Restart life

Chapter 510, Chapter 0498: [Old Master Chen and His Company]

Early in the morning, Lu Yu and her film crew arrived at the Peking University Science Park building.

She was going to follow Chen Guiliang around for a whole day to do a special interview program.

The reason Chen Guiliang agreed to Lu Yu's request instead of recording "Dialogue" or "Yang Lan's Interview" was simply because their target audiences were different.

Lu Yu's shows have a larger audience base, are more entertainment-oriented, and don't make elite white-collar workers feel particularly low-class.

This aligns perfectly with HarmonyOS's target consumer group as it moves into its second phase.

"Hello Ms. Chen, I am Wang Fangling, Mr. Chen's assistant." A woman in her thirties walked over.

This woman is reasonably good-looking; while not exceptionally beautiful, she's pleasing to the eye in a way that grows on you. She's slender, walks with a brisk pace, and gives off a very capable impression.

Lu Yu smiled and shook hands: "Hello, Assistant Wang, I'm sorry to bother you today."

Wang Fangling said, "Not at all, you are a famous host, we should be the ones thanking you for helping with the publicity."

The two women started chatting. Lu Yu tried to get information out of Wang Fangling, but Wang Fangling kept circling back to trivial matters.

Wang Fangling said, "Why don't we go to the company and wait?"

Lu Yu said, "It's fine here. Can we wait for Mr. Chen to get out of the car in the garage? We can start filming from when he gets out of the car and continue filming all the way to the company. That way, we can fully record a busy day."

Wang Fangling said, "It's best not to go to the garage, especially not to take pictures of President Chen's car and license plate."

Lu Yu said, "I understand."

Although public security has improved significantly in recent years, serious incidents still occasionally occur. As a big boss, it's best for Chen Guiliang not to expose his car.

Being photographed by passersby in private is nothing compared to being exposed on television.

Wang Fangling led Lu Yu to wait on the sofa on the first floor, and then sent a text message to Chen Guiliang, saying that the people from the TV station were on the first floor.

The office workers who rushed to work looked at them curiously before rushing over to wait for the elevator.

Shortly after, Yang Shuo drove Chen Guiliang to the open space in front of the building, instead of taking him to the underground parking garage to wait for the elevator as usual.

The moment Chen Guiliang stepped into the lobby on the first floor, Lu Yu whispered to the cameraman, "Turn on the camera quickly!"

"Hello, Mr. Chen!" Lu Yu stepped forward to shake hands.

Chen Guiliang smiled and said, "Hello, Ms. Chen. Let's sit here for a while."

Lu Yu asked in confusion, "Why not go directly to the company? Big company bosses are all very busy, right? I want to film Mr. Chen's most authentic work and life."

Chen Guiliang pointed towards the elevator: "This office building has many companies, and it's rush hour right now. If your film crew and I fill the entire elevator, it would be bad if we made the commuters late. Some guys are just rushing to make it in those few minutes."

Lu Yu suddenly realized, and said with an expression of admiration: "President Chen is very considerate of others."

Chen Guiliang laughed and said, "Put yourself in their shoes. If I were an office worker, and some jerk made me late, I would definitely curse his ancestors for eighteen generations behind his back. So, for the sake of my ancestors, it's best not to do such a despicable thing."

Lu Yu was inexplicably amused, not understanding what was so funny about Chen Guiliang's words. She grinned for several seconds before saying, "President Chen is different from other entrepreneurs."

"What's different?" Chen Guiliang asked.

Lu Yu said, "The entrepreneurs I interviewed before, no matter what they dressed like in their daily lives, would always be in suits and ties in front of the camera. But Mr. Chen, you came in a hoodie, and the tops of your sneakers were a bit dirty. And, the first thing you did when we met was to talk about your ancestors... um, how many generations back."

Chen Guiliang said, "Perhaps I haven't gotten used to the identity of an entrepreneur yet. But who dictates what an entrepreneur must wear and behave in?"

Lu Yu said, "I have interviewed the bosses of large companies before. They all work very late and get up very early in the morning. Some of them only sleep four or five hours a day."

Chen Guiliang said, "I don't recommend doing this because it's bad for your health. Doing it occasionally is only out of necessity, perhaps because you're really too busy. But in the long run, your body can't handle it. Once you're too tired, your mind becomes dull."

Lu Yu said, "But some people are so busy that they get used to this kind of schedule that they can't change it."

“Then take sleeping pills,” Chen Guiliang said. “When the instructor was in the cave dwelling, he was extremely busy every day, and he couldn’t sleep at all because of excessive smoking. He forced himself to get enough sleep by taking sleeping pills.”

Lu Yu said, "Mr. Chen is very knowledgeable and has a great memory."

Chen Guiliang said, "I wouldn't call myself well-read, but I read all sorts of books. I still make time every day to read the news and browse Weibo, including gossip from the entertainment industry."

Lu Yu immediately perked up: "What gossip has Mr. Chen been interested in lately?"

