Hearing Feng Changlun’s question, Zhang Tianxing let out a laugh.
“That’s a good question. We’re seeing a trend now, have you all noticed? Some machines are becoming increasingly specialized. A machine is designed for a specific purpose and excels in that one area, having no other functions.”
Zhang Tianxing then shifted his tone, “But we can think differently. Let’s see if there’s a market for such a product. We’ll create a mishmash of various functions, all of which are just passable. What do you think of this product?”
After hearing Zhang Tianxing’s words, everyone fell silent. Guo Jiajia felt lost. If it were based on her lifestyle preferences, she would definitely choose quality, a life akin to the petite bourgeoisie.
But she knew one thing clearly: the proportion of people in China who could afford such a lifestyle was extremely small.
This market could be developed, but it would be a niche market.
Especially now, as China was transitioning from merely satisfying basic needs to a moderately prosperous society, the primary concern for most people was still survival.
Most critically, if a product had extremely superior performance, its price would naturally be high, which would inherently exclude the majority of people.
Undoubtedly, the market for such a mishmash product was not small. Shark fin and abalone were delicacies for the select few, not common fare for the masses.
It seemed that young boss Zhang was setting his sights on the vast number of working people.
“I have another question. Why don’t we pursue specialization? We’ll focus only on high-end products. I believe the profits would be considerable.” Guo Jiajia still voiced her concern. She wanted to understand why. Hadn’t Zhang Tianxing always spoken about making people’s lives better?
Why this time would he focus on a low-end, technically unchallenging mishmash product for the masses?
“The reason is simple. Our funds are limited, and we can’t do everything. Our technical accumulation is still very weak. We are just a small company established for a year, with only a few big players. It’s thanks to the surge of Xiaolingtong that we have sufficient cash flow, but we must acknowledge our shortcomings,” Zhang Tianxing said earnestly.
Food must be eaten bite by bite, and Rome wasn’t built in a day. The mobile phone empire still required hard work.
“Young boss Zhang, our technical team is now second to none in the country. Currently, contract manufacturing is still mainstream in China, with no independent intellectual property rights whatsoever.”
“That’s not enough. Our opponents are not these domestic manufacturers. Our opponents are abroad, the giants of the mobile phone industry, the rule-makers of the mobile phone industry. I still have a lot to do,” Zhang Tianxing’s words were filled with fighting spirit.
Leveraging the convenience of Xiaolingtong, Tianxing Company had a sufficient cash cow. With the addition of a heavyweight like Feng Changlun, and by investing heavily in various projects, Zhang Tianxing didn't believe the money would be wasted.
“Young boss Zhang, how about this? I still need to recruit people. The projects you’ve given me aren’t enough for the current staff,” Feng Changlun requested of Zhang Tianxing.
Hearing this, Guo Jiajia was stunned. Feng Changlun was going too far. Although Xiaolingtong was highly profitable now, twenty percent of the profits were allocated to the R&D department, and Feng Changlun’s department was like a bottomless pit.
Huge sums of money had been spent, yet no tangible achievements had been presented. She never expected Feng Changlun to want to recruit more staff.
Did he think Zhang Tianxing’s money grew on trees? One doesn't know the cost of firewood until they keep house.
Even more unexpectedly, Zhang Tianxing waved his hand directly, “Okay, write an application to Ms. Guo, and prepare to initiate the recruitment plan.”
“No way, young boss Zhang! The R&D department already has so many people, and you’re letting them recruit more? How will we get by in the future? It’s fine now because Xiaolingtong is selling so well, but what if Xiaolingtong gets phased out?” Guo Jiajia directly objected.
The R&D department was undoubtedly important, but it couldn’t be disproportionately large.
“Alright, I understand. How about this, Engineer Feng, I’ll give you another simple task. MP3 players are out now. I want you to launch a new MP3A model to capture the Chinese market. Your R&D budget will be directly linked to the sales of the MP3 player,” Zhang Tianxing stated his opinion.
“Now that’s more like it!” Hearing this, Guo Jiajia nodded with satisfaction. It seemed Zhang Tianxing did value her opinion.
Feng Changlun burst into laughter. He had only made the suggestion casually. He knew that Tianxing Company’s focus was currently on their R&D team.
However, Zhang Tianxing’s ambitions were so grand that he was struggling to keep up, hence his proposal to increase personnel. He initially thought Zhang Tianxing wouldn't agree. To his surprise, despite Guo Jiajia’s clear opposition, Zhang Tianxing still gave them an opportunity.
That opportunity was to develop a new product, the MP3 player. Feng Changlun knew that this product wouldn't require much technical expertise; it was simply an emerging trend.
It seemed young boss Zhang had high hopes that his team would gain some experience with this project and see what results they could achieve.
If the results were poor, he would have no grounds to apply for more funding.
It was time to show what they were truly capable of.
“Young boss Zhang, you keep your word. I have actually studied MP3 players. For us, it's as easy as Zhang Fei eating garlic sprouts, a matter of course. Just you watch, although I can’t guarantee good sales in the market, I fear the public might not accept it.”
“How about this, as long as it ranks within the MP3 player category, that’s reasonable, right?”
“Okay, I agree with that,” Feng Changlun had seen too many new products that were not accepted and eventually failed. To his surprise, Zhang Tianxing was so accommodating, only asking him to compare it with similar products.
With that, Feng Changlun felt no psychological burden.
He had studied diligently for decades, all for the ambition of becoming famous overnight.
Now, with the opportunity provided by Zhang Tianxing, it seemed to be the time for his name to shine.
Conquering the mere MP3 player market was not a problem.
“Young boss Zhang, I won’t chat here any longer. I’m going back to work on the MP3 player,” Feng Changlun said no more and immediately rushed back to the laboratory.
“Engineer Feng is truly decisive in his work. He walks with purpose, and his technical skills are exceptional,” Guo Jiajia showered Feng Changlun with praise.
Feng Changlun’s spirit of scientific inquiry had earned the unanimous recognition of everyone at Tianxing Company.
Zhang Tianxing had always adhered to the principle of acting humbly while presenting oneself with confidence.
He also wished to develop discreetly, without being too high-profile.