Dressed as the Scumbag Alpha Mom of the Tragic Female Lead (ABO, GL) - Chapter 80

Chapter 80

Zhuang Qi successfully convinced her uncle, securing Kuai Xun’s mobile phone division and rebranding it as “Hardcore.” The name was Jiang Chuxie’s idea, a trendy 2019 internet term that puzzled locals. After explaining it to Zhuang Qi, she enthusiastically endorsed the new name.

Without Kuai Xun’s financial backing, Hardcore Mobile became a massive burden for Jiang Chuxie and Zhuang Qi.

Feiyue Tech’s profitability was impressive for its size, but as a small company, annual revenues in the millions were already remarkable.

The mobile division, split from Kuai Xun, was like a “dead camel bigger than a horse.” Its monthly expenses alone matched Feiyue’s yearly profits.

Though Zhuang Qi acquired all the technology, patents, production lines, and staff, she got no real estate. Her uncle agreed to waive rent for a year, but if Hardcore couldn’t pay afterward, he’d reclaim the factory.

Jiang Chuxie had to strategically sell her stocks to keep Hardcore running. To push internal reforms, she began a grueling workaholic lifestyle.

“I never expected your first plan would be to retool the production line for music players.”

Hardcore’s situation was precarious. It had some technical foundation but no clear edge over other phone makers. Staff attrition after the split and rebranding, combined with an already loss-making business, meant starting from scratch. Short-term profitability was nearly impossible.

Even with Zhuang Qi’s father’s support, they had little cash to burn. Sustaining a mature phone company required far more than a fledgling tech startup.

Still, Zhuang Qi, swayed by Jiang Chuxie’s lofty pitch, was confident and eager to shine. She was stunned when Jiang Chuxie’s first proposal was to divert part of the production line to make music players.

This sparked strong internal backlash, with remaining technical and managerial staff—staying out of loyalty—resisting fiercely. One handled morale, the other coordinated tech, and in record time, they drafted a detailed plan, finally convincing the company.

Kuai Xun was a top player in domestic computers and phones. Its mobile division only seemed dismal due to fierce competition. In high-end models, Hardcore’s original team never lagged in development, planning a premium phone with camera and music features this year—until Zhuang Qi’s uncle decided to cut the division.

But Jiang Chuxie had no intention of launching that premium model. Last year’s sales showed Hardcore lacked competitiveness in this space. Technical gaps aside, their costs were higher, making prices less attractive.

“I checked. No domestic company dominates music player production yet—just small, scattered factories with inconsistent quality and tech. This is our chance to capture this market and turn a profit first, then tackle the rest.”

“It’s a new thing, only around for three years. Few know about it, fewer use it. Loading songs requires a computer, there aren’t many songs available, and they’re not cheap.”

Hardcore could make music players but had focused on integrating them into phones to boost appeal and competitiveness, never considering standalone sales.

“Exactly, our opportunity. With how things are going, computer adoption will explode soon, making song loading easier. As for songs…” Jiang Chuxie smiled. “Why do you think I added that new feature to Xueyou Network?”

“Oh!” Zhuang Qi gasped, thrilled and incredulous. “You planned this already? That ‘stay tuned’ section is a music library!”

Jiang Chuxie nodded, smiling. “Yup. You’re about to get busy negotiating digital music copyrights.”

“Ugh…” Zhuang Qi’s head spun. “Will they agree? I heard the industry thinks digital music hurts album sales.”

That’s why online song resources were scarce and mostly pirated.

Jiang Chuxie knew the challenge, but Xueyou Network had gained traction. She planned to add membership features to build paid user habits—no way she’d ruin her brand with knockoffs or piracy. Plus, this would tie to Hardcore. A copyright lawsuit could bankrupt her.

“It’s up to you, Zhuang Qi. I trust your silver tongue to… persuade them!”

Zhuang Qi sighed, resigned. “Fine, it’s my fate. I’ll draft a proposal and see what I can get.”

