Actor: Thank you.

One week later, in the courtyard.

"Come on, congratulations, Director Ning."

Zhang Yuan, Huang Bo, Ning Hao, and several others drank together.

There were just a few cold dishes and peanuts in front of us, plus a bottle of Jiannanchun liquor for each person.

Don't be fooled by the small number of dishes; friends don't have to be so particular about these things, which is much more comfortable than ordering a whole table of food at a fancy restaurant.

"To gross over 5000 million yuan in its opening week is a remarkable achievement."

He led the way in raising his glass.

I'm quite satisfied with this result.

According to the company's calculations, "No Man's Land" needs to sell for over 1.5 million yuan to break even and start making a profit.

If we can sell these in the first week, as long as things don't collapse afterwards, there shouldn't be any major problems.

But Ning Hao was clearly not satisfied.

He muttered dejectedly.

"Xu Zheng's 'Lost in Thailand' made 2-3 million a week, and mine is only a few thousand."

People are afraid of comparison.

I'm a professional director, while he's an actor who came to the profession later in life, yet he utterly defeated me.

Especially since they are friends and live close by, the contrast is even more striking.

Zhang Yuan could sense that making "No Man's Land" had worn down Big Head a lot of his spirit.

"Xu Zheng's plays are mainly strong in that they meet market demands."

"That's precisely why he's better than you in this respect, since he's not a professional."

Bald men have no professional baggage, nor are they labeled with artistic or literary qualities.

He understands perfectly well: I make movies to make money, I don't care about anything else.

"Your professional skills are still stronger."

"The work is clearly more sturdy and can withstand scrutiny."

He encouraged them.

Xu Zheng is more well-rounded. While his acting isn't top-notch, he's the kind of actor who always plays the same role.

Especially compared to truly gifted masters.

The most obvious and intuitive example is the "Li Wei Becomes an Official" series.

This film is a spin-off of "Yongzheng Dynasty" and has the same production team.

Only Zhao Yi, who played Li Wei in "Yongzheng Dynasty", took on the role in "The Grand Mansion Gate" at the same time.

They couldn't find the time, so they eventually cast Xu Zheng.

Playing the same role and with the same co-stars, Xu Zheng's performance was clearly inferior to Zhao Yi's.

It has become more slick and impetuous, and less of the shrewdness of an ordinary person.

Zhang Yuan could sense that Da Nao wasn't jealous of Xu Zheng; after all, they were friends.

I just feel frustrated with myself.

It took several years for the work to see the light of day again, but the market acceptance was only so-so.

Ultimately, it's a serious dark comedy, not a pure comedy, so it's normal that it's selective in its audience.

"Oh, right, I also have to toast you." Big Head filled his glass and raised it towards him.

"Without your support, this film wouldn't be where it is today, and it might have just gone to waste."

"No, good things come to those who wait."

The two men clinked their glasses together and each tilted their heads back to drink.

“Now that your baby can be released, he can recoup his money. It’s a win-win situation for everyone, isn’t it?” Brother Bo mediated from the side.

"Yeah, that's great." Zhang Yuan picked up a peanut and popped it into his mouth. "The key is to look forward."

"This show has come to a head, now it's time to see what happens next."

"I've thought it all out!" Big Head shook his body and wiped his face with his hand: "Let's make a lighthearted piece."

"I still vividly remember my trip to Yunnan and Guizhou a few years ago, and I had already prepared a general plan."

"I was thinking of giving it a try and making a notebook."

"Great!" Zhang Yuan immediately understood; they had an idea for "Breakup Buddies"!
This film is not only related to his travel experiences, but also combines the humor of the previous Crazy series with the road trip elements of No Man's Land, plus a "reproduction" of the style of Lost in Thailand.

They created a road comedy.

That's not bad!
"Get it done quickly, then form a team and make a budget." Zhang Yuan couldn't wait.

Big Head was touched by his actions.

They trust me way too much!

It has to be your own brother, that's the only reliable one!

