Who would still start a business seriously after being reborn?

Chapter 724 The bigger the storm, the more expensive the fish.

The bespectacled man is named Ryan. Although he is not very old, he is recognized as one of Qualcomm's top technicians. He was promoted to technical director in less than a year after joining the company.

He was always taciturn in the company, but once he spoke, he would often get straight to the point.

“Ryan, why do you think that?” Owen looked at Ryan and asked with a frown.

Ryan said in his characteristically flat tone, "Apple computers currently use the Mac OS operating system. Although it competes with Microsoft's Windows at the underlying level, it heavily relies on compatibility and even interaction with the Windows environment in many enterprise applications and professional software ecosystems. It can be said that Microsoft has strangled Apple computers in the high-end business market, and this dependence cannot be shaken off overnight."

"So it's understandable that Apple wants to break free from this constraint in the mobile field," Irving countered.

“Yes, it does make sense on the surface.” Ryan’s tone remained unchanged as he said, “But in the current PC era, the core businesses of Microsoft and Apple have actually formed a kind of differentiated competition or even implicit complementarity. Microsoft sells software and systems and earns licensing fees, while Apple sells hardware and a closed experience and earns product premiums. The conflict between the two in their core interests is not as life-or-death as it seems on the surface.”

"So I don't see why Apple would choose to be at odds with Microsoft again. The cost and reward are simply not proportional."

Ryan slowed his speech and continued, "Enze Capital was misled by the illusion of Jobs challenging Microsoft. The essence of business is profit, not spite. I think that Apple's cooperation with Enze Capital and Google in the short term is to solve the urgent problems of capacitive screens and operating systems, and to quickly launch the iPhone with external help and seize the market opportunity. But in the long run, given Jobs' extreme pursuit of product control, how could he willingly hand over his things to a so-called alliance to constrain him?"

He pulled up a simplified chart of Apple's R&D investment in recent years, pointing to the continuously increasing R&D expenses for the operating system and related underlying software.

"Look at this. Apple's investment in mobile operating systems has never stopped, and it's even intensifying. I suspect that their collaboration with Enze Capital on Android is just a stepping stone. Once the iPhone gains a foothold and Apple accumulates enough experience in mobile technology and a large user base, they are very likely to launch a completely independent and controllable mobile operating system, just like their macOS, creating a completely new and closed Apple mobile ecosystem. At that time, Android will become the biggest stumbling block for them."

Ryan concluded, "Therefore, I believe that Apple's real purpose in joining the Dream Alliance is likely to use it as a springboard for growth. They are using Enze Capital's screen technology and temporary operating system solutions to quickly incubate their own iPhone and mobile ecosystem. Once they are fully grown, they may tear up the agreement at any time and part ways with the Dream Alliance due to conflicts of interest."

He paused, then used an analogy that all technical people could understand: "It's like this: would Microsoft genuinely help the Linux community grow to the point of threatening Windows' position? No. It will only exploit, make it compatible, and divide it. Apple likely has the same mentality towards Android. From its inception, this alliance has sown the seeds of Apple as the biggest destabilizing factor."

Ryan's words made Irving's expression turn extremely serious.

Ryan's analysis was like a bucket of cold water, chilling him to the bone.

If Apple truly harbors ulterior motives, the stability of the Dream Alliance will be greatly compromised, and Qualcomm's all-in bet at this time undoubtedly carries significant risk.

A deeper silence fell over the meeting room.

While Ryan's assessment may sound shocking, it is logically sound and points directly to Apple's core business model and desire for control, making it something to be seriously considered.

“Ryan’s analysis makes a lot of sense.” Irving slowly sat down and pondered, “We must reassess the risks of cooperating with the Dream Alliance. If Apple really is a ticking time bomb, then Qualcomm’s hasty decision to tie ourselves to it may not lead to a way out, but rather to our demise.”

Everyone present was well aware of Ryan's abilities. Although he was young, his memory and logic were unparalleled, making him Qualcomm's top brain.

He looked at Ryan with a complicated expression and said, "Ryan, what do you think we should do? Should we give up this opportunity?"

