noveltune Chapter 241 Respect Jinshan! Here’s to the future!
Chapter 241 Respect Jinshan! Here’s to the future!
The banquet hall was silent except for the hum of the air conditioning vents.
"I'm not here to make empty promises," Ling Yun continued. "The bonuses we just distributed are a thank you for your hard work last year. In the coming years, salaries will increase, benefits will improve, and project bonuses will be linked to product performance. If you do well, your income will be much higher than it is now. But the prerequisite is that we work together to make WPS the number one office software platform in China and a world-class platform."
He walked back to the edge of the stage and picked up the microphone again.
"The annual meeting agenda reads, 'Accumulate strength and unleash it, embark on a new journey.' He read out those eight characters. Kingsoft's past ten years have been about 'accumulating strength.' Next, we need to 'unleash it' and 'embark on a new journey.' I've just given a general description of this new journey. As for the specifics, we'll need to explore and achieve them step by step, led by President Qiu."
He looked at Qiu Bojun: "General Qiu, would you like to say a few words?"
Qiu Bojun walked onto the stage and took the microphone. His lips moved, but he didn't say anything for a long time. He took off his glasses, wiped them, and put them back on.
"What President Ling just said... I didn't know any of that." He began, his voice slightly choked. "He didn't tell me beforehand. But... this is indeed a path I've considered, but haven't dared to think about too clearly."
He took a deep breath.
"Free... We never dared to think about it before, we thought software should be sold for money. But Mr. Ling is right, times have changed. With the internet, software can be free, and you can make money through services. This approach... is right."
He turned to the employees in the audience.
"Brothers and sisters," he used this form of address, "In my ten years at Kingsoft, the thing I feel most sorry for is what happened last year. We couldn't pay salaries, and everyone was in a state of panic. At that time, I wondered, what have we been doing for these ten years? Just making software that's always being outmaneuvered by Microsoft?"
Several veteran employees in the audience lowered their heads.
"Today, President Ling gave us the answer," Qiu Bojun raised his voice. "It's not about competing with Microsoft, but about creating a user-friendly and advanced office software platform that is truly Chinese. It's about enabling tens of millions, even hundreds of millions of Chinese people to use our own tools for creation, work, and learning. It's about ensuring that the code we write truly creates value and changes the world."
He spoke faster and faster, becoming more and more excited.
"This path is difficult. But it's the difficulty that makes it interesting. If everything were easy, what would be the point of having us? We Kingsoft people have been writing WPS since the DOS era, what difficulties haven't we seen? Now we have funding, direction, and support from a boss like Mr. Ling, what are we afraid of?"
"Don't be afraid!" someone shouted from the audience.
"Yes! Don't be afraid!" More people echoed.
Qiu Bojun's eyes reddened again. He waved his hand and handed the microphone back to Ling Yun.
Ling Yun took the call: "I've said everything I needed to say. Now, the annual party will officially begin. There will be performances and raffles. Oh, no need for the raffle, the gifts have already been given out. So... just enjoy your meal and have fun."
He put down the microphone and walked off the stage.
The music started again, still "The Story of Spring," but this time the volume was turned up.
The employees didn't move immediately. They looked at the gift boxes and bonus envelopes on the table, then glanced towards the stage, then at their colleagues. Their eyes shone with a light, a fire, something that had been ignited within them.
A young programmer from the technical department suddenly stood up, raised his Coke cup, and exclaimed, "To Kingsoft! To General Manager Ling! To General Manager Qiu!"
"Respect to Jinshan!"
"To the future!"
The cups were raised one after another, tea, cola, orange juice clinking together.
The annual meeting continued. The tech department's chorus of "True Hero" was terribly off-key, but they sang it with all their might. The marketing department's skit "Selling Software" was full of punchlines, eliciting laughter from the audience. The testing department's three-and-a-half-line poem turned bugs and overtime into jokes that were both poignant and hilarious.
But the atmosphere was completely different.
Qiu Bojun sat at the head table, barely touching his chopsticks. He glanced at his employees from time to time, then at Ling Yun, and then at the unopened gift box in front of him.
"Mr. Qiu, won't you open it and take a look?" Ling Yun said.
Qiu Bojun then opened the gift box. Inside were the same mouse and keyboard, but underneath was an envelope. He opened it, and inside was a handwritten card and a check.
The card bore Ling Yun's handwriting: "General Manager Qiu, ten years of perseverance has not been easy. This is just a small token of my appreciation. I hope you take care of yourself. Ling Yun."
Check amount: 100,000.
Qiu Bojun's hand trembled slightly. He quickly stuffed the check back into the envelope, took a deep breath, and looked at Ling Yun, as if to say something.
Ling Yun shook his head, raised his glass, and said, "President Qiu, let's toast to the next decade."
Qiu Bojun picked up his wine cup and drank it all in one gulp. The baijiu was so spicy that he coughed, but a smile appeared on his face.
The lively atmosphere continued in the banquet hall.
The young people gathered around the new mouse and keyboard, discussing it:
"This feels really good, more comfortable than the Logitech one."
"I heard that their self-developed optical engine doesn't drop frames."
"President Ling is so generous! A thousand yuan bonus for each person plus this keyboard and mouse set, that must be several hundred yuan, right?"
"More than that. Judging from the packaging, it's positioned at a high level."
