Tech startup: I really do make mobile phones!

Chapter 8 One bottle of alcohol and you're down

"Old Wang! Stop putting on airs. The payment isn't due until the end of the month, why are you coming here every day to urge me?"

Then, Chen Mo looked around and began to make an example of his colleagues.

"Everyone knows what you're really up to. Aren't you just after Orange Technology's business license?"
Since you're so adamant that I can't develop a new battery, how about we make a bet?
"If I can't produce new batteries in a week, you win, and Orange Technology is yours. But if I can, we'll settle the payment. Do you dare?"

Old Wang's face turned pale and then red after being rebuked by Chen Mo's words.

Some of the bosses around Chen Mo, who were willing to show him goodwill because of his impassioned speech, started to jeer, saying that Lao Wang was bullying the weak.

In reality, those in the same industry are often enemies; who wouldn't want their competitors to die?

Chen Mo is certainly despicable, but Lao Wang isn't their staunch ally either!
Old Wang was so confident just now, but now he doesn't dare to accept the bet. He's such a coward.

Seeing this, Zhao Tiezhu added fuel to the fire: "Brother Wang! Aren't you usually quite arrogant? What, you don't even have this much guts?"

Spurred on by the crowd, Old Wang gritted his teeth and said, "Fine! Let's bet! If you can't come up with a new type of battery in a week, you'll have to hand over the company."

"I'm telling you this now, I'll bring in experts, so don't even think about trying to cheat me!"

After saying that, Old Wang walked away arrogantly, thinking to himself that he should invite an expert from outside Shenzhen to avoid being deceived by Chen Mo and his gang.

Once Old Wang left, the show was over, and everyone went back to eating, drinking, and having fun.

Once Chen Mo had calmed down a bit, Zhao Tiezhu asked again, "Brother Chen! Why didn't you ask Professor Lin to borrow the school's battery lab?"

Chen Mo was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Back then, I disregarded Professor Lin's good intentions in recommending me for graduate school and was determined to start my own business. He even helped me get that license."

"Looking back now, I feel really guilty towards him. I'm too embarrassed to ask him for help again!"

He picked up a beer, took a swig, and looked somewhat tipsy.

Chen Mo felt like a complete jerk. After Orange Technology went bankrupt in his previous life, he never took the initiative to see Teacher Lin.

Later, I heard from my senior brother Liu that Teacher Lin had asked him for help in getting financial assistance.

Those high-profit outsourcing jobs were introduced to me by Teacher Lin through Senior Brother Liu.

I have accomplished nothing now, and I am ashamed to face Teacher Lin!
Essentially, Zhao Tiezhu's feeling was correct. Chen Mo was thin-skinned, but wasn't he also the kind of person from a small town who was so self-conscious about saving face that he suffered for it?

He wanted to make Teacher Lin proud to have him as a student after he succeeded, rather than bothering him.

"Brother Chen! What time is it? Don't worry about saving face!"

Zhao Tiezhu just couldn't understand it; how much was face worth?

"Besides! The small company's lab in the suburbs is low-level and has little equipment. They also want us to provide detailed battery information, which makes it too easy for secrets to be leaked."

Chen Mo looked at Zhao Tiezhu and teased, "Oh! Tiezhu, I didn't expect you to be so thoughtful now."

But don't worry, even if some of the technology of my self-developed new battery is leaked...

"Without a catalyst to complete the final phase transition of the lithium polymer, they won't be able to make my new type of battery."

Seeing that Chen Mo had made up his mind, Zhao Tiezhu stopped trying to persuade him.

The two sat back down on the small plastic stools, clinked bottles, drank alcohol, and ate barbecue.

Chen Mo smiled and said to Zhao Tiezhu, "Tiezhu! Work hard for me from now on. You're the company's number two employee now. Once Orange Technology becomes big and strong, you'll be worth over a hundred million and can return home in glory." Zhao Tiezhu flattered him teasingly, "Brother Chen! Don't tease me. I wouldn't dare think about such things! I'd be grateful if you could just pay me on time."

