Reborn since 1993

Chapter 1182 Thugs
Huang Zhang's trip to Pingyang to see Li Dongling was actually a gamble, or rather, a way of making up his mind!

Back then, countless young people flocked to Xiangshan, hoping to meet their idol, Boss Shi, or to join him in realizing their ambitions, or to receive his guidance or investment in their projects.

If this was the case with Boss Shi of Giants back then, it's even more true for Li Dongling now, with countless people wanting to see him every day.

However, most of the time it's just a matter of queuing up and registering, and then trying your luck. Sometimes, Du Qishan and her assistants would select some special people and send the list to Li Dongling to see if the great philanthropist would "choose" them.

After all, there are so many people, even if Li the Great Philanthropist does nothing, he still can't see them all every day.

However, sometimes Li Dongling does need to meet with these visitors, just in case some brilliant projects and talents emerge.

Although the possibility is low, we must demonstrate our respect for talent, our discerning eye for opportunity, and our support for younger generations to attract more talent and projects to Dongling High-Tech.

As I said before, regardless of whether it's acting or not, if you can act for a lifetime, then it's real!

Therefore, Huang Zhang was actually taking a chance to see if he could meet this technology leader who was hailed by countless young people in China.

On the other hand, Huang Zhang gave him a reason to make up his mind!
On his way back to Xiangshan from Yanjing, Huang Zhang overheard a taxi driver's words, which suddenly gave him an idea: to leave Aiqin Company and start his own business!

Since Aiqin Company was unwilling to enter the MP3 industry, Huang Zhang decided to start his own business and make MP3 music players.

But this is no small matter. If Huang Zhang doesn't want to be a small workshop that can't survive, he must establish his own brand and obtain MP3 patent authorization.

But this is by no means a small investment. The deposit for the MP3 patent, the cost of building a factory, purchasing MP3 components, etc., add up to a considerable sum.

Over the years, Huang Zhang has accumulated some savings and built up some connections. He can also borrow some money from family and relatives. But to invest so much money, Huang Zhang needs to convince himself to take this risk.

Sitting in the meeting room, feeling conflicted and uneasy, he wondered if he had been too reckless. His experience of going from a dockworker to a manager of a multinational company was already inspiring enough, but he could very well lose everything because of one decision.

As Huang Zhang was feeling uneasy, he suddenly saw a woman in a women's suit with short hair, exuding the aura of a powerful female office worker, approach him.

"Mr. Huang, Mr. Li requests your presence!"

Du Qishan reached out her hand to Huang Zhang and said that in the years since she joined Dongling High-Tech, Du Qishan has often been in contact with senior executives of various departments of Dongling High-Tech, as well as senior executives of other companies. In addition, given her position, it would be difficult for her not to be decisive and efficient and have the demeanor of a professional strong woman. If she couldn't adapt, she would have been fired long ago.

"Thank you, Assistant Du!"

Huang Zhang was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly stood up. After seeing the position and name on Du Qishan's name tag, he spoke to Du Qishan very politely.

Huang Zhang knew all too well that even a minor official had to be in the presence of a prime minister. Someone like Du Qishan, who was nominally the chief assistant of the board of directors of Dongling High-Tech, but was actually acting as Li Dongling's assistant and secretary, was someone who would be flattered by everyone outside.

Even for someone like him who was a manager in the Aegean, it wasn't always possible to meet her whenever he wanted. Even some large companies would probably have to treat Du Qishan with great respect.

Du Qishan nodded to Huang Zhang and was very polite. Being around Li Dongling, Du Qishan had seen and heard too many stories of geniuses, and had also witnessed firsthand how some people rose to the top in one step!

In previous years, Focus Media, Jinmen Yipin (the parent company of BackJoy), and the founder of Jiangmin Technology all soared to great heights after receiving support from Li Dongling.

Even more impressive are those from overseas, such as Rajesh Kumar of Bharat's Vanstar, who is now the founder of a well-known technology company in Bharat.

With these precedents, who dares to say that Huang Zhang won't be the next lucky one? It all depends on whether he can get the support of the philanthropist Li.

If she could gain Li Dongling's favor, Du Qishan felt that the next time she saw Huang Zhang, he might very well become the next emerging leader in the technology industry.

Du Qishan naturally didn't need to offend any potential suitors. Who knew if they would continue to have dealings with them in the future? Maintaining good relations might come in handy later.

"Mr. Li!"

Upon entering Li Dongling's office, Huang Zhang greeted Li Dongling respectfully. At this moment, the difference in their status and position was too great, and Huang Zhang's attitude towards Li Dongling was self-evident.

Li Dongling sized up Huang Zhang in front of him. Although Huang Zhang looked much younger now, unlike the arrogant, domineering, and unruly man he once was, he was the founder of Meizu, which was known as the Whampoa Military Academy of the smartphone industry in his previous life.

In its past, Meizu was known as the "Whampoa Military Academy" of the domestic smartphone industry. It was known for its "Meizu Three Musketeers" and also contributed the founder of OnePlus. It also contributed a large number of talents to Huawei, OPPO and Vivo, LeEco and other smartphone manufacturers.

“You’re here for Aegean Company this time…” Li Dongling looked at Huang Zhang’s information; he was currently a senior executive at the Singapore company.

