Return to 88: Starting from Marrying My Sister-in-law

Chapter 610 is too extravagant, who can resist this?

What convinced Liu Guangnan was not money, but the fact that Lu Yang's chosen path overlapped with his own.

Researching PC chips is certainly very important.

But does that mean VCD decoding chips based on the MPEG standard are unimportant?

They even share some technical similarities.

This is not a gap between 0 and 1, but an iteration between 1 and 1.5; it is not the difference between apples and oranges, but the difference between apples and pears—belonging to the same category, just with different characteristics, and ultimately arriving at the same destination through different paths based on the same underlying logic.

If it were two unrelated lines of equilibrium, asking Liu Guangnan to abandon his existing PC-related microcomputer technology, which he had been researching for over a decade, and instead join Luyang Company to research VCD component technology for Luyang, he definitely wouldn't do it.

However, if there is overlap between the two and they have similarities in technology, then the successful research and development of a video decoding chip for use in VCDs will inspire him to gain more inspiration for PC computer chips, making the deal worthwhile.

So, Lu Yang made the right bet. After he said those words, Liu Guangnan immediately fell silent.

After thinking for a long time.

Without any major upheaval, he was given a reply, indicating that he could give it a try and persuade his company's R&D team.

If I really can't continue working at Lianxiang.

He will bring everyone with him, but one of the conditions is that Lu Yang cannot refuse to hire any of his researchers without a valid reason. Once hired, they cannot be fired unless they violate the company's confidentiality policy or do something illegal or disorderly.

He's scared.

Just two days later, he was ousted from his position on the company's board of directors and dismissed from his job as chief engineer of the company's laboratory. Today, someone is meeting with members of his R&D team, making them all write guarantees, denouncing Liu Guangnan's unrealistic technology-industry-trade approach, and resolutely defending Liu's trade-industry-technology approach.

If you refuse to write a guarantee, you will face dismissal.

Of course, with the backing of the Institute of Computing Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, they can't do it openly, but they can do it in a dirty way. They can give you a long vacation, not arrange any work for you, and only give you the minimum standard of living allowance.

In this situation, firstly, your workplace will still be affiliated with Lianxiang, so you can't find other jobs; secondly, if you don't work for a long time, your brain will become rusty; and thirdly, you'll only receive the minimum living allowance. In a place like Beijing where it's not easy to live, you won't even be able to support yourself, let alone your family.

Not every researcher is like Liu Guangnan, who single-handedly shouldered the backbone of Lenovo's R&D. As a key contributor to the Chinese character card project, he was both a company director and the company's chief engineer, earning a monthly salary of 1 RMB.

It's fair to say that this surpasses the achievements of 99.99% of the working class across the country in the 90s.

Therefore, Liu Guangnan could have gritted his teeth and endured being idle at home. In fact, he did persevere in the original timeline until the end of the century in 2000, when he finally broke with the management of Lianxiang.

Therefore, his ordinary researchers were the ones who absolutely could not persevere. When faced with better options, even if not for themselves, but only for the R&D team members who had worked hard with him for so many years.

It was time to make a choice. Even if he still regarded Lianxiang as the child he had raised, he had to go against his original intentions.

From now on, we will go against it.

Lu Yang had originally planned to fly back to Shenzhen with his family on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year to preside over the company's annual opening ceremony.

But they had to wait for Liu Guangnan to come along.

To avoid any more nightmares.

The other party's identity is not only that of a director and chief engineer of Lianxiang.

He is a researcher at the Institute of Computing Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and is an employee of a state-owned research institution with a formal public institution status.

In 1984, with the support of the Institute of Computing Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Liu Sheng founded the New Technology Development Company, the predecessor of Lianxiang. Liu Guangnan joined as the technical director, but retained his title at the Institute of Computing Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. His personnel relationship was still affiliated with the Institute of Computing Technology. Theoretically, he was a technical support talent dispatched by the Chinese Academy of Sciences to a subordinate state-owned enterprise.

To put it more simply, his current awkward situation can be described as leaving the system and taking a leave of absence without pay.

Because Lianxiang has already been listed on the stock exchange.

In order to list in Hong Kong, it is no longer a pure state-owned enterprise, but a legitimate, fully market-oriented joint-stock company.

It is a joint-stock company.