The long-time employees gathered together and reminisced:
"Ten years have passed, and finally we see a glimmer of hope."
"The path of free services... is risky, but if it works, Kingsoft will truly survive."
"Template market, cloud storage, intelligent technology... it all sounds exciting."
"We must do a good job and not let this opportunity go to waste."
Ling Yun sat at the main table, occasionally taking a small sip of wine when someone came to offer a toast. Qiu Bojun deflected many of these toasts for him.
"Mr. Ling, I'd like to toast you. I'm from the WPS kernel team. We already have a preliminary technical solution for the cloud collaboration you mentioned." An engineer in his thirties approached with a wine glass.
"Okay. Send me the plan." Ling Yun clinked glasses with him.
"Mr. Ling, this is Chen from the marketing department. The idea of a template market is fantastic. We've already contacted some university design clubs so they can create a batch of campus-style templates to test the waters."
"Sure. Let's start with a small-scale pilot program and gather feedback."
"President Ling..."
More and more people came. They asked about technology, the market, and planning. Lingyun responded to each question briefly but to the point.
At 8:30 PM, most of the dishes were served. Some people started singing, while others played drinking games. The atmosphere was lively.
Lingyun said to Qiu Bojun, "I'm going outside for some fresh air."
He stepped out of the banquet hall and onto the second-floor terrace. The cold, dry wind of a Beijing winter night swept over him. Below, Zhongguancun Street teemed with traffic and brightly lit.
Qiu Bojun followed them out, carrying their overcoats.
"Put it on, don't catch a cold."
The two put on their coats and leaned against the railing.
"Mr. Ling, thank you for today." Qiu Bojun lit a cigarette. "It's not just about the money and gifts. It's about the path you pointed out to Jinshan."
"I've shown you the way; whether you can follow it or not is up to you." Ling Yun looked at the lights in the distance. "Free services are a double-edged sword; it will be very difficult in the beginning. There will be a lot of pressure to generate revenue, and the employees will also feel uneasy."
"I know," Qiu Bojun exhaled a puff of smoke, "but this is the only way to survive. Following Microsoft and selling copies will never lead to anything. Offering it for free will at least attract users. With users, there's a chance."
"Users can be picky," Lingyun said. "If it's free, they'll demand more. If it's not user-friendly at all, they'll complain and uninstall it. All the pressure is on the product team."
"Then let's focus on making a good product." Qiu Bojun stubbed out his cigarette. "The guys at Kingsoft have a solid technical foundation; they were just held back by the market and funding before. Now that they have direction and support, they can pull it off."
"Then let's give it our all," Ling Yun said. "I'll have the team fully cooperate with the Star System. API opening, underlying optimization, cloud service architecture—just let us know what support we need."
"it is good."
The two remained silent for a moment. The sound of singing drifted from the banquet hall downstairs; it was "Friends."
"Mr. Ling, there's a question I've always wanted to ask." Qiu Bojun turned to look at him, "You're making Star System, games, instant messaging, and now office software. With such a huge operation, what's the point? To make money? You're already very rich."
Ling Yun didn't answer immediately. He looked at the sparse stars in the Beijing night sky and slowly spoke:
"Mr. Qiu, you wrote WPS to prove that Chinese people can also create good software, right?"
"right."
"I do all this to prove something," Ling Yun said. "To prove that Chinese people can not only make good software, but also good operating systems, good development tools, and good Internet services. We can establish our own technological ecosystem and standards, and we can have a voice in this digital age."
He paused.
"Microsoft, Intel, IBM... these giants have set the rules of the game for the past thirty years. We've been learning from them, using them, and paying our dues. But now, the internet has arrived, and the rules are being reshaped. This is our opportunity. If we miss it, we may have to wait decades."
Qiu Bojun took a deep breath: "I understand. So Jinshan is a move in your game."
"It's an important step," Ling Yun corrected. "Office software is the core of productivity tools. If done well, it can drive the operating system, cultivate user habits, and establish industry standards. Kingsoft's success will prove that this path is feasible and will attract more talent and resources to join."
"The pressure is immense," Qiu Bojun said with a wry smile.
"That's why I'm giving you a bonus," Ling Yun smiled, "to motivate you to persevere."
They both laughed.
Cheers erupted from the banquet hall, seemingly during the lucky draw.
"Go in," Qiu Bojun said. "Everyone wants to talk to you a little longer."
Back in the banquet hall, the atmosphere reached its climax. Several young employees sang "Boundless Oceans, Vast Skies" on stage, and the audience sang along.
"Forgive me for my untamed, unrestrained, and freedom-loving life—"
The singing was loud and clear, carrying a sense of going all out.
Ling Yun stood at the door, watching this scene unfold.
Under the lights, those young faces were filled with excitement, anticipation, and energy.
He thought of WPS in later generations, its comeback in the mobile era, and the hardships and glories that domestic software has gone through.
"Mr. Ling, come sing with us!" someone called out to him.
Ling Yun smiled, walked in, and took the microphone that was handed to him.
He couldn't sing in Cantonese, but he hummed along with the melody.
Inside the banquet hall, singing, laughter, and the clinking of glasses blended together.
Outside the window, the night in Beijing has deepened.
But in the hearts of the people of Jinshan, a fire has just been ignited.
Moreover, it burns brighter and brighter.