Reborn as Zhao Ruilong of Handong, I will defy fate.

Chapter 289 Just want to follow the trend and imitate? Then taste the bitterness of being choked!

Cao Zhengyu beamed with joy.

He held Zhao Ruilong's hand tightly, his joy evident in his expression.

A few days ago, the annual Dragon Kingdom Electronics Exhibition grandly opened in Tianhai City.

This exhibition, which started in 1992, has become the most influential industry exhibition in China's electronics and information field after many years of development.

In previous years, Cao Zhengyu's Shenzhen Qisheng Electronics Company would rent a booth at the annual exhibition, and he would personally go to exhibit and sell his company's products.

This year, Huilong Electronics' MP3 music player quickly became a bestseller after its launch, triggering a buying frenzy that was even more frightening than the sales boom of VCDs in the past.

Since starting his business, Cao Zhengyu has always followed the path of imitation. Naturally, he quickly disassembled and studied Huilong MP3 players and successfully replicated them with his excellent imitation skills honed over many years.

only……

Technically, imitation is not too difficult.

With the sales channels they've built up over the years, it's quite easy to generate some sales volume.

However, if you want to gain widespread fame and achieve sufficient sales, you can't do without marketing and promotion.

The reason why Zhao Ruilong's Huilong MP3 player became so popular was that he spent a lot of money to advertise with China Central Television when it was first launched.

Furthermore, even though MP3 was not Zhao Ruilong's original creation, it was a product that reached its peak from the very beginning in terms of product design, software functions, and hardware performance, far surpassing the earlier-appearing Dimeng MP3 from abroad.

With its powerful marketing campaign, excellent product quality, and a pre-built music website, Huilong MP3 became an instant hit upon its launch and remains in short supply to this day. It has also quickly become an industry benchmark imitated by countless manufacturers at home and abroad.

Seeing that Huilong Electronics was selling like hotcakes both domestically and internationally, Cao Zhengyu disregarded whether it involved patent infringement and quickly took his company's imitation MP3 player to Tianhai to participate in the Dragon Kingdom Electronics Exhibition.

Unfortunately, his company's booth was right across from Huilong Electronics.

Just when Cao Zhengyu thought that his knock-off MP3 player would be like a monkey trying to wear a crown, making a fool of itself and being ridiculed, when it encountered Huilong MP3, which has many original patents and can be called an industry benchmark, Cao Zhengyu thought that his knock-off MP3 player would be like a monkey trying to wear a crown, making a fool of itself and being ridiculed.

To his utter surprise, Huilong Electronics didn't exhibit their already wildly popular MP3 music player at all. Instead, they showcased a variety of more advanced electronic products that were about to be released, such as 3G mobile phones, drones, and computers.

What Cao Zhengyu didn't expect was...

Zhao Ruilong attended the exhibition and saw Shenzhen Qisheng Electronics Co., Ltd., whose booth was right across the street. They were exhibiting MP3 players with very obvious signs of imitation, but he did not make things difficult for Cao Zhengyu.

On the contrary, at the exhibition, I talked a lot with many heads of domestic electronics companies, including Cao Zhengyu, and they never said that it was forbidden to copy or imitate Huilong MP3 and infringe on its related patents.

That's why.

After returning to Shenzhen, Cao Zhengyu immediately began arranging production and stocking up, and spent millions to invite the beautiful actress Lin Qiuya to shoot an advertisement and become the spokesperson for his MP3 product.

Now that he has unexpectedly met Zhao Ruilong, who is extremely rich and powerful but has no airs whatsoever, Cao Zhengyu no longer cares about Lin Qiuya.

Holding Zhao Ruilong's hand, I felt as happy as if I had met a close friend.

As for Zhao Ruilong...

He never expected that after he had Chen Yang book a room in advance and then secretly took a taxi to meet Chen Yang without telling the two guards, he would run into an acquaintance.

What he never expected was that Lin Qiuya, the beautiful star who had been so passionate towards him on the plane, would come to this hotel with Cao Zhengyu in the middle of the night.

