Siheyuan: I eat melons while doing scientific research

Chapter 1344 The father-in-law and brother-in-law were terrified (5k)

As a businessman, Lou Shouxing prefers long-term business dealings, which appeals to him more than one-off deals.

He simply couldn't imagine how fun the new game Gao Zhendong was talking about would be; people can't imagine things they've never seen before.

Seeing his curious look, Gao Zhendong took out two pieces of paper and handed them to him.

"Take a look, this is roughly what the game looks like."

Lou Shouxing took it and saw that on the first piece of paper, the two stick figures, though just stick figures, were vividly depicted. One of them was holding a gun, spitting fire forward. The other was flying in the air, with a fan-shaped spray of bullets flying forward.

Ahead of them, a soldier who was clearly an enemy was shot and jumped up. Behind the soldier, a turret was exploding and turning into a circle of red light.

"Awesome! This is it!" Although it was a still image, Lou Shouxing could still feel the allure of this thing. He couldn't even believe how powerful a game console it would take to achieve this effect.

Believe it or not, the prototype of this thing actually has a small capacity and not very strong computing power, but its extremely ingenious architecture and development design allow its expressive power to directly break through the limits of people's current imagination.

Don't be fooled by those tiny figures that might be called "pixelated" in the 21st century; when they first appeared, they were incredibly impactful.

The other picture looked like a fairy tale, with all the characters and monsters appearing quite adorable. Lou Shouxing didn't actually think those funny-looking things were monsters, but games always have villains, and he guessed they were the protagonist's opponents, since in the picture, the jumping protagonist was throwing round bullets at them.

"Zhendong, is this the kind of game you're talking about? What kind of machine can run such a complex game?" Although he wasn't in this industry, Lou Shouxing was, after all, the person who sold the most game consoles in the world, so he was clear about many of the intricacies of this stuff. The after-sales engineers at Zhenxing Electric were also not completely ignorant about it.

Based on Lou Shouxing's understanding of game consoles, he couldn't imagine what kind of machine would be able to run two games.

This made him a little worried: "Zhendong, you didn't take out something you shouldn't have, did you?"

Compared to making money, Gao Zhendong's safety is undoubtedly more important. Even setting aside all emotional matters, if a pure businessman were in Lou Shouxing's position, anyone who isn't an idiot would be able to tell the difference between a full stomach and a full stomach every day.

Not to mention that the relationship between Lou Shouxing and Gao Zhendong is not just a simple one of mutual benefit, and Lou Shouxing is not the kind of person who would abandon principles for personal gain.

Not to mention Lou Shouxing, even Lou's father became worried after hearing Lou Shouxing's words. He originally knew nothing about this and was mainly sitting there as a mascot, but when Lou Shouxing said those words, he realized that things might not be so simple.

Gao Zhendong laughed: "Don't worry, that's impossible. The basic chip for this thing is not only sold openly in China, but it is also exported in large quantities abroad. If it weren't for the fact that it's not easy to open up some channels in certain places, it would probably be all over the world by now."

Some countries: We also hope that your distribution channels can be expanded here. Do you think it's because we don't want to buy?
CPUs in the 6502 class don't actually have very high performance. Their only advantage in China is their small size and weight. Similar microcontrollers are indeed sold everywhere, but they're usually integrated into more advanced technology products rather than sold as standalone chips. And those who can directly purchase finished chips are not just ordinary countries; they require extraordinary connections.

Although his father-in-law and brother-in-law didn't know these things, they at least knew one thing—Gao Zhendong's words were never unreliable. Since he said there was no problem with this matter, then there was no problem.

Lou Shouxing was instantly overjoyed, relieved of his worries.

With his biggest worry gone, the thing became incredibly appealing to him, and he was very clear about the benefits it could bring.

This thing is ahead of its time!

"Zhendong, come here, tell me in detail how we're going to deal with this."

Gao Zhendong said, "I've already finished the entire technology for this game console. You can take the rest with you, including the software aspects like the development interface instructions. There's only one thing you need to do. You need to contact the foreign trade department here and place an order with them in a manner similar to that for handheld game console ICs. That would be the CPU and game ROM for this game console."

Mass-produced game ROMs certainly can't be normal ultraviolet EPROMs. Leaving aside the cost, Gao Zhendong has no intention of releasing them for the time being. Whether it's EPROM or ROM that can be written in one go using photolithography, it all relies on the semiconductor capabilities here.

Other things were not a problem for Lou Shouxing. In fact, most of the parts were easier for him to produce than those in the mainland. The only things he couldn't produce himself were the CPU and ROM.

Although this matter seemed a little troublesome, it completely put the Lou family father and son at ease. Judging from Gao Zhendong's arrangement, he truly gave what he should have given and withheld what he shouldn't have, simply providing a solution.

With experience in handheld console ICs, there shouldn't be any major problems in this regard.

Lou Shouxing thought even further.

"Zhendong, why don't we take it a step further and have the factory here assemble and produce the parts using our own materials? What do you think?"

