After they were seated, Jobs spoke again: "Mr. Lin, I've actually wanted to meet you for a long time. Your design for the Xiaomi phone is truly amazing. In many ways, it's more innovative than the iPhone 4. You know, I have absolutely no resistance to innovation."
“I am just improving what already exists, while you are innovating from scratch, which is the most valuable thing.”
"Hahaha, Mr. Lin, everyone says that you Chinese are modest, and it seems that it is true."
Steve Jobs was initially a little resentful that Xiaomi phones had affected iPhone sales in China, but Lin Chen had been praising him ever since he joined Apple, which made him unable to get angry at all, and he even became a little smug from the praise.
But Lin Chen was truly sincere. Steve Jobs was a very pure person who dedicated his life to advancing technology. The iPhone, iPad, and MacBook Air were all groundbreaking products at the time and could be considered works of art.
Unlike the Cook era, which was all about incremental improvements and relying on past achievements, this new era is different.
"No, no, no, Mr. Jobs, you were a great man. The iPhone was the pioneer of smartphones and is the model for all other smartphones to learn from."
"I'm embarrassed by what you've said."
"I mean it sincerely."
"Haha, come on, let me show you around Apple."
Steve Jobs led Lin Chen and the others on a tour of Apple's facilities.
"Mr. Lin, look, this is the next generation of iPhone that our company is about to release. Although the appearance is not much different, we have designed a voice assistant that can help people operate the iPhone more quickly, and the iPhone will become a personal butler."
Steve Jobs showed Lin Chen Apple's latest technology without reservation, just like he showed Bill Gates the graphical operating system back then.
Of course, the outcome was not good. Microsoft subsequently released the Windows system, which began to become popular around the world.
After giving Lin Chen a tour, Jobs returned to his office.
Lin Chen frankly said, "Mr. Jobs, to be honest, our Xiaomi phones are also developing a voice assistant. It was already started before I came to Meidi."
Jobs paused for a moment upon hearing this, but then smiled and said, "There's an old Chinese saying, 'Great minds think alike,' which is probably what this means. Mr. Lin, I greatly admire your design ideas for smartphones. May I ask what you think smartphones will be like in the future?"
Lin Chen thought for a moment and said, "Could you give me paper and a pen?"
Jobs took a blank sheet of paper and a pen.
Lin Chen drew a rectangular shape with rounded corners on the white paper, and then put down his pen.
Shen Yue watched from the side, completely bewildered. What was this?
Steve Jobs, on the other hand, seemed to understand Lin Chen's thoughts.
"You mean, in the future, the entire front of the phone will be a screen?"
"That's right. The front camera, earpiece, and microphone are all hidden. The entire front of the phone is a screen, and all operations are done on the screen."
Upon hearing this, Jobs gasped: "Mr. Lin, your idea is absolutely brilliant. I've never even considered it before. If it succeeds, it will be a revolutionary design, a truly groundbreaking one."
However, Jobs immediately asked, "Is this the design sketch for your next Xiaomi phone?"
"No, the next Xiaomi phone we'll be designing will be a cheaper phone, focusing on practicality."
"Huh? Why is that? Shouldn't we do everything we can to realize such an excellent design?"
"Mr. Jobs, this touches on the corporate spirit of Xiaomi. The original intention of Xiaomi Technology is to let everyone enjoy the fun of technology. But you know, not everyone can afford a smartphone now."
Jobs fell into deep thought. To be honest, this conflicted with his philosophy. Apple has always been committed to integrating technology and art, and every product should be like a work of art. As for cost, that was not something he should consider.
If he had such a brilliant idea as Lin Chen, he would definitely spare no effort to design it and show it to everyone in the world.
Lin Chen, however, ignored such a great idea and went on to design a cheaper phone. But his statement that not everyone can afford a smartphone resonated deeply with him.
"Oh, Mr. Lin, you are a great man."
Jobs sighed and praised him sincerely.
The two chatted for a long time, discussing their visions for the future, their research into new technologies, and so on, until the afternoon.
Seeing that it was getting late, Lin Chen said goodbye.
Before leaving, Lin Chen grasped Jobs' hand and said sincerely, "Mr. Jobs, please take good care of your health. Health is the foundation of a great career."
Steve Jobs was startled. Not many people knew that he had pancreatic cancer, but Lin Chen must have said this to him so solemnly before leaving for a reason. Could this be the mysterious Eastern power? Could they see a person's future with just one glance?
It seems I need to change my treatment plan.
After Lin Chen and Shen Yue left Apple, Shen Yue asked curiously, "Lin Chen, why do I feel that you have a lot of respect for Steve Jobs?"
"This man single-handedly propelled the entire mobile phone industry forward by decades. Unlike other capitalists who develop for profit, he developed purely for the sake of development, making some money on the side. Rather than calling him a businessman, he should be called an inventor."
"What did you mean by what you said to him before you left?"
"He has cancer."
"Huh?! This...does he know it himself?"
“He knew it himself, but he chose conservative treatment, which will only make his condition worse.”
"Oh, he's a pitiful person too."
Back in his office, Jobs stared at the note Lin Chen had left behind and fell into deep thought.
The next day, Jobs unusually did not come to the company. It should be noted that Jobs was a workaholic, and working more than ten hours a day was commonplace for him.
Jobs arrived at the hospital. He had thought about it for a long time yesterday. Before, he didn't care, since his inventions were enough to make him famous. But after seeing the future that Lin Chen described to him yesterday, he wanted to live and see it for himself.
After a thorough physical examination, the doctor said to Jobs with a grave expression, "Mr. Jobs, you really should have come to the hospital for surgery sooner. Your condition has worsened, and you will need not only surgery but also chemotherapy. However, rest assured, the chances of a cure are still very high."
"Okay, doctor, I will cooperate fully with the treatment."
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