8:01 AM | The boss of Haoshi Bread apologized and shed tears in the live-streaming room; The human resources and social security department responded that it is illegal to use shopping cards to offset wages; The chairman of Roborock cashed out 900 million yuan and then advised investors to "be patient".

TOP3 Big News

The boss of Haoshi Bread apologized and shed tears in the live stream, stating that he will not avoid the problem

Recently, a notice released by the Market Supervision and Administration Bureau of Hubei Province shows that one batch of "Haoshi Small Bread" (2024-08-11) nominally produced by Zhengzhou Renrenli Food Co., Ltd. has been found to be unqualified. The mold test value is 1000CFU/g. According to the national standard, the maximum limit of mold in pastries and bread should not exceed 150CFU/g. This result shows that the mold content of this batch of products exceeds the standard by nearly 6 times, seriously exceeding the allowable range of food safety, causing a heated discussion.

On December 3, the official live stream of Haoshi Bread started. In the live stream, the boss of Haoshi Bread apologized and shed tears. He said that he will not avoid the problem and hopes that everyone will give Haoshi some time to grow. In addition, his son also appeared in the live stream to apologize for the mistakes of Haoshi Bread and promised that in the future, they will continue to make products with real materials and do their best in a down-to-earth manner. (Bailu Video)

The Human Resources and Social Security Department Responds: Using Shopping Cards to Offset Wages is Illegal

Recently, some netizens claimed that their wages were converted into shopping cards of Xintian 360 Plaza Zhengzhou Guomao Store. When consuming, these cards can only be used on one day per month, and there are usage limits for each consumption. In response, the mall staff confirmed the matter and stated that there are currently a large number of people coming to the mall to use the cards. A staff member of the Zhengzhou Human Resources and Social Security Service Hotline said that if an enterprise distributes wages in the form of shopping cards, "this behavior is illegal," and consumers can file complaints based on the district where the enterprise is located. In June 2023, "Metropolis Report" had reported on this matter. Some consumers claimed that the project payment was converted into 960,000 yuan worth of shopping cards, and they were subject to various restrictions when using the cards for consumption. Meanwhile, a staff member of the Market Order Division of the Zhengzhou Commerce Bureau stated in an interview that they have received multiple complaints and have imposed penalties, urging the mall to increase the number of available stores. (Jiupai News)

The Chairman of Roborock Cashes Out 900 Million Yuan, but Urges Investors to "Be Patient"

Recently, Chang Jing, the Chairman of Roborock, posted numerous videos on the Douyin platform about his personal participation in the "Desert Off-roading" activity. This move has drawn dissatisfaction from Roborock's investors, who believe that Chang Jing is being "irresponsible". On November 29, Chang Jing posted another video stating that the overwhelming comments have caused him certain troubles. He hopes that investors holding Roborock's stocks can be more patient. Currently, it is a strategic transformation period, especially a painful period, which is bound to bring some changes to the company. These changes are for the company's longer-term development in the future.

It is reported that from March last year to June this year, Chang Jing reduced his holdings in Roborock's stocks through methods such as centralized bidding and inquiry transfer for many times. His shareholding ratio in Roborock decreased from 23.15% to 21.09%, and he cashed out about 888 million yuan in total. (Dharma Finance)

Big Companies / Major Events

$215 Saved in the Bank for 19 Years, Only $8 Left: Bank's Small Account Management Fee Quietly Eroding Deposits

"I deposited $215.16 as a current deposit in a state-owned bank, and after 19 years, only $8.67 is left. I never withdrew during this period," Zuo Xu, who lives in Zhejiang, told Shell Finance Reporter. He was informed by the bank that the reduction in the account balance was due to the bank's collection of a small account management fee of $3 per quarter starting from June 2006.