I already didn't have a good impression of Lin Qiuya, and now I'm even more indifferent to her.

He thought to himself, "No wonder he's in the entertainment industry."

She can accompany both director Ye Guanghui and boss Cao Zhengyu.

However, I didn't intend to have any interaction with her. What does it matter to me how many people she's willing to be with for fame and fortune?

Zhao Ruilong quickly turned his gaze back to Cao Zhengyu and smiled slightly.

"We're quite destined to meet. It's such a coincidence that we could run into each other in such a large special economic zone as Shenzhen."

Cao Zhengyu nodded repeatedly with a broad smile.

"That's right! Since we're so lucky to have each other, how about we have a casual meal together tomorrow noon or evening? If tomorrow isn't possible, the day after tomorrow, or the day after that, you're free anytime, I can arrange it!"

Although Zhao Ruilong has never revealed his identity or background, in many people's eyes he is just the general manager of Huilong Electronics.

Cao Zhengyu, who had inquired about his background, naturally knew very well that Zhao Ruilong was the Crown Prince of Handong.

If you happen to meet such a powerful and influential person, how could you not try to curry favor with him?

Zhao Ruilong, who was in a hurry to find Chen Yang, laughed after letting go:

"Okay, let's get in touch then!"

"Okay, okay, you go first!"

Cao Zhengyu quickly stepped aside and made a gesture of invitation.

At this moment, seeing Lin Qiuya standing to the side with her bag, he suddenly remembered that he came to the hotel to experience what it was like to be served by a beautiful female celebrity.

Now that I've bumped into Zhao Ruilong by chance, should I introduce him or not?

While Cao Zhengyu hesitated, Lin Qiuya bowed slightly and took the initiative to greet him.

"Hello, Mr. Zhao."

"Hello."

Zhao Ruilong nodded slightly and walked straight to the hotel lobby.

Cao Zhengyu glanced at Lin Qiuya with some surprise.

I thought to myself, "This little star actually knows Zhao Ruilong?"

But then I thought about it.

It's perfectly normal for people in the film and entertainment industry to curry favor with the powerful and wealthy.

Taking small steps to follow Zhao Ruilong's pace, Cao Zhengyu said with a smile:

"Our company's MP3 player is about to be launched, so to promote it, I asked Lin Qiuya to shoot an advertisement and be the product spokesperson."

Zhao Ruilong smiled faintly.

He didn't care whether Cao Zhengyu and Lin Qiuya were business partners or lovers.

On the contrary, Cao Zhengyu brazenly told himself that his company's MP3 player was about to be launched.

That's fucking shameless!

They blatantly imitated their own MP3 player, infringing on multiple patents, and they even had the nerve to admit it to my face.

"Hiring celebrities to promote and hype this product shows you really value MP3 players!"

"But I seem to remember that your company's main product is a VCD player, isn't it?"

Cao Zhengyu gave a bitter smile.

"VCD players are really no good. Not only can their performance not compare to DVDs, but the industry competition is too fierce and the profits are pitifully small. If they don't switch to other products, they will only face a dead end."

Zhao Ruilong sighed as he walked:

"Sigh, this VCD player was invented by the Chinese people, how come it's become outdated in just a few years?"

Zhao Ruilong was asking a question he already knew the answer to.

He knew, of course, that before the Chinese invented VCDs, an imported DVD player cost tens of thousands of yuan.

An average person couldn't afford one even if they saved up for a year without eating or drinking.

Moreover, the DVD players back then used laser discs, which cost three or four hundred yuan each, more than many people's monthly salary.

Until 1993, a Chinese engineer engaged in television technology research went to the United States to participate in a broadcasting and television equipment exhibition and discovered MPEG video decompression technology.

He had a sudden inspiration: if this technology were combined with CD technology, wouldn't it be possible to store digital audio and video content on CDs and then play it at any time?

He quickly contacted a Chinese-American business owner, and the two swiftly collaborated on research and development. After months of dedicated work, they successfully developed the world's first VCD player.

