Zhang Tianxing always had a belief: be the first to eat meat and soup, or be the last to lick the dregs.
At this juncture, time waits for no one. It's better to make mistakes than to miss opportunities. Otherwise, one can only watch others pick up money while holding a beggar's bowl.
"Sister Jiajia, how many people have we recruited? Let's have a meeting for the new employees, assign tasks, and break down the targets," Zhang Tianxing pondered. He couldn't wait any longer.
Let's hire as many as we can. There are so many companies in the mobile phone industry; we'll just take a slice. Trying to devour the whole pie is impossible.
"Alright, but we've only rented this office space, and it's not very large."
"Rent a place. If we find a suitable one, we'll buy it directly. If not, we'll find Morgan Stanley Investment Bank to settle debts with their assets." There are always more methods than difficulties, especially since Zhang Tianxing is the creditor now.
The United States claims to be a country of law, making things convenient, but their double standards are severe.
Having lived here for a while, Zhang Tianxing's typical feeling is that the officials can burn down houses, but the common people can't even light a lamp.
"Remember this: we are a Chinese enterprise. We can only survive by sticking together here. We don't need to force ourselves into other circles; it will have the opposite effect," Zhang Tianxing emphasized.
There's a scale of justice in the world. Guo Jiajia nodded inwardly upon hearing Zhang Tianxing's words. This young boss, despite his age, must have extraordinary abilities to be a boss.
Building a career in a foreign land is much harder than in one's homeland. However, Zhang Tianxing reminded her of a point: find your circle, and their circle is the Chinese community.
Things must be done step by step; one cannot get fat with a single bite.
When the recruited employees had all arrived, Guo Jiajia whispered to Zhang Tianxing.
"We have recruited thirty-five people so far. If we recruit more, our monthly expenses will be quite substantial. I hope you'll consider it carefully."
Zhang Tianxing nodded, indicating he understood. He surveyed the newly hired "soldiers and generals." If all went according to plan, this would be his initial technical team.
"I'm very happy to have you all join. I am Zhang Tianxing."
His brief opening remarks won over the attendees. The boss was handsome, spoke with conviction, and was known as the "King of Shorts." They hoped his financial backing was strong enough to see if he was generous.
With the dot-com bubble inflating, finding jobs was difficult for everyone. Joining the office of an unknown Chinese company was a last resort.
"As you all know, this office space has just been renovated, and our company is quite young. The number of people needed here in the future won't be too large. The main focus of our work will be in China. However, rest assured, as long as you work hard and achieve results, the company will not mistreat you."
Before Zhang Tianxing could finish, the crowd erupted.
"This King of Shorts is amazing at shorting the Nasdaq, but we don't know his business acumen."
"I feel like I've come to the wrong place. This office doesn't need so many people, and their focus is in China. I don't want to go to that terrible place."
"The boss is quite handsome, but I don't see his ambition."
Seeing the doubts, Zhang Tianxing raised his hands to signal for quiet. The crowd gradually hushed, wanting to hear what he had to say.
"This is a 'big brother' mobile phone, and this is a mobile phone." Zhang Tianxing gestured for Guo Jiajia to place the items on the desk: a brick-like mobile phone and a modern smartphone.
"As you all know, I plan to build mobile phones. I had nothing before, so I've prepared these samples for you. I now require you to disassemble these samples, draw inspiration, and create our own mobile phone."
Everything starts with imitation. Zhang Tianxing's words caused a stir. The boss wanted to plagiarize. This was illegal in the United States. Copying others' products would lead to ruinous lawsuits.
"Boss, this approach is not feasible. If these mobile phone manufacturers find out, they will sue us, and we'll be in serious trouble."
"I thought the King of Shorts would have some unique ideas, but he just wants to copy. It seems I overestimated him."
"This is America, not China. This kind of tactic won't work here."
The newly hired employees were bewildered. Was this boss reliable? If not, they would have to find jobs again. Life was truly difficult these days. But this boss was even crazier. Wasn't he afraid of being sued into bankruptcy?
"Everyone, please be quiet. I want you to understand mobile phone manufacturing. I'm not asking you to completely copy. Do you know how many patents are in this phone?" Zhang Tianxing said in a low voice.
The crowd shook their heads. What mischief was this boss plotting?
"Jimmy, bring out the agreements. Have everyone sign them, and then I'll tell you how we'll proceed."
Jimmy walked over with a stack of confidentiality agreements. The new employees were once again confused. They hadn't even started yet, and they were being asked to sign agreements. This company seemed too unreliable.
"Think carefully. Once you sign the agreement, you become part of the company. The company's benefits are listed, as are your requirements. Rewards and penalties are clearly stated," Zhang Tianxing said, glancing at the documents. This was the crucial part.
One should not harbor ill intentions, but one must guard against them. Moreover, what he was doing was skirting the edges of the law. Others' 3G technology was already mature; it wouldn't be easy to overtake them.
He could only start by imitating, paying tuition fees to others first. These were all necessary steps.
Research and development investment was indispensable.
The new employees looked at the confidentiality agreements, their expressions uncertain. The company's compensation was indeed good, but there were monthly targets.
It made sense; all bosses were "black-hearted capitalists" who wouldn't pay employees at a loss.
After some deliberation, a few people turned and walked out. The penalties in the confidentiality agreement were too severe. If they violated it, bankruptcy would be their only option.
Even so, thirty people signed the confidentiality agreements. Amidst the dot-com bubble, finding a job was difficult, and finding one that paid a salary was even harder.
They didn't know the company's profitability, only that it was a company planning to make mobile phones. The boss was the King of Shorts, who had made a fortune shorting the Nasdaq a few days prior. They hoped he wouldn't default on their salaries.