Someone immediately stood up and said, "That's impossible. If such a product really existed, it would probably be ridiculously expensive."
Luo Wanfeng said, "Regarding the specific performance and price of this product, I think it is more appropriate for Manager Luo Wei of Qimingdeng Electronics to explain it to everyone. And I'm not afraid for everyone to know that Luo Wei is my daughter."
The camera then turned to Luo Wei, who was the manager of a large factory with hundreds of employees. Although it was her first time, she wasn't too nervous. "Voice control systems aren't actually advanced science. Such products have existed for a long time. We've just improved them. No matter how much I explain, it's not as effective as showing you with a real product. Please look at the television on this wall."
Then everyone noticed a wall-mounted TV hanging on the side wall. Luo Wei left her seat, went over to plug in the power, and then said softly, "Turn on the TV."
The screen lit up, and the TV program appeared. Luo Wei then said, "Increase the volume." The volume bar on the screen slowly increased, and when the volume was just right, Luo Wei said, "Stop." The volume increase stopped.
"Change the channel." The TV programs begin to change one by one in ascending order, with each channel lasting for three seconds, and the length of this pause can be set freely.
"Stop!" Luo Wei shouted, halting one channel, then added, "Please switch to CCTV-1." The television screen changed, and CCTV-1 appeared. This feature surprised those below, because adding, removing, or turning on/off were relatively simple functions, but identifying the television channel number—that was truly high-tech!
"Please switch to Shandong TV," Luo Wei continued, issuing the command. The television immediately complied. Then, Luo Wei said, "Please automatically switch to Hunan TV in five seconds." A timed switching feature? The people below held their breath, some silently counting down. Five seconds later, the television screen snapped to Hunan TV, eliciting a gasp from the audience! This was incredibly advanced! It was practically a smart TV! And this was merely a modification to the remote control system.
"Please turn off the TV in ten seconds. After fifteen seconds, it will automatically turn on and switch to Zhejiang TV." Ten seconds later, *click*, the screen turned off. Then everyone waited patiently for fifteen seconds, and the TV automatically turned on and switched to Zhejiang TV! This is amazing!
Luo Wei smiled and turned to the stunned crowd below, saying, "Everyone is welcome to come up and try it out, so you won't say I'm lying. Also, when you leave, you can pick up a sample machine at the service desk, but it's simpler than this one. You can find instructions on how to operate it."
Most of the people below couldn't sit still any longer. Voice-controlled systems that could understand human language were truly rare. Even those that existed required standard Mandarin pronunciation and had limited command recognition capabilities. But Luo Wei had used Donghai City's not-so-standard Mandarin, and the remote control hadn't made a single error. That was already amazing enough, let alone considering the complexity and variety of commands it recognized, yet it hadn't produced a single error!
Volume 2 [297] A Twist of Fate
Some people ran to the front to operate the voice-controlled TV, while others chased after Luo Wei and Luo Wanfeng, asking them questions.
"Mr. Luo, could you tell us about the price of this remote-controlled TV?" Price is key. If it's outrageously expensive, this kind of conceptual TV is practically useless. It's like how Japan often comes up with conceptual products that are still a long way from being released to the market.
Luo Wei smiled slightly: "I will guarantee to supply Haifeng Group with a large quantity of products at the lowest price, and for a long time I will be the only exclusive supplier. In other words, apart from Haifeng Group's products, the intelligent voice control system will not be sold to the public."
The crowd gasped in astonishment. This absolutely guaranteed Haifeng Group's leading position in the electronics industry! No wonder Luo Wanfeng wasn't worried about the current harsh external environment; he had a trump card! With the advanced nature of this voice control system, Haifeng Group's electronics would be several years ahead of its competitors! Once launched, they would definitely be sought after by consumers, although price would be a major factor in determining their popularity.
"Mr. Luo, please tell us the pricing for this product after it's launched. Is it a high-end product?"
Luo Wei glanced at her father, and Luo Wanfeng chuckled and said, "No, I assure everyone that as long as I, Luo Wanfeng, am in Haifeng Group, the price of Haifeng Group's electronic products with integrated intelligent voice control systems will remain the same as that of ordinary products, and will not increase by a single penny!"
Luo Wanfeng's words caused another sensation! Someone immediately followed up: "Mr. Luo, we don't understand. If the price isn't raised, where will the profit from the intelligent voice control system come from? You're not planning to use your daughter's product for free, are you? Wouldn't Qimingdeng Electronics become the next company to suffer huge losses? Or are you planning to sacrifice your daughter's interests to save Haifeng Group?"
