141: Chapter 141 A Symphony of Technology: Magical Reality

In Shenzhen, inside the Starbucks outside Xujiahui subway station, the scalper leader 'Old Cat' was on the phone.

'Yes, Max version, Space Gray, 8G+256G, in stock.' He lowered his voice. 'Price? 14,999, non-negotiable. We can meet this afternoon, either at Xujiahui or Lujiazui.'

Hanging up, he noted it down in his notebook: 23rd order.

Old Cat had been a phone scalper for ten years, ever since the iPhone 4 era. He had experienced all the price-gouging myths of Apple, and the rush for the Huawei Mate series. But for something like the Huaxing HX1, this was his first time seeing it.

The official website price was 6,999 yuan, and he was selling it for 14,999 yuan—more than double—yet people were still buying.

And the buyers weren't fools. His last client was a vice president at a Lujiazui investment bank who called to order right after the morning meeting. They didn't care about the extra ten thousand yuan; they cared about 'getting it first.'

'Cat Bro, sold five more units.' His underling approached. 'How much stock do we have left?'

'12 Max versions left, 30 Pro versions. We aren't taking the standard version.' Old Cat opened the inventory management app on his phone. 'Tell the guys below, hold the price of the Max version at 14,999; don't sell for anything less. The Pro version can be slightly lower, but not below 9,000.'

'Why not take the standard version? It's 4,199 on the official site, we can make money selling it for 6,000.'

'Are you stupid?' Old Cat glared at him. 'The standard version has sufficient supply; Huaxing is clearly increasing volume. If we hoard those, the price will crash in two weeks. The Max version is limited reservation, only 5,000 units a day; that's worth hoarding.'

The underling nodded, half-understanding.

Old Cat took a sip of his now-cold coffee, watching the hurried crowd outside the window. He knew this business wouldn't last—Huaxing would eventually expand capacity, crack down on scalpers, and let the market return to rationality.

But for now, it was huge profit.

His phone rang again. He glanced at the caller ID, his expression shifted slightly, and he walked to the corner to answer.

'Manager Zhang.'

'Old Cat, how many Max versions do you have?'

'12 in stock, 20 more coming next week.'

'I'll take them all. Price at 15,000, but there's a condition: help me keep an eye out for second-hand review units, especially those early engineering prototypes from digital bloggers.'

'Engineering prototypes? Those rarely leak...'

'Cut the crap. Find one, and I'll give you a 50,000 commission.'

The call ended. Old Cat stared at his phone, an ominous feeling rising in his heart.

This Manager Zhang was an executive at a domestic phone brand. What did he want with Huaxing's engineering prototypes? Teardown research? Or...

He recalled a scandal from a few years ago where a domestic phone manufacturer was exposed for buying competitors' engineering prototypes for 'reverse engineering.'

Old Cat shook his head and pushed the thought aside. He was a businessman, not a moralist. As long as he could make money, he didn't care about the rest.

But for some reason, he felt a faint unease.

Perhaps the waves Huawei was making this time were much larger than he imagined.

15:00, training video conference for Huawei's nationwide store managers.

On the screen, the face of Yu Chengnan, President of Huawei's Consumer BG, appeared on thirty thousand screens. He was 53, with graying hair, but his eyes were sharp as an eagle's.

'Good morning, store managers. Or should I say, good afternoon.' Yu Chengnan started without pleasantries. 'I know many of you watched the Huaxing launch last night and saw the sales data this morning. Now, I want you to forget that data.'

Thirty thousand stores, thirty thousand managers, listened in silence.

'Because that data isn't Huaxing's victory; it's a victory for the entire Chinese mobile industry.' Yu Chengnan's voice transmitted to every corner via the dedicated line. 'It proves one thing: Chinese consumers are willing to pay for true innovation, and Chinese brands are capable of making world-class products.'

He pulled up a chart: 'This is our internal data. From yesterday's launch to this noon, foot traffic in all Huaxing stores increased by 18%, and sales of mid-to-low-end models rose by 23% year-on-year. Why? Because Huaxing opened the door to the high-end market, making more consumers willing to walk into Chinese brand stores.'

