418: Chapter 418: A somewhat "modest" interview

"So, do you usually spend money? Or do you have any luxuries?"

"Spend money? Of course I do. After all, isn't money earned to be spent? If it only comes in and never goes out, wouldn't that just be a penny-pincher?"

When Shen Fei said this, the group instantly became interested again. After all, the daily life of the world's richest man... it was so full of anticipation.

But the cameraman always felt something was off; he had a feeling that Shen Fei's answers might not be exactly what they had envisioned.

"Eating, taking transport, paying utility bills. Oh, right, I just bought a new TV last month. It's from our Transsion Smart Home, and the experience is very good. Plus, I could use the internal price, which saved me 300 yuan."

At this point, he immediately turned to the camera and added, "Transsion Smart Home TVs are quite good. Everyone should buy more; the experience is truly excellent."

This sentence finally made Dong Qian burst into laughter. Although she was a professional, Shen Fei being so serious really made her... it was like a turtle trying to use the restroom—she just couldn't hold it in!

Shen Fei didn't rush her; he picked up his cup, took a sip, and waited for her to finish laughing. After all, the first topic was just for small talk—he could say whatever he wanted.

"Mr. Shen, you are the most frugal person in the world, and you're the company boss. Do you really need to use the internal price to save those 300 yuan?"

"Young comrade, that's where you're wrong! Although I am the head of the company, parts procurement is all data-driven. Whether it's scrap or finished goods, there is specific data involved, and this all relates to our company's proper tax reporting. At the same time, I'd like to remind other startups here: tax evasion is a major taboo and absolutely must not be done!"

Shen Fei's demeanor was very serious, and Dong Qian quickly applauded.

"That's right. Paying taxes according to the law is every citizen's duty. In this regard, we need to learn from Mr. Shen."

After finishing this opening topic, Dong Qian composed her expression again and switched to a more formal question.

"Mr. Shen, Forbes stated in their notes that 3 trillion USD is the lowest valuation. If calculated by conventional standards, your wealth could reach between 6 trillion and 10 trillion USD. We know this number is so large that it has lost its reference value. What do you think is the meaning of wealth?"

This question was very important. Shen Fei had several answers in mind, but he still needed to synthesize them to figure out how to give an answer that best reflected his values during this positive interview.

So, he turned the question back to Reporter Dong: "Reporter Dong, do you know what the most valuable thing at Transsion is?"

"Chips, systems, screens—these things. Some have brought zero-to-one breakthroughs for the country, and others have put us back at the forefront of the world! I feel these are the roots of Transsion and also the goals you have always been striving for."

"None of those." Shen Fei shook his head.

"The most valuable thing we have is our engineers. These people have stayed at Transsion for five years, some even longer. The technology in their hands and the experience in their minds cannot be bought with money."

"For example, our Taishan Chip has gone through several iterations; each generation has been built upon the corpses of the previous one."

"When our Taishan 900 first came out, it faced enormous skepticism, but we weren't afraid because we had confidence in our technology. Because the technology was polished bit by bit by Professor Li Jiahui and the engineers on his team."

Dong Qian was unconsciously drawn into his emotions by Shen Fei, and then she subconsciously applauded. Back then, the Taishan 900 made a sudden appearance, immediately claiming the title of the world's performance king and stepping on Qualcomm.

"Forbes values me at 3 trillion USD, but I don't see it that way. This money isn't mine; it belongs to the tens of thousands of Transsion engineers. It was earned through their technology. I am just a custodian; this wealth is temporarily under my name, which doesn't mean I can squander it as I please."

"What I need to do is ensure that this money returns to where it belongs: giving back to technological innovation, giving back to basic science, and giving back to those who are truly doing research!"

Dong Qian applauded in admiration once again! If an ordinary person had said this, she might have just applauded out of professionalism, but she believed this statement from Shen Fei. Because Transsion said it, and they did it. She believed that after this report was released, it would cause a huge stir. After all, these words were very inspiring.

"So you don't think this money is yours?"

"Correct. This money belongs to society. Society concentrates resources into Transsion because Transsion can use these resources to create greater value. If Transsion can no longer create value, society will take those resources back."

When Shen Fei said this, he didn't show the worry that other entrepreneurs might have—worrying about no longer being the richest, or worrying about his money gradually decreasing. He seemed to see things very clearly; such openness was a level of maturity not typically seen at his age.

"Take banks, for example. For most people, money kept inside is just a number with fixed interest, while some choose to take out loans to achieve their goals. The money at Transsion is the same. If it's just kept in the bank, it's useless to society. But if it's placed in the right places, it turns into chips, screens, new technological breakthroughs, and those research projects in university labs that haven't had funding for 10 years."

Dong Qian applauded again and proactively brought up the question that Forbes was most looking forward to. "Then how do you view wealth distribution? Some people say the wealth gap is too large. What is your take on that?"

This question was not that simple. After all, even though the netizens hadn't been tricked, it didn't mean they didn't have any thoughts on the matter. They also wanted to know exactly how Shen Fei viewed this issue. During the voting session for questions before the live broadcast, this question had been voted number one with the highest number of votes.

Shen Fei knew what this question meant, so he thought for a moment and, combining his past experience, spoke about it simply.

"The widening wealth gap is a fact. This is a very normal issue in every country, and it is also an issue waiting to be solved. However, I don't believe there will be a solution in the short term. This issue can only be left to time; we must trust the wisdom of future generations."

"Furthermore, the way to solve the wealth gap isn't just by making the poor rich; the fundamental way to make the poor rich is through technology. Technology brings about an increase in productivity, and productivity brings about wage growth... Once people have money, they can consume. After all, everyone works for a better life; that is the normal cycle. Everything we do is based on technological breakthroughs, which is why we have money."

"If you want to ask me how I view the wealth gap, I would say that staring at the numbers is meaningless; staring at technology is what matters. Take industrial valuation, for example: if this 3 trillion in wealth can drive income growth for 1 million people, then this 3 trillion is worth it. If it is only kept in the bank to earn interest, then it has no meaning at all."

Meanwhile, in another conference room, some people were also watching this recording. Hearing Shen Fei say this, they nodded silently!

A moment later, a voice came from the quiet conference room: "Old Zhang found a good son-in-law!"