Chapter 436: The Dreamer of Biostar
The strategy of "encircling the cities from the countryside" remained Yuanxin's core approach. Of course, in this context, "countryside" and "city" were relative to the global economic landscape. The "countryside" referred to developing countries led by China and surrounding ASEAN nations, while "cities" referred mainly to developed Western nations.
The greatest advantage of this strategy was avoiding direct confrontation with international giants in mature markets. On a broader level, it also helped mitigate geopolitical tensions.
In addition, such a strategy made it easier for Yuanxin to find "allies." Take Sony for instance—they had partnered with Yuanxin to accelerate product deployment across Asia, steadily expanding their influence in the region.
For chip deployment, the "little dragons and tigers" in Yuanxin's periphery became the company's primary focus. By comparison, the current domestic market, though important, felt more like a minor player—"mosquito meat," so to speak.
…
After a pause, Su Yuanshan continued, "In truth, the main battlefield is still in Southeast Asia. While we've made impressive progress over the last two years through base stations and mobile phones, PC processors and the communications industry are completely different beasts. If possible, we should support the growth of a systems integrator based in Southeast Asia or even across the entire Asia-Pacific region."
"That might be tough. The Asia-Pacific is too vast," Yu Yuru chimed in with a laugh. "The Pacific is within the Lighthouse Nation's sphere of influence, and there are several developed countries in that zone."
"Uh… I mean it in a narrow sense," Su clarified. "I'm really referring to the countries immediately around us, plus Southeast Asia."
"Still difficult," Gao Xiaodi shook his head. "Su, I don't mean to look down on our neighboring brother nations, but this tendency to worship foreign brands isn't unique to us. The same goes for our neighbors—except maybe for the Russians. But over there, everything's monopolized by oligarchs. Even giants like Intel tread carefully when doing business with them. Support someone too strongly, and they'll chew your bones and spit you out."
"Just yesterday, I was chatting with General Manager Chen and Director Wang about the Southeast Asian market. Everyone agreed that it's unlikely a systems integrator in this region could ever compete with old-guard brands like HP and Dell. In purely market terms, many ASEAN countries are far more open than we are and opened up earlier. Their consumers have high acceptance and loyalty to international brands."
"To foster something new, counting on the so-called little dragons or tigers is unrealistic. Unless the Japanese get involved—but they don't care for system integration. They think it's too low-margin."
Su couldn't help but nod, his head beginning to ache.
Indeed, in terms of branded computer systems, the four Asian Tigers had long been penetrated by international brands. Any remaining local brands were too weak to challenge the likes of HP, Dell, IBM, or Compaq.
As for those with the strength and brand recognition to compete—only the Japanese fit the bill. But the Japanese weren't interested.
The reason was simple: the margins were too thin.
Su remembered it all too well. The CEO of FantasyTech once sighed, saying selling whole systems was like selling vegetables—the real money went to the chip manufacturers upstream.
Yet it was precisely because domestic companies—desperate and inexperienced—poured all their effort into complete systems that China's system integrators eventually succeeded, albeit with razor-thin profits.
"We'll take it slowly," Su said with a light smile. "Let's start with domestic companies like Chengdian Gaoke, Tongfang, Founder, and FantasyTech. At the same time, we can do a bit of lobbying—encourage the government to offer more support for these companies to expand abroad. As long as the state is willing to help, and we take a small cut in profits, we can still sell some machines."
"Yeah, that's probably the best path forward for now." Gao nodded, then grinned. "Still, the system market might be hard, but we've got confidence in the DIY space…"
The DIY concept had been introduced by Biostar several years ago and had since grown into an undeniable force in the personal computing market. In fact, the concept itself had birthed an entire market segment—the retail component market.
Within the DIY ecosystem, apart from CPUs where brand choices were limited, the most vibrant competition came from motherboards. And in that field, Biostar was the undisputed leader.
In their multi-year partnership with Yuanxin, Biostar had stuck to its core belief: technological innovation drives the company. Even at the cost of profits, they continued to pour resources into R&D, developing motherboards that pushed the boundaries of what PC enthusiasts imagined possible.
At Biostar, such extreme motherboards had even been spun off into a sub-brand—"Dreamer."
