Chapter 473

Duan Yongji's intervention finally made Boss Liu's expression look slightly better.

However, judging from the reactions of the members of the Taishan Industry Research Association, Boss Liu also understood that after this war of words, with his true colors revealed, even the people in the Taishan Industry Research Association had developed doubts about him.

After all, regardless of whether the Taishan Industry Research Association had grand ambitions or not, its original purpose was for companies like Legend, Sitong, Yuanda, Giant, Kehai, and Fanhai to huddle together for warmth, share intelligence and opportunities, make money together when there were opportunities, and help each other when trouble arose—it was quite like a sworn brotherhood.

But this didn't mean that the members of the Taishan Industry Research Association were truly shameless and wanted to be figures like Qin Hui in the open.

Just think about it: who among those sitting here today wasn't a person of status and reputation? Who wasn't respected when they went out? Who would want to be cursed at by people to the third generation of their ancestors?

Referencing the past life, after the rumors about Boss Liu were exposed, which company was willing to cooperate with Legend? Which founder was still willing to be close to Boss Liu? This shows that most people still cared about their reputation and didn't want to be cursed at daily, with their ancestors up to the eighteenth generation being greeted by others...

Looking left and right at the members of the Taishan Industry Association, Boss Liu had a plan in mind. After sitting down, he didn't mention his own affairs first, but instead asked Shi Laoban of Giant with a gentle expression, "Shi Laoban, how is the preparation for your new project going?"

Giant had already gone bankrupt, and this was the darkest moment in Shi Laoban's life, with nearly 300 million in debt. But Shi Laoban hadn't run away; instead, he had taken on all the debts.

Heaven helps those who help themselves. If you give up on yourself, even Heaven can't help you.

Shi Laoban in the previous years was a youth idol, a mentor followed by countless young people, not the figure mentioned in later generations whose first association was selling health supplements and gaming to make money.

Although Giant had fallen, Shi Laoban still had a group of loyal followers around him. These people were willing to follow Shi Laoban even without pay, or even by paying out of their own pockets.

This was the charm of being an entrepreneurial idol in the hearts of a generation of young people. Shi Laoban's influence among young people back then was second only to Bill Gates. Even a figure like Boss Mou, who drew big pictures, had a group of die-hard followers, let alone Shi Laoban.

The grassroots figures who could make it in this era all had their own unique style. Boss Mou, Shi Laoban, Jinshan's Qiu Bojun, and others were all such figures—well, this also included Boss Liu before he was exposed by Dongling Gao Ke...

Guo Wei, Yang Yuanqing, Liu Jun, and others were all followers of Boss Liu. Regardless of their reputation, their abilities were absolute. They were the kind of people who could carve out a world for themselves, including the fact that there were countless people in society who admired Boss Liu, believing that he had saved domestic computers.

But after being exposed by Dongling Gao Ke, the outside world learned the true path of Legend's rise and knew what kind of goods the so-called domestic brand computers actually were—they were almost just agents for foreign tech companies in the country.

Even if Boss Liu's persona hadn't completely collapsed, many people's perspectives on Legend and Boss Liu had changed. After all, if a company that was purely an agent for foreign products and a "United Nations" brand computer assembly plant could have the face to call itself the "Light of Domestic Production," then the term "domestic production" was a bit too cheap!

"The new product is currently in R&D. If it can be approved by the end of the year, we will officially start promotion and sales!"

Shi Laoban said. The new project he referred to was naturally the pinnacle of the health supplement industry, and almost the swan song of the industