hollywood billionaire

Chapter 116 The One You Love

"Good morning everyone!"

Max Nikias, who stood on the podium, was still speaking Mediterranean English with a strong Greek flavor.

Screams were sparse, but the students were far more enthusiastic than the audience at President Nikias's other occasions.

"Stand for the flags and the national anthem by Stephanie Jones."

The reason why we say it is a flag of various colors is because this part of the USC graduation ceremony is different from the traditional flag-raising ceremony.Eight students and reserve officers from the ROTC program of the University of Southern California stood on the platform in front of President Nikias holding six flags.

In addition to the flag of the United States of America, the other five flags represent the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Coast Guard.

"O say can you see?

By the dawn's early light,

What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming..."

Standing up with the crowd, but never putting his hands on his chest, Han Yi has always felt that the national anthem of this country is quite in tune with its cultural orientation and national spirit.

What spirit?
The ubiquitous Showmanship of course.

In the national anthems of other countries, the direction of the melody line is basically consistent, and there are few large fluctuations.On the one hand, it is for all citizens to remember and sing, and on the other hand, it is to make the drama of the song try not to cover up the message that the lyrics want to convey.

Only "The Star-Spangled Banner Never Falls", spanning 19 semitones, is extremely difficult to sing, and the first line at the beginning is still sung a cappella without accompaniment.Even a long-established singer like Fergie or Christina Aguilera will inevitably encounter Waterloo at the scene.

What's more exaggerated is that, in order to pursue the greatest emotional tension and live performance effect, when the F note is an octave higher, the singers usually play with the inversion, or use their lung capacity to prolong it as long as possible to win the applause of the audience. .

And this is the epitome of Hollywood and American culture in Han Yi's mind-everything is born for performance, exaggerated and exaggerated, pursuing the most extreme dramatic conflicts and emotional collisions.Moreover, under the shell of inclusiveness, there are all barriers divided by race, language, nationality, gender and skin color.

Han Yi often uses this song to calm himself down after experiencing culture shock in the United States.

The national anthem of a country cannot be sung by most of its citizens...then the country itself was not born for unity.

Constant fragmentation to generate dangerous opportunities.

This is the core of the American dream, and it is also the reason why Han Yi is confident to survive in this increasingly crazy era.

The more chaotic and disorderly, the more room for development.This vast land has obeyed this law for 240 years.

"O say does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave,

O'er the land of the free..."

Stephanie Jones, majoring in vocal music at the Thornton School of Music, is the most outstanding lyric soprano among this year's graduates. She doesn't need to be tuned to B flat. Jones can easily reach High F with the original C major.The symphony orchestra cooperatively left her a gap of four bars, allowing applause and screams to accompany the highest notes.

"And the home of the brave!"

"Now, I ask you to continue standing until Dean of Religious Life Warren Soni finishes prayers."

As a secular private university, the University of Southern California, unlike the University of Notre Dame or Brigham Young University, does not have a dedicated seminary, but still has an organization called the Office of Religious Life, which coordinates 90 different student religious groups and 40 religious students on campus. guide work.

For Han Yi from Huaguo, the graduation ceremony was the only chance for him to meet the dean.

"In 1874, British polymath Sir Francis Galton coined the term 'nature versus nurture' in his quest to understand the process by which personal identity is formed. Since then, scholars have The different influences of nature and nurture have sparked a heated debate. Are we the product of our genes or our environment?
But the nature-vs-nurture debate distracts us from a third transformative factor: narrative.We cannot choose where we are born, nor can we decide where we grow up, but we are the authors of our own stories, and what we keep writing are new chapters of our own stories.Ultimately, our lives become the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves.

Today, as we gather here for graduation, what we are writing is literally a new chapter.

Let's make a vow to start afresh from this moment and tell new stories about ourselves and the world.Stories about meaning and purpose in life, stories about hope and redemption, stories that heal us and make us whole.

Let's celebrate our stories, and let's recite, dictate, and share those highlights with each other.

