Rebirth 04: Starting from Taking an Unconventional Approach

Chapter 168 Notice

"Let's kick the ball back and let them decide for themselves," Chen Yuanshan said thoughtfully. "If they really get involved, it'll make them seem overly anxious and petty. If they don't participate, they have no right to question it at all. Mr. Fang's move is brilliant. This way, Qingniao's technical team can deeply intervene in the evolution of mobile technology through this mechanism. In the future, Qingniao can participate in discussions on interface specifications, disaster recovery standards, and data exchange protocols, and even leave its own mark."

"Yes, there's one more thing," Fang Jing said. "Once this mechanism is running, the cooperation between Qingniao and China Mobile will gradually evolve into a technological symbiosis. This will also increase the difficulty for other companies to poach talent, because it will be very difficult for them to poach a set of standards embedded in China Mobile's technology system."

"I think it's feasible," Liu Zhenhua said. "The only point to note is that this working group shouldn't be too formal, at least not during this window of opportunity to delay Tencent's entry. Therefore, the working group should operate entirely through informal technical channels, organized irregularly and unpredictably. In addition to Qingniao, we'll select two or three other SP partners with large business volumes, such as those specializing in sports betting or ringback tones, to participate. Their data volume isn't as large as Qingniao's, but they can serve as supporting roles. All technical outputs will be released under the name of the headquarters' technical department, and Qingniao's contribution will only be reflected in the acknowledgments section of internal emails or meeting minutes. In short, we'll do the work as planned, leaving no trace. Even if someone takes a picture of the meeting minutes and shows it to Tencent, it will say that the Mobile Technology Department organized technical exchanges among SP business partners. Qingniao is just one of several partners."

Listening to everyone's conversation, Zhang Qiming suddenly realized that Fang Jing's plans—the provincial-level implementation, the bidding process, and the "blind spot" approach within the technical working group—all seemed strangely familiar. This wasn't the mobile headquarters' usual tactic; it was clearly Han Fei's. He recalled that over two weeks ago, when Fang Jing had just finished her "infiltration" at the publishing house and came to his office for tea, he asked her about her impression of Han Fei. Fang Jing simply said that Han Fei was very special. He couldn't help but glance at Fang Jing, wondering if that special quality had already seeped into Fang Jing's decision-making logic like a vine.

"Qiming, do you have anything to add?" Liu Zhenhua asked.

Zhang Qiming smiled slightly and shook his head.

"And what about Han Fei? What do you think?"

"President Liu," Han Fei said, "President Fang's plan is fantastic. To be honest, as I listened to President Fang explain it point by point, I felt more and more at ease. She brought out the ideas that I had thought about but was too embarrassed to bring up myself. Not only is it more comprehensive and in-depth, but it has also been transformed into an executable and compliant plan. So my attitude is very clear: I completely agree and will fully cooperate. As long as headquarters sets the pace, Qingniao will follow suit immediately."

Zhang Qiming saw a slight smile on Fang Jing's face, as if she was satisfied.

"Okay." Liu Zhenhua crossed his arms and smiled slightly. "It's rare to see you so readily agree. Then let's do it Fang Jing said, and we won't discuss it further. Has Fang Jing finished presenting her plan?"

"Well," Fang Jing said, "that's all I can think of for now."

"Alright, let's follow Fang Jing's approach regarding the support plan for Qingniao." Liu Zhenhua leaned forward, his five fingers pointing to each other. "I'd like to emphasize a few points one last time. First, regarding the memorandum from Tencent, Han Fei's three suggestions for revision are fine, but remember, signing this document isn't about appeasing Tencent; it's about buying ourselves time. Whether it's three months or one month, Qingniao cannot relax during this window of opportunity. We must quickly build up our content barrier to a level that Tencent, even if it goes all out, cannot catch up with. If, after three months, your monthly revenue doubles, your author pool doubles, and your user base doubles, then Tencent's memorandum will be nothing but a piece of paper. Conversely, if you only sign the document but don't create a substantial gap, then when they come to talk again after three months, it won't be a memorandum anymore; it will be an ultimatum."

"I understand, Mr. Liu," Han Fei said.

"Yes, and I also support Fang Jing's plan. However, while I've given my support, rules must also be established. We can't sacrifice content quality for the sake of boosting revenue, and we certainly can't cross the line. Guangdong's conversion rate this time is 38.5%, and public opinion is on your side, which is a good thing. But it's precisely at times like these that we need to stay clear-headed. The media can haile you as a hero today, but tomorrow they can tear you down with a single offhand article. Qingniao's triple review mechanism cannot be relaxed in any way."