The so-called small account management fee is a management fee that the bank charges to accounts with an average daily balance lower than a certain amount on a monthly basis. It is understood that the charging standards for small account management fees vary among different banks. The banks have set the balance standard for which the management fee is required at $100 to $500, and the charging standard is $3 per quarter. However, some banks have already cancelled the small account management fee. (Shell Finance)

Coolsense Toothpaste Accused of Exaggerated Efficacy Claims, Consumers Claim to Be Misled

Recently, a reporter saw in the live-streaming room of Coolsense flagship store on an e-commerce platform that the anchor mentioned oral problems such as loose teeth, gum inflammation, gum atrophy, tooth decay, and damaged teeth when promoting Coolsense's specialized medical repair toothpaste. In addition, in several videos of the advertisements released by the flagship store, it was also mentioned that "If these problems occur, don't rush to go to an institution for any treatment. Try this toothpaste with the mindset of returning it if not satisfied." And before this sentence, videos of treating dental caries or tooth defect were added.

Many consumers stated in their shopping evaluations that they were misled by the live-streaming or video promotions. They bought the product believing that the toothpaste is effective for tooth decay, dents, and damaged teeth, but "after using it for a period of time, it did not have the effect as said in the live-streaming." (The Beijing News)

Apple Sued for Monitoring Employees' Personal Devices

On December 1 local time, Amar Bhakta, who works in Apple's digital advertising department, filed a lawsuit in the California state court in the United States, claiming that Apple requires employees to install software on their personal devices used for work, allowing Apple to access their emails, photo libraries, health and "smart home" data, as well as other personal information. The lawsuit alleges that, at the same time, Apple also implements a confidentiality policy that prohibits employees from discussing working conditions, including with the media, and making legally protected whistleblower reports. An Apple spokesperson said in a statement that the claims in the lawsuit are unfounded and that Apple provides annual training to employees to inform them of their right to discuss working conditions. (Jiemian News)

Diamond Giant Drops Diamond Prices by Over 10% Across the Board

It is reported that international diamond giant De Beers has comprehensively lowered diamond prices by more than 10%. This means that the world's largest supplier of natural diamonds has abandoned the attempt to set a price floor. De Beers has always been a monopolistic giant in the diamond industry and controlled 80% of the global diamond production in the 1980s. Reports say that the diamond industry has encountered the most severe and longest recession in decades. Insiders revealed that De Beers abandoned this position in its last annual sale on December 2, reducing the prices of most of the goods it sold by 10% to 15%. If this is true, this is its first significant price cut since the beginning of the year. (Cailian Press)

Xiangpiaopiao collaborates with snack chain "My Wife is Great" to launch unmanned self-service milk tea stores

36Kr has learned that recently, the milk tea brand Xiangpiaopiao, in collaboration with the snack chain "My Wife is Great", has launched unmanned self-service milk tea stores in Hangzhou and Ningbo. It is introduced that the unmanned self-service milk tea space set up by Xiangpiaopiao in the "My Wife is Great" stores relies on the existing store space of "My Wife is Great", sharing basic resources such as the venue and some operation and maintenance. The core product is freshly brewed milk tea with original tea leaves. Currently, the number of directly-operated snack discount stores by Xiangpiaopiao has exceeded 20,000.

Tesla Becomes the "Charging Pile Champion" in Beijing, with 1,138 Open Chargers Built

36Kr exclusively learned from Tesla that Tesla has built and opened 1,138 charging piles in Beijing, including 983 super charging piles and 155 destination charging piles. Up to now, Tesla has a total of 136 super charging stations and 41 destination charging stations in Beijing, making it the automotive brand with the largest number of charging piles in the current layout in Beijing. In addition, Tesla owners can also access more than 142,000 third-party charging piles, and an applicable charging resource can be matched on average every 15 minutes.

