Reborn in 2005, starting with repairing mobile phones

The next day.

morning.

LG headquarters.

When Lin Dong and Zhou Chengyu arrived, Park Jung-ho was already waiting at the door.

"Good morning, Mr. Lin and Mr. Zhou."

Today he changed into a more formal dark blue suit, his hair was neatly combed, and he had a bright smile on his face.

Lin Dong nodded.

"morning."

Several people entered the conference room.

A thick stack of contracts, in both Chinese and Korean, was already laid out on the table. Several cups of steaming coffee were also placed next to it.

Park Jung-ho invited them to sit down, and then sat down opposite them.

"Mr. Lin, the contract terms have been drafted according to what we discussed yesterday. Please take a look, and if there are no problems, we can sign it today."

Lin Dong picked up the contract and flipped through it.

The price, eight-week delivery time, three-year priority agreement, and payment method are all correct.

Same as yesterday. LG didn't try anything funny.

He handed the contract to Zhou Chengyu.

Zhou Chengyu took it and read it line by line.

He read slowly, occasionally pausing to point to a particular line, silently repeating it before continuing.

The densely packed words were reflected on the lenses of my glasses.

Park Jung-ho didn't rush him, and slowly sipped his coffee.

He glanced at the contract in Zhou Chengyu's hand every now and then, a slight smile playing on his lips.

We finally secured this order.

Although the price was a bit low, having a three-year priority agreement in hand means there will be plenty of opportunities in the future. Besides, this Mr. Lin, though young, is reliable and not the type to close a deal and run. With this deal signed, this year's targets will be pretty much achieved.

The meeting room was quiet for a few minutes.

After finishing the last page, Zhou Chengyu looked up and nodded to Lin Dong. A hint of relaxation flickered in his eyes behind his glasses.

"I'm fine now."

Lin Dong nodded.

"Then sign it."

Park Jung-ho took out two pens from the side and handed one to Lin Dong.

Lin Dong took the pen and signed his name on each contract. The pen tip scratched across the paper.

Park Jung-ho also signed.

After signing the last document, he put down his pen and extended his hand.

He opened his palm, waiting for Lin Dong.

"Mr. Lin, it's a pleasure doing business with you."

Lin Dong grasped his hand. His palm was dry and strong.

"It's a pleasure working with you."

After signing the contract, the group did not leave immediately.

Park Jung-ho had his assistant bring in a few more cups of coffee, and they chatted for a bit.

Lin Dong picked up his coffee, took a sip, and put it down.

"Manager Park, there's something I'd like to ask you."

Park Jung-ho looked at him, his eyebrows slightly raised.

"Please go ahead, Mr. Lin."

Lin Dong glanced at Zhou Chengyu.

"We have an idea. Mr. Zhou would like to stay here for a couple of days to run through the screen's driver parameters."

He paused.

"This way, waiting for the screen to arrive will save a lot of time."

Park Jung-ho paused for a moment, his smile containing a hint of helplessness and a touch of admiration.

"Mr. Lin, are you trying to use our lab for your own purposes?"

Lin Dong smiled as well.

"Save money where you can. If Manager Park finds it inconvenient..."

Park Jung-ho waved his hand.

"That's convenient. Mr. Zhou can stay for as many days as he likes. I'll have the technical team coordinate with him."

Zhou Chengyu nodded beside him, a glint of light flashing on his glasses.

"Thank you, Manager Park."

Park Jung-ho smiled.

"You're too kind. We'll be partners from now on, so these little things are nothing."

Just then, Lin Dong's phone vibrated.

He glanced at the caller ID: Uncle Cai.

His brow twitched slightly.

"Manager Park, I need to take this call."

Park Jung-ho nodded.

Lin Dong walked to the window and answered the phone.

Manager Wang

"Mr. Lin, are you still in South Korea?"

"Um."

Uncle Cai paused for a moment, his voice tinged with excitement.

"Mr. Lin, I've found someone."

Lin Dong narrowed his eyes. A call at this hour—could it be someone from the system?

"explain."

"He works on systems. He's of Chinese descent, grew up in South Korea. He worked at Samsung for three years before starting his own business. Now he's a consultant at a research institute. He's very technically skilled and quite well-known in the industry."

Lin Dong listened without saying a word. He tapped lightly twice on the window frame with his fingers.

Uncle Cai continued.

"I asked around and found out that when he was at Samsung, he led two projects, both of which were successfully implemented. Later, he took on freelance work, helping several companies with system porting. He had a good reputation."

Lin Dong thought for a moment.

Do you have their contact information?

Yes. I'll send it to you in a bit.

Lin Dong nodded.

"it is good."

After hanging up the phone, he stood by the window, looking out at the Seoul cityscape.

The people in the system.

He's been waiting for this for far too long.

Back in his seat, Zhou Chengyu glanced at him with a hint of curiosity.

Lin Dong didn't say much, and picked up his phone to take a look.

