Chapter 44

Microsoft was the pioneer of America’s computer era; Bill Gates created an age, and no one can deny his contributions to America and indeed the entire civilized world, even if there were minor flaws in the DOS that built Microsoft’s empire!

Yet countless people still firmly believe that Bill Gates’s contribution was giving cold, lifeless computers a brain and intelligence; after Microsoft went public, he became America’s richest man and an idol to countless young people, and the phrase “the next Bill Gates” has become the highest praise for talent and genius.

The New York Times opened with lavish praise for Bill Gates and Microsoft, but anyone who read the media reports knew that the harsher the opening flattery, the more brutal the subsequent criticism—this contrast was necessary; otherwise, outright condemnation from the start would lack credibility.

Indeed, after the opening praise, the article suddenly shifted tone: “But since going public, Microsoft and Bill Gates have undergone too many changes.

We have reason to believe that success breeds arrogance and complacency—it is human nature—but there is always a day of clarity, and yet these cannot justify committing evil!

Starting in 1983, Microsoft waged war against Lotus; it forced users to choose between Microsoft and Lotus, ultimately crushing its then-strongest rival through bundling sales.

After Lotus, IBM, Apple, Sun Microsystems, Oracle, and others clashed with Microsoft over operating systems and office software, yet none managed to seriously damage Microsoft.

After entering the hardware industry, Microsoft began competing with Logitech, German Cherry keyboards, and others.

Over these years, Microsoft has never truly lost a single battle or a single lawsuit—but has Microsoft never engaged in malicious competition or even violated federal laws?!”

The New York Times did not directly convict Microsoft; as a major newspaper, it must stand by its words, and a direct conviction would invite a lawsuit from Microsoft—but now it merely raises questions, which Microsoft cannot sue over or even respond to, for proving one’s innocence is the hardest thing of all: only those who wrong you truly know how deeply you’ve been wronged, and besides, Microsoft itself is not clean—it’s sitting on a pile of dirty yellow mud.

Though it did not directly convict, the New York Times used a string of questions to leave readers wondering: Microsoft has never lost a lawsuit, but does that prove it is a spotless white lotus, having committed not a single fault?

Once the seed of suspicion is planted, it will keep taking root and sprouting until it grows into a towering tree.

After the New York Times’s lead, multiple media outlets began exposing Microsoft’s dark secrets: for example, when Microsoft targeted Lotus and other competitors, it typically used three tactics—first, imitation; as soon as Lotus developed a product, Microsoft immediately copied it; second, poaching; stealing Lotus’s core engineers; and third, if still unable to win, bundling: forcing users to buy Microsoft software if they wanted Microsoft’s operating system!

With these tactics, Microsoft was virtually invincible, defeating one rival after another.

The New York Times started it, and one after another, media outlets exposed Microsoft’s scandals; news, hard to distinguish as true or false, kept emerging. At first, Microsoft paid no attention, but after Lotus’s CEO Mitchell gave a media interview, Microsoft sensed something was wrong.

“Regarding the plight of the company that developed the Mechanical Mink mouse, I feel sympathy—but I’m not surprised at all!”

Mitchell, facing the media, chuckled helplessly: “Back then, when we competed with Microsoft, Microsoft embedded commands into DOS to force users to choose between DOS and Lotus software—either Lotus wouldn’t run, or DOS wouldn’t boot!

We eventually fixed that problem, but the users were already gone!”

After Mitchell, more Microsoft victims came forward, but most of those speaking out now were software companies accusing Microsoft of plagiarizing their software and, leveraging their financial might, outright poaching entire project teams.

At this point, Microsoft’s PR director Grant also stepped forward to deny the rumors: “I must state that the current public opinion about Microsoft is merely malicious slander from competitors; federal courts have already ruled on these disputes—Microsoft is innocent!”

“Damn it, clean up your own mess—don’t make me wipe your ass for the hardware division! The public backlash is already affecting Microsoft’s stock price; when they come to talk to you, it won’t be me anymore—you’ll have to explain it yourself to the board!”

Grant stormed over to Spencer, furious: a stupid mouse, earning only a few million dollars a year, had caused such a huge mess—Microsoft’s stock price dropping 1% meant over four billion dollars vanishing into thin air.

If Microsoft’s hardware division caused the stock to fall, the board, Wall Street institutions, and every investor who bought Microsoft stock would all come knocking on Spencer’s door for answers.

