Even Jiang Wanli himself didn't truly believe there was a strong basis for cooperation between them.
In his eyes, Yu Zhou and the companies under him were merely businesses that had developed relatively well for the moment, not comparable to his Wanyan brand at all.
In this era, VCDs were still considered true high technology. Even though countless imitators had emerged in his wake, it was impossible to deny that there were significant profits and ways to make money from them.
Jiang Wanli believed that Wanyan's current lack of smooth development was entirely due to the general environment.
The current environment was such that imitators didn't need to pay any price. In such circumstances, any outcome was something he couldn't bear.
Of course, even though he still harbored a difficult-to-explain dissatisfaction, he lacked the ability to change the environment at this juncture.
On this point, he had long understood that if it were truly possible to avoid this entirely and he were the sole brand for VCDs, he would undoubtedly be making a fortune.
"Actually, the current general environment is like this. We cannot completely resist those imitators; we can't even fundamentally curb them."
"In this environment, what we need to do is not to condemn them, but to compete with them, to engage in head-on competition."
"As long as we establish the brand of the very first VCD, make our products more aesthetically pleasing and fashionable than theirs, and promote them effectively, it won't be difficult for this brand to become the leader in the entire VCD industry."
"In fact, we have a significant advantage over other brands. At the very least, we currently do not lack fame or capital!"
Yu Zhou said directly after a moment of thought, choosing his words carefully.
He was clearly aware of Wanyan's eventual fate, which couldn't simply be described as disappearing from public view. The entire industry, in their hands, would ultimately be declared bankrupt.
For a company that had created a revolutionary product, this seemed somewhat unfair.
However, this was not something to complain about. Lack of business acumen and complete inability to adapt to a market economy would inevitably lead to elimination by the market.
Perhaps, in later times, the Wanyan brand could have continued to make money even by doing nothing, just by selling licenses. But was this the era yet?
Yu Zhou felt that if possible, he would lend a hand to an enterprise that had fundamentally changed people's lifestyles for a considerable period.
After all, it was still an enterprise from Jiangbei. In later years, the city of Jiangbei developed quite well, capitalizing on numerous trends.
However, one must not forget that whether it was automobiles, VCDs, the television and refrigerator industries, or other smaller categories, this city had always been a pioneer.
Yet, not many had truly succeeded.
Could this not be considered a tragedy?
"Are you suggesting that I cooperate with you to compete with those imitators?"
Upon hearing Yu Zhou's words, Jiang Wanli began to feel somewhat uncomfortable.
In his eyes, the companies from Guangzhou and the numerous VCD manufacturers that had sprung up like mushrooms were all just imitators.
To have him lower himself now to compete with these imitators would indirectly acknowledge that they had confirmed those imitators as VCD manufacturers.
It was strange if he could feel comfortable about this.
In fact, this was an unavoidable situation. Yu Zhou knew very well that if one were a pure businessman, they would view such matters with more detachment. What was there to it? As long as one slightly valued profit, their focus would solely be on how to develop their own company.
Concerns about losing face, etc., would be deemed insignificant if it meant developing one's company. Even if not achieving a monopoly, sharing profits with the entire industry wouldn't be a difficult matter to accept.
However, the crucial point was that Jiang Wanli was not a complete businessman.
His mindset was still rooted in that of a technician. In his view, those VCD manufacturers were plagiarizing, even stealing his technology.
Under these circumstances, to acknowledge the identity and brands of those manufacturers was something he couldn't easily come to terms with in the short term.
Did Yu Zhou not understand his thoughts? He actually did, but this matter was not as simple as he imagined.
Some things, even with persuasion, and with the gift of the gab, might not be easily resolved. All one could do was to try their best.
After all, speaking of which, although VCDs were considered high-tech in this era, their inherent technical content was not that high.
It was merely about discs and reading hardware. In later years, any electronics factory could replicate them without much difficulty. Even if one had registered patents for everything, circumventing those patents would not be impossible.
"Mr. Jiang, everything has two sides. True, some things may seem like theft to you, but it cannot be said that they haven't contributed to the development of the industry."
"Why is it that we currently do not restrict piracy and the emergence of plagiarism?"
"Actually, if you look at it from a global perspective, it is for the development of our industry, especially the electronics and entertainment industries!"
Yu Zhou could sometimes truly understand why Long Xia did not prohibit copying and patent issues.
Of course, this was based on the premise that it did not harm one's own interests.
In the electronics industry, if one did not register the intricate patents promptly, the endless stream of plagiarism could drive a company to the brink of bankruptcy.
It was like the repeated competitions Yu Zhou had with his rivals in the processed food industry before.
He was quite cunning. As soon as the muskmelon seeds appeared, he had already thought of patents and branding.
If he hadn't thought of it earlier, facing a behemoth like the Su family, he would have had to suffer in silence and truly compete with such wealthy and powerful companies or enterprises.
However, to speak again, at this current stage, are the barriers in Long Xia regarding patents and technology not strong? Is this truly a bad thing?
From a global perspective, at least Yu Zhou believed that it was not a bad thing at all.
On the contrary, it was a good thing for overall development, a very good thing.