The world is in trouble

Chapter 264 Where Love Leads! True Love Conquers All!
Santa Clara County in the San Francisco Bay Area is home to the headquarters of the American Lightning Group.

American Facebook, overseas YouTube, Dream Vision, and even Er Gou Studio, among other industries, are all within this scope.

"Let me introduce you. This is Gu Yongjiang, the former president and chief operating officer of Sohu!"

Lin Xiao stepped forward: "Hello, Mr. Gu."

Mr. Gu stepped forward and shook hands with both of them, saying, "Hello, hello, Mr. Lin, I've heard so much about you."

After leaving Sohu, Mr. Gu started his own business, founding Youku.com, which was later sold to Alibaba. He then left Alibaba in 2016.

In this world, he probably wouldn't have founded Youku, because Wu Lingxi poached him and made him the CEO of YouTube in the US.

Although this person is Chinese, he started living overseas in his teens, graduated from UC Berkeley, and also holds a master's degree from Stanford.

He had been a senior executive at Sohu for several years and was just recruited by Wu Lingxi a month ago.

Therefore, the Lightning faction has gained another great general. Lin Xiao believes that if placed on a suitable battlefield, he may not be weaker than Chen Shih-Chun from YouTube.

After a brief chat, Gu Yongjiang left, leaving only Wu Lingxi in the office.

“You’re being smeared a lot in China right now,” Wu Lingxi said. “I can’t help but feel a little smug.”

Then, she opened her laptop and started reading articles one by one.

"The key issue is that they are not only attacking your character, but more importantly, questioning your achievements."

"Aren't you going to fight back?" Wu Lingxi asked.

Lin Xiao shook his head.

Wu Lingxi: "Do you know what the core reason is for criticizing you?"

Lin Xiaodao said, "Public intellectuals are fighting against nationalism."

Wu Lingxi: "You hit the nail on the head."

"The advent of Web 2.0 is certainly a new wave of the Internet revolution, but to some extent it has also opened the door to darkness, and countless demons and monsters have come out."

Lin Xiao knew this all too well.

This year is probably the first year of the public intellectuals' carnival. In the future, the power of public intellectuals will become bigger and bigger, almost guiding and subverting the entire public opinion environment.

In the next few years, the West will reach the pinnacle of its cognitive warfare on the internet.

For a long time, the westerly winds will prevail over the easterly winds.

Then came the construction of the superwall that we are familiar with.

Following this, the Western world used the internet to launch one subversion after another, and one revolution after another.

And this year, the blog was launched!
Many opinion leaders have emerged.

Wu Lingxi: "You represent China, you have certain nationalist characteristics, and you are a spiritual leader for many young people."

"So, you can be considered a flag bearer in the Chinese internet industry."

"Overthrowing you is crucial to their propaganda campaign."

"By overthrowing you and vilifying you, they can seize enormous power of discourse."

"Currently, there are two major financial entities attacking you in the domestic public opinion: Microsoft China and Google China."

"Google CEO Li is a spiritual leader for many capitalist forces and many public intellectuals."

"Microsoft just acquired Renren.com and integrated it with MSN. Let me show you the brand new Renren.com now."

Lin Xiao turned on his computer and looked at it carefully.

The new Renren.com has changed a lot; it's very Westernized and very bourgeois.

"Renren's traffic has been declining, even after it was acquired by Microsoft. Under the guidance of Microsoft China, it has moved towards a more bourgeois and elitist approach."

"It means introducing a large number of aesthetic leaders, opinion leaders, and entirely new lifestyles, etc."

"Brands, travel, fashion, coffee, and so on."

"They have almost abandoned social interactions with acquaintances."

"Then, it stabilized the flow and began to rise slightly."

"Furthermore, MSN also collaborated with the new Renren.com, engaging in extensive personalized displays and embarking on the path of creating online celebrities."

Lin Xiao: "In this way, they will have a lot of fans in China."

Wu Lingxi: "Yes, many white-collar workers and even many students in China, especially girls, admire it very much. So now there is a growing trend that Renren is high-end, while Facebook is popular with the general public."

Lin Xiao: "If you want to be high-class, why call it Renren.com?"

