Random Chapters of MTL Novel

February 1st, Wednesday...

Pei Qian had just completed the settlement yesterday. Today, he was filled with fighting spirit as he prepared to start the loss-making project for the next cycle.

Of course, the main reason was because he had been staying at home for a week during the Chinese New Year holiday. He had rested well and his Personal Wealth had reached a peak. That was why Pei Qian was so proactive.

Pei Qian planned to go to Otto Technologies today.

The previous Otto Technologies was mainly responsible for two main tasks: first, the new system of Otto Technologies' cell phones, including better linear animation, photography algorithms of the imaging laboratory, AEEIS smart assistant, and so on. Second, it had a Fully-Automated Smart Bickering Machine which was selling well.

However, the results of Chang You's previous work would definitely be satisfying to himself.

One had to know that Otto Technologies had already made a popular cell phone brand, Otto E1. It was selling very well and had opened up a certain level of popularity.

This cell phone was a high-end positioning system from the beginning. That was why its success was so rare.

After all, most cell phone manufacturers had to slowly figure out the price, build up the materials, and build up their reputation if they wanted to reach the high-end. It might take a few more models or a few years before they could slowly establish the price level of the flagship model. What's more, if there was a single problem in between, all of their previous efforts would be wasted.

Otto Technologies, on the other hand, had been established as a high-end cell phone from the very beginning. It was equivalent to being born at the end of many cell phone brands.

It did not matter how much the sales volume was. They could make money anyway. As long as someone bought it, that would be enough!

It was impossible to expect more for a newly established cell phone brand.

Thus, Chang You was eager to improve and achieve greater success.

Pei Qian was very clear about this as well. That was why he had been suppressing Chang You, making him work in the imaging laboratory and the system. He had released a new cell phone for an entire year.

Now, the work that Pei Qian had assigned to Otto Technologies had been completed. He had to assign Chang You a new task.

If Pei Qian did not do anything about it, Chang You would definitely follow his own judgment and continue developing based on his ideals. With Otto E1's success, he would probably make a huge profit.

Thus, Pei Qian had to set up a task to mislead Chang You so that Otto Technologies' new product would not succeed!

...

"Boss Pei, you're here!"

Chang You looked smug as he welcomed Pei Qian into the conference room.

Obviously, Chang You had been waiting for Boss Pei to arrive to give Otto Technologies a new task.

He could not wait to show off his skills.

Pei Qian sat down in the conference room while Chang You took a small box and sat down opposite him.

"Boss Pei, this is the custom-made mouse that you instructed me to make. The sample has been made."

"Oh? Oh." Pei Qian reached out to take it. It was only then that he remembered that he had arranged for Chang You to make this little thing.

Strictly speaking, this was not a product of Otto Technologies. It was just a small periphery that they got original equipment manufacturers to make.

The main thing was that Pei Qian had to find something for Otto Technologies to do after the development of the Fully-Automated Intelligent Bickering Machine was completed. It was so that they would not create new accidents.

This matter was relatively insignificant thus, Pei Qian did not keep it in mind and almost forgot about it. Pei Qian finally remembered about it now that Chang You had taken out the finished product.

He opened the box and found a standard-sized mouse inside.

The mouse was pure white on the exterior. There was a LED light belt in the middle. It looked more technological.

Chang You said, "Boss Pei, let me introduce its functions to you."

"This is the 'Definitely No Overtime Mouse' that you want. It can be used normally like other wireless mouses during working hours. What's more, it has lithium batteries inside, not ordinary batteries such as number five or seven. It can last longer."

"In addition to prolonging the time and having a certain weighting effect, lithium batteries are stronger and more dynamic for the mouse!"

"Once it's time to knock off, it will take on another form, just like this."

Chang You adjusted on his cell phone as he spoke.

The mouse on the conference table suddenly changed form!

The LED light belt on its back turned from blue to red, and a small tail stuck out from the end. The left and right keys on the front were originally covered on the mouse, but now, they stood upright like the mouse's ears.

"No one can catch it in this form."

Chang You extended his hand towards the mouse on the table as he spoke.

However, the mouse suddenly moved horizontally and dodged Chang You's hand the moment his hand reached out!

Chang You reached out again but the mouse dodged!

No matter how hard Chang You tried, the mouse was always one step ahead of him. It moved around on the desktop, randomly running around, but could not be caught.

Obviously, there was a sensor on the back of the mouse. There was a small wheel under the mouse. Once it felt someone approaching it, the small wheel would quickly move away.

Chang You continued, "Of course, we cannot rule out the possibility that someone is exceptionally gifted and can catch it at lightning speed. At that time, it would activate the 'cicada shedding from its shell' program and escape from its claws. It would then send an alarm to you!"

Chang You carefully avoided the sensor behind the mouse and grabbed it!

However, the mouse made a clicking sound immediately after. A certain mechanism within it seemed to be activated. The dark blue mouse's main body separated from the white outer shell and escaped again.

At the same time, two eyes on the front of the mouse began to glow red. Chang You's cell phone on the table received a notification.

Chang You changed the time on his cell phone to non-work time.

The flashing red cursor returned to normal. Chang You put the outer layer back into its original state.

"Boss Pei, you can set the working hours and monitor all the mice that are bound to the application. You will have the highest authority."

Pei Qian was elated. "Not bad! I'm very satisfied with this!"

"Produce as much as you can, and make sure all the departments have them!"

Pei Qian had not thought so much about it before this. He had only wanted Otto Technologies to find something to do to get an original equipment manufacturer to make a mouse that would make the employees not work overtime. He had not expected it to be so novel!

