The world is in trouble

Chapter 289 Noble! Return!
Google has indeed created many myths throughout its history, but it has also failed in many ways.

For example, Google Talk, launched in 2005, and Google+, which saw huge investments, were both failures in instant messaging.

But this press conference was quite successful.

Historically, the actual launch of the Android system and the G1 phone were both very low-key.

Perhaps even Google itself didn't know what kind of results it would achieve, but the result was a great success.

It was successful not only in sales but also in reputation, which gradually ushered in the Android dynasty.

This time, it not only held a grand press conference and invited global media, a large portion of which were Chinese media.

Moreover, they also paid a huge amount of public relations fees.

At this press conference, Schmidt spoke at length about the Android system and its software ecosystem.

Google Maps, Enkin, GeoLife, TuneWiki, and so on.

The entire press conference lasted a full hour and a half.

The next day...

This has been widely reported by many media outlets around the world.

"A revolutionary era!"

"The great era of open source has arrived."

"Google is the greatest technology company of our time, etc."

Even the sliding keyboard is hailed as a remarkable design.

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

And December 5th.

The ratings for the first episode of The Walking Dead season one have been released.

550 people!

Of course, this number is now lower than that of Breaking Bad Season 2.

but……

When the number was announced, the entire AMC television network erupted in cheers, and champagne was immediately popped into the air.

A common characteristic of popular American TV series is that they attract an ever-growing audience.

What does it mean for the first episode of the first season to have 550 million viewers?
It's more than twice the length of the first episode of Breaking Bad, and it's also the first in the history of American cable television!

That's right, the first in history!

That shows how awesome it is.

The entire AMC network was completely stunned by this number. At this rate, how high will the final viewership be?

I can't even imagine it.

It is highly likely that the ratings of this drama will eventually surpass those of the terrestrial television networks, which would be terrifying.
.......................................

James Dolan called Lin Xiao again.

"Hey, Lin!"

"As you probably already know, the ratings for the first episode of The Walking Dead went absolutely insane, exceeding all of our expectations."

"So can you tell me roughly how many seasons it will eventually have?"

Lin Xiao: "It will probably last for ten seasons, and there are also about two spin-off series planned."

James Dolan quickly calculated in his mind how much profit this would bring. The result was an astronomical figure.

Then James Dolan said, "Are you free? My father would like to see you."

Lin Xiao: "Of course, it's my honor."

The following day, at the Dolan family mansion, Lin Xiao met the legendary tycoon, Charles Dolan.

He is 82 years old this year and is an absolute bigwig in the American media.

Founder of HBO, Cablevision, AMC, NEW12, owner of Madison Square Garden, and owner of an NBA team.

Although it doesn't rank high on the global rich list, everyone knows that these big shots try to keep their rankings down and avoid appearing on the list altogether.

The 82-year-old tycoon is still in very good spirits.

Lin Xiao presented a gift: a custom-made quantum phone.

The back cover will always bear Lin Xiao's handwritten inscription: "To Mr. Charles Dolan, you changed American culture."

This isn't something that can be simply written on; it involves engraving the back cover with aurora technology before production, followed by the addition of a glass cover.

In other words, these customized phones were produced at least two months ago.

Charles Dolan was overjoyed to receive the gift, and he even had someone bring out an Apple phone and a Google G1 phone.

"It far surpasses the competition; it's practically a work of art."

Lin Xiao brought more than a dozen mobile phones, one for each of the core members of the Dolan family.

However, only Charles Dolan had his name laser-engraved.

The women of the Dolan family were thrilled when they received the phones, because the rose gold color was simply stunning.

Imagine the frenzy that ensued when Apple first released the rose gold iPhone.

"Oh my god, this phone is so beautiful, I'm sure I'll be the most eye-catching person among all my friends."

"Lin, you are my idol. Breaking Bad is amazing, The Walking Dead is amazing."

"I prefer Fallout 3; I've played it four times already. Can you tell me when Fallout 4 will be released?"

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

Inside the study, Lin Xiao and Charles Dolan had a conversation.

“Lin, I prefer your story to Google’s,” Charles Dolan said. “Because I can understand what you’ve done, and it feels like it happened just yesterday.”

Charles Dolan created an entertainment empire and a sports empire.

To some extent, Lin Xiao also created an entertainment empire, so the two sides have a great deal of resonance in this regard.