Luo Wanfeng said, "I think everyone still hasn't paid attention to what General Manager Xu said when the Jiayuan project was put into production. She said that investing a huge sum of money to replace the old production lines of Haifeng Group will not only improve the quality of Haifeng Group's electronic products, but will also increase production costs. The money saved will be used to pay for the purchase of the Qimingdeng electronic intelligent voice control system. Haifeng Group will pass on the greatest benefits to consumers, so that everyone can use the most advanced and high-end electronic products without spending an extra penny!"
Luo Wanjiang, who was watching TV in his office, suddenly crushed the cup in his hand. How much strength does that take! A martial arts master! He only bled a little.
The rage in Luo Wanjiang's eyes was evident in the way he crushed the cup! Luo Wanfeng is now famous, incredibly famous. After falling into an abyss, he became famous solely because of a remote control system. No wonder, because this technology is so advanced and practical. Only a fool would choose an ordinary remote control product without spending a penny more. Moreover, Jiayuan Investment shamelessly claims it plans to invest hundreds of millions in an electronics production line, implying to consumers that Haifeng Group's future products will be high-quality, high-end products, and you can buy them at the same price as now—it's such a bargain! You'd be wasting your time if you didn't buy it.
Luo Wanhai's face was also gloomy. He said, "Second Brother, Luo Wanfeng has come back from the dead! He got the funds, lifted the bank's freeze, and even brought back new products for the company. Can Haifeng Group really be brought back to life?"
Luo Wanjiang said fiercely, "But the shares are still in our hands! Don't forget that the four of us together own 20% of the shares. He wants to hold a board meeting? Fine, we'll grant him his wish. We'll see how things unfold!"
The name "Haifeng" is destined to become a hot topic of discussion from today onwards. News about this intelligent voice control system quickly flooded forums and portal websites, washing away all the previous negative reports about Haifeng Group. Subsequently, Rednet Technology announced a series of software and hardware collaborations with Haifeng Group. Users who purchase Haifeng Group's computer products will be able to use the China Red operating system and antivirus software for free, which is equivalent to a disguised price reduction of several hundred yuan for Haifeng Group's computer products! Because computer products pre-installed with XP or In7 systems require paying copyright fees to Microsoft, this fee is now saved, and Haifeng Group will gain high profits as a result.
Subsequently, relevant provincial leaders gave instructions by phone, requiring Haifeng Group to thoroughly investigate its business operations as quickly as possible, uncover all illegal activities, and promptly restore Haifeng Group's normal operations. The Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government will continue to support this star enterprise, enabling Haifeng Group to break through the limitations of the domestic market, go global, and become a multinational home appliance company.
The employees of Haifeng Group, who witnessed the entire press conference, were full of confidence. With such a set of conditions, it would be unfair if Haifeng products didn't become popular. Many employees who had resigned and switched jobs due to the company's decline were filled with regret and began to try to return to work through various connections. Luo Wanfeng was no longer in the awkward situation of being ignored when walking around the company. His office was cleaned every day, hot water was provided, and people came to report on their work in an endless stream! Even those who didn't have work to report on would come to report on their thoughts.
The next morning, in the conference room of Haifeng Group, Luo Wanfeng, Luo Wei, and Xu Xiaoya quietly awaited the arrival of Luo Wanjiang. Now, only the four siblings remained as shareholders, along with the silent old man Luo Xin. In Xu Xiaoya's plan, this was an unknown variable, and because Luo Xin had not expressed his opinion, Xu Xiaoya was not very confident about the success of the meeting.
Luo Wanfeng noticed that Xu Xiaoya, who was usually quite confident, was a little uneasy. He said, "Xiaoya, don't worry. I think my dad is reasonable. He won't stop us from making beneficial changes to Haifeng Group in this matter."
Xu Xiaoya smiled bitterly: "I hope so, but I'm afraid it's time to discard the donkey after it has served its purpose. Who knows what Grandpa Luo will think?"
Luo Wei said firmly, "Dad, don't blame me for being rude to you, but if my grandfather suddenly changes his mind this time, you must leave the Luo family! We will give up everything here, and from now on, Haifeng Group will have nothing to do with us. None of the big promises we made to the outside world yesterday will come true. My grandfather wants to use others to change everything, so let him continue to fantasize! Sister Xiaoya and Senior Brother Zhao Qiang will definitely kick him into the abyss again!"
Luo Wanfeng had no doubt about his daughter's words. If her father angered Zhao Qiang and Xu Xiaoya, they would probably settle old scores for being used as pawns. Not only would they withdraw their funds, but the cooperative project would also be terminated, rendering all future development plans a pipe dream. Haifeng Group would be thrown into chaos overnight.