Thanks to the use of the then-advanced MPEG video decompression technology, the image clarity was higher than that of videotapes while reducing storage capacity, and the stereo sound quality was comparable to that of CDs.

Moreover, the highly integrated structure makes the whole machine more compact and lightweight. Compared with traditional DVD players that cost tens of thousands of yuan, the price of three or four thousand yuan greatly caters to the vast number of consumers with limited economic strength.

Ever since.

The VCD player became an instant hit across the country the year after its official launch.

Even the CD market has seen a surge in activity, with many people buying or renting CDs to listen to music and watch movies at home.

The booming business naturally attracted many domestic and foreign manufacturers to imitate and research it. They soon discovered that the inventor of VCD had not applied for a patent, nor could he apply for one.

They actually buy various components, including decoding chips, from the United States and assemble them with some domestically produced components. So why be polite?

In 1995, more than a dozen companies entered the VCD player market, and the production and sales volume that year approached one million.

By the second year, there were dozens of VCD manufacturers both domestically and internationally, with an annual output of over six million units.

By 1997, hundreds of companies were engaged in the production of VCD players, with total output exceeding ten million units.

This has spurred the emergence of thousands of CD manufacturers, producing and selling over 300 million VCDs annually, with shops renting and selling CDs all over the country.

By this time, competition in the VCD player market had become fierce.

In particular, many companies that originally manufactured home appliances such as televisions and washing machines have switched to making VCD players.

They were spending a fortune on marketing and promotion, inviting celebrities to endorse their products and launching a massive advertising campaign.

On the one hand, they tried every means to reduce costs and launched a fierce price war, even at a loss, to gain publicity.

By 1998, the fierce price war had left domestic manufacturers with almost no profit.

Even worse...

A large number of foreign manufacturers, with their more advanced technology, more complete supply chains, and more well-known brand influence, launched VCDs to seize the market while secretly collaborating to develop more advanced DVDs.

Thanks to its more advanced technology, DVD completely outclasses VCD in every aspect, including picture quality, sound quality, capacity, and smoothness.

VCD players have no technological advantage to begin with, and domestic manufacturers have focused on marketing and neglected research and development in the past few years, failing to master core technologies.

Faced with the newly launched DVD players, they were unable to develop excellent similar products or obtain patent licenses, and thus fell into a predicament.

This sparked a wave of acquisitions and mergers among foreign manufacturers.

In just one year, 2000, most of China's VCD companies were either acquired, changed industries, or went bankrupt.

Some, in order to survive, had to spend exorbitant amounts on imported parts and pay patent licensing fees to switch to producing DVD players.

The VCD player, which once made money for thousands of companies of all sizes, is now priced at an outrageously low level, yet its sales are still dismal.

This is why, after Huilong MP3 became a bestseller, many manufacturers, including Cao Zhengyu's Shenzhen Qisheng Electronics Company, began to imitate it.

Of course, Cao Zhengyu couldn't refuse to answer Zhao Ruilong's question.

"Although VCD was originally created by us Chinese, the core technology was not invented by us, and the technology patents are not in the hands of us Chinese."

"In addition, our domestic manufacturers are only interested in profit, short-sighted and fight each other. They never thought of uniting to fight against foreign manufacturers, which led to their elimination by DVD."

Zhao Ruilong suddenly stopped and turned to ask:

"I heard that Sakura companies such as Sonix, Matsukatsu, and Toshiba have joined forces to form a DVD patent alliance. They control almost all the core patents related to DVDs. Is that true?"

Cao Zhengyu nodded through gritted teeth.

"Yes, they formed a patent alliance."

"And these are companies specifically targeting our Dragon Country."

"If we want to produce DVDs, the patent fee for one unit is about 200 yuan, not to mention that we also need to pay separately for the mechanism."

"Our DVD player only costs about two thousand yuan. If we have to pay so many patent fees and purchase imported mechanisms, where will we make any profit?"

Zhao Ruilong smiled coldly.

Continue walking towards the elevator.

"If we don't have core technologies in our own hands, we will truly be at the mercy of others!"