Uncle Cai has already sent me his contact information.

A name, a phone number, and an address: a coffee shop in Gangnam District.

Jay Park. Thirty-four years old. Former Samsung employee. Now a freelancer.

I hope this time it will work out.

He looked at Park Jung-ho.

"Manager Park, I'll leave Mr. Zhou's situation to you today."

Park Jung-ho nodded, his face serious.

"Don't worry, Mr. Lin."

Lin Dong then looked at Zhou Chengyu.

"Manager Wang just said he found someone here to develop the system. I'll go meet him."

Zhou Chengyu paused for a moment, then his eyes lit up. The light shone through his glasses, making him look more alert.

"Someone from the system?"

Lin Dong nodded.

Zhou Chengyu's eyes lit up immediately.

"Very good."

Lin Dong grunted in agreement and stood up.

"You stay here and get busy. See you tonight."

"it is good."

Gangnam District.

2:30 p.m.

Following the address given by Uncle Cai, Lin Dong found the coffee shop.

Located in a quiet alley, the storefront is small and decorated in an industrial style.

There weren't many people; just a few young people sitting here with laptops.

The air was filled with the aroma of coffee beans, and the background music was soothing jazz.

He found a seat by the window and sent that person a message.

After sending the message, he put his phone on the table and looked out the window.

After waiting for about fifteen minutes, a man in his thirties pushed the door open and came in.

Thin, wears glasses, and has very neatly styled hair.

He was wearing a dark gray casual suit, with one button undone at the collar of his shirt.

On his wrist was a Rolex, with a classic black dial and stainless steel bracelet, gleaming in the sunlight.

He stood at the door for two seconds, his gaze sweeping around before settling on Lin Dong.

Walk over and sit down.

He didn't reach out, he just nodded.

"President Lin?"

Lin Dong looked at him.

"Jay Park?"

The other person nodded.

Just call me Jay.

Lin Dong nodded.

"Jay, what would you like to drink?"

Jay glanced at the bill the waiter brought over, didn't say anything, and simply waved to the waiter.

The Rolex on his wrist swayed with his movement, its dial reflecting a bright light.

"Americano. Black." (Americano with nothing added)

After saying that, he put his phone on the table, leaned back in his chair, and crossed his legs.

Lin Dong looked at him without saying a word.

From the moment I entered until now, there has been no handshake, no small talk, and the first thing I said was "Americano. Black." The way I sat down and the way I looked at people exuded an air of superiority.

This guy is a bit pretentious.

The coffee was served, Jay picked it up, took a sip, and put it down. He licked his lips against the rim of the cup.

He glanced at the ice water in front of Lin Dong, and a forced smile appeared on his lips.

"Mr. Lin doesn't drink coffee?"

Lin Dong looked at him.

"I'm not used to it."

Jay's lips curled up, the curve carrying a hint of amusement.

"In South Korea, business is conducted over coffee. When in Rome, do as the Romans do."

Lin Dong didn't respond.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do? What kind of "rural" is he?

Jay took another sip of coffee and put the cup down. His fingers gently traced the rim of the cup.

"Mr. Lin, is your company located in Shenzhen?"

Lin Dong nodded.

"Yes. They make mobile phones."

Jay nodded, leaned back in his chair, and crossed his legs, swinging them back and forth.

"You make mobile phones. There are quite a few companies making mobile phones now. Nokia, Samsung, Motorola. Which type do you make?"

Lin Dong looked at him.

"Smartphones".

Jay paused for a moment.

He then laughed.

That smile held a hint of surprise, and a touch of amusement.

"A smartphone? Like the Dopod?"

Lin Dong shook his head.

"no the same."

Jay raised an eyebrow. His eyebrows were held high.

"Why is it different?"

Lin Dong looked at him.

"No keyboard. Full touchscreen."

Jay paused for a moment.

Full touchscreen? No keyboard?

He stared at Lin Dong for two seconds, then smiled.

"Mr. Lin, are you serious?"

Lin Dong didn't say anything.

Jay leaned back in his chair and swung his legs around.

"I worked at Samsung for three years and saw many new concepts. A full touchscreen wasn't something no one had considered. But the problem was, how do you type without a keyboard? How do you change user habits? There's also power consumption, accidental touches, and so on..."

He paused, then shrugged.

"Mr. Lin, do you people in the mobile phone industry think that just coming up with a new idea is enough to make it work?"

Lin Dong looked at him.

"Are you here for an interview or to provide feedback?"

Jay paused for a moment, his smile freezing on his face.

Lin Dong continued.

"I ask you about technology, and you bring up Samsung. I ask you about experience, and you talk about user habits. I'm sitting here to find out if you can make an operating system, not to hear you teach me how to make a phone."

Jay's smile froze completely.

He put down his crossed legs and sat up straight.

"Mr. Lin, I'm just trying to be helpful. Back in China..."

Lin Dong interrupted him.

