Chapter 10: The Soviet Red Army Choir

  With suspicion, Zhao Yongping and Yang Yun arrived at the factory gate of Kote Learning Card, still hundreds of meters away from the entrance. The two were tongue-tied as they walked along the street, where vendors were selling card belts, and even storefronts had handwritten signs in bold characters - "Kote Learning Card Wholesale, Large Quantities Available" - hanging on the door, openly for sale.

  Yang Yun exclaimed repeatedly: "This... is too fierce! Too fierce! Doesn't Kurt care?"

  Zhao Yongping couldn't help but sigh repeatedly: "These people! I finally know where those goods with torn-off labels came from!"

  Mao Dasheng laughed strangely: "Isn't it because we helped to get it out! Kote wants to manage but can't, I heard that the factory is undergoing a movement, several factory leaders have been transferred back to the headquarters in Beijing, and the leaders are busy fighting for power, who still cares about production!"

  Yang Yun suddenly realized that this company headquartered in the capital city was indeed greatly affected by that incident, and it's possible that someone below might have come to cause trouble.

  Yang Yun's eyes lit up as he remembered something: "Director Zhao, what a great opportunity, the production line..."

  Zhao Yongping thought of this at the same time and pulled Mao Daxin aside to ask in a low voice, "Boss Mao, can you help introduce the production line for cassette tapes?"

  "Director Zhao, this is a bit difficult, and besides, I still have several delivery orders in my hand that need to be waited for several months!"

  Zhao Yongping burst out laughing: "As long as Boss Mao helps to make the connection, I'll have as much as I want in the future! The delivery note and all that, isn't it up to me to decide?"

  "That's great!"

  Soon, the three of them were like underground workers, led by Mao Daxin, turning corners and visiting several electronics factories in Shenzhen. Yang Yun and Zhao Yongping's knowledge was greatly expanded!

  Unlike the underground tape factories that Zhao Yongping knew, the ones that Mao Daxin took him to this time were all regular factories with a certain scale. The entire production line for both consoles and cartridges was available, but the price was just too high, 500,000 yuan per set, which exceeded Zhao Yongping's budget.

  Moreover, various electronic components such as capacitors, resistors, sensors, CPU chips, circuit boards and gold-plated connectors commonly used in the electronics industry are also a problem to source, especially CPU chips which need to be imported from the US. Even if Huamao Electronics Factory were to take over production lines, it would not solve the foreign exchange shortage.

  However, Zhao Yongping's level was indeed very high, and it didn't take long for him to get the contract signed.

  Huamao Electronics Factory rented a whole production line and took it back with a monthly rent of 500,000.

  At any time, Huamiao Electronics Factory can customize various types of cartridges here, learning cards, game cards, Pyramid, Little Genius, Nintendo, Coleco, as long as Huamiao places an order. However, under the spirit of the central red-headed document "Resolutely Eliminate Triangular Debt", it is necessary to pay cash on delivery, pay first and then pick up the goods.

  As long as Zhao Yongping can come up with the money, this side will provide FC whole machine production materials, and when the assembly line starts, it will be decided by Zhao Yongping himself.

  This is a big deal, Zhao Yongping solved the two most important problems that Huamao Electronics Factory encountered at once, increasing the production of cassette tapes and finding a stable supplier of learning cassette tapes, this is determined to make the shanzhai industry flourish!

  And the leased production line is a whole set of equipment that produces FC hosts and handles together. Give him a few months, guarantee to produce game consoles with it, and match his own pirated cartridges, which is a complete set of equipment, and the price can be sold at a higher profit!

  All the way, Yang Yun did not express too many opinions. He knew that Zhao Yongping was absolutely not just at this level. Zhao Yongping's ambition was very big. Once he gave him space to develop, this extremely clever businessman would burst out with infinite power!

  And he can't just wait here honestly, seeking change is the way to move forward.

  ……

  ……

  Alexei was waiting at the entrance of Seg Electronics Market on time and gave Yang Yun a knowing look when he saw him.

  Landlord Mao Daxin treated the three to a big meal, and he also gained a lot, getting Zhao Yongping's promise of unlimited supply of cards, as well as Yang Yun's hint, and he was happier than anyone else.

  Returning to Huamao factory overnight, Zhao Yongping didn't have time to rest, pulling Yang Yun and Aleksey to start another small meeting.

  Zhao Yongping asked: "Yang Yun, you said to Mao Daxin during the day that it won't be long before we continue developing a game, what's going on?"

  Yang Yun had secretly communicated with Alex on the way back and learned that the patent matter had been settled, with the help of a lawyer in Hong Kong. It is now in the declaration publicity period and will take some time to finalize the patent.

  So Yang Yun gave Aleksey a look, and Aleksey took over the conversation, saying: "Zhao, there is a brand new game that Yang and I are developing together. It's still in the testing phase now, but it should be stable soon."

  "Let me see!"

  "Aleksey shook his head repeatedly: "The program code is still being debugged and cannot be run temporarily. When it's done, we'll let you know. You haven't entered the workshop these days, are you going to drift further and further away from us?""

  Zhao Yongping burst out laughing and patted the two on the shoulder, saying: "I've been busy for days, my feet haven't touched the ground! Aleksey, Yang Yun, you're the people I trust most, how could we drift further apart? Then I'll wait for your good news, looking forward to your game's success, and hopefully occupying this year's summer market!"

  The next day, Huamao Electronics Factory brought back a new platform from Shenzhen, doubling the production capacity, requiring more skilled workers to operate, train, practice, go on duty, shift and rotate. Zhao Yongping was even busier.

  Yang Yun and Alexei were busy debugging on the development machine. The Russian block only had a few ways to play, one person played, or two machines competed against each other, or one person played on one side compared to who was faster, these programs were easy to do.

  In addition, it is also very classic and has background music.

  Alexei has been excited these days, holding a copy of the patent application file, pointing to the name of the applicant and saying: "Yang! I named the game Tetris, and the Chinese name I declared is Soviet Block, do you have any objections?"

  Soviet Bloc...

  Yang Yun was almost speechless, crying and laughing at the same time. The Soviet Union would have collapsed in just two more years, this name is really not well-chosen! Are you a Russian? You love the Soviet Union so much?

  However, Yang Yun didn't say anything, nodded and said: "I have no opinion, do as you please. This game is still missing a background music, why don't you use your hometown's musical instrument to play a short piece? No problem, I'll hum it and you can fill in the rest."

  When Yang Yun hummed that classic melody, Aleksey's eyes widened in surprise and he asked incredulously: "Yang! I didn't expect you to be so familiar with our country's music? Isn't this the song 'Peddlers' adapted from Nikolai Nekrasov's poem by Russian poet Nikolai Alekseevich Nekrasov? I've heard the Soviet Red Army Choir's version!"

  Yang Yun almost fainted, the Russian's name was as long as a train, he didn't hear clearly who it was, and could only pretend to be profound, smiling and saying: "The Soviet Union is China's big brother, I have always admired Soviet culture..."

  The sound card used for cartridge games is the simplest type of monaural audio card, which can only produce a single sound, but this is enough, after all, the cost is here, and it's not possible to install a Sound Blaster card from Singapore.

  Yang Yun said to let Alexei play the instrument and record it as background music for Tetris, but that was a joke. The cassette memory had to be carefully calculated, they could only use simple sounds to simulate the program.

  After two people tossed for half a day, the background music of this "Korobelniki" finally satisfied Yang Yun. He let out a sigh of relief, clapped his hands and laughed: "Done!"