Will the existing public sector employment status that it has retained within the organization still be valid?
This point is vague.

Including Lao Liu, who was also a researcher at the Institute of Computing Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences before founding Lianxiang's predecessor, New Technology Development Company, and was a colleague of Liu Guangnan.

If Liu Guangnan hadn't tried to leave Lianxiang and join Luyang's New Century Group, those of them who hold senior positions at Lenovo and also have research positions at the Institute of Computing Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences would probably continue to be affiliated with the company, or at most, it would be ambiguous. After all, although the Chinese Academy of Sciences is no longer the superior authority of Lianxiang, it is still a major shareholder of Lianxiang for the time being, and there is no need to pay these people with affiliated positions an extra salary.

This is based on the long-standing employer relationship between Lianxiang and the Institute of Computing Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

They used to be in a superior-subordinate relationship.

Although that is no longer the case, the Institute of Computing Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences is still a major shareholder of Lenovo.

Lu Yang is different. The Century Group, which he founded, has absolutely no connection with the Institute of Computing Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Liu Guangnan is not a nobody, but a great talent in computer technology research and development. He works at Lenovo and doesn't get along with Lao Liu. The two are competing against each other, and the Institute of Computing Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences can only watch from the sidelines. But if Lu Yang suddenly intervenes and tries to poach him, then the Institute of Computing Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences will have to take action.

There's also Lao Liu. Although he doesn't get along with Liu Guangnan and is annoyed by the man's childish and unrealistic ideas, the two used to frequently exchange insults, slam their fists on the table, and curse each other at Lianxiang's board meetings, almost coming to blows.

But all of this is based on the different business philosophies that the two have always adhered to.

It has nothing to do with whether this person is a great scientific researcher. In fact, he often admires the other person. But as the saying goes, "Those who walk different paths cannot make plans together." So admiring the other person is one thing, but suppressing the other person is another.

In many cases, the more one admires someone, the better they perform, the more fiercely they suppress them. Otherwise, why would they just stand by and watch the other person's influence in the company surpass their own?

There is no doubt that Lao Liu is talented, no less than Liu Guangnan, but he did not use his talent much when he was a researcher at the Institute of Computing Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. His talent was used more for business planning.

This person has a very forward-thinking vision.

In 1984, as the reform and opening-up policy swept across China, rumors circulated in the streets and alleys that researchers were not as well off as those who sold tea eggs.

He was the one who stepped forward.

He led a group of restless young men from the computer institute to make their own way in the world.

They made money. This also solved the problem of monetizing computer technology at the time.

This has led to a sharp increase in the happiness index of all researchers working at the institute.

In 1988, after the "Provisional Regulations on Private Enterprises" were introduced, he saw the possibility of getting rid of the old maid of the Institute of Computing Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. With his ambition growing, he changed the name of the company to Lianxiang Group overnight.

Then, the magnificent transformation, personally overseen by him, began...

To borrow a phrase from a conspiracy theory commentary article from later times:

Lenovo's shareholding reform was like a delicate surgical procedure—

The Chinese Academy of Sciences is like an anesthetized patient.

Liu Chuanzhi was the surgeon who performed the operation.

Liu Guangnan's organ was the diseased organ that was removed.

But even a diseased organ has its value.

After removal.

It can be left unused, but it must never be taken away by outsiders.

Because there's no guarantee that whoever takes it won't turn it into a weapon and then use it to kill Lianxiang.

After Liu Guangnan was brought down, Liu Sheng removed him from his positions as director and chief engineer, but he did not lower his guard against him.

They even specifically instructed the finance department not to withhold Liu Guangnan's personal salary.

The job title can be removed, but the salary related to the job title will continue to be paid. With a monthly salary of 1 yuan, Lianxiang can still afford to support them.

Consider it a way to avoid trouble, so that this former chief engineer of Lenovo won't leave the company in a huff due to personal reasons and dissatisfaction with him, Liu, and join another domestic computer company, thus creating a formidable enemy for Lenovo, which is preparing to expand into the domestic PC market.

From the moment Lu Yang visited Liu Guangnan to the moment Liu Guangnan was moved... In less than a day, Lao Liu also received the news, and that very night he rushed over to visit Liu Guangnan as well.

—The two had a big argument.

