Chapter 237 Two Fools
"According to reports, next month True Lies will become the first Hollywood blockbuster officially imported to China. It will be shown not only in theaters but also aired on the movie channel," said Wan Yongliang, walking a step behind Su Yuanshan as they strolled along the artificial lake.
After July began, Chen Jing had only stayed in the tech park long enough to host the quarterly meeting before heading to the capital to negotiate the establishment of the new R&D center. Yuanxin's plan was for the capital to follow the model of the provincial capital—granting a plot of land where Yuanxin could plan and build its own facility. But the capital's stance was different: they would grant land, yes, but only on the outskirts, and no more than 300 mu. That was far from Yuanxin's goal of acquiring land near top universities like Tsinghua or Peking University. Chen Jing was now negotiating hard, hoping to trade size for proximity—less land, but at least one plot closer to the city center.
"Hmm, with the rise of the video rental industry, domestic audiences are starting to recognize international movie stars," Su Yuanshan said, hands clasped behind his back. He specifically used the word "recognize" rather than "idolize." After all, celebrity worship hadn't really taken root in China yet, let alone the rise of fan culture. People simply knew Schwarzenegger as "that muscle guy from Terminator." Beyond that—his fame, his legacy—no one really knew.
What surprised Su Yuanshan was that he remembered True Lies as the first Hollywood movie imported to China, but the timing was off—it was supposed to be next year. This kind of shift, he could only explain as a butterfly effect. Thanks to Yuanxin's rise, the entire national spirit had lifted, and many things were accelerating.
He stopped near the path in front of the Pandora Lab. "So what's our domestic promotion strategy?"
"For the posters, we're not directly using Schwarzenegger's endorsement image," Wan Yongliang explained. "Instead, we're splicing in street scenes from New York. For the large banners, we're doing a special treatment of the Vidoo logo. For the smaller pamphlets, we'll use a magnifying glass effect to highlight the phone."
He smiled. "Old Duan has already prepared 100,000 units. He said if they don't sell by August, he'll slit his own throat."
"Haha!" Su Yuanshan laughed. "Are those 100,000 units for all markets or just domestic?"
"All markets."
"Then yeah, he really might have to slit his throat," Su Yuanshan joked. "We've already penetrated the Hong Kong market last year. Siam is through telecom carriers. Wang Rui is currently stationed in New York. Overseas pre-orders alone are around 50,000 units. Add in the new charger innovation, and selling 50,000 units in China is child's play."
At the same price, the new Vidoo One was effectively cheaper than the previous YX1201—it came with a free battery and a redesigned charger. And with improved chip yields and greater volume discounts on components, costs had dropped, keeping gross margins roughly the same.
"I've got a feeling this phone has everything it needs to be a hit," Su Yuanshan said, taking a deep breath. "Wan, keep pushing hard. Building a brand and a market takes time, but we don't have time to waste. No slacking, no mistakes."
They chatted a while longer, and then Wan Yongliang went back into the lab to borrow a bike. Su Yuanshan sat on a bench under a peach tree, pulled out his notebook, and started working through graphene-related equations.
The weather was overcast, with a slight breeze—perfect for focusing. He quickly entered the zone, completely forgetting the time. Employees passed by occasionally, but no one disturbed him; everyone on this path was used to seeing the boss so deeply immersed in his own work.
Time passed. Eventually, Su Yuanshan looked up, sensing someone behind him.
Ye Rudai stood there, hugging a file folder, eyes fixed on his notebook. When their eyes met, both smiled.
"How long have you been spying on me?" Su Yuanshan scooted over to make room for her on the bench.
"You guess."
"Ten minutes?"
"..."
Ye Rudai walked around and sat down. She wore a black skirt and a white blouse, but with her sleeves rolled up, revealing her fair wrists.
"Senior Sister Qu Hui told me you were out here. What were you writing just now?"
"First principles," Su Yuanshan said. "Specifically, first-principles analysis of the electromagnetic behavior of monolayer carbon atomic structures."
Ye Rudai fell silent, puffed her cheeks, and giggled. "Didn't understand a word."
"Heh, quantum physics is meant to be confusing. That's the whole point. I mean, how do those top-tier scientists even think?"
"..."
Ye Rudai sighed. "Sometimes I really wonder what's inside your head."
"Want to crack it open with an axe?"
"Hehe, I'll pass." She turned away, placed her folder on her lap, leaned back with her hands on the bench, and looked out at the artificial lake. "Look! Those ducks can dive!"
"Of course they can. Ducks can catch fish too," Su Yuanshan said, just as one duck surfaced with a three-finger-wide carp in its beak. The other duck quickly joined in for a meal.
Then a voice came from behind.
"Those are mandarin ducks," said Qu Hui.
Su Yuanshan turned around to see her pushing a bicycle, looking at them like they were idiots.
"Qu Hui-jie, since when are there mandarin ducks in the lake?"
"How should I know? Ask facilities." She hopped on her bike. "You two are idiots."
Su Yuanshan: "..."
Ye Rudai: "..."
As they watched Qu Hui ride off, Su Yuanshan cleared his throat. "Going for a walk?"
"Yeah. Let's go for a bit."
They stood and began strolling along the lake.
Su Yuanshan glanced at Ye Rudai's now-slimmer profile. He suddenly remembered that in her past life, her face had never really thinned out. She always had a bit of baby fat, loved snacks, and hovered around 50kg. After becoming a mother and a professor, she had even less time to exercise—slimming down became a fantasy. Not that she ever cared about body image anyway.
"You've gotten thinner."
"You've gotten thinner."
They said it at the same time, then laughed.
"See? Telepathy," Su Yuanshan said.
"Mhm." Ye Rudai clasped her hands behind her back. "Professor Xi gave me a project. He said if I finish it, he'll take me as a graduate student."
"Oh? What project?"
"Here." She handed him the folder.
Su Yuanshan opened it. The bold black title made his eyes blur slightly.
—'Internet Hyperlink Analysis'
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