Haifeng had just returned from the lab, his mind juggling ideas about following—generation hardware and the next wave of mobile software.
"The 4G era is coming," he thought.
"And when it does, people will move their lives from desktops to mobile."
He remembered the future vividly:
Apps are taking over social media, entertainment, finance, and productivity.
If China Star wants to dominate, we can't stop at hardware.
Still, he didn't act yet.
"It's too early," Haifeng reasoned.
"4G coverage is still shallow. Data is expensive.
People are afraid to even leave their data on overnight."
He'd seen stories where users woke up to massive phone bills—just for forgetting to turn off background data.
The market wasn't ready.
But soon, it would explode.
When it did, he'd be waiting.
Just then, Xiao Ai walked in.
"President Lu, President Lei from Dami Corporation is here. He's in the reception room."
Lei Jun? Here?
Haifeng wasn't surprised for long.
Perfect timing, he thought.
The Qinglong chip used in the Xingchen M1 stunned the market.
Haifeng knew Lei had taken one home after the press conference—and probably tested it inside out.
Lei Jun's Visit
Inside the reception room, Lei sat calmly.
He'd already dissected the Qinglong processor—China Star's entry-level chip.
But to him, it wasn't entry-level at all.
It was a beast.
Powerful. Efficient. Clean thermals.
"This isn't far off from China Star's A-series," he'd realized.
More importantly?
It was a digital series chip, which wasn't locked to internal use.
"This chip is up for grabs," Lei thought.
"And I want it."
Haifeng entered with a smile.
"President Lei, long time no see. What a surprise visit."
Lei stood, smiling back.
"President Lu, I'll be direct—
I'm here for the Qinglong processor."
No small talk. No posturing. Lei was here to do business.
Haifeng didn't blink.
He already knew this day was coming.
"The moment we launched M1 with Qinglong, competitors would come knocking."
Lei sat up straighter.
He had tested the chip himself. The benchmark score was off the charts, but he'd learned from past mistakes.
Years ago, Dami Mobile used Nvidia chips because of high benchmark scores.
But they ran hot. Burned battery. Bad thermal management.
He feared Qinglong might be the same.
But after using it?
"Stable. Cool. Smooth."
Qinglong wasn't just impressive—it was the flagship tier.
And that terrified Lei.
If this is their low-end chip...
What monsters are hidden inside their A-series?
Haifeng observed Lei quietly.
He knew Lei had one question in his heart:
Will China Star sell the Qinglong chip to competitors?
The answer?
He hadn't said it yet.
But Haifeng already knew precisely what his price would be.