Chen Mo laughed and scolded, "You little brat, you have no ambition at all."

Zhao Tiezhu replied in a Northwestern accent, "Hey! A man with money is a hero, a man without money has it tough!"

"Children from poor families mature early. I'm only thinking about how to fill my stomach every day, I don't have time to think about the future."

Zhao Tiezhu clinked bottles with Chen Mo, took a big gulp of ice-cold beer, and shamelessly shouted, "Awesome!" A middle-aged woman walking by in high heels was so startled that she twisted her ankle.

This heartless person is still laughing nonstop.

Chen Mo patted him on the shoulder: "Tiezhu! Don't worry, this time Orange Technology will definitely soar to new heights."

"Once our Orange Technology's Orange 1st generation phone is released, and the first batch of 1000 units are sold, forget about next month's salary, Brother Chen will give you a bonus equivalent to half a year's salary!"

Considering this kid's salary, I've paid him quite a bit.

Take Huabei Qiang as an example. A skilled machine mechanic can earn a maximum of 2,000 yuan a month with performance bonuses and commissions of 1800 yuan.

Chen Mo is now offering him 3,000 yuan, while Orange Technology hasn't even earned 3,000 yuan in the three months since it was founded!
If Chen Mo were to pay this kid a year and a half's salary as bonuses now, that would be 18 months' salary, which would be more than 5 yuan. This kid would be out of control!
Because Chen Mo had a tiny bit of doubt about the scaled-down version of the high-tech gaseous lithium battery provided by the system, he decided to play it safe.

The main problem is that the advantages and disadvantages of this gaseous lithium battery are too obvious. Chen Mo is not sure if consumers can accept that they need to find a power outlet for their phones to last for three or four hours.

Therefore, the more funds the company can reserve, the more confident Chen Mo will feel.

So he changed his mind at the last minute, changing the bonus from a year and a half's salary to a six-month salary.

Zhao Tiezhu, that sly fellow, immediately raised his wine bottle and said with a smile, "Then I wish Brother Chen's Orange Generation 1 a great success, so that I can receive a year and a half's salary as a bonus!"

"It's six months!" Chen Mo emphasized.

"Hehe! Brother Chen! You must be drunk. You clearly said a year and a half just now~" Zhao Tiezhu chuckled slyly.

Chen Mo laughed heartily, put one foot on a small plastic stool, and said with great enthusiasm, "Sure, let's make it happen! As long as we can sell the first batch of 1000 Orange Generation 1 units, we won't be afraid of shortchanging you on a little money!"

Before he could finish speaking, he collapsed drunk with a "plop".

Chen Mo's alcohol tolerance is so low, he gets drunk after just one bottle.

He was reborn today, but he's forgotten everything!
Fortunately, Zhao Tiezhu reacted quickly and caught Chen Mo, otherwise he would have fallen and gotten a black eye.

Zhao Tiezhu, supporting Chen Mo, shouted to the barbecue stall owner, "Boss! Another twenty skewers of lamb, ten skewers of pork belly, and a bottle of ice-cold beer to go!"

The boss looked troubled, but Zhao Tiezhu pointed at Chen Mo and said loudly, "Put it on my brother Chen's account!"

After hesitating for a while, the boss finally packed twenty skewers of lamb for Zhao Tiezhu, then wrote "Chen Mo: -196 yuan" on a sticky note with a ballpoint pen and stuck it on the freezer where customers pick up their skewers.

In this strong region of North China, Chen Mo came to start his business with great fanfare, proclaiming that if his competitors didn't change, Orange Technology would change the industry.

In three months, Chen Mo managed to set up a decent little workshop in North China.

Some people say he's stupid, some say he's a hypocrite, but no one says he's untrustworthy.

(End of this chapter)