"Secretary Jian, excellent work."
Wang Yi smiled knowingly; another subordinate who didn't require much effort.
The kind who strives for perfection on their own, no need for constant pushing!
Of course, Wang Yi wouldn't treat Jian Ziyan unfairly.
"Keep up the good work; this month I'll give you a performance bonus, the kind that's higher than your salary!"
"Higher than my salary? Doesn't that mean 20,000 yuan a month?"
Jian Ziyan's face lit up, her beautiful eyes sparkling:
"Thank you, Boss, I love you!"
Wang Yi: "..."
"Um, I was just being polite, a slip of the tongue, just saying whatever..."
Jian Ziyan's cheeks flushed crimson, and she quickly tried to explain, but the more she tried to clarify, the worse it sounded.
Wang Yi: "..."
"I... I... I'm going to get busy, goodbye Boss!"
With that, Jian Ziyan ran off, her face red.
"This girl..."
Wang Yi shook his head, without any further thoughts.
Afterward, Wang Yi went to the cafeteria and ate with everyone.
At Xingyi Technology, there was no separate small cafeteria; even the boss ate the same food as everyone else!
This made many employees find it incredible; Boss Wang was truly down-to-earth.
They also felt more reassured about the cafeteria food.
After all, whether it was the boss, the chefs, or the waitstaff, everyone ate in the cafeteria, eating the same food, so it was absolutely trustworthy!
Wang Yi sat with the employees from Jeju, chatting with everyone while they ate:
"The Jeju Meiyou Building is our home, and the Didu Xingyi Industrial Park is also our home. If anyone encounters any problems or difficulties, you can directly tell Secretary Jian, or you can tell me. If it's inconvenient to speak up, you can also write an anonymous letter to the CEO's mailbox!"
Hearing this, everyone's faces lit up, understanding that Wang Yi was worried about them being wronged!
Although they all belonged to the same parent company, there might still be bad people.
Wang Yi didn't have much confidence in human nature.
The only thing that could restrain people was their own bottom line.
Unfortunately, some people simply had no bottom line!
The employees from the parent company, seeing Wang Yi attach so much importance to the employees from Jeju, had their own thoughts:
"Those from Jeju are the boss's direct lineage; we must not neglect them!"
Some senior executives even personally emphasized this matter.
Thus, the employees from Jeju respected the Didu employees.
The Didu employees also respected the Jeju employees' status as the boss's direct lineage.
Both sides respected each other, getting along harmoniously and courteously.
For a time, the entire company atmosphere became very interesting.
The employees from Jeju were only from the Meiyou Novel, Meiyou Celebrity Business Department, and Meiyou Store Manager Training Department, totaling just thirty-three people across three departments.
But each one was crucial, all core departments!
The Meiyou Store Manager Training Department was responsible for the important task of training flagship store and specialty store managers, and the training fees earned were the current source of funds for the Didu branch!
The Meiyou Celebrity Business Department, serving celebrities and launching celebrity-endorsed products, could bring enormous traffic and profits to Meiyou E-commerce and Meiyou offline physical stores, making it even more important.
The Meiyou Novel Department currently had little profit.
Once launched in the future, it would not only increase the core competitiveness of the Meiyou APP, enhance user usage time and stickiness, but also form new businesses!
Especially film and television IP rights!
If a few high-quality IP novels could emerge, it would be of great significance!
Therefore, Wang Yi moved all three departments to Didu, regardless of cost.
Now that the novel department had arrived in Didu, the recruitment process could begin.
This department's progress was slow and needed to be accelerated.
For the Meiyou Novel Jeju branch, Wang Yi also asked Song Sining to start recruiting, hiring in-house writers.
The three senior editors in the editorial department, following Wang Yi's ideas, personally wrote beginnings, outlined main plots, and chapter outlines, then had skilled writers complete the works.
They then used high commissions to stimulate writers' creative passion, specifically cultivating premium popular works!
This model would also be promoted in Didu.
The prerequisite was to find several experienced senior editors to oversee content and quality.
In short, more recruitment was needed!
Wang Yi sent Jian Ziyan a message, asking her to quickly poach talent from Chunjiang Novel.
As long as they were talented, poach them regardless; compensation was not an issue at all!
Jian Ziyan did not hesitate and immediately took action.
After dinner, the employees from Jeju packed up their belongings and went to their respective offices to start new operations.
Especially in the Meiyou Novel Department, five editors began contacting their old authors, urging them to start new books and submit manuscripts!
Three clerks were responsible for drafting contracts, acting as signing editors and customer service, handling signing matters for authors.