"Fortunately, when I was developing MP3 players, I was worried about being held back by others, so I not only independently developed the core technology, but also applied for patent protection."

Cao Zhengyu nodded and smiled, "That's why I say you're so wise, Mr. Zhao, you made thorough preparations in advance."

After pressing the elevator's up button, Zhao Ruilong glanced at Cao Zhengyu.

As the old saying goes, it is impolite not to reciprocate.

"Since foreign manufacturers can charge our domestic companies high royalties for DVD patents."

"Should I also collect patent royalties from them after they launch their copycat MP3 players?"

Upon hearing this, Cao Zhengyu's heart skipped a beat.

If he hadn't followed the trend of copying MP3 players, he would have unhesitatingly supported Zhao Ruilong in collecting patent royalties.

Moreover, they only charge one or two hundred yuan per unit, letting those despicable foreign manufacturers taste what it's like to be ripped off.

But now...

He himself was following the trend and imitating it.

They even hired celebrities to endorse their products and shoot commercials.

If Zhao Ruilong really wanted to charge patent royalties, wouldn't that be the death of him?

They don't have much core technology to begin with, and many of their parts are either salvaged from other machines or imported.

Let alone a hundred or two hundred yuan, even if he only charges a few dozen yuan per unit for patent usage, it's like he's working for free.

For a moment, Cao Zhengyu had no idea how to answer.

At that moment, the elevator doors opened.

Zhao Ruilong stepped into the elevator and saw Cao Zhengyu still standing there, so he smiled and asked:

"Mr. Cao, aren't you going upstairs?"

"I...I want to go."

Cao Zhengyu braced himself and stepped into the elevator.

The endorsement contract with Lin Qiuya was finalized tonight, and the hotel room was booked.

How can we be here and not experience being served by beautiful female celebrities?

However, Cao Zhengyu felt somewhat apprehensive when he thought about Zhao Ruilong's question earlier.

If he didn't follow the trend of copying MP3 players, his company wouldn't have much money to make.

However, if one wants to follow the trend and imitate it, one must use Huilong Electronics' patents.

Zhao Ruilong wants to collect patent fees. Should we pay them or not?

One of the major commitments made by China upon joining the WTO was to strengthen patent protection.

Dare not give it to me...

Zhao Ruilong didn't even need to use his powerful background connections.

All it takes is to file a lawsuit, lose the case, and be forced to stop producing MP3 players and pay a large sum of money in compensation.

But if patent fees are paid...

Wouldn't that mean I'm just working for Zhao Ruilong?

You work yourself to the bone, but in the end, you don't earn much money at all!

"Mr. Zhao, I think patent royalties should be charged. After all, your company has spent a lot of manpower, material resources and financial resources on technological research and development."

"But could we charge more to overseas manufacturers and less to domestic ones? If domestic manufacturers are also charged too much, it will be difficult for everyone to survive!"

Seeing Cao Zhengyu's forced smile, one could not hide the pleading look in his eyes.

Zhao Ruilong couldn't help but laugh.

Only by mastering core technologies and possessing independent intellectual property rights can we take control of our own destiny.

Cao Zhengyu clearly understood such a simple and obvious principle.

Instead, he was impatient and eager for quick success, and simply couldn't be patient enough to invest heavily in research and development.

So they have the money to use celebrities, but they don't want to pay royalties!

"Patent fees will definitely be collected, but I haven't figured out the specifics of how to collect them, or what to do if they are not paid."

"But...why aren't you two pressing the floor button? Are you also going to the eighth floor?"

Zhao Ruilong asked with a half-smile.

Cao Zhengyu nodded awkwardly.

Perhaps it was just fate.

As a result, the room that Cao Zhengyu had booked in advance was right next to the room that Zhao Ruilong was going to.

When Zhao Ruilong pushed open the half-closed door and entered the room, he and Chen Yang embraced tightly, and soon their passion spread like wildfire.

The situation was quite the opposite for Cao Zhengyu and Lin Qiuya next door.

"Mr. Cao, are you still able to manage tonight?"

"Why don't you have someone send some medicine over?"