Tech startup: I really do make mobile phones!

Chapter 18 Setting a Trap for Old Wang
"What's wrong, Tiezhu? Is there a fat tail following you?"

Old Zhang noticed Old Wang's furtive behavior on the street immediately.

Rivals are enemies in the same trade, and several hundred years ago, Wang Er from next door stole three hundred taels of silver from Zhang San, so Wang and Zhang were natural-born mortal enemies.

Anyway, Lao Zhang and Lao Wang don't usually interact much, and Lao Zhang just instinctively doesn't like to associate with Lao Wang.

"Brother Zhang! Old Wang is following behind me, you have to help me this time!" Zhao Tiezhu leaned closer and whispered.

While fiddling with the acid-washed electronic components in his hands, Old Zhang looked up and asked, "Tiezhu, how do you plan to help? Explain yourself first!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Tiezhu realized that Old Zhang was asking him for a reward!

Old Zhang hadn't forgotten that the kid still owed him a meal after asking about the battery lab last time!
"I want to set a trap for this old Wang and sell him all the resistive touchscreens I have."

As you know, he's always disliked Chen and me, and he'll definitely try to make things difficult for us whenever he gets the chance. By the way, Zhang, you can also make some money off Lao Wang. Chen and I will remember your kindness!

Zhao Tiezhu spoke earnestly, his eyes filled with expectation.

Old Zhang had always intended to recruit Zhao Tiezhu, a talented "general," after the oranges ripened. Now, after hearing what he said, he thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.

"Alright!" Old Zhang wiped his hands and raised an eyebrow. "Tiezhu! I'm only helping you out of respect for you!"

Upon hearing Lao Zhang's agreement, Zhao Tiezhu's face instantly lit up with a wide smile, revealing a set of pearly white teeth.

He quickly stepped forward, grabbed Old Zhang's hand, shook it vigorously, and kept saying:

"Brother Zhang! You are truly my savior! I, Zhao Tiezhu, will remember your kindness. If you ever need my help again, just let me know, and I will definitely help you!"

As he spoke, Zhao Tiezhu released Lao Zhang's hand and rummaged in his pocket.

He took out a crumpled cigarette case, pulled out a Baisha cigarette, and respectfully handed it to Old Zhang. He also took out a lighter from his pocket, lit it with a "click," and leaned close to Old Zhang to light his cigarette.

Then, Zhao Tiezhu, with a fawning smile that almost made his face crease, said, "Brother Zhang! Once this is done, I'll not only treat you to dinner, but I'll also bring you a bottle of good wine. Let's have a good drink together!"

Well! He hasn't even treated Old Zhang to that meal yet, and that kid Zhao Tiezhu has already promised to buy Old Zhang another bottle of wine.

Then, Zhao Tiezhu's eyes darted around, and he lowered his voice to explain the detailed plan for setting up the scheme to Lao Zhang. As he spoke, he gestured, and his eyes revealed a sense of confidence.

Old Zhang chuckled upon hearing this: "You're not only good at disassembling and assembling machines, but you're also quite cunning when it comes to scheming. Old Wang is so stingy, he'd probably argue with me for ages!"

Zhao Tiezhu chuckled: "If he really wants it, he'll definitely be willing to spend a fortune. Besides, Brother Zhang! You'll have some fun to watch too!"

Old Zhang waved his hand: "Alright! Consider it setting up a stage for you, kid. Let's see what kind of show Old Wang can put on!"

No sooner had Zhao Tiezhu left dejectedly, dragging two boxes of resistive touchscreens, than Old Wang sidled up behind him.

With a broad smile, he warmly approached Old Zhang's stall and handed him a Double Happiness cigarette.

"Old Zhang! Busy? I just saw Zhao Tiezhu hauling some goods over. Do you know what he was doing there?"

Old Zhang took the cigarette, slowly lit it, took a deep drag, and exhaled a smoke ring.

Old Wang's Double Happiness isn't even as strong as Zhao Tiezhu's White Sand!
"What else could it be!" Old Zhang slowly exhaled a puff of smoke before saying unhurriedly, "I just got a new batch of 3.5-inch TFT resistive touchscreens, original, unrepaired, high-end products, 480×320 resolution, they're in high demand at the market!"