Now that the Meiyou Novel Department had moved to Didu, everyone wanted to achieve results quickly, otherwise, at the next awards ceremony, other departments would win big prizes, and they would just have to watch!
They couldn't tolerate that.
The Meiyou Celebrity Business Department was also busy, making various preparations.
Tomorrow morning, Ye Xiaohe would come to the Didu Celebrity Business Department to shoot advertisements and promotional posters for new autumn products.
The day after tomorrow, they also had to shoot the first issue of "Women's Wear" magazine!
The entire Celebrity Business Department was swamped with work!
The Meiyou Store Manager Training Department was the same; their camp would open tomorrow, and they also had a lot of work to prepare.
Fortunately, before the three major departments arrived, Jian Ziyan had arranged for people to clean up all three department premises and prepare all necessary equipment.
Otherwise, it would have been impossible to start work tomorrow.
During these past few days, Jian Ziyan continuously recruited people, making Xingyi Technology well-organized.
All departments were fully staffed.
The Human Resources Department, Administration Department, Finance Department, etc., were all established.
Of course, the Financial Director position was still vacant, waiting for Wang Yi to transfer someone from Meiyou Headquarters.
Wang Yi and Song Sining already had candidates for the Financial Director position.
After checking their backgrounds and finding no issues, they would be brought in within two days!
After all, this position was of great importance.
Afterward, Wang Yi went to the mobile phone R&D department.
Three days had passed, and he wondered how Zhu Changlin and his team were progressing.
The mobile phone business was so important that it had to be accelerated; Wang Yi had to keep a close eye on it.
At this moment, the entire R&D department was bustling with activity.
Seeing Wang Yi arrive, Zhu Changlin quickly stepped forward to greet him:
"Boss, we have completed the exterior concept design and the main component planning. But how to specifically lay it out still requires time for R&D!"
"Three days, to reach this point, is already very good."
Wang Yi walked over, and Zhu Changlin immediately showed him the designs.
Wang Yi was stunned:
"This is way too HTC-like!"
Indeed, the new phone's exterior design entirely adopted HTC's design language.
It couldn't be said to be identical to the upcoming HTC One X, but it was certainly a father-son relationship.
No wonder, Zhu Changlin and his team were former HTC designers.
And they had just been responsible for the R&D of HTC's new phone...
Although many changes were made, at first glance, the HTC flavor was too strong!
Wang Yi mentally condemned this exterior design to death.
Xingyi Technology's first mobile phone absolutely could not be accused of copying HTC.
It would be too embarrassing.
More importantly, HTC was also quite ugly...
"This exterior design... never mind, let's first look at the core components you've planned."
Wang Yi didn't discourage everyone and continued to look at the internal components:
"RAM, 1GB."
"That's good, it's the mainstream RAM for mid-to-high-end phones right now."
"Processor: Nvidia Tegra 3."
Wang Yi shook his head:
"Although this processor is the world's first mobile quad-core processor and performs better than current Qualcomm and Samsung processors, it hasn't been released yet, has it?"
Zhu Changlin nodded:
"HTC contacted Nvidia; this processor will be released in November!"
"Released in November, it will probably hit the market after the new year..."
Wang Yi understood.
No wonder the HTC One X was released in February but didn't hit the market until April; it was waiting for Nvidia's quad-core processor!
Similarly, Samsung's S3 was also released in April, also waiting for Samsung's Exynos quad-core processor!
As for Qualcomm's quad-core processor, it was released even later...
2011 was still the era of dual-core processors; after April 2012, it became the era of quad-core processors.
This was an awkward problem.
If Xingyi Mobile waited for quad-core processors, the fastest to market, Nvidia Tegra 3, would also be next year.
Wang Yi rejected the plan:
"Nvidia Tegra 3 will be released too late, and the first batch of chips will be limited. We won't be able to compete with big manufacturers like HTC. By the time it's our turn, it'll be after April next year! It would launch in June!"
"This..."
Zhu Changlin and the others were stunned.
Yes, whether it was Qualcomm's new generation flagship chip or Nvidia's flagship chip, they all had to be rushed.
Small manufacturers simply couldn't compete with big manufacturers!
Wang Yi also had a ten-billion-yuan betting agreement and couldn't wait until May or June!
"Switch to Qualcomm MSM8660!"
Wang Yi said decisively:
"Although it's dual-core, it's currently the most powerful processor."
The Xiaomi Gen 1 Standard Edition used the MSM8260.
