Rebirth 08: Can a mobile game company also build a tech empire?

Chapter 119 Highly Rated

"So you guys made Conquer Online Z1?"

"The leader asked."

"Yes."

Lu Chen picked up one of the first batch of Journey Z1 prototypes.

"At that time, iPhones were too expensive, and there was no domestic market for capacitive screen MP4 players."

We wondered if we could create a product that would allow more Chinese people to experience the charm of touch control.

Thus, the Conquer Online Z1 was born.

Lin Bing added from the side.

"In the first month after its launch, the Z1 sold over 340,000 units, generating over 300 million yuan in revenue."

A hint of surprise flashed in the leader's eyes.

"This achievement is quite remarkable in any industry."

"But MP4 is ultimately a transitional product."

Lu Chen took over the conversation.

"Our real goal is smartphones, so since last year, we have been fully committed to the research and development of Journey 1."

He picked up a white Journey 1 and handed it to the leader.

"This is our first mobile phone, priced at 1999 yuan, equipped with our own deeply customized ZUI system."

The leader took the phone and examined it carefully.

The double-sided glass body has a warm and smooth feel in the hand.

The frosted finish on the metal frame is just right.

The overall design is simple and elegant.

There is not a single superfluous decoration.

"The workmanship is indeed excellent."

The leader praised sincerely.

"It's not easy to achieve this quality for 1999 yuan!"

Lin Bing began to explain the difficulties encountered during the research and development process.

"Boss, to be honest, the transition from MP4 to mobile phones is much more difficult than we imagined."

His tone was sincere.

"Radio frequency, baseband, communication protocols, and more complex structural designs—these were all unfamiliar fields. Back then, we even had to learn from scratch how to wire a mobile phone motherboard."

He pointed to a photo on the display board.

That's a disassembled diagram of the early engineering prototype of Conquer Online 1.

The internal structure appears somewhat disorganized.

"The first version of the design was rejected by the factory, who said that we simply couldn't make it. We went through more than a dozen versions before finally achieving the current level of craftsmanship."

The leader listened attentively, nodding occasionally.

"But the hardest part isn't the hardware."

Lin Bing continued.

"The most difficult part was developing the ZUI system. We wanted to create a system that truly understood Chinese users, not just by simply changing the UI, but by reconstructing the interaction logic from the bottom up."

He gestured for Hong Feng to come over and demonstrate.

Hong Feng picked up a Conquer Online 1.

The system's various functions will now be demonstrated.

Quick switches in the swipe-down notification bar, long-press icons to merge folders, quick contact search, and call recording.

Each function is simple and easy to operate.

Yet it hits the nail on the head.

"These features are not available in stock Android."

Hong Feng explained.

"But we believe that Chinese users need these features, such as call recording, which many business people cannot do without, and quick contact search, which is especially useful when there are thousands of contacts."

The leader tried it out for a while.

A satisfied smile appeared on his face.

"That's really thoughtful."

He put down his phone and looked at Lu Chen.

"I heard that your phone is selling very well; you can't even buy one online."

Lu Chen did not deny it.

"Sales have indeed exceeded expectations. As of yesterday, the number of activated units of Journey 1 has reached nearly 180,000, and the inventory has been completely cleared. The biggest problem now is that production capacity cannot keep up, and we are trying to find ways to expand production."

"The problem of production capacity is a happy problem."

The leader patted Lu Chen on the shoulder.

"If a product can be sold, it means it's competitive. This is a problem that many companies want but don't have."

Everyone laughed.

The tour continues.

The leader then watched the game team's presentation.

I tried out a simple game called Fruit Ninja.

I also chatted with a few young employees about work and life.

When we arrived at the Z-Dimensional team's office area.

Xu Yi was leading his team in discussing new features.

The leader was curious when he saw the dense barrage of comments on the screen.

"This is?"

"This is our own video platform, Z-Dimension."

Lu Chen explained.

"Primarily targeting young users, especially anime and game enthusiasts, we now have over seven million registered users and six hundred thousand daily active users."

Xu Yi gave a brief demonstration of the website's bullet screen function and authentication system.

The article specifically mentioned the experience of helping Cheng Lin clarify the impersonation incident.

After listening, the leader seemed to be deep in thought.

"The idea of online authentication is very forward-thinking!"

The current internet definitely needs such a mechanism.

The visit lasted nearly two hours.

Finally, the leader was in the conference room.

They highly praised the development of Journey Technology.

Small company, big impact.

His tone was serious.

"From a game company on the verge of bankruptcy to launching a product like Journey 1, the road you have traveled has been very difficult, but what is even more commendable is that you have always maintained your focus on the product and your pursuit of innovation."

He looked at Lu Chen and continued.

"Hangzhou has always encouraged and supported innovative companies like ZhengTu Technology. If you encounter any difficulties, feel free to contact us anytime. We will fully support anything that benefits your company's development!"

Lu Chen nodded solemnly.

"Thank you for your care and support. Journey Technology will continue to work hard to create more high-quality products that satisfy our users!"

As they parted, the leader shook Lu Chen's hand.

He gave a few more instructions.

"We need to address the production capacity issue as soon as possible, but we cannot relax our efforts on quality. Reputation is hard to build but easy to destroy. You've worked so hard to achieve this result, so you must protect it."

"must."

Lu Chen answered seriously.

I watched the van slowly drive away.

Lu Chen let out a long sigh of relief.

Lin Bing stood beside him and said softly.

"The leader's evaluation is very high."

"yes."

Lu Chen nodded.

"But the pressure has also increased."

"Pressure is a good thing."

Lin Bing smiled.

"This shows that we have truly stepped into the limelight."

The two turned and walked back into the building.

Susie came up to her with a smile on her face.

"Mr. Lu, the reception went very smoothly. Before leaving, my secretary specifically asked for my contact information, saying that if there's anything that needs coordination later, I can contact her directly."

"Um."

Lu Chen responded, then suddenly remembered something.

"By the way, regarding the production capacity issue the leader mentioned, how's the expansion project progressing?"

"Zheng Yong made an appointment with the person in charge of the OEM factory in Kunshan this afternoon, and we should have preliminary results by tomorrow."

Lin Bing answered.

"Okay, let me know as soon as you have any news."

come back to the office.

Lu Chen sat in the chair and closed his eyes.

I quickly reviewed today's visit in my mind.

The leader's attitude is very clear.

They approve of Journey Technology.

This recognition goes beyond mere verbal encouragement.

This also implies potential future policy support and resource allocation.

But behind the approval...

This also implies higher expectations.

Journey 1 is just the beginning.