Spencer felt embarrassed—he never imagined Li Dongling’s interview could spark such a storm. He also felt wronged: weren’t those Lotus and other rivals all provoked by the software division? Now the blame fell on hardware, and Spencer felt more wronged than Dou E—he hadn’t even tasted the meat, yet he’d taken the beating.

“The Manhattan Court in New York has just accepted Dongling High-Tech’s lawsuit—we need time to litigate this. Unless we immediately concede and settle out of court with Dongling High-Tech by paying damages, this case cannot end now!”

Spencer sighed helplessly: “You want Microsoft to surrender to a company from a technological wasteland?!”

Grant was left speechless—he couldn’t possibly make Microsoft surrender to Dongling High-Tech; where would Microsoft’s face be? With Bill Gates’s personality, he’d hold them accountable the moment he found out.

“Handle this yourself!”

Grant finally threw those words at Spencer and walked out. Microsoft was now stuck in an awkward position—both the lawsuit and the public opinion.

The lawsuit had just entered the federal court process; even the earliest possible trial date was a month away. To halt proceedings, Microsoft either had to concede or get Dongling High-Tech to withdraw the suit—but given Li Dongling’s attitude, how could he possibly withdraw or surrender? Even if Dongling High-Tech went bankrupt, it would still spite Microsoft.

As for public opinion: if Microsoft stayed silent, the media would paint it blacker and blacker; if it responded, it would be accused of overreacting—“If you’re innocent, why explain? Explanation means guilt…”

In an open-air garden restaurant at a New York hotel, Yao Luoying lay under a sun umbrella, holding a fashion magazine, but her mind wasn’t on it—her gaze kept flickering toward Li Dongling, who sat with Larson.

“Two million dollars have been fully spent—I even added over forty thousand dollars of my own!”

Larson devoured his steak without caring for appearances; for days he’d flown across America, spending money everywhere to pressure the media into making it seem like every outlet was attacking Microsoft.

“If you win, the money you’ve spent will earn you back dozens of times over!”

Li Dongling said to Larson, then asked the most critical question: “How are the follow-up media and the federal Department of Justice?”

Currently, the media was denouncing Microsoft, but in reality, it was merely warm-up—hardly a real threat.

According to Li Dongling and Larson’s strategy, this public opinion was just an appetizer—the real move, the key to diverting the fire and using others’ blades, was yet to come!

“The Chicago Daily News will publish the next report—now it depends on whether HP, Dell, Apple, Intel, and others take the bait!”

“If those companies take the bait, the federal state attorney I’ve contacted in California will give a single media interview expressing dissatisfaction with Microsoft—but only one.”

After finishing the last bite of steak, Larson downed his full glass of red wine: “Li, we’ve done everything we could.”

Li Dongling stood beside the glass window of the open-air garden, looking down at the city of New York—this war between ant and elephant, win or lose, would be decided within this week!

“How far is Microsoft from dominating the computer industry?!”

The Daily News, one of the top twenty newspapers in America by circulation, suddenly ran on its front page: “Mouse profits are low, but Microsoft’s hardline stance on mouse products reveals its determination in hardware!

Microsoft has nearly dominated the computer system and software industry—over 80% of computer systems are now under Microsoft’s control.

Microsoft has already launched mouse, keyboard, screen, and other computer peripherals; if its next step is to release its own chip, then Microsoft can launch its own branded computer!

Microsoft’s operating system, combined with its own branded computer, and continuing its ‘past’ sales method, would make Microsoft the most powerful empire in tech history—without exception!”

What did “past sales method” mean? Bundling, of course—the very thing Microsoft was best at.

The reporter meant no harm, but the reader took it seriously: the Daily News’s report revealed Microsoft’s massive advantage in the computer industry—it only lacked the core chip; once that was added, Microsoft would have all the essential hardware components. If it launched its own branded computer and bundled the system and office software, which computer brand, including Intel and other component manufacturers, could stand against Microsoft?!

Microsoft had always been on uneasy terms with computer hardware manufacturers; major computer brands had long feared Microsoft encroaching on their territory. This report made people wonder: was this deliberate sabotage, or was Microsoft testing the waters? If opposition remained weak, Microsoft might truly launch its own product.

The direct consequence was that the rumor of Microsoft launching its own branded computer was suddenly picked up and amplified by every media outlet—even television networks ran financial analyses. That day, stock prices across the entire computer sector—from computer brands to component manufacturers—all plummeted.