Becoming a Russian Oligarch After Rebirth
Chapter 1353 - 1076: Who to Choose as Successor_2

Chapter 1353: Chapter 1076: Who to Choose as Successor_2

In Apple’s management, there was no doubt that Boss Qiao was the core figure, with no close second.

But beneath him, Cook was not yet very prominent; he was only in charge of supply chain management.

Additionally, there were several directors responsible for design and sales who ranked higher than him.

Particularly the design director, Ive, was undeniably one of the soul figures of Apple, having determined the style of Apple products along with Boss Qiao.

From MAC computers to IPODs and Apple phones, all were designed by him!

It could be said that after Boss Qiao was diagnosed with a terminal illness, regarding his successor, Ive had the highest call.

However, today Wang Ye said he favored Cook, which even surprised Boss Qiao.

He asked subconsciously, "Ah? Why Cook and not Ive?"

Boss Qiao himself was also hesitant; in his heart, there were two people most suited to take over his position—those were Ive and Cook.

Both had their strengths and likewise their weaknesses.

Ive was actually more like Boss Qiao, focusing on product design, striving for perfection, and often having imaginative new ideas.

However, his weakness was that he was not very good at company operations.

Cook, on the other hand, was proficient in company operations and management, especially skilled in supply chain management, and also quite knowledgeable in finances, doing well in controlling costs.

However, his weakness was that he did not understand much about product design, which was completely the opposite of Ive.

As to whom to choose, Boss Qiao was uncertain, which was why he sought Wang Ye’s opinion over the phone today.

After all, selecting a company CEO, the opinion of the major shareholder was very important; otherwise, if he chose someone and it did not pass at the board meeting, it would just be a waste of time.

Wang Ye smiled and patiently explained,

"In the future, Apple will be more about maintaining what we have achieved rather than creating anew!

Perhaps many people haven’t yet realized the importance of smartphones, but time will tell us the answer.

Just IPHONE alone, if done well, could elevate Apple to unprecedented heights!

Thus, this product doesn’t need too much breakthrough anymore, the first generation has already laid a solid foundation; later iterations will just be about the application of new technology, performance improvements.

However, for the entire company, in the future our products will be sold worldwide, expecting tremendous annual shipment volumes.

In this aspect, Cook’s advantage is much greater than Ive’s.

This is also why I chose him!"

After hearing this, Boss Qiao was silent for a long while, digesting Wang Ye’s words.

Truthfully, sometimes Boss Qiao felt that Wang Ye had even more confidence in Apple than he did...

Phrases like "reinvent the phone" or "reach unprecedented heights"—honestly, Boss Qiao was too embarrassed to say such things himself, but Wang Ye spoke of them as a matter of course.

If the company could indeed develop as Wang Ye predicted, then Cook naturally was more suitable to assume the position of CEO than Ive.

Starting a business is easy, maintaining it is hard—this principle applied in the business world as well.

Currently, the first generation Apple phone was only released in the North American region and selling one million units in two months had already somewhat overwhelmed the entire management.

If it were truly to become a worldwide bestseller like Nokia, selling hundreds of millions of phones a year, Boss Qiao couldn’t even imagine to what scale the company would swell!

Indeed, at that time, Cook’s advantages would become very apparent.

Perhaps just as Wang Ye said, Cook really was the most suitable candidate, not because he was more capable than Ive, but because his strengths were precisely what Apple needed.

Cook could have never imagined that his future was decided when Boss Qiao and Wang Ye were on the phone.

Moreover, Wang Ye, a major shareholder who didn’t deal much with him, surprisingly thought highly of him. It was under Wang Ye’s strong recommendation that Boss Qiao finally made up his mind to prepare to pass his position to Cook...

In April, Wang Ye was in his office handling public affairs when his assistant Nova came in and reported,

"Boss, NTV’s Mr. Xie Liaofu and director Charovsky have arrived. Should I let them in?"

Wang Ye replied without looking up, "Let them in."

Soon, Nova led Xie Liaofu and Charovsky into Wang Ye’s office.

The two approached Wang Ye’s desk and respectfully greeted him. Wang Ye looked up, smiled, and gestured for them to sit down, slightly apologetically saying, "Give me a few minutes, I still have some important work to handle."

Station Chief Xie Liaofu quickly responded with a smile, "You go ahead, Chairman, we’ll wait, no problem."

The two sat in front of Wang Ye’s desk, sitting up straight and holding their breath while waiting for Wang Ye to finish his tasks.

After seven or eight minutes, Wang Ye put down the document in his hand, stretched languorously, reached for a box of Black Russian cigarettes, and said with a smile, "Come, let’s have a smoke and relax. I remember you two smoke, right?"

Xie Liaofu and Charovsky nodded at the same time. Both were heavy smokers, but they were somewhat flattered that the Chairman remembered their smoking habits...

The three lit their cigarettes and puffed away for a while before moving on to the main topic.

Wang Ye asked, "Is that big TV series finished filming? It seems to have been almost a year since it started, right?"

Xie Liaofu and Charovsky had come today to report to Wang Ye that the TV series "Empress Yekaterina" had finished filming and was ready to be aired.

From project initiation to now, a year had passed, and Wang Ye hadn’t inquired about it during this time.

However, Xie Liaofu and Charovsky were definitely under a lot of pressure because the TV series had an investment of 500 million US dollars, a record-breaking amount worldwide!

If they couldn’t produce a perfect outcome, they wouldn’t need Wang Ye to hold them accountable; they would no longer have the face to continue in the industry.

Therefore, over the past year, Xie Liaofu and Charovsky had been working day and night, meticulously smoothing out every detail, striving for perfection.

The actors in the crew also put in a great effort, understanding that the broadcast of this series would directly decide their acting careers!

It was either skyrocket to become a superstar in the global entertainment industry or become a laughingstock based on their performance level in the series.

Thus, whether it was a leading role or a supporting role, even those without lines, known as "extras," no one dared take it lightly; everyone was in their best state, performing every role excellently!

Wang Ye wasn’t completely unaware of the filming of the series; his "little girlfriend" Donia had played the young Empress Catherine and had been with the crew for some time, although her part wasn’t very big.

During a period after returning from the set, Donia often complained to Wang Ye.

It wasn’t about bullying; frankly, no one in the crew dared to bully her. Director Charovsky knew Donia’s background, he was too busy supporting her, never daring to neglect her.

Donia mainly complained about the director being too demanding and too harsh!

She hadn’t received professional training before, and now suddenly entering a drama crew to act was naturally challenging. Often a shot required ten or even more takes, and the director still wasn’t satisfied.

So Donia was also quite exhausted, realizing that being a star wasn’t as easy as she thought.

Initially, she thought being a star meant casually acting in movies and TV shows, which wasn’t difficult, and then showing off at various public events, becoming a spokesperson for luxury brands—that was what being a star meant.

But now, actually engaging in the industry, she realized it was entirely different...

The hardships she experienced while acting were even greater and more exhausting than when she practiced ballet!

However, she bit down and persevered, not backing down, because she understood how rare this opportunity was.

Without Wang Ye’s support, how could she possibly have had the chance to enter this crew?