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0Erinome: Hello dear listeners! Welcome to our tech news podcast. I’m Erinome, and sitting next to me is Enceladus. Hi Enceladus!
Enceladus: Hi Erinome! Happy to be here. Today we’re diving into a hot topic in the tech world—Xiaomi’s big executive firing. Have you heard about Wang Teng?
Erinome: Oh yes! It’s all over the news. Let me start from the beginning. On September 8th, Xiaomi sent an internal email. They said Wang Teng, a high-level manager, was fired.
Enceladus: Fired? Why? That sounds serious.
Erinome: The email said two main reasons: “leaking company secrets” and “conflicts of interest.” You know, breaking important rules.
Enceladus: Wow, that’s not good. Did Wang Teng say anything?
Erinome: He did! First, he posted on Weibo: “I’m ashamed. I made mistakes and accept the price.” Then on September 9th, he said the online rumors were “crazy.”
Enceladus: Rumors? Like what?
Erinome: Some people said he “sold company secrets” or “took money.” But he said, “No! I didn’t sell secrets or take money. I did have失职 (shizhi—dereliction of duty), and I’m reflecting deeply.”
Enceladus: Oh, so he admitted small mistakes but not the big bad ones. Interesting.
Erinome: Right! But Xiaomi’s email called it “serious rule-breaking.” So maybe it’s worse than he says.
Enceladus: How long was he at Xiaomi?
Erinome: He joined in 2016, 29 years old then. Climbed fast—by 2024, he was Redmi Brand General Manager and Xiaomi China Marketing Head.
Enceladus: Wow, from product manager to top executive in 8 years. That’s super fast!
Erinome: Yeah! But here’s the thing—he had a “history” of leaking secrets.
Enceladus: Really? Like before?
Erinome: Oh yes! In 2022, he was Henan branch manager. A fan asked, “When’s Redmi K50 coming out?” He replied, “Next month” on Weibo! That was a secret release date.
Enceladus: Oh no! Did Xiaomi punish him?
Erinome: They gave a warning, cut his bonus 5000 yuan, and took 10 points from his quarterly score. But… haha, everyone joked about it.
Enceladus: Joked? How?
Erinome: Lei Jun even mentioned it in a 2024 live stream: “Except Teng always leaks and gets fined, my reputation is okay.” Xiaomi’s PR head Wang Hua said, “Teng, self-examine!” Fans called him “leak king.”
Enceladus: So leaks were like his “personality”? People thought it was just marketing—teasing new products to sell more.
Erinome: Exactly! But this time, it’s not a joke. Fired! So why the big change?
Enceladus: Maybe this leak wasn’t “small.” The email said “conflicts of interest”—like, maybe he used his position for personal gain?
Erinome: That’s possible. The news said “利益冲突 (liyi chongtu—conflict of interest)” is a big no-no for companies.
Enceladus: What about his social media now?
Erinome: His Kuaishou account is banned—can’t follow. His Weibo verification is gone too—no more “Xiaomi Executive” tag. Sad, right? He had millions of followers.
Enceladus: That’s a big fall. So what’s next for Xiaomi?
Erinome: The article said Redmi might have trouble. He planned products like K90, Turbo 5. Their marketing plans might need to change—he knew all the secret details.
Enceladus: Like supply chain info, product costs, launch dates?
Erinome: Yep! The news called it a “strategy gap.” Xiaomi needs to fill that fast.
Enceladus: And Xiaomi itself—should they反思 (fansisi—reflect)?
Erinome: Good question! The article said before, they handled leaks with jokes. Lei Jun laughed, Wang Hua teased. So rules felt “soft.” Now they’re “zero tolerance.” Why not earlier?
Enceladus: Maybe they thought small leaks helped marketing? But now they see the risk.
Erinome: Right! If you let small rule-breaking slide, people might cross bigger lines.
Enceladus: So the lesson: Rules need to be strict, not “jokey.”
Erinome: Exactly! Xiaomi’s “zero tolerance” now is good, but maybe too late for Wang Teng.
Enceladus: What do you think Wang Teng will do next?
Erinome: Hard to say. Being fired for “serious violations” hurts his career. Maybe he’ll take a break, reflect more.
Enceladus: And for other companies? They should check their own rules—are they just words, or really enforced?
Erinome: Yep! No more “it’s just a joke” when rules are broken.
Enceladus: Well, that’s the story. A sad end for Wang Teng, but a wake-up call for Xiaomi.
Erinome: Thanks for listening, everyone! What do you think? Let us know in the comments.
Enceladus: See you next time! Bye!