Chen Guiliang waved his hand: "Let's not talk about this. We can discuss it privately, but once it's on TV, it might have a negative impact on the person involved."

Lu Yu said, "But you seem to frequently comment on someone or something on Weibo."

Chen Guiliang said, "I used to like to give advice on current affairs, but I do it less now. I'll only type a few sarcastic remarks if I really can't stand something."

Lu Yu thought for a moment and said, "Then let's comment on major international events. What are your thoughts on the Sino-US trade friction, Mr. Chen?"

Chen Guiliang said, "I don't really care. It was expected. Since the economic crisis, the US has been constantly suppressing other countries. First Europe, and now China. Who told China to have the second-largest GDP? It's only natural for the number one to suppress the number two."

The trade friction between China and the United States during this period began in 2009, and its intensity has suddenly increased this year.

Especially after the outbreak of the US debt crisis.

A few days ago, the United States passed the Currency Exchange Rate Oversight Reform Act of 2011, which aims to impose punitive tariffs on "currency manipulators".

To put it bluntly, it means raising tariffs on Chinese goods!

The types of goods subject to high tariffs on China will increase rapidly, expanding from steel, tires, and chemicals to other more advanced sectors.

The situation will escalate for the next two years, eventually leading to the topic of "decoupling between China and the United States."

Later, Zhai Dongsheng's debate with a group of scholars on television naturally emerged against this backdrop. The large-scale ban on Chinese companies such as Huawei and ZTE was also foreshadowed in 2011.

Lu Yu had no expertise in this area, but that didn't stop her from bringing up the topic: "These past few days, there's been news everywhere about the US-China trade friction. Mr. Chen's company is also listed in the US. Has the US-China trade friction affected Mr. Chen?"

“Not yet. At this stage, the US is only imposing tariffs on traditional goods,” Chen Guiliang said. “It is estimated that there will be an impact later, but certainly not now. I think ZTE and Huawei should be wary, as they have a lot of telecommunications equipment business in the United States.”

Lu Yu asked, "What about Lenovo?"

Chen Guiliang couldn't help but smile: "I don't know."

Lu Yu changed the subject: "Recently, I saw a set of photos online showing many consumers queuing overnight to buy HarmonyOS phones. Did Mr. Chen anticipate this situation before the new product launch?"

Chen Guiliang did not answer directly: "In the past two years, there may have been supply shortages of HarmonyOS products. But now our production is very stable. Even if new products are too popular, we will quickly expand production lines after a short period of shortage."

"I hope everyone can consume rationally, and I urge everyone not to buy phones from scalpers. I heard that the price of the Tian Shu Pro has been inflated to over 6000 yuan by scalpers. That's too expensive. Nobody's money grows on trees. Why let scalpers profit from our hard-earned money?"

"We are urgently sourcing stock from the factory, and we estimate that by the time this episode airs, the Tian Shu Pro will be in sufficient stock. I won't go into details this time, but please don't buy from scalpers next time."

As he spoke, Chen Guiliang asked, "What kind of phone is Ms. Chen using?"

Lu Yu was taken aback, then laughed awkwardly, "I've been using this phone for a long time, and I'm planning to buy the HarmonyOS Tian Shu Pro."

It's probably an iPhone 4.

Lu Yu quickly changed the subject: "In the third quarter of this year, the market share of the HarmonyOS camp in the Chinese smartphone market increased to 45.5%, which is almost 50%. Everyone says this is a victory for domestic brands. As the creator of the HarmonyOS system, what are your thoughts on this, Mr. Chen?"

Chen Guiliang said casually, "It was expected."

Lu Yu then asked, "You once predicted Nokia's decline, and in just two years, Nokia's smartphone market share has fallen from 75% to 17.4%. Did you really foresee this, or was it just something you said casually?" Chen Guiliang replied, "It was just something I said casually."

Lu Yu covered her mouth and chuckled, then leaned forward and said, "Really? I don't believe it."

This signature move and line made Chen Guiliang feel extremely uncomfortable, and he didn't even bother to respond. He stood up and said, "The elevator is empty, let's go up first."

As we walked toward the elevator, my assistant, Wang Fangling, handed me a piece of paper.

The paper listed the tasks Chen Guiliang had to handle that day, as well as the matters he would need to personally oversee in the coming days.

Chen Guiliang glanced at it and then handed the paper back to his assistant.

Lu Yu asked curiously, "You remembered it already?"

Chen Guiliang said, "I don't remember."

"Huh?" Lu Yu's mouth dropped open.

Chen Guiliang said, "Just keep it in mind; there's no need to force yourself to remember it. Otherwise, what's the point of having an assistant?"

Upon arriving at the company, Lu Yu followed Chen Guiliang upstairs and observed that the employees were generally doing their jobs. Some were even sitting slouching at their desks, seemingly just going through the motions, and didn't react at all when the boss passed by.

Lu Yu asked, "The employees at Mr. Chen's company seem very relaxed."