Tian Li hurried in and whispered to Luo Wanfeng, "Mr. Luo, the stock market has opened."
Xu Xiaoya didn't rush to ask, but Luo Wanfeng was rather anxious: "How is it? Did it hit the daily limit down?"
Tian Li smiled slightly at everyone: "The price did drop a bit at the beginning, but it quickly surged and stopped rising. Now it's at its daily limit, but not the lower limit, it's the upper limit!"
Retail investors who didn't take advantage of yesterday's positive news to buy more shares would be foolish. Smart voice-controlled TVs are not just for show; anyone who sees them will love them. Their intelligence lies in recognizing complex language. For example, the same command to increase volume can be expressed in countless ways in Chinese: "increase volume," "louder," "can't hear," "too loud," etc. The smart voice control system can accurately recognize all of these. This is a high-tech product, and it would be incredibly expensive if sold separately. Its application in computers and other products will also have a significant impact.
Overjoyed, Luo Wanfeng was somewhat at a loss for words. He rubbed his face deeply, tears welling in his eyes, and said to Xu Xiaoya, "You can turn the world upside down with a flick of your wrist. This world truly belongs to you young people. I admire you wholeheartedly."
Xu Xiaoya remained unperturbed. If even the intelligent voice control system couldn't save Haifeng Group, then she had nothing more to say. This intelligent voice control system wasn't very useful for Qimingdeng Electronics; in fact, it was a burden. Qimingdeng Electronics couldn't apply it to actual products; it only produced modules. To promote its application in daily life, it needed the support of the home appliance industry. It could be said that Haifeng Group had entered Xu Xiaoya's field of vision from the very beginning, but at that time, Xu Xiaoya only wanted to cooperate with Haifeng Group through Luo Wei's relationship. However, Haifeng Group's internal management was in chaos, which made Xu Xiaoya hesitant. Later, Luo Wanjiang's arrogance caused Luo Wei to be heartbroken, and after Zhao Qiang stepped in to help, Xu Xiaoya decided to take over Haifeng Group. However, to take down a long-established, aircraft carrier-level enterprise was like an ant trying to move an elephant. Xu Xiaoya didn't even have a 50% chance of success, and before obtaining 20% of the shares, she didn't even have a 30% chance. And now, she only had a 50% chance, because the other 50% was controlled by Old Master Luo.
Footsteps approached, and the conference room door creaked open. Luo Wanjiang led the way, followed by Luo Wanhai, then Luo Pingping, Liu Heping, and Luo Juanjuan. The second generation of the Luo family was all present. They had to attend this meeting; otherwise, they would have no chance at all. Luo Wanjiang wanted to use his 20% stake to oust Luo Wanfeng! He wanted to monopolize the bright future of Haifeng Group! However, he also knew that once Luo Wanfeng left, the intelligent voice control system might be abandoned, but he still couldn't let Luo Wanfeng be so arrogant in the Luo family!
"Brother, how are you?" Luo Wanjiang's face was gloomy. When Luo Wanfeng saw him, his heart ached because Luo Wanjiang looked even older than him. It had only been a little over a day since they last met, yet he was already so worried.
"Second brother, third brother, eldest sister, second sister, you've arrived, please sit down." Luo Wanfeng stood up to greet them. After all, they were Luo Xin's biological children, and Luo Xin had raised Luo Wanfeng. Although Luo Xin had never given Luo Wanfeng any shares in the company, Luo Wanfeng didn't resent him. After all, he was his mother's husband and the father of his mother's other children.
Volume Two [298] Conflict
Luo Wanjiang and his four siblings were not polite at all. They even took the seat that used to belong to Luo Xin, in order to show their home-field advantage. This was the Luo family, and they were the masters, not an outsider who was in charge.
Tian Li, who was in charge of taking meeting minutes, looked at Luo Wanfeng with a questioning gaze. Luo Wanfeng asked, "Second brother, may the meeting begin?"
Luo Wanjiang said coldly, "Are all the directors here?"
Luo Wanfeng said, "If Father doesn't attend, everyone will be here."
Luo Wanhai, being a young man, slammed his fist on the table, stood up, and angrily shouted, "Luo Wanfeng, what nonsense are you spouting! Where are Lu Tiannan and the others? Did you cover up their bodies?"
Luo Wanfeng looked surprised: "Third brother, what are you saying? In broad daylight, who would dare to destroy a body and cover up the crime!"
Xu Xiaoya sneered: "The Luo family really has some good children. This is not the way to frame someone."
