Chapter 127: Are You Serious?

Blake was a clever woman, possessing both intellect and cunning. Su Mu had assumed he found her through a human resources firm, but in reality, it was Blake who had selected Penguin.

In other words, she saw great potential in this company.

Upon learning from a veteran headhunter that Su Mu was hiring repeatedly in an attempt to expand his market across the United States, she realized the company’s owner was highly ambitious. She happened to be in need of a job—her lawsuit against Boeing had cost her a fortune—and she was also optimistic about the prospects of the personal computer sales market. That was why they were meeting tonight.

The salary had been roughly negotiated; all that remained was the final decision on hiring.

Su Mu was still a minor, and he worried that his company might unwittingly fall under someone else’s control or that management might become blinded by arrogance, ruining the firm's growth prospects. Thus, finding the right person was essential.

At this moment, mimicking Blake, he picked up a spoon to eat some caviar. The rich, pungent taste made him frown. Stifling the urge to spit it out, he swallowed and took a sip of watermelon juice before asking, "Do you have any experience dealing with Silicon Valley companies? Why do you want to join my firm? With your... assets, even without a degree, you could find a better job. I’m quite certain of that."

"Besides sales, what else can I do? That seems to be all I know. I can hardly go stand on a street corner soliciting customers in revealing clothes," Blake said with self-deprecating humor. She seemed to loathe the word "degree" and added, "You’re too naive. To obtain a senior position, the prerequisite is a diploma from a prestigious university; otherwise, you could spend ten times the effort and still not get a fair chance. Take Boeing, for instance. They had minimum degree requirements and didn't even hire graduates from community colleges. If I hadn't bought a fake diploma, how could I have ever been hired?"

Su Mu had never experienced such things, but he understood the sentiment to some extent. His father frequently preached that a "high degree is a stepping stone" and placed great importance on his studies.

Taken aback by her remark about "soliciting customers on the street," he shook his head with a wry smile and asked, "Then why didn't you study hard back then?"

Blake hesitated, then slumped and said, "I... I get sleepy the moment I look at those textbooks, and my family didn't have the money for tuition, so I didn't go. I regretted it later. I haven't dealt with Silicon Valley companies, and I don't know much about computers, but give me some time to learn, and I can definitely handle it!"

Su Mu’s eyes turned peculiar. He realized that while Blake looked beautiful, she wasn't actually "cool" at all. Just like Miss Kate, whom he liked, she was an ordinary person with her own worries and frustrations.

"You don't know anything. Is that how you passed your interview at Boeing?"

Sensing Su Mu’s sarcasm, Blake rolled her eyes and said, "Do you think I was born knowing how to sell planes? The logic is pretty much the same; you learn it after a while. It’s precisely because I don't understand computers, yet people think they are amazing—even the Boeing company I worked for required technology involving computers—that I believe it must have a future."

Selling computers, or even manufacturing them, only required a basic understanding; expertise wasn't strictly necessary.

Su Mu dropped the subject. As the waiter helped change the dishes, he leaned forward and said, "As long as you can sell an IBM computer to that gentleman with the long hair at the table next to us, you're hired. You’ve been talking about how capable you are—let me see it."

The man he referred to was, of course, Steve Jobs. In those days, Jobs still wore his hair long; he was in his twenties, not yet wearing glasses, and quite handsome.

The hostile relationship between Apple and IBM had been making headlines recently. Blake clearly recognized Jobs. She stared into Su Mu’s eyes with an expression of disbelief for a long moment before asking, "Are you serious?"

"Of course not. He’s been quite angry lately; you might get punched."

"Wow, what a gentleman."

"Thank you for the compliment."

"..."

Words are cheap; only by truly managing the company could one see a person's capability. Su Mu thought Blake was smart enough and didn't mind giving her this opportunity.

And so, the next day, Penguin had a new female manager. The news spread faster than word of a pay raise. Unfortunately, the joy was short-lived, as the company’s rules and regulations began to change. Blake set sales quotas for everyone; only those who met the minimum standard of fifty computers a month would receive a commission. Those who failed to meet the target for two consecutive months faced termination. The employees at Penguin were both happy and miserable.

After negotiating with Blake and Su Mu, the Latin lady, Ms. Marianne, finally agreed to Su Mu's terms: a $300,000 licensing fee, and for one company of her choosing, every computer purchased from Penguin would only be marked up by $18 over the wholesale price.

As soon as he received the loan, Su Mu went to IBM to pay the deposit. Turning the tide, the salesmen now had an additional task: not only selling computers to customers but also seeking out distributors and agents.

After drafting the copy, he sent Blake and Li Ping'an to San Francisco. After coordinating with the *San Francisco Chronicle*, they bought ad space for half a month for $60,000, running ads every two days to maximize publicity.

Private orders poured in, forcing them to hire two more telephone operators. It had to be said that the method Michael Dell had devised was truly effective. By December 22nd, they had sold over 1,900 computers at low prices.

The furthest sales went as far as Miami, shipped via logistics companies. After deducting freight costs, the profit was even slightly higher than sales to schools. In the latter half of December, Penguin’s profits reached over $400,000. Mr. McKay had exceeded his targets and had been in a great mood these past few days.

Because of Blake’s "harsh system," several employees who were just coasting were cleared out, which was a good thing for the company. Previously, Su Mu and Li Ping'an had found layoffs difficult, but Blake was decisive—if performance was poor, they were fired or reassigned to other posts.

Stumbling along, Penguin became more professional. It was no longer just two Chinese teenagers playing around; it began to gain a reputation among its clientele. The only pity was that they still didn't have their own branded computers; at best, it was just a computer store.

On December 24th, the day before Christmas, as people celebrated the arrival of the holidays, the second "Quick-Buy" Supermarket opened near the Los Angeles Dodgers Stadium.

With the experience from last time, this one was set up much faster, utilizing a ready-made storefront without even needing renovations. According to Su Mu's mother, business was quite good...