Tech Giants: Starting from Bankrupt Companies

364: Chapter 364 The Drone Industry RevolutionDecember sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows into the conference room of the SF Express headquarters building.

This conference room was on the forty-eighth floor, offering a panoramic view of the entire Qianhai Free Trade Zone. In the distance, a Ferris wheel turned slowly, and container ships came and went on the sea. But at this moment, no one was in the mood to admire the scenery.

SF Express Chairman Wang Wei sat in the main seat. The fifty-year-old legend of the courier industry was dressed in a deep blue suit, his hair graying but his eyes as sharp as a hawk’s. Before him lay a thick procurement plan.

Opposite him, Zhang Yang leaned back against his chair, looking relaxed.

Wang Wei got straight to the point without any pleasantries: ”President Zhang, we want one thousand Spark 6 logistics drones.”

Zhang Yang wasn’t surprised. He knew SF Express’s ambition—this company was never satisfied with just being a courier service; they wanted a future where ’everything can be delivered.’

”President Wang, one thousand units is no small amount. Has their purpose been determined?”

Wang Wei nodded and signaled his assistant to turn on the projector.

A map of China appeared on the screen, densely marked with red dots.

”The last mile in rural areas. Our couriers ride electric bikes into villages, delivering fifty orders a day at most. The road conditions are poor, distances are long, and efficiency is low.”

He paused and pointed at those red dots: ”In these places, using drones, we can deliver two hundred orders a day. One drone is equivalent to four couriers.”

Zhang Yang looked at the screen and said nothing.

Wang Wei continued, ”Four hundred million, signed today. SF Express doesn’t lack money; what we lack is speed.”

He reached out his hand.

Zhang Yang shook his hand: ”Deal.”

The JD.com headquarters building is located in the Yizhuang Economic and Technological Development Zone, a modern glass structure. At this moment, the same scene was playing out in the top-floor conference room.

JD Logistics CEO Wang Zhenhui sat in the main seat. Fifty years old, he wore a dark gray suit and gold-rimmed glasses. His style was more refined than Wang Wei’s, but his eyes held the same sharpness unique to JD.com—this company had started in e-commerce, built its own logistics, and fought its way to where it is today.

Zhang Yang sat opposite him.

Wang Zhenhui got straight to the point: ”JD wants eight hundred units. Rural delivery, remote mountainous areas, and emergency logistics.”

Zhang Yang smiled: ”President Wang, JD’s speed is indeed fast.”

Wang Zhenhui also smiled, a smile with a businessman’s characteristic candor: ”We have to be fast. SF Express has already signed for a thousand units. If we don’t sign now, the rural market will be gone.”

He paused: ”JD’s logistics network covers ninety percent of villages nationwide. With Spark 6, that coverage can reach ninety-nine percent.”

Zhang Yang nodded: ”Eight hundred units. What configuration does JD want?”

Wang Zhenhui signaled his assistant to hand over a list: ”Five hundred standard logistics versions, three hundred plateau versions. Tibet, Qinghai, and Xinjiang—the altitude is high, and ordinary drones can’t fly there.”

Zhang Yang glanced at the list and closed it: ”The plateau version requires modifications to the power system and battery. The delivery cycle will take three months longer.”

Wang Zhenhui thought for a moment: ”We can wait. What JD wants is stability, not just speed.”

The Meituan headquarters building is located in Changning District, a uniquely shaped building resembling a spaceship about to set sail. In the conference room, Meituan Vice President Wang Puzhong was giving a presentation using a projector.

Forty-five-year-old Wang Puzhong is the head of Meituan’s food delivery business, having spent twenty years in the internet industry. His style is direct and decisive, much like his boss, Wang Xing.

On the screen was the planning map for the food delivery drone pilot program.

“Shenzhen, Shanghai Municipality, Beijing—get them running first. Five hundred Spark 6 units to cover the core business districts of these three cities.”

Zhang Yang looked at the planning map and asked: ”President Wang, for food delivery drones, safety is paramount. Urban environments are complex; power lines, high-rise buildings, and birds are all hazards.”

Wang Puzhong nodded: ”That’s why we chose Spark. Your obstacle avoidance system is the best in the world. LiDAR plus vision fusion, three hundred and sixty degrees with no blind spots.”

He paused: ”Meituan’s order isn’t as large as SF Express’s or JD’s. But this is the future. Once food delivery drones are successfully implemented, it will be a hundred-billion-dollar market.”

Zhang Yang smiled: ”President Wang is right. The future is more important than the present.”

Outside Beijing.

The cold wind was biting, and the temperature was five degrees below zero.

A high-voltage transmission line wound across the mountain ridge, with towers stretching one after another into the distance. This was the main line of the North China Power Grid, carrying one-third of Beijing’s electricity.

At the foot of the mountain, several engineering vehicles were parked in a row. The State Grid logo was printed on the vehicle bodies.

