Chapter 297

After the press conference, Walter spent a full few minutes hyping up Microsoft before the event was considered over. However, before the press conference ended, many media reporters and representatives of computer brand companies had already left early, rushing back to report the situation at the press conference to their respective newspapers and companies.

Masatsugu Murakami left in a hurry midway, taking a private plane directly back to Japan to report to Toshiba.

"Mr. Li, are you confident that the USB Alliance's standards will be accepted by global computer manufacturers?"

"Will you or Bill Gates serve as the president of the USB Alliance?"

"Hong Kong and overseas media claim that the Li family will become the new richest family in the mainland. What is your take on this, Mr. Li?!"

As soon as the press conference ended, reporters from all walks of life swarmed up, surrounding Li Dongling and throwing all kinds of questions at him.

Questions about the Silver Mink and Shenzhou flash drives were asked, but what these reporters were most concerned about were the USB Alliance and Li Dongling's net worth.

Lu Shan still lacked experience and didn't manage to grab a good spot to ask Li Dongling questions, but today's big news was already enough for her to provide an article to the *Technology Digest*. Lu Shan felt that there was simply too much to write about this press conference!

Moreover, the *Technology Digest* is different from other media and doesn't need to rush the article so urgently. Lu Shan felt that she could write the article with more depth; just the topic of "Mainland Standards" alone could yield a lot of content!

After dealing with the reporters and coming out of the press conference, Li Dongling said to the Dongling High-Tech executives around him, such as Ren Yuefeng, Chen Tao, Zhang Ao, and Duan Youli, "The promotional advertisements for the Silver Mink optical mouse and the Shenzhou flash drive must be launched immediately, and production capacity must also be increased as soon as possible. We must stock up in both domestic and overseas markets as soon as possible!"

Ren Yuefeng and the others nodded in agreement. This press conference was just the beginning; the right path forward is to advertise domestically and sell the products. Without sales volume, everything else is just nonsense.

"If the USB Alliance's standards can be accepted by major computer manufacturers, then the Silver Mink mouse might have a chance to get orders from major computer brands!"

Ren Yuefeng said. Currently, the bulk of mouse sales still relies on major computer brands. Logitech also relies on OEM for computer brands or directly labels them with Dai Er or HP brands for bundled sales.

If the Silver Mink mouse can also get orders from other computer manufacturers, it would be equivalent to opening up the foreign market. Although the first-generation Silver Mink had gained fame, it was basically only sold domestically.

"Still the same words: Silver Mink must stabilize the domestic market before looking for opportunities to cooperate with foreign computer brands!" Li Dongling said.

The press conference had ended, but the ripples stirred up by this Dongling High-Tech press conference were just beginning to appear in the technology and media industries.

At the Lenovo headquarters in Beijing, Liu Jun, who had returned to Beijing, went straight to Boss Liu's office to report on the Dongling High-Tech press conference in Hanxi.

"The media hasn't started large-scale reporting yet, but it's estimated to be soon. I'm afraid even the central media will report on it!" Liu Jun glanced at his watch and said to Boss Liu.

Not to mention the USB Alliance, which sounds chilling and exciting to mainland technology practitioners, just talking about the Shenzhou flash drive—this is the first independently innovated and developed product in the entire computer industry since computers were invented thirty years ago. How significant is this?

Even for various departments, offices, and units such as the Ministry of Science and Technology, the State Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, the Ministry of Electronics Industry, and the Ministry of Machinery Industry, the Shenzhou flash drive is the most important invention and product of the domestic technology industry this year. It also represents the contributions made by these domestic technology industry leadership departments this year, which can be reported as political achievements. How could they not actively cheer for the Shenzhou flash drive?

Not to mention, now there is the USB Alliance. Once Dongling High-Tech really succeeds in teaming up with Microsoft, then Dongling High-Tech won't even need to boast itself; the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry, the Ministry of Electronics Industry, and various media outlets under them, such as the *Science and Technology Daily*, will all have to blow this first technical standard promoted by the mainland globally up to the sky!

"Is the Shenzhou flash drive really developed by Dongling High-Tech itself?"