Let us keep in mind the Chilean novelist Isabel Allende and her profound words: You are the narrator of your own life, and you can decide whether to create a legend of your own.

Graduates of the University of Southern California, I hope you will fully embrace storytelling and creativity in your life as you attempt to master and fine-tune your personal narrative.

As you write the next chapter of your life story, may your words be filled with peace and prosperity, with blessings and inspiration, with joy and love.I hope we can all say one thing together, Amen. "

The prayer segment of the graduation ceremony is a necessary link that has existed since the first graduation ceremony of USC in 1884.But as political winds and social circumstances change, so-called prayers become more and more like motivating chicken soup for the soul.

Only the last line of "Amen", which was rarely repeated by the audience, gave this prayer a hint of religious meaning.

"Please take your seats...thank you, Dean Soni, and Ms. Jones."

Max Nikias returned to the podium, with a kind smile, and continued his speech in a calm manner.

"Good morning, good morning! Welcome to USC's 133rd Commencement Class."

"Today, we will award more than 1 degrees at the undergraduate, master's, doctoral, and professional levels. Today, we will award degrees to graduates from all 50 states and 128 countries. What we award Degrees span hundreds of academic fields and areas of study. We award degrees for men and women of every class and lifestyle."

That's not quite right, Headmaster Nikias.

Han Yi complained silently in his heart.

And 96 genders and the Walmart shopping bag you didn't mention.

"Today we are also awarding honorary degrees in arts, culture, science, health, livelihood, innovation and business management. Today we are honored to be part of a truly sustainable enterprise. Since the Middle Ages, the An academic degree, for example, is a vital achievement for educated citizenship. It is a paradoxical moment that marks not only the completion of studies but the beginning of a new phase in life."

"Today, that tradition is reborn among the most gifted and dynamic student body in the United States, and among the most forward-thinking academic communities in the world. Unleash your talents and abilities on us without reservation The world, which makes people feel both joyful and honored."

"Yes, you, the Class of 2016, are about to face an era of uncertainty, an era of rapid change. But what exactly is uncertainty? For a Trojan, this is where the adventure begins sign."

"Bold and enterprising people will find a fountain full of infinite creativity and possibilities, and generously water those warriors who dare to say fight on to the future."

"Trojans, who bend the gods to their will. Trojans, who can always control their destiny. So, remember, you don't go alone, but as one of the 35 members of the Trojan family Go forward, we will always be by your side."

"Remember, the Trojan family never sets. Our sun always rises!"

In private, Max-Nikias can be kind, even lovable, at least that's the trait he wants those with whom he interacts personally to see.However, this did not prevent him from shining in his speech.At this time, Nikias, who was standing in the center of the rostrum, exuded the coercion of the top speaker of the world's top academic institutions all over his body.

Like Xu Yiru, Max Nikias, who came from outside the North American continent, did not use old and boring jokes to lower his figure and aura.His epic, artistic and pictorial words and sentences made people instantly understand why he, not others, stood at the center of the stage of USC's 133rd graduation ceremony.

Xiao Ru in the auditorium applauded enthusiastically with the people around her, but the shock in her heart had little to do with the speech itself.

Staring at Max Nikias, who was wearing a black fedora with golden spikes, a pure black doctor's robe with dark blue patterns, and the principal's gold chain around his neck, Xu Yiru couldn't help but recall the relationship between her and the principal. Every time we meet.

The first time was at the welcome ceremony for new students.

The second time was in the Barnaby Road mansion of the Wangs.

The third time was at the welcome party hosted by UTA for Han Yi.

The fourth time was to plan the specific use of the endowment fund in the principal's office with Han Yi, Jimmy Yeowen and Andre Yang.

The fifth time is now.

At the beginning, she was Xiao Xu, a Trojan freshman from Baodao who was full of curiosity and longing for the future.

Later, she somehow became Mrs. Han, an honorary alumnus who wanted to donate 1000 million US dollars to her alma mater.