“There are still KPIs, but they’re not set particularly high,” Chen Guiliang said with a smile. “They only dare to relax when they’re with me. If it were the CEO or a department head, they would be too scared to work seriously.”

Lu Yu asked in surprise, "Your authority in the eyes of your employees is less than that of your department head?"

Chen Guiliang said, "I only need to have authority in front of my department head. Why should I put on a show of power in front of ordinary employees?"

Lu Yu paused for a moment, then nodded and said, "That seems to make sense. But... something still feels off."

Chen Guiliang arrived at the office and finished his work in just a few minutes.

Lu Yu exclaimed in surprise, "You've already finished all the work for the whole day?"

Chen Guiliang explained, "Several companies have CEOs, so there are very few daily tasks that I need to handle personally."

Lu Yu said, "You are the most relaxed chairman I have ever met."

Chen Guiliang said, "There's little work on the surface, but the hidden work is never-ending."

"What kind of hidden work?" Lu Yu asked.

Chen Guiliang pointed to the newspaper and computer: "I watch the news every day, including foreign news. I also need to stay informed about the latest industry policies and developments. I work in the evenings too, and I make sure to watch the evening news. If I miss today's evening news, I'll catch up on it another day."

"Anything else?" Lu Yu asked.

Chen Guiliang said, "Playing games, browsing Weibo, chatting on WeChat, watching live streams..."

Lu Yu covered her mouth and laughed, "Is this considered work?"

Chen Guiliang said, "You need to experience your own products firsthand, and also the products of your competitors. In particular, you need to communicate with other users to truly understand the strengths and weaknesses of the products and the needs of users. Although this is not the chairman's job, I think the chairman cannot be separated from the front line of product development for too long. He needs to be well aware of the situation."

Lu Yu asked, "So, you'll be watching domestic and international news to stay informed about industry trends and policies?"

Chen Guiliang said, "Playing games."

Lu Yu: "..."

Chen Guiliang logged into his game account and said, "Wulin Gaiden has been in open beta for a month now, but I've been busy with other things and haven't paid attention to it."

He started leveling up his character quite early, and has already left the beginner village to enter Chang'an City to experience its vibrant world.

Chen Guiliang pointed to the game's public chat channel: "See? We found a product problem as soon as we entered."

Lu Yu leaned closer and saw that many players were cursing.

"****Chen Guiliang, this game is so laggy, do you even know how to make games?"

"This game is unplayable. It's made specifically for rich people. Poor people don't deserve to play such a high-end game."

"You Ke***, Chen Guiliang***, Feng Ji***"

"..."

Lu Yu was dumbfounded and asked, "How should these problems be handled?"

Chen Guiliang said, "There's no way to handle it. After the open beta, more and more players are flooding in. Computers with low specs will experience severe lag when they enter Chang'an City. Letting them vent their frustrations is fine."

Lu Yu asked, "Aren't you angry?"

Chen Guiliang said, "Why should I be angry? I just feel regretful. If the income of ordinary Chinese people were higher, and everyone could afford a computer with mid-to-high-end configurations, then everyone could enjoy playing this game. As the owner of a game company, I hope more than anyone else that the people of the whole country can live a prosperous life as soon as possible."

Lu Yu asked, "Have you always had such a...unique perspective on issues?"

"Really? That's how most people see it. Why don't you play the game with me? I'll go back to the starting village and help you level up." Chen Guiliang was also puzzled.

Lu Yu: "..."

This was her first time doing this kind of interview, and she was even led to play video games by the interviewee.

Soon, Lu Yu became immersed in the game world.

And there are signs of it becoming somewhat addictive.

For someone who has never played MMO games before, this is the first time they've encountered such an amazing game. Lu Yu thinks "Wulin Gaiden" is incredibly fun.

I estimate that she'll continue playing at home after the interview.

In the early morning, Chen Guiliang took Lu Yu to the gym: "Before, neither ByteDance nor Youke had a gym because office space was too tight. After the ByteDance building in Shunyi was completed, many departments of both companies moved there. The office space here was then freed up, and I converted it into a gym and a coffee shop."

"boss!"

"Mr. Chen!"

Surprisingly, there were quite a few people in the gym who came here during work hours to slack off, and they even dared to greet the owner openly.

Lu Yu has seen gyms at other companies, and many of them are just for show, but this one seems to be for real.

Lu Yu interviewed an employee: "Don't you guys come to work?"

“I’ve finished what I was doing,” the employee said, “but I can’t let my phone out of my sight, I might get a new task soon. Anyway, I’m here to relax, and I’ll be available whenever the team leader calls.”

Lu Yu asked Chen Guiliang curiously, "Can the company maintain its competitiveness like this?"

Chen Guiliang retorted, "Do you think that employees in strictly managed companies won't slack off? My place may seem relaxed, but the penalties for not meeting KPIs are severe."

Lu Yu felt that Chen Guiliang's company was very strange, from the boss to the employees, everything about it was odd.

(End of this chapter)