Boss Liu asked with surprise and disbelief. As a member of the mainland's "domestic" computer brands, Lenovo knows the status quo of the domestic computer industry too well. It is called domestic, but the operating system is bought from Microsoft, the chip is Intel's, and most of the other parts are also purchased from companies like Xia Pu, Toshiba, IBM, AST, and Falanxi's Merlin Gerin.

If one were to say the only parts used in Lenovo computers that are domestic and self-produced, it would be the Lenovo Han-card and the mouse. The Han-card was developed by Ni Guangnan, and the mouse is Dongling High-Tech's Silver Mink...

Therefore, upon suddenly hearing about the flash drive, which is the only independently innovated and developed product in the global computer industry in thirty years in the mainland, Boss Liu's first reaction was some disbelief. Lenovo hadn't even managed to produce it, yet Dongling High-Tech actually did?

Although Boss Liu, who has always advocated "Trade-Industry-Technology" and was somewhat dismissive of independent research and development, thinking it was a waste of money, he couldn't help but be shocked when he heard about the Shenzhou flash drive. He knew too well that if all this were true, it would cause a huge shock to the entire domestic computer industry.

A flash drive is different from a mouse. Foreign countries had already developed mice long ago. Although the first-generation Silver Mink mechanical mouse had innovations, it couldn't be said to have changed the computer industry. But the emergence of the flash drive truly has the opportunity to change the habits of computer manufacturers and users!

Liu Jun first glanced at Boss Liu's expression before cautiously saying, "Although the Shenzhou flash drive also uses Toshiba's flash memory technology, the concept, technology, and patents of the flash drive were indeed developed by Dongling High-Tech itself. Patents have been applied for globally. The flash drive was first created by Dongling High-Tech, and no one can object to that!"

Hearing this, Boss Liu's face was uncertain, not knowing what he was thinking. Liu Jun bit the bullet and said, "Boss Liu, the problem now is whether Lenovo should issue a statement to express whether it will join the USB Alliance and express support for the Shenzhou flash drive?"

As soon as these words came out, Liu Jun clearly saw Boss Liu's face immediately grow long, making him afraid to speak again. The people beside him, such as Guo Wei and Yang Yuanqing, all confidants of Boss Liu, also dared not make a sound, waiting for Boss Liu to make a decision.

What made Boss Liu unhappy and uncomfortable was that if Lenovo joined the USB Alliance and expressed support for the Shenzhou flash drive, would Lenovo have to be lower than Dongling High-Tech in the future? This was something he could not accept. Playing the grandson in front of companies like IBM, HP, Dai Er, and Compaq was one thing, but why should he be a little brother to a domestic company?

"Regarding this matter, I think we should still be more cautious. Let's put it aside..."

Before Boss Liu finished speaking, Liu Jun's mobile phone suddenly rang. After glancing at Boss Liu and waiting for his nod, he answered the phone, and then his face changed abruptly.

After hanging up the phone, a touch of helplessness appeared on Liu Jun's face. "Boss Liu, the situation has changed!"

After saying that, Liu Jun got up and turned on the TV, tuning it to the central media news channel. He saw the host reporting the news in a steady tone, but if one listened carefully, one could still hear a hint of excitement in it.

"According to the latest news sent back by our station's overseas correspondent in America, today, the USB Global Alliance, jointly established by the mainland technology company Dongling High-Tech and companies such as Microsoft and Intel, was officially declared established!

Currently, eleven companies including Dongling High-Tech, Microsoft, Intel, Apple, IBM, Compaq, Xia Pu, and Xerox have successively announced their participation in the USB Alliance. The first president of the USB Alliance is Bill Gates, founder and president of Microsoft!"

The central media news showed a few seconds of footage of the USB Alliance being established in Seattle, America, with Zhou Hualiang, manager of Dongling High-Tech's American branch, representing Dongling High-Tech.

The news on TV continued, "The USB Alliance was advocated and proposed by Hanxi Dongling High-Tech, aiming to solve the current problem of chaotic interface standards in the global computer industry.

Currently, the world's most advanced storage device, the Shenzhou flash drive, is the first product launched according to the USB Alliance standard. This is also the latest product with independent design and invention in the computer industry in our country, representing our country's progress in the field of technology.

