Chapter 620 – Thomas’s surprise

This was an urgent matter, and Jiang Wanmeng could not make the decision. He immediately called Feng Yu to ask him back.

When Feng Yu knew Philips wanted a collaboration, he was surprised and shocked. He would not need to be afraid of Toshiba and Sony if they were collaborating with Philips. They might even be faster than Toshiba and Sony in setting the industry standards!

Feng Yu flew back to China immediately and waited for Philips vice president Thomas at Aiwa Electronics headquarters.

Thomas arrived in China and saw the buildings. It was a vast difference from Holland, and this was still China’s capital. The Chinese economy was not doing well.

But this third world country to develop the first and second generation of MPEG technologies and VCD, it was still impressive. The Chinese were very creative.

Thomas was confident about this cooperation. He believes that he does not need to offer any good conditions and the other party will agree to this cooperation. First, the Chinese economy was not doing well. That Wind and Rain Electronics was also not a big company. If he offers Wind and Rain Electronics some money, they would surely agree. Even if money could not solve the problem, Wind and Rain Electronics will still give in because of Toshiba and Sony. The negations should be smooth sailing for him.

The Chinese likes to have a joint venture. Philips had set up several joint venture factories in China. Maybe Philips have the chance to buy over Wind and Rain Electronics through this cooperation.

Thomas was more confident when he arrived at Hefei, the city where Wind and Rain Electronics headquarters was located. It was a rural and poor city.

Thomas saw a sign that wrote Philips – Thomas when he stepped out of the airport. It should be Wind and Rain Electronics staff who was there to receive him. Accompanied by Philips employees in China, Thomas walked over proudly.

Eh? The car used by Wind and Rain Electronics was much better than he expected. Although this was not some branded luxury European car, its exterior was well designed, and the interior was spacious and comfortable. It was more comfortable than the Mercedes Benz assigned to him by his company.

This car should be costly. Was this a Japanese car or a US car? This car should be a Japanese car.

“Mr. Thomas is asking if the shareholders of Wind and Rain Electronics here?” When they reached the destination, the translator asked Jiang Wanmeng.

“He is already here and is currently waiting inside.” Jiang Wanmeng replied in English. He spoke excellent English, and this was the reason why he was sent overseas for interaction by his company.

Jiang Wanmeng could tell Thomas was slightly unhappy because Manager Feng and he did not receive him at the airport. They only sent two staffs to fetch him. At the headquarters, Feng Yu also did not go down to receive him. Thomas felt he was not respected by these Chinese.

When they stepped into the building, Thomas was shocked. The exterior of this building looks normal, but the interior was well renovated.

Artificial hill, fountains, flowing water and goldfishes. These were all used to create a natural look. This was not what Thomas had expected. He thought Wind and Rain Electronics headquarter should be run down. Even if it was not rundown, it should be old fashion. Didn’t everyone say the Chinese are all old fashion? How come this company is so unique? He felt his mood changed for the better when he sees the decoration of the lobby.

Feng Yu was standing on top of the spiral staircase and saw Thomas’s surprised look. He felt proud. My new factory and office buildings all have this garden style designs. Hah! Are you surprised?

“Mr. Thomas, this is our Wind and Rain key shareholder, Feng Yu. Manager Feng, this is the representative from Philips, Vice President of Philips, Mr. Thomas.”

“Mr. Thomas, nice to meet you. I represent Wind and Rain Electronics to welcome you.” Feng Yu spoke in English with an American accent. Thomas was surprised to see the major shareholder of Wind and Rain Electronics to be a young man. Did he inherit this business from his family? He speaks good English. Was he from the US? Damn. This is not good.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Feng. I feel honored to be here.”

Both of them exchanged some pleasantries and walked in. Thomas’s eyes grew wide. What is this? There is a swing in the office? What are those people doing? Drinking tea, reading papers and some of them are still watching movies?!

“Mr. Feng, is this your office?” Thomas asked.

“Yes. Don’t you think our office is very humanized? This is the area for the staffs to relax. There is a bathroom and resting area there. There is also a 24 hours cafeteria in here. On the other side, there is an exercise area. if you are interested, we can have a game of Ping-Pong later.” Feng Yu smiled and explained.

The relaxation area, exercise, cafeteria, bathrooms, rest areas? Was this really a workplace?

Was there something wrong with this person’s brains? How can this be an office? Everyone here was not working. Were the staffs here paid to relax and enjoy life?

To Thomas, this company lacks discipline, but these people were the ones that developed the MPEG-II technology!

“Mr. Thomas, are you thinking why no one is working and all of the staffs are relaxing? Our company is paying them for their performance. The more task they completed, the higher their salaries. On the other hand, if the staffs could not complete their tasks, their salaries will be very low and might even be sacked. Research and development of technologies do not depend on time accumulation. Most of the time, it needs inspiration and creativity. Letting them relax will increase their creativity. Many of them worked more than 12 hours a day. Some even worked for more than 16 hours. These are the welfare they deserve. Our Wind and Rain Electronics treat all our staff as family members.”

When Feng Yu suggested this in the past, Fu Guangzheng and Jiang Wanmeng thought Feng Yu was joking. But Feng Yu insisted the company to operate this way. After firing some people who were skiving on the job, the efficiency of the rest of the staffs increased. Also, the staffs had a sense of belonging in the company.

Some other companies tried to poach Wind and Rain Electronics staffs with higher salaries. But none of the staffs went over. The bosses here treated them well, and their work was relaxing. If they work harder, their salary might even be higher. Also, the staff also noticed their health were better than before.

After passing this place, they entered the meeting room. Thomas was still feeling puzzled by this company. Why was this company operating so differently from other companies? He had heard of some software companies in the US operating this way.

This operation model was rare even in Europe. Thomas never expects to see this in China. It was still not some big city in China. This Wind and Rain Electronics was very different, and this young man was not simple!

The meeting room was painted in a soothing color. The renovations and layout of the room were relaxing. Negotiating in this room feels like having a chat between friends. Thomas was not used to this feeling, but he got to admit that he likes this ambiance.

“Mr. Thomas, try this tea beverage. Maybe you will like it.” Feng Yu asked someone to bring a bottle of Lehaha’s green tea.

“This taste is special. I do not like to drink tea, but I enjoy this very much. China is a really amazing place. I am so lucky to be here!” Thomas said.