Chapter 15: Does This Count as a Date?

For FY Technology and its hidden backers, all the major smartphone manufacturers had begun to complain bitterly. What puzzled them was that there was hardly any useful information to be found about FY Technology. All they knew was that it was a newly registered company. Its top executives rarely appeared in public, managing everything remotely through conference calls.

Equally frustrated was a company in Shenzhen—the local branch of MTK. At first, they had secured massive orders from FY Technology, who had effectively booked their production capacity for the next three years. They were quite pleased at the time. But now? FY Technology had outsmarted them completely, achieving a disguised monopoly through rock-bottom prices, maximizing their profits.

They weren’t arrogant, but they believed it would take other chip manufacturers at least six months to develop similar chips. Six months was more than enough time for FY Technology to rake in enormous profits. If FY Technology played its cards right, it could simultaneously sell smartphones and the chips inside them, and once the market was saturated, sell the chips to others. Thinking about it made them deeply frustrated.

Breach of contract? They hadn’t even considered that. On one hand, it was a matter of reputation—they would never risk their credibility. On the other hand, the penalty fees set by FY Technology were prohibitively high, absurdly so.

Huang Feiyang, the mastermind behind FY Technology, had been busy over the past few days with one particular matter related to the company. With FY Technology’s explosive rise, counterfeit products had inevitably started to flood the market. Some brazen individuals even dared to sell outright fakes. Huang Feiyang showed no mercy. FY Technology’s legal department took these offenders to court. He also made several calls, resulting in the shutdown of counterfeit workshops and factories producing and selling fake X smartphones.

Moreover, Huang Feiyang ordered George to establish a more powerful legal team. His approach was a clear warning to others. While it didn’t completely eliminate counterfeits and fakes, it certainly made many think twice. After all, the fate of those who had been caught was well known. Numerous media outlets across the country were reporting on these crackdowns; no one wanted to suffer the same fate.

By now, anyone who wasn’t a fool could see the powerful figure backing FY Technology. When Huang Feiyang finally wrapped up his affairs, it was already August 6th. That morning, he met with Chen Xiruo in a private room at a teahouse.

“Huang Feiyang, what have you been so busy with these past few days? You’ve been ignoring me,” Chen Xiruo said, casting him a plaintive look. The usually icy beauty showed a rare, almost girlish demeanor.

“Haha, just business matters,” Huang Feiyang replied with a shrug, answering honestly.

“Oh,” she nodded but didn’t press further. They enjoyed their dim sum while chatting leisurely.

“I’ve decided—I want to study Business Administration,” Chen Xiruo announced seriously, her gaze flickering with an unusual emotion as she looked at Huang Feiyang. This way, she could be of help to him.

Huang Feiyang was momentarily stunned. Business Administration? In her previous life, Xiruo hadn’t studied biomedical engineering? Wait... Could it be? Seeing her look, Huang Feiyang felt a surge of both excitement and tenderness.

“In that case, I’ll enroll in the same major,” he said with a gentle smile, nodding.

“Hehe!” Chen Xiruo’s usually cold face brightened with a happy smile. They agreed to meet for an evening stroll and parted ways in the afternoon.

“Is this a date?” Chen Xiruo murmured softly to herself, sitting in the backseat of her car and glancing back at Huang Feiyang’s retreating figure, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.

Meanwhile, Huang Feiyang, driving home, also wondered aloud, “Does this count as a date?”

...

There was no denying that in these few days, FY Technology had become a sensation across the entire nation. Daily sales of the three X smartphone models numbered in the tens of thousands and continued to climb rapidly.

With the soaring sales, FY Technology’s cash reserves also swelled dramatically. By that morning, the company’s funds on hand neared one billion yuan. Of course, after paying for components, advertising, and manufacturing, that figure would be nearly halved. Still, it was astonishing—earning billions in mere days was simply extraordinary.

The surge of FY Technology left all major smartphone manufacturers collectively disheartened. Whether they mocked or openly criticized FY Technology, they faced a barrage of backlash and even online harassment. Netizens posed a pointed question they had no answer for:

“Why are their phones better and cheaper than yours? Now that they’re making money, you’re jealous? Weren’t you enjoying gouging us consumers before?”

This had become the most popular phrase online, bar none.

Because of this, FY Technology had made enemies of every smartphone giant. Whenever the opportunity arose, those companies wouldn’t hesitate to strike back. After all, this disruptor was so detestable—not only breaking the rules but also becoming the target of public scorn. Watching FY Technology profit was more painful for them than losing money themselves.

With FY Technology now running smoothly, George, under Huang Feiyang’s instructions, had been steadily clearing all debts throughout the day. This brought great joy to the contract manufacturers and suppliers. Working with FY Technology was a dream come true. Other partners often waited months, sometimes a year or more, to receive payments. But FY Technology? It settled balances in under a month. Could any company be more straightforward?

Even the originally disgruntled MTK executives were now all smiles. Honestly, these past days had been tough, but now they had turned things around. Their cash flow was ample enough to launch projects they had long planned. Partnering with FY Technology was truly a blessing.

Having stolen a rare half-day of leisure, Huang Feiyang slept in that afternoon, utterly exhausted. The online comments and competitors’ reactions? He no longer cared. He was going out on a date—with the icy beauty he adored.