Later, even though he knew that she was still studying, Principal Nikias still gave her infinite respect.In fact, after talking about the endowment that day, Max-Nikias invited them to dinner at the University Club.That was the first time Xiaoru knew that the University Club of USC even had a private dining space for senior academic staff and donors.

At this moment, she was standing in the auditorium where she couldn't find a seat, and she returned to her original appearance.

How did the unreachable principal on the podium at the graduation ceremony become the kind-hearted old man at the university club dinner table?

Thinking of this, Xu Yiru's gaze seemed to have the function of precise guidance, and among tens of thousands of moving heads, he found the most unforgettable face.

Almost instantly, Han Yi, who had been looking at the rostrum, also turned his head.Noticing Xiao Ru who was staring at him, Han Yi raised his right hand high, waved it back and forth a few times, and grinned with a bright smile.

Just a few white and neat teeth lit up the not-so-clear morning sky.

For the next 10 minutes, Xiaoru was in a daze, and she didn't even know what was going on in her mind. When she came back to her senses, the graduate representative Surika Lamaya She has finished her speech.Larry Ellison, the founder of Oracle Corporation and the guest of honor at today's graduation ceremony, stood in front of the stage calmly at the invitation of President Nikias.

"Class of 2016, thank you...thank you for inviting me here today."

"It is an honor to be with you at your commencement ceremony at USC."

"This morning, I want to tell you some of my experiences and thoughts... These experiences and thoughts have taught me many important lessons and helped me find my dream."

At the beginning, Larry Ellison's speech, like every graduation ceremony speech, was smooth and straight-forward, and the whole story was an unattainable but hard-working growth experience.

It was only then that Han Yi realized that it was not because of his memory problems, but that Larry Ellison's speech was too boring for him at the time. Hour talk show Will Ferrell.

But soon, he discovered that the man with a net worth of 1183 billion U.S. dollars and an infrequent Palm Beach holiday villa was five times more expensive than Han Yi's No. 864 Stella Della Road. The world, a big man who can no longer be simply described as a rich man, uses the most plain language to peel off his own ups and downs of legendary experience.

The story of wealth that seemed so far away to others but so close to Han Yi had a strong spiritual resonance with him.

"Growing up in a lower-middle-class neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, where medicine was considered the pinnacle of all professions, noble and humane.

In fact, all the important people in my life — my family, my teachers, my girlfriends — wanted me to be a doctor.Over time, their dreams became my dreams...they convinced me that I should be a doctor.

But try my best, I can't.After a few difficult and unpleasant years as a pre-med student, I came to the painful realization that I didn't like the classes I was taking.

I considered my comparative anatomy class to be a pointless mental torture...especially the anatomy lab class.I just couldn't bring myself to research things that didn't interest me.

At the time, I thought I was undisciplined and selfish.Maybe it is?But whatever the underlying reason, I couldn't bring myself to be who I thought I should be.

So I decided to stop trying. "

From this paragraph on, not only Han Yi, but also Xu Yiru and Zhao Youzhen listened very seriously.

Each of the two girls has a family that wants to combine values ​​and worldviews into the shape of "dreams" and package them as gifts to force them to accept.

Facing the same situation, the choice Larry Ellison made made both of them very curious.

“I was 21 when I dropped out of college; packed all my stuff—jeans, T-shirt, leather jacket, guitar—in my car and drove all the way from Chicago to Berkeley, California.

My USC dream, fulfilling a small part... this part of California.

Berkeley in the 1960s was the center of it all.Antiwar movement, free speech movement, human rights movement.For a rambunctious, selfish 20-something, it's the perfect place to start finding meaning in life.For himself, a just cause and a job he loves.

Everyone who lived in Berkeley in the 1960s was against the Vietnam War; I was no exception.It was the age of Aquarius, but I never had long hair or love beads.I learned to play popular protest songs on the guitar, but I was never a serious, committed anti-war protester.

However, I did find a calling...and I'm still passionate about it today.