Ryan adjusted his glasses again and said, "Chairman, the opportunity still exists, but the way we cooperate needs to be adjusted. We should seek more direct bilateral cooperation with Enze Capital, especially in the deep optimization of the Android system and CDMA chips. If Apple withdraws in the future, it will be even more beneficial for us."

“That’s right, the bigger the waves, the more expensive the fish!” Owen’s eyes lit up again.

Ryan's words pointed him to another path: bypassing the risks within the alliance and directly binding himself with Enze Capital, the technology leader, at the core technology level.

Irving nodded slowly and said, "I'll ask a friend to contact Enze Capital and try to talk to them."

Jingzhou City, top-floor office of Momo Group.

Cheng Yi closed the encrypted email interface, but the draft of the tripartite framework agreement signed by Enze Capital, Apple, and Google, sent back by Sharif, was still vivid in his mind.

The terms themselves were meticulously crafted by the legal team and had no major legal loopholes. Enze Capital's dominant position was also reflected. However, the more this was the case, the more uneasy Cheng Yi felt.

If Apple strives to protect its own interests, Cheng Yi has nothing to worry about.

But Jobs didn't fight for anything and just agreed to his proposal.

It could be said that he had Sallyf draft such a harsh contract in order to test Jobs' reaction.

Judging from the results, this old guy definitely had ulterior motives.

“If we win against the GSM alliance, our alliance will fall apart. If we lose to the GSM alliance, our alliance will fall apart in the same way…” Cheng Yi was conflicted.

Steve Jobs was the kind of person who was unwilling to be subordinate to others for long. He even rebelled against Microsoft, let alone their alliance.

Even Steve Jobs would feel fear in the face of the massive GSM alliance. He approached Enze Capital and Google, firstly to find someone to share the risk, and secondly for the components in Enze Capital's hands.

From its inception, this alliance was destined to be a transitional entity.

He turned around, his gaze falling on the world map hanging in the office. He reached out and touched the locations of the United States and Europe, a series of thoughts flashing through his mind.

He is very successful in China, thanks to his familiarity with the personalities of many of the country's internet giants.

It can be said that he had contact with almost all the internet giants in his previous life, but the situation was different overseas.

His understanding of people like Steve Jobs came only from the news media, but much of the news media content was exaggerated and consisted of advertorials about entrepreneurs. If you actually believed those news reports, you would be completely taken advantage of.

Therefore, he must be extremely cautious about every step he takes from now on, as any wrong step could lead to utter disaster.

His core technologies are capacitive touchscreens and the Android system, both of which are too dazzling.

If Enze Capital, a European capital firm with a complex background, were to hold and promote the business alone, it would soon face severe sanctions.

The US would allow American companies to defeat the GSM alliance, but it would absolutely not allow European companies to do so.

At this stage, they have too many methods.

Technological blockades, antitrust investigations, and national security reviews... These big sticks come one after another, each more powerful than the last, enough to stifle the technology he has painstakingly built in its infancy.

"Apple is using us, but aren't we also using Apple?" Cheng Yi muttered to himself.

Bringing in Apple and Google to form a hybrid alliance of Western influence is precisely about creating a protective shield.

Apple is a symbol of American innovation, and Google is a giant in the American internet industry. With them in the way, direct attacks from the US government will be hesitant to act. This is a proactive form of coercion, binding America's core technology companies to its own fate.

Why are multinational corporations so difficult to eliminate? Mainly because their internal structure is so complex that they cannot be defined by a single nationality.

His vision of the complete BBA mobile communications system is a combination of Europe and the US, with the US in the middle of Europe, and Asia serving as the market and manufacturing base...

When BBA Mobile Communications Company truly takes shape, with a complex equity structure and stakeholders spanning major economies worldwide, then it will have truly built its golden body.

By then, any single country that wants to take action against this company will need to weigh the impact on its own jobs, capital markets, and alliances.

The highest level of business moat is to integrate oneself into the global economic system.

If you cut me, you will feel pain.

Cheng Yi printed out the contract from his email and pressed his fingerprint onto the special ring finger fingerprint mark in the signature area.