Wu Lingxi: "They are indeed discussing internally whether to change the name. However, Renren.com has such a large user base that they dare not make any rash moves."

"So in China, it is still our competitor, but it is no longer entirely on the same track."

"Next, I'll give you a report on Facebook in the United States."

"In the three months since I took office, I have spent most of my time reorganizing personnel. I have fired a lot of people and sent seven people to prison. I have to thank you for creating this opportunity."

"So far, my core team has completely taken control of the company."

However, the number of users and visits to Facebook in the United States is still far lower than that of Zuckerberg's The Faces.

"Next, I plan to do two things."

"The first thing is to break up the internal divisions within The Faces. Eduardo is Zuckerberg's partner and owns 34.5% of the shares, but as the company grows and Google invests, Zuckerberg is trying to reduce this partner's shares and even wants to kick him out."

Haha, the inertia of history is really strong.

But has this already happened? It's been much longer.

“So, I plan to use certain people to encourage and sponsor a battle between Eduardo and Zuckerberg for control of the company, even if it means taking him to court,” Wu Lingxi said. “However, I suggest using capital means to help him seize power, which will make the internal struggle even more intense.”

“I am… very experienced in this area,” Wu Lingxi said, her words laced with sarcasm.

They certainly have experience; Renren Group fell apart because of internal strife.

You have a lot to say about how internal strife can break up a company.

"The second thing is my plan to analyze Facebook's operational trajectory in China."

"Start a campus beauty and hunk contest that lasts for more than two months, followed by a grand American Facebook Night."

"However, the scale is much, much larger than that in China."

"I need your support."

Lin Xiao: "Go ahead."

Wu Lingxi: "First of all, the prize money needs to be high. I want the total prize money to reach the level of 2000 million US dollars."

Depend on!
Wow, that's quite a generous gesture!

Although this money may be divided among many people, the amount is still terrifying.

Wu Lingxi: "Most of these awards are distributed as scholarships. You should know that tuition at American universities is extremely expensive, and many people cannot pay off their student loans even after more than ten years."

"Secondly, the number one campus belle and campus hunk in the entire United States!"

"I will be starring in a Hollywood film production as the female lead."

"And the school heartthrob will star in a Hollywood movie or an American TV series, at least as the second male lead."

"The film's investment will be no less than 50 million US dollars."

"The investment in the TV series is no less than 20 million US dollars."

Lin Xiao remained silent for a while before saying, "So, if we are to be the main investor in both the movie and the TV series, the total amount could exceed $1 million?"

Wu Lingxi: "Yes."

I am!

I'm running out of money.

However, Wu Lingxi's strategy was very clear: on the left, she would create internal strife on Zuckerberg's side, triggering a power struggle among his partners and keeping them busy. Meanwhile, she would immediately launch a surprise attack, igniting a massive nationwide beauty and hunk competition.

Lin Xiao knew all too well that the success of this competition in China would be magnified many times over in the United States.

Because men and women in the United States are more outspoken and crave attention.

"Okay!" Lin Xiao nodded.

"I'll find a way to raise money, and I'll find a way to get things done with Hollywood and American TV series."

Wu Lingxi shrugged and turned her beautiful face away.

"What's wrong?" Lin Xiao asked.

Wu Lingxi: "Yes, it's a bit hard to get used to. At Renren Group, no matter what you do, you have to scheme and plot. If he pays even the smallest price, he'll demand even more. Whatever I ask for, I have to rack my brains and use every means to get it."

"As a result, you made an investment of one hundred million US dollars and demanded support in an outrageous manner, and you reluctantly agreed."

"At Renren Group, one hundred million US dollars is enough for me to sell my soul countless times."

Lin Xiao: "There's nothing I can do, he's my own son."

Wu Lingxi's eyes narrowed, and she said coldly, "Don't try that on me. Don't talk about being half-siblings. Don't use the same tricks you used to coax Xia Xi on me."

Damn it, this woman is like a dog, she changes her face at the drop of a hat.

..........................................

next day!

Lin Xiao and Xia Xi flew to Redmond, Washington to visit Microsoft headquarters.

The two parties had arranged it in advance, and the appointment with Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer was made about a week ahead of time.

It's like I'm paying my respects to the leader, since the other party is a technology leader.