A Spark Power Grid version drone was undergoing its final pre-flight checks. It was a size larger than ordinary drones, equipped with an infrared thermal imaging camera and a high-definition zoom lens.

On-site commander Li Guodong stood to the side. The fifty-year-old State Grid senior engineer was wearing deep blue work clothes and a safety helmet. Behind him stood dozens of line inspectors.

Zhang Yang had also come; he stood next to Li Guodong, watching the drone.

”President Li, let’s begin.”

Li Guodong nodded and spoke into his walkie-talkie: ”Take off.”

The drone rose slowly, the sound of its propellers echoing in the valley.

It flew along the transmission line, the camera automatically aiming at every connection point on the towers. The screen at the ground station displayed real-time thermal imaging and data streams.

The line inspectors gathered around the screen, whispering among themselves.

Suddenly, a red dot popped up on the screen: ”Hazard detected: Abnormal heating in the insulator string.”

Li Guodong leaned in closer to the screen and zoomed in. The thermal imaging showed that the temperature of a string of insulators was significantly higher than the surrounding area.

”This is a precursor to poor contact. If not handled, the line could break in six months.”

He turned around and said to the line inspectors behind him: ”In the past, climbing the towers to inspect this section of the line would take three days. The drone did it in twenty minutes.”

From the crowd, an elderly line inspector with gray hair stepped forward.

His name was Zhang Defu, sixty years old, and he had been climbing this line for thirty years. His face was weathered, and his hands were covered in calluses.

Li Guodong looked at him: ”Old Zhang, you’ve climbed towers your whole life, but now you’re no longer needed for it.”

Zhang Defu looked at the drone on the screen and remained silent for a long time.

Then he spoke, his voice hoarse: ”I’ve climbed towers for thirty years and broken my legs twice. This thing is more accurate and faster than my climbing.”

He paused, his eyes slightly red: ”It’s a good thing. Young people won’t have to suffer like this anymore.”

Zhang Yang stepped forward and shook his hand: ”Master Zhang, you’ve climbed for thirty years; you remember every single screw on this line. Drones can replace physical labor, but they can’t replace experience.”

Zhang Defu looked at him and nodded.

December 12th, DJI Headquarters.

This uniquely shaped building is located in the Nanshan Science and Technology Park, like a massive white spaceship docked in a forest of steel and concrete. In the CEO’s office on the top floor, Da Jiang sat by the window, looking at the Shenzhen skyline.

The forty-year-old DJI founder wore a dark shirt, his face thin and his eyes deep. He had founded DJI sixteen years ago, taking the company from a residential room to the global drone hegemon, with a market share once exceeding seventy percent.

But at this moment, a product manual for the Spark 6 series lay before him.

Nine drone models, covering nine industries, ranging from 4,999 to 1.2 million.

The engineer beside him was reporting:

”For the agricultural version, we are thirty percent more expensive than Spark and have twenty percent lower performance. We don’t have a logistics version. We have a power grid version, but its endurance is only half of Spark’s.”

Da Jiang said nothing.

The engineer continued: ”Spark has a chip advantage; their Flint chip has low power consumption and high computing power. No matter how good our flight control is, it can’t outrun their hardware.”

Da Jiang was silent for a long time.

Then he picked up the phone and dialed a number: ”Help me make an appointment with Zhang Yang.”

Spark Consumer Electronics Headquarters.

In the signing hall, over three hundred reporters were already seated. On the large screen, two logos were displayed side-by-side—Spark and DJI’s white drones.

Da Jiang and Zhang Yang stood side-by-side at the signing table.

Da Jiang spoke first, his voice calm: ”DJI and Spark were competitors in the past. Today, we are partners.”

Zhang Yang followed:

”President Da Jiang, DJI has the world’s best flight control and gimbals. Spark has the world’s best chips and AI. Together, we are the world’s best drones.”

The two shook hands.

Flashes went off, and the sound of shutters was like a rainstorm.

A reporter raised their hand: ”President Da Jiang, does this mean DJI is bowing to Spark?”

Da Jiang looked at him and was silent for a second.

Then he smiled, a smile of relief: ”Bowing? No. It’s looking up at the road ahead. The market has changed, and we must change as well.”

Another reporter asked: ”What will the joint brand be called?”

Zhang Yang took over: ”Spark-DJI Industrial Drones. Focusing on industry applications.”

He paused: ”DJI will continue to handle the consumer market. Spark won’t touch it.”

Applause rang out from the audience.

That evening, Zhang Yang stood alone by the window.

His phone rang; it was a WeChat message from Da Jiang: ”Thank you for today.”

Zhang Yang replied: ”It’s a win-win situation, no need for thanks.”

In the distance, a drone was flying through the night sky, its tail lights flashing red.

It was unclear if it was an SF Express delivery, a Meituan late-night snack, or a State Grid inspection.

But no matter what it was, it was a part of the future.