While there were very few people working overtime in the various departments now, it was always better for Boss Pei to take more precautions.

Pei Qian placed the mouse back into the box and expressed his approval of Chang You's work.He then sipped his tea and asked about Otto Technologies' current situation.

Chang You said confidently, "Boss Pei, Otto Technologies is doing well on the whole!"

"Otto E1's current sales volume is basically negligible. We have also stopped production long ago. After all, this is a cell phone from a year ago. We have always followed the principle of 'never lowering prices', so very few people would buy it at its original price."

"However, that doesn't matter because most of the inventory has been cleared. This cell phone can be considered to have died of old age."

"We will not reduce the price of the cell phone. It might affect the sales volume at the end of its life but it has also earned us a good reputation from old users. On one hand, it is because they feel that the cell phone is very valuable. On the other hand, it is because we have been continuously updating the system, making them feel that they are being valued."

"And this reputation has laid a solid foundation for our new cell phones!"

"As for the Intelligent Bickering Machine, it's selling very well at the moment. It's a very popular product in the field of smart speakers, echo wall, and even in the field of art and decorations."

"So, Boss Pei, E1 has been released for a year. It's almost time to release the new cell phone, right?"

Chang You's eyes were filled with anticipation.

Pei Qian sipped his tea silently and nodded reluctantly. "Yes, it's almost time."

"What ideas do you have for new cell phones?"

Pei Qian's plan was the same as before. He would ask Chang You what he wanted to do first, and then guide him in the wrong direction.

Chang You said confidently, "This is what I think, Boss Pei."

"Otto E1 is a very successful cell phone. Gamers have basically accepted its weight and price as its shortcomings."

"To summarize the experience, I think a very important factor would be for E1 cell phones to use more mature supply chain technology. Therefore, even though we are a new manufacturer, we've controlled the quality of the cell phones to be pretty good."

"Therefore, I think that we should continue to develop Otto E2 cell phones on the basis of the E1 cell phone, maintaining its characteristics. We should make some minor updates on the cell phone's chip and camera module. We just have to ensure that the configuration is not lower than other flagship models."

"Our market share is still very low after all. Our top priority now is to protect our basic users and slowly expand into the mainstream market. We cannot sell too many."

Pei Qian shook his head silently. "I don't think so."

Chang You did not expect Boss Pei to reject his proposal so easily. He thought that he must have made some serious mistakes in the judgment of the situation and quickly listened carefully.

Pei Qian considered for a moment and said, "The key to the success of E1 cell phones was that surprise and extraordinary! It immediately made consumers' eyes light up once it was released at the news conference. That was why it sold so well."

"If we just do some regular updates, change the chip, and change the camera module, would it still give everyone a refreshing feeling even though the cost would be reduced and has a small risk?"

"If no one thinks that it is unique and has obvious differences from other cell phones, why would anyone buy it again?"

Chang You was stunned. He felt that what Boss Pei said made sense.

"Boss Pei, in your opinion... What should we do with this cell phone then?"

Chapter 861: Smart Fitness Drying Rack

Pei Qian pondered for a moment. One of the important factors in the success of Otto E1 was the mature design of many supply chains. The quality control of the cell phone was guaranteed. In addition, it only held up the high-end cell phone's reputation with additional services such as no repair.

What about the opposite now?

Wouldn't he be unable to guarantee the quality control if he only used the immature designs on the supply chain?

Of course, Pei Qian did not intend to scam consumers. If the quality was not good enough, he would just change it and not fix it. If not, he would give more compensation. At the same time that the cost of selling Otto Technologies rose, its reputation would become worse, and its sales would decrease. That would cause a chain reaction...

Wouldn't that be a win-win situation?

Thus, after some consideration, Pei Qian asked, "What are the latest technologies in the supply chain?"

Chang You pondered for a moment and said, "The latest technology... should be a full screen display technology and a pop-up camera. This should be the mainstream plan for next year. From what I know, Shenhua and other large cell phone manufacturers have plans to develop similar models."

"However, a full screen display would also bring certain problems. For example, the cell phone's weight would increase, the cost would increase, the waterproof performance would be worse, the heat dissipation would be worse, the quality of the cell phone would be lower, and so on. The only benefit would be that the front side of the cell phone would be a full screen with a nicer appearance."

"Therefore, these large brands would not consider using full screen display as a flagship model or for volume sales."

Pei Qian nodded. "Yes, this is not bad. This is it!"

Of course, Pei Qian had predicted the development of cell phones.

Full Screen Displays were definitely a trend for future development. Before perfect full screen displays could be mass-produced, water droplets camera, bangs camera, pinhole camera and pop-up cameras would definitely exist as alternatives for a long time.

The pop-up camera would become popular for a short period of time, but it would soon be replaced by water droplets camera and pinhole camera.

Of course, some flagship models with 3D structural light would adopt bang cameras, but it obviously had nothing to do with Otto Technologies, which did not have much technical reserves.

He might have decided on the pop-up camera but there was still a high chance of success for the conventional pop-up camera. Pei Qian had to think of another way to be more safe.

" where exactly is the camera going to pop-up according to current plans?" Pei Qian asked.

Chang You immediately answered, "Of course it's on top, Boss Pei. It's usually arranged near the top of the cell phone. Some are on the left, some on the right, and some in the middle. The structure and the layout of the cell phone would naturally differ, but not too much."

Pei Qian nodded. "En... We can't be like them since everyone else is putting it on the top."

"How about this? We'll take the side!"

"Make it on the left side of the cell phone!"

Chang You was stunned. "Huh?"

