When I am reborn, I just want to be a top student

Beijing.

Lei Jun was stunned when he saw the news released by Galaxy Technology.

It's worth noting that he still holds some shares in Galaxy Technology, which, although not a large amount, were bought for billions.

From a business perspective, those shares have already been recouped.

If you sell it back immediately, although you might not get several times the profit, with such a large base, doubling the profit would be quite remarkable.

As a minor shareholder of Galaxy Technology, Lei Jun was unaware of such an important matter.

It's easy to imagine how furious Lei Jun must have been at that moment.

Although he wanted to retain this stake in order to secure a supply of Xuanwu batteries from Galaxy Technology.

But that doesn't mean he can accept Wang Donglai diluting his shares and reducing their value.

He invested because it was profitable, not to do good deeds.

Billions of dollars is by no means a small amount. Lei Jun arrived in Tangdu that day and met Wang Donglai.

"Mr. Lei, you came in such a hurry, it must be about the shares, right?"

Wang Donglai met with Lei Jun in his office and spoke calmly.

Seeing Wang Donglai's calm and composed demeanor, Lei Jun's anger suddenly dissipated.

"Mr. Wang does things differently from ordinary people, so it's no wonder he has achieved such success. However, we ordinary people do not have Mr. Wang's high level of awareness, so we have some doubts. We hope that Mr. Wang can explain them."

Lei Jun's tone did not convey much of an accusation.

Hearing Lei Jun's words, Wang Donglai smiled lightly before saying, "Mr. Lei, there's no need to be so polite!"

"I actually understand Mr. Lei's concerns."

"Mr. Lei can withdraw his shares in Galaxy Energy at any time, and I can also provide subsidies based on bank interest rates."

"Business is business, that's my personal stance. I wonder what Mr. Lei thinks?"

Although Wang Donglai was smiling, his tone was extremely aggressive, completely lacking the calmness he had shown before.

Lei Jun's heart skipped a beat; he realized he was now at a crossroads.

Choosing to withdraw from the shareholding is one outcome, and not withdrawing is another.

The former can maintain a friendly relationship with Wang Donglai and get in touch with Galaxy Technology.

The latter would mean a complete break with Wang Donglai and Galaxy Technology.

For a moment, Lei Jun was also in a bit of a dilemma.

Wang Donglai didn't say anything, but waited quietly.

"Couldn't Mr. Wang have spoken first?"

Lei Jun said with a wry smile.

After glancing at Lei Jun, Wang Donglai finally spoke up, saying, "Since Mr. Lei wants to hear it, then I'll tell you."

"Actually, I've already explained the reasoning before, but unfortunately, it seems that Mr. Lei doesn't quite agree with it."

"All of Galaxy Technology's businesses actually adhere to one principle."

"Providing employees with high welfare and high treatment is indeed unreasonable, but that is not my reason."

"Since Mr. Lei is here today, as a shareholder of Galaxy Energy, I should give him a proper explanation."

"Let's follow the example of the ancients and indulge in some refined pursuits by brewing tea and discussing wine."

As he spoke, Wang Donglai stood up, walked to the tea table, and invited President Lei to sit down.

Pour water and brew tea!
"I wonder if Mr. Lei has seen the documentary 'The Rise of Great Powers'?" Wang Donglai asked.

Lei Jun nodded and said, "I've read part of it, but not all of it."

"This doesn't matter. Mr. Lei, you can listen to my opinion."

"This documentary has achieved great success, becoming a phenomenon and generating a lot of discussion. The content is also very well-made."

"However, in my opinion, the most important thing about this documentary is that it tries to answer a fundamental question: Why are some countries able to influence the direction of human civilization throughout history, while others are swept away by the tides of time?"

Upon hearing Wang Donglai raise this point, Lei Jun's expression turned serious.

He naturally didn't think Wang Donglai would speak without reason; his words must have a deeper meaning.

This isn't just happening in Dihua; it's simply how things are at Wang Donglai's level.

"What have these so-called rises ultimately left for our modern world? If we extract what each country has truly contributed to the world, stripping away political propaganda, national sentiments, and chance events, we will see a deeper logic of civilization: every rise means that humanity has taken another step forward."

"The rise of the empire on which the sun never sets is often defined as a symbol of the beginning of the First Industrial Revolution."