Dreamer was targeted purely at the high-end, even the extreme enthusiast segment. In some ways, it wasn't just a product to sell—it was a platform for Biostar to showcase its engineering, capability, and imagination. Sure, they often lost money on every unit sold, but the brand value and publicity made it worthwhile.
That insistence on quality and craftsmanship had paid off. Biostar had evolved from a struggling veteran worried about losing big contracts to younger competitors into a revitalized industry leader. Its collaborations with international system manufacturers were stronger than ever, and in the maturing DIY space, it was clearly dominant.
With Biostar's strong reputation, Yuanxin's CPUs had nothing to worry about in the DIY segment.
"Speaking of Biostar, I'm heading to see President Chen tomorrow. Shame you guys are already flying out," Su said casually, recalling his schedule with ease. "I'll put in a good word for you while I'm there."
"Great!" Gao beamed. He knew Su had a strong relationship with Chen Daohua. Chen wouldn't even necessarily listen to his own sister, but he always listened to Su. With Su personally visiting Biostar, their partnership was practically guaranteed.
But after a beat, Gao squinted suspiciously. "Wait, what do you mean by 'put in a good word for you'?"
"Uh…" Su laughed awkwardly. "Slip of the tongue, my bad."
…
Later, Su carefully listened to both of their opinions on the Intel negotiations and their upcoming agenda. Then he encouraged them to get some rest before heading to see Zhou Xiaohui as soon as they landed in Silicon Valley.
Zhou hadn't returned with Su this time. She stayed in Silicon Valley with Qin Si to finalize the transition of responsibilities. As Qin's assistant, she was also participating in the Intel negotiations with Gao's team.
The next day, instead of seeing the negotiating team off, Su went directly to Biostar with Wen Xiaoqian.
Truth be told, he wasn't just going to see Chen Daohua for CPU business.
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Chapter 437: Su Yuanshan's Dream
In the chairman's office at Biostar, Chen Daohua personally poured tea for Su Yuanshan with a cheerful smile.
Ever since Biostar's factory had been integrated into Yuanxin's foundry system, Chen had moved his office into the city center, just two blocks away from Yuanxin's Internet Center.
"Has Secretary Zhou officially been promoted?" Chen teased, knowing Su Yuanshan was someone who valued old ties. Seeing that Su had brought along Wen Xiaoqian this time, he grinned as he asked.
"Uh… not exactly. It's just that Secretary Zhou is eventually going to be in charge of specific affairs, so she's training some newcomers." Su glanced through the glass wall at Wen Xiaoqian, who was chatting with Chen's secretary, and shook his head with a smile. "She's a good girl—just a little too lively at times."
"…A little girl?" Chen looked at Su's youthful face, momentarily speechless, then chuckled. "Calling someone a little girl? That's rich coming from you—you sound like an old man."
Su immediately realized the awkward phrasing and gave a sheepish laugh. "Lately, I've been dealing with too many old-timers…"
"You mean Mr. Andy?" Chen asked. "So, how did the talks go?"
"Not bad. Our negotiating team is already there. From what we predict, Intel won't reject the deal."
"That's good." Chen exhaled in relief. As a motherboard manufacturer, whether or not Yuanxin's Tenglong processors infringed on patents or were considered "black-market" chips technically wasn't his problem. But still—if Biostar heavily invested in integrating Tenglong CPUs into its systems, only to face a lawsuit later, it would definitely have consequences.
Besides, ever since the factory integration, Biostar (in the Special Economic Zone) was effectively part of the Yuanxin system. Any Yuanxin-related business naturally demanded his attention.
Chen then asked, "I heard from Xiaojing that Jobs is coming next week?"
"Yep. Mr. Jobs hasn't visited the mainland yet. He's an idealist, sure, but he's also quite pragmatic." Su thought back on his discussions with Jobs and couldn't help but chuckle. "Honestly, I think he just wants to see for himself whether Yuanxin is really as powerful as the rumors say."
"Haha, so will the visit be at the provincial science park?"
"Yes. And if Sister Jing has the time, it would be best for her to receive him personally."
