Chapter 39: The First Alliance

Even Yao Luoying, who had been the first to propose filing the lawsuit, was dumbfounded at this moment. She had indeed said they should sue, but she hadn't meant suing Microsoft!

Hu Zi could not help but swallow hard, confirming with Li Dongling, "We're suing Microsoft?!"

What kind of existence was Microsoft? With a market value exceeding 40 billion USD—converted into domestic currency, that was 320 billion. What kind of concept was that? It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they were wealthy enough to rival a nation!

For Dongling High-Tech to want to sue Microsoft—let alone outsiders, Yao Luoying, Hu Zi, and Gao Peng all felt it was absurd. It felt no different from a mayfly shaking a tree or an ant trying to topple an elephant. Aside from adding a bit of comic relief to the situation, they couldn't think of any other purpose.

Seeing that Li Dongling truly didn't seem to be joking, Hu Zi said, "Even if we sue Microsoft domestically, there might not be a court willing to take our case!"

"Besides, fighting a lawsuit against Microsoft will cost too much money. Even with the patents, we aren't guaranteed to win!"

Hu Zi said to Li Dongling that fighting a lawsuit was burning money, especially against a giant corporation. Even if they burned through all the money in Dongling High-Tech's account, it might not do anything to Microsoft.

As for patents, they were indeed useful, but it depended on how they were used. If two giants of similar strength were fighting, a single axe could decide the outcome, and the giant with the axe could gain the advantage and win. But if it were an ordinary person, that might not be the case.

Patents were the same. Even if they could truly prove that Microsoft had "borrowed" from Dongling High-Tech, so what? They might not win the lawsuit and could even get trapped in an endless, dayless delay. Dongling High-Tech didn't have that much time to waste.

Listening to Hu Zi and the others, Li Dongling paused for a moment before saying, "Dongling High-Tech isn't just going to sue Microsoft domestically; we are going to initiate lawsuits against Microsoft in Europe, America, and other places as well!"

Hu Zi felt even more desperate. If they couldn't win on their own home turf, going to Microsoft's territory to win a lawsuit would be even more of a pipe dream.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend!"

"Dongling High-Tech may not be without a chance of winning. If we don't sue, Dongling High-Tech will be stained with filth for the rest of its life and will never be able to hold its head up again!"

Li Dongling said. Of course, he knew clearly that Dongling High-Tech alone had no chance of winning, but Microsoft wasn't yet the "Great Demon King" of later generations; it hadn't reached the point where it could invert black and white or call a deer a horse.

Li Dongling felt it was time to form the first anti-Microsoft alliance and turn up the pressure on them. Even if they ultimately lost, they must not let Microsoft be comfortable. As long as the first anti-Microsoft alliance appeared, there would be a second and a third. Even if they couldn't kill Microsoft, they would make its reputation stink completely, turning it into a street rat that everyone shouted to beat. Even Bill Gates would have to have cakes thrown in his face while walking down the street; the world's richest man would have to live in misery, becoming the number one villain...

"Formally announce to the outside world tomorrow that Dongling High-Tech will initiate a lawsuit against Microsoft!"

"Gao Peng, you contact the lawyers and file a lawsuit against the *New Tech Express* domestically!"

Li Dongling knew that the Gao family's second son was a lawyer. Using their own lawyer would be more reassuring; at the very least, he wouldn't have to worry about any tricks appearing.

"Manager Hu, reduce the output of the production line in Yangcheng, but do not stop production!"

"The technical department must continue developing digital cordless phones; research and development cannot stop!"

After Li Dongling finished giving instructions to everyone in the office, he left Hu Zi and Li Dongling to guard the home base.

"I am going overseas to initiate the lawsuit against Microsoft!" Li Dongling said finally. This overseas trip was one he had to take, and it could only be him.

Yao Luoying was a step slow. After the others left, she turned back and said to Li Dongling, "Chairman Li, I'll go with you!"

Looking at Yao Luoying's face, Li Dongling hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement. If Yao Luoying went, she could indeed help him handle some matters, so he wouldn't have to worry about everything himself.

"What? Going abroad?!"

"You're a young girl, going abroad with a grown man—what kind of look is that!"

At the dinner table, upon hearing that Yao Luoying was going abroad with Li Dongling for a lawsuit, Han Liuping immediately exploded.

"Mom, what are you thinking? We're going to handle official business!" Yao Luoying muttered to Han Liuping.

Compared to Han Liuping, Yao Zhengru's reaction was much calmer. He put down his chopsticks and asked Yao Luoying, "Did Dongling High-Tech really not plagiarize Microsoft's product?!"

"No!"