It was indeed a relatively common plan to make a pop-up camera in the upper left corner of the cell phone. However, the upper left corner of the cell phone was on the short side and was ejected vertically. However, Boss Pei wanted to make it on the long side and to pop up horizontally!

That was too strange!

Of course, this position was not too ridiculous. That was because the lower half of the cell phone was not suitable to be used as a pop-up camera. It would be easily blocked by the hand and could only be used as the upper half of the cell phone.

However, ordinary people would definitely do it on the top, right? How could they do it on the side!

It would look like a ridiculous number "7" when the camera pops up.

Chang You hesitated for a moment and said, "Boss Pei, wouldn't it be asymmetric if we set up a pop-up camera at this location? It might look ugly, right?"

Pei Qian remained silent for a moment. "Asymmetrical? Hmm... you can add another camera in the upper right or lower left corner to make a symmetrical shape."

Chang You: "???"

What the f*ck! Two pop-up cameras!

Chang You said it was asymmetrical mainly because he felt that he should move the camera to the middle. It would at least look more beautiful no matter whether it was the middle of the upper side or the middle of the left side.

Yet, Boss Pei actually understood it as a symmetry between two pop-up cameras?

Wasn't this a joke!

It was a good cell phone, but there were too many pop-up cameras. What was the use of making so many pop-up cameras!

Chang You said, "That's definitely not appropriate..."

Pei Qian waved his hand. "Just do it in the position I mentioned. Alright, this design is set. You can think about the other details yourself."

Chang You opened his mouth, but he did not say anything seeing how determined Boss Pei was.

Obviously, there was a deeper meaning in Boss Pei's words. It was not appropriate to ask more now since it was better to figure it out for himself.

Pei Qian continued, "Apart from developing cell phones, I have another project for you. This project requires you to work closely with Deposit Fitness and Shang Yang Games to complete."

Chang You naturally placed great importance when he heard that the project required three departments to work together. He temporarily put the matter of the cell phone aside. "Boss Pei, please speak."

Pei Qian said, "We're going to develop an intelligent fitness equipment. You'll be in charge of finding a substitute factory and creating a product design. The Deposit Fitness will be in charge of providing technical support. At the same time, it can be used as a display store. Shang Yang Games will be in charge of developing games that match the fitness equipment."

Chang You was stunned. He quickly asked, "Boss Pei, what is this smart fitness equipment?"

Pei Qian said, "Smart fitness drying rack."

Chang You: "Huh?"

What the f*ck was this smart fitness drying rack!

Chang You would have thought that Boss Pei was joking with him if not for Boss Pei's serious expression.

As for why Pei Qian emphasized that the three departments should work together...

That was because he realized that the more departments he used for a project, the more resources and budget he could use!

It was just like developing Mission and Choice. If it was just a game project or a movie project, he would only be able to spend the money for one department. However, he was able to spend more money than both of his budgets combined if he were to make a game and a movie!

What's more, Pei Qian had already discovered that even if he only allowed one department to be in charge of one project, it would not be able to stop them from suddenly joining forces.

If that was the case, the damage would be even greater because Pei Qian had not been on guard. He could not tell when he would be stabbed.

Since that was the case, why not let many departments develop new projects together from the beginning and take the initiative to arrange for them to work together? The entire development process of the project could be monitored in real time. That way, he wouldn't be stabbed in the back for no reason, right?

Wouldn't he be three times happier if the three departments spent more than three times the budget on a failed project?

Chang You asked, "Boss Pei, the smart fitness drying rack you mentioned... what exactly is it?"

Pei Qian cleared his throat and said, "Family fitness has always been very important. Going to the gym might be more effective but for most people who are relatively more homely, going all the way to the gym is a rather troublesome thing. It's very difficult to persevere."

"We can develop a family fitness product that can help us expand the product line of our fitness industry since we have Deposit Fitness now! It would fit the concept of 'Tengda Life' at the same time."

"The most fatal problem with the current family fitness products is that they easily become drying racks. No treadmill, elliptical, spinning bicycle, nor a bench press, can escape the fate of becoming drying racks."

"This actually highlights a very critical user requirement. Think about it, why would users use these fitness equipment as drying racks? Is it because they are lazy? Don't they want to train?"

"Not necessarily."

"I think the more important reason is that they don't have enough space to dry their clothes at home! If they have enough space to dry their clothes, why would they hang their clothes or bed sheets on the fitness equipment?"

"Therefore, this is a very important customer requirement."

"The customers who buy these fitness equipment actually have two requirements: the first is fitness; the second is drying clothes. However, the traditional fitness equipment actually did not meet both requirements well!"

"Therefore, we have to solve this problem for our clients!"

"We'll design our fitness equipment with a drying clothes function. This way, our products would be more practical than ordinary fitness equipment!"

"Among all household fitness equipment, our products are the best for drying clothes; among all drying racks, our products are the only ones with fitness functions."

"This is the core competitiveness of a smart fitness drying rack! What's more, I can foresee that such products will not appear in the market for a long time to come!"

"Users would feel that it's a pity, if they were to buy a fitness equipment which ended up as a drying rack, and would not recommend others to buy it. However, if they were to think about it the other way, they would be able to use it to work out normally. That would be worth every penny!"

Chang You blinked, stunned.

Boss Pei was a genius in logic!

This was just like the joke: it would be very bad if one were to smoke while reading. However, it would instantly become inspirational if one were to read while smoking.

If the fitness equipment was reduced to a drying rack, people would feel that they were losing money. However, if the drying rack was used to exercise normally, they would instantly feel that they were making a killing!

