Chapter 33: Carrots and Sticks

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Two guards from the Security Department of Dongling High-Tech stood at the entrance to the company’s laboratory building. Dongling High-Tech was not a state-owned enterprise and therefore had no formal guard division, but it had established its own security department nonetheless.

The personnel in the security department had all been handpicked by Yang Zhigao. Most of them had military backgrounds, and several had even seen combat.

Li Dongling had established Dongling High-Tech’s security department primarily to protect the laboratories. At that time, domestic companies had almost no awareness of confidentiality when it came to product development, whether regarding patents or technology. Even when they genuinely developed a new product, foreign companies would often “borrow” the idea in the end—and might even register the patent first.

Li Dongling had no intention of making such a mistake. In reality, both the digital cordless telephone and the scroll-wheel mouse relied more on originality than on advanced technology. Compared with existing products, their technical superiority was not overwhelming. The crucial question was who would first pierce that thin veil, register the patent, and release the product.

Once inside the laboratory, it was clear that the facility built by Dongling High-Tech could not compare with the world’s top laboratories. Nevertheless, within the limits of what was possible, Li Dongling had brought it up to the highest standard available. At the very least, its level of cleanliness and procedural discipline surpassed that of a great many domestic corporate laboratories.

Chen Tao certainly possessed genuine ability. Although he had wasted several years at his former research institute, he had never abandoned his technical expertise, and his foundations remained solid.

The laboratory had now been divided into two projects. Chen Tao led part of the research team in concentrating on what he believed would be the “easier” project: the scroll-wheel mouse. The remaining technicians were developing the digital cordless telephone.

Chen Tao’s plan was to finish the scroll-wheel mouse project first, then lead his team over to tackle the digital cordless telephone.

“Professor Li… Chairman Li!”

The words had already escaped him before Chen Tao hurriedly corrected himself. Back when they had been at Hanxi Jiaotong University, Chen Tao probably would not have worried about such things.

But several grinding years at the research institute had tempered his character. He had learned what ought to be said in what circumstances. Although he and Li Dongling had been senior and junior schoolmates, and although Li Dongling valued him tremendously, Chen Tao still knew how to address him in public.

“Chairman Li, this is the first test mouse shell we’ve produced!”

With considerable pride, Chen Tao presented Li Dongling with the experimental mouse shell that he and a group of technicians had developed over the past several days. By any measure, the efficiency was astonishing.

The praise he had expected never came. Since the moment Chen Tao had first met him, Li Dongling’s face had always been gentle, often brightened by a warm smile. Yet now, before Chen Tao’s very eyes, that face darkened.

“What is this?”

“I asked for an ergonomic mouse with a scroll wheel, not a plastic shell that hurts your hand!”

It was not only Chen Tao. Every member of the scroll-wheel mouse project stared at the furious Li Dongling in stunned disbelief. The Li Dongling before them seemed almost like a different person from the one they knew.

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“How big is this mouse? It must be over 117 millimeters long. I want a standard size for home and office use. It absolutely cannot exceed 100 millimeters!”

Chen Tao was somewhat dazed by the onslaught. “It’s only a few millimeters longer…”

“There is no such thing as a negligible difference here. I want a standard—a mouse designed according to the principles of ergonomics. The moment users grip it, they should feel that this is the mouse they need. They should find their work uncomfortable the moment they put it down. Gamers should regard it as a treasure, unable to enjoy their games without it!”

“The materials need improvement too. The current material feels far too much like cheap plastic. Develop several more materials and test them.

“And remember: any new materials or technologies discovered during the research process must be recorded!”

As he spoke, Li Dongling pointed out one flaw after another in the mouse. The fingers and palm had to fit the mouse perfectly; the entire device should weigh approximately ninety grams; it must be neither too light nor too heavy, and so on.

The technicians nearby carefully recorded every point Li Dongling raised. Chen Tao, meanwhile, felt as though the technical tyrant Li Dongling had blasted his entire understanding of life to pieces. Yet after being scolded, he found himself thinking that Li Dongling’s criticisms did seem to make sense. He did not know why he felt that way. It was as if reality itself had been distorted.

“If we continue developing it this way, the budget will probably be exceeded by a great deal,” Chen Tao said worriedly after regaining his composure.

Following Li Dongling’s requirements would mean constant experimentation and repeated failure. They might even have to develop new materials and design a new mouse sensor. The cost would be enormous. Chen Tao had encountered such situations before at the research institute: a project would be halfway complete when the funding ran out, and it would ultimately be abandoned. As a result, he was extremely sensitive to expenses.

“The technical department does not need to worry about funding. That is my responsibility. Your task is to develop exactly what I require. I will handle everything else.”