Dongling High-Tech announced that the Shenzhou flash drive will be sold globally and will complete its first launch in regions including the mainland, Hong Kong, America, Germany, and Falanxi!

The High-Tech Department under the National Ministry of Science and Technology issued an initiative, proposing that mainland technology companies actively join the USB Alliance to align with international standards, and advocated that our country's technology companies develop toward high-tech fields..."

Lenovo's group of people watched the news on the central media, all somewhat silent. Lenovo is in Beijing and is currently a state-owned enterprise; if they couldn't even understand what was on the news, they would have lived in vain.

It was precisely because they understood that Boss Liu and the other Lenovo executives were silent. When the Ministry of Science and Technology publicly stepped in, Boss Liu had just been thinking about suppressing and delaying Lenovo's joining of the USB Alliance, thinking there might be a turning point, and Lenovo wouldn't have to be lower than Dongling High-Tech.

But now, when the central media reported it and the High-Tech Department under the Ministry of Science and Technology directly stepped in to cheer for the USB Alliance, did Lenovo still have any room for choice?

"Issue a statement announcing Lenovo's joining of the USB Alliance. In addition, purchase 5,000 sets of Silver Mink optical mice and 1,000 Shenzhou flash drives from Dongling High-Tech to sell bundled with Lenovo computers!" Boss Liu said with some listlessness.

"Over 32 domestic computer manufacturers including Lenovo, Great Wall, Langchao, Seastar, Shida, Tongfang, Donghai, Hisense, Changhong, Konka, Haier, TCL, Guohe, Tsinghua Tongfang, Unigroup, Tongchuang, Bo'an, Muze, and Xinlan have announced their joining of the USB Alliance!"

As soon as the central media news came out, domestic computer manufacturers announced their joining of the USB Alliance one after another and used the interface standards set by USB on their latest computers.

The domestic computer industry is currently in an explosion period. Since the cancellation of import computer licenses, a large number of computer manufacturers have emerged. In addition to national computer brands, there are also brands supported by various local municipal governments because it makes money.

Anyway, the parts are all purchased from abroad; just assemble them and stick a label on them. Computers are not hard to sell right now. Every machine produced and sold can create jobs and increase tax revenue. Why not do it? This has also led to the emergence of dozens or hundreds of brands of all sizes in the country in recent years.

After the news about the Shenzhou flash drive and the USB Alliance was reported by the central media and various domestic media outlets, it immediately caused a huge stir. Even people who didn't know much about computers, after seeing the news, developed the impression that the Shenzhou flash drive was very powerful and that the USB Alliance was a global standard created by the mainland, and that foreign companies had to follow this standard!

When all kinds of overwhelming news came out, public opinion exploded directly. Coupled with the stance of the Ministry of Science and Technology, it directly caused various domestic computer brands to announce their joining of the USB Alliance one after another. Even some computer dealers and agents started using the slogan of joining the USB Alliance, as if not joining would make them outdated and unable to keep up with the trend of technology.

Similarly, the scene after the Silver Mink lawsuit won against Microsoft was staged again on this ancient land. The country is currently in an era that lacks self-confidence and is extremely in need of it. Any person or thing that can boost the morale of the domestic people will be quickly elevated to the status of a hero and pursued by the masses. And now, the Shenzhou flash drive and the Silver Mink mouse are just like that. People's support for such things is very simple and direct: buy, buy, buy!

After the press conference ended and after half a month of preparation, Dongling High-Tech began to take the lead in launching the Silver Mink mouse and the Shenzhou flash drive in the domestic market.

"Driven by order demand from major computer manufacturers and dealers, the domestic order volume for Silver Mink optical mice exceeded 210,000 units in three days, with pre-sales exceeding 25 million!"

"The domestic sales volume of the Shenzhou flash drive exceeded 70,000 units in three days, with pre-sales exceeding 33.6 million RMB!"

Hanxi media first reported the sales volume of the Shenzhou flash drive and the Silver Mink optical mouse. One must know that this is only domestic sales. How many computer users are there in the country now, and what is the level of per capita income in the country? Creating such sales volume in three days is basically equivalent to being bought out!

(End of this chapter)