Chapter 43: Though There Be Millions, I Shall Go (Added for the Alliance Leader)

Larson stood in the backstage of the New York TV station, constantly looking at the Rolex watch on his wrist. Today's interview was also bought through his connections at the TV station; the public relations fees alone had cost over 100,000 USD.

New York's media influence was the largest in America. Countless explosive news stories were poked out by New York media. Larson chose the New York TV station because he wanted to manufacture public opinion here first.

The money had already been spent, but what kind of performance Li Dongling would have after going on stage, Larson didn't know. Larson couldn't help but feel a bit worried.

Seeing the TV station staff come to the backstage, Li Dongling took a deep breath and followed the staff to the recording room.

Brent sat in the studio, holding the script for the upcoming interview. He was the host for today's exclusive interview.

Brent was an old-school host and reporter who looked down on interviews and reports full of scripts. He wanted real reports, but precisely because of this, he seemed somewhat out of place in the current media industry. Celebrities were unwilling to accept Brent's interviews; after all, which celebrity was willing to let the public know their bad side? Wasn't this revealing shortcomings in public?!

However, precisely because of this, Brent's interviews had a bit more authenticity. Some viewers, instead, believed the "truth" reported by Brent.

Seeing Li Dongling enter the studio, Brent frowned. He didn't have any discrimination regarding ethnicity; it was just that Li Dongling's age truly looked young, and today's exclusive interview, which he had just looked at, was about the patent dispute between Dongling High-Tech and Microsoft.

America hadn't yet entered the era where tech heroes emerged in Silicon Valley, where one after another, twenty-something-year-olds, even college students, relied on the internet craze to become multi-millionaires or even billionaires. Young people becoming the protagonists of tech wealth myths hadn't reached that era yet.

Putting the questions Larson had negotiated with the TV station aside, Brent didn't intend to follow the script. He wanted to interview the truth and didn't want to be a pawn for some people.

Li Dongling also noticed Brent's actions, but there was no strange color on his face; he still sat opposite Brent in a leisurely manner.

But Larson, seeing Brent throw the negotiated questions aside, couldn't help but curse "shit." He wanted to go in but was stopped by the TV station staff on the grounds that the program had started recording.

"Sorry, I have no intention of offending the company you built or the country you came from. I'm just curious, is this Dongling High-Tech you built really from China?!"

"I haven't collected data on the Asian tech industry, but as far as I know, the number of computer users there doesn't seem to be many!"

Right from the start, Brent asked aggressive questions, questioning the authenticity of Dongling High-Tech. After all, the number of computer users in the country at this moment didn't add up to much.

"Currently, the number of computer users in China is indeed less than 100,000. The selling price of a computer is over 2,500 USD. Most families don't have the ability to buy computers as necessary household products!"

Li Dongling said truthfully. "But this doesn't mean that no tech companies related to computers have appeared. On the contrary, a large group of computer companies are wanting to develop computers with better performance, just like everything American companies have done. Tech companies all over the world are the same!"

"One cannot stop exploring just because one's hope is small!"

Hearing Li Dongling's words, although Brent still held a skeptical attitude toward whether the country could develop a computer industry, he couldn't deny the existence of Dongling High-Tech. After all, the computer giants in America now also walked from weakness to strength. Denying Dongling High-Tech was denying the existence of a host of companies like HP, Apple, and Dell.

"Li, is it? Today's interview is because we saw Dongling High-Tech's lawsuit against Microsoft. May I ask, did Microsoft really infringe on Dongling High-Tech's patents?" Brent asked.

Li Dongling took out several documents. "This is the eight patents related to appearance, design, and technology for the 'Display System X-Y Coordinate Position Indicator US53421541' submitted by Dongling High-Tech in America, all of which are now held by Dongling High-Tech!"

"This is the new product released by Microsoft at the Las Vegas Computer Expo, and this is the mechanical Silver Mink mouse launched by Dongling High-Tech. Everyone can compare for themselves..."

Seeing Li Dongling take out the mouse patent and the comparison between the mechanical Silver Mink and the Microsoft mouse, it couldn't be said they were exactly the same; it could only be said they were biological. Even the paint color was replicated one-to-one.

Brent looked at it and felt Microsoft's work was a bit rough. At the very least, change the mouse color! Even if he wanted to question it on Microsoft's behalf, he didn't know how to open his mouth.

Coughing, today's interview time was only half an hour. Brent couldn't drag it out and asked the last question of today.

"Li, what do you think is the winning rate of this lawsuit against Microsoft? Of course, we all hope that justice can descend on the human world, but sometimes things don't go as people wish. If Dongling High-Tech fails the lawsuit, do you think everything you've done has any meaning?!"