However, the more he thought about it, the more he felt that something was amiss...

Chang You pondered for a moment and asked, "Boss Pei, why did you make this device intelligent? What kind of game do you think Shang Yang Games would develop with it?"

Pei Qian fell silent for a short while.

He had never thought about these two problems before. He simply felt that this could raise the price and reduce sales. There was no special plan.

A home fitness equipment was not of much use to begin with. It would be easy to eat dust and take up space. It would be useless even though he increased the manufacturing cost of smart equipment. On top of that, the game's cost...

He would definitely incur losses!

However, he could not tell Chang You this reason.

Pei Qian could only pretend to be deep in thought as he said, "I'll need the three departments to think about this problem together."

Chapter 862: Gaming Shoulder Keys Phone

Chang You quickly gathered the core employees of the design department for a meeting after sending Boss Pei off.

The new cell phone was the most important thing for Otto Technologies to develop. Whether they could continue the success of Otto E1 would depend on the design this time. They dare not neglect it.

Everyone arrived in the conference room in no time.

Chang You looked around at everyone. These core employees were obviously filled with enthusiasm.

They had received many year-end bonuses after all. They had already rested for a long time during the Chinese New Year holiday. Everyone was rubbing their hands together, wanting to make a name for themselves.

"First, I have good news for everyone. We are finally going to make a new cell phone!"

Everyone looked excited and expectant.

"However..." Chang You changed the topic." Boss Pei made some requests for the new cell phone. "

Everyone nodded, taking it for granted.

After all, the success of Otto E1 previously could not be without Boss Pei's guidance. Everyone felt more at ease now that Boss Pei had made a request.

Chang You said, "Boss Pei wants us to use the full screen display with a pop up camera and use as many new technologies as possible in the supply chain. What's more... the location of the pop up camera will be rather special..."

Chang You briefly explained Boss Pei's request, and emphasized the location of the camera.

Everyone exchanged confused looks.

Many cell phone manufacturers were using full screen displays with pop up cameras. However, the pop up camera of all the models that were still being developed were at the top.

What did it mean to be on the top left of the horizontal border?

Chang You's expression was serious. "Therefore, the main purpose of today's meeting is to analyze Boss Pei's intentions and determine the design plan for the new cell phone."

"At the moment, Boss Pei has been vague about some of the details of this cell phone. He has only repeatedly emphasized the location of the pop up camera. I think this should be the main point."

"Little Jiang, you're in charge of the design. Tell me your opinion first."

Little Jiang came with his laptop. He had already quickly drawn a simple picture in the software.

He frowned slightly and said, "First of all, the shape of the camera is more unique and recognizable than the cell phones with cameras that pop up from the top."

"Users usually hold the bottom half of their phones when they use their phones. The position of this camera will not be blocked by their hands. What's more, most people use their right hand when taking selfies. The angle of the selfies is also very suitable. There won't be a situation where the camera is placed below and takes a picture of their nostrils. Whether it's held horizontally or vertically, the photos taken should be better looking..."

"On top of that, the camera module on the back would definitely be in the middle of this position. The back would also look more beautiful."

"However, these reasons are not very sufficient. Boss Pei must have had some very important considerations since he specifically emphasized that the pop up camera was to be placed in this position."

Little Jiang said a few points from the camera itself, but it was obvious that these reasons were not sufficient.

He looked at Chang You. "Boss Chang, did Boss Pei say anything else about the camera?"

Chang You thought hard about what Boss Pei had said before.

All of a sudden, he recalled a detail that he had neglected previously. "That's right! I hinted to Boss Pei previously that it would be strange to place it in this position. Do you want to be symmetrical? In other words, to place the camera in the center."

"In the end, Boss Pei misunderstood. He actually said that he could add a camera in the upper right or lower left corner and make it look symmetrical! However, this plan is too ridiculous, so Boss Pei must be joking."

Little Jiang frowned slightly. "Top right or bottom left..."

He quickly operated the laptop and added a pop-up camera above the long right side of the cell phone and below the long left side to see the effect.

"After adding it to the upper right corner, the entire cell phone became T-shaped. I can't see anything special about it."

"If you add it to the bottom left corner... Eh, Boss Chang, look at these two pop-up cameras. Do they look like two shoulder keys?"

Chang You looked at Little Jiang's computer screen and saw that there was a square-shaped protrusion on the top and bottom of the long left side on the prototype of the cell phone. If he looked at the cell phone horizontally, it was exactly like two shoulder keys.

The design of the shoulder key was a standard design on the handle of the controller used for mainframes.

According to the standard usage method of the controller, the shoulder key and trigger key were pressed by the index finger of both hands. In racing games, it was usually the accelerator and the brake. In shooting games, it was usually to aim and shoot. It was a very important key.

Chang You suddenly had an idea. "Could it be that Boss Pei is hinting for us to make two triggers to develop a mobile game cell phone?"

"You mean to combine the pop up camera and the trigger key?"

"That's not right. He sounded like he was joking when he said that. What's more, he did not emphasize that we have to make two pop-up cameras."

"What's more, no matter what, making two pop-up cameras is meaningless."

Little Jiang said, "Boss Chang, this is obviously a hint from Boss Pei!"

"The mechanical structure takes up too much space. One camera is enough. It would be meaningless to make two. However, the reason why Boss Pei mentioned this is obviously because he wants to create such a 'symmetrical design'!"

"Boss Chang, do you think this design will work? The pop up camera will still be on the top of the long side. At the same time, we'll make it into the right trigger. At the bottom of the long side, we'll make a left trigger key."

