Although Penguin Corporation wasn't a full-blown internet giant, it was clearly on the path.
In a few years, after building its ecosystem, there would only be one true challenger to its dominance in China:
Another man surnamed Ma.
In the present, President Ma looked at the young man before him.
"President Lu, you're pretty the rising star.
But I don't recall our companies having much overlap."
He spoke plainly, sizing Haifeng up.
Penguin ruled the internet.
China Star ruled mobile devices.
They were in different worlds—until now.
Haifeng got straight to the point.
"President Ma, which platform do you believe has more potential in the future—PC or mobile?"
Ma paused.
It was a simple question but a loaded one.
Penguin has long split its products into desktop and mobile, especially its core app, QQ.
And recently, they started developing WeChat as a mobile-first solution.
Ma answered cautiously:
"PC has the advantage in depth—better UI, features, and more power.
But mobile is... well, it's portable. Easier access."
"Still... it's not quite on par yet."
Haifeng nodded, then gave his counterpoint.
"True, mobile isn't perfect yet.
But with how fast smartphones are improving, I believe it'll replace most users' PCs in the next few years."
"People will play games, watch videos, shop, work—all on their phones."
Ma didn't argue.
His internal data team had reported the same trend:
PC user growth was slowing. Mobile was exploding.
That's when Haifeng made his move.
He pulled out a Star M1 phone and launched a new app.
"Have a look."
Ma took the device skeptically—until the screen lit up.
His expression changed immediately.
"Wait... this game... is running on your phone?"
It wasn't just a game—it was a console-grade experience, flawlessly running on mobile hardware.
Ma was stunned.
His team had tried porting PC-level games to mobile. But the result had always been lag, overheating, or battery drain.
This? It was smooth. Crisp. Fast.
"This is a PC title... completely mobile?"
"Yes," Haifeng replied. "Our Golden Crow chip supports it natively."
"We didn't just optimize the game.
We optimized the entire mobile experience."
Ma stared at the screen in silence for a while.
He was no fool.
Mobile games weren't just a market—they were Penguin's golden goose.
If what Haifeng was showing was real…
This was a revolution.
Haifeng leaned back, calm and steady.
"Mobile is the future.
When people have ten minutes of downtime, they don't open a laptop—they reach for their phones."
"Games. Music. Social media. Video.
All on mobile. All the time."
Ma's face shifted slightly.
He knew.
This wasn't just a demo.
It was a business pitch.
"President Lu," he asked at last,
"You're proposing a partnership?"
Haifeng smiled.
"Exactly."
"We provide the platform, the optimization, and the hardware.
You bring the users—and the games."
"Together, we reshape the mobile landscape."
And just like that, a deal that could reshape China's mobile internet was on the table.