Afterwards, while having a drink with Lu Yang, Liu Guangnan said smugly, "Old Liu got anxious and promised that I could go back to work in the company's lab and that my title as the group's chief engineer would be restored. Apart from the position on the board of directors, which requires a collective vote from the senior management, he can return everything he took from me before, as long as I promise not to confront him on company strategy anymore and embarrass him every time..."

Lu Yang knew that he must have rejected Liu Sheng's attempts to win him over, otherwise Liu Sheng wouldn't be sitting here drinking and bragging with him.

But that doesn't stop him from making a joke with the other party.

So, going along with him, she smiled, her voice tinged with alcohol, and said, "With such good conditions, aren't you tempted?"

Liu Guangnan also pretended to be angry, and put down his wine glass in displeasure, saying: "How could I, Liu, be a man of my word? Besides, there is a saying that a good horse does not eat the grass it has already grazed. Old Liu is scared, but I will not do as he wishes. President Lu, you promised me that if my team developed a decoding chip for your VCD player, you would support me to continue developing computer chips for PCs and help me to go all out to enter the domestic PC market. You can't lie to me."

He raised his glass and said, "Otherwise, if I, Liu Guangnan, can be angry with Old Liu today, I can be angry with you, President Lu, tomorrow. Be careful, I might mess up your company too."

Lu Yang also raised his glass: "It's a deal. I, Lu, will never go back on my word."

The two looked at each other and smiled, then burst into laughter.

"By the way, Mr. Liu, how's your team's progress?"

Lu Yang clearly wanted to know how many people were willing to go south with Liu Guangnan.

This is very important to him.

Liu Guangnan shook his head: "Many people have this idea, but they are all worried about angering Liu Sheng. Moreover, they have to consider the Chinese Academy of Sciences' opinion. After all, everyone came from the Institute of Computing Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. If they really want to leave, they won't get the support of the institute's leaders. If they anger the institute, they are worried that their permanent positions will be officially revoked. Sigh..."

Lu Yang nodded.

This is indeed a very important issue.

These days, although it's common for public officials to leave their jobs to start their own businesses, they always have a safety net. Before leaving, they apply for unpaid leave, so if things don't work out, they can come back to work and keep their secure jobs.

The Institute of Computing Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences is undoubtedly one of the top research institutions in the country.

These people initially took unpaid leave in response to the institute's call to support Liu Sheng, Liu Guangnan, and others' entrepreneurial endeavors.

Lenovo is now a publicly listed company.

Logically speaking, these people should have achieved great success by now.

However, now that they have to make a new choice, some people naturally have concerns. They worry that not only will they not get a better future, but they will also offend Liu Sheng and the leaders of the Computer Institute behind him. They will not even be able to give up the high salary of the private enterprise and go back to the Computer Institute to continue to have a secure job.

Lu Yang thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "How about this, as long as someone is willing to go south with you, Engineer Liu, and join our team, I will give each person a settling-in allowance. The amount is up to you, Engineer Liu, and will vary from 10000 to 100000 depending on their talents. If joining our company causes problems with their initial leave of absence without pay, I will give each of them an additional 10 as compensation, which will be considered as buying out their years of service."

Liu Guangnan opened his mouth.

He stared at Lu Yang in disbelief.

Only two words came to mind: "So awesome! Who the hell can resist that?!"

Don't be fooled by his current monthly salary of 1 yuan; he only actually receives it in the last few months. Before the shareholding reform at Lianxiang, in order to plan for a listing in Hong Kong, although he also served as the chief engineer of the company's laboratory, his actual monthly salary was only a few hundred yuan.

But now, this young man in front of him, with just a word, is going to give each member of his R&D team a settlement allowance ranging from 10000 to 100000 yuan.

Such generosity and magnanimity could hardly fail to shock him.

So he opened his mouth, swallowed, and muttered to himself that he was afraid that the lab he had originally planned to take with him, which only had a dozen or so people, would probably become a huge force once the news spread. A large number of people would be willing to follow him south to join the company under this generous young boss.

"Won't Old Liu be so angry he'll vomit blood then?"

"No, I have to stay a little longer. I need to see Old Liu get so angry that he almost has a heart attack. Otherwise, how can I vent my anger?"

(End of this chapter)