"Of course, it should be her." Chen nodded, then sighed. "To us in IT, Jobs is a living legend. If Apple hadn't pioneered the personal computer, who knows what we'd all be doing—playing in the mud, maybe."
Chen was being modest. With his level of talent, he'd hardly be "playing in the mud." But it was true: Apple's release of the Apple II, the world's first true "personal computer," had ignited the explosive growth of the entire personal computing industry.
From that perspective, Apple was a great company—and Jobs, a great man.
Having someone of that caliber visit Yuanxin absolutely warranted a reception by Yuanxin's chairwoman, Chen Jing.
"Yeah, if it weren't for Apple—and Jobs—computers might still just be high-end lab tools," Su added, exhaling softly. "So to think we're about to go head-to-head with Apple… I have to admit, I'm a little nervous."
"Hahahaha! I've never seen you nervous!" Chen burst out laughing. "And you're not just going up against Apple. You're challenging IBM, Toshiba, Compaq, and all the old IT giants… even Microsoft!"
As he spoke, Chen stood up and walked over to a file cabinet, pulling out a folder and handing it to Su.
"This is the industrial design and preliminary specs. The PCB is being prototyped now—should be ready in two days."
"Alright."
Su nodded as he flipped open the folder, reviewing the contents intently.
This was the notebook computer Su had been dreaming about for years.
Even back when Biostar was stretched thin, they had dedicated a team to this "dream" of Su's. Over the past year, more and more resources were committed to the project. Eventually, Chen Daohua took the lead in officially launching it—not under Yuanxin, but under Biostar.
That meant Chen had shouldered even more responsibility for Su's vision.
This notebook would use the YX02 architecture CPU. Interestingly, they hadn't placed tight restrictions on power consumption. On the contrary—they had relaxed those limits to let the chip fully unleash its capabilities.
Given that this architecture was based on RISC principles, it couldn't support long-time partner Windows.
Instead, the operating system would be Linux, which Yuanxin had quietly supported for years.
As an open-source platform, Linux had developed much faster in this timeline than in Su's past life—and it was largely thanks to Yuanxin's involvement.
With Yuanxin in the picture, Linux's hardware support had improved dramatically. The distributions Yuanxin released had become industry benchmarks.
After all, compared to the enthusiastic but fragmented work of open-source developers, Yuanxin's efforts were more like those of a disciplined professional army.
Moreover, Xinghai's business software offerings had supported Linux from day one, greatly improving the ecosystem. As a result, this version of Linux was far superior in both experience and development maturity compared to the one Su remembered.
And because Linux was entirely free and open-source, no one had reason to criticize Su for favoring it—not even Gates. To his credit, Gates had never expressed disapproval.
Gates, being a programmer at heart, had the humility to appreciate the value of open platforms. Besides, Windows was focused on multimedia, aiming to dominate the consumer and home user market—far removed from Linux, which still required a certain level of technical expertise.
"What kind of performance are we expecting?" Su asked, quickly skimming the industrial design and concept drawings but skipping the circuit diagrams. He went straight for the critical question.
"It's too early to say," Chen admitted. "YX02 has worked well in dedicated workstations, but those use simpler systems—not as complex as a laptop. Since we're targeting office use, stability is the top priority. Beyond that, it needs to meet basic personal needs. Most of that comes down to system optimization."
"There won't be much issue on the system side," Su said after a moment's thought. "Brother Chen, just from a user's perspective, what would you want besides office capabilities?"
"Haha, just the basics really—web browsing, email, and maybe the occasional media playback." Chen smiled. "For those of us in design, it's all about how well the software runs—how fast, and how stable."
"Stability, especially, is key," Chen emphasized. "And personally, I don't need deep access to the system. The simpler, the better. In that regard, Windows really nailed it."
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Chapter 438: The Foundry
Chen Daohua's opinions largely reflected the needs of most productivity-focused users. Of course, at that time, the concept of "productivity" hadn't yet become a standard term—users were generally referred to in the broader sense as "office users."
Stability, smooth performance, and a complete ecosystem of productivity tools were the core demands of this user base.
"Yeah, and it's not just Yuanxin. Other teams have also started optimizing graphical interfaces for Linux. The problem is, since they're not 'official' teams, the visual styles are all over the place." Su Yuanshan sighed, recalling the various Linux distributions he'd seen at Xinghai during his recent trip to Silicon Valley.