Once he had finished speaking, Li Dongling became the same refined and courteous man as before, a warm smile once again resting on his face. Chen Tao and the others could not help feeling that the technical tyrant they had just witnessed had been nothing more than an illusion—though it had undeniably happened.

“I know the schedule is very tight. Everyone may have to work overtime during the New Year holiday. So this year, anyone willing to remain in the laboratory and work overtime may receive an additional two months’ salary.

“Furthermore, once development is successful, every technician in the mouse development department will receive a bonus of no less than ten thousand yuan.

“Your names are destined to remain in the history of the mouse industry. As long as people continue using this product, no one will forget that you were the ones who developed something truly great.”

Li Dongling spoke to Chen Tao and the other technicians. He could play the tyrant of technology and products, but he also had to offer them a carrot. Add a little inspirational rhetoric, and the effect would be even better. No one needed to ask how Li Dongling knew this. In his previous life, he had received more than enough of such poisonous motivational speeches at the design bureau.

Hearing these words, the technicians instantly became filled with determination. Even Chen Tao, who had just been reprimanded, no longer felt the slightest resentment.

People of that era were receptive to such inspirational rhetoric, especially when it came to honor. Whether individual or collective, honor was something they pursued intensely. If they truly could leave their names in the annals of the technology industry, then Chen Tao would have been willing to endure any hardship—even without payment.

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After Li Dongling left, the designers on the mouse project revised the design according to his requirements and produced a new experimental prototype drawing. The technician responsible for the design could not help saying to Chen Tao, “Boss Chen, it seems that the product designed according to Chairman Li’s requirements really is better…”

Chen Tao looked over. The mouse had not yet been made; it was only a rough design on paper. But as a researcher, he possessed the instinct to distinguish good from bad. Sometimes, a single glance was enough to reveal the difference.

After studying it for a long while, Chen Tao finally said to everyone, “Start building it.”

As a former genius of Hanxi Jiaotong University, Chen Tao had his own pride. He would not easily admit that someone was better than him. Yet he had to acknowledge that some people truly possessed talent—the sort of talent bestowed by heaven itself.

The competition in satellite dishes arrived even faster than Li Dongling had expected. Before the end of the month, four or five brands of satellite dishes had already appeared on the market in Pingyang, all launched by local state-owned factories.

As soon as those brands appeared, the price of satellite dishes in Pingyang plunged. Within only a few days, the average price had fallen from 350 yuan per unit to below 300 yuan.

Even so, the manufacturers of those brands were still willing to continue producing and even cutting prices. The profits from satellite dishes had far exceeded their expectations. They paid no attention to market conditions and simply produced as frantically as possible. So long as the units could be sold, lowering the price did not matter.

By contrast, Guanzhou Satellite Dishes, which refused to follow the price cuts, saw its sales in Pingyang nearly halved. However, the main focus of the Yuanqi Factory had already shifted to the southern market. It began producing satellite dishes at full speed and shipping them south, intending to make one final fortune. As for Pingyang, Hanxi, and even the northern market, it no longer cared very much.

Meanwhile, after dragging its feet for a long time, Xicheng Wireless Factory No. 1 had once again become bustling with activity. The color television production line it had purchased was finally about to begin operation.

Yet Liu Jiande, who was in charge of the production department, could not bring himself to be happy. Looking at the director of the factory’s production department, he snapped angrily, “What do you mean, the production workers are unwilling to come back to work?”

The director of the production department replied helplessly, “Manager Liu, you know perfectly well what happened. When our factory suspended production, the workers were sent to the Yuanqi Factory to manufacture satellite dishes. The benefits and wages over there are much better, while we’re still behind on payroll here. Why would they be willing to come back?”

Previously, the workers of Wireless Factory No. 1 had gone to work at the Yuanqi Factory and other plants. The people at Xicheng Wireless Factory No. 1 were not unaware of this. They had simply pretended not to know—and had even been secretly pleased that everyone had gone elsewhere.

The factory could not afford to pay its workers. If they caused a disturbance, Wireless Factory No. 1 would not have been able to withstand it. As long as they had wages to collect elsewhere, the workers would remain quiet, and the factory’s leaders were only too happy to enjoy the peace.

But who could have imagined that once the workers had gone, they would be unwilling to return?

Liu Jiande slammed his hand on the table. “I don’t care what excuses you have. The city leaders are coming tomorrow to attend the inauguration ceremony for the color television production line. You must bring those people back. Anyone unwilling to return can transfer their employment elsewhere and pack up and leave. Xicheng Wireless Factory No. 1 has supported them for all these years for nothing!”

Hearing this, the production director was filled with helplessness. If he carried out the order, people would curse him behind his back, pelt the windows with rotten eggs, and perhaps even ambush him on a dark road and throw him into a filthy ditch. But with Liu Jiande pressing him, he had no choice but to do it.

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