Chapter 645 Mobile Phone License
After weighing the pros and cons, Lu Yiming said, "Let me be frank. I can help you pass on a message this time, but I won't make any promises about the specific effect or how much loss can be recovered. It all depends on your luck. And it's only this time, and it won't happen again. Mr. Li and I initiated the establishment of the Color TV Export Association to promote the healthy development of enterprises and urge you to innovate in science and technology, not to do charity and help you clean up your mess. I'm not a saint. The world is bustling with people who come for profit, and the world is bustling with people who go for profit. Don't you understand this truth?"
Hearing that Lu Yiming was willing to pass on a message, several CEOs who had suffered losses immediately became grateful to Lu Yiming.
"President, I promise there won't be a next time."
"Every failure is a learning experience. Next time when choosing a partner, I will definitely do a thorough investigation and not be blinded by immediate benefits."
"President, how could we fall into the same pit twice in a row?"
"President, don't worry. We will follow your lead from now on!"
Who is Lu Yiming? He is the one who chats and laughs with the world's richest man! As long as Lu Yiming helps to intercede, won't America have to make up for everyone's losses?
Everyone is full of confidence!
Lu Yiming waved his hand and said, "Don't say those flattering words. I just hope that everyone can pay attention to scientific research, work hard, and understand that science and technology are the primary productive forces. All market competition is ultimately a competition of technological levels. Your advanced technology will be popular. So scientific research is the only way out, everyone."
He had to be loyal to the person who entrusted him with the task. After returning home in the evening, Lu Yiming called Epstein.
"Hi, Mr. Epstein, good morning."
Epstein, who had just woken up and was eating breakfast, received a call from Lu Yiming and immediately smiled and said, "Good morning."
Lu Yiming didn't waste any words and said directly: "APEX is now finished, but I haven't received the payment for a batch of goods. They are all the things of several of my subordinates."
Hearing that it was Lu Yiming's little brother's stuff, Epstein took it very seriously. After thinking for a while, he said, "APEX's warehouse does have a batch of color TVs that haven't been sold yet."
Lu Yiming said, "Can you get this batch of goods out? I can sell it to make up for some of the losses. Now that APEX has been removed, no one can shake our cooperation."
There is no doubt that Lu Yiming's last words were exactly what Epstein liked to hear. His smile widened, and he immediately said, "You are my best friend and partner. Since you have asked, of course I will help you. After I finish my meal, I will call the USDOJ and ask them to pay off the debts of your friends first."
Epstein's target was APEX in order to maintain his own interests. After all, his cooperation with Lu Yiming made him a lot of money, so he certainly wouldn't allow anyone to compete with him. He saw a new competitor in the business that he had monopolized. In his eyes, this was just stealing his money. How could he tolerate it?
But now, APEX is gone, and Epstein still monopolizes this business, so everything is fine. It's not like he hasn't sold these brands of TVs before, so he can just continue to sell them now.
As for the seizure?
There is no such thing in America. Maybe the warehouse will catch fire tonight.
This is free America, where all kinds of magical things can happen.
Seeing Epstein giving him face, Lu Yiming was very happy and said, "I knew you were my most trustworthy friend. I will be going to America in a few days, and we must have a good drink together then."
Hearing that Lu Yiming was coming to America, Epstein became excited and asked impatiently: "You are coming to America? Is there any big business that can make money?"
Lu Yiming smiled and said, "It is indeed a small business. I'll tell you when I get there. If it works well, we can both make a little money."
Epstein became even more excited when he heard Lu Yiming say "we", which meant that Lu Yiming was going to take him to play again.
"Dear Lu, I knew you must be my half-brother. Remember to tell me when you come to America, and I will pick you up at the airport in person!"
"Haha, okay, we'll see you then."
