Zhang Yu followed Lu Haifeng to the front of the building. He wasn't much of a talker but wasn't slow on the uptake either—he knew when to play along.
At the door stood Li Gang, the first technical expert the system had dispatched. Lu Haifeng stepped forward with a warm smile and extended his hand.
"Senior Brother Li, welcome!"
Li Gang returned the handshake with a laugh.
"Haha, glad I didn't waste Director Lu's investment. I finally developed something decent."
His demeanor was calm and composed, and even his gestures were polished—perfectly normal, like a seasoned professional. The illusion was seamless.
"Let's go inside," Lu chirped. "It's hot out here. We'll talk over tea."
Inside the reception room, introductions were exchanged, and just as Lu began to pour a cup, Li Gang interrupted.
"Director Lu, let me show you the results of my recent work first—so you can enjoy your tea in peace afterward."
"Sure," Lu nodded. "Let's see it."
Li Gang turned on the projector and brought up the design documents for a new-generation smartphone.
"This is the new mobile phone based on Director Lu's concept. I handled the implementation and R&D."
Zhang Yu and Lu Haifeng listened closely. Once the presentation was finished, Lu turned to Zhang Yu.
"Manager Zhang, can we produce this?"
"No problem at all," Zhang replied confidently. "Our facility can handle it. It'll be a challenge, but one we can meet."
He added that most of the factory's existing inventory could be reused for this model.
Lu's face lit up.
"That's perfect! We'll free up some capital, too."
Most of the previously purchased materials had been acquired on payment terms. If they could be reused, the financial pressure would ease significantly.
"Director Lu, aside from opening a new mold, we only need to purchase around 20% of the remaining components," Zhang reported.
"Then let's do it," Lu decided instantly. "Let's produce and sell it ourselves—and start our mobile phone brand."
The factory was legally registered as Huaxing Technology Co., Ltd., so they didn't need to change licenses to shift from OEM to self-branding.
"How long does it take to get a sample unit ready?" Lu asked.
"Seven days," Zhang replied without hesitation. "Most of the parts are ready. With the mold opened, a prototype will be done within a week."
That was within expectation. With complete processes and procedures already in place, seven days was more than reasonable.
"Good. Let's aim for seven days," Lu said.
Zhang nodded and left to make arrangements.
Lu turned back to Li Gang.
"Is the Hongmeng OS compatible with Android apps?"
"Fully," Li Gang said. "It integrates seamlessly with all Android software and performs smoother than iOS—no lag, no memory bloat. It can also scale to all electronic devices and support 5G and IoT in the future without a rewrite."
Lu was impressed.
He reflected on what defined a true smartphone—an independent OS, customizable third-party app support, and integrated media, communication, and utilities.
The Hongmeng OS, as it stood, was powerful. But that came with risks.
If we release this now, it'll attract attention—maybe suppression. We're not strong enough to fight capital yet.
He remembered that in his past life, Huawei had re-engineered Android's base layer to eliminate lag. That project had taken thousands of top engineers and several years to complete.
"Can we optimize Android's base layer now?" he asked.
"Yes," Li Gang nodded.
"How long would it take you alone?"
"Three months."
Lu was stunned.
Three months? Alone?
Huawei had taken years, but could this guy do it solo in a quarter?
"Can we disguise the Hongmeng OS as an Android skin? Make it look like it's just a UI overlay?"
"Absolutely."
"Then do it. First, optimize the Android layer and push that. We'll call it a 'custom Android shell.'"
Li Gang looked puzzled.
"Why not just release Hongmeng now?"
Lu's smile faded slightly.
"Because if we do, we'll get swallowed alive."