Luo Wanhai hopped in two steps to Xu Xiaoya: "What did you say? You, an outsider, are making a racket at our Luo family's board meeting. Now, as a director, I order you to get out!" Luo Wanhai finally found a good reason: the board of directors. He was a director, but Xu Xiaoya wasn't.
Xu Xiaoya didn't move, but Wang Meng, who was in charge of security at the door, did. He didn't even need to come in; he just fired a slingshot at Luo Wanhai's forehead. Fortunately, the force wasn't great, but even so, it made Luo Wanhai stagger, and blood gushed from his forehead. He clutched his forehead, "Ouch, my head is bleeding."
Luo Wanjiang opened his mouth to call for security, but then he remembered that Haifeng Group was now under Luo Wanfeng's control. The security guards wouldn't listen to him anymore, and even if they did, they would only back down when they saw that it was Wang Meng who did it. No one dared to touch anyone who came with Zhao Qiang. Luo Wanhai was also blinded by rage. He didn't know that pointing at Xu Xiaoya like that was a big taboo. She was Zhao Qiang's woman! It was already a favor that he wasn't shot into mincemeat.
Wang Meng struck a rather imposing pose at the entrance, then said in his not-so-standard Mandarin, "The seriousness of the conference is inviolable. This is just a warning. Next time, we'll break your legs and throw you out."
Tian Li smiled sweetly at Wang Meng. As the saying goes, beauties love heroes. What girl doesn't want a prince charming by her side?
Luo Wanjiang said to his third brother, "Go to the infirmary to get your wound bandaged. Remember to be patient in everything you do. One day we will trample others under our feet!"
Xu Xiaoya said, "Young Master Luo, let's talk about it when the time comes. For now, you invited Lu Tiannan and the others to Donghai City, and now you're asking us for them. That's not right."
Luo Wanjiang said, "I invited them back, but they disappeared the next day. If you weren't behind this, why? I still can't contact them. It's been past 48 o'clock, so I've decided to report it to the police."
Xu Xiaoya said, "They've gone home. You should be able to contact them in a few days. Reporting the case is voluntary for you; I have no objection."
Luo Pingping sneered, "Oh, this is the Luo family's board of directors. What are you outsiders spouting nonsense about? Do you think you're so great just because you have some money? The Luo family can still rise up without your money!"
Xu Xiaoya laughed and said, "Really? You lie down and show me. I want to see how far you can lie down."
Luo Wanjiang said to Luo Wanfeng, "Brother, if you want to hold this meeting, then get rid of the outsiders, otherwise we won't listen to a word you say."
Luo Wanfeng said, "Second brother, I think you don't understand. President Xu is already the largest shareholder of our company. Doesn't her investment of 1 billion yuan in cash count? It's just that we haven't had time to redistribute the shares yet."
Luo Wanjiang slammed his fist on the table and said, "Who agreed to accept her investment? Did the board of directors approve it? Luo Wanfeng, how dare you make such a big decision behind the board's back! We are now removing you from your position as general manager!"
Luo Wei said coldly, "Second Uncle, you should consult with all the members of the board of directors before making this decision."
Luo Wanjiang pointed behind him: "Everyone who can come is here. Juanjuan, tell your good niece, do you agree or not?"
Luo Juanjuan jumped out and said, "Luo Wanfeng, aren't you smug? Get out of here now! This is the Luo family's territory, not a place for some bastard like you to run wild. Today we're not going to fight you, we just want to reason with you!"
Luo Wei said, "Reason? How can we reason with him? My father has worked hard for the Luo family for decades, and in the end you just want to kick him out with a 'get out'? You can't bully people like this."
Luo Pingping said, "Decades of hard work? Hard work? Don't think we don't know. Luo Wanfeng secretly transferred company assets to help his daughter set up Qimingdeng Electronics outside. This matter has been widely known. You are still smug. I think the police will come to arrest you in a moment!"
Luo Wei was furious: "Qimingdeng Electronics has absolutely nothing to do with my father!"
Luo Pingping said, "How can you prove it? You think you can pull this off without any connection? You're good at messing around with men, but you're nowhere near good at this!"
Married women can be quite venomous, and Luo Wei was no match for them. Her face flushed red as soon as her aunt scolded her, and she didn't know how to refute it. Xu Xiaoya said, "Qimingdeng Electronics is an industry invested in by Jiayuan. We can find absolute evidence of this in the financial records. If necessary, we will ask the relevant departments to verify it, but it is not necessary for you."
Luo Wanjiang pointed at Xu Xiaoya and said, "Why aren't you leaving yet? Are you really that shameless? This is the Luo family's board of directors. Whether or not you are allowed to invest is still up in the air, so please leave first."