"This pop-up camera would only pop up in a few scenarios such as selfies and video conversations. In other scenarios, it would shrink back and only protrude a little. It would exist as a trigger button that could be pressed."

"The left trigger will not be a pop-up camera. It feels the same as the right trigger button. It is wider than the other physical buttons and is protruding. You can press it. The rebound is strong and the buttons are longer. It can give players the best gaming experience."

Chang You nodded in realization. "In other words, this cell phone is a game cell phone with two physical trigger buttons?"

Little Jiang nodded. "That's right. What's more, many points would be strung together if you did that!"

"Our cell phones have to use the flagship microchips and piles of materials to the extreme. The battery capacity is also much larger than ordinary cell phones. It would be a serious waste to use such good performance to surf the web and chat. We definitely have to use it to play games."

The others in the conference room were inspired and began to speak freely.

"That's right! The key problem with a popup camera is that the quality of the camera will not be particularly high, and male users who like to play games do not particularly care about this. This means that the proposal for a pop up camera is more suitable for gaming cell phones."

"That's right. The cell phone's screen will definitely change from the traditional 16:9 to 19:9 or 19.5:9 since we're using a Full Screen Display technology. That means the entire screen will become wider. For horizontal screen players, the view will be wider. This is also an advantage from traditional cell phones."

"I think there's another key point. What is Tengda's core business? It's a game!"

"When the time comes, we can link up with Tengda Games or Shang Yang Games to develop a racing or shooting mobile game. For example, the mobile version of The Lonely Desert Road or Ocean Stronghold. Then, we can make a special optimization for our cell phones... Wouldn't that show our advantage?"

Chang You nodded repeatedly.

Yes, yes!

No wonder Boss Pei placed the pop up camera in this position. It was to remind us to make two shoulder keys!

The pop-up camera had a mechanical structure to begin with. Using this mechanical structure to make a physical shoulder key that was specially used for games could be considered as making the best use of it. It was more worth it than other cell phones that made pop-up cameras.

As for the left shoulder key, it did not have to be as big as the pop-up camera even though it also had a mechanical structure. Thus, it would not take up too much space. It was completely acceptable.

The flagship chip, coupled with the full screen display and other details, would definitely significantly improve the players' gaming experience.

Chang You was elated. "That's right! Boss Pei must be thinking that way!"

"Let's follow this train of thought and perfect the details!"

Everyone was no longer as confused as before with a clear direction. They began to discuss the remaining details of the cell phone.

"Since we've decided to make a game cell phone, why don't we make it look cool? I think the back cover can be made with a mecha style with LED lights. After all, E1 also has LED lights. It can be considered a continuation of tradition."

"The battery capacity must be bigger. The fast charging technology seems to have been upgraded recently. We can use it."

"The new fingerprint technology might not be very useful, but I'll add it to increase the feeling of advancement in technology."

"We have to have a dual speaker when playing games."

"Move the charging port and earphones to the center of the right side of the cell phone so that it won't block your hand when playing games across the screen."

"Put the power and sound keys on the right side of the cell phone as well, so that the two shoulder keys can be used."

"Since the players are already used to the weight of our cell phones, and we need a large battery, we don't have to make a protruding rear camera. This way, the looks of the entire cell phone can be improved."

Everyone started talking at once. Soon, they had a rough design plan for the cell phone.

The general direction of this cell phone was very clear even though there were still many details to consider.

Little Jiang quickly recorded the key points of everyone's discussion as he listened.

Chang You was elated. "Alright, we'll decide on this plan then! Everyone, start preparing immediately!"

"Now that I think about it, Boss Pei has foresight. He sees much farther than me."

"Previously, I wanted to make this cell phone based on E1's success. However, it seems like I was too conservative."

"I have a feeling that the new cell phone created according to Boss Pei's plan will definitely be a huge success!"

Chapter 863: The Structure of the Fitness Drying Rack

After finalizing the rough research and development plan for the new cell phone, Chang You called the person-in-charge of Deposit Fitness, Guo Licheng, and the person-in-charge of Shang Yang Games, Wang Xiaobin, respectively. He asked them to come to Otto Technologies to discuss the smart fitness drying rack.

Initially, Ye Zhizhou had been in charge of Shang Yang Games when it was developing new games. However, Ye Zhizhou had gone to Los Angeles for a business trip and had just ended his break. What's more, he had to make a trip to Los Angeles to take a break. Thus, Wang Xiaobin was temporarily in charge of the research and development of Shang Yang Games.

This smart fitness drying rack sounded a little ridiculous but Chang You did not dare to neglect it.

It was a key job that Boss Pei had personally instructed him after all. What's more, it was a joint operation of three key departments. This might affect Boss Pei's future industrial layout. He might be blamed if it was not done well.

The competition between the various departments was so intense now. Chang You did not want Otto Technologies to drag him down since he would lose face as the person-in-charge.

...

Guo Licheng and Wang Xiaobin arrived in the afternoon.

Chang You led the two of them to the guest room and briefly explained Boss Pei's instructions about the smart fitness drying rack.

Guo Licheng and Wang Xiaobin looked at each other and saw confusion in each other's eyes.

What kind of bewitching product was this?

A drying rack with fitness function?

They even had to customise a game?

It would still make sense if this was a lame and funny product. He could just produce a few of them for users who liked to play with them. It would be just looking for money if it made lame news.

However, Boss Pei seemed to be taking this very seriously!

In other words, this drying rack was to be a legitimate commercial product? He wanted it to be mass-produced?

He had to think about how to earn money since it was to be mass-produced. Otherwise, he would lose a lot of face if the three departments were to produce a product together but incur losses!