The lending scale of provident fund loans in Beijing exceeds one trillion yuan

It is learned from the Beijing Provident Fund Center that as of the end of October 2024, there are 680,000 units in Beijing that have established housing provident funds, and 13.39 million employees have made contributions. The Beijing Provident Fund Center has issued provident fund loans totaling 1,001.8 billion yuan to 1.58 million families. The social benefits are obvious. It has solved the actual housing difficulties for low - and middle - income families and effectively met the reasonable housing consumption needs of employees in the capital. (China Securities Journal)

Black Myth: Wukong Enters TGA Players' Voice Award Candidate List

This year's The Game Awards nominations have sparked considerable controversy, particularly in the category of Game of the Year. The inclusion of "Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree" and the failure of titles like "Silent Hill 2" and "Starblade" to receive nominations have caused dissatisfaction among players.

On December 3, the event organizer, Geoff Keighley, announced the list of 30 candidate games for the first round of the Players' Voice Award. Among them are six titles that were nominated for the Game of the Year: "Astro Bot", "Black Myth: Wukong", "Joker Card", "Final Fantasy 7 Reborn", "Metaphoric Fantasy", and "Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree". At the same time, some games that are considered to have not received sufficient attention in the mainstream awards also appear on the candidate list, including "Starblade" and "Silent Hill 2".

It is worth noting that "Black Myth: Wukong" won the Game of the Year award in the Golden Joystick Awards based on player votes. This game will be a strong contender in the TGA "Players' Voice" award, and the voting will end on December 4. (IT Home)

China Successfully Launches Communication Technology Experiment Satellite No. 13

At 13:56 on December 3, China used the Long March 3B carrier rocket at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center to successfully launch the Communication Technology Experiment Satellite No. 13. The satellite smoothly entered the predetermined orbit, and the launch mission was a complete success. Communication Technology Experiment Satellite No. 13 is mainly used for satellite communication, radio and television, data transmission and other services, and to carry out related technical tests and verifications. This mission is the 549th flight of the Long March series carrier rockets. (Xinhua News Agency)

The box office of new films in the 2024 New Year's Eve film season exceeds 700 million.

36Kr has learned that according to the data from Maoyan Professional Edition, as of 13:26 on December 3, the total box office (including advance sales) of new films in the 2024 New Year's Eve film season (from November 22 to December 31) has exceeded 700 million. "Good Stuff", "Crayon Shin-chan: Our Dinosaur Diary", and "Moana 2" rank the top three in the box office list of new films in the 2024 New Year's Eve film season.

Microsoft Faces $1.27 Billion Antitrust Lawsuit

It is reported that Microsoft is facing an antitrust lawsuit of more than $1 billion in the UK today. It is accused of retaliating against thousands of British companies that use Amazon and Google cloud computing services, requiring them to pay higher license fees to use Windows Server software. Antitrust lawyer Maria Luisa Stasi filed a lawsuit with the Competition Appeal Tribunal in the UK on Tuesday, seeking more than £1 billion (approximately $1.27 billion) in compensation for the affected British companies and organizations. (Sina Technology)

Huawei Announces Patent for Detecting Abnormal Driver Behavior

36Kr learned that according to the Qichacha App, recently, the patent for "A Method and Device for Detecting Abnormal Driver Behavior" applied by Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. has been announced. The patent abstract shows that this application acquires the behavior information of the first object, the behavior information of the driver of the first vehicle, and the driver's attention information. When judging the abnormal behavior of the driver of the first vehicle, this solution not only recognizes the driver's behavior of the first vehicle, but also recognizes the triggering cause of the driver's behavior and the driver's attention to the triggering cause, which can improve the accuracy and robustness of the detection of abnormal driver behavior, thereby enhancing the safety performance of vehicle driving.