Yao Luoying said firmly, "I don't know how the two sides collided, but I watched the R&D of the Silver Mink mouse from beginning to end. I was also the one who entrusted the Hong Kong patent agency to apply for the patent; there's no way there could be a mistake!"

Yao Zhengru fell into deep thought. Currently, the media in the tech industry was full of aggressive public opinion against Dongling High-Tech; it seemed Dongling High-Tech had become a hot potato. But what if Dongling High-Tech really won the lawsuit?!

Although he felt the hope was slim and Yao Zhengru also felt it was impossible, what if they really won? By then, Pingyang City might see a tech giant like Sitong, Giant, or Wan Yan emerge. And he, Yao Zhengru, was in charge of Pingyang's industry and commerce. Yao Zhengru knew well that adding flowers to a brocade was easy, but sending charcoal in snow was difficult—the latter was far more useful than the former!

"Going abroad to see the world can also broaden one's horizons and increase experience!"

As soon as Yao Zhengru said this, Han Liuping almost dropped her chopsticks again. Yao Zhengru added, "I'll find someone to go out with Yingying; you can be at ease now, right!"

"The two of you, father and daughter, are the only ones with reason; I'm just the bad guy, is that it!"

Han Liuping glared at Yao Zhengru with dissatisfaction, but after returning to the room, she still packed a full suitcase of clothes and supplies for Yao Luoying.

The next day, Dongling High-Tech used the name of the Silver Mink mouse to issue a notice through the *Pingyang Daily*, announcing the formal initiation of a lawsuit against Microsoft!

Once this news broke, it was immediately scrambled to be reprinted by domestic tech media. This could be said to be the biggest piece of gossip in the domestic tech industry for the start of the year. A company that no one had even heard of dared to threaten to initiate a lawsuit against the largest company in the global tech industry.

Including *Computer News*, all reported this news. However, *Computer News* was relatively objective and didn't say who was right or wrong, only that there was a dispute between Dongling High-Tech and Microsoft. Other media didn't care as much and heaped all sorts of ridicule and sarcasm on Dongling High-Tech.

At a golf course in Yanjing, a group of executives from the Sitong Group were present, including Duan Yongji, the third and current head of Sitong, as well as Chu Zhong, who oversaw Sitong's finance and real estate, Li Yu-zhuo, the vice president of Sitong, and Li Wenjun, the vice chairman, among others.

Last year, Sitong completed its listing in Hong Kong, becoming the leader among domestic private companies with annual revenue approaching three billion, far surpassing a host of later companies; whether it was Giant or Nande, none could hold a candle to it.

There is also a large group of talents who came out of Sitong, including Qiu Bojun, as well as Wang Zhidong and others who had only joined Sitong a few years ago and had not yet founded Sina; all of them had undergone advanced training at Sitong.

Now, Sitong has also invested in a large number of companies including real estate, securities, and medical care, establishing offices in major cities across the country; even the few people on the golf course are not quite clear about how large Sitong's scale actually is, and as for whether those businesses are profitable, they are even less clear, but this still does not affect Sitong's ability to make money from its typewriter business, with revenue continuously hitting new historical highs.

"Bang!"

Li Wenjun swung a golf club and said to Duan Yongji with a smile, "Have you read today's newspaper? A small company in Hanxi has actually announced that it is going to sue Microsoft!"

Upon hearing this, a burst of laughter broke out among the few people on the golf course; clearly, they regarded this matter as a strange curiosity. Even Sitong would not dare to provoke Microsoft, yet a company they had never even heard of dared to defy the world and sue Microsoft. They only felt that Dongling High-Tech was grandstanding.

Li Yu-zhuo, however, did not laugh; instead, he said, "What if Dongling High-Tech was really wronged?!"

"Old Li, I know your heart is with young people who do technology. We are the same as you; who wouldn't hope for more young people who truly do technology? Didn't we come up the same way back then?

But this matter is truly..."

As he spoke, Duan Yongji couldn't help but smile, feeling that it was truly absurd. "How about this: if this so-called Dongling High-Tech really goes to sue Microsoft, regardless of whether they win or lose, when he returns, we will meet him once. If we can truly help, we will give him a hand!"

For the current Sitong, Dongling High-Tech is truly insignificant. Duan Yongji saying he would meet Li Dongling was just a joke, playing the role of an entertainer; he wanted to see what kind of madman would dare to go head-to-head with Microsoft.

While the domestic technology industry was still in an uproar, Li Dongling and Yao Luoying, along with Yang Zhi Gao and another woman in her thirties who claimed to be a relative of Yao Luoying, boarded a plane together.

However, this flight was not headed to America, but to Switzerland, the home base of Logitech!