Luo Weiteng stood up: "Second Uncle, you can't just say it's not allowed? As the largest shareholder present, I agree to Xu Xiaoya's investment in Haifeng Group."
Luo Wanjiang chuckled, amused: "What did you say? Aren't you afraid of biting your tongue? The biggest shareholder? Do you think we're all fools?"
Luo Wei pushed a document to Tian Li, who stood up, opened it, and showed it to everyone. "This is the equity transfer certificate for Lu Tiannan, Yu Shifeng, Gong Linsheng, Gao Tian, and Ning Zichen. They have transferred a total of 20% of their equity to Manager Luo Wei. Anyone who doesn't believe it can come and see for themselves."
After saying that, Wang Meng walked over and stood behind Tian Li. He was afraid that Luo Wanjiang would tear up the documents in a fit of anger, which would cause extra trouble.
Luo Wanjiang, not trusting his younger siblings' eyesight, came over to check himself. The share certificates were genuine, but the signatures on them were unverifiable. Luo Wanjiang felt a chill; Lu Tiannan and the others had truly been covered up. Otherwise, how could these share certificates be in Luo Wei's hands? He muttered to himself, "Heartless and insane, five lives lost."
Luo Wei said, "Second Uncle, you're the one who's heartless and insane. These five equity transfer certificates were signed under fair, just, and reasonable circumstances, and they absolutely comply with legal procedures. If you don't believe me, there's a video recording of the signing ceremony here. Tian Li, please play it."
The projector in the conference room was turned on, and the scene of Yu Shifeng reading the transfer agreement appeared on the white screen. The guy had a look of great joy on his face, and you couldn't tell that he was being coerced or unwilling at all.
Luo Wanjiang roared, "I don't believe it! I want to call him myself!"
Tian Li picked up the cordless phone from the conference table, dialed a few numbers, and handed it to Luo Wanjiang. The call was quickly connected. Yu Shifeng was actually regretting it at this moment. Who the hell knew that the situation would change so drastically the next day? He only realized now that he had sold those shares at a loss, a huge loss. If he could have held onto them until today, they could have multiplied dozens of times. They might even have become new bargaining chips to blackmail Luo Wanjiang and Luo Wanfeng, and it wouldn't have been difficult to get a few factories back.
After hearing a "hello" from the other end, Luo Wanjiang asked in his mind, "Who are you?"
Yu Shifeng cursed, "You fucking called to ask who I am? Are you out of your mind?"
Hearing Yu Shifeng's voice, Luo Wanjiang calmed down a bit. It was good that the body hadn't been destroyed. "I am Luo Wanjiang."
Yu Shifeng's voice faltered for a moment, then he roared, "Luo Wanjiang, you're really something! You actually put the five of us under house arrest! We're not done with you yet! Don't think we can't deal with you just because we can't find any evidence. We'll see how things go!"
Luo Wanjiang shouted, "Who detained you? Explain yourself!" But the other party had already hung up the phone. Luo Wanjiang grabbed the receiver and pointed at Luo Wanfeng, saying, "Did you do this?"
Luo Wanfeng shook his head honestly; it was indeed not him who did it, but Zhang Lingfeng.
Luo Wanjiang said, "They signed the transfer contract under duress and coercion from you, so it's invalid!"
Xu Xiaoya stood up and said, "Fine, we're willing to fight this lawsuit with you. Shall we go to court now?"
Liu Heping tugged at Luo Wanjiang and whispered, "Second Brother, you still don't understand. The government is all their people. Our connections above us don't show up without the old man's orders. If we really go to court, Lu Tiannan and his gang might turn around and accuse us of putting them under house arrest. Then Luo Wanfeng could say that they rescued them, and the other party decided to sell their shares out of gratitude. In that case, we really won't have any room to maneuver."
Luo Wanjiang said indignantly, "Did I take the blame for nothing?"
Liu Heping said, "What else do you want?" Those involved are often blinded by their own perspectives. Liu Heping was an outsider, so his considerations were quite thorough.
Luo Wanjiang said, "But once we acknowledge the legitimacy of their shares, we lose our advantage. They have 20%, and we have 20%. Who decides?"
Liu Heping said, "Of course, it will be decided by a show of hands by the shareholders."
Luo Wanjiang chuckled and said, "You're still quite clever."
Luo Wanjiang looked up at Luo Wei and said, "Alright, even if your shares are valid, since we can't reach an agreement, let's have a vote by raising our hands. Those who agree to Luo Wanfeng leaving Haifeng Group, please raise your hands."