Chapter 325: First Product: AI Chip! Chen Yansen: What

In Xu City, at the Zhu Xianzhuang Technology Park, Building No. 9.

Chen Yansen led Wu Shengyu on a tour, moving from the conference room, through the pantry, across the office area, all the way to the top-floor office, then invited the other to take a seat and said softly:

"Mr. Wu, today is Saturday, so the colleagues in the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory are all resting; otherwise, I could introduce Daniel and Zhou Chuangxi to you. I hope the first product of the Chip Design Department will be the Smart Speaker AI Chip."

The chip industry chain is extremely complex, spanning from upstream design, manufacturing, packaging, and testing to downstream applications, involving tens of thousands of core patents in fields such as chip IP, EDA software, manufacturing equipment, and raw materials.

Even with Chen Yansen's capabilities, he could not replicate all the designs, production processes, and raw material techniques on his own.

He needed helpers and time; he had no intention of achieving everything in one go.

Of course, mobile phone CPUs, GPUs, and RF chips could all be developed simultaneously, but priorities must be observed.

Starting with the AI chip required for smart speakers is the most suitable approach; by only improving the compatibility between the voice interaction engine and the chip, the performance and user experience of the Alexa smart speaker could be further optimized.

Currently, the TI OMAP3630 processor powering the Mo Si (Alexa) smart speaker suffers from high response latency and high power consumption, cannot run the full version of the acoustic model algorithm, and performs inadequately in noise reduction and echo cancellation.

Furthermore, it has a fatal flaw: the price is too high!

Both the LG P970 and HTC Titan smartphones were equipped with this chip; this thing was not designed specifically for smart speaker products, and its single-unit purchase price reached as high as 19 US dollars, which is also the main reason why the material costs of Mo Si (Alexa) remain so high.

A single chip alone accounts for one-third of the total cost.

"AI chip? Does Mr. Chen mean integrating the NPU (Embedded Neural Network Processor) and DSP (Digital Signal Processor) into a single chip?"

Wu Shengyu, with his extensive experience, quickly grasped Chen Yansen's general idea.

"The chip architecture also needs adjustment, focusing computing power on voice interaction tasks to improve the efficiency of voice recognition, natural language processing, and voice synthesis functions, while adopting an independent power management module to reduce energy consumption and extend the speaker's battery life."

Chen Yansen nodded slightly and added.

As a general-purpose chip, the TI OMAP3630 processor is fundamentally unable to fully unleash the complete capabilities of the Mo Si (Alexa) voice interaction engine technology.

In contrast, a dedicated AI chip could integrate multiple modules such as CPU, NPU, DSP, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth communication, and audio codecs, replacing the existing multi-chip combination design, and could reduce material costs by at least 50%.

Additionally, Xiaomi is currently working feverishly to develop its own smart voice interaction engine.

Once Orange Technology and Xiaomi join forces to hype up the concept of smart speakers, a large number of practitioners will flock to enter the field.

By then, Orange Technology alone, relying solely on its chip business, could generate annual revenues of several billion US dollars.

"Alright, Mr. Chen, I understand," Wu Shengyu nodded and replied.

Although he had never been involved in similar product design, based on his experience, he judged that the difficulty was not high.

"Have some tea!"

Chen Yansen pushed a cup of hot tea from the coffee table in front of Wu Shengyu, gesturing for the other to help himself.

"Thank you, Chen Zong," Wu Shengyu took the teacup, offered his thanks with utmost respect, and immediately changed his form of address; this gesture represented his recognition of Chen Yansen.

In the brief exchange of just over ten minutes, it was not difficult to see that this was a boss who understood technology.

Although the other party was young, he was not someone who sought credit rashly; he did not aim straight for the mobile phone processor market at the outset, but instead chose the Mo Si (Alexa) smart speaker, which already had certain achievements, as the entry point.

On one hand, this could achieve profitability as soon as possible; on the other, it could avoid premature head-on competition with Gao Tong and Broadcom.

"Then I'll just call you Old Wu. Settle in these next couple of days, and report for duty officially on Monday."

Chen Yansen lifted his teacup, took a light sip, and said.

"Boss, my English name is Blake," Wu Shengyu said upon hearing the words 'Old Wu'; although he felt it was friendly, he still felt full of resistance.

"Alright, Old Wu, let's go down to the underground parking lot to pick a car first, and stop by the front desk to get the keys on the way."

Chen Yansen acknowledged with a sound, then stood up and said.

For chip engineers like Wu Shengyu, he had long ago instructed the administration department to rent apartments for them in high-end commercial districts in the city center, and each was also equipped with a commuter car worth about 500,000 landed.