The American open-source community was enthusiastic and capable. Combined with Linux's free and highly flexible nature, it had enabled rapid development of software tools for productivity. Nearly every industry-relevant application had been ported to Linux. But this flexibility also brought its own drawback: a complete lack of standardization. Styles varied wildly.
The word "drawback" was intentionally in quotes—after all, many users were precisely drawn to Linux for its ability to support diverse user experiences. But from a business perspective, this lack of visual and functional uniformity made it difficult to promote at scale.
Yuanxin was gradually developing and enforcing its own UI/UX design standards, but the rollout couldn't be too aggressive—it would risk attracting unwanted attention from Microsoft or Apple too early.
"Then we'll take it step by step," Chen Daohua said, unfazed. His final decision to spearhead the notebook project had been driven by the realization that, even if it couldn't succeed in the wider market, the product could still be "digested internally." Yuanxin had plenty of hardware design teams, and based on the company's growth trajectory, it was about time they standardized productivity hardware for internal use.
For security reasons, Yuanxin's design teams had already begun transitioning to Linux-based systems for development.
With a grin, Chen tried to reassure Su, "I've seen the Linux GUI your team at Yuanxin is working on. It's not quite as polished as Windows, but it's acceptable. Stability is the key—especially for us chip designers."
"That's the best mindset to have right now. And anyway, our primary selling point isn't the OS—it's the design." Su's confidence rose as he stared at the blueprint. "You know my taste—I've always favored sleek, lightweight designs. If we can deliver on that front, everything else will follow. Now take a look here—can we tweak this mold design a little further?"
Su picked up the drawings and began discussing changes with Chen Daohua like a demanding client.
Thanks to the YX02 architecture's energy efficiency and the adoption of the latest lithium battery technology, the new notebook could be made thinner and lighter than current industry standards led by IBM, with significantly better battery life.
Su's idea was simple: since everyone else was still finding their footing in this new space, and Yuanxin was starting from scratch, why not shamelessly borrow the design philosophy that would eventually define the MacBook?
Of course, this meant a higher demand for motherboard integration and manufacturing precision—but at least it ensured that Yuanxin was building a product on a path already proven to work.
And Yuanxin had an inherent advantage: its roots were in EDA (Electronic Design Automation). It had circuit integration in its DNA. Combined with Biostar's experienced motherboard design team, Su's vision was finally starting to materialize after a year of development.
…
After leaving Biostar, Su made his way to the industrial district.
After nearly a year of effort, the integration of the manufacturing plants was essentially complete. Thanks to improvements in materials and process flow, the efficiency of the new consolidated factory was far higher than when the previous factories operated independently.
With the integration phase finished, Duan Yongping gradually shifted his focus to Yuanxin's mobile phone business and the larger Yuanxin Group. Management of the factory was fully handed over to Jiang Qingchuan.
Not only had Duan transferred all executive authority to Jiang, but he had also left behind an exceptionally capable business development team. Their main objective was to promote the foundry's professional manufacturing model on a global scale.
Now, in addition to fulfilling Yuanxin's internal orders, the foundry had begun accepting numerous third-party contracts—including some from overseas clients.
"Senior Brother," Su greeted as he stepped out of the car at the office building. Jiang was still in a meeting, so Su waited in his office until he arrived in a bit of a rush.
Jiang patted Su's shoulder, then hurried to his desk. Noticing his teacup was empty, he grabbed Su's instead and took a big gulp. Su couldn't help but laugh and shake his head.
"Perfect timing," Jiang said, setting the cup down. "We just connected with Dell. They're pretty interested in our manufacturing model and are considering sending a team over to check things out."
"Oh? Congratulations! Why didn't you tell me earlier? If I'd known, I would've swung by Dell myself and helped you pull in some business."
"Heh, we only just finalized things in the last couple of days. And who knows if anything will come of it." Jiang sat down next to Su and exhaled deeply. "Honestly, when Duan was in charge of business development and I just handled the technical side, everything felt manageable. Now that I'm in charge… I've realized running a factory is no joke."