"What the British Empire truly contributed to the world was not factories, steam engines, or colonies, but a structural modern way of life."

"It is important to understand that before the Industrial Revolution, the daily rhythm of human beings was basically determined by nature; after the Industrial Revolution, time became a standardized resource for the first time, and people had to act according to clocks, labor had to be divided according to procedures, and production had to conform to the logic of efficiency."

"The world has entered a way of life that has never existed before: speed has become important, continuity has become important, and accumulation has become important."

"At the same time, it has also promoted the formation of the modern world at the institutional level. The gradual maturation of the parliamentary system, the balance between written and unwritten laws, and the separation of the judiciary and the executive branch—these seemingly unique systems have now become the governance framework of major countries around the world."

"Even though colonialism did leave behind extremely heavy exploitation and trauma, it cannot be denied that at least half of the rules in the basic structure of the modern world come from the British Empire."

When Wang Donglai said these words, he couldn't help but recall his past life.

Many things have actually been covered in textbooks, but we were unaware of them at the time. Only after entering the workforce, gaining experience, or reading more deeply can we discover the essence of the books.

In this life, if it weren't for the system's great power, which enabled him to make progress in subjects such as politics and history, he probably wouldn't have realized this.

Putting aside his distractions, Wang Donglai continued, "Portugal is far smaller than the British Empire, and may seem like just a small country that declined early on, but its influence on the world is no less profound."

"Portugal's true contribution to human civilization is the opening up of global geographical space."

Before the Age of Exploration, human understanding of the world was limited to the Eurasian continent. After the Age of Exploration, the world became a truly integrated whole for the first time.

"It established a cross-regional exchange system that lasted for hundreds of years." "For the modern world, it not only opened up sea routes, but also opened up a way of thinking: the world can be crossed, understood and connected."

Lei Jun nodded in agreement, signaling Wang Donglai to continue.

Wang Donglai didn't stop there, and continued, "Spain's contributions to the world are more complex and profound."

"Its most direct impact was the clash of civilizations between the Old World and the New World."

"This impact has almost completely reshaped the global population structure, ecosystems, and economic system."

"The massive influx of silver into the world market made currency a truly global resource, stimulating economic development; on a cultural level, it propelled the global expansion of Catholicism, but I won't elaborate on that to avoid censorship."

"At the same time, its decline also provides a serious case study of civilization for countries around the world: if a country relies on a single source of wealth and on external plunder rather than internal accumulation for its economy, even the most powerful empire will be dragged into the abyss by a hollowed-out fiscal system and a corrupt power structure."

"Wealth without institutional progress becomes a heavy burden on civilization."

It felt like a giant sledgehammer had smashed into Lei Jun's mind, leaving him dizzy and disoriented.

Wang Donglai's last words kept echoing in his mind.

Before he could ponder further, Wang Donglai poured a cup of tea for Lei Jun and himself, took a sip, and continued, "France's contribution is completely different from Spain's. It did not change the world through conquest, but through ideas."

"What France truly gives to the world is the conceptual structure of the modern state."

"The Enlightenment, the emergence of thinkers such as Voltaire, Montesquieu, and the promulgation of the Napoleonic Code, enabled humanity to rethink issues such as freedom, rights, the rule of law, sovereignty, social contract, human nature, and the nature of the state for the first time as a whole."

"I'm not trying to brag about Western countries. Our culture is much older, and philosophers have pointed this out long ago, but it hasn't played a role in the development of modern society."

"France also influences the world in another way: culture becomes part of national power."

"Essentially, cultural power became the initial prototype of the concept of soft power, and also the fundamental reason why France has been able to maintain its global influence even after the world map has shrunk."

Lei Jun nodded; he naturally knew this as well.

"The story of the Netherlands may seem unassuming, but it is the starting point of modern commercial civilization."

"If the British Empire ushered in the Industrial Age, then the Netherlands ushered in the Capital Age."

"Its most crucial contribution to the world is the modern financial system, including stock exchanges, joint-stock companies, insurance systems, national lending, international settlement, and commercial law. The prototypes of almost all modern financial instruments appeared in 17th-century Holland."

"What the Netherlands has given to the world is a way of life: individuals can acquire wealth by creating value rather than by bloodline, and societies can operate by rules rather than by monarchs."