Their rank was equal to that of a supervisor, with benefits matching those of a director or general manager.

Moreover, since Wu Shengyu was working for him to make money, Chen Yansen won once; and every month, Wu Shengyu contributed a sum of humanitarian support, so Chen Yansen won a second time.

For Chen Yansen, employees might make a small profit, but he would never lose.

The hundreds of thousands of employees of Yunsu Express, Orange Mobile Phone Factory, Kuai Pao, and other companies were like power banks, all serving as energy sources for his gradual strengthening.

Alright, Old Wu?

The corner of Wu Shengyu's mouth twitched; seeing that he could not change Chen Yansen, he had to give up, followed his new boss, and took the elevator down to the underground parking lot.

As soon as he stepped inside, a row of cars with various colors, models, and brands came into view.

Audi A6L, BMW 520Li, Lexus CT200h, BMW X1, and even seven or eight Chevrolet Camaros.

"None of these are considered good cars; when you are promoted to Chief Scientist, the company will replace it with a 2-million landed commuter car for you."

Chen Yansen said solemnly.

A 2-million landed commuter car?

Wu Shengyu couldn't help but give a bitter smile; even Gao Tong did not have such extravagant benefits, besides, could a car worth 2 million landed be called a commuter car?

Five minutes later, he chose a BMW X1, took the house keys handed to him by Chen Yansen, and drove towards the city center.

After settling Wu Shengyu, Chen Yansen turned back to the office.

When he took out his phone, a friend verification message popped up; the avatar was a long-haired girl wearing a motorcycle jacket, around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, not particularly beautiful, but possessing a dash of coolness and confidence that her peers lacked.

Hu Weiyi?

Chen Yansen looked at the self-introduction in the application box, raised an eyebrow, and immediately recognized the other party's identity.

The founder of Mobike!

But it was 2012 now, more than two years away from the birth of Mobike.

Moreover, Hu Weiyi's entry into the shared bicycle field was purely a coincidence.

As the CEO of *Geek Car* magazine, while acting as a liaison for smart bicycle designer Chen Tengjiao to seek angel investment, she met Li Bin, the CEO of Yiche Wang, but Li Bin refused to invest in the smart bicycle project.

He stated plainly that he wanted to do shared bicycles instead, and at that time, he had already thought of the product name: Mobike.

It was a transliteration of 'Mobike', a portmanteau of 'mobile' and 'bike', implying 'mobile bicycle'.

Chen Yansen thought for a moment; under his influence, even Cheng Wei had created Didi Bike, so it was not surprising that Hu Weiyi had entered the shared bicycle field early.

Immediately, he clicked the 'Agree' button.

On the other side.

Far away in Hangcheng, Hu Weiyi was constantly watching her phone; when she saw Chen Yansen had accepted her friend request, she immediately picked it up and carefully asked:

"Director Chen, hello, sorry for the sudden interruption, I hope you'll forgive me! Regarding the shared-bike project, I've prepared a business plan—may I send it to you first? If you're too busy to read it, I can explain it over the phone."

Hu Weiyi's posture was extremely humble; her publication, Geeker Auto, was merely a small niche magazine, its revenue entirely dependent on car brand sponsorships, utterly incomparable to Chen Yansen, an internet giant. She dared not simply send a document—that would be a gross lack of emotional intelligence.

To avoid wasting Chen Yansen's time, her first message was direct yet extremely concise, giving the impression of a subordinate reporting to a boss.

This is a clever woman!

Chen Yansen glanced at the message and thought firmly to himself.

Usually, phone communication is more efficient, but he had the talent 【Overhear and Remember】, so reading documents was faster.

"Send it to me first."

When Hu Weiyi saw Chen Yansen's reply, her heart skipped—a thought flashed that he had no interest in the shared-bike project and was just brushing her off.

Though disappointed, she dared not show it; she merely followed his lead to get his email address and sent him the business plan for "Little Deer Bike."

At this moment, she did not yet know Li Bin, and thus had no way of knowing the product philosophy of "Mobike."

Half a month ago, while on a business trip to Yanjing, she spotted "Didi Bike" at a subway entrance; with her sharp business instinct, she immediately recognized the market potential and commercial value of this shared-bike app.

As soon as she returned to Hangcheng, she launched the "Little Deer Bike" project.

Hu Weiyi knew clearly that each bicycle cost 200 to 300 yuan; with her available funds, she could afford at most a few hundred bikes—the rest would have to cover app development and hiring operations and dispatch staff.

Thus, seeking angel investment became the only way forward.

And Cheng Weixing, who had thrived in the ride-hailing market, caught her eye; they were both Zhejiang University alumni, and through this connection, she obtained Chen Yansen's personal contact.

