My son is a reincarnated soul; I overheard his inner thoughts and became the richest man.

After listening to the relayed account, Chen Feng thought for a moment and then agreed to the plan.

"Okay, let's set it for late December. Our second-generation product will be released at the beginning of the month, so with two projects going at once, the data is sure to look good."

Jason was clearly excited upon hearing Chen Feng's reply.

"Great! Chen, now that we've reached an agreement, I have another bold suggestion."

"With this round of financing, once we successfully establish ourselves in the European market, we can directly initiate the IPO process and list Fengtian Technology on Nasdaq!"

Going public?

Chen Feng raised an eyebrow slightly.

He was well aware that the ultimate goal of venture capital was to help companies go public and cash out.

But isn't this pace a bit too fast?

"Jason, isn't this a bit too hasty? All things considered, the company hasn't been around for very long." Chen Feng expressed his concerns through Gu Qingcheng.

"No, no, no, Chen, you're underestimating the potential of Fengtian Technology."

Jason spoke with fervor, "In the internet technology world, speed is everything. Your growth curve is perfect; it's exactly the kind of sexy story Wall Street loves."

"Chen, believe me, once we go public, breaking the 10 billion US dollar market capitalization mark is definitely not a dream!"

Chen Feng did not respond immediately, but fell into deep thought.

Fragments of his son Chen Xiaotian's past thoughts resurfaced in his mind.

Although MP3 players are currently very popular, they are ultimately a transitional product.

The future belongs to smartphones. Once smart terminals that integrate music, communication, and internet access become widespread, MP3 players will disappear as quickly as pagers.

Given this, taking advantage of the current booming industry and raising a huge sum of money through an IPO seems like an excellent choice.

On the one hand, it can stockpile sufficient ammunition to accelerate technological research and development and market expansion.

On the other hand, once the lock-up period is over, a portion of the funds can be cashed out at a high price and invested in more capital-intensive but also more core areas such as chips and panels.

As long as we maintain absolute control, even if the stock price falls due to the shrinking MP3 market, we can simply buy back the shares at a lower price and privatize the company.

Anyway, it's still several years before smartphones fully take off; that's enough time for technological accumulation and capital maneuvering...

Having figured this out, Chen Feng's doubts vanished.

Since the capital market is willing to give money away, why would it push it away?

"it is good."

Chen Feng said into the phone, "If the market response meets expectations, I agree to launch the listing plan."

"Yes!"

Jason's excited voice came through the phone, "Chen, this is a wise decision! I'll immediately start spreading the word in the industry and get those greedy capitalists to prepare their checks!"

......

With the official launch of the iPod in the North American market, the expected polarization emerged.

For die-hard Apple fans, this is a groundbreaking masterpiece, worth queuing up to buy even at $399.

In their eyes, Apple's logo represents trendiness and justice.

But for the vast majority of ordinary consumers, this product is simply a joke.

Not compatible with Windows?

In an era where PCs hold absolute dominance, this setting is simply inhumane.

Do I really have to buy an expensive Mac just to listen to a few songs?

Anyone can do the math.

Apple probably never imagined that this arrogance would push a large number of potential users into the arms of its competitors.

It wasn't until months later, when Jobs humbled himself and opened up Windows compatibility, that the iPod truly took off.

But now, this immense wealth is destined to belong to Fengtian Technology.

......

Best Buy, Los Angeles, USA.

"Hey buddy, look at this! Apple's new iPod, it's absolutely awesome!"

A young Black man dressed in a hip-hop style is excitedly showing off a white iPod to his companion.

His companion, a bespectacled young white man, shrugged indifferently.

"Come on, the sales assistant made it very clear that this thing only recognizes Mac computers, and my Dell can't connect to it at all."

The young white man pointed to the counter next to him, "Rather than buying a brick that can only be used as a decoration, I'd rather choose an F1. I heard they're having a promotion recently, it's only $319 after the price reduction. That's a full eighty dollars cheaper than an iPod!"

As he spoke, he skillfully picked up a space gray F1 player, weighed it in his hand, and said, "It feels just as good, and it's plug-and-play, which is so convenient."

The young Black man retorted, "This is an Apple! It's a belief! How can you compare it to Formula 1? This is a lifestyle!"

"Belief?"

The young white man scoffed, "Can faith feed you? Can faith make my Windows computer recognize it? Fine, you can top up your faith yourself, I'm going to pay the bill."

After saying that, he took the F1 and walked straight to the cashier.

The young Black man looked at his companion's retreating figure, then at the expensive iPod in his hand, opened his mouth, and finally could only sigh helplessly.

......

Such scenes are frequently seen in electronics stores across the United States.

Starting from November 1st, with the launch of Fengtian Technology's "Sniper Plan", the F1 and T1 models, which have been reduced in price across the board, instantly became hot commodities in the market.

