Chapter 74 Internet Enlightenment
Lin Mengxi can not only speak ordinary English everyday expressions, but also express literary, philosophical and scientific viewpoints that ordinary children cannot understand. Those are not answers he has memorized in advance, but he listens to others first and then makes his own judgment before taking up the topic.
You have to know that these foreigners in front of him are not ordinary people. They are elites in the European technology and telecommunications industry. They have been holding a small salon in a hotel in Country D for the past few days to discuss future business development models. He had put in a lot of effort to get into this salon, but he didn't expect that these people would be attracted by Lin Ruoyan's son.
Lin Ruoyan inquired about the identities of these foreigners from Wu Chenghao, but he didn't express the same enthusiasm as he had with the Chinese people, or any concepts beyond his time and knowledge. Seeing that her son was already sleepy, she pulled him out of the group of foreigners, politely said goodbye, and left gracefully.
From beginning to end, he showed no concern for this high-end salon event or the attitudes of these elites.
This left Wu Chenghao both stunned and puzzled. It seemed as if Lin Ruoyan wasn't interested in these foreign companies. Last time, they'd discussed the future of mobile phones, and Wu Chenghao had benefited greatly. This salon, he'd chosen to understand and find opportunities to participate in the future of smartphones, deciding to make this the focus of his future career. These elites were the experts in this field abroad.
In the book's timeline, smartphones were already in their infancy before the turn of the millennium. The earliest smartphones were developed by American manufacturers. They were internet-connected and more like handheld computers, with no physical buttons, operated by touchscreens. They could manage personal information, schedule appointments, manage tasks, and feature multimedia applications, as well as web browsing.
This device was somewhat different from the common physical button phones that were popular on the market at the time and could make and receive calls. The most famous brand in Europe was, of course, NJY from FL. It had already launched smartphones based on Symbian and MeeGo.
Lin Ruoyan knew, however, that in the real world, more than a decade later, the NJY brand was rarely mentioned in the smartphone market, having long been surpassed by newcomers. However, around the turn of the millennium, NJY was still a household name in the Chinese mind as a renowned foreign brand. Its candy-bar phone with physical buttons was renowned for its durability and ease of use. It was said to be strong enough to crack walnuts, and even if dropped in water and dried, it would still function, with a week-long standby time. This level of durability was unmatched by smartphones a decade later.
Through Wu Chenghao's introduction, Lin Ruoyan learned that at the time of the book's world, the international mobile phone industry was still flourishing. Not only were charging interfaces inconsistent, but even the various operating systems were significantly divergent, each with its own advantages and market share. Meanwhile, China lacked mature technology and brands. Wu Chenghao planned to start by becoming a mobile phone distributor, then gradually introduce technology and develop a national brand.
He attended the seminar to learn about what operating systems and brands would be introduced and what the future prospects of smartphones would be.
Lin Ruoyan was well aware that the now-popular Symbian operating system would be completely obsolete in less than a decade, with the open-source Android and the completely closed-off Apple phones becoming the two dominant operating systems. The brand that made the Chinese proud hadn't yet begun making phones, and it would be another decade or more before Chinese-developed operating systems would be installed on their own phones.
Since Wu Chenghao had chosen this path, he would have to endure for over a decade. Seeing that he was dedicated to promoting the development of the domestic telecommunications industry, Lin Ruoyan subtly gave him a sneak peek. At the very least, she wanted to inform him that open-source, more compatible systems would have greater longevity and be more likely to thrive. Symbian, with its lack of multimedia and compatibility, might be at risk of being eliminated.
Lin Ruoyan was at a loss for words, so she pretended to be sophisticated and took the baby back to her luxurious hotel suite.
Lin Mengxi chatted with the foreigners about electronic communications, information programming, and other areas, sparking a strong interest. However, their brief chat didn't touch on deeper expertise, nor did they mention mobile phones. It simply opened a door to the field of information technology for him. Few people in China would mention these cutting-edge areas, after all, not many people in China had computers or mobile phones at that stage.
Seeing her son's thirst for knowledge, Lin Ruoyan saw that her own limited knowledge was being emptied out by a few words. She would definitely not be able to cope with it in the long run. She had no choice but to advise her son to ask Hao Heshan more questions. As for Wu Chenghao, forget it. He had already been given the "nice guy" card. After all, Hao Heshan was already an employee of her company. It was better to let her son learn from Hao Heshan and broaden his horizons.
Given Lin Ruoyan's limited understanding of computer information technology, electronic communications, and the internet, she generally assumed it was all about the hardware and software of electronic products. She assumed that the frequently used mobile phones of the future would simply be compatible with many of the functions of personal computers and the ability to make calls. The difference between the two wasn't that significant; one could connect everything. That's why she blamed Hao Heshan for the entire mess.
Lin Mengxi didn't have any concept of interdisciplinary fields at the time. He just thought these concepts were fresh and interesting. The laptop was no longer enough for him to play with. When he heard his mother describe a mobile phone in the future that could not only make calls but also surf the Internet and play games, and easily store hundreds of gigabytes of files, he was very envious.
The next day, after meeting Hao Heshan in the buffet breakfast restaurant, he grabbed Uncle Hao, who was omnipotent in his mother's eyes. After a round of expectations, Hao Heshan was inspired to have endless imaginations, but also felt a lot of pressure. The waves behind the Yangtze River push the waves in front, and if the waves in front don't work hard, they will die on the beach.
Mr. Lin's knowledge and endless innovations have impressed Hao Heshan. This time, when he talked with Mr. Lin's son, the concepts about mobile phones that the child talked about were also quite shocking.
This is a future that Hao Heshan has not found in any overseas information. If it can be realized, there will be paperless office and cashless payment in the future. A small mobile phone or even a small watch can realize all functions. It is even more amazing than what is written in science fiction novels.
Crucially, in this child's mind, the internet wasn't something as simple as connecting a phone line to a computer. It was something ubiquitous. Wired connections might gradually be replaced by wireless, and everything would be connected. Computers would simply be terminals. Cell phones, watches, machinery, furniture, and appliances could all be controlled online.
Hao Heshan believes that such an era will definitely come, but he cannot imagine how long it will take for it to arrive in the country.
Computers, the internet, and mobile phones were all invented abroad, and most internet infrastructure and IP addresses are completely controlled by foreign countries. Chinese people are currently merely learning and catching up with what has already been developed by foreigners, and they have to pay huge patent fees to use these technologies.
But this is precisely the opportunity.
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