Although Microsoft China heavily criticized Lin Xiao after acquiring Renren.com and was a major backer in weakening the local influence of the Lightning Group, Lin Xiao believed that Microsoft was a global giant and that the Chinese market represented a very small percentage of their business. Facebook's expansion in the US was also a way for them to establish a connection.

Moreover, Lin Xiao is not without leverage; in fact, he has quite a few.

In the following years, Microsoft's Xbox strategy was in full swing, with a strong desire for top-tier AAA games.

For example, in the next two years, Microsoft Xbox will have two core titles: Halo 3 and Fable 2.

Lin Xiao happened to have a heavyweight AAA game in his possession.

No, to be precise, there are two.

One is Fallout 3, and the other is The Witcher.

Don't underestimate the impact of a blockbuster game on a gaming platform. The reason Sony is so successful is because it has many exclusive blockbusters.

The reason why Microsoft's Xbox has been so poor is because it lacks a flagship title. The Halo series, which was the best, was only decent in its early generations.

This explains why they later competed with Sony, spending $687 billion to acquire Activision Blizzard and then $75 billion to acquire Bethesda.

When Lin Xiao and Xia Xi arrived at the Microsoft headquarters, they were turned away at the door.

The person who received the two was Mark Day, a mid-level manager in the public relations department!
"I'm so sorry, Mr. Lin, Ms. Wu!" Mark said apologetically, "Steve has a very, very important meeting coming up, so this meeting has to be canceled."

Wu Lingxi said coldly, "We made this arrangement a week ago."

Mark: "I'm so sorry, this meeting came so suddenly, it's really rude of me. Why don't you two go to the lounge? The coffee at Microsoft is quite good. I'll go invite the other executives to meet with you?"

Lin Xiao: "No need!"

Then, the two left Microsoft headquarters.

Although Microsoft is a global giant with a current market value of hundreds of billions of dollars.

However, the Lightning Group also controls billions of dollars in assets and is a rising star in technology; it should not be treated this way under any circumstances.

Even if the market value were several times smaller, Steve would still meet with them if they visited Microsoft headquarters.

The key point is that Lin Xiao had arranged the meeting a week in advance, and the other party had agreed, but then backed out at the last minute, which is a blatant slap in the face.

In fact, Microsoft CEO Steve Jobs didn't attend the meeting at all; he was upstairs and even watched Lin Xiao leave.

"Can you believe it? This young man who just left is going to establish X Research Institute in the United States, and one of the most important projects is to develop a mobile phone operating system." Steve said with a smile to the vice president Joe Belfiore next to him.

I don't know whether to call it bold or ridiculous.

"A newborn baby doing what a giant should do."

Joe Belfiore: "You were right to refuse his meeting, otherwise this flamboyant young man would be announcing all over the world that he just met with the CEO of Microsoft, that his X Research Institute will receive support from Microsoft, and so on."

"Microsoft's glory is not something just anyone can bask in."

The arrogance of the giants was displayed to the fullest extent.

........................

Lin Xiao flew from California to Washington, only to be humiliated by the Microsoft CEO for standing him up, and then flew back to California.

When they returned to the headquarters of the Lightning Corporation in the United States, Wu Di and Mrs. Kuang were already waiting for them.

"Wu Di, let me tell you something satisfying. We flew over 4,000 kilometers to Microsoft headquarters to pay our respects, only to be rejected and slink back home," Wu Lingxi said. "Your nemesis, Lin Xiao, got slapped in the face."

Wu Di: "Is it Bill Gates?"

Wu Lingxi: "No way! It was Steve. We arranged to meet a week in advance, but he still stood me up. I flew nearly 10,000 kilometers back and forth."

Wu Di looked at Lin Xiao: "I've been doing some in-depth research on the Linux kernel lately, and I've found it to be much simpler than math. How many people are at our X Research Institute?"

Lin Xiao: "Currently, we have several dozen people, all of whom were poached from Android with high salaries. We will soon expand to more than a hundred people, recruiting a large number of young people from American universities, about one-third of whom will be Chinese."

Wu Di: "I also did some research. Google just acquired Android, so its technological reserves are quite strong. If we want to make a mobile phone system, we'll be directly facing several giants like Microsoft, Google, and Nokia. Just thinking about it is crazy."

