The world is in trouble

Chapter 312 A Crazy Love Triangle? Lian Yi Confesses!
Following the visit, both Microsoft and Quantum Technology issued press releases.

In fact, the two sides did not reach many agreements this time; it can only be said that they reached some consensus.

However, the press release was still very enthusiastic, as if a great deal of achievement had really been made.

"This visit to China, and our visit to quantum technology, has brought us great surprises."

"In particular, the scale of the quantum technology industrial park far exceeded our expectations."

"We highly respect the efforts of quantum technology in mobile phone operating systems, and we have exchanged many patents with each other."

"Of course, Microsoft has the most experience in mobile operating systems and currently has the highest market share in the world. But we are not afraid of competitors like quantum technology; on the contrary, we are eager to see the progress that such healthy competition brings to global technology."

When asked about his thoughts on the patent infringement issue between quantum technology and Google, Ballmer was asked by a reporter.

Ballmer: "In fact, my communication with Lin this time was very in-depth, and I looked at a lot of original materials. So we signed a lot of contracts with quantum technology and exchanged a lot of patents, which shows Microsoft's attitude."

Although very vague, Ballmer's meaning was very clear: Android played a more dishonorable role in this patent infringement case.

However, he will only touch upon the point briefly.

"We've talked a lot about games. Fallout 3 and The Witcher will be coming to the Xbox 360 soon, and Fallout: New Vegas will be joining soon after."

"Both Erdog Studio and Lightning Games are excellent game developers. In the next few years, they will develop brand new IPs, and these IPs will be launched on the Xbox platform first."

"So, our conversation was very pleasant."

Reporter: "I heard that Microsoft will also invest in Facebook. Is that true?"

Ballmer: "Facebook is one of the most exciting internet projects in recent years, and we are very much looking forward to the collaboration between the two companies."

Reporter: "According to the agreement, Facebook is scheduled to begin its IPO process on Nasdaq next year. What does Microsoft's investment at this time signify?"

Ballmer: "A trend."

Next, European and American newspapers began to write extensively about it.

Quantum technology and Microsoft have officially formed an alliance!
This is considered a major news story in the global technology community.

Professor Zhang from Peking University once again offered his commentary.

"In fact, large companies and countries of this size are somewhat similar. Whether the relationship deteriorates or improves, it does not happen suddenly; there are always many warning signs."

"This time, Microsoft and Quantum Technology are no exception. About a year ago, Microsoft sold Renren.com to Lightning Technology for $3 million, which was a very obvious sign that the two sides had ended their hostile relationship."

"Although the news media have given extensive coverage to this collaboration between quantum technology and Microsoft, the actual results are far less significant than reported in the news. But Ballmer has made it very clear that this is a trend."

"Unless something major happens, this improvement in relations between the two sides will continue."

"Of course, there is one exception, which is that Microsoft immediately released a brand new mobile operating system and achieved great success."

………………

Despite the uproar in the news, the capital market remains honest.

Because Google's stock price not only didn't fall, but actually rose. This is because investors know that Microsoft and quantum technology haven't reached a truly substantial cooperation agreement.

On the contrary, the huge sales of Motorola's first Android phone made investors see the possibility of Google achieving a great victory in the operating system field.

Capital has discovered and determined that although quantum phones are excellent and their technological approach is very radical, they still cannot withstand the onslaught of numerous powerful brands.

However, after the news of Microsoft's collaboration with quantum technology came out, Sony's stock price actually fell.

Many commentators and professional analysts spoke with great conviction.

"Clearly, this is a signal that Mr. Lin Xiao is distancing himself from Sony."

"Over the past few years, Mr. Lin Xiao has spared no effort in supporting Sony, whether it's Sony Pictures or Sony Electronic Entertainment. However, Sony has not given a commensurate return. When quantum technology needed Sony the most, Sony did not stand up to support it."

"Of course, Sony may have its reasons, such as Sony's inability to fully control the discourse of Sony Ericsson, or the internal conflict and differences between Sony and Ericsson."

"But ultimately, it comes down to the fact that Sony Group's support for quantum technology is not firm enough."

"Although Sony Group Chairman Howard Stringer has repeatedly stated that Sony Group is the most steadfast ally in quantum technology, he often only makes empty promises without taking any concrete actions. This is a typical example of empty talk without action."

"If Sony Group's will were strong enough, then Sony Ericsson would have already released its first phone with the X operating system."

"If the Sony Group's will were firm enough, then Sony Ericsson CEO Bernard would not have made so many outrageous statements denying Sony Ericsson's support for quantum technology."

