes the subway—because the distance from his apartment to his company is too far, and driving would be too expensive in terms of gas.

He's being very careful with his money; in fact, he's been applying for apartments nearby, but the apartment management is too bureaucratic, and his application hasn't been approved yet.

Half an hour later, Li Yiyu arrived at the company. As soon as he stepped out of the elevator, Wang Huijuan went to greet him.

"Ayu, Minister Yang from Xinghe Investment wants to discuss something with you at five o'clock. She said you can arrange the location..."

Tell her I have plans for tonight.

"She is our investor."

"Her motives are not pure..."

Although Li Yiyu's voice wasn't loud, several employees in the company still managed to suppress their smiles. As everyone knew, Minister Yang was Xinghe's second daughter. Although she wasn't very interested in the boss's company, she was very interested in the boss himself.

Actually, a boss could easily make a living based on his looks.

After entering the office, Li Yiyu handed the e-magazine to Wang Huijuan.
"By the way, Huijuan, take a look at this..."

"digital camera?"

Wang Huijuan glanced at the article and said:

"Many companies have been researching this, not just Zeiss and Orwood, but also many others. They all see it as the next big thing, but..."

Wang Huijuan raised her head and thought for a moment:

"Its technology is very difficult and its image quality is very poor, far inferior to that of film cameras. Although it has great development potential, it is unlikely to replace film cameras, at least in the short term."

After graduating from university, Wang Huijuan joined Li Yiyu's company as his assistant, but that was all.

"Yes. That's certainly true in theory."

When Li Yiyu nodded in agreement, he asked in return:

"What if we put it on a mobile phone?"

"what!"

Wang Huijuan was taken aback, her face full of surprise:

"Yes, it can be installed on a mobile phone. Although the image quality of digital cameras is limited, most of the time people don't carry a camera with them. If we can integrate it with a mobile phone, then people can take pictures anytime, anywhere..."

Li Yiyu paused briefly, thinking for a moment:
"The record... although it's a bit blurry, it can record some moments, and I think that's its purpose!"

Listening to the boss's idea and looking at the photos of digital cameras in the magazine, Wang Huijuan asked doubtfully:

"Can such a large camera be integrated into a mobile phone?"

Then she added:

"And this also involves issues like the phone screen, boss, this is no easy task."

"It's not easy, but we have to try. What if we succeed?" Li Yiyu still had a smile on his face.

"Moreover, I think this is a great idea, and it might be an opportunity for us to enter the mobile phone market!"
You know, for me, a mobile phone isn't just a tool for making calls; it should also be able to connect to the internet, like a mobile electronic computer. So, what's wrong with adding a camera function?

Sometimes, great undertakings begin with an idea. It is because of the idea that we have a goal to strive for, and only then can it become a reality.

However, for Li Yiyu, a mobile phone is just a "concept". Back in college, he was researching a wireless technology that could be used to achieve high-speed data transmission in places such as homes and offices.

Over the past year, they have been refining this technology.

A few days later, at an electronics exhibition in Chang'an, TCL launched their first color screen mobile phone.

This is just a mobile phone, or to put it simply, a cell phone.

It's nothing serious, just a communication tool.

At this exhibition, the "Iridium Phone" attracted the most attention, after all, it is a mobile phone that connects the world.

"You can enjoy the convenience of mobile communication without building a cellular network or incurring any construction costs."

What kind of places would be most attracted to this kind of introduction?
Of course, it's the places with the most underdeveloped infrastructure, such as those developing countries. Although most of those countries are very poor, they still have a need for mobile communication.

In fact, the fastest-growing user base for Iridium satellites is not in developed countries, but in developing countries.

After all, most of them lack the capacity to build mobile cellular networks, and while Iridium phones are a bit expensive, they are undoubtedly extremely cheap compared to the cost of network construction.

While people were captivated by Iridium, Li Yiyu's booth, which was attending the exhibition for the first time, failed to attract much attention.

Although his team demonstrated that the wireless technology they invented could be used to enable high-speed data transmission in places such as homes and offices.

However, there is actually no demand for it.

"We have wired internet at home..."

There is almost no solution to this question.

Yes, there is a wired network at home, so there is no need for wireless technology.

Just as Li Yiyu was feeling somewhat disappointed, Song Mingxuan walked over.
Because the company will be launching a new generation of graphics cards at the exhibition today, Song Mingxuan personally attended the exhibition. After learning that Li Yiyu was also here, he came to take a look, but he didn't expect to see only a deserted booth.

Not many people were interested in his product. In his view, the product wasn't worthless, but rather too advanced for its time.

Sometimes, products are just like that; being too ahead of their time doesn't necessarily mean they will be accepted by the market, especially in the case of electronic products, which are subject to a series of limitations such as hardware.

Looking at the empty booth, Song Mingxuan smiled and said:
"Most people can't see the future. They don't see that your invention may seem insignificant now, but it will change everything when the era of mobile devices arrives."

Looking at his fourth brother, who had arrived at some unknown time, Li Yiyu smiled and said:

"Fourth Brother, don't try to comfort me. Mobile devices... we're still a long way off."

"It's only been a few years. In the past, we had landline phones, but now we've entered the era of mobile phones. In recent years, many companies have launched laptops, which also need internet access,"

Song Mingxuan has his own views on technology. In other words, influenced by his father, the children in the family are able to accurately grasp the direction of technological development. Even Li Yiyu's research on wireless technology in college was influenced by his father.

"Laptops are for mobility, while wired networks... are fixed, so your invention has great potential."

Looking at his brother, Song Mingxuan suddenly smiled:
"How about giving me an investment opportunity... I'll give you a good price."

Faced with his fourth brother's acquisition offer, Li Yiyu shook his head and said:

"Fourth brother, you know I don't want to take money from home..."

"This has nothing to do with the family,"

Song Mingxuan said directly:
"I'm here because I see the potential in your technology. It has nothing to do with whether you're family or not. It's purely because of its potential, you know? Its value could very well exceed everything here today."

Li Yiyu was at a loss for words when his fourth brother praised him. The reason he was unwilling to accept his family's financial assistance was simply because he wanted to prove his own abilities.

In fact, with so many brothers and sisters, it's inevitable that some of them will be eager to prove themselves.

"Fourth Brother, I..."

Seeing Li Yiyu's hesitation, Song Mingxuan patted him on the shoulder:

"You're overthinking it. Proving yourself isn't just about not using your family's money... It's only natural for brothers to help each other. Call me when you've made up your mind, I'll go check out other places first."

After Song Mingxuan left, Wang Huijuan came over and said:

"Is Song Mingxuan from Paradise Company someone you know?"

Although they were elementary school classmates, she didn't know much about Li Yiyu. She only knew that his family was very strict with their children, otherwise, he wouldn't have set his sights on Nanyang University when he was in middle school.

However, his family must be quite wealthy, because the company has not used any external investment so far. Apart from the investment in the growth ladder, the rest of the money is all from his own investments, which are said to be his own earnings.

"Um,"

Nodding, Li Yiyu said:
"He's willing to invest in our company, and I'm considering whether to accept..."

Before he could finish speaking, Wang Huijuan quickly interjected:
"Yes, of course... It doesn't require you to sacrifice your looks! With money, you can research other things, like the phone you're envisioning..."

(End of this chapter)