Lin Xiao: "That's right, so let's set a small goal first: to defeat Microsoft in the mobile operating system market within a few years?"

Wu Di: "You, you're a madman."

Lin Xiao: "Isn't that right?"

Then Lin Xiao said seriously, "Yes, Google has strong technical reserves. But it's not without its weaknesses; on the contrary, its weaknesses will be very obvious. Because it's American, it's destined not to develop a mobile phone system to cater to China. At least in the early stages, they will be full of engineering mindset."

Early versions of Android were not optimized for the Chinese market, making them unfriendly to most users. This created an opportunity for companies like Xiaomi and Meizu to develop their products.

Moreover, both Google and Microsoft have one drawback.

There's only the operating system, no phone.

Google chooses to partner with mobile phone manufacturers, from Motorola to LG, and so on.

Microsoft initially partnered with mobile phone manufacturers, but eventually found that this approach was not viable, so it acquired Nokia as its base of operations.

Of course… it still failed. Suddenly Wu Di said, “You, you don’t actually want to make a phone, do you?”

Lin Xiao: "Nonsense, otherwise what's the point of the system we developed?"

Wu Di stared at Lin Xiao in disbelief for a long while before saying, "No wonder, no wonder you resigned from all your positions at Lightning Group."

Lin Xiao: "From now on, all my money and all my energy will be invested in this industry to truly usher in the era of mobile intelligence and start a brand new industrial revolution."

"I've said it before, I want to change the world."

"Without sufficient honor, how can I face marrying two wives?"

"Although the current director of the X Research Institute is someone else, they are Americans after all. I really hope that you can grow up quickly and lead the entire research institute."

"That way, our names can be recorded in history together."

“I’ll drive, you wash the car, that’s a promising career path.” Lin Xiao patted Wu Di on the shoulder, using a line from the movie “Initial D” from this year.

"Get out!" Wu Di pressed the button on his wheelchair and left.

What he disliked most about Lin Xiao was that he would stir up people's passion and then immediately make a sarcastic remark, ruining the atmosphere.

Madam Kwong's gaze followed her son until he disappeared behind the door.

"Mr. Lin, shall we talk?"

Wu Lingxi left immediately, leaving the office to Lin Xiao and Madam Kuang.

"Madam Kuang, do you and Wu Lingxi's family belong to the same conglomerate?" Lin Xiao asked.

“Yes, Wu Di and Wu Lingxi are cousins.” Madam Kuang: “However, don’t worry, our branch has already broken away from the family. After Wu Di’s father passed away, he left with our family’s share of the money.”

I understand. This is similar to Lee Mi-kyung leaving the Samsung Group.

“Wu Di’s father also had Parkinson’s, but I really didn’t expect it to be inherited so early,” Madam Kuang said. “So the money that belonged to Wu Di has always been left there, used for some basic investments.”

“Wu Di’s father’s death was inextricably linked to his brothers, so we and his family are somewhat at odds.”

Internal strife is truly more ferocious than a tiger.

Mrs. Kwong: "Of course, we were the losers who were kicked out, so we don't have a lot of money. If converted to US dollars, it's about 400 million. But most of it is assets that are not easy to liquidate. Currently, we can liquidate about 100 million US dollars."

“I’m much calmer now. I’m willing to invest in your business because… it’s also Wu Di’s business.”

Lin Xiao: "Mrs. Kuang, I currently manage an investment company. I am the largest shareholder, followed by Mr. Masayoshi Son. If you and Wu Di join us, we will surpass Merrill Lynch and become the third largest shareholder."

Then, Lin Xiao took out a thick stack of documents and handed them to Madam Kuang.

"Currently, this investment company's assets include X Research Institute and a stake in the British company ARM!"

"The current total valuation is $9 million, which is already a significant premium, because the most core asset here is me!"

"Furthermore, I need to tell you that this investment company has a strong strategic focus. Its main purpose is not to make money, but to carry out strategic deployments. So if you invest, the return rate is probably not very high."

"If you want a higher rate of return, investing in our next electronics company could yield a much higher return."

Mrs. Kwong: "It's alright. Although we don't have much money, it's enough for us. As long as he's happy and can find new goals."