'But that's not enough.' Yu Chengnan changed his tone. 'We cannot survive on the 'halo effect' alone. Next year, Huawei must bring out products to benchmark against the HX1. Not imitation, but benchmarking—comprehensive benchmarking in innovation, experience, and technology.'

The screen switched, showing a new product roadmap.

'In March next year, the P series will iterate, and we will use the same 'Kunlun Glass' screen as Huaxing—Spark Industry has agreed to supply it.'

'In the series iteration next year, we will use the 'Flint 3' processor—performance target is a 30% improvement over 'flint no. 2'.'

'In December next year, for the foldable flagship, we will use an upgraded version of the 'Lingxi Pen'—Huaxing has already authorized the relevant patents.'

The store managers were buzzing. This meant Huawei would gain access to the latest technology from the xinghuo system, forming a 'dual flagship' landscape with Huawei.

'But technology is just the foundation.' Yu Chengnan continued. 'Starting today, all authorized Huawei experience stores must establish an 'Innovation Experience Zone.' Staff must be able to skillfully demonstrate the 5 innovative uses of the 'Lingxi Pen'—even if we don't have this product yet.'

'Why?' A store manager asked online.

'Because we need to educate the market.' Yu Chengnan replied. 'Let consumers know that Chinese brands can do more than just hardware; we can also do interaction innovation. Make those hesitant consumers understand: choosing a Chinese brand is not settling, it's embracing the future.'

He concluded: 'I know some of you are worried about whether Huawei will become a competitor to Huawei. I tell you: yes, and no. In the market, we are competitors; in the industry, we are allies. Apple and Samsung occupy 70% of the global high-end market; we have a common enemy.'

'Therefore, starting today, Huaxing stores must not only sell Huaxing products but also promote Huaxing—promote the breakthroughs of Chinese technology. Because only when the entire industry rises can each of us truly benefit.'

The video conference ended. Thirty thousand stores, thirty thousand managers across the country began to rethink their roles.

They were no longer simple salespeople, but ambassadors of China's high-tech industry.

This shift might be more important than any technological breakthrough.

21:00, Su Chen's office.

The night view of Shenzhen spread out beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, neon lights outlining the skyline's silhouette. Su Chen stood before the window, holding a cup of tea that had already gone cold.

He had taken seventeen calls, met with six groups of people, and signed eight documents today. Huaxing's success was within expectations, but the chain reaction brought by that success exceeded them.

The president of Apple's China region called personally, inquiring about Huaxing's supply chain status with a 'polite and concerned' tone, hinting that 'if there are difficulties, Apple can provide help'—this was a probe, and also a warning.

The vice chairman of Samsung Electronics sent a congratulatory email, attached with a draft 'Memorandum of Technical Cooperation,' proposing to 'share resources' on OLED technology.

The CEO of Qualcomm was blunt on the phone: 'Mr. Su, Huaxing uses Qualcomm's baseband, and we are very happy. But we also noticed that you are self-developing power management, RF, and audio chip. I want to know, what is Huaxing's long-term strategy? To continue using Qualcomm's solutions, or are you preparing for full autonomy?'

These questions needed answers, but Su Chen was waiting for the most important call.

The phone rang. No number displayed, just a string of garbled characters.

Su Chen picked up.

'Su Chen, congratulations.' Ren Zhengfei's voice came through, steady, calm, without any emotional fluctuation. 'We have opened a gap.'

'Mr. Ren, thank you. But this is just the beginning.' Su Chen replied.

'Yes, the beginning.' Ren Zhengfei paused. 'I saw Huaxing's sales data, very good. But you must know, Apple will not sit idly by. Tim Cook should be in an emergency meeting right now, discussing how to respond.'

'We anticipated that.'

'Anticipated to what extent?' Ren Zhengfei asked. 'Anticipated that they would use political power? Anticipated that they would attack from the supply chain? Anticipated that they would lobby the America government to put xinghuo system suppliers on the Entity List?'

Su Chen fell silent. He had certainly thought of these possibilities. But thinking about them and them actually happening were two different things.