There are some minor procedural and other issues with Zhenxing Electric setting up a factory here for production. However, if they directly ask this factory to process their products for export orders, then there is no problem. They have done similar things before.

Moreover, because of the processing trade model, advanced technologies and experiences from outside can be brought in, and this model is quite welcome here.

This is also an extremely advantageous approach for Zhenxing Electric. Putting aside everything else, even after deducting various costs, the overall processing cost still gives Zhenxing Electric a certain cost advantage. Moreover, the more raw materials Zhenxing Electric can supply, the greater this advantage becomes!
"I'm thinking of bringing back some less sensitive raw material production technologies from abroad that we commonly use but which we don't have the capacity to produce domestically, and then outsourcing the manufacturing to domestic companies. This would be very beneficial for both the revitalization of our electric power industry and the domestic situation—a win-win situation!"

Lou Shouxing became more and more excited as he spoke. He had already tasted the benefits of this approach in the production of many products in the past. However, he had not yet considered forming a systematic and long-term cooperation, nor had he set his sights on large-scale transfer of civilian technology to China. Now that he thought about it, he felt more and more excited.

Domestically, China gained foreign exchange and technology; the revitalization of the power industry brought profits or a competitive advantage; and overseas consumers gained emotional value and tangible benefits. The whole approach can be said to have no losers.

This brings us to the question that foreign media often ask in the past.

—So, what is the price?
Shinshin Electric's foreign competitors—can you guess who they are?
As Gao Zhendong listened, his eyes grew brighter and brighter. Many hands make light work, and he really couldn't devote his energy to these kinds of ordinary civilian technologies. Lou Shouxing's move was an excellent supplement.

Although this matter was brought up because of game consoles, its actual significance goes far beyond the game consoles themselves and has risen to another level.

"Hmm...that's a good idea!" He fully affirmed his brother-in-law's idea.

Lou's father, however, was more concerned: "Zhendong, Shouxing, could Shouxing be in any danger outside?"

He was very clear about the essence of the matter. As a veteran entrepreneur who had come from the pre-liberation era, he understood the ins and outs very well, so he couldn't help but think about it more.

Before Gao Zhendong could speak, Lou Shouxing laughed first: "Dad, don't worry. Those foreigners, fundamentally speaking, only care about money! As long as there's enough profit, they can do anything that others wouldn't dare to imagine." "Then the things they can do also include posing a threat to you." Lou's father wasn't stupid.

"But that's when they're facing weak opponents, not me. Dad, don't worry, they can't cause any trouble in Macau or Hong Kong Island. Don't forget, I'm not alone!"

If he was worried before that poor communication might cause some unexpected problems, he has now put those worries aside.

Gao Zhendong smiled and said, "Dad, don't worry. Shouxing has been there for a long time and has experience. Besides, he's definitely not alone."

To put it bluntly, if it weren't for the desire to avoid making Lou Shouxing appear too much like an underground worker, which could complicate many things later, it wouldn't have been impossible for the mainland to have set up a dedicated radio station for him in Macau beforehand. And now, even that problem has been almost completely resolved.

Gao Zhendong's words completely put Lou's father at ease. Although there were still risks, no matter how much he assured him, those remaining risks were nothing to an old man like him who had weathered many storms. If he couldn't even take that much risk, what was the point of continuing? He might as well go home and take care of his child.

"Okay, then let's go for it!" Although he's gradually moving closer to becoming a mascot, Lao Lou's words still carry weight when it comes to matters within his control.

In his excitement, Lou Shouxing began to pay attention to the details of the game console.

"Zhendong, how long will it take to get these games ready?" With Gao Zhendong's technical expertise and production arrangements, he wasn't worried about the game consoles being produced. In fact, based on his understanding of Gao Zhendong, it might even be done quickly. The technology Gao Zhendong taught him was always the kind of "canned technology" that was ready to use immediately—it was very effective.

However, the game itself is a different story. Lou Shouxing is more or less aware that this kind of thing takes time to develop. After all, a subsidiary of Zhenxing Electric Technology Group has also recruited a group of people and is trying to develop more games for handheld consoles, but the results are not very quick.

Gao Zhendong's idea of ​​a game drawn on paper is good, but whether it can be realized and when it will be realized are still not entirely certain.

However, Gao Zhendong's words both delighted and shocked him.

"It's almost done! We're just waiting for production, and it'll be released along with the game console!"

If someone decades from now, with enough knowledge of the game console industry, heard Gao Zhendong say this, they would immediately realize that something was amiss—how could the game be developed before the console even came out? That's impossible. Saying that it's mostly developed might be somewhat plausible, but final testing without a physical device is unacceptable.

However, these days no one really knows much about this stuff, let alone the father-in-law and brother-in-law present. They basically believe whatever Gao Zhendong says.

Although he believed it was really done, Lou Shouxing was still extremely surprised, mainly because the action was too fast. The few sketches drawn by Gao Zhendong were enough to illustrate the scale and difficulty of these games.

