Marketing Manager Bai Qiwen frowned as he stared at the report in his hand. After a long pause, he stood up slowly and made his way toward the general manager's office on the second floor, the report clutched tightly.
"Knock, knock, knock." He tapped lightly on the door. Moments later, a young man's clear voice rang out from inside: "Come in!"
Pushing the door open, Bai Qiwen saw a young man in a crisp white shirt, his neatly parted hair lending him a sharp air. Bai immediately addressed him, "Boss Xu!"
The man, Xu Shenxue, set his pen down and smiled. "Old Bai, come in and take a seat."
Stepping forward, Bai Qiwen placed the folder carefully on the desk. "Boss Xu, here is last month's sales report," he said.
"According to the data, our total sales across all mobile phone models last month exceeded 45,000 units. However, that marks a 1.3% drop from the previous month and a 7.5% decline compared to the same period last year. Gross profit margins have also narrowed further. The situation… is grim."
Xu Shenxue took the folder, quickly scanning its contents. His brow furrowed slightly. "It seems the competition in the market is even fiercer than I expected."
Setting the report aside, he said decisively, "Inform all department managers that we'll hold a meeting at 2 PM."
After Bai Qiwen left, Xu Shenxue leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes. No one could tell that the man sitting there was no longer the same person.
Xu Shenxue had originally been an ordinary man from Earth. After a drunken mishap, he'd found himself transported to this unfamiliar world—one that resembled Earth but wasn't quite the same. Now, he inhabited the body of a second-generation company heir, the same-name owner of a struggling mobile phone business.
The company, Weiku Electronics, was on the brink of collapse.
After the original Xu Shenxue's father had died in a car accident earlier that year, the freshly graduated young man had hastily taken over the reins. But inexperience, cutthroat competition in the knockoff phone market, and pressure from branded competitors with low-cost models had driven the company into a downward spiral. Exhausted and overwhelmed, the original Xu Shenxue had collapsed and died from overwork.
And so, Xu Shenxue of Earth had taken his place.
However, he wasn't overly concerned about the company's current predicament. Because he had a secret weapon—a system.
Half a month ago, shortly after arriving in this world, Xu Shenxue had activated the Scientific Research System.
The system's rules were straightforward. Achievement points could be earned by accomplishing various milestones, including business achievements, fame, and other successes. Additionally, a fixed amount of 100 achievement points was granted every month.
These achievement points could be spent to enhance his physical fitness or exchanged for scientific research quotas. According to the system's pricing, a D-level quota cost 10 points, while a C-level quota cost 100 points.
These quotas could be used to enhance the skills and research capabilities of his company's employees. Better yet, the quotas could be retracted at any time, eliminating the risk of trained talent leaving or betraying him.
Xu Shenxue had realized the potential immediately. With this system, he could turn ordinary technicians into key technical staff, transform key staff into experts, and elevate experts into world-class innovators.
The vision was clear: a team of top-notch researchers developing cutting-edge technologies, propelling Weiku Electronics—and himself—to the pinnacle of the high-tech industry.
Beyond that, the possibilities were limitless. From dominating high-end industries to expanding globally, leveraging overseas resources, creating wealth, and benefiting society at large.
But all that was far in the future. Right now, Xu Shenxue's immediate priority was keeping Weiku Electronics afloat. The company had to strengthen and expand its knockoff mobile phone business before any ambitious dreams could materialize.
After all, even with the system's help, research and development required funding.
At 2 PM, sunlight streamed into the second-floor conference room of Weiku Electronics' administrative building. As per routine, senior executives filtered in, taking their seats around the large table.
At precisely 2:01, the door opened, and all eyes turned toward it. Xu Shenxue, dressed in black casual slacks and a white shirt, a black leather-strap watch gleaming on his wrist, walked in with calm confidence.
He scanned the room briefly before nodding. "No need to stand," he said, though the executives rose to their feet out of respect. Only after Xu Shenxue took the main seat at the table did everyone sit down.
Looking around the room, Xu Shenxue saw the key figures of Weiku Electronics—the department heads of Finance, R&D, Marketing, Human Resources, Production, and Administration.
He picked up a teacup, took a slow sip, and began. "Let's get started."
"As you all know, our sales figures last month were disappointing. Growth continues to decline, and profit margins have fallen further." He glanced around to gauge their reactions. "This marks the fourth consecutive month of decline in both sales and profits. We can't let this continue. We must find a way to reverse the trend."
"You are the backbone of this company. If anyone has ideas, now's the time to speak up."
The room fell silent. Finally, Marketing Manager Bai Qiwen spoke up.
"Mr. Xu, our problem lies in the lack of differentiation. Our phones don't stand out in terms of functionality, appearance, or price compared to our competitors in Huaqiangnan. This leaves us at a disadvantage."
He sighed. "If we could establish even a slight edge in these areas, I could persuade distributors to expand their reach and even open new channels. But right now…" Bai shook his head. "Existing channels barely hold on because of long-standing relationships. Distributors are constantly demanding price cuts. If this keeps up, both sales and profits will keep falling."
R&D Manager Xie Jianyong chimed in. "Homogeneity is inevitable. Everyone uses the same chipset solutions, and core component prices are public knowledge. Pricing differences are negligible."
He continued, "As for features and design, we've launched innovative products before, but Huaqiangnan's pace is ruthless. The moment we release something new, competitors copy it within days. It's almost impossible to maintain an advantage for long."
"That said, my team understands the company's struggles. We'll work overtime to develop differentiated designs and functions. And we'll monitor the Huaqiangnan market closely, ensuring we can respond quickly to emerging trends."
Bai nodded, his approval clear. In a market like Huaqiangnan, speed was everything.
Other managers began contributing suggestions. The discussion veered toward improving efficiency in tracking competitors, accelerating product iteration, and refining what they called "independent micro-innovation"—small, rapid improvements to stay competitive.
Bai proposed dispatching more marketing specialists to increase market investigations and ensure first-hand intelligence on competitors' new products. He also suggested enhancing rewards for marketing staff to boost their enthusiasm and effectiveness.
Xie applied to expand the R&D department, requesting the recruitment of specialists in fields like software and industrial design to accelerate product development.
After listening attentively, Xu Shenxue coughed lightly to draw their focus.
"Your ideas are excellent," he began, "especially the proposals to strengthen marketing and R&D. These will be critical moving forward."
Pausing, he leaned forward, his gaze steady. "Let me share my thoughts."