[Received thanks from Ning Hao, scriptwriting +1!]

"Hey, did Yuqi send you an invitation?" Brother Bo suddenly asked.

Zhang Yuqi and Wang Quan'an will hold a wedding ceremony in the Maldives.

I sent out invitations to many colleagues.

But you're abroad, and airfare and accommodation aren't included.

Sending out invitations is just a way to collect money as gifts.

"I've received it, but I don't have time to go," Zhang Yuan replied casually. "I gave a big red envelope."

Not only did he receive an invitation, but the woman also called him.

I personally asked him if he was free to participate.

Zhang Yuan's tone made it clear that he didn't want to get involved in this matter.

But this girl said, "You went to Wang Xiaofei's wedding, but you didn't come to mine."

They asked him to press the bed.

I don't know if it's a custom in her hometown, but the groom sleeps on the wedding bed first to bring good luck.

But Zhang Yuan understood that sleeping with a virgin could lead to death, even though he had been one himself...

But not anymore.

Zhang Yuqi said it was okay, you can try the bed first, and she will wear a wedding dress and try it with you.

Now I understand, she probably didn't want to press down on the bed.

You're so sexy...

The current situation is too stimulating for Zhang Yuan, so he firmly refused.

But it also made me very angry.

Thinking that things wouldn't end well for either of them, it was best for me to stay out of it.

Looking back on the past of "No Man's Land" and looking forward to the future of "Breakup Buddies", the group drank quite a bit that night.

Compared to their happiness, some people were seething with hatred.

It's worth noting that Zhang Yuan bought the film "No Man's Land" from someone else.

Now that the results are looking good, there's a high probability that they'll make money.

They also managed to bring Ning Hao back.

This is called killing two birds with one stone!
The seller was in a very bad mood.

At the same time, Zhang Yuan took more than just "No Man's Land".

He also snatched up the investment opportunity in Ourpalm, making a profit of several small fortunes.

When the two things are combined, the other party does the math and realizes they've lost over a billion dollars!

My money!
That little bastard's money is all our blood!

We absolutely have to find a chance to get it back.

At that very moment, the other party saw something.

A few days later, at the Beijing Exhibition Theater.

"Is everyone ready?"

Luo walked onto the large stage, which had been deliberately set up in complete darkness.

As soon as he stepped onto the stage, he was greeted with a great deal of cheers.

This is the popularity he has accumulated over the years as an internet celebrity.

"Everyone, please be quiet."

"This is a gathering of the tech community."

"It's not a traditional performing arts activity."

He started with a joke, after all, the Beijing Exhibition Theater performs traditional Chinese opera all year round.

Lao Luo already holds an annual stand-up comedy gala every year.

If we're talking about the pioneers of Chinese stand-up comedy, this guy is the real deal.

"Because I lack confidence in my system, I prepared ten mobile phones today."

"If one computer crashes, we replace it."

"If all ten phones crash, I will retire from the mobile phone industry."

This remark drew another round of cheers.

And Lao Luo quickly brought up Jun'er.

“We were initially misled by Xiaomi, who said that the first version of MIUI was made by six people in two months.”

"As a result, their initial version was very rough and was released under the name of a non-governmental organization."

That's where Jun'er's cunning lies.

They do things secretly, and if they succeed, they announce that they did it; if they fail, they pretend they never did it.

Xiaomi's initial system was just a reskinned version, with no mention of Jun'er or the team's background.

Luo Yonghao also mastered the secret to attracting attention at mobile phone product launches early on: piggybacking on Lei Jun's popularity.

He also discovered a second key to generating traffic: piggybacking on Apple's popularity!
Compared to Xiaomi's system development process, it makes it seem like I took my initial version very seriously.

Then, when it came to the main event, he emphasized the importance of "aesthetics."

Various icons and display modes for the app.

Luo Yonghao immediately criticized Apple for unifying all its icons into square shapes with beveled corners over the years.