"No one's born knowing how to run a factory," Su said with a grin. "But seriously, Senior Brother… you can run a factory for a lifetime—but can you do tech work for a lifetime?"
"Huh? Why not? Don't veteran engineers become more valuable with time?"
"Sure, but veteran engineers rely on craftsmanship and experience. Your strength lies in innovation and solving technical challenges—two very different things. Once fully automated production lines are introduced, what will you do? Still learning mechanical automation in your fifties? But running a company in your fifties? That's your prime—young executive, full of energy."
Jiang blinked, then cursed with a laugh. "You brat. Who's younger than you, huh?"
"Cough… Let's not go there." Su chuckled awkwardly. "Seriously though, you need to start managing the foundry as a business. Don't limit your vision to just serving Yuanxin. Think globally—offer manufacturing services to companies like IBM."
"I know." Jiang nodded.
He might not be a business genius, but he understood Su's ultimate goal.
Su wanted to create a massive, all-encompassing production base capable of manufacturing any designed product.
To achieve that, the foundry had to go global.
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Chapter 439: Apple's Arrival
"So, it's time to split off," Su Yuanshan said with a cheerful smile.
Jiang Qingchuan was stunned.
"What did you say?"
"I said it's time to split the foundry into a separate entity," Su repeated with a grin. "It'll first operate as a wholly owned subsidiary, and later transition into a holding under Yuanxin Holdings."
Jiang pressed his lips together, realizing from Su's expression that he wasn't joking.
He had actually considered the foundry's future before. Weighing all the factors, Jiang agreed that if they wanted to realize Su's expectations for the foundry, it needed to be independent—just like EDA.
After all, running a foundry involved dealing with the commercial secrets of many clients. If Yuanxin's foundry remained too closely tied to its parent company—which was also in the tech sector—competitors would hesitate to place orders. Only by becoming a neutral third party could they truly attract global business.
"But this split isn't exactly like what happened with EDA or the two internet companies," Su said, tapping lightly on the coffee table. "EDA had to separate completely from Yuanxin because it deals so heavily with trade secrets across multiple fields. It also needed investment from related companies to ensure its growth."
"And EM and NewBook—our internet ventures—had to enter the Western market because their customer bases and ecosystem are rooted there. They needed Western capital to survive. So we only kept nominal control."
"But the foundry is different. While it also handles confidential information, it doesn't go as deep as EDA. Plus, it doesn't require Western capital to operate. So while the foundry must be spun off, it can remain part of the Yuanxin family. In other words, you'll still be part of us."
Su took the time to explain patiently.
He knew Jiang couldn't accept being completely cut off from Yuanxin Holdings. After all, the core founders would retain shares and control over everything in the Yuanxin system.
If Yuanxin was an empire, Yuanxin Holdings was its Senate—its Roman Senate.
And based on Yuanxin's trajectory, this "Senate" was bound to become the most powerful and wealthiest group not just in the company, but possibly in the entire world—similar to the powerful keiretsu groups in Japan.
Besides, Jiang wasn't just a colleague; he was Su's senior from their university days. Letting him leave Yuanxin's core would feel like betraying their bond. It was absolutely out of the question.
After listening carefully, Jiang felt somewhat reassured. As Su said, as long as he remained within Yuanxin Holdings, it was acceptable.
"So how exactly are we splitting it?" Jiang asked.
"First, get the business growing. Then at the end of the year, we'll hold a collective meeting to discuss the details," Su said thoughtfully. "Bottom line: whatever benefits the foundry's growth the most."
"Alright." Jiang nodded. "I'll start by reaching out to IBM and see what concerns they might have."
"Good. By the way, what exactly is IBM planning to manufacture?"
"Office computers. They've already set up a branch in China. If they use our foundry, they can significantly reduce production costs and enter the domestic market more easily."
Su raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Senior Brother, look at that. Just by asking one question, I learned IBM's business plan from you. Your sense of client confidentiality is pretty weak, huh?"
"…"
"So you understand now, right? When working with foreign companies—especially those who compete with Yuanxin—you have to maintain absolute secrecy," Su said seriously.
Jiang gave a bitter smile.
