Chapter 45: Werewolf Kill

Were the means used by Li Dongling and Larson brilliant? In reality, they couldn't be considered brilliant at all. They just stirred up public opinion, upgraded step by step, first citing the miserable state of companies in the software industry facing Microsoft.

Then they turned the muzzle, provoking the contradiction between the computer hardware industry and Microsoft, completing the plan of borrowing a knife to kill!

If the relationship between Microsoft and a host of hardware manufacturers was good, then this move wouldn't have been useful at all. The two sides would have jointly issued a statement, and the storm would have passed. But was the relationship between Microsoft and computer manufacturers like HP, Compaq, Dai Er, and Apple really good?!

Computer manufacturers had always guarded against Microsoft more than against Sichuan. Microsoft had a little movement in the hardware industry, which made computer manufacturers nervous, not to mention the foreshadowing of the software industry's miserable state these past few days. This made people unable to help but suspect whether there would be any way for other computer brands if Microsoft launched its own brand of computers.

Everyone understood the principle of lips and teeth being cold. It was just that before, the knife hadn't fallen on the hardware company, and everyone pretended not to see Microsoft's ambitious ambition. But with this report from the *Daily News*, the computer hardware industry had to make a response because the stock price couldn't hold up!

"There are media reports that Microsoft intends to launch its own brand of hardware computers, from system software to parts, all developed and manufactured by Microsoft itself. Affected by the news, IBM's market value fell by over 4% today, with a market value loss of over 2.4 billion USD!"

"In addition, the stock prices of companies like HP, Compaq, Apple, Dai Er, and major computer suppliers Intel, AMD, etc., all saw significant declines!"

Looking at the news on TV, Larson waved his fists excitedly and shouted at Li Dongling, "Li, see that? This fire was ignited by us. We did it!"

Looking at the news they had concocted together, letting a host of giant companies be dragged in, this feeling was even more exciting to Larson than taking a small New York star home.

Yao Luoying also looked at the TV station in surprise. Although the 2.4 billion USD evaporated was just a number and not real dollars, it still sounded truly scary. Converted into domestic currency, it was nearly 20 billion. It was equivalent to making the market value of a host of famous listed companies like Changhong, Lujiazui, Magang, Huayi Group, etc., disappear in a single day!

But all of this truly happened before her eyes, all concocted by Li Dongling and Larson. If one added the market value evaporated by companies like HP, Dai Er, Apple, Compaq, etc., it would probably be even scarier. A single domino could make an empire collapse!

Li Dongling also looked at the news on TV, and the words spoken by the HP CEO, Platt, when accepting the media afterward, made Li Dongling unable to help but clench his fists.

"Yes, I saw the news in the media today. HP has always cooperated very happily with Microsoft. I hope this kind of cooperation can be maintained!"

If necessary, Platt didn't want to bombard Microsoft in front of the media. The major computer brands weren't a single piece of iron either; they were the ones tearing each other apart the most fiercely. All along, IBM was the biggest rival of computer companies like HP, Dai Er, and Compaq.

For this reason, companies like HP, facing Microsoft's small movements in the hardware industry, all turned a blind eye. They still needed Microsoft to add trouble to IBM, so they didn't restrict Microsoft too much.

But now it wouldn't work. HP's stock price also plummeted today. Many Huaerjie institutions, in order to avoid risks, began to sell off the stocks of companies like HP, and HP's board of directors was also a bit anxious.

This was already related to HP's lifeblood. Microsoft already had the possibility of becoming HP's rival, and Platt could only start bombarding Microsoft to show his attitude.

"But if necessary, HP will absolutely not sit still and wait for death. HP will not be easily defeated. We also have alternative computer systems, software, and other suppliers!"

With this last sentence, Platt had already revealed his fangs. If Microsoft was still not sensible and dared to be aggressive, then HP would kick Microsoft away and choose other system software as the factory system settings for HP computers.

On this day, major computer manufacturers, who could usually fight each other like dogs, all performed quite tacitly. After HP expressed its attitude, Dai Er, Apple, Compaq, IBM, Intel, AMD, and a host of large and small computer parts manufacturers all followed the big brothers to express their attitude: they would die rather than cooperate with Microsoft!

"After HP, computer manufacturers like Dai Er and Compaq successively issued statements, announcing that they would be cautious or reconsider their cooperative relationship with Microsoft. Some computer company supervisors even directly expressed that if Microsoft launched its own brand of computers, they would immediately cut off all cooperation with Microsoft!"

The *Washington Post* publicly reported the war between the computer hardware industry and Microsoft that could collide like Mars hitting the Earth at any time in the newspaper the next day.