"What's going on in China?"

Jay looked at him and remained silent for two seconds.

"Mr. Lin, I grew up in South Korea, but I've also been to China a few times. To be honest, that place..."

He paused, seemingly organizing his thoughts.

"It's too chaotic over there. The technology is outdated, the management is chaotic, everything is a mess. When I was at Samsung, I worked on several projects from China, and they all fell through in the end."

Lin Dong looked at him, his eyes turning completely cold.

Jay didn't notice and continued talking.

He leaned back and crossed his legs.

"President Lin, I don't mean to look down on you. But making mobile phones, especially developing operating systems, requires experience. You don't have that kind of experience over there."

"I've worked at Samsung and in research institutes, handling over a dozen projects. How many people on your side have that kind of experience?"

Lin Dong didn't say anything.

Jay thought he had been right and smiled smugly.

"President Lin, I'm not saying you're incompetent. But if you're looking for someone, you have to find the right person. Someone like me would be hard to find even in South Korea, let alone over there..."

He shook his head, his chin slightly raised.

Lin Dong looked at him.

"Your parents are Chinese, right?"

Jay paused for a moment. The smile on his face froze.

"Yes. What's wrong?"

Lin Dong looked at him.

"You grew up in South Korea, you can speak and write Korean. But your face is still a Chinese face."

Lin Dong continued. His voice wasn't loud, but every word was delivered with great force.

"You worked at Samsung for three years, is that impressive? I've seen plenty of engineers at Samsung. There are plenty who are better than you."

Jay's expression changed.

"you……"

Lin Dong didn't give him a chance to speak. He leaned forward and rested his arms on the table.

"You say China's technology is lagging behind. Do you know what Huawei is doing right now? Do you know how much ZTE invests in R&D? Do you know how many people in China are staying up all night writing code, debugging circuits, and running tests?"

Jay's lips moved, but no sound came out.

Lin Dong stood up and looked down at him.

"You don't know. And you don't want to know."

"You just want to stay in South Korea, relying on your Samsung experience and thinking you're superior. But do you know that someone like you wouldn't even pass a job interview in China?"

Lin Dong looked at him.

"You say China's technology is backward. Fine. See you in three years."

"You'll see in five years."

"You'll see in ten years."

He paused.

"You'll regret it later. You'll regret every word you said today."

Jay opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

Lin Dong turned around and walked out.

I pushed open the door, and sunlight streamed in.

He didn't turn around.

Stepping out of the coffee shop, Lin Dong stood by the roadside and took a deep breath.

The sun was very strong, making me feel a little dizzy.

He took out his phone and dialed Uncle Cai's number.

The phone rang twice before being answered.

"Mr. Lin, how did it go? Was that person alright?"

Uncle Cai's voice carried a hint of anticipation.

Lin Dong didn't say anything.

Uncle Cai paused for a moment.

"President Lin?"

Lin Dong spoke. His voice wasn't loud, but it was deep.

"Uncle Cai, from now on, review the resumes of people working on the system first, and make sure they have a clear background."

Uncle Cai was silent for two seconds. His breathing came through the microphone; it sounded a bit heavy.

"Mr. Lin, is there a problem with that today's...?"

Lin Dong hummed in agreement, his brows furrowed.

"Deep down they look down on Chinese people."

Uncle Cai fell silent for a moment.

"Mr. Lin, it was my fault for not checking thoroughly. Thank you for making this trip."

Lin Dong didn't say anything.

Uncle Cai said another thing. His voice lowered.

"It won't happen again next time."

Lin Dong hummed in agreement and hung up the phone.

He stood by the roadside, watching the flow of traffic. The sun was so bright it made his eyes sting.

The system is still empty.

night.

hotel.

When Zhou Chengyu returned, it was almost eight o'clock.

He pushed open the door and saw Lin Dong sitting by the window, looking at the night view outside.

The room was dark, with only light coming in from the window, which made his profile look a little blurry.

He remained completely still, like a statue.

"President Lin."

Lin Dong turned his head away. His expression was unclear.

"You're back?"

Zhou Chengyu nodded. He walked in and placed his bag on the sofa.

"The drive parameters have all been run. LG's technical support has been great; the data is even better than expected. Their engineer even said they didn't expect us to make such a fast progress."

He said this with a slight smile on his face. There was a glint in his eyes behind his glasses.

He paused for a moment.

"What about the people in that system? How are they?"

Lin Dong didn't say anything.

Zhou Chengyu was taken aback. The smile on his face slowly faded.

"President Lin?"

Lin Dong turned his gaze away and looked out the window.

"no."

Zhou Chengyu opened his mouth as if to say something, but then swallowed it back.

He walked over to Lin Dong and looked out the window as well.

The two stood side by side, neither of them speaking.

There was a few seconds of silence.

Zhou Chengyu spoke.

"President Lin, regarding the system issue... we'll find someone."

Lin Dong glanced at him.

"I know."