Indonesia Says Apple Increases Investment Commitment to $1 Billion to Lift iPhone Sales Ban

On December 4, Indonesia stated that it has received an improved investment commitment of $1 billion from Apple. This is the latest move by the tech giant to lift the sales ban on iPhone 16 devices in Indonesia. Indonesia's Investment Minister Rosan Roeslani told lawmakers on Tuesday that the government and Apple have determined this figure as the expenditure for the "first stage," adding that he expects to receive a written commitment from Apple within a week. "We want to see fairness," Roeslani said. "You get benefits here. You invest here and create jobs." If confirmed, this would be ten times Apple's previous $100 million investment commitment. According to previous reports, Apple's initial investment commitment was only $10 million. (Caixin)

Tencent's "Starbreak" Project Cut? Insider: The Project Will Be Adjusted But Not Disbanded

On December 3, it was rumored that Tencent's Tianmei J5 Studio's "Starbreak" project was canceled. A reporter from Cai Lian She learned through internal sources today that the rumor of the project's dissolution is untrue. The project will be adjusted, but it has not been disbanded. Further investment will be made after a clear direction is determined. Note: "Starbreak" is the first hero action mobile game based on the "Honor of Kings" IP. It obtained the license in June 2023. According to the App Store, the game is scheduled to be launched in January 2025. The official "Starbreak" announced today that after team discussions, it was decided to re-adjust the product. Therefore, the advance test server will be shut down on December 6, and the full recharge amount during the test period will be refunded to the players. (Cai Lian She)

Intel's former CEO Pat Gelsinger will receive a severance package of $12 million

A document that Intel submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on December 4 shows that the company's former CEO Pat Gelsinger, who just left the position, will receive a severance payment of approximately $12 million. The document indicates that after Gelsinger's departure, he will receive an 18-month base salary, totaling approximately $1.9 million. At the same time, he will also receive 1.5 times the $3.4 million target bonus, to be paid in 18 months. In addition, as the CEO, Gelsinger will also receive an 11-month annual bonus. To sum up, these will make his total severance bonus amount to approximately $12 million. (Sina Technology)

Damai reduces service fees for small and medium-sized businesses in theaters, benefiting nearly a thousand performance organizers

36Kr has learned that since the beginning of this year, due to various factors such as increased supply, the consumption of the theater performance market has entered a development plateau, and the operating pressure on small and medium-sized businesses has increased. In order to provide more support and value-added services to small and medium-sized businesses in theaters, Damai recently launched a preferential policy for theater businesses, announcing that it will reduce service fees for small and medium-sized businesses in the theater category on the platform, in order to help partners alleviate the current pressure and promote sustainable business growth. It is understood that this policy covers all theater genres on the Damai platform, including dramas, musicals, dance dramas, talk shows, children and parent-child shows, cross-talks, etc., benefiting nearly a thousand small and medium-sized businesses.

China Internet Association: Calls on domestic enterprises to take proactive response measures and carefully choose to purchase American chips

36Kr has learned that the China Internet Association issued a statement saying that recently, the United States, under the pretext of national security, has further strengthened the restrictions on semiconductor exports to China. The United States frequently adjusts regulatory rules, continuously escalates trade barriers, and ignores international trade rules, causing substantial damage to the healthy and stable development of China's Internet industry. Our association expresses its firm opposition. The United States' practice of generalizing the concept of national security and abusing export control measures to unjustifiably blockade and suppress China has shaken the industry's trust and confidence in American chip products. To ensure the safe, stable, and sustainable development of China's Internet industry, our association calls on domestic enterprises to take proactive response measures, carefully choose to purchase American chips, seek to expand cooperation with chip enterprises in other countries and regions, and actively use chips produced by domestic and foreign-funded enterprises in China.

After the strategic integration of Zeekr and Lynk & Co., the new company is named: Zeekr Technology Group, aiming for an annual production and sales volume of millions.