After getting accurate information from Epstein, Lu Yiming called Zhong Youxiang again: "Mr. Zhong, I just called the people over there. Please prepare some legal documents and send someone to the United States to sue APEX and recover the losses. I have already inquired about it. Your goods are still in APEX's warehouse and have not been sold yet. I have also taken care of the judicial department. When the time comes, I will give priority to repaying your debts."
Originally, Zhong Youxiang just wanted to get back some of his money. After all, if this deal was a pure loss, Maomao Electronics might just go out of business. Now that he heard Lu Yiming say that he could repay the debt, he jumped up with joy and said hurriedly, "Okay, President, I'll prepare my things right away and go to America in person!"
Afterwards, Lu Yiming called other people and told them the news.
The news that Lu Yiming helped members settle the matter quickly spread among members of the Color TV Export Association.
Everyone praised Lu Yiming for his righteousness. Several CEOs who had previously been dissatisfied with Lu Yiming because of his young age, after experiencing this incident, were all convinced and bowed down to Lu Yiming.
The entire Color TV Export Association became unprecedentedly united because of this incident, and subsequently achieved tremendous results under Lu Yiming's command.
Of course, these are all later stories, so let’s leave them aside for now.
When Li Yiwen heard that Lu Yiming had called again to settle the matter, and that the instigator turned out to be Lu Yiming's partner Epstein, he couldn't help but sigh at the free competition in America, and then called Lu Yiming to talk about the matter.
When he learned that Rainbow Group was going to adopt the plasma screen technology route, he blurted out: "Isn't this courting death?"
Except for Rainbow Group, all of Xia Country's color TV companies are betting on the LCD screen technology route, which shows that no one is stupid.
Li Yiwen found this difficult to understand: "Isn't Ni Runfeng the one who likes to engage in price wars? LCD screens are so much cheaper than plasma screens, there is no reason for him to choose plasma screens."
Lu Yiming sighed and said, "Hey, think about it, this is not what he wants to choose. In fact, he has no choice now."
Li Yiwen asked: "Why don't we have a choice?"
Lu Yiming said: "Ni Runfeng is bound to bear the blame for the 4 billion bad debts. After all, he was the one who made the decision and insisted on cooperating with APEX. Now that something has gone wrong, he can't find anyone to blame even if he wants to."
Li Yiwen was confused and asked, "What does this have to do with choosing the technical route of plasma screens?"
Lu Yiming said: "Now all the color TV companies in the country are betting on the LCD screen technology route. No one wants to make plasma screens. This is from a commercial perspective. But Xiaguo is a big country after all. It is not like a small island country with inherent deficiencies in resources, population and market. If you want to win, you can only rely on gambling on national destiny. Our Xiaguo is different. Since we are a big country, we naturally want everything. Whether it is plasma screen or LCD screen, someone has to take the two technical routes. No matter which route wins, Xiaguo will be the ultimate winner. That's why the Agricultural Bank is willing to give 3 billion yuan to Rainbow Group to prolong its life, and Ni Runfeng can only rely on betting on plasma screens to temporarily secure his position as CEO."
From a business perspective, the natural approach is to pursue the decision-making option with the lowest risk.
But from the perspective of the country, no matter which technical route is adopted, even if the probability is low, we must bet on it. After all, it is better to be safe than sorry.
Only small countries make choices, while big countries must have it all.
Let's get back to the present. There are so many players in the LCD race, and Rainbow Group has never won before. Now that it is seriously injured, it is even more impossible to win. In this case, the bank is not stupid, how could it give money to let it continue to burn?
Therefore, Ni Runfeng must tell a refreshing story to attract the attention of investors and banks and let them continue to support Rainbow Group. Among the two major technologies today, plasma is the only one that can tell a good story, except for LCD. Therefore, Lu Yiming said that Ni Runfeng had no choice.
Li Yiwen said: "It seems that Ni Runfeng is not stupid either."