This symbolizes the highest authority within the Enze Capital system, a unique design that transcends traditional signatures, seals, and even iris verification.

Whether it's payments or contracts, only when the fingerprint of the ring finger is pressed will the contract have real legal effect after being cross-verified by Enze Capital, Swiss banks, and several secret notary offices.

Without this fingerprint, even if Sharif signs it, it's just a piece of waste paper, and he won't be able to withdraw a single penny from the bank.

This was the last lock he set up to ensure absolute control.

Once the fingerprints are pressed, the tripartite contract officially comes into effect.

Cheng Yi scanned the file onto his computer and then sent it to Sharif via email.

Almost the instant the email showed as successfully sent, Sharif's reply arrived, and it was very brief:
[Boss, the contract has been received and verified. Also, a middleman contacted me; Qualcomm founder Irving Jacobs wants to have a meeting with me. They want to collaborate with our alliance on their CDMA technology; however, he made it clear that he will only speak with us.]

"Only talking to us?" Cheng Yi was slightly surprised when he saw the email.

His next plan was to contact Qualcomm, but he didn't expect Qualcomm to come knocking on his door.

It seems that Qualcomm is indeed backed into a corner by the GSM Alliance and urgently needs a breakthrough.

In the previous life, LG touchscreen phones and Apple phones using CDMA technology would have already started to emerge at this time. However, in this era, because Enze Capital stubbornly refused to release touchscreen technology, touchscreen phones were nowhere to be seen.

This has also put Qualcomm under considerable pressure.

What he didn't expect was that Qualcomm only talked to Enze Capital. What kind of signal does this send?

Does this mean that Qualcomm has realized their alliance is unreliable?
If they can truly establish a deep partnership with Qualcomm, even if Apple turns against them as expected in the future, as long as they firmly grasp the Android + CDMA combination, they will still be able to control the overall situation.

He carefully considered Qualcomm's intentions and quickly replied with an email.

[Agreed to hold talks, but changed to a video conference; I want to talk to him in person!]

After replying to Sharif's email, Cheng Yi carefully locked the original contract with his ring finger's fingerprint into the encrypted safe behind him.

After finishing all that, he pressed the intercom button and said calmly, "Weiwei, come in for a moment."

A moment later, Li Weiwei strode into the office.

"Boss Cheng."

While organizing the documents, Cheng Yi said without looking up, "Give me a report on the situation these past few days."

"Yes!" Li Weiwei took out several documents and said, "According to recent public opinion monitoring data, netizens are in high spirits and generally regard Momo Group as a benchmark for national technology companies. They have a strong backlash against any overseas suppression against us. This public opinion base is extremely beneficial to our current development."

She paused for a moment, then continued her report: "Chairman Pang's 2345 team has completed the initial restructuring of the international version, and the legal team has also been stationed in target countries in Southeast Asia. In addition, our parent company has established the Dream Alliance, which has greatly enhanced the confidence of our overseas partners in our Momo Group."

“Indeed, it seems that President Lin Sipeng’s self-sacrifice this time has yielded great results.” Cheng Yi nodded and said, “We cannot let President Lin Sipeng down. You will do something for me.”

"Please go ahead, Mr. Cheng."

"You will take the lead in establishing the Momo Group Overseas Strategy Promotion Team. You will be the team leader and directly responsible to me. We will draw on the best personnel from within the group, covering marketing, legal, technology and public relations. I need to see the team structure and preliminary action plan within three days."

"I'll take the lead?" Li Weiwei wondered if she had misheard.

Everyone in the company is waiting, and it's her turn to do this?
"What? You lack confidence?" Cheng Yi looked up at Li Weiwei.

Li Weiwei quickly replied, "Yes."

“That’s fine,” Cheng Yi said. “You are very familiar with all the middle and senior managers in the group. It is most appropriate to entrust this matter to you for overall planning. President Huang and the others have too many things to do.”

"Yes." Li Weiwei's tone was full of excitement.

She has been following Cheng Yi for three years, and she has finally made it through.

(End of this chapter)