A few hours drive east of Berkeley is the Sierra Nevada.I fell in love with those mountains and the unparalleled natural beauty of Yosemite Valley.

I care about wilderness and I want to help preserve it.I joined the Sierra Club and became an environmentalist.

I spend most of the spring and summer in California in the mountains and Yosemite Valley as a river guide and climbing instructor.I love those jobs...but unfortunately they don't pay well. "

Larry Ellison looked willful in his youth, but now looking back at his work as a nature protector, he feels somewhat destined, which made Xiao Ru and You Zhen smile with different meanings on their lips.

Young people will always make impulsive, reckless, frightening choices with their feet floating in midair.

And what's wrong with that?
Even if you want to become a rich man with hundreds of billions of assets, you don't need to compromise with your life from the beginning.

"So I also got a job as a computer programmer at Berkeley a few days a week.

I learned to program in college.I don't like programming, but it's fun and I'm good at it.Computer programming gave me the same satisfaction as solving math problems and playing chess...both things I loved so much before I was a lost youth.

At this point in my life, I think I'm making real progress on my journey of self-discovery.I found a career, I have several jobs that I love, are fun, and cover the living expenses.

I am very happy with my life.My wife... is not.

What she sees is a college dropout who spends too much time on the hills doing silly things.She wanted me to work full time as a computer programmer or go back to college to finish my degree.

We compromised...in a way.

I started taking classes at UC Berkeley.I took a few lessons, but the only one I remember was a sailing lesson on the Berkeley Marina.I fell in love all over again... and began a lifelong affair with the boundless, all-powerful Pacific Ocean.

After class, I want to buy a sailboat.My wife said it was the dumbest idea she had ever heard in her life.She accused me of being irresponsible and saying I had no ambitions.She kicked me out...and divorced me.

This is a pivotal moment in my life. "

At this point in the speech, Xu Yiru and Zhao Youzhen looked at each other, and in unison turned their attention to Han Yi who was listening to Larry Ellison's life story.

On the terrace of the Getty suite, the two girls seem to have planned, at least in the short term.They each have their own reasons, and they will not easily hold the hand of the person they like and make any unrealistic promises.

However, this does not stop them from fantasizing.Imagine if Larry Ellison was Han Yi, and they were the ex-wife who may regret it now, or may still have a clear conscience, how things would develop.

If Han Yi wants to change Edvard Grieg's "Morning Song" into Gustav Holst's "Planetary Suite-Mars", Xiaoru or Yuzhen, will he have enough courage? Leave everything behind and join him on a journey to conquer the Pacific Ocean?
Maybe Han Yi wouldn't want to buy a sailboat.

But judging from the experience of the past two months, what he wants can only be grander and crazier.

The psychological activities of the audience have no influence on Larry Ellison's calm but firm statement.

"My family is still mad at me for not going to med school. Now my wife is divorcing me because of my lack of ambition. It's like the same old thing is happening again...I'm failing people's expectations yet again.

But this time, I wasn't disappointed in myself for not being who they thought I should be.Their dreams are different from mine....I will never confuse the two again.

I discovered things I love: the mountains, Yosemite, and the Pacific Ocean.

These natural wonders have brought me great joy and happiness that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

I have an interesting computer programming job, and more money than I need.For the first time, I was sure I would survive in this world.A huge burden of fear was lifted... I will never forget that moment.It was a joyous moment.

I bought a sailboat and lived on it...just me and my cat, on the Berkeley docks.

In the words of James Joyce, I was lonely, young, wayward, unnoticed...but happy...and close to the wild heart of life.

In my 20's I continued to try...trying different things...

Racing bikes, sailing regattas, and a constant flow of new jobs. "

It's not difficult to imagine that this passage made Han Yi's eyes shine with a different kind of brilliance, while Xu Yiru and Zhao Youzhen looked a little sad.The former rested his chin on one hand and looked out of focus at the flag flying above his head, while the latter put his hands between his legs and lowered his head.

Youzhen clicked on the call log, looked at the number from Peninsula, and fell into deep thought.