He used his words to define this behavior as unhealthy and distorted aesthetics, and stated that we have no answer to how our children will see the world in the future, bearing an inescapable historical responsibility.

To make a mountain out of a molehill.

They even deliberately made a toilet icon, and made it square.

Using seemingly funny but actually insulting methods, they deepen the audience's impression while further attacking the reference object, thereby making their own improvements seem very important.

The technique was quite skillful.

Zhang Yuan sat in the audience and watched.

He was invited by the other party and was treated as a potential investor.

Hopefully, he can see the unique features of the Hammer system.

It's really going too far to only mention one point related to visual effects.

Then, regarding personalized details, another point was made, still focusing on the kidney reflex zone of several major brands, such as Samsung, Apple, and Windows phones.

And this person even made a very arrogant statement publicly.

When Luo Yonghao explained his original intention in making mobile phones and operating systems, he said...

"I came to the crossroads of technology and humanities alone, only to find Old Joe's tombstone standing there all alone."

This sounds poetic, but it's actually incredibly arrogant.

Steve Jobs is dead, and I will never see products that perfectly combine technology and humanity again, so I came here!

At least they kept Old Joe on top and didn't trample him underfoot.

On stage, Lao Luo continuously shared his understanding of aesthetics, humanities, convenience, and intelligence.

He covered almost five points!

Zhang Yuan was tired of listening.

He briefly summarized the whole thing in his mind: it was about an obsessive-compulsive person, a perfectionist, exploring his ideal image of a perfect mobile phone from his own perspective.

There will definitely be people who love this product and design.

But the prerequisite is that you have to be compatible with his radio waves.

Luo Yonghao's pursuit of differentiation and personalization has made his radio style very difficult to understand.

Simply put, he wants to build a Volkswagen Phaeton.

The interior is precise to the millimeter level, far exceeding that of products of the same period.

When the Phaeton came out, it was considered the benchmark for interior design.

It also needs the most powerful engine.

At the same time, it needs to be so quiet that even at 120 km/h on the highway, the boss can still sleep soundly in the back seat.

And even if it runs at 120 km/h for several days in a row, the machine cannot have the slightest malfunction.

From its paint finish to its curves, its exterior is as elegant as a Renaissance sculpture.

Can these be done simultaneously?

of course can!

Volkswagen did just that under Ferdinand Piëch's leadership.

They even built a transparent factory to showcase how advanced their production lines are.

But the cost is enormous!
With a total R&D and production cost of 10 billion euros, the company loses an average of 3 euros for every unit sold.

If you want to get a good deal on Volkswagen, just buy a Phaeton.

Anyway, Zhang Yuan was very happy with it.

This is a machine that can be called a work of art.

In terms of driving and riding experience alone, it is even comparable to top luxury cars like Bentley and Rolls-Royce.

but!

It's not making money; it's actually losing money.

Volkswagen never intended to make a profit when they built the Phaeton.

It's to set a benchmark and prove that our group has the capability to create art-grade machines.

We are the pinnacle of human automotive industry.

But to really make money, you still need the Passat.

The same goes for SUVs. The Touareg was incredibly popular in its early years, but the Tiguan was still the main source of revenue.

Luo Yonghao's problem is that he wants to make his phones and operating system even better than Apple's.

I do what Apple dares not do, and I do what Apple dares not attempt.

In short, I want to do what Apple can do, and I also want to do what Apple can't do.

Top-of-the-line phone, awesome operating system, that's Smartisan.

Chen Kun would be a perfect spokesperson for this product.

But the Phaeton didn't make money!
They won't sell many units.

Because the Phaeton had a Volkswagen badge on it.

Try changing the emblem to a Rolls-Royce.

Hammer isn't Apple; people don't recognize it.

Even Apple has encountered similar difficulties, only in the opposite way.

The high-end market is all his, but Apple is also eyeing the low-end market.

Especially seeing the fierce competition among Chinese companies, selling mobile phones all over the world.