Hearing this, Li Dongling's expression changed suddenly. Brent, sitting opposite, felt that Li Dongling was like a sword that had been unsheathed, making people feel sharp and exposed.

"Not everything must pursue victory or so-called meaning. Some things must be done by someone!"

"With Aristotle, the sage of China in the same era, Mencius, said this sentence: 'Though there be millions, I shall go.' Microsoft is indeed a behemoth, but a person, whether facing a behemoth or an enemy of thousands, when he stands there, dares to draw his sword and show his blade to the enemy, he has already won!"

Hearing Li Dongling's words, Brent felt a sense of awe. In America and the Western world, they all worshiped heroes, especially lone heroes. Even if they failed in the end, it was enough to make people admire them.

At this time, if the background music could give Li Dongling the BGM of the Battle of the Bastards in "Game of Thrones," it would probably stimulate the hearts of Americans even more when playing today's interview.

However, Li Dongling hadn't stopped yet. "Bill Gates is the tech hero I admire most. In China, he is regarded as a tech industry hero by countless young people like me. He is that light in the tech industry..."

First, he flattered Bill Gates, then Li Dongling suddenly changed the subject. "But this time, I stood on the opposite side of Bill Gates. The current Microsoft has lost its original intention. It has become a 3A company—ambitious, aggressive, and arrogant!"

The English words for these three all started with A. Li Dongling calling Microsoft a 3A company had no problems at all.

"I know that the probability of failing this lawsuit against Microsoft is much greater than the probability of success, but I need to stand up and do this!

For those who have had the same encounter, for those young people who are starting businesses, for those who are pursuing the American dream, to not let them have the same encounter as me, I must stand up and initiate this lawsuit.

I know this lawsuit might be like a person overestimating their ability to challenge an evil dragon. He might not even be able to cut off a scale of the evil dragon, but I believe there will be a second, a third... warrior to challenge the evil dragon. One day, the evil dragon will be killed!"

"One can choose not to help those young people who want to slay the dragon, but please don't mock someone who blocks the wind and snow for a dream, for those who come later, letting those who come later climb to the peak..."

Li Dongling's last words were a substitution of concepts, directly representing countless young people in America with Dongling High-Tech, threatening that Microsoft was an evil dragon, a malignant tumor. If it didn't die, there would be no day for young people in America to get ahead. Those young people in Silicon Valley, whatever products they developed in the future, would be plagiarized by Microsoft. Microsoft was strangling the American dream of young people. If it wasn't killed, it simply wouldn't be enough to appease public anger!

By the time Li Dongling finished speaking, the interview had already exceeded the time, but Brent and the TV station didn't mind at all.

Brent took the lead in applauding. In the studio, a burst of applause also sounded. At this moment, in Brent's eyes, Li Dongling was already a lonely dragon-slaying warrior. Although he knew he was bound to fail, even if it was just to warn the world, he still rushed toward the dragon's lair without hesitation.

"Li, rest assured, today's interview will be shown entirely on TV. I guarantee it to you, but... good luck!"

Brent patted Li Dongling on the shoulder, but there was helplessness in his eyes. He didn't believe that such an interview could really topple the Microsoft empire. For Li Dongling, he could only feel more sympathy.

Returning to the backstage, Larson excitedly bumped fists with Li Dongling. "Damn it, Li, I wanted to say just now, even if you went to Hollywood, you would definitely be able to make it. I even believed your words just now!"

"Next, it's up to me, dragon-slaying warrior!"

After the interview was completed, Larson left in a hurry. The things Li Dongling needed to do were instead not many.

The next day, after the New York TV station broadcast Brent's interview with Li Dongling, it stirred up some waves in New York. In the past, it wasn't that there hadn't been black materials about Microsoft and Bill Gates exposed, but that was mostly competition between companies, and ordinary people didn't care too much.

But now, the appearance of a tragic hero stirred the nerves of New Yorkers. A young man who traveled across thousands of mountains and rivers, trudging with difficulty, just to fight a lawsuit bound to lose, even if it was just to let people see some of Microsoft's true face—such a tragic hero transcended gender, ethnicity, and national boundaries, naturally causing people's empathy.

Especially the young people in New York, they were even more resonated. They substituted themselves into Li Dongling's identity, only feeling despair, and there was a chorus of curses against Microsoft!

The New York TV station's interview was just a lead-in. Although it caused some twists and turns in New York, it hadn't yet detonated the American media, until the *New York Times* began to report an article.

"Plagued by scandals, what's wrong with Microsoft?!" ===== CHAPTER 44 =====