Upon hearing this, even Lei Jun, with his excellent patience, was somewhat at a loss.

After all, it's impossible to discern the true meaning behind what Wang Donglai said; he couldn't possibly be lecturing me, could he?

However, Lei Jun, being a man of high character and composure, did not show it and could only patiently continue listening.

"Germany's contribution is so profound that it cannot be summarized in a single sentence; its most core contribution is the organizational rationality of the modern state."

"The process from Prussia to the German Empire showed the world for the first time that a country could rise rapidly through education, science and technology, military system and administrative efficiency."

"The modern university system originated in Germany, the modern scientific research system originated in Germany, the modern military staff system originated in Germany, and many parts of the modern legal system also originated in Germany."

"Germany has transformed knowledge production into national strength, technological innovation into national competitiveness, and has elevated engineering culture and institutional construction to unprecedented heights."

"Germany did commit the most heinous crimes of the twentieth century, but for that very reason, its contributions to the postwar world are also exceptionally important: reflection, institutional constraints, pluralism, constitutionalism, and vigilance against power."

"Germany has shown the world that a country can rise from extreme despair and re-protect the bottom line of civilization through its institutions."

Leibusi's eyes flickered, and he suddenly asked, "Mr. Wang, why don't you tell me about the Bald Eagle Federation? I'm very curious about your views and understanding of the Bald Eagle Federation."

Hearing Lei Jun say this, Wang Donglai naturally wouldn't refuse. After a moment's thought, he said, "As a major world power, I believe that the contribution of the White Eagle Federation to the world can be summarized as a completely new form of civilization: a technology-driven society and institutionalized freedom."

"What truly changed the world in the Bald Eagle Federation was the technological revolution, from electricity to computers, from the Internet to biotechnology. The Bald Eagle Federation made technological innovation the core driving force of the world's operation."

"Secondly, the contributions of the Bald Eagle Federation to global governance cannot be ignored."

"Whether it's the post-World War II international system, the Bretton Woods system, the United Nations structure, global trade rules, or the later open architecture of the Internet, the Bald Eagle Federation has profoundly influenced the formation of the world order."

"The influence of culture transcends national borders. Modern mass media, movies, music, lifestyles, and consumer culture have led the world to converge on a similar cultural pattern for the first time."

"It can be said that the rise of the Bald Eagle Federation has shown the world a completely new way of social organization, while the crisis of the Bald Eagle Federation has also made the world reflect on whether a technology-driven society will bring new imbalances."

"To be honest, Mr. Wang, I don't quite understand what you mean by saying all this."

"And how does this relate to the topic we were just discussing?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Donglai chuckled softly, a hint of seriousness and determination in his eyes, before speaking: "Some of the countries I just mentioned are no longer major powers, and I'm not trying to show off my knowledge."

"The rise of a great power is neither accidental nor fate, but a result of accumulation and choice."

"The reason why great powers can change the world and be remembered by the world is because they have grasped the core changes in human needs at a specific time."

"When we discuss the rise of great powers today, we are actually discussing the era we live in."

"As Chinese people, our own destiny is closely related to that of the country. The rise of a great power is also our rise, so it is even more necessary to understand the laws behind these civilization experiences."

"For a nation to rise, it must provide irreplaceable value to the world in a certain key dimension."

"The British Empire provided the industrial system, the Netherlands provided the financial order, France provided the intellectual revolution, Germany provided organizational rationality, and the Federal Republic of the Bald Eagle shaped the technological age."

"These are not simple achievements, but inventions that have changed the way the world works. Once they appear, the world has to start operating according to the logic they provide."

“If a country can establish this new logic, it will be able to truly influence the direction of human history, rather than becoming a huge participant in the tides of history.”

"The same applies to a country and an organization. So-called structural innovation is not about doing more, but about leading the world to another possibility."

"Apple said it wanted to change the world, and Steve Jobs really did it, which is why Apple has its current market position."

"And what I'm going to do today is for the same reason."

Since Wang Donglai had already explained it all, Lei Jun had no doubts.

A lot of thoughts flashed through my mind in an instant, and I fell into deep thought.

As Lei Jun pondered, an invisible brainwave was influencing him.

This was none other than Wang Donglai's newly acquired system ability... (End of Chapter)