Chang You looked at Guo Licheng and said, "Coach Guo, you're a professional at fitness. It is still a fitness product at the end of the day even though it requires Shang Yang Games and our participation. Why don't you tell us your opinion first?"

Guo Licheng used his thick arm to support his chin. The way the big, muscular man pondered was a little comical, but his expression was serious.

"In fact, the 'drying rack' is a relatively common meme in the field of fitness. Whether it's a treadmill, a spinning bicycle, an elliptical, or a bench press, any fitness equipment placed at home would often be unable to escape the fate of becoming a drying rack."

"It was mainly because there is no fitness environment and atmosphere at home. Most people have no patience so it was very difficult for them to persevere. These things took up space, so many people used them to hang their clothes and dry their bed sheets. However, they did not want to exercise while drying their bedsheets. They would enter a vicious cycle as time passed."

"If we use this meme as a name, we can actually arouse the feel good factor from fitness users. It would also be beneficial for our initial publicity."

"Boss Pei's reverse thinking is... admirable. I think that Boss Pei's design is actually using users' reverse psychology to achieve the goal of urging users to work out."

Chang You asked, "What do you think this product should look like?"

Until now, Chang You still did not have a clear concept of this smart fitness drying rack. Should it be a stand, or should it be hung on the ceiling? Should it have folding and stretching functions? Should he make something like a small fan that could blow clothes and cool users down?

The concept was too vague and Boss Pei had not mentioned any details about the design. Thus, Chang You found it difficult to imagine the actual shape of the product.

Guo Licheng was a professional fitness trainer. He had used all sorts of fitness equipment and was very knowledgeable about fitness. He should be able to figure out the key ingredients from these messy functions and needs.

Guo Licheng continued to think seriously. "Boss Pei has already made it clear that the use of this smart fitness drying rack is mainly at home. In other words, it's targeted at individual consumers, not commercial gyms..."

Wang Xiaobin said, "Eh, Coach Guo, that might not be the case."

Shang Yang Games was the same as the other departments. They had all been given a mandatory fitness limit. Wang Xiaobin had to set an example as the person-in-charge. Thus, he had his own understanding of fitness.

Guo Licheng did not think that Wang Xiaobin was not as professional as him in terms of fitness. Instead, he asked seriously, "What do you mean?"

Wang Xiaobin thought for a moment and said, "I think Boss Pei's thinking should be both. However, the priority is different."

"As a fitness equipment, the commercial gym must be one of our target customers. However, the equipment changes in the commercial gym are very slow. What's more, the market share of those large brands' fitness equipment is very difficult to shake. If we wanted to sell our fitness equipment to the commercial gym from the beginning, we would definitely encounter huge difficulties and resistance."

"Of course, this is excluding Deposit Fitness. However, Deposit Fitness accounts for a very low market share."

"Thus, Boss Pei focused his attention on the 'home fitness' scene. Ordinary people would not buy large-scale commercial fitness equipment because the houses are not that big. They would buy treadmills, ellipses, bench press, and dumbbells at the very best. At the moment, none of these brands are well-known or widely used."

"We can naturally sell this equipment to professional gyms assuming that our smart fitness drying rack can gain the favor of ordinary people and become popular."

Guo Licheng nodded. "Indeed. In other words, Boss Pei is only using the home fitness scene as a starting point. As an intelligent fitness equipment, it can still be sold to commercial gyms as long as it becomes popular."

"However, this does not affect my initial judgment. After all, the family fitness scene is the foundation. The rest are empty if this cannot be satisfied."

"If we're considering the family fitness scene... I think the following points are very important."

"First, safety, stability, reliability. There's no need to talk about this. The fitness equipment is made of steel wire and iron. If you're not careful, you might get injured. Not only must the material be solid and reliable, but you must also avoid all possible safety hazards when designing."

"Second, the area it would take up.

"One of the important reasons why the home fitness equipment is not selling well is that it takes up too much space. Most of the people who choose to buy fitness equipment are young people who have higher demands on their bodies, but their economic conditions are often not very good."

"In other words, most of the people in our target group do not have a large area of residence. It is very difficult to make a large area for fitness equipment. This is also a key reason why many people use fitness equipment to dry their clothes."

"Therefore, we have to think of a way to make the smart fitness drying rack not take up too much space. It would be best if part of the structure could be folded and stretched. It would be best if we use the 'balcony' as the main setting for this equipment."

"Third, sustainability and interest."

"Fitness is a very difficult thing to persevere in the first place. There is a very important reason for the success of the Deposit Fitness. The user must reach a certain training time and have to eat fitness meals that are nutritious and balanced. It is precisely because the Deposit Fitness is so compulsory that the remaining users can persevere. That is why it has such a good fitness effect."

"However, if you were to train at home, it would be easy to slack off without anyone supervising you. What's more, the family environment makes people want to rest. Once you lie down on the sofa, you won't think about training anymore. Compared to the gym, it's much more difficult to persevere."

"That's why Boss Pei asked us to make smart devices and let Shang Yang Games develop a special game. It should be to improve the sustainability and interest of training in family scenes!"

Chang You and Wang Xiaobin listened intently and nodded.

He was indeed a professional fitness trainer. He easily analyzed the deep meaning and basic principles behind Boss Pei's seemingly nonsensical "smart fitness drying rack".

Chang You said, "Coach Guo, what do you think the product form of the smart fitness drying rack looks like if you were to design it?"

Guo Licheng continued to think seriously. "Since it's a family gym, we can't take up too much space. We have to integrate various equipment."