"Clearly, Sony Ericsson's attitude is also tacitly approved by the Sony Group."

This article, in a sense, has completely exposed the true colors of Howard Stringer, chairman of Sony Corporation.

Later, this analyst appeared on NEW12, where the host asked, "Dr. Dodge, does this mean that Mr. Lin Xiao has distanced himself from the Sony Group? Does this represent a estrangement between the two conglomerates?"

Dr. Dodge: "It's not so much estrangement as stopping upgrades."

"In fact, Mr. Lin Xiao had been working to upgrade the strategic alliance between the two parties. For example, Sony was one of the original shareholders of Quantum Technology. Quantum Technology even initially approached Sony for screen customization, but Sony refused."

"This is the first setback in the relationship between the two sides."

"However, Mr. Lin Xiao did not stop this strategic upgrade after that. After the huge success of The Hunger Games and Kung Fu Panda, he still had Dreamworld and Sony Columbia renew their cooperation agreements for multiple IPs. Moreover, he still made the game IPs being developed by the Ergou Group completely align with the PS3 platform and abandon the Microsoft XBOX platform."

"However, Lin Xiao's strategic alliance upgrade did not receive a corresponding return from Sony, so he stopped this upgrade. In other words, the relationship between the two sides has basically reached its limit."

"Of course, this does not mean that the relationship between the two sides will deteriorate, but it is unlikely to get better."

"If new opportunities arise in the future, Lin Xiao's group probably won't involve Sony anymore."

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

Regarding this matter and the recent drop in stock price, Sony Group held a very small high-level meeting.

Both Kazuo Hirai and Amy Pascal expressed their doubts about Howard.

Finally, the Englishman, enraged, bluntly asked, "What does he think he is? A savior?"

"Can't the Sony Group function without him?"

At that moment, he couldn't hold back and revealed his inner emotions.

He loathed Lin Xiao; his loathing was genuine.

He was British, and to some extent a member of the British aristocracy, so he didn't like seeing a Chinese person achieve such great success.

I dislike seeing a Chinese person occupy such a large position in Sony's interest group even more.

He had already reluctantly accepted the Japanese.

He simply couldn't bring himself to be subservient to Lin Xiao, a Chinese man, so he was filled with repulsion from beginning to end.

However, the benefits Lin Xiao brought to the Sony Group were so great that he could hardly express such emotions at any time, and even had to publicly express his support for Lin Xiao and quantum technology on multiple occasions.

"The mobile phone business remains Sony Group's most important business. Currently, no global giant is truly on the side of quantum technology. If Sony Ericsson were to actually side with quantum technology, it could face complete exclusion from the Google ecosystem, potentially leading to its demise."

"In fact, Google has already issued a warning in secret: if any mobile phone manufacturer sides with quantum technology, it will face a complete ban from Google."

"Sony can only be on the side of the winners. Lin Xiao is indeed outstanding in movies and games; he is truly a genius. In that case, he should focus on games and movies, and not dabble in mobile operating systems, which is not a high-level field for him."

"In this operating system war, it is clear to everyone that Google will win and quantum technology will lose."

"Therefore, the Sony Group, which I lead, can only give vague statements and cannot actually take concrete actions to support the X operating system."

"Moreover, to put it bluntly, the benefits Lin Xiao has brought to Sony have reached their limit, and there is absolutely no need for us to give anything more to him."

"Sony Columbia is already severely constrained by him. Does that mean Sony Ericsson will also be constrained by him? Sony is a powerful global conglomerate. How can a high-ranking person be constrained by a low-ranking person?"

Amy Pascal and Kazuo Hirai exchanged a glance.

This is basically the truth being revealed.

Kazuo Hirai slowly said, "Mr. Howard, what if... I mean, what if quantum technology hadn't lost in this operating system war?"

Howard Stringer: "Almost all the discerning people have already seen the results; only you are still blinded by Lin Xiao's achievements in other fields."

"All the giants have aligned themselves with Google, and both Samsung and Motorola have achieved tremendous success."

Amy Pascal said, "Mr. Howard, if... the situation reverses, someone has to pay the price."

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

The global box office performance of "2012" is basically set.

Ultimately, the film grossed an astonishing 14.5 billion yuan at the Chinese market.

It directly broke through the market ceiling, increasing it by 70% from the original 9 million.

Of course, even without "2012", this ceiling would have been broken by the end of the year, by "Avatar".

However, it's ultimately better that Chinese filmmakers themselves break through this ceiling.

The global box office ultimately settled at around $11.3 billion.

It is undoubtedly a huge success and the number one in the world so far this year.

Meanwhile, the fourth season of Breaking Bad finally premiered on AMC.

Historically, this show's peak ratings were in its fifth season, but in this world, the ratings surge seems to have arrived much earlier.

In the third episode of the fourth season, AMC officially issued a statement.

The total has exceeded ten million!

It set a new record for the highest viewership on a cable television network.

Meanwhile, despite Lin Xiao and Wu Lingxi's repeated delays, Facebook's IPO process on Nasdaq is becoming increasingly clear.

Microsoft's investment, in particular, has pushed Facebook into the spotlight.

Everyone estimates that Facebook will officially go public by the middle of next year at the latest.

The market value at that time may exceed the previously estimated 30 billion.

However, some analysts believe that Facebook faces a huge risk: taking a gamble by siding with OS X, which would bring great uncertainty to Facebook's future.

Following the strong sales of Samsung and Motorola Android phones, LG, Lenovo, and HTC continued to release flagship phones.

Android will be far ahead, and if Facebook continues to isolate itself from Android, it may miss out on the largest smartphone platform, giving The Faces a chance to turn the tide.

In response, Google's CEO stated publicly that he greatly admires Facebook's Chairwoman, Ling-Hsi Wu, and eagerly anticipates the day Facebook launches on the Android platform. He believes Facebook will receive star-level treatment on Android at that time.

However, Wu Lingxi responded publicly very quickly.

Facebook will always support the X operating system and will never launch on the Android platform.

Hearing such absolute and even emotional words, the reporter asked, "Ms. Wu Lingxi, aren't you worried that this attitude will affect Facebook's listing on Nasdaq? Aren't you worried that it will affect investors' confidence?"

Wu Lingxi: "As of now, we still have absolute control over Facebook. If any shareholders are dissatisfied with my decisions, I will support them to withdraw their shares at any time."

"If my decision would affect Facebook's listing on Nasdaq, then Facebook can choose not to go public."

Wu Lingxi's statement caused a huge uproar.

Many investors have stated that Wu Lingxi has acted very unprofessionally and immaturely in this regard.

Since you are the chairman and CEO of Facebook, you should prioritize Facebook's interests. You could learn from the chairman of Sony Group, who verbally supports the X operating system but whose actions are ambiguous.

However, Wu Lingxi's extremely clear-cut attitude of love and hate has won the support of countless teenagers around the world.

They simply dislike so-called maturity and so-called sophistication; they admire this kind of clear-cut stance.

They support this kind of absolute loyalty to allies.

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

Google's CEO was furious when he heard Wu Lingxi's clear-cut stance.

As a global technology giant, he extended an olive branch in public, signaling his friendship.

This can be seen as a response to Microsoft's collaboration with quantum technology.

If you, Lin Xiao, want to bring Microsoft into the fold, then I'll raid your stronghold.

As a result, Wu Lingxi slapped him hard across the face.

Especially since Wu Lingxi is a woman, and a very beautiful one at that.

Therefore, this was inexplicably hyped up as a love triangle.

Many netizens around the world have turned these into various memes and GIFs.

In this meme, Schmidt is portrayed as a sycophant, kneeling before Wu Lingxi with flowers and jewelry, dressed in a suit and tie. Meanwhile, Wu Lingxi is seen linking arms with Lin Xiao and showering him with kisses, even though Lin Xiao is dressed in tattered clothes.

"Every business elite prioritizes profit and is highly rational, and Wu Lingxi, as a top elite who controls assets worth tens of billions, is no exception. There is only one reason that can make a woman lose her rationality, and that is love!"

"Passionate love!"

Then, the focus inexplicably shifted to the love story between Lin Xiao and Wu Lingxi.

All sorts of emojis and images have reappeared.

Various memes.

Of course, some people say that Lin Xiao is already married, and his wife, Ms. Xiao Momo, is an ordinary high school teacher in China.

then……

This love triangle has become even more popular around the world.

"As a top billionaire, Mr. Lin Xiao's wife is not from a wealthy family or a celebrity, but a high school teacher? My God, this is what love should be like."

"This is practically a Cinderella story!"

However, Chinese netizens soon posted photos of Xiao Momo. Of course, there are very few photos of her, except for one photo of her attending a movie premiere.

"Wow, she's not Cinderella, she's so cute and beautiful."

Then, Chinese netizens flocked to overseas websites to learn about the love story of Lin Xiao and Xiao Momo.

Xiao Momo was Lin Xiao's English teacher. She was several years older than him, and the two went from being students to getting married.

Immediately, netizens around the world became even more excited.

Everyone thought that Lin Xiao was so rich and successful, yet he still married his first love; this was true love.