Su's words couldn't have been more obvious. If Jiang still didn't get it, he'd truly be hopeless.
"Confidentiality," Jiang muttered.
"Exactly. Confidentiality! And it must be enforced by binding legal agreements—real, enforceable NDAs." Su's tone grew stern. "Even if I ask, you must never reveal a word about the client's information."
…
…
With the arrival of an official letter from Apple, Su boarded a flight back to the provincial capital. Meanwhile, Chen Jing departed from the capital city around the same time.
After landing, Su stepped out of the airport.
Before he could even check the new message notification on his phone, it rang. Looking up, he immediately spotted Chen Jing waiting for him at the arrival gate.
"Jing Jie!" Su waved and called out with a grin.
Chen Jing was dressed casually, her hair tied back in a ponytail. She didn't look anything like the powerful CEO she was—more like a university student.
She nodded at Wen Xiaoqian, who was following Su, then naturally fell into step beside Su.
"How long until we hear back from President Qin?" she asked, glancing at Su.
"Soon. Probably tomorrow." Su replied.
By "President Qin," they meant Qin Weimin. Ever since Gao Xiaodi's successful tape-out of the new chip, both Qin and Tian Yaoming had been anxiously awaiting news. Hearing that Jobs himself was coming to China only made them more nervous—they were practically praying day and night for the chip's final success.
The reason was simple: Jobs was coming mainly to inspect their technological progress.
If they could present a successful result—if they could, as Su put it, "shock" Jobs—then partnering with Apple would be far easier.
Of course, just because Jobs agreed to visit didn't guarantee a partnership. Everything would depend on his impression of the YX architecture's future potential.
It might seem like Yuanxin was playing second fiddle here, but that was reality. No matter how strong Yuanxin was, in front of Apple—the company that created the personal computer industry—they were still newcomers.
Forming a strategic partnership with Apple would be like marrying into a royal family.
"Hmm. Do you have anything special planned for Jobs?" Chen Jing asked softly.
Su shrugged. "Planned? I'm not about to take him to a sauna, if that's what you mean."
Chen Jing rolled her eyes at him.
After joking, Su's expression turned serious. "He's here to see our technology. To discuss collaboration. He's not going to care about sightseeing or entertainment. If he's interested in sightseeing, at most I'll take him to Guan County to see the irrigation works."
He paused, then added, "Jing Jie, Jobs might be returning as a 'king' to a 'kingdom'—but it's not the kingdom it used to be."
"It's still an empire, though," Chen Jing said quietly, her voice filled with mixed emotions: pride, wonder, and a hint of melancholy.
She stared at Su, her gaze deep.
"I never imagined we'd be collaborating with a company like Apple in the semiconductor field."
Su chuckled. "I didn't either. I always imagined myself defeating them."
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Chapter 440: The Ministry of Electronics' Commendation
To say "defeat" Apple might not be entirely accurate, because by now, aside from its once-glorious reputation, Apple had already lost much of its former brilliance—it was like an aging elder. Having Yuanxin take down such an old man felt a little strange.
A more accurate way to put it was to "replace" it.
However, only Su Yuanshan understood how difficult it would be to replace Apple. After suffering a few setbacks from relying too much on his memories of the future, Su knew better than to think that simply following the iPhone's blueprint would allow him to sit back and watch Apple's inevitable downfall. If he still believed that, he'd truly be a fool.
The two of them each got into their respective cars, heading one after the other to the Science Park.
Once back at the park, they only paused long enough for their secretaries to drop off their personal belongings at their apartments before heading straight to the main conference room of the administrative building.
…
"National Day is coming up. Based on past experience, it's the second-biggest sales season of the year, just after the Spring Festival. So I hope the market and marketing departments can come up with excellent, specific strategies, preferably different from those used in previous years."
"And this time, we also need to focus on promoting the Tenglong series of processors, especially the brand management side. We must maintain Yuanxin's consistently high-end image, avoid casually using emotionally charged slogans like 'National Pride'—which is a double-edged sword—and yet subtly make domestic users, particularly corporate clients, aware of what we represent."
"In plain terms, we have to be dignified, but also show off a little."
As Duan Yongping finished speaking, the conference room filled with laughter.