"It didn't take long for me to discover that the most interesting and rewarding programming jobs were found in a bunch of small companies and garage studios south of Stanford and north of San Jose. At the time, Silicon Valley was in its infancy.

I was in my 20s when I went to work at my first Silicon Valley startup. Amdahl, where we developed the fastest mainframe computer in the world.

Faster than anything IBM has ever made.

The next stop is Ampex, where we built the world's largest digital data storage system.Then Precision Instruments, we built a larger data storage system, this time using lasers.

I'm the vice president of software development.

It's all cutting edge, challenging and cool.I like my jobs most of the time, but I don't love them.I've searched and searched, but just can't find a software engineering job that I really love, as much as I love sailing with all my heart.

So I try to create one. "

To be honest, Larry Ellison's public speaking level is not high, there are no attention-grabbing body movements, and there are no cadence particles. He just repeats the manuscript with slow and clear pronunciation.

Every pause can attract applause, but the voice is more and more sparse every time, and there are more and more students around Han Yi who use their mobile phones to send and receive messages or refresh social media.

In the previous life, Han Yi lost his mind a few paragraphs ago, thinking about what he should take his mother and grandma to eat tonight.

But this time, the more he listened, the more energetic he became, and the more he listened, the more excited he became.Like it's 2046 instead of 2016, like it's him on the podium instead of Larry Ellison.

Extending from this sentence, there is nothing new, but everyone wants to experience a successful entrepreneurial experience once.

"I made plans to start my own company. That way, I would have full control over my work environment. I would hire the most talented programmers I knew, and together we would work on the most interesting and challenging software projects.

My goal is to create the perfect job for me...a job that I truly love.

I never thought the company would grow to over 50 people.

So maybe I did lack ambition...or vision at the time.I have no idea.That was a long time ago, when I was young
Anyway, today Oracle has about 150000 employees.But when I started, I didn't intend to build a big company.So, what exactly happened?
Well, at first, we did exactly what we had planned.Hired the most talented software engineers in Silicon Valley, assembled an all-star team of talented programmers whose work is among the best in the world.

That team, plus a crazy idea... and a big company was born.I call it a crazy idea because everyone told me at the time that it was a crazy idea. "

“…so remember this lesson, graduates, when people start telling you you’re crazy, you’re probably making the most important innovation of your life.

Of course, the other possibility is... you're crazy.

For Oracle, it was one of many moments when pundits got it wrong.Arrogance and madness turned out to be the disguise put on by innovation.

The Oracle database proved to be one of the defining technologies of the early days of the information age.

…my new job is challenging, fascinating, and demanding.The old me was working non-stop, but looking back, I'm pretty sure I didn't like that feeling.Or maybe I was just so tired that I forgot to even take into account my own feelings.

But now, I finally found a place in this world.

My family has finally forgiven my decision not to go to med school...

No one accuses me of lack of ambition anymore. "

Larry Ellison paused here for a long time, and his outwardly humble but inner domineering statement caused thunderous applause from the audience.

Han Yi was also among the crowd who stood up and cheered.

He put his hands together to his mouth and shouted loudly.

"Bravo!"

"Now, I want to tell you one last story about my best friend... who had a lot of crazy ideas and taught me an important lesson."

No matter how the audience reacted, it didn't seem to affect Larry Ellison's continued sharing leisurely and calmly, a story that even the most big talkers dare not make up indiscriminately.Only by standing in his position can the story be told.

A story with Steve Jobs.

"My 30-year friendship with Steve Jobs was made up of a thousand walks. If there was anything he wanted to talk about... we always started talking on walks.

We'd climb to the top of Windy Mountain, hike around Castle Rock, or walk through Kona Village and walk the beaches.

Over the years, a chic walking route has gradually come to the fore.We had a lot to talk about that day, so we hopped in the car, dropped the roof, and sprinted to Fort Rock State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

That was over 20 years ago... probably mid-1995.Steve finished Toy Story at Pixar and ran Next, the computer company he founded after leaving Apple.