There wasn't much difference in performance between the 8260 and 8660; the difference was that Xiaomi's standard edition 8260 only supported China Unicom 3G and China Mobile 2G, not China Telecom.
The 8660 used in Xingyi Mobile supported China Unicom 3G, China Telecom 3G, and also China Unicom, China Telecom, and China Mobile 2G!
It was considered an all-network phone!
Wang Yi continued to look down:
"Internal storage, 4GB + memory card... No, switch to 16GB, 32GB, two capacities, and the body should be non-removable."
Using a memory card would definitely cause lag, especially when playing games.
There were no high-speed memory cards in those days.
"Okay."
Zhu Changlin nodded repeatedly, surprised that Wang Yi was so professional.
He spotted so many issues at a glance.
"Battery... Don't use Sony 2000 mAh. Switch to domestic brands like Feimaotui, preferably 2500 mAh. Let's support the domestic industry chain!"
Wang Yi said, then changed his tone:
"All several major domestic battery giants will be invited to tender, with a million-level procurement, undergoing the strictest tests. For example, it must function normally at minus 15 degrees Celsius!"
Wang Yi remembered that phones in 2011 often automatically shut down in the northern winter...
This point had to be taken seriously!
Xingyi Mobile would launch in winter; if it automatically shut down when cold, it would be a complete disaster.
It would tarnish their brand!
"Okay, I'll contact several major battery factories today to procure samples for testing. Those that pass will be included in the bidding plan!"
Zhu Changlin noted it down carefully.
"Good!"
Wang Yi nodded and continued to look:
"Screen 1280*720... This is acceptable; if we want to make a high-end product, we must use a 720 screen, not a trashy 480 screen!"
"Screen size 4.0 inches!"
Wang Yi fell into thought:
This year's mainstream size was still 4.0 inches, and next year's iPhone 5 would still stick to a 4.0-inch screen, but Samsung and HTC had already gone up to 4.7 inches!
Even the Xiaomi Gen 2 was 4.3 inches!
Xingyi Gen 1 using 4.0 inches was fine for this year, but if it launched next year, it would be too small and wouldn't fully showcase the charm of 720 resolution!
If they went straight to 4.7 inches, it would be a bit too aggressive.
In 2011, the production of 4.7-inch large screens was too low, costs were too high, and a shortage would be problematic.
More importantly, consumers needed a transition period to accept large screens.
Basically, it wouldn't be until the second half of next year that 4.7-inch large screens would gradually be accepted!
If they forced a 4.7-inch large screen this year, it would simply be throwing money away for trouble.
It would be better to go directly for a 4.3-inch screen.
Using a 4.3-inch screen, it wouldn't be too big this year, nor too small next year, which would be just right.
Current costs were not high, and production was also sufficient.
For Xingyi Mobile Gen 1 to remain popular until the second half of next year, it had to bridge the gap between generations.
Wang Yi made the final decision:
"Change the screen to 4.3 inches. As for suppliers, we'll go to Japan together when the time comes."
"Okay,"
Zhu Changlin agreed.
Wang Yi continued to look:
"Front and rear dual cameras, rear camera Sony 8-megapixel, front camera Sony 2-megapixel..."
Wang Yi shook his head:
"The rear 8-megapixel is fine, but the front 2-megapixel is too little. We are focusing on photography phones, beauty phones, and the front camera is most important. Change the front camera to 5-megapixel!"
"What?"
Zhu Changlin and the others were all dumbfounded.
In 2011, other phones had front cameras of 1-megapixel or 2-megapixel!
The Xiaomi Gen 1 didn't even have a front camera!
Wang Yi actually wanted a 5-megapixel front camera, was he crazy...?
But Wang Yi understood that with a 5-megapixel front camera, Xingyi Mobile would sell like hotcakes!
Especially for female users, most photos were front-facing selfies!
It was just that the current 2-megapixel front camera had too low resolution, and the resulting pictures were too blurry, forcing them to use the rear camera in front of a mirror.
If Xingyi Mobile's front camera reached 5-megapixel and could still take very clear and beautiful pictures, even celebrities would probably rush to use it.
As for why not go straight to an 8-megapixel front camera?
Of course, it was to leave room for next year's upgrade.
The strategy had to be precise!
In the second half of next year, when other phones started to follow suit with 5-megapixel front cameras, Wang Yi would directly launch an 8-megapixel front camera!
Then upgrade to a Qualcomm quad-core flagship processor, a 4.7-inch large screen, and compete with major brands like Samsung, LG, and HTC!
Of course, Wang Yi had also considered using a flip camera!