Old Wang's ears twitched, and his fingers unconsciously rubbed the Double Happiness cigarette box: "He wants to transfer goods?"

Old Zhang chuckled and shook his head.

Old Wang tapped his cigarette butt on the counter, taking some time to figure out what Zhao Tiezhu was up to.

He knew all too well how murky the market was at Huabei Qiang's parts dismantling business. Their original, unrepaired parts were top-tier, picked directly from overseas electronic waste.

Generally, if it hasn't been tampered with, functions perfectly, and looks brand new, it can fetch a high price in the high-end repair and assembly market.

Unfortunately, Lao Wang's stall doesn't have skilled assemblers, so he doesn't do computer assembly. He used to buy similar original, unrepaired parts and resell them to other vendors or retail them to backpackers, watching them make a fortune.

This time, Zhao Tiezhu came to collect the goods. Judging from Lao Zhang's description, it seems to be high-end goods like these, the kind used to assemble counterfeit phones.
Chen Mo, that college student with a screw loose, seems capable of doing this kind of thankless task.

user???

These are all installed on the phone, and those users can't even distinguish between good and bad models based on basic configurations.

Can you distinguish between high-end parts like those from Huabeiqiang that are original and unrepaired, and mid-to-low-end acid-washed parts?
Yes! Before Wheat, no manufacturer would proactively educate users about model configurations and such; they would mostly only emphasize brand, channels, marketing, and design.

No manufacturer is willing to ask users, "What do you need?"
It must be said that Xiaomai has done a great job in popularizing the models and configurations of mobile phone components.

At least many users now know to ask about the models and configurations of components when buying a mobile phone.

Once everyone understands the model and configuration of common components, if your mobile phone marketing is too exaggerated, users will treat you like an idiot and vote with their feet.

Old Wang deduced from Old Zhang's subtle clues that Zhao Tiezhu had acquired high-end 3.5-inch TFT resistive screens, and immediately got an idea.

In the dismantling and repair industry in North China, the quality of dismantled parts is strictly divided into high and low, expensive and cheap.

Original, unrepaired parts—those are high-end products.

These are original factory waste parts directly sorted from overseas electronic waste. They are authentic, fully functional, and brand new in appearance, mostly high-value components such as motherboards, chips, and sensors.

In the high-end repair and assembly market in North China, it is highly sought after and is often sold at a premium by stall owners as "original official parts".

Pickled refurbished parts are the next best. After processes such as pickling, grinding, and laser marking, although they look new, the internal solder joints are aged and have hidden damage. They are mostly used for refurbishing mid-range electronic products.

Loose, assembled parts are considered low- to mid-range; they are pieced together from various parts, resulting in poor compatibility and short lifespan.

These are commonly used in small items like headphones and game controllers in Huaqiangbei.

As for the worst-case scrapped or defective parts, they are basically just a pile of waste materials, which can only be recycled to extract precious metals or used by beginners to practice disassembly.

Judging from Lao Zhang's veiled meaning, Zhao Tiezhu wanted to buy the batch of 3.5-inch TFT resistive screens in his possession, which were high-end original, unrepaired parts.

"If I hadn't recently acquired a batch of refurbished machine parts and was temporarily short of cash, I would have wanted to keep this batch of goods and sell them off slowly!"

Upon hearing this, Old Wang's eyes lit up instantly.

Old Zhang hadn't made a decision, and now this opportunity has fallen from the sky!

As long as it causes trouble for Chen Mo and Zhao Tiezhu, Lao Wang is willing to do it.

His fingers trembled slightly involuntarily. He quickly lit the Double Happiness cigarette that had been tapping on the counter for a while and pretended to be calm.

Old Wang leaned against the counter of his stall, pretending to be nonchalant.

"Phew!" He exhaled a puff of smoke and asked leisurely, "Old Zhang! What was his bottom line for you?"

Old Zhang smiled and glanced at him sideways, stroking his stubble with his index finger holding a cigarette butt, and said with a hint of teasing, "Old Wang! You know the rules of our stall."

Seeing that Lao Wang had taken the bait, Lao Zhang, as agreed with Zhao Tiezhu, began to set up the stage for him.

(End of this chapter)