Compared to the stern and serious meetings chaired by Chen Jing, Duan Yongping's meetings were far more relaxed.
Of course, this also had to do with their roles and the level of the participants. Chen Jing, as Yuanxin's chairwoman and CEO, was responsible for the company's overall strategic direction. And because of Yuanxin's importance within Su Yuanshan's capital empire, Chen's meetings also touched upon financial reports and operations of related companies like Xinghai, Deyuan, Zhongxin, and others.
Furthermore, when Chen chaired a meeting, the attendees were usually heavyweights like President Xi, President Qin, and even Su himself. It was hard to be relaxed under those circumstances.
Meanwhile, Duan's meetings mainly involved department heads within the company. In a sense, they were all family, making it easier to keep things casual.
At that moment, Duan glanced at his phone, sensing something, and turned to look at the door—just as the conference room door was lightly pushed open by a secretary. A moment later, the door swung fully open, revealing the figures of Su Yuanshan and Chen Jing standing side by side.
Duan immediately stood up with a smile and led the applause, saying, "Welcome home, President Chen and President Su!"
Everyone turned their heads, stood up in unison, applauding and smiling warmly at the two.
"Hehe, thank you all, please sit down, sorry for interrupting," Chen Jing said lightly, acknowledging Duan first with a wave before nodding at Su. She casually pulled out a chair at the end of the row and sat down.
Su, even less concerned with formality, smiled and sat down beside her.
After exchanging a brief glance with Su, Chen Jing opened her notebook, scanned the room with a smile, and said, "Just need a few minutes of your time."
"Please, President Chen," Duan said. Though he still sat at the chairperson's seat, he subtly shifted his posture to avoid overshadowing her presence.
Chen Jing nodded and cleared her throat gently. "Let me briefly relay the commendation we received from the Ministry of Electronics for Yuanxin's achievements—hmm… do you all want to hear it?"
"Yes!" everyone answered in unison.
"Hehe, it's an official document—you can just read it yourselves." Chen Jing smiled, pulling out two copies of the document and handing them off to be passed around. "Just pass them along."
Once the files had been circulated and most people had finished reading them, Chen Jing continued, "You might have heard already: the CEO of Apple will be visiting Yuanxin this week. Technically speaking, we're already a company that has hosted national leaders, so there's no need to make an extravagant fuss. But this is different.
"Cooperating with Apple signifies that we are narrowing the gap between ourselves and the Western IT giants. It also means that if the cooperation succeeds, our strategic direction will gradually shift toward targeting Western developed markets."
At this point, Wan Yongliang, who had just finished reading the commendation, chuckled and asked, "President Chen, haven't we already been working with Sony for quite a while? I don't see why partnering with Apple is such a big deal."
Chen Jing smiled slightly. She had personally decided to recruit Wan Yongliang back then. Despite his limited capacity to adapt to the increasingly fierce market competition, he had found his niche in brand management, performing steadily for the past two years.
Old Wan had one major virtue: he never pretended to understand things he didn't. His question showed genuine curiosity.
"Old Wan, partnering with Apple is equivalent to partnering with Sony in the television sector," Chen patiently explained. "Our collaboration with Sony has mainly been about extending business into new fields; it hasn't touched our core operations."
"YX architecture is one of the three core chip businesses of Yuanxin—do I need to remind anyone what our core business is?"
Everyone present was a middle or senior manager at Yuanxin. Even if they hadn't always been perfectly clear before, by now they fully understood the company's essence—Su Yuanshan's ultimate dream.
It was right there in the name: Yuanxin—'Origin Core.'
Even in terms of profits, despite the rapid growth of Yuanxin's smartphone division, the real value still lay in the chips themselves.
"As for desktop processors, we'll mainly focus on domestic and neighboring markets. But for YX architecture chips, it's time to go global." Chen Jing's smile deepened as she swept her gaze around the room. "Thus, the brand and marketing departments must work closely with the international division to prepare aggressive and effective plans for the official launch of our integrated baseband chip into Western markets by year's end."
"As for the international division, President Wang will be returning from Moscow tomorrow and will participate in the discussions."
"President Su, anything you'd like to add?"
Chen Jing turned toward Su Yuanshan.
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