Rebirth: Starting from Lighting Up the Tech Tree

Chapter 73 Bidding

Bidding day.

The multi-functional hall on the sixteenth floor of the Blue Bay Communications headquarters building had been temporarily converted into a bidding venue. In the center of the hall was a long, rectangular judging panel, behind which sat seven judges. Zuo Cheng glanced around and spotted Lin Jianhua in the very center.

He had silver-gray hair and a dark blue suit, the same attire he wore at the bidding briefing. But his expression was much more serious today. He held a pen in his hand, his gaze sweeping over the people entering the room like an eagle scrutinizing its prey.

Zuo Cheng led his team into the venue. There were six people in total: Chen Hao, Zhang Lei, Ma Hao, Han Lu, Liu Wei, and himself. Everyone was dressed formally, a special arrangement by Han Lu, who explained that bidding wasn't a technical presentation but a business negotiation, and first impressions were crucial.

Huaxin's team had arrived and were seated on the other side of the venue. A dozen or so people, all dressed in suits, their group was much larger than that of room 402. Lin Jianhua did not sit with Huaxin's team; instead, he sat on the judging panel as a judge.

Zuo Cheng sneered inwardly. Having Huaxin's CTO as a judge was inherently unfair. But the rules were set; he couldn't change them, he could only win on the field.

Han Lu sat down next to Zuo Cheng and whispered, "There are seven judges. Besides Lin Jianhua, I checked the other six. Three are technical experts from Blue Bay Communications, two are industry consultants, and one is a representative from the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense. Blue Bay's own people should be more impartial, but it's hard to say about the industry consultants."

Zuo Cheng nodded and made the information a memorization.

Lu Mingyuan, General Manager of the Sky Dome Business Unit of Lanwan Communications, presided over the bidding process. He briefly introduced the bidding process: the two companies would present their proposals in turn, each with 90 minutes; after the presentations, the judges would ask questions, with each company having 30 minutes; finally, the judges would deliberate behind closed doors, and the results would be announced at a later date.

"Huaxin Group will present its proposal first," Lu Mingyuan announced.

Huaxin's technical director was a middle-aged man in his forties, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, and speaking clearly and logically.

"Good morning, esteemed judges. I am Zhao Guangming, Vice President of Technology at Huaxin Group. Today, I will be presenting the technical solution for the third phase of Huaxin Group's Sky Dome project."

Zhao Guangming opened the PowerPoint presentation and began his explanation.

Huaxin's solution follows a traditional approach, but it achieves excellence within that approach. Their core idea is centralized processing, using ultra-large ground computing centers to support the entire network. The solution utilizes many of Huaxin's existing mature technologies, including self-developed baseband chips and signal processors.

"Our solution has three core advantages," said Zhao Guangming. "First, the technology is highly mature; all core modules have been validated in other Huaxin projects, eliminating any technical risks. Second, delivery is guaranteed; Huaxin has a research and development team of over a thousand people, ensuring timely and high-quality delivery. Third, costs are controllable; our well-established supply chain system effectively controls project costs, preventing budget overruns."

He presented a detailed implementation plan and timeline, with each milestone clearly marked with a delivery date and acceptance criteria. The PowerPoint presentation was professionally designed, complete with data charts and graphs, demonstrating the considerable effort he had put in.

After the presentation, the judges began asking questions.

"Mr. Zhao, how do you ensure that your centralized architecture doesn't encounter computing bottlenecks when there are 100,000 terminals?" a judge asked.

Zhao Guangming calmly replied, "Our computing center uses a distributed cluster developed by Huaxin, with peak computing power five times that of the current system. Processing data from 100,000 terminals is no problem at all."

What if a single point of failure occurs?

"We have dual-machine hot standby and off-site disaster recovery solutions, so any single point of failure will not affect the overall operation of the system."

What is your spectral efficiency?

"In standard scenarios, our spectral efficiency is 3.2 bits per hertz. This figure has reached an advanced level in the industry."

Upon hearing this number, Zuo Cheng felt reassured. 3.2 bits per hertz—this was the upper limit of traditional adaptive coding modulation. The 402 scheme, however, boasted a spectral efficiency of 3.9 bits per hertz, nearly 22 percent higher than Huaxin's. That was the difference.

Lin Jianhua did not ask any questions, but simply nodded slightly, seemingly satisfied with Huaxin's proposal.

Zuo Cheng noticed that Lin Jianhua's nod wasn't subconscious, but deliberate. He was using body language to signal to the other judges: Huaxin's proposal was fine, they could rest assured.

Huaxin's presentation lasted an hour. After Zhao Guangming finished speaking, Lu Mingyuan announced a ten-minute break.

Zuo Cheng stood up and stretched his legs. In the corridor, Han Lu walked over, her expression somewhat serious.

"CEFC's proposal is stronger than I expected," she said softly. "The judging panel highly valued the technological maturity and delivery assurance."

"Their solution lacks innovation," Zuo Cheng said. "A centralized architecture, even at its most extreme, is still a centralized architecture; its limitations are there."

"But the judges might not think that way," Han Lu said. "Safety and stability are important dimensions in the evaluation. Huaxin emphasizes safety and stability."

"I know." Zuo Cheng glanced in the direction of the judges' panel, "But our proposal is better than theirs. You'll see in a moment."

Ma Hao walked over and handed him a bottle of water: "President Zuo, I'll explain the adaptive coding modulation part later, don't worry."

"Okay." Zuo Cheng took the water. "When you're explaining, make sure to clearly state the spectral efficiency data: 3.9 bits per hertz, which is 22 percent higher than Huaxin's. This is our core advantage."

"Understood." Ma Hao's eyes held a calm confidence. He hadn't wasted his two years in Shenzhen.

Liu Wei chimed in, "Brother Cheng, Han Lu will handle the business section. You just focus on the technical stuff. If Lin Jianhua asks any tricky questions, don't rush, answer slowly."

Zuo Cheng patted him on the shoulder: "Don't worry."

He returned to his seat and silently reviewed what he was going to say. The technological enhancements provided by the fusion blades were 402's greatest secret weapon. He didn't need to mention the system in his presentation; he only needed to demonstrate its effects.

After a ten-minute break, Lu Mingyuan announced that 402 Technology would begin its presentation.

Zuo Cheng stood up and walked to the podium. He took out the remote control from his pocket and took a deep breath.

All eyes in the audience were on him, including Lin Jianhua's.

Those eyes were sharp, carrying a scrutinizing quality. Zuo Cheng had seen that look before in his previous life; it was the gaze of a superior looking at an inferior, filled with a domineering certainty.

But in this life, he is no longer in a subordinate position.

He pressed the remote control, and the PowerPoint presentation flipped to the first page. A line of text appeared on the screen: "Integrated Space-Ground Intelligent Network: The Answer to Next-Generation Communications."

"Good morning/afternoon, esteemed judges. I am Zuo Cheng from 402 Technology."