"No!"

"I'm here for myself!" Huang Zhang said, forcing a smile. "Aegean Company is unwilling to switch to MP3 players, so I want to give it a try myself!"

Huang Zhang was somewhat uneasy when he said this. Putting aside Aegean Company, he was just a nobody now, yet he was talking nonsense with the founder of the largest technology company in the country. If Li Dongling didn't listen and just kicked him out, then he would have nothing to say.

However, Huang Zhang noticed that Li Dongling showed a hint of interest when he heard his words.

After listening to Huang Zhang's words, Li Dongling looked at this grassroots figure who was one of the few in the domestic technology circle without a university degree.

Li Dongling didn't beat around the bush, but asked him directly, "Why should Dongling High-Tech support you? What can you bring to Dongling High-Tech?"

"I?"

Huang Zhang was speechless upon hearing Li Dongling's words. To be honest, his skills were nothing compared to those of Dongling High-Tech. Dongling High-Tech's technical department could field a dozen people whose skills far surpassed his.

With no money and no resources, why should Dongling High-Tech support a nobody like him?
With various thoughts racing through his mind, Huang Zhang gritted his teeth and said, "I want to build a technology company with a craftsman's spirit. Affordable MP3 players don't mean that users have to buy a piece of junk MP3 player!"

Dongling Hi-Tech also needs a new role model in the MP3 industry to help alleviate the pressure on Feiyan Technology. The Aigo brand probably can't withstand the onslaught of so many competitors!

Huang Zhang's meaning was very clear: to act as a henchman for Dongling High-Tech to deal with those rivals who dared to challenge Feiyan MP3.

Feiyan MP3 is positioned as a high-end product, while the Aigo brand is actually positioned as a mid-range product. Huang Zhang's goal is to develop a product that will help Dongling High-Tech maintain its position in the affordable MP3 market.

Furthermore, the emergence of Huang Zhang as a typical example proves that there are indeed grassroots companies and small companies that can succeed in the MP3 industry!

Huang Zhang was also taking a gamble, betting that Dongling Hi-Tech would give him a chance. If Dongling Hi-Tech didn't give him a chance, he could try to break into the MP3 market on his own. He might have a chance to succeed, but the risk was too great and the chances were too small.

Upon hearing this, Li Dongling fell into deep thought.

He didn't care what Huang Zhang said about protecting the low-end MP3 market for Dongling High-Tech. This market was the most competitive and had the lowest profit margin. Whether or not they could protect it, Li Dongling didn't care too much.

Similarly, Dongling High-Tech doesn't really care whether or not it supports Huang Zhang.

However, Huang Zhang's words reminded Li Dongling of the mobile phone industry, in which Dongling Hi-Tech had already begun to make moves and establish a presence.

In the future, in the mobile phone industry, Dongling Hi-Tech will have not only its main brand Shenzhou, but also other brands such as Aigo and Coolpad. In addition, it has registered Transsion specifically to deal with overseas markets.

But to be honest, these disguises are all from the same lineage as Dongling's high-tech technology, so they definitely can't pull off any fancy tricks, and it's really hard to predict how strong they are in combat.

Tungling Hi-Tech needs a mobile phone manufacturer that is not affiliated with Tungling Hi-Tech and takes a different technological and stylistic approach. If such a mobile phone brand can grow, it will be very powerful and can truly relieve the pressure on Tungling Hi-Tech.

After sizing up Huang Zhang, I realized that Meizu had various problems in his previous life, including Huang Zhang's personality. He was intolerant, too controlling, unwilling to give up shares, and had too many family members in the company, among other issues.

Meizu is indeed one of the few brands in China that has carved out its own unique characteristics when domestic mobile phones are all the same. It has its own distinctive features, instead of just copying Apple phones one-to-one, making it impossible to find one like it in a pile of mobile phones.

Li Dongling tapped the table lightly with his fingers, but Huang Zhang felt as if each tap was striking his heart.

“You can set up a company, and Dongling Hi-Tech can ‘help’ get the International Music Foundation to cooperate with you!”

However, the International Music Foundation wants to acquire 51% of your company's shares and will also provide the company with one million US dollars in start-up capital.

"However, your company has nothing to do with Dongling High-Tech. I hope you can remember that!" Li Dongling said to Huang Zhang meaningfully.

Li Dongling will give Huang Zhang a helping hand, but how far Huang Zhang and Meizu can go in the future depends on himself.

Meizu will not follow the same path as Dongling Hi-Tech; it is basically left to fend for itself, and everything depends on Huang Zhang's capabilities.

In his previous life, Huang Zhang, after achieving great success, would definitely not have agreed to such harsh conditions. He rejected Lei Jun's investment back then, causing Meizu to lose its last lifeline.

But right now, Huang Zhang is just starting out. How could he possibly have the right to refuse Li Dashanren's proposal?

"Thank you very much, Mr. Li!"

Huang Zhang stood up with great joy and said, "What's wrong with giving up 51% of the shares? A company that doesn't even know if it can survive can get a million dollars in venture capital and also get the MP3 patent from the International Music Foundation. What else could he be dissatisfied with?"
(End of this chapter)