The Future Material Supplier Master

Hmm, a Supplier Master!

Customers with lots of orders and prompt payments were masters—half-gods.

Suppliers with high technology, independently developed high technology, were masters too—the other half of the gods.

This was especially true in manufacturing. Suppliers who possessed proprietary high technology that no one else had were even more so, because you had no choice but to use them.

If you did not, someone else would, and your products would lose their competitive edge. End consumers voted with their feet, and sooner or later they would vote you out, sending you straight to reincarnation with no second chance.

Even wielding the power of the state to suppress them, rallying other companies to gang up on them, would be useless. End consumers could not be manipulated by the machinery of a modern state. Only countries under ancient feudal systems could manage that, because back then, they could cut off your head.

In modern countries, at most, public opinion could be manipulated. But while people might talk tough, their bodies were actually very honest.

As Zhong Wei Technology's executive vice president, Chen Xi had long grown accustomed to such matters. The emotions he had felt at the beginning, the initial helplessness, had all been tossed to the back of his mind after a while.

Chip Master, Glass Master, System Master, Design Software Master... as the culmination of electronic products, a mobile phone revolved around countless Supplier Masters.

Now there was half a Materials Master added to the mix. That was fine too.

"Next Wednesday, I'll lead a team to Nanjiang County, Nanjiang Province, for his company's opening ceremony. Discuss among yourselves who should go, put together a team, and we'll head over together then."

Chen Xi rubbed his brow as he instructed the project directors, R&D directors, procurement directors, quality directors, and other senior executives beneath him.

A stack of documents lay before him. If Zhou Feiyu had been there, he would have recognized at a glance that they were, damn it, his detailed records from childhood to the present.

Zhou Feiyu had expected people to uncover his information quickly, but he had never imagined that, right at the start, his detailed life records would already be sitting before Chen Xi, executive vice president of Zhong Wei Technology.

Chen Xi knew very well that the person before him was a young man fresh out of the gate.

But he knew even more clearly that Zhou Feiyu was a supreme expert in materials R&D and could not be taken lightly. He could not underestimate the other party just because he was young.

Chen Xi was from the island. After coming to the mainland and struggling for so many years, he had climbed step by step to the position of executive vice president at Zhong Wei Technology. Other than the Big Boss, he was the most powerful person there. That was due not only to his own ability, but also to his extensive connections and his good habit of never underestimating anyone.

Due to its geography, culture, and place in the global landscape, the island had developed technologically earlier than the mainland. Its former status as one of the Four Asian Tigers had not been undeserved.

Eagle Country passed technology to the place where the Little Country was doing well, and that place then passed it on to the island. Once the mainland rose, the island's technology naturally flowed into the mainland.

By now, the mainland had risen to challenge Eagle Country. Yet in certain fields, the island's technology remained formidable, even capable of competing with Eagle Country in specific areas.

Chen Xi came from a technical background. At first, he worked in glass and chip R&D and design, then later shifted into management. Relying on the connections he had built on the island and the mainland, he had worked for several chip manufacturers, glass manufacturers, and mobile phone ODM factories. Later, Zhong Wei Technology's boss recruited him to lead a team there, valuing precisely his experience and connections.

Chen Xi's research into optical materials was no less extensive than his research into chips and glass.

Much of the technology of mainland companies Qian Jia and Di Guang had come from the island. Only after years of development had they begun innovating and showing faint signs of surpassing island companies. Even now, many of their technologies and executives still came from the island. Chen Xi occasionally kept in touch with these people during holidays, exchanging information.

Therefore, Chen Xi knew far more than most about what had recently happened around Zhou Feiyu. For example, he knew that people from Qian Jia and Di Guang had gone to Nanjiang to find Zhou Feiyu as early as last week. That was also why, after receiving reports from his subordinates on the FY-01 test results, Chen Xi had immediately taken it seriously.

Now, Zhong Wei had already acted late. If they still failed to act—or failed to show enough resolve when they did—they probably would not get a good outcome.

"Yes, President Chen!"

The senior executives promptly answered, then filed out of Chen Xi's office.

After they left, Chen Xi sat for a while longer and approved several documents. Then he picked up the stack of materials on Zhou Feiyu and went to report the situation to Zhong Wei Technology's Big Boss, Luo Zhongwei.

Peng City, Hua Long Technology.

"Just as I expected."

Big Boss Hua Long listened to Wu Feng's report and said with a smile, "I've received some news these past few days. People from Qian Jia and Di Guang have already gone to Nanjiang to see him. Also, people from Zhong Wei Technology have been asking about him lately. I estimate they'll send people over to show their support next Wednesday as well."

Wu Feng was immediately startled. "So that's how it is."

He had realized it too late. Only now did he understand why Zhou Feiyu had not come to Peng City to negotiate with them. The man had been sitting firmly like a fisherman, waiting to sell at the highest price. Wu Feng had also been busy with project management and schedules these past few days, so his sensitivity to outside developments had inevitably dropped. Otherwise, he should have received the news long ago.

Hua Long, however, was not as excitable as him. Smoking a cigarette, he said slowly, "It would naturally be best if this investment succeeds. I think this material will soon replace King Material in the domestic market. The overseas market is harder to say. If it does not succeed, that is fine too. But at the very least, we must ensure that we can obtain materials from him and cannot be artificially restricted. That is my bottom line."

Wu Feng quickly asked, "The Dual Punch-Hole Screen project at Zhong Zheng Company and the Dual Punch-Hole Screen project we won from Oupai are both using this material. Do you think we should slow things down?"

Hua Long smiled and shook his head. "No need. Keep everything already underway moving as normal."

He understood what Wu Feng meant. At this stage, the other party had not yet risen, so they could consider using the projects to pressure him. But doing that would be more trouble than it was worth. Others were already making moves, and if they chose to play the villain now, would they not simply be making themselves a target?

As he spoke, Hua Long asked an unrelated question. "By the way, speaking of those two projects, how far along are they now?"

"Oupai's project is ready to begin development. The plan has been finalized, and mold-making and sampling are expected to begin this Wednesday. For Zhong Zheng's project, the small-batch plan has been worked out and is now going through the process. We expect to send out the materials this week..."

Wu Feng had clearly taken it seriously. He basically knew every project being handled by his subordinates like the back of his hand.

After listening carefully, Hua Long said, "Stock up more on FY-01. I estimate their production capacity will be severely insufficient for a while, so we need to prepare in advance."

Wu Feng promptly replied, "Understood, Boss. We've considered that as well. We'll stock more material, at least enough to ensure the trial-production stages of these two projects are covered."

"Mm."

Hua Long nodded, then said at last, "Here's what we'll do. For their company's opening ceremony next Wednesday, I'll arrange for Director Zhao to lead a team. You should go too, and bring Wang Wei from your team. Play the old classmates card."

Wu Feng smiled and agreed.