Han Fei said he remembered it and would strictly control the process.

"That's all for today," Liu Zhenhua said. "Fang Jing is responsible for coordinating the pace between headquarters and the provinces, and will report to me on the progress once a week, focusing on Tencent's movements and Qingniao's key data. Yuanshan will lead the technical working group, and we'll proceed discreetly. After Qiming goes back, develop a plan for the subsequent opening of the Shanghai number pool, and keep an eye on Han Fei's situation, reporting any issues immediately. Also, after the meeting, come to my office alone."

"Really?" Wen Jie exclaimed excitedly. "Brother Fei, you're not kidding me, are you?"

"When have I ever joked about something like this?"

"I can testify," Zhang Ruiyi said, glancing at the documents without looking up. "When I came in just now, he had just boarded the private jet and was humming a song, so it should be true."

Wen Jie grinned, rubbing his hands together: "So that means... people from Qingniao can get into the technical circle at Mobile headquarters? To discuss with the experts at headquarters how to modify the interface specifications?"

"Hmm," Han Fei said.

"Then...I...Brother Fei, are our people...really capable?"

What do you think?

"People at Zhou Ming's level can spot any flaws in a database splitting plan at a glance. If I sit at the same table with them and say something wrong, wouldn't that embarrass Qingniao?"

Han Fei raised a hand, picking up the cigarette from his mouth: "Wen Jie, do you know why President Fang proposed this plan?"

Wen Jie thought for a moment and then shook his head.

"Because you were the one who saved the day when the mobile server crashed. So, you're not just going there as a student; you're someone who's experienced peak real-world scenarios. They need your experience."

Wen Jie took a breath, his Adam's apple bobbing: "...Brother Fei, if you say that, I..."

"Don't you want to build your own technical team?" Han Fei looked at him. "Once you join this working group, you'll have direct access to the technical standards of the mobile headquarters. You'll have a clear understanding of how to mentor new people in the future."

"I...I understand," Wen Jie said thoughtfully. "I won't let you down. So, will Engineer Zhou and the others participate in this working group? Or is it just other people from headquarters?"

"General Manager Fang said that this working group is led by the headquarters' technical department, and Zhou Ming and his team are from the technical department."

Wen Jie leaned forward, his eyes shining, and Han Fei thought he looked like a child about to unwrap a birthday present.

"That's great! There are some parts of the documents Lin Feng left behind that I'd like to confirm with him. Also, I'd like them to take a look at our newly written asynchronous queue solution and see if there are any areas for improvement."

"Okay," Han Fei said with a smile. "However, there's a rule for this working group: we can't be too high-profile and we can't leave any traces."

When you arrive, say what needs to be said, but don't bring up too many things outside of work.

"I understand," Wen Jie said. "So, when do we start?"

"Manager Fang said to wait for further instructions and prepare in advance. You should organize the architecture documents, incident reviews, asynchronous queue code, and test data from this period so that they can be used at any time."

"Okay, I'll start tonight."

Han Fei glanced at his watch: "How's your classmate? Is he settling in well?"

"They're alright, their foundation is pretty good, and they learn quickly. There are just a few areas they still need to work on, and their understanding of our system isn't deep enough yet. But it's not a big problem, they'll get used to it after a few more practices. They're very dedicated, and they should be able to work independently soon."

"Okay, sure. You can go ahead and get back to work."

Zhang Qiming gently knocked on the office door. The door was labeled "Vice President's Office."

Liu Zhenhua responded and opened the door.

The desk was empty. Liu Zhenhua sat on the dark brown leather sofa by the window, a pot of freshly brewed tea and two white porcelain cups in front of him, steam rising from their rims. He knew this meant it wasn't a routine meeting with his superiors.

"Sit down." Liu Zhenhua looked at him with a smile and pointed to the single sofa opposite him. "Take off your coat. I'm not here to hold a meeting for you."

Zhang Qiming nodded, took off his suit jacket, and then sat down on the sofa.

Liu Zhenhua picked up the teapot and poured him a cup of tea. "Longjing," he said, "not the pre-Qingming kind, those are too expensive, I feel bad drinking them. This is pre-rain tea, it has a rich flavor and can be steeped many times, but it's best to drink it in the evening."