Lu Yiming said: "If he was really a fool, how could he become the CEO of Rainbow Group? He was able to lead Rainbow Group to the top of the country and become the industry leader. His IQ is naturally not low. It's a pity that he made the wrong choice at the critical juncture. No matter how smart and hard-working he is, he is doomed to fail. I have said before that choice is more important than hard work. Today, Ni Runfeng and Rainbow Group have made one wrong step after another, and are just struggling to survive."
As they chatted, Li Yiwen suddenly felt that something was wrong and couldn't help asking, "I remember that you never do anything without profit, and you never let go of any grudge. Before, those guys didn't listen to your advice and secretly went to APEX to cooperate. You didn't retaliate, but you are willing to repay evil with kindness and give them a hand? Don't tell me it's because you are the president. I always feel that you have bad intentions."
Lu Yiming immediately defended himself, "What are you talking about? Do you think I am a profit-seeking person? It's just a small favor. We are all Xia people. I will definitely help if I can. Why would I just watch them die? Am I such a cruel person?"
Of course, Li Yiwen didn't believe even the punctuation marks in Lu Yiming's sophistry. He said excitedly, "Okay, are we still talking nonsense to each other? Tell me quickly, what are you planning?"
Lu Yiming coughed a few times and said, "Oh, it seems that I can't hide anything from you. Well, I'll just tell you directly. I've taken a fancy to the mobile phone license plate in Maomao Electronics."
The so-called mobile phone license should be officially called "Mobile Communication System and Terminal Production Qualification". From 1998 to 2004, the license was issued by the Ministry of Information Industry. In 2004, it was changed to be approved and issued by the National Development and Reform Commission.
Without this license, even if you produce a mobile phone, it is illegal and cannot be connected to the network, so it is just electronic waste.
There are two types of licenses: GSM and CDMA mobile phone licenses.
GSM stands for Global System for Mobile Communications, which is translated into Chinese as Global Mobile Communications System, commonly known as Global Communication.
CDMA stands for Code Division Multiple Access, which is translated into Chinese as code division multiple access.
Behind Maomao TV is Maomao Electronics. Even though it has lost its reputation after more than a decade and has fallen behind in the turbulent new era, the current Maomao Electronics Group is still very strong.
This is an old enterprise founded in 1936. It can be called the cradle of Xiaguo's electronic industry. It is not only the largest comprehensive electronic backbone enterprise in the country, but also one of the 120 pilot enterprise groups, 520 key enterprises and the six major groups in the electronic industry.
In addition to televisions, its products also include mobile communication systems, electromechanical integration production equipment, base stations, programmable switches, mobile phones, washing machines, DVD players, as well as computers, monitors, system integration, networks, software, radios, etc. It is a comprehensive super company with a turnover of more than 130 billion at its peak.
Of course, the most important thing is that Maomao Electronics has a GSM mobile phone license, which is exactly what Lu Yiming urgently needs now.
These days, without a mobile phone license, one is not eligible to create an independent mobile phone brand. And among the first batch of mobile phone licenses issued in September 1999, there was only one private enterprise, Tianshida, and the rest were either foreign-funded or state-owned enterprises. Ordinary people couldn’t even think about it.
This situation will continue until October 2007, when the mobile phone production approval system will be abolished. That will also be the official end of the 2G mobile phone license era, and Xiaguo will gradually enter the 3G smartphone era.
If Mingyuan Technology wants to rise in the 3G smartphone era, it will inevitably have to make plans in the 2G era and accumulate relevant technologies in advance.
After all is still a mobile phone, and basic communication functions must be guaranteed. These cannot be achieved by just thinking about it, but must be actually put into production and sales, and problems must be constantly discovered and solved.
Not to mention reaching the level of Nokia, but at least it has to be at the level of Samsung.
Therefore, the issue of mobile phone licenses had to be resolved.
After hearing what Lu Yiming said, Li Yiwen felt relieved and said with a smile: "I knew you would not get up early unless there was something beneficial."
Nowadays, you can’t buy a mobile phone license even if you have money.