The fact that the iPod didn't support Windows was already a fatal flaw, and now the competitor has deliberately widened the price gap to $80, leading to an interesting phenomenon:

Many people were initially drawn into the store by Apple's overwhelming GG (Google's iPhone), but upon hearing about the iPod's compatibility issues and seeing the affordable F1 (Apple's iPhone 1) next to it, they immediately switched sides.

The GG effect that Apple spent a lot of money to create ultimately benefited Fengtian Technology.

After all, nobody's money comes from thin air.

Faced with products that offer more features, better compatibility, and lower prices, most consumers, except for a very small number of die-hard fans, have made rational choices.

Lin Wan, who was stationed in Silicon Valley, was grinning from ear to ear as she looked at the daily sales reports.

This sales curve is more exciting than an electrocardiogram, it's skyrocketing.

"General Manager Chen, a great victory!"

Lin Wan couldn't hide her excitement on the overseas phone call, "At the current shipping rate, the 300,000 units of inventory that we originally expected to sell until the end of the year will probably be sold out before the end of the month!"

Upon receiving this good news, Chen Feng was overjoyed.

That's the allure of business warfare; you never know what kind of divine assistance your opponent might provide.

"In that case, the plan needs to be changed."

Chen Feng made a decisive decision: "The second-generation products cannot wait until December. We must replenish them in advance, otherwise there will be a shortage period."

"Let's move up the North American launch date for the F2 and T2 to November 25th, just in time for the Thanksgiving shopping season."

"I'll have Zhao Ya arrange logistics to prioritize supplying the US market."

After hanging up the phone, Chen Feng immediately pressed the intercom and called Zhao Ya into his office.

"Mr. Zhao, inform the factory to move up the shipping schedule to the United States. Make sure the new products are on shelves across the US by the 25th."

"Also, tell Lin Wan that since Apple has given us such a generous gift, we should reciprocate."

"I've already come up with the slogan for the new model: F2, not only stronger, but also supports the whole world."

......

Time flies, and it's already the end of November.

On the other side of the ocean, the F2 and T2 players, which had landed early, delivered two powerful blows to the iPod's Achilles' heel.

Apple's strategy of offering more features at the same price, coupled with perfect compatibility with the Windows system, makes its new products seem even more awkward. Even Steve Jobs's powerful personal charisma cannot compensate for the $40 price difference and the poor user experience resulting from the closed ecosystem.

Meanwhile, in China, another vehicle under Chen Feng's name—the Fengchi electric car—also achieved astonishing speeds.

Within just one month, the sales network conquered more than ten provincial capital cities.

The November sales figures were nothing short of spectacular: 78,000 vehicles sold in a single month!

What does this mean? It means that for every ten electric vehicles sold nationwide, six of them bear the "Fengchi" brand logo.

In any city that they stormed into, other ragtag armies basically had no choice but to surrender.

This is no longer a competition, but a complete and utter defeat.

......

In December, the cold winter had arrived, but the offices of Fengtian Holdings were warm and cozy.

Chen Feng was flipping through the monthly reports of the various subsidiaries when Gu Qingcheng suddenly pushed open the door and entered, holding a newly published magazine in her hand, with a mocking smile on her face.

"Mr. Chen, congratulations on coming in second place."

Chen Feng looked up from the document, completely bewildered: "What second place? I didn't take the imperial examination."

"Hurun Rich List"

Gu Qingcheng spread the magazine out on the table and pointed to the rankings. "According to the latest data, with a net worth of 82 billion RMB, you rank second on the list of China's richest people, second only to the Liu brothers."

"82 billion?"

Chen Feng was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled, "This Englishman is quite the fortune teller. I didn't even know I had so much money. How did he figure that out?"

"Valuation, I suppose."

Gu Qingcheng shrugged and analyzed clearly, "Although we don't have any listed companies, Fengtian Technology's performance in the United States is obvious to all, so estimating its value at 500 million US dollars is not unreasonable. With your high shareholding, this alone is worth more than 3 billion RMB."

"Add to that the cash cow Legend, plus Fengchi Electric Vehicles, Fengtian Capital... all these things together, 82 billion is a conservative estimate."

Chen Feng shook his head, unconcerned: "These kinds of rankings are just for fun; they're too unreliable."

"Whether it's watered down or not isn't important; the key is that the people like to watch it."

Gu Qingcheng laughed, "The list just came out and the internet is already buzzing. The media are digging into your background everywhere. Just now, China Entrepreneur magazine called to ask you for an exclusive interview."

"So... should you answer or not?"

"China Entrepreneur?"

Chen Feng stroked his chin, pondered for a moment, and said, "Let's accept it. Since we can't avoid it, we might as well be generous. Let's take this opportunity to give our brands a free 'GG'."

"Understood, I'll reply right away."