Although Lou Shouxing knew nothing about Gao Zhendong's work arrangements, he was clear on one point: Gao Zhendong could not devote himself wholeheartedly to the development of the game, and it was just a pastime for him.

To be able to design a game console and also create games as a hobby is simply inhuman!
"All done? How much done?" Lou Shouxing's original intention was to ask whether Gao Zhendong had finished one or both of the two games he had brought out, but Gao Zhendong's answer once again refreshed his understanding.

"Six...six or seven, I think, I've forgotten the exact number." Gao Zhendong finally managed to swallow back the "sixty-four" that was actually 64, and gave what he considered a relatively reasonable number. No matter how he tried to justify it, the number 64 was still a bit too exaggerated.

Reasonable my foot! In Lou Shouxing's opinion, this number is completely unreasonable!

"Six or seven?" Lou Shouhang was now feeling suffocated, almost unable to speak coherently.

His team was still racking their brains over making one or two simple games, while his brother-in-law made six or seven by himself, and the quality and scale of the games were completely incomparable.

Gao Zhendong seemed to realize that his words were still somewhat inhuman, so he quickly added, "Ah, not all of them are so big or so good. There are also some small games, like those on handheld consoles, that have been made. Those are simple."

Fortunately, the 64-in-1 does contain some relatively simple mini-games, including a few like Snake. Since it's so well-rounded, there's no need to worry about any side effects.

Even so, Lou Shouxing remained numb. He sat there blankly for a while before snapping out of his daze and blurting out a "good." He simply couldn't comprehend Gao Zhendong's abilities and could only accept the benefits without much fanfare.

"Great! That's wonderful! If that's the case, we can work harder and make it to the next Bailing Consumer Expo!" The latest Bailing Electronics Expo is next year, so the timing is perfect.

Lou Shouxing could imagine the sensation that would be caused if all went well, with one of these game consoles carrying six or seven high-quality games, making its debut at the Bailing Electronics Show!
"I want to take over every family's living room!" Overjoyed and full of vigor, Lou Shouxing began to envision the future and put forward a slogan that even Gao Zhendong found somewhat amazing.

He has the best radios, cassette players, VCRs, and top-of-the-line flat-screen TVs... Now, with this game console added to the mix, Lou Shouxing has a great chance of winning this battle, and everything is under his control.

“Occupy the living room… Hmm, good! That’s a good slogan. Dad, Big Brother, let’s break up Zhenxing Electric.” Gao Zhendong said with a smile as he read Lou Shouxing’s idea.

Lou's father and son were shocked. Why were they splitting up the family business? They knew very well that Zhenxing Electric's prosperity, though seemingly strong, would be nothing without Gao Zhendong behind it. While it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that it would start to fade into obscurity.

"Zhendong, what's wrong? You don't agree with Shouxing's idea?" Lou's father was more open to speaking on this matter, and asked with some concern.

Gao Zhendong smiled and shook his head: "That's not what I meant, you misunderstood..." If we're splitting up, what we'll be dismantling is Zhenxing Electric Technology, why would we dismantle Zhenxing Electric Production?

"What I mean is to split Zhenxing Electric into several different wholly-owned, independently accounting subsidiaries according to different business directions. After all, different business directions may require different management models, funding policies, and corporate systems. Mixing them together will be detrimental to future management. For example, the game console, handheld console, and game carrier businesses can be merged into Zhenxing Electric Entertainment. As you just mentioned, Zhenxing Electric Entertainment can serve as an important force in conquering the living room."

The Lou family father and son were finally relieved. "Hey, why didn't you say so earlier? You were speaking so slowly and deliberately, it was enough to scare us to death."

Once the two were relieved, they pondered Gao Zhendong's words and immediately realized how insightful they were. Indeed, Zhenxing Electric's products were quite diverse. As the business expanded, different products targeted different customers, and their respective management was not suitable to be mixed together. For example, televisions and LED/TN-LCDs faced completely different customers, and many systems and policies could not be equated.

Lou Shouxing expressed his complete agreement: "Yes, yes, yes, your idea is excellent. I've also recently felt that things are starting to get chaotic in this area, and I want to solve it, but I haven't figured out how to start. Your idea can be described as a radical solution, addressing the related problems at their root. LEDs, TN-LCDs, and the like can be placed under the 'Revitalize...Revitalize Electro-Silicon'..."

These things are all related to semiconductors in some way. Although Zhenxing Electric Technology Group's semiconductors are just so-so right now, it's always good to have a name for them first, in case they develop into something better.

Hearing the name Lou Shouxing came up with, Gao Zhendong thought to himself, "It's a good thing you didn't use 'silicon' instead of 'silicon.' If it had been something like 'Silicon System,' it would have been a bit awkward." Back when Gao Zhendong was interested in researching the history of PC development, he was completely baffled by the name Silicon System, the company that produced graphics cards and chipsets such as SiS6326, Savage, and SiS630.

"Let's call it Zhenxing Optoelectronics for now..." Gao Zhendong couldn't help but say.

(End of this chapter)