On December 3, Zeekr and Lynk & Co. announced that the new company after the strategic integration is named Zeekr Technology Group, which owns the two brands of Zeekr Automobile and Lynk & Co. Automobile. It strives to build a high-end luxury new energy vehicle group with an annual production and sales volume of millions through two years of efforts. After the strategic integration of the two brands, the front end maintains the independent operation of the two brands, and the middle and back office are fully integrated. An Conghui, the president of Geely Holding Group and the CEO of Zeekr Technology Group, estimates that through maximizing synergy, R & D investment will be reduced by 10-20%, BOM cost will be reduced by 5-8%, capacity utilization rate will be increased by 3%-5%, and marketing, service and management expenses will be reduced by 10-20%. (Cailian Press)

Apple HomeKit Robot Vacuum Cleaner Control Feature Delayed to 2025

Apple has adjusted the web page of its "Home" application, indicating that the robot vacuum cleaner control feature originally scheduled to be launched this year will be postponed to the beginning of 2025. According to Apple's previous introduction, this feature will allow Apple device users to start the robot vacuum cleaner through HomeKit and set up automated scenarios or ask Siri to clean specific rooms. (Jiemian News)

Xiaomi Group Vice President Ma Ji Resigns, Previously Responsible for Internet Business Department and New Retail Department

Xiaomi Group Vice President Ma Ji has resigned. He once served as the General Manager of the Internet Business Department of Xiaomi Group and the General Manager of the New Retail Department in China. On the management team page of Xiaomi Group, Ma Ji is no longer on the list, and the specific reason for his resignation is unknown. Ma Ji's last Weibo update was on October 25, which was to warm up for the new product launch of the Xiaomi 15 series and Xiaomi Surge OS 2. (Sina Technology)

Tesla China: Cybertruck Has No Plan to Enter the Chinese Market for Sale

The official website of Tesla China showcases a total of five vehicle models, but only the Cybertruck, which officially started deliveries in December last year, does not offer an ordering option. Recently, the news that this revolutionary electric pickup truck is expected to be officially introduced into China has spread like wildfire, attracting outside attention. However, Tesla China has denied this rumor, stating that the Cybertruck has no plan to enter the Chinese market for sale. (Securities Times)

Swiss auto parts giant Feintool plans to close its German factory due to weak demand for electric vehicles

The Swiss automotive parts supplier Feintool said on Tuesday that due to weak demand for electric vehicles and the uncertainty of the transition to renewable energy, the company will close one of its factories in Germany and lay off up to 200 people. German automakers and suppliers are facing problems such as weak demand, high production costs, competition from Chinese automakers, and a slower-than-expected transition to electric vehicles. Feintool said the restructuring will mainly affect its profits in 2024, and the company reported a net loss of 3.2 million Swiss francs (3.6 million US dollars) in the first half of 2024. (Sina Finance)

In November, Tesla's Shanghai Gigafactory sold over 73,000 vehicles in the domestic market.

In November, Tesla's Shanghai Gigafactory delivered 79,000 electric vehicles, with a 15% month-on-month growth. Among them, the domestic sales exceeded 73,000 units, with a 12% year-on-year growth and an 82% month-on-month growth. (Cailian Press)

The Forefront of AI

Seeking New Revenue Sources, OpenAI Discusses Introducing Ads into AI Products

The Chief Financial Officer of the generative artificial intelligence company OpenAI, Sarah Friar, stated that the company is discussing plans to introduce ads into its range of products as the ChatGPT manufacturer is seeking new revenue sources. Insiders revealed that OpenAI has been recruiting advertising talents from large tech competitors such as Meta and Google. Friar added in a statement: "Our current business is growing rapidly, and we see great opportunities in our existing business model. Although we are willing to explore other revenue sources in the future, we do not currently have active plans to launch an advertising business." (Zhitong Finance)

AI chip startup Tenstorrent secures $700 million in investment, with Bezos as an investor

AI chip startup Tenstorrent has received a $700 million investment, with a valuation of $2.6 billion. It aims to challenge NVIDIA's leading position in the AI chip market. The company plans to develop an affordable GPU alternative, using open-source technology and common components to avoid high-cost components and improve cost efficiency. Tenstorrent is led by "Silicon Valley chip legend" Jim Keller, who has held key positions in companies such as Apple, Tesla, and AMD, and is committed to developing AI chips to break NVIDIA's monopoly. Bezos' investment firm Bezos Expeditions, LG Electronics, and Fidelity, among others, have participated in the investment, showing optimism for the development of AI technology. (Securities Times)

