Chapter 862 – Obsolete within 5 years

“Director Fang, everything is so simple. I just need your help to expedite the approval before the foreigners earn all the money.” Feng Yu joked. The ministries’ efficiency is too slow, and Feng Yu can only look for Director Fang to get the network access license.

“Your mobile phone had reached international standards?” Director Fang was skeptical about this. The Panda Company had been selling mobile phones for years and dare not claim their phones are as good as overseas brands.

“Oh, I forgot I had brought a few phones for you to test it. You can try it first. If my products are not as good as overseas brands, I will tear the network access license even if it is approved!” Feng Yu exclaimed.

Director Fang played with the mobile phone for a while. There are no problems with making calls and sending and receiving SMS. The words on the screen are clear and the voice quality is crystal clear. Even the ringtones are better.

“This is a good phone, and the designs and colors are nice. How much are you all selling this phone?” Director Fang was pleased.

If China’s domestic phones can compete with overseas brands, that means China’s electronics industry is developing fast and catching up with the rest of the world!

“Director Fang, how much are you willing to pay for this phone?” Feng Yu throw the question back at him.

“There are a lot of functions and is beautifully designed. If this is an imported product, it should cost about 10,000 RMB. You produced this phone under the Aiwa brand, and it should be at least 8,000 RMB, right?”

Feng Yu was not pleased. What do you mean by there are a lot of functions and beautifully designed? Just because ours is not an imported phone, it is worth lesser?

But you are wrong. I have no intention of selling my phones so expensive. Although the mobile phone is still a luxury product, it is not as luxurious as before.

Also, most of the mobile phones in the market are overseas brands, and even if Aiwa is China’s top Pager manufacturer, it is still a newcomer to the mobile phone market. If Aiwa were to sell at about the same prices as the rest of the mobile phones in the market, there would not be an advantage.

“Director Fang, the retail price for this phone is below 7,000 RMB. 6,666 RMB! Isn’t it auspicious?”

Director Fang rolled his eyes. “Are all businessmen superstitious?”

“We are not the ones superstitious. It is those who can afford mobile phones that are superstitious. ‘Liu Liu Da Shun’ sounds good…”

“You all are businessmen, and even if you are selling at 6,666 RMB, your profits should also be high, right?” Director Fang laughed.

“I did not say I am not earning from these phones. Furthermore, I am paying my workers’ high salaries. I am just following what our government says. Paying according to their contributions.” Feng Yu starts to bootlick.

“According to contributions? What did you do?” Director Fang purposely asked.

“I am the one who comes up with this idea and the exterior designs’ patents belong to me, and I suggested most of the functions on this phone. Most importantly, I paid for the development. My money does not drop from the sky and I donated a lot of money. Name me someone who donated more than me.”

Feng Yu complained.

When mentioned about donations, Director Fang asked curiously. “I heard you made a lot of donations this year in Longjiang province and the areas near inland lakes. All the donations are for building dams and strengthening the riverbanks. What’s wrong? You want the people to erect a statue to worship you?”

“Director Fang, I am doing charity, and what’s wrong with that? The government doesn’t allow it? At most, I will not donate any more money.” Feng Yu ‘threatens’ Director Fang.

“Hahaha, you are threatening me? The leaders don’t understand why you are doing this. You behave like you love to make money, but you made more donations than others. You are doing legitimate businesses and don’t need any ‘protection’ from the government. Can you tell me what you are after?” Director Fang asked.

All the leaders in the Central Government are curious about the motives behind Feng Yu’s donations.

Feng Yu shrugged his shoulders. “It’s simple… I can’t finish spending my money!”

Director Fang: “……”

Director Fang doesn’t know how to react to this arrogant and straightforward reason. The Central Government already knows Feng Yu is the wealthiest person in China, and his personal assets are more than many state-owned enterprises. He does have more money than he can spend.

This is a good thing for China. But is this really the reason why Feng Yu made all those donations?

Never mind. As long as what Feng Yu does benefit the country, who cares about what he thinks.

“Feng Yu, what do you think of our country’s telecommunication developments? Your Aiwa Electronics is considered the leading telecommunication company in China, and you all even developed your own mobile phones. Don’t forget to help your fellow Chinese.”

Feng Yu looked at Director Fang. What’s the meaning of this? When I manufacture pagers, the ministries organized a visit to my factories, and the state-owned enterprises started to produce pagers after the visit.

Now I am manufacturing mobile phones, and you all want to take advantage of me again?

I can give you all the outdated patents after we have developed more advanced technologies for our mobile phones. But you all want our technologies now? Impossible!

“Help our Chinese? Director Fang, are you joking with me? Our country’s technological research is more advanced than Aiwa Electronics. You all have so many scientists, and all of them are getting high salaries and benefits. They need our help? The state-owned telecommunication products manufacturers are lucky to meet the telecommunication boom. But with their foresight, I dare to say those companies will decline within 5 years!” Feng Yu sneered.

Director Fang asked. “Why? These companies are doing well with their pagers and will make more profits if they produce mobile phones. Even if they just follow your footsteps, they should not be on the decline.”

Damn! Follow our footsteps? Shameless! You all are just shamelessly following trends and imitating others!

We manufacture pagers, and it’s okay for you to do the same. I did not say anything about you all imitating the exterior and internal circuit designs of our pagers as we need to get the market share from Motorola. But those state-owned enterprises’ leaders think they can manufacture pagers for another 20 years!

Within 3 years, pagers will do downhill, and 5 years later, pagers will be obsoleted. Technology is developing faster than those old leaders can imagine.

Feng Yu knows it will be too late when those leaders realized it. The mobile phone is different from the pager and just copying blindly is doom to fail.

Those companies’ have 100 times more salespeople than researchers, and they dare to enter the electronics industry? Hmmm… maybe they got nowhere to spend their money.

“Pagers will be obsolete within 5 years! Mobile phones will be the common mobile telecommunication device in the future. These are my predictions and it is up to you whether to believe me or not. If the Government continues to grant Network Access License to those pager manufacturers, the government will have to take responsibility when they go bust!”

Translator’s notes: Liu Liu Da Shun is an idiom in Chinese, which translates to ‘everything will go smoothly,’ and ‘Liu’ means 6 in Chinese.