“So, I actually only have one question,” Charles Dolan asked: “Will you resolutely pursue a globalization policy?”

This statement is meant to eliminate a certain risk.

The other party was worried that Lin Xiao would go down the path of nationalism and never turn back, going further and further astray.

Because Charles Dolan works in media, he is more perceptive in this regard.

Lin Xiao: "Of course, I am a staunch advocate of globalization."

He did not lie about this either.

Nationalism is just one part of the process, while the ultimate goal is globalization.

Because more than a decade later, China became the biggest driver of globalization.

Lin Xiao continued, "I warmly welcome the Dolan family's investment in Dream Vision. Although we may not be able to offer many shares, it is enough to show our determination."

Charles Dolan: "I have been observing you for a long time, and I greatly admire some of your qualities, especially your loyalty to your friends. Until now, you have never betrayed any of your strategic allies, not even one."

Lin Xiao was taken aback; this sentence contained a lot of information.

The Dolan family conducted a thorough investigation into him.

“I greatly admire your approach to Jiangnan TV in your country. Even though they betrayed you for short-term gains, you won them back with your powerful charisma, making them even more loyal than before.” Charles Dolan: “In the business world, this quality is truly rare.”

"When I was younger, I might not have valued this quality very much because I thought profit was the most important thing. But now that I'm this age, it has become the quality I cherish most."

"Moreover, you are very generous with money. You are not stingy at all in letting your allies make huge profits, sometimes even more than your own."

"I've heard of a Chinese term that I just recently learned: 'Confucian merchant'!"

"Are you a Confucian businessman?"

Lin Xiao thought for a moment, then shook his head: "I'm not."

Lin Xiao even disliked the term, finding it too limiting.

Charles Dolan laughed and said, "You don't seem like a Chinese businessman, but rather an American entrepreneur."

I don't know if this sentence counts as a compliment.

"Because you have a very long-term vision and a broad perspective, yet you still maintain absolute focus."

"So, we've made a deal!"

“We stand by your side, and I will show you some of the noble qualities of our Dolan family.”

Lin Xiao: "Thank you, Mr. Dolan."

When he first started his business, Lin Xiao liked to use words to persuade others, especially using moving phrases and persuasive rhetoric.

For example, Lian Zheng and Xia Xi, who are both idealists, were completely moved by him.

Even the pragmatist Lucas was completely swayed by him.

Moreover, he persuaded Masayoshi Son and Amy Pascal countless times from beginning to end.

But now he's making fewer inflammatory remarks and taking more actions.

Every word he uttered was filled with even more power.

Because when you have no power, you only talk the talk; when you have power, one action is worth ten words.

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

Sony Group also needs to have a stance.

Howard Stringer has yet to express his opinion.

Kazuo Hirai and Amy Pascal, the two biggest stakeholders, have tried to convene a board meeting countless times.

As the two biggest power holders within the Sony Group, they could easily overthrow Howard Stringer if they wanted to.

In fact, Sony Group is not having a good time right now, because its traditional electronics business is declining and Sony Group is constantly on the verge of losses.

Of course, it is also moving beyond the Japanese domestic market and striving to become more global.

Moreover, it has also shifted its focus away from the real economy and towards the virtual economy, concentrating its efforts on digital business.

Amy Pascal went to Howard's office and handed him a very clear report.

"Last year, Sony Pictures Entertainment saw an unprecedented surge in revenue, with an increase of nearly one billion US dollars."

"This includes revenue sharing from Dreamworld's copyrights, box office revenue from The Hunger Games, videotape and DVD revenue, and revenue from Kung Fu Panda."

"Almost all of the increased revenue came from the cooperative projects with Lin."

"Regarding the Spider-Man copyright, Marvel and Disney have been fighting with us, always wanting to take it back." "Most importantly, after Spider-Man 3, this IP will have to be temporarily shelved for a while, and may even need to be rebooted to some extent."

"From now on, all of Sony Pictures' core productions will come from Lin."

"Kung Fu Panda 2, The Graveyard Book, The Hunger Games 2, etc."

"Moreover, we are also shareholders of quantum technology, and our shares in quantum technology may become our most valuable asset in the future."

"Howard, you know, there's a very scary sign in the global economy right now. A terrible crisis is brewing, and the Sony Group is facing a critical period of transformation."