"Pre-Qingming Longjing tea is indeed more robust than pre-Qingming Longjing tea," Zhang Qiming said after taking a sip. "Mr. Liu, you didn't specifically invite me here for tea, did you?"

Liu Zhenhua smiled slightly and nodded: "Qiming, how many years have you been in Shanghai?"

"Twenty-three years," Zhang Qiming said. "I graduated from the Post and Telecommunications School in 1981 and was assigned to the Shanghai Post Office. I haven't moved since."

"Twenty-three years," Liu Zhenhua repeated slowly, taking a sip of tea, seemingly savoring the number or the taste of the tea. "That's long enough."

95

Zhang Qiming had a bad feeling.

"Qiming, headquarters is very satisfied with the Bluebird project. They're not just satisfied with the data, but also with the strategy."

Compliant, methodical, and knowing when to be firm and when to be lenient. A small publishing house on the verge of bankruptcy was transformed into a benchmark in the mobile content industry by the young man you recommended. You are proud of him; he deserves it.

"Mr. Liu, you flatter me. It's Han Fei's own merit that's making him successful."

"He's doing well, but someone has to pave the way. The strategic credibility, morale, and ceiling you mentioned at the meeting today aren't things that regional vice presidents should be thinking about; they're things that headquarters should be concerned with. You've already started looking at things from headquarters' perspective."

Zhang Qiming looked at Liu Zhenhua, his hands clasped tightly together. He sensed what Liu Zhenhua was about to say.

"The content-based SP track," Liu Zhenhua leaned forward, "is planned to be developed as a separate line by headquarters."

Zhang Qiming frowned: "Independent?"

"Don't misunderstand. What I mean by 'independence' is that we're not setting up a new direction under the existing data business department, but rather establishing a new strategic line that requires cross-provincial coordination, policy support, and long-term investment." Liu Zhenhua looked at Zhang Qiming, his brows furrowing, and his voice lowered: "We need someone to take the lead."

Zhang Qiming rubbed his chin and forced a smile: "President Liu, you're... putting me in a dangerous position."

Liu Zhenhua took a deep breath and smiled. "You're right, I'm going to support you. But if I don't support you, I'll have to support someone else. Do you want me to support someone who doesn't understand Qingniao, Han Fei, or this track, or do you want to come up yourself?"

What followed was a long silence.

"Of course, I'm not asking you to make a decision right away." Liu Zhenhua leaned back on the sofa. "You know that cadre adjustments require procedures. I'm telling you this now so you can be prepared in advance, have enough time to think it over, and discuss it with your family."

Zhang Qiming blinked, then continued blinking. His mind was filled with thoughts of Shanghai, of whether Han Fei's project would lose crucial support if he left, impacting Qingniao's survival and expansion. He also thought about Ruiyi and Han Fei's relationship. He had always hoped the two young people would get together. Would he ever see it? Would his transfer affect their relationship, and his daughter's connection with her family? What would Ruiyi choose then? Han Baohua was still hospitalized. He hadn't even invited Han Fei over for dinner. Was his energy sufficient to handle the headquarters' high-intensity strategic expansion? Should he stay in Shanghai as a guardian of a relatively familiar place? He was already fifty-thousand years old. Sigh.

"What about Li Ting..." Zhang Qiming said.

"Don't worry about Li Ting," Liu Zhenhua said. "The headquarters has temporary housing. Although it's not as nice as your apartment in Shanghai, it's not bad either. If she's willing to come with us, HR will help with the relocation. If she has her own things to do and can't come for the time being, you can go back every two weeks. Travel expenses will be reimbursed. I'll explain to Yuanshan."

"Well..." Zhang Qiming sighed, "If I leave, what about Han Fei?"

Liu Zhenhua stared at Zhang Qiming thoughtfully for a while before speaking, "Qiming, I know you're worried about Han Fei being affected. But I can tell you, you'll truly be protecting him once you're at headquarters. While you're in Shanghai, you can help him oversee the channels, the number pool, and the cooperation of the mobile branch. These can only help Qingniao establish itself, and now that Qingniao has established itself, you can't help much more by staying in Shanghai. Qingniao faces even greater challenges ahead. If you want to help Qingniao block Tencent, block NetEase, and block other giants that want to swallow up this market, you can only rely on the power of headquarters."

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