At that point, Apple was in serious trouble.In Steve's absence for a decade, it has been steadily going downhill.By 1995, the problem had become quite serious... People were wondering if Apple would survive.

Watching, standing by, doing nothing.It was too painful for Steve.

So, the purpose of that particular hike through the Santa Cruz Mountains was, on that day, to discuss... how to take over Apple. "

The secret that no one has ever known was revealed to the public for the first time in front of tens of thousands of people. The scene was so quiet that only the rustling of the leaves in the breeze and the thick voice of Larry Ellison echoing over the Alumni Memorial Park through the PA system .

"My idea was simple: buy Apple and immediately make Steve CEO. Apple wasn't worth much at the time...about $50 billion. Both of us had great credit...and I had arranged to borrow money channel. All Steve has to do is nod his head to confirm.

But Steve suggested a more roundabout approach.First, convince Apple to buy Next Computer; then Steve would join Apple's board of directors.Over time, the board will surely come to realize that Steve is the right person to lead the company.

I said: well, that might work.But Steve, if we don't buy apples...how are we going to make money?

Suddenly, Steve stopped and turned to me.We stood facing each other as he put his left hand on my right shoulder and his right on my left shoulder.

Staring at me intently, Steve said, "Larry, that's why this project is so important...I'm your friend and you...

You don't need more money.

I said: yes... I know, I know.But we don't need to keep these wealth, we can donate all of them.

Steve shook his head and said: I'm not in it for the money.I don't want to get paid.If I do this... I have to do this... I have to take the moral high ground.

The moral high ground?I said: well, the moral high ground might be... the most expensive real estate on earth!
The joke was still on my lips, but I knew I had lost the argument.Steve made up his mind then, in Castle Rock in the summer of 1995... in his own way, to save Apple.

At the end of the hike, just before we got back in the car, I said: Steve, you created Apple, it's your company, your decision.I will do whatever you want me to do.

Then, I got on the Apple board and watched Steve build... the most valuable company in the world. "

Larry Ellison's hiking story slowly opened up a whole new picture for Han Yi.

In the frame, Steve Jobs, wearing a black turtleneck sweater, is groping for his chin, looking at him with a smile through the rimless round glasses that are out of proportion to the size of his head.

He disappeared in the late autumn of 2011, and he was reborn in the winter night of 2023.Two souls who had never met before crossed the time scale of 12 years and reunited in the early summer of 2016.

Steve Jobs' Apple is Han Yi's most important cooperation partner in music and even film and television careers, and it may not be one of them.

If he was still around, what feat would he want Apple Music to accomplish?

If he stood in front of Han Yi and heard that perhaps unprecedented music festival idea, what kind of spark of inspiration would he burst out with?

Larry Ellison's next speech had already been stripped of his senses by Han Yi. At this time, he was having an insightful conversation with the old hippie standing on the top of Fort Rock in his mind.

Just because he didn't listen, doesn't mean the others didn't listen.

The Korean girl Yoo Jin, with the highest concentration in her life, fully absorbed Larry's next words.

"So why did Steve come back to Apple? Why did he devote most of the rest of his life to his job?
Why would I do this?

I believe the answer is that deep down in all of us...all of us, there is a primal desire to do something important in our lives.

Freud said: There are only two important things in life, love and work.

What he didn't say is that love and work are actually the same thing. "

Youzhen opened her mouth slightly, the puzzle that had troubled her for some time was being solved bit by bit by Larry Ellison at the moment.

"Don't be afraid to experiment and try a lot of different things. Don't let so-called expert opinion stop you when you challenge the status quo.

As Mark Twain said: What exactly is an expert?It's just some guys from out of town. "

"Each of you has the opportunity to discover who you are, not who you should be. The opportunity to live out your own dreams, not someone else's."

"It may take a while, but keep looking until you find a job that ignites your passion...like I did.

Even better, you just might find the one..."

"That you love."

(End of this chapter)