This is the importance of attending university—and a good one!

For example, Zhang Xuhao's Ele. me secured its Series A funding precisely because of the support from the Jiaotong University alumni network, since Zhu Xiaohu of Jin Sha Capital was also a Jiaotong graduate.

Little Deer Bike?

Chen Yansen's expression turned strange; he understood at once: Hu Weiyi had not yet connected with Li Bin.

Thinking this, he proactively sent her a voice call invitation.

Seeing this, Hu Weiyi panicked, her breathing quickened involuntarily; she took several deep breaths, licked her lips, then pressed the answer button.

"Director Chen, hello," Hu Weiyi smiled slightly and greeted warmly.

"How much money do you want?" Chen Yansen asked bluntly.

"Two million," Hu Weiyi replied without hesitation.

Hearing this, Chen Yansen chuckled: "For two million, you're using Cheng Weixing's connections? Are you looking down on the CEO of Kuai Di Taxi, or on Sen Lian Capital?"

"I'm sorry, Director Chen, that wasn't my intention—I merely thought the initial phase of a shared-bike project wouldn't require much operating capital."

Hu Weiyi smiled broadly and immediately explained.

"What percentage of equity for two million?" Chen Yansen asked again.

"Twenty percent," Hu Weiyi cautiously named a figure.

"Can a business plan alone justify a valuation of ten million?" Chen Yansen asked with a smile.

In reality, it could—depending on who you were.

A year ago, Pinbei app hadn't even been developed yet and received a $2 billion valuation; Zhang Yiming's ByteTech had no decent business plan at all and still secured a valuation in the tens of millions; Cheng Wei's Didi Bike hadn't even launched and already had a $50 million valuation.

As long as your strength is sufficient, everything is possible.

But Hu Weiyi's background was primarily in media—insufficient to inspire confidence.

"What's your psychological price?" Hu Weiyi frowned slightly and probed.

"I'll give you fifty million. You lead the project. One percent equity released annually, up to a maximum of three percent."

Chen Yansen said casually.

In other words, he was trading the position of project lead and up to three percent equity for Hu Weiyi's "indenture."

Hu Weiyi froze after hearing this—she hadn't expected such an outcome.

Working for Chen Yansen?

The moment this thought surfaced, Hu Weiyi felt her heart stir.

Sen Lian Capital owned over a dozen holding subsidiaries; its flagship companies included Sister Chengzi Tech, Pinbei, Today Tech, Sister Chengzi Pay, Kuai Pao, Kuai Di Taxi, and Gao De Maps—each valued at no less than one billion U. S. dollars.

Though the equity stake was small, its value was far greater!

It was said that Liao Wei, CEO of Yun Su Express, held only 2% equity—but at the company's valuation, that stake alone was worth several billion Huayuan.

Hu Weiyi's face lit up, but after thinking, she spoke: "Director Chen, I came to you seeking investment."

"Didn't I give you money? I'm not just investing in your project—I'm investing in you," Chen Yansen chuckled.

Entrepreneur instantly becomes employee!

Hu Weiyi wanted to board Sen Lian Capital's big ship but didn't want to lose control of the project—she hesitated.

"Timing is critical for both seeking and accepting investment. Yao Yao Zhao missed out on investments from Tencent and Huaxin, and when it got crushed, not even a ripple was raised. Didi Bike has already been online for a month—you're not the only one watching."

Chen Yansen spoke slowly, his tone now tinged with indifference.

Once capital notices this cake, shared-bike apps will sprout like mushrooms after rain.

In his memory, besides Mobike and Ofo, there were dozens of similar products: Haro, Xiao Lan, Yong'an Xing, Xiao Ming, Xiao Bai, Shiguang, Wukong, and 9M.

Many candidates existed; Hu Weiyi and Little Deer Bike were not his first choice.

"Director Chen, I've thought it over—I accept your proposal," Hu Weiyi understood his meaning: if she missed this chance, next time she tried to reach him, it would be impossibly hard.

Opportunity comes only once—if you miss it, it's gone.

"Little Deer Bike is a weak name. Change it," Chen Yansen said.

"What suggestion do you have, Boss?" Hu Weiyi switched her address instantly.

"Ofo. Simple, memorable, and the characters visually resemble a bicycle," Chen Yansen said flatly.

The shared-bike racing track is bound to become a massive free-for-all.

But this product can also become part of Gao De Map's O2O strategy; although the profit margin is small, it still holds certain ecological value.

Even accounting for the torch of human compassion, there's no real loss—worst case, find a "sucker" to take it over later.

(End of Chapter)