'Huawei has experienced these.' Ren Zhengfei's voice carried a hint of fatigue. 'In 2015, when we were put on the Entity List, we lost all American suppliers overnight. That night, I didn't sleep at all. Not because of fear, but thinking: if Huawei fell, how many years would China's high-tech industry regress?'

'You pulled through.'

'Because we prepared for ten years.' Ren Zhengfei said. 'From the founding of HiSilicon in 2009, we were preparing for this day. So Su Chen, I ask you now: how long has the xinghuo system been preparing?'

Su Chen thought for a few seconds: 'Materials, chip, screens—in these core areas, we have been laying the groundwork for three years. But complete supply chain autonomy will take at least two more years.'

'Two years is too long.' Ren Zhengfei said directly. 'Apple cannot wait two years, and the America government cannot wait two years either. I received word here that the America Department of Commerce is already drafting new regulations targeting 'civil-military fusion enterprises,' and xinghuo will likely be on the list.'

'Is the information reliable?'

'90%. My source is in Washington.' Ren Zhengfei did not shy away. 'Therefore, we must speed up. Huaxing's sales channels, communication patents, and global after-sales network will be fully open to Huaxing starting today. This is not cooperation, but symbiosis—you are in me, and I am in you.'

Su Chen certainly understood the weight of this proposal. Huawei had 53,000 retail stores globally, operational networks in 170 countries, and owned over 100,000 communication patents. If these resources were opened to Huawei, it meant Huawei would possess global operational capabilities overnight.

But at what cost?

'Mr. Ren, what does Huawei need?' Su Chen asked directly.

'Need technical feedback from xinghuo.' Ren Zhengfei was also blunt. 'Huawei's phones need to use xinghuo's screens, chip, and materials. Huawei's base stations need to use xinghuo's power amplifier chip and filters. Huawei's cloud computing needs to use xinghuo's AI capabilities.'

'Anything else?'

'Also, when xinghuo is sanctioned, Huawei will stand up and use our global network to transit, act as an agent, and cover for you.' Ren Zhengfei said. 'Likewise, when Huawei is sanctioned again, xinghuo must do the same.'

Su Chen understood. This was a true community of shared destiny—if one prospers, all prosper; if one suffers, all suffer.

'I agree.' He said.

'Good.' Ren Zhengfei paused. 'One last thing: stay safe. I don't just mean supply chain security, but personal safety. You, Wu Yi, Mobile Phone Product Manager, Silent Chen... you are all targets now. I suggest strengthening security, keeping travel plans strictly confidential, and protecting your families too.'

'Has it reached this level?'

'The essence of a tech war is war.' Ren Zhengfei's voice became heavy. 'And war is always cruel. Su Chen, the storm you have stirred up is larger than you imagine. Be ready to face it.'

The call ended.

Su Chen put down his phone and walked to the whiteboard. On it was drawn the architectural diagram of the xinghuo system: materials, chip, screens, cars, AI... Every sector was expanding, connecting, forming a massive ecosystem.

But this ecosystem was still fragile. Like a child who had just learned to walk, strong, but prone to falling.

He picked up a pen, drew a circle around the supply chain position, and wrote four words:

Supply chain security.

He drew another circle at the security position and wrote:

Personal safety.

Finally, at the very top of the entire diagram, he wrote:

Time.

They needed time. Time to perfect technology, time to build the industrial chain, time to cultivate talent, time to let this ecosystem truly take root.

But the opponent would not give them time.

Su Chen walked to the window, looking at the night view of Shenzhen. This city had a population of 17 million, with Tencent, Huawei, DJI, Huawei... it had the densest innovation energy in China.

But this energy was now standing in the eye of the storm.

He picked up his phone and sent three encrypted messages:

The first to Wu Yi: 'Accelerate the 'Blue Bird Project.' We need the initiative.'

The second to Silent Chen: 'Increase security level. All core personnel must be equipped with personal bodyguards.'

The third to Lin Yusheng: '100-day countdown, starts now.'

After sending the messages, he turned off the office lights but did not leave.

He stood in the darkness, watching the light outside.

Knowing where the light was, but choosing to stay in the darkness.

This was his choice, and it was the destiny of xinghuo.