For example, Lu Yiming and Chen Weirong have a very good relationship, and Konka also has a mobile phone production license, but if Lu Yiming goes to Chen Weirong to discuss the authorization issue, there will still be nothing to talk about.
Why?
Because the mobile phone license is like a money printing machine right now, and who can let others use a money printing machine?
Li Yiwen continued, "I think this matter should be quite difficult. Are you sure Maomao Electronics will be willing to sell the license to you?"
Lu Yiming smiled and said, "Sell? What are you dreaming about? It's impossible to sell it, but you can find a way to promote the cooperation between Maomao Electronics and Mingyuan Technology, and then establish a joint venture."
In fact, when the mobile phone license approval system was implemented, three thresholds were set for mobile phone manufacturers to enter: one was a registered capital of more than 200 million yuan, two was continuous operation for more than two years, and three was R&D capabilities and certification of environmental protection and other related regulations. However, except for the first few manufacturers who strictly met the above conditions, some small manufacturers later obtained mobile phone licenses by combining funds from multiple companies.
Lu Yiming planned to do just that.
Li Yiwen asked: "Is it feasible? Are you sure they will agree?"
Lu Yiming smiled and said, "Do you think I made this decision casually? I asked someone before. After getting the license, Maomao and Ericsson established a joint venture in Jinling and started producing Ericsson and Maomao phones at the same time. In the beginning, Maomao phones sold very well and became the market leader for a while. After all, they were the first batch of companies to get the license, so they had a great first-mover advantage."
At this point, Lu Yiming paused, his expression somewhat lamenting, "Unfortunately, in the promotion of the second generation of mobile phones, Maomao, who did not understand the market and lacked marketing methods, began to fall behind. Now the entire industry has introduced production lines and OEMs, and all kinds of advertisements have been overwhelming, and the popularity is getting higher and higher. In comparison, Maomao Mobile, which has been relying on its old reputation, seems too low-key, and its limelight has been immediately overshadowed."
In 1993, Maomao Electronics launched the first domestically-made mobile phone in China. You should know that at that time, all mobile phones were foreign brands, and Maomao was the only domestic brand.
Unfortunately, electronic products are updated and replaced too quickly. Maomao Electronics, a long-established brand from the era of analog signal mobile phones, simply doesn't work in the era of 2G digital signal mobile phones.
Li Yiwen said: "So, right now, Maomao Electronics urgently needs to make up for its weak spot in market sales?"
"Yes, Maomao Electronics has products and certain technological achievements, but the results in product design and marketing are not satisfactory. This is exactly the opportunity for Mingyuan Technology."
The next day at noon, Lu Yiming called Zhong Youxiang.
"Mr. Zhong, what are you doing? I'm planning to treat you to lunch today. Do you think you're free?"
Zhong Youxiang suddenly received a call from Lu Yiming, who was inviting him to dinner, which made him feel a little helpless.
He racked his brains but couldn't figure out why Lu Yiming would invite him to dinner, and he felt very uneasy.
But since Lu Yiming was inviting him, there was no way he could not go, so he had to go to the banquet with a heart full of doubts.
In a high-end restaurant, Zhong Youxiang met Lu Yiming and greeted him somewhat stiffly, "Mr. Lu."
Lu Yiming smiled slightly, pointed to the seat opposite him, and said, "Mr. Zhong, take a seat."
Zhong Youxiang sat down carefully and asked, "I am really flattered that Mr. Lu invited me to dinner."
Lu Yiming didn't hesitate to say anything, and got straight to the point: "I invited Mr. Zhong out for dinner today, mainly because I want to discuss a business deal with you."
As the saying goes, a man who eats someone's food will be soft-hearted, and a man who takes someone's food will be short-handed. Zhong Youxiang, who had promised to go through fire and water a few days ago, dared not refuse. He could only ask tentatively, "I wonder what kind of business Mr. Lu wants to discuss with me?"