"In terms of training goals and effects, strength training would definitely be better than aerobic training. Therefore, our smart fitness drying rack would definitely focus on strength training."

Guo Licheng briefly explained the principle behind it. Chang You and Wang Xiaobin were working out as well, so he understood it immediately.

Anyone who had some common sense about fitness knew that most of the time, fitness would be done through strength training before aerobic training. Only then would the best exercise be achieved.

In layman's terms, strength training was like lifting iron while aerobic training was like jogging or riding a spinning bicycle.

Of course, everyone's physical conditions were different, and the training methods they used would also be different. However, overall, strength first and aerobic later was the best arrangement.

The main reason was that doing aerobics first would affect the effect of strength training, while doing strength first would help the effect of aerobics.

Doing strength training after a long period of aerobic exercises would mostly make them unable to perform well in strength training since they had already used up a portion of the glycogen. It would not be able to stimulate their muscles sufficiently. On the other hand, doing strength training first would also consume the glycogen. However, it would stimulate the body to use fat to provide energy for aerobic training. It would achieve better reduction in fat.

Many girls were worried that strength training would increase their muscles, so they only went to the treadmill each time. In fact, this type of training method was relatively inefficient. If they were slim to begin with, they could use this method to maintain their figures, but if they wanted to lose weight and shape, the effect would be far inferior to scientific strength training.

That was why Guo Licheng said that the smart fitness hangers would focus on strength training.

Chapter 864: Proposal For Product Positioning and Detail

Guo Licheng continued, "The space in most users' homes is limited. They can only have one fitness equipment. If they set up a treadmill and a spinning bicycle, the aerobic training can be done but not strength training."

"That's because strength training requires at least a push rack and dumbbell. Since there's already a treadmill taking up space, it's impossible for most people to have another set of strength training equipment at home."

"On the other hand, if we set up a strength training machine in our home, we can use other methods to achieve aerobics exercises.

"For example, using yoga mats in the living room to do gymnastics, Burpee, etc."

"Since the main purpose of the smart fitness drying rack is to do strength training, the parts we want to train must be mainly the core strength muscles such as the chest, back, and so on."

"There's no need for too many different designs. After all, people who have so many details for strength training would definitely go to the gym. We're facing ordinary users. Most of them are fitness noobs. This machine has to be simple, easy to understand, and easy to persevere."

"First of all, the equipment must be targeted at the chest. The chest muscles are relatively easy to train. They are efficient and obvious. You must have a chest fly machine that can train butterfly crossover, straight arms crossover, and reverse arms crossover."

"The second is the back. The back is relatively simple. Make a high-back training machine at the top of the machine and a rowing machine at the bottom."

"Then, we can make use of the existing structure as a booster for the upper body. The chair used to train the chest and pull the back can be used as a support for the kneeling posture when the booster is raised."

"Then, we can make a cable curl at the bottom to train the biceps and Brachioradialis."

"You can add a barbell with a rails in the middle. You can lie on the seat and do push-ups. You can also fold the seat and stand on the ground to do a weighted squat."

"In that case... the exercises that this machine can do include: butterfly, straight arms, reverse arms expander, lat pull-down, rowing, pull-up, cable curl, bench press, and weighted squat. There are a total of nine exercises. Most of the muscles in the body should be able to be trained."

"It should be about the same size as an ordinary cable crossover. The length, width, and height should be about two meters, one meter, four meters, and 2.1meters. It should take up about three square meters of space."

Guo Licheng took a pen and paper from the side and quickly drew a sketch.

Chang You and Wang Xiaobin came over to watch.

The main structure was a rectangular frame made of metal. The back of the frame was for weight. Apart from the barbell, all strength training used this weight.

The seat was wider and could be fixed. It could also be used as a lever to move up and down. Of course, it could also be folded and not be in the waz

Two mechanical arms extended out from the upper half of the body. They could be used to do crossover exercises. There were two horizontal poles above and below the upper half of the body. They were used for lat pull-down and crossover;

There was a barbell in the middle, which could be used for bench press, squat, or to train shoulders.

Guo Licheng's drawing skills were a little lousy but Chang You and Wang Xiaobin had gym experience after all. They knew the usage of various equipment, so they could still understand it.

Chang You nodded slightly after reading it, but he still frowned. "Strictly speaking, this is an upgraded version of the comprehensive fitness equipment. It should be functional."

"However... this is obviously different from the smart drying rack that Boss Pei requested."

Guo Licheng nodded. "Er, I only designed the most basic functions. The details must be perfected."

Chang You stood up and got Little Jiang to enter.

"I'll tell you how to change it. You can draw a simple prototype."

Little Jiang nodded and began to modify according to Chang You's instructions.

"First of all, since it's a drying rack, the current size is definitely not suitable. The few pillars on the outside of the cable crossover is taking up too much space which is a serious waste. I think we should design it into a capital 'I' shape to support the main body, including the two rails of the barbell, and focus it on the vertical bar in the middle."

"Initially, the structure of the cable crossover made people feel that it was like a cage. It was more closed up but would be more open after modification. It will be similar to the feeling of a basketball hoop."

"The two mechanical arms of the crossover can also be made into foldable ones. They can be folded and placed together with the horizontal lever at the top. Then, the barbell will be set at a position closer to the top. After folding the seats, the center of the entire machine will be empty. It won't affect walking around normally."

"Second, we have to make some simple designs and functions for the drying rack."

"At the moment, the design is more like an ordinary clothes rack. You can hang the clothes on the beam at the top and hang them in a row. What's more, there are different levels. The beam at the top and the barbell poles at the bottom can hang different clothes."