Wu Lingxi controls assets worth tens of billions and is a global internet queen, but she still loves Lin Xiao unconditionally, even though he is already married. This is pure love.

Lin Xiao, however, was somewhat alarmed by the global buzz surrounding the event.

Damn, my relationship just capsized a few years ago, and it's still not back on track.

Now that it's being hyped up globally, we can't afford to capsize again!

However, sometimes things can get out of control.

Sure enough, someone else brought Lian Yi into the picture.

She has actually appeared in newspapers and on television many times because the legal battle between quantum technology and Google has lasted for more than a year and a half, and there have been countless court hearings.

Now someone has discovered that she was actually Lin Xiao's ex-girlfriend!
Google seemed to see a huge opportunity and began to hype up Lin Xiao's alleged infidelity on a global scale, portraying him as an absolute scumbag in matters of the heart.

Four and a half years ago, Renren.com used this opportunity to directly knock Lin Xiao down from public opinion and force him to leave the Lightning Group completely.

Now, Google, as the biggest competitor in quantum technology, also wants to replicate this achievement.

In terms of public opinion, Lin Xiao was completely defeated.

By defeating him, we can also defeat the X operating system.

Therefore, Lin Xiao's love triangle was hyped up more and more.

As a result, another media storm erupted.

However, this time the eye of the storm is not in China, but in Europe and America, especially in the United States.

Lin Xiao is not in the United States, but in the country.

Therefore, Lian Yi, who had not received much attention before, suddenly became the center of a media storm once again.

Just like five years ago.

And then one day, she found herself in the eye of the storm.

That time, she chose to escape, leave China, and come to the United States to study.

This time, the media storm has once again erupted in the United States.

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

Shu Wan was worried about her daughter, so she immediately took leave and was about to fly to the United States to be with her.

As Lian Yi's teacher and the leader of the entire legal team, Ms. Gerken spoke with Lian Yi.

"Don't go to the court hearing tomorrow."

“I’m giving you a break for a while. You can go back to Yale and let the whole media storm calm down completely.”

"There will definitely be a lot of media and reporters waiting for you outside the court tomorrow. Whether you respond or speak, you will become the focus of a lot of news."

Lian Yi, dressed in business attire, fell into silence.

Four and a half years ago, she chose to escape.

Will she run away again this time?

After a long pause, she shook her head and said, "Ms. Gerken, I want to continue appearing in court tomorrow."

Ms. Gerken asked, "Are you sure? Have you thought this through? This means you will be subjected to public scrutiny once again, you will become the focus of the news, and your life will hardly be peaceful afterward. Moreover, it is difficult for us to judge whether this will be beneficial to the lawsuit."

Lian Yi said, "I have thought it through. If you are willing, I would like to continue appearing in court tomorrow."

Ms. Gerken looked at her, then nodded and said, "In that case, so be it!"

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

The trial began the following day.

Sure enough, outside the courthouse in the Northern District of California, there was once again a large array of cameras and microphones, with countless reporters and media outlets waiting there.

However, this time, the focus seems to be not only on the patent dispute between Google and quantum technology, but also on the romantic scandals of the legendary figure Er Gou.

As soon as Lian Yi got out of the car, she was immediately bombarded with countless flashes of light.

I could barely open my eyes.

At the same time, countless reporters swarmed in.

"Miss Lian Yi, are you and Mr. Lin Xiao currently in a romantic relationship?"

Lian Yi remained silent, but more and more reporters surrounded her.

"Miss Lian Yi, are you and Mr. Lin Xiao in a romantic relationship?"

Many reporters from various countries and media outlets asked the same question again and again, in various languages.

Lian Yi suddenly stopped, shook her head and said, "No, we are not lovers. In fact, in the past five years, we have only met three times, which adds up to no more than a few hours in total."

"Even communication is infrequent; it's been more than six months since we last contacted each other."

Then, she continued walking forward.

However, many reporters were clearly unwilling to let her go and continued to surround her.

Several bailiffs appeared and formed a human wall to help her separate herself from the reporters, which allowed her to successfully walk up the steps of the courthouse.

As Lian Yi got further and further away, many reporters clearly hadn't gotten the news they wanted or the media attention they desired.

Suddenly, a reporter broke through the crowd and shouted at Lian Yi, "Ms. Lian Yi, do you still love him? Even though he's already married?"

Lian Yi paused for a moment, then turned her beautiful face and nodded at her, saying, "Yes, I still love him!"

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

Note: I'm done writing, thank you everyone! If you have any monthly votes, please keep giving them to me, thank you so much!
(End of this chapter)