"Up until now, Lin hasn't made any demands on the Sony Group, but I know him very well. Once he does, it means that the level of trust between the two sides has dropped. We've worked so hard to build up this level of trust over the years, and if it's damaged, the consequences will be very serious."

Immediately afterwards, Kazuo Hirai also came to talk to Howard and handed him the relevant data as well.

“《辐射3》总销量已经突破了1500万份，其中PS平台销量680万份。《巫师》总销量也超过了1000万，其中ps平台销量是550万份，由这两款游戏直接带来的PS3用户是320万左右。”

"So in the past fiscal year, Lin brought in more than 20 billion in revenue for Sony Electronic Entertainment."

"And this revenue was entirely achieved at the cost of him completely offending Microsoft Xbox. Some time ago, Microsoft's Ballmer went to talk to him, and he only asked for the launch of games such as the Fallout series, The Witcher series, and The Last of Us on the Xbox platform in exchange for Microsoft's friendship, but he refused, simply because he had made a verbal promise to us."

"If we lose Lin as an ally, Sony's financial report for the last fiscal year will look much worse."

Howard said, "But business is business, and it can't be equated with friendship, can it?"

Kazuo Hirai: "When doing business with him, the most important thing is friendship, not profit. Friendship first, profit second!"

Then, Kazuo Hirai simply gazed at the other person silently.

This is a report, but also an ultimatum. If Howard doesn't respond, the outcome will be unpredictable.

Moreover, historically, Howard was ousted not long afterward and replaced by Kazuo Hirai.

Just over ten hours later.

Howard finally called Lin Xiao.

"Lin, whether it's me personally or the entire Sony Group, we will stand by your side without hesitation."

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

Yahoo! Group.

The board of directors held another meeting.

Of course, the discussion wasn't about Lin Xiao, but rather about whether or not to accept Microsoft's acquisition offer.

The outcome of this meeting continued to trend towards a certain result.

The price is too low, and the autonomy is too limited.

Microsoft needs to either increase its investment or relinquish control.

At this point, negotiations between Microsoft and Yahoo were on the verge of collapse.

Unexpectedly, Yang Zhiyuan met with Lin Xiao at this time.

"Lin, I need your advice," Yang Zhiyuan said.

Four years ago, Yahoo was considered Lin Xiao's half-enemy because it almost invested in Renren Group, thereby blocking or even cutting off Facebook and YouTube's development path in the United States.

But now, in some ways he has come to trust Lin Xiao's judgment very much.

Lin Xiao thought for a moment and said, "You should accept Microsoft's acquisition offer."

Upon hearing this, Yang Zhiyuan was taken aback.

If we reject Microsoft's acquisition offer, then we can openly and legitimately declare our full support for you in the battle against Google. After all, Yahoo is still the world's largest portal website and still has a huge influence.

Once you agree to be acquired, Yahoo will no longer be your ally.

Lin Xiao: "Portal websites are outdated. Of course, I hope you can completely defeat Google in search engines, but that is already very difficult."

Yang Zhiyuan: "Thank you for remaining loyal to our allies even at this moment."

"Your noble qualities deeply move me."

………………

Although Lin Xiao had already given advice, and it was advice from the bottom of his heart.

Yahoo's rejection of Microsoft's acquisition offer is considered its biggest blunder. From then on, Yahoo went on a downward spiral, eventually being acquired by Verizon for less than $45 billion, just one-tenth of Microsoft's offer.

Of course, this price is after Yahoo divested its core assets, which included Alibaba shares and Yahoo Japan.

But... history really does have tremendous inertia.

Soon after, news broke that Yahoo's board of directors had rejected Microsoft's acquisition offer.

Immediately afterwards, Yang Zhiyuan called Lin Xiao: "Lin, in this battle with Google, we will stand by your side."

This statement is very important.

Because Yahoo is still the world's number one portal, and Yahoo News has astronomical traffic, reaching over a billion users.

As long as it is willing to support Lin Xiao, it will be extremely effective in shaping public opinion on the internet.

By now, all allies are ready and can act at any time.

Lin Xiao sat in front of his computer, attentively watching Google's G1 and Android system launch event.

Previously, Google had never bothered to attack quantum technology, but at this press conference, it spent almost a third of the time asserting the legitimacy of the Android system and accusing quantum technology of plagiarism and shameless behavior from various angles.