“The first $1.2 million is ready to be signed at any time,” Mrs. Kwong said. “If needed, I can continue to invest. It just takes some time for me to liquidate some assets.”

This was probably the easiest and fastest investment Lin Xiao had ever received.

........................

Lin Xiao flew to Bellevue, Washington, once again to visit Valve.

As a game company, it's not exactly top-tier, although it has produced classic titles like the Half-Life series and later the revolutionary VR game Alyx.

But if we're talking about Steam, everyone in the gaming world knows it.

The world's largest gaming platform, a mecca for countless gamers.

However, the Steam platform is still in its early stages and there are not many games available yet. After all, it was initially just an automatic updater for Counter-Strike and Half-Life.

Valve's two owners, Gabe Newell and Mike Harrington, rushed over with great enthusiasm.

"Wow, wow..."

"Our Pope has arrived!"

The gaming community is very small, and Lin Xiao's reputation within it is currently extremely good.

"Your Holiness, I heard that you have resigned from all your posts and given up billions of dollars in assets? May I ask why?"

Lin Xiao: "For love!"

"Wow...so romantic, so crazy!" The two exclaimed incredulously, their eyes filled with disbelief and a hint of mockery.

Next, the two men enthusiastically took Lin Xiao to visit their company, which was the most disorganized company Lin Xiao had ever seen. The two founders didn't seem like bosses at all.

"When will Fallout 3 be released?" Gabe Newell (GabeN) asked.

Lin Xiao: "Who knows? Maybe the year after next?"

Gabe: "Then you'll probably encounter games like Halo 3, God of War 2, Call of Duty 4, and so on."

The group chatted enthusiastically about the gaming industry, especially the battle between Sony and Microsoft, a battle that was becoming increasingly clear.

Lin Xiao's purpose in coming here this time is to further damage Microsoft's gaming industry.

You dream of building the world's largest gaming platform. Sony is already very strong, so I don't mind coming over to accelerate the STEAM platform.

Microsoft's platforms span both PCs and consoles.

With Sony dominating the console market, Steam could also eventually encircle and annihilate the PC platform.

“Gabe, I heard you’re trying to shift your focus to the Steam platform next?” Lin Xiao said, “My Fallout 3, and even The Witcher, can be put on this platform.”

"Of course, I can invest in your platform if you need it."

Gabe Newell: "Yes, we need it. We need it so badly."

How much money can you invest?

Lin Xiao has an excellent reputation in the gaming industry. He only provides money, doesn't complain, and hardly affects the leadership's control.

Therefore, he also has the title of "Game Angel".

Lin Xiao: "How much money do you need?"

Gabe and Mike exchanged a glance: "Fifty million dollars?"

Lin Xiao: "How many shares are you willing to give up?"

That's hard to estimate because the company wasn't publicly listed. However, in 2005, Valve's total revenue was only $70 million, with an operating profit of $55 million and a net profit of around $40 million.

Based on the conversion, Valve's current market value is approximately five to six hundred million US dollars.

Lin Xiao slowly said, "Your company's most valuable asset right now is the IP rights to these games, while the Steam platform requires the most investment and doesn't offer long-term returns, right?"

Gabe and Mike nodded.

Valve's current revenue basically comes from passive income from games, which means it relies on a few fixed IPs.

Lin Xiao: "I can give you 50 million US dollars, but only for investing in the STEAM platform. I want 30% of the shares."

The two of them were once again caught in a dilemma.

Because this platform was only launched this year, and currently has no achievements or valuation.

Fifty million US dollars is a lot.

But 30% of the shares sounds like a lot.

Gabe hesitated for a moment: "Can I ask why?"

Lin Xiao: "Strike at Microsoft!"

"You have plenty of time to consider. My price remains unchanged. If you agree, just call me directly."

........................

Next, Lin Xiao flew directly back to China, to Hangzhou.

He needs to have a deep talk with Lien Cheng.

"Has your destination been decided?" Lin Xiao asked.

Lian Zheng: "It's probably settled."

Lin Xiao: "Where?"

Lian Zheng: "Most likely, the Education Department."

Well... they were really badly implicated. Although they were at the same level, their power was drastically reduced, especially since Lian Zheng was still in his prime.