CNNIC: Wenxin Yiyan Tops the List of Generative AI Usage Rate in China, Accounting for 11.5%

36Kr has learned that on November 30, the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) released the "Report on the Development of Generative Artificial Intelligence Applications (2024)" to the outside world. The "Report" shows that currently, generative artificial intelligence products have formed a certain user scale among netizens, and there is still obvious growth space in the future. As of June 2024, the user scale of generative artificial intelligence products in China has reached 230 million people, accounting for 16.4% of the total population. In this market, Baidu's Wenxin Yiyan ranks first in the usage rate of domestic netizens among typical generative artificial intelligence products, accounting for 11.5%.

Tencent's Large Model Launches Text-to-Video Generation and Announces Open Source

36Kr has learned that Tencent Hunyuan Large Model has announced the latest progress: officially launching the video generation capability, which is another new milestone after text-to-text, text-to-image, and 3D generation. At the same time, Tencent opensources this video generation large model with 13 billion parameters, which is the current largest open source video model. "Users only need to input a description to generate a video," a relevant person in charge of Tencent Hunyuan revealed. Currently, the generated videos support bilingual input in Chinese and English, multiple video sizes, and multiple video resolutions. Currently, this model has been launched on Tencent Yuanbao App, and users can apply for a trial in the "AI Video" section in the AI application. Enterprise customers can access the service through Tencent Cloud, and the API is currently open for internal testing application.

Investment and Financing

"Touzhanggui" Completes Angel Round Financing of 11 Million Yuan

36Kr has learned that recently, Anhui Yicheng IoT Technology Co., Ltd. announced that its brand "Touzhanggui" has completed an angel round financing of 11 million yuan, led by Baiying Equity. The funds from this round of financing will be used for upgrading the AI cloud management system services, improving the supply chain system, expanding the national business, and promoting the brand in the market.

"Daoda Intelligent Technology" Successfully Completes Hundreds of Millions of Dollars in Series A Financing

36Kr has learned that "Daoda Intelligent Technology" has successfully completed hundreds of millions of dollars in Series A financing. This round of financing is led by Luxin Ventures, with Zhidao Capital, Ningbo Dongyuan Venture Capital, Huawei New Kinetic Energy as co-investors, and the previous round investor, Jiangsu Yida, making an additional investment. All funds will be used for the iterative R & D and mass production of 3.0 AMHS to accelerate the localization process of AMHS.

"Tianqi Technology" Secures 70 Million Yuan in Pre-A Round Financing

36Kr has learned that "Tianqi Technology" announced the completion of a 70 million yuan Pre-A round of financing. This round of financing is led by Xiaoxiang Capital, with Lanhe Capital, Zhongshi Capital as co-investors, and Chuhong Capital serving as the financial advisor for this financing. The funds from this round of financing will be mainly used for technological research and development and industrialization.

"Hengyuan Decoration" Receives 30 Million Yuan Pre-A Round Financing from Shanghai Huaqiang Investment

36Kr learned that on February 3, Shanghai Huaqiang Equity Investment Management Co., Ltd. announced the successful investment in "Hengyuan Decoration". The amount of this Pre-A round financing is 30 million RMB. The financing funds of this round will be mainly used for the technological research and development, product upgrading, and market expansion of Hengyuan Decoration.

"ShallxR" Receives Financing of Ten Million Yuan Level

36Kr has learned that recently, the VR technology innovation company "ShallxR" announced that it has obtained a new round of 40 million yuan in financing, invested by Anji Botai Investment Co., Ltd. It is understood that this financing is mainly used for its subsidiary, Zhejiang Nuowa Cockpit Technology Co., Ltd., to build a new generation of XR dynamic platform, and to construct the supply chain foundation of products and solutions.

Compiled by | Wang Xinye