Cubans might not be able to afford an Apple phone even after saving for a year, and Transsion is the best-selling mobile phone brand in Africa.

That's why Apple once created the SE to target the lower-end market and try to capture the smaller market segments.

As a result, sales were very poor.

Since you use an Android phone, you can say that you don't like Apple and can't get used to iOS.

If you use the SE, there's only one explanation: you can't afford a flagship Apple product!

This is how most consumers will think, resulting in customers being stigmatized.

In addition, the machine configuration was indeed terrible.

Apart from Huaban, no domestic mobile phone brand has successfully entered the high-end market.

Because going for the high-end market means competing head-on with Apple for market share.

This isn't something that can be solved by simply piling on specs, improving the appearance, or doing marketing.

Zhang Yuan knew that Smartisan's biggest problem was that it was both made and broken by Luo Yonghao.

Without Luo Yonghao, who would pay attention to this brand?

However, Luo Yonghao's stubbornness also led to the brand's downfall.

He introduced the phone he was designing to himself before the press conference, and there were sketches of it.

Not only all buttons, but all openings must be absolutely symmetrical.

Even the volume buttons on the right side have been replaced with symmetrical custom buttons on the left side of the device.

He spoke with great enthusiasm as he talked about these things, but Zhang Yuan was only concerned with the practical problems such as increased costs, greater difficulty in mold making, and the impact on antenna layout.

He also wanted an integrated design.

This is what later became known as the "sandwich" structure.

The back cover, screen, and bezel are all aligned, and there are double glass panels on the front and back with a metal frame sandwiched in the middle.

This not only makes it minimalist, but also gives it a better feel.

The concept and design are indeed ahead of their time.

At least 3 or 4 years ahead.

However, it was precisely because of his visionary design that the yield rate of the first-generation Hammer T1 was less than 50% in Foxconn's hands, and even as low as 30% in the early stages!

If Foxconn has done this much, there's nowhere else in the world that can meet Luo Yonghao's demands.

Because your aesthetic sense is ahead of its time, but human industrial capabilities haven't kept up.

This also led to a series of problems, such as the back cover being fragile, difficult to repair, and the need to remove the back cover to open the SIM card slot.

It looks really good, but too many other aspects have been compromised in order to make it look good.

Phaeton users can ignore these issues.

Zhang Yuan didn't care that the car's minor maintenance cost 3000 yuan.

They wouldn't care that replacing the spark plugs on an engine requires 24, with each iridium spark plug costing several hundred yuan.

But mobile phone users don't do that!

Luo Yonghao's ideas and designs are advanced.

His Flash Capsule later became Huaban's Smart Voice and Xiaomi's Xiao Ai Shortcut.

The Big Bang feature became OPPO's smart screen recognition technology.

One-step operation transformed it into Meizu's small window mode.

Many features that would later become commonplace evolved from Luo Yonghao's obsession with them.

Even later, when Big Mouth took advantage of the situation to poach his team, it was because he wanted the TNT workstation design team that everyone was laughing at.

"Finally, I would like to give special thanks to my good friend."

"Mr. Zhang Yuan, a movie star that everyone knows."

“He also tried our system, and I personally helped him flash the firmware.”

"It didn't crash, did it..." Lao Luo handed him the microphone.

"Not for now. I'll ask you to pay for it if my phone breaks," Zhang Yuan replied, standing up and waving to everyone present.

"I think Professor Luo's ideas have solved many of the pain points of smartphone use."

"He is a very good product manager."

But not a good mobile phone brand owner... Zhang Yuan left half of the sentence unsaid.

He even jumped onto the stage and said a few more words.

Of course, it's a compliment to Lao Luo.

At the same time, he was looking for cameras to make sure he would be photographed, especially in the same frame as Luo Yonghao.

His press conferences are watched by anywhere from a million to tens of millions of people!
What Zhang Yuan wanted was to find the one he desired among these millions of viewers.

Look into my eyes!

Because he wanted the other party to see that he was going to throw a hammer. (End of Chapter)