The tough attitude of computer giants like HP, Dai Er, and Compaq was very clear: if Microsoft dared to cross the line, they would completely break with Microsoft. Even if it ultimately benefited IBM and they used the IBM system, they would absolutely never use the Microsoft system again!

The tough attitude of major computer manufacturers and the media's fanning of the flames brought the direct consequence that Microsoft's stock price plummeted from 17 USD to 15.7 USD as soon as it opened. Clearly, Huaerjie and a host of people who bought Microsoft stock were voting with their feet.

Whether Microsoft launching its own brand of computers could succeed, no one knew. Huaerjie didn't dare to bet. But the effect of companies like HP breaking cooperation with Microsoft was immediate. In the next quarter, or even without waiting for the next quarter, next month, Microsoft's performance would have to collapse. Building a city might take decades, but making it disappear only required one mushroom bomb.

"Intel will never betray its allies. Computer companies like HP, Dai Er, and even Sony overseas will all be Intel's allies!"

Grove, the current emperor of Intel who had the final say in Intel and whom no one could oppose, was also forced to express his attitude the next day.

The butt decided the head. The alliance between Microsoft and Intel achieved each other, but today, Grove could only choose the big gold master who bought his chips.

"Bill, why couldn't such a big thing be notified to me in advance? This makes me very passive, do you understand?!"

Others were afraid of Bill Gates, the Microsoft emperor, but he, Grove, was also the Intel emperor. Grove angrily went to Bill Gates to settle accounts.

The 39-year-old Bill Gates this year, although humble and easygoing in the eyes of outsiders, was a leader in the tech industry. He was born in the same year as Jobs, who was rumored to have a grumpy and competitive personality, and seemed to have a completely different personality.

But inside Microsoft, those who truly worked under Bill Gates were actually very fearful of this Microsoft emperor. When working at Microsoft, Bill Gates was no better than Jobs, equally harsh, ruthless, and even arrogant. No one dared to contradict this emperor of the empire!

"Grove, if I told you that I also just knew about this matter, would you believe it?!"

Across the phone, Grove could feel the suppressed anger of Bill Gates.

His eyes moved slightly. The old hand Grove soon smelled the taste of a conspiracy. "It seems, Bill, you have trouble to deal with. It's just that I need to remind you, if you want to maintain the alliance between Microsoft and Intel, you must handle the relationship with computer manufacturers like HP!"

"Respected gentlemen, what is going on with all this? Who is targeting Microsoft? Who can give me an answer!"

After hanging up Grove's phone, Bill Gates finally couldn't suppress his anger and roared at a host of Microsoft executives in the conference room.

Microsoft was targeted, deliberately provoking the dispute with computer manufacturers like HP. This point, everyone at Microsoft had already seen. But who the rival was, they couldn't see. It was truly because Microsoft had too many rivals. IBM, Lotus, and those companies were possible, and it could even be HP and those companies acting and directing themselves, just to give Microsoft a warning.

Spencer, who was also in the conference room, had an absurd thought in his heart: was this matter stirred up by that Dongling High-Tech? Immediately, he felt it was impossible. This public opinion war targeting Microsoft was fought too tacitly, completely letting these tech companies in America stage a werewolf kill. It just lit a fire and borrowed the suspicion between Microsoft and companies like HP to let them hack each other.

A host of executives in the office didn't speak, making Bill Gates even more annoyed. At this time, the phone of the public relations department supervisor, Grant, rang.

Under Bill Gates's icy gaze, Grant bit the bullet, picked up the phone, and then his expression changed. He walked toward Bill Gates and whispered a few words.

"I noticed the public opinion about Microsoft. I think the appetite of this behemoth has completely become a bottomless pit. Once Microsoft launches its own computer brand, it will truly monopolize the entire tech industry!"

"It is time to split it up. I think Microsoft should be split into three major businesses: computer systems, office software, and hardware business. Before the evil dragon causes disaster in the human world, destroying it is the best choice."

"I will propose to the California Federal Department of Justice to initiate an antitrust investigation against Microsoft..."

Looking at the supervisor of the California Federal Department of Justice, Green, on the TV station, saying these words when accepting a media interview, Bill Gates's expression was iron-blue.

"Gentlemen, please end this farce. No matter what method, I don't want any state to appear with an antitrust investigation against Microsoft!"

Bill Gates said to a host of people like Grant and the legal department supervisor, Jon, with a smile on his face, but his eyes were full of dissatisfaction. Clearly, if Grant and the others didn't handle the matter well, Bill Gates would let them roll out of Microsoft. ===== CHAPTER 46 =====

Bill Gates said to Grant, legal department supervisor Jon, and a group of others, still with a smile on his face, but his eyes were full of dissatisfaction. It was clear that if Grant and the others didn't handle the matter well, Bill Gates would make them get out of Microsoft.