This way, a single 8-megapixel camera could serve as both a rear and front camera!
However, while this solution seemed to save the cost of one camera and offered a dual 8-megapixel experience.
In reality, the cost of a flip camera was higher, even more expensive than two separate cameras!
This type of flip component required custom design, a motor, and a lifespan of over a hundred thousand cycles, making the cost exceptionally high.
All of this required investment in R&D and testing.
Xingyi Mobile wanted to launch as soon as possible, so there simply wasn't enough time.
A 5MP+8MP front and rear dual camera setup was more suitable.
Next year, however, they could consider launching a camera with a flip camera, directly using a 12-megapixel sensor, aiming for the high-end, and shaking up the phone market!
The OPPO N1 back then relied on its flip camera to sell for over four thousand yuan!
But this kind of phone was a high-end niche model primarily for female users, and sales wouldn't be too high.
As for annual sales of eight million or tens of millions of units, don't even think about it!
To achieve such high sales, it could only be a well-balanced "bucket phone" in all aspects.
In an era when iPhone flagships were only in the 5,000 yuan range, it was already very difficult for domestic brands to break through 3,000 yuan.
And sales wouldn't be very good.
This was a curse, and also a law.
A few years later, when iPhones sold for 10,000 yuan, and the prices across the entire mobile phone industry doubled, it became a bit easier for domestic phones to reach 3,000 yuan.
But in 2011, if domestic Android phones wanted to sell at iPhone prices, selling for 4,000-5,000 yuan, sales would not be good.
Subsequently, Wang Yi discussed other issues with the team and finalized other components.
Finally, Wang Yi directly pulled out his own exterior design:
"Look at this design!"
There was no other way; if the employees weren't up to it, the boss had to step in himself!
"This phone..."
Zhu Changlin was completely stunned, his eyes filled with pleasant surprise:
"The large forehead at the top is gone, and the large chin at the bottom is gone too."
"The screen-to-body ratio is so high!"
"The clunky big Home button has been replaced with a nimble little circle!"
"Simple, beautiful, it's simply a work of art, a feast for the eyes!"
"Gorgeous, it's absolutely gorgeous!"
Zhu Changlin was overjoyed:
"Boss, how did you design such an epoch-making product? It's incredible!"
"Is it really that good-looking?"
Others were somewhat incredulous, thinking Zhu Changlin was deliberately flattering the boss!
"Don't believe it?"
Zhu Changlin was speechless:
"See for yourselves!"
Several people gathered around, then froze in place, all struck dumbfounded.
After a long time, someone said:
"This... this... this kind of phone is too epoch-making!"
"Compared to the phone the boss designed, HTC and Samsung feel like clumsy bricks!"
"Even the iPhone 4S looks clunky."
"That's right, the phone designed by the boss, with its 4.3-inch large screen, has removed the large forehead and chin, yet the body is about the same size as a 4.0-inch iPhone!"
"Once this phone is launched, just its appearance alone will make it a hit!"
Wang Yi waved his hand:
"Alright, that's basically it. According to my plan, you should design the internal component layout and research as soon as possible."
"Boss, don't worry, you've pretty much finalized everything, and the exterior design is also epoch-making. We'll go straight into R&D for the internal layout; it'll be quick."
These past few days, Zhu Changlin had recruited some more R&D personnel, so they were now fully staffed.
Wang Yi had also planned the framework, so for these experienced R&D personnel, sorting out the internal layout quickly was not a problem.
Subsequently, Wang Yi went to the software development department.
He also gave instructions there.
Yang Yan and his team's UI design progressed rapidly and was exquisitely designed, which Wang Yi was very satisfied with.
The interactive development of the deeply customized system was also underway.
Wang Yi asked a few questions, then finally called Yang Yan out:
"In addition to the system R&D department, recruit another algorithm team specifically to research beauty algorithms to make photos look better!"
Yang Yan instantly understood:
"Boss, you want to make a beauty camera!"
"Yes, in our camera, add beauty features such as face slimming, leg lengthening, body slimming, shaping, and so on. Through algorithms, make a lady with a richer figure become very slender!"
"Turn a round face into a melon-seed face! Turn a little loli into a long-legged beauty!"
"Understood, if this algorithm is well-researched, then our Xingyi Mobile's photography will be truly amazing!"
Yang Yan was excited, thoroughly realizing the future of this particular niche.
As a reborn individual, Wang Yi clearly knew how important beauty algorithms were.
Even beautiful women needed beauty filters and photo editing, let alone ordinary people?
(End of chapter)
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