"We'll install a few more fans at the top so that we can blow our clothes to speed up the drying process. At the same time, we can cool users down during the exercise."

"Finally, the 'smart' part.

"In addition to adding artificial intelligence AEEIS, we can also install intelligent modules in various parts. For example, we can install modules on the accompanying mechanisms to know the current weight of users; we can install sensors on the mechanical arms and chairs to know if the user's current movements are standard. At the same time, we can also judge if the user has restored the machine to the standard position after using it."

"Finally, the game..."

Wang Xiaobin continued, "I think this game should be mainly used with this machine."

"The idea of adding smart modules is a good idea. That way, we can monitor the players' movements in real time."

"Actually, the biggest problem with traditional fitness methods is that they are boring and cannot be sustained. The fun part of the game is to provide users with a certain degree of interest through the combination of graphics, sound, and gameplay, making it easier for them to persevere."

"My idea is to package these fitness movements with a game aspect. For example, the protagonist is a warrior. A specific fitness movement is his skill. He can defeat monsters through skills. We can dismantle the training that requires daily training into checkpoints. As long as players complete these checkpoints, they can achieve the goal of training."

"During the checkpoint, we can add encouraging voice-overs, the provocation of monsters, and other elements to stimulate the players' fighting desire, making it easier for them to persevere."

"The other key point is that we can let the players fill in their own height and weight. At the same time, we can measure their heart rate according to the training and roughly determine their physical fitness. We can also slightly adjust the training volume to ensure the best training effect."

"What's more, these data can be interconnected with the fitness data in Tengda Life App, including daily reminders, training schedules, and so on. They are all available and can be used directly."

Chang You nodded as he recorded. "Yes, what will be the estimated investment for the game?"

Wang Xiaobin thought for a moment. "The investment would not be huge. Two or three million yuan should be enough. That's because the movements, scenes, monsters, and other aspects can be used repeatedly. The main workload is still on the design and details of the stages."

"This cost can be earned back by selling the equipment if the game is sold in tandem with the equipment."

Chang You looked at Guo Licheng. "Coach Guo, how much do you think this equipment would cost if we don't consider the smart module?"

Guo Licheng thought for a moment. "There are similar fitness equipment online. They're selling for about 3,500 to 4,000 yuan. Our current set needs to be designed in a different way, in charge of installation and after-sales service. The cost of building it should be 4,500 yuan."

Chang You nodded. "Yes. In that case, with the smart module and other functions, and considering the bundled price of the game, it would be more appropriate to set it at around 5,000 yuan."

"It's a little expensive. As a home fitness equipment, the pricing of mainstream equipment in the market is around 3,500 yuan. Our prices do not have much of an advantage."

"While a machine that sells around 3,500 yuan is far inferior to our equipment in terms of functionality and interest, the difference of 1,500 yuan would still make many people hesitate."

Xiao Jiang raised his hand and said, "Boss Chang, I have a different opinion."

"Actually, the difference of 1,500 yuan is not the main factor for users who are willing to fork out money to purchase fitness equipment."

"They are mainly worried about two things: the first is taking up space, and the second is that it is difficult to persevere."

"Now that property prices are so high, the space in most people's homes is limited. Even if this equipment was placed on the balcony, it would take up about three square meters. If we were to calculate based on the price of fifteen thousand yuan per square meter, it would cost nearly fifty thousand yuan."

"What's the difference of one thousand five hundred yuan compared to fifty thousand yuan, ?"

"If you buy fitness equipment and don't use it, it will just be eating dust. You'll also lose a lot by making it a drying rack."

"Eating dust and taking up space. It's not easy to sell them. That's the key reason why most people don't buy fitness equipment."

"However, our product's foldable design will save some space. It's more useful than ordinary fitness equipment to hang up clothes. What's more, it's more interesting and more sustainable."

"We will definitely be very competitive as long as we do well."

"I think we should differentiate it from traditional fitness equipment in terms of style. We should not use black, but white because it looks more technological. It should look more like a technological product than a fitness equipment when it's in a kept mode. It should look as beautiful as possible."

"The key to this machine should not be its price but its popularity. As long as it has popularity and there is no competition in the market, the difference of 1,500 yuan will not be a big problem."

"What's more, we have more functions, better effects, and a game."

Chang You nodded slightly. "Yes, that makes sense!"

Thinking about it this way fixed the product positioning even though the smart fitness drying rack was a little lame and could not guarantee 100% success.

Only young people would buy fitness equipment like that. Since that was the case, he would try his best to satisfy young people's needs and win against all the other competitions.

What's more, it should be alright to incur losses in the early stages as a supplement to the Deposit Fitness. Pei Qian would be able to earn it back in the future as long as the reputation of the game remained stable and its popularity slowly increased.

Boss Pei should be more tolerant towards the initial losses.

Little Jiang had already completed the rough design of the exterior while everyone was discussing.

Compared to other fitness equipment, the smart fitness drying rack looked more beautiful and technological.

On the other hand, the game would be made into a mobile game. It would be connected to the Tengda Life App's Tengda Deposit Fitness statistics. One could use a cell phone, a tablet, or a monitor.

There was an intelligent module on the smart fitness drying rack. Once it was connected to a cell phone or tablet, it could detect the current state of the equipment, record the user's movements, and so on. It could also provide real-time feedback in the game.

The three of them looked at the smart fitness drying rack plan again and perfected some details.

Chang You was very satisfied. "Alright, that's the plan for now!"

"Everyone, finish the part that you are responsible for. We will maintain communication and will definitely complete Boss Pei's task!"