northernbook Chapter 152 Strategic Expansion
Chapter 152 Strategic Expansion
Han Lu pushed the document in front of Zuo Cheng and said, "Take a look. This afternoon, Chen Hao, Liu Wei, and I spent three hours together."
The document cover has four words written on it: Organizational Structure.
Zuo Cheng flipped through the pages. The first page showed the existing organizational structure: five business units. The second page outlined the restructuring plan: six business units plus an independent research institute. He didn't speak immediately, but placed the second page on the table and looked at the list.
Has Ma Hao returned?
"He arrived last week," Han Lu said. "I spoke to him on the phone, and he said things were settled in Shenzhen, which coincided with this reshuffle."
Zuo Cheng nodded. Ma Hao had spent almost a year in Shenzhen working on the underlying hardware of drones; this experience was no less valuable than what he had gained at 402, and perhaps even more solid. It was appropriate to entrust the Unmanned Systems Division to him.
"What is the logic behind the division of the six business units in this plan?"
Han Lu sat up straight and began to speak: "Originally, there were four business lines: satellite communications, IoT, AI, and unmanned systems. This time, we've split them into six, plus two new directions: commercial aerospace and follow-up support for new energy vehicles. For new energy vehicles, we're currently collaborating with automakers, placing it within an independent product line, and overseen by Shen Yiming's team. Commercial aerospace is currently empty; we'll fill it when the Space Photovoltaic Research Institute has a need."
"Is the research institute listed separately, not within the six business divisions?"
"Yes. The research institute is an independent institution, reporting directly to you. After Yu Ying arrives, she will serve as the dean. Recruitment at Professor Li Ming's level can be done through the research institute's channels; the salary system is separate from the professional development program."
Zuo Cheng pushed the page forward and said, "There's a problem with this. If there's no interface between the research institute and the business unit, the commercialization of research results will be very slow. If the things developed in the lab can't be incorporated into products, it's just burning money."
Han Lu circled a spot on the document with her pen, "Chen Hao and I discussed setting up a technology transfer committee, with members consisting of technical heads from various business units and project managers from the research institute. They would hold a meeting every quarter to determine which business unit would prioritize the implementation of research institute findings."
"Okay." Zuo Cheng marked this point, "But the transformation period can't be too long, no more than six months. If any results haven't been accepted after six months, the research institute will have to incubate them independently."
Han Lu nodded. "That makes sense, I'll add it."
"Where's the list?"
Han Lu turned to the next page, where the names of the heads of the six business units were already on it.
Satellite Communications Division, Chen Hao. Internet of Things Platform Division, Liu Wei (concurrently in charge), to be filled. AI Division, Shen Yiming. Unmanned Systems Division, Ma Hao. New Energy Vehicle Support Division, Fang Ze. Commercial Aerospace Division, to be determined.
After reading it, Zuo Cheng looked up and asked, "Fang Ze is in charge of new energy vehicle support. He originally worked on embedded systems and chips, but now he's managing the entire new energy vehicle support line. Is the pressure on him?"
"I asked him," Han Lu said. "His exact words were, 'Leave it to me, stop talking nonsense.'"
Zuo Cheng smiled. "Then there's no problem."
"Regarding commercial spaceflight, we don't have anyone yet, so it's on hold for now. Once the Space Photovoltaic Research Institute is launched, I'll take over some management, and then hand it over to someone else if a suitable candidate emerges."
"Can I now write Yu Ying as the director of the research institute?"
"Write."
Han Lu filled in her name on that line, closed the file, and said, "There's one more thing. Regarding the title of Chief Scientist, do you mean it should be combined with the Dean's title, or should it be a separate title?"
"Unity. The director is also the chief scientist; externally, he is the chief scientist, but internally, he is the director of the research institute."
"When that's announced to the media, Yu Ying, the chief scientist of 402, will have a lot of exposure. Are you sure?"
"Confirmed," Zuo Cheng said. "She deserves the title."
Han Lu closed the folder, pushed it aside, shifted her posture, and said, "There's one more thing you might not know."
"explain."
"In the past month, three headhunting firms have started poaching our staff," Han Lu said calmly, without any panic, as if stating a weather forecast. "The highest offer was three times the salary. It was a senior engineer in the algorithm team; I've already spoken with him and he's stayed. But this isn't a coincidence; I feel like someone is pushing things along."
Zuo Cheng didn't answer immediately. He went through the recent timeline in his mind: the car company signing the contract, pre-sales exceeding 50,000 units, the third-anniversary annual meeting—each milestone was a high point in terms of popularity. The headhunter's entry at this time was perfectly timed.
"Have you checked his background?"
"We checked two companies, but couldn't find the actual client; there were two intermediaries involved." Han Lu paused, "But judging from the direction of the targeted poaching, it's focused on AI algorithms and communication protocols, consistent with Lin Jianhua's actions last year."
Zuo Cheng tapped the table and said, "Then let's add one more thing to this organizational restructuring. Salaries for core technical positions will be increased across the board, by at least 20%. This will be announced to all employees and included in the organizational restructuring announcement."
Han Lu took notes without hesitation.
"Also," Zuo Cheng said, "I need to speak with each business unit head separately before announcing their appointments. Schedule that for this afternoon. As for Ma Hao, tell him that a new broom sweeps clean; he knows what I mean."
Han Lu nodded, stood up, put away the documents, took a few steps, then turned back and asked, "When is Yu Ying's defense?"
"Early next month."
"The announcement can be scheduled two weeks after the thesis defense, and then issued after the official onboarding."
"good."
Han Lu left, and the office fell silent.
Zuo Cheng turned his chair to face the window. The winter sky over Hangzhou was overcast, but a newly hung banner could already be seen downstairs: "402 Technology, Growing Upwards."
Six major business divisions, plus a research institute. Five hundred people, plus those still on their way.
He recalled the six of them crammed into a rented room to write code three years ago, the first time he stood at the entrance of Blue Bay Communications, Lin Jianhua's gaze at the review meeting, and Yu Ying's window seat in the library.
Every step from those places to now counts.
The organizational structure has expanded to its current size not by luck, but by betting on the right moments every time and never backing down.
After his last failure, Lin Jianhua hadn't made any major moves. This time, with the headhunting scandal, his instincts were still there, but he couldn't catch up. If you can't catch up, you have to take a detour, and those who take detours are always a step behind.
Zuo Cheng put the matter aside in his mind, turned on his computer, opened the calendar, and saw that the first item on his schedule for the first week of next month was Yu Ying's doctoral defense.
He wrote two words in that square: "Pick up at the station".
The organizational structure is finalized today; the next step is to fill the positions. The biggest gap is in the commercial spaceflight sector—we need someone who truly understands launch windows and orbital mechanics. Zuo Cheng mentally scanned the names he knew; there were no suitable candidates, meaning he'd have to recruit them.