Chapter 165: The 4G Era Arrives, Yihe Technology’s Future Direction?

Chapter 165: Chapter 165: The 4G Era Arrives, Yihe Technology’s Future Direction?

Uh...

Wang Shouren was a little surprised the question came so suddenly, but he wasn’t particularly panicked.

After all, Gu Yifan was paying him a hefty sum to be the vice president. He couldn’t just sit around and collect a paycheck for doing nothing.

He had prepared for this day long in advance!

Wang Shouren mulled it over for a moment before speaking. "President Gu, I’ll give you a brief overview of my thoughts."

"Go on," Gu Yifan said with a nod. "I’m all ears."

Wang Shouren gathered his thoughts for a moment before speaking. "Well... based on the company’s name, Yihe Technology, and its business scope, I’d say you want to go the tech route. You also had me hire so many skilled people from the computer industry, and you hired me—someone from that same field—for a high salary. So, I assume your plan is to start with the internet. Am I right?"

He looked up at Gu Yifan, waiting for his response.

"Mm, that’s right."

Gu Yifan took a small sip of his hot tea before asking calmly, "In that case, Old Wang, if we are going to start with the internet, what do you think our point of entry should be?"

Wang Shouren’s brow furrowed slightly at Gu Yifan’s question as he fell into thought.

Gu Yifan wasn’t in a hurry. He simply sipped his tea and waited for him to speak.

After another moment, Wang Shouren spoke. "President Gu, Yihe Technology was just established. Given the current state of the internet, if we want to gain a foothold in the industry quickly, I think we need to choose an entry point that yields fast results—mobile software development."

"After all, the country is already entering the 4G era, and the mobile phone industry is on the verge of a major shake-up. Large-screen smartphones have become the mainstream. Much of the software on our phones, developed during the 3G era, is no longer suitable for modern devices. If we seize this opportunity, we should be able to establish ourselves in the industry very quickly."

When he finished, Gu Yifan gave him a long, meaningful look.

’He actually figured out that the 4G era is about to become mainstream. His business acumen is pretty sharp.’

’Not bad at all!’

’He’s the real deal. Worth every penny of the million-yuan annual salary I paid to poach him!’

’A million-yuan annual salary might not sound like much, but people forget, Yihe Technology Co., Ltd. is just a brand-new startup!’

’An offer like that is actually quite high.’

Just then, Wang Shouren frowned again and added:

"President Gu, as for the company’s long-term direction... I haven’t really figured that out yet."

"After all, information changes in the blink of an eye in the internet age. My current foresight is still a bit lacking, so I wouldn’t dare jump to any conclusions," he said, shaking his head.

Gu Yifan set down his teacup and smiled at Wang Shouren. "Old Wang, you don’t need to sell yourself short. What you’ve come up with is already quite impressive."

"Moreover!"

He paused for effect before continuing. "Um... Old Wang, you’re absolutely right about the 4G era being just around the corner. In fact, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will officially issue 4G licenses to the three major carriers around the end of this year!"

’Seeing how certain Gu Yifan was, Wang Shouren didn’t doubt him. On the contrary, he figured Gu Yifan must have gotten some inside information!’

’After all, it wasn’t normal for someone so young to be able to start their own company.’

’Combined with his mature, steady demeanor and the way he spoke, it was obvious he came from a wealthy and influential family!’

’So it wasn’t surprising that someone like him would have access to inside information that ordinary people wouldn’t.’

After some thought, he said, "If the three major carriers get their 4G licenses by the end of the year, then the entire country really will be entering the 4G era. In that case, President Gu, if we’re going to develop a mobile app, we don’t have much time. We need to decide on a specific type of app as soon as possible!"

Gu Yifan nodded. "Yes, it’s already mid-August. There really isn’t much time before the end of the year."

Here, his tone suddenly shifted. "However, before we do that, we need to focus on something else."

"Something else?"

Wang Shouren asked, puzzled.

"That’s right!"

Gu Yifan nodded. "Have you ever heard of live streaming?"

"Live streaming?"

Wang Shouren looked blank for a moment, then said, "President Gu, are you talking about the live broadcasts of sports events on TV?"

"Well..."

Gu Yifan considered this for a moment. "You could say that, I suppose, but there are some key differences."

"How so?"

Wang Shouren asked, still confused.

"Well... have you ever heard of AcFun Live?" Gu Yifan asked after a moment’s thought.

"You mean the section on that ACG animation site?"

Wang Shouren replied after a moment of thought.

The only reason he’d heard of it was that his nephew was a die-hard otaku. The platform was too far removed from his own industry, so he’d never looked into it deeply.

"That’s the one!"

Gu Yifan nodded and continued, "What about Kuxiu Live and Feihuo Live? Have you heard of those platforms?"

"That... I really haven’t, no."

Wang Shouren shook his head after a moment’s thought.

’He really had no idea about those!’

’But he was starting to get an inkling of what Gu Yifan was driving at.’

"President Gu, are you suggesting that we help other companies build platforms or software like this?"

Wang Shouren asked after some consideration.

"Yes, and no!"

Gu Yifan first nodded, then shook his head.

"Huh?"

Wang Shouren was utterly lost, and he looked at Gu Yifan in bewilderment.

Seeing his confusion, Gu Yifan didn’t beat around the bush. He explained slowly, "We are indeed going to build a platform, but we’re going to build it for ourselves!"

"This..."

The meaning behind Gu Yifan’s words quickly dawned on Wang Shouren.

He thought for a moment before asking, "President Gu, do you mean we should build our own platform, similar to AcFun Live, and operate it ourselves?"

"Exactly!"

Gu Yifan nodded. "In the next few years, the live streaming industry will be one of the most promising and most lucrative sectors, without a doubt."

"But we won’t just focus on a single category, though."

"Niche streaming has too small of an audience. We need to pursue a path of diversification and high-quality content. We’ll build a comprehensive live-streaming platform that integrates numerous popular categories. Gaming will be the core, but we’ll also have categories for otaku culture, talent shows, tech, outdoor activities, sports, music, film, and television."

...