For now, music players were far more cost-effective than premium phones with basic music features.

A music player plus a basic phone cost less than half a premium model. Though pricier than traditional Walkmans, they were compact and portable. Downloading music was cheaper than buying albums—anyone with sense could do the math.

Convincing copyright holders wasn’t too hard. Merchants chased profits. Show them the potential, and some would bite.

Jiang Chuxie trusted Zhuang Qi, who needed no guidance here.

Driving from Hardcore, Zhuang Qi hoped to head home early, but Jiang Chuxie asked her to detour to Feiyue.

“After this, we need to deal with the mole.”

“You’ve got a lead?”

Zhuang Qi was shocked. They’d been swamped for over a month—when did Jiang Chuxie find the mole?

“Yeah, I check Feiyue’s surveillance logs every night after work. They slipped up recently.”

“Why didn’t you say sooner?”

“Once I confirmed their identity, there was no rush.”

Zhuang Qi caught on. “Not from the tech department?”

“Our instincts were spot-on.” Jiang Chuxie narrowed her eyes, her gaze sharp. “I’ve uncovered their motive and identity. Let’s go talk to them.”

“Who is it? What’s their goal? Stealing trade secrets? Jerk!”

“They’re looking for something, but it’s not quite stealing trade secrets, so calling the cops won’t help.”

“Then why?”

“We’ll ask Min Hang. As a Lianping Association member, what’s he sneaking into Feiyue for?”

Zhuang Qi’s face darkened at the mention of the Lianping Association. She hadn’t forgotten what they did to Jiang Chuxie.

They reached Feiyue before closing. After several expansions, the company now had nearly twenty staff, including former B University students and a few full-timers. With Hardcore’s acquisition, Zhuang Qi didn’t renew Feiyue’s lease, planning to move there once the contract ended.

Feiyue was small; a few offices would suffice, letting them avoid commuting and integrate operations.

“Min Hang, can you come to the office?”

Zhuang Qi, fuming since learning this, barely restrained herself from confronting Min Hang. Jiang Chuxie, calm and composed, acted as if this was just a work discussion.

Min Hang, seemingly unaware he’d been caught, followed them into the tech department office without suspicion.

“Senior, what’s up?”

Neither answered. Zhuang Qi clapped her hands, addressing the tech staff. “Chuxie and I need to talk to Min Hang. Please pause your work, save your progress, and step out.”

The quiet programmers didn’t ask questions, saved their work, and left. Min Hang’s expression shifted slightly when he saw what Jiang Chuxie retrieved.

She climbed onto a chair, reaching behind a bookshelf to pull out a small camera, expertly hidden. Then, she retrieved several more from around the room.

These cameras covered every angle of the office, ensuring anyone entering would be caught.

“Want to see what they recorded?” Jiang Chuxie lined the cameras on the desk, smiling at Min Hang. “Oh, you probably know better than anyone what’s on them, right?”

Min Hang pursed his lips, silent. Zhuang Qi was livid.

“Min Hang, why’d you sneak into the company? Why steal our secrets?”

“I didn’t steal company secrets.”

“Then what were you doing?”

Min Hang took a breath, his pale face regaining some color. “Senior, I really wanted to join the tech department. I know I’m lacking, so I hoped to learn secretly to improve. I wanted to see the seniors’ development progress…”

“Keep spinning,” Jiang Chuxie sneered. “You think we’re that dumb to buy your story?”

Min Hang gritted his teeth, giving up on excuses. “If you don’t believe me, nothing I say matters. I didn’t steal secrets, so calling the police is pointless. I’ll resign, and that’s it.”

He turned to leave, and Zhuang Qi, seeing his defiant attitude, slammed the desk in anger.

Jiang Chuxie said coldly, “You’re after my investigation into the Lianping Association, right? Leaving so soon? Not afraid I’ll hand over the data?”

Min Hang froze, turning to face her. “Senior, you really don’t know… Destroying the Lianping Association will implicate the person you care about most.”