Lin Xiao: "Uncle Lian, is it possible in Chiayi City?"

Lian Zheng thought for a while and said, "It's impossible. Although it's ranked lower than Wenzhou, it's still a strong city. In my current state, I can't go there."

Lin Xiao: "What about the deputy head of Ning City?"

Ning City has a relatively high administrative level; the deputy positions there are equivalent to those of a full-fledged department head.

Lian Zheng: "It's also very difficult."

"In this situation, you can't bargain; you have to follow the arrangements."

"But you have been receiving a lot of criticism lately, and there is a force that wants to deny your achievements."

Lin Xiao: "They not only want to deny my achievements and reputation, but more importantly, they want to seize the right to speak and the right to public opinion, and to deny most things on this land."

"This situation will likely cause a long delay."

"Either the East Wind prevails over the West Wind, or the West Wind prevails over the East Wind."

Lian Zheng: "But they have a very powerful background, so we're hesitant to act rashly."

How could it not have a powerful background?

Various types of capital, various interest groups, and various international giants.

Lin Xiao suddenly said, "Uncle Lian, do you still remember our first real meeting and our first conversation? We talked about ideals and the romance of the new era."

"The vast universe, ByteDance?"

Lian Zheng: "Of course I remember."

It was this passage that led to their entangled and complicated relationship.

Finally, Lian Yi was injured, and Lian Zheng's career suffered a major setback.

However, it was a shared ideal between the two of them, but Lian Zheng failed before he even began to pursue it.

Lin Xiao: "Uncle Lian, a new industrial revolution is coming—the mobile internet revolution!"

"This is about our shared dream."

"So I resigned from all my positions at Lightning Group and handed everything over to Xia Xi."

"As for me, I will concentrate all my energy, all my money, and all my time to achieve this new ideal."

“Go to Ning City, even if it’s just to be a deputy position.”

"Once I've prepared everything and laid out all the plans, I'll bring our new industrial dreams to Ning City!"

"This industry will generate astronomical numbers of jobs, astronomical numbers of output value, and astronomical numbers of GDP!"

"You always say that people leave a name behind and geese leave a sound behind, but even though you have done enough, you still feel that you have accomplished nothing."

"In the past, it was you who made my career and my ideals come true."

"This time, shall I grant your wish?"

Immediately, Lian Zheng stood frozen in place.

Lin Xiao's words were spoken softly, but they carried immense weight.

Previously, Lian Zheng had devoted everything to Lin Xiao's career.

Now, Lin Xiao is going to do everything in his power to achieve his ideals.

Lin Xiao continued, "Although your destination has already been decided, and although the leaders are certainly quite disappointed in me now."

"But we should go to him with a new blueprint, and ask him for the position."

"It's okay to be shameless just once, right?"

"The leader is magnanimous and should forgive my previous willfulness, after all, he also dreams of the stars and the sea."

Lian Zheng could no longer hold back, his gaze slightly warm, and said, "You should choose Shanghai for your third startup."

A third startup?
Lin Xiao was slightly taken aback when he heard this term. He had no concept of it and hadn't expected Lian Zheng to bring it up.

Both during his first and second entrepreneurial ventures, Lian Zheng provided him with strong support and guidance.

With this third venture, can the two finally join forces?

“The conditions are better in Shanghai, and the level is higher,” Lian Zhengdao said. “The support for you is also greater. Why sacrifice so many benefits for me?”

Lin Xiao: "Uncle Lian, I often say I want to change the world. But for me, a few people are my whole world."

Lian Zheng took a deep breath, turned his face to the side again, and desperately suppressed the surging emotions in his heart.

That impulse to do great things, that aspiration...

It's completely indescribable.

The old man is brave and has great ambitions!
Moreover, despite knowing each other for several years, they have never truly worked together to create any business.

"Let's go!" Lian Zheng slammed his hand on the table.

"Let's go see the leader!"

“I have never made any demands, nor have I ever been shameless in my own affairs.”

"This time, I'll be shameless and make a request!"

Immediately, Lian Zheng got up and took Lin Xiao to see the big boss.

........................

Note: I've finally finished writing! If you have any monthly votes, please remember to give them to me! I'll keep working hard! Thank you everyone!

(End of this chapter)