"We must be wary of this nation; their greatest skill is imitation and plagiarism."

"This is the biggest infringement of intellectual property rights, and it is a celebration of shamelessness."

Of course, Google wouldn't use such inflammatory language at its own press conference, but through their public relations efforts, many media professionals and TV hosts have used similar inflammatory remarks.

It even included a picture of Fu Manchu!

To be precise, it was Lin Xiao's face combined with Fu Manchu's attire.

Moreover, Lin Xiao's face has become very sinister, and his once straight nose has turned into a hooked nose.

However, this did not elicit a strong reaction in American public opinion.

Because it's useless to preach this threat theory to ordinary Americans right now; it's difficult to forcibly incite this kind of ethnic hatred.

Americans at this time were confident yet rebellious, opposed to authority, and admired heroes.

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

At this point, public opinion in China had completely exploded.

The entire internet witnessed a complete display of what it means for friendly nations to be astonished.

Faced with Google's overwhelming public opinion attack, countless netizens in China felt like the sky was falling.

"China has worked hard for decades to build a positive image, but it has been completely destroyed by the cult leader Er Gou."

"We're about to host the Olympics, and Er Gou (a nickname for a certain person) has to pull off a plagiarism scandal at this crucial moment. Doesn't the country care? Doesn't he care about his international image?"

"What kind of soil produces what kind of flowers. In the desert of technology, only the flowers of plagiarism will grow."

More than half a month has passed since the start of this media war, and it has been a complete celebration for countless "elites".

For the internet, half a month is a very, very long time.

Throughout the entire process, neither Er Gou, the cult leader, nor Quantum Technology launched any counterattack.

Many people believe that if you don't fight back or confront the issue, it's tantamount to admitting defeat.

Moreover, the Google G1 phone, which was originally not available in China, has appeared in large quantities, and many people are buying it through relevant channels, even though the price has exceeded five or six thousand RMB.

Then, many tech media outlets gave it a comprehensive positive review.

"Imagine shrinking a computer to the size of a mobile phone, so you could use it on the subway, on the street, or lying in bed to browse the internet. What would that feel like?"

"Therefore, this is a revolution."

"A new era has arrived."

The smartphone revolution, which was originally expected to take a year or two to take root in people's hearts, has been awakened ahead of schedule.

Therefore, Lin Xiao said that everything that happened was for my benefit.

This kind of overwhelming public opinion effect is something that you can hardly achieve no matter how much money you spend or how much advertising you run.

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

May 31st is getting closer and closer. (I don't want to write about what happened on the 12th; I wish it had never happened.)
On the night before Lin Xiao left the United States.

Google CEO Eric Schmidt met with Lin Xiao again.

This time, there was no drinking; they only had a brief conversation in a third-party vehicle, and the mutual respect they showed last time was not as strong.

The atmosphere was serious and cold.

"Lin, don't hold a press conference, just quietly list it in China."

"In exchange, we can postpone our next move."

"You should know that our actions over the past period have only just begun, and have not even entered a substantial stage."

“And once you hold this press conference, we will take even more drastic measures.”

"Once that happens, it will be very difficult to reverse the situation."

The scene of going public without any announcement or announcement is still somewhat familiar.

Moreover, the other side did not say "ceasefire," but only that we should postpone the fighting.

They've become quite adept at using the trick of creating a signboard out of thin air.

In fact, Google had already made a judgment on the sensational effect that Lin Xiao's press conference might cause.

So even in the face of a complete war and an irreversible situation, this request was still made to him.

Lin Xiao said again, "I'm very sorry!"

Schmidt: "In that case, you'd better stay in China and never come to the United States again. This is my last piece of advice to you as a former friend."

This sentence is very meaningful, and perhaps it is what he really wanted to say?
Does this represent Google's bottom-line thinking?

What dangerous moves might they be about to make?
Lin Xiao: "Goodbye."

On May 26, Lin Xiao had secured all the allies on this side.

They have officially returned to China to fully prepare for the quantum technology press conference on May 31.

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

Note: I'm home now, so tired. I'll resume my normal update schedule and word count tomorrow. Thank you everyone!

Do you still have any monthly passes, my benefactor? Please help me fall asleep! I've only been getting five hours of sleep a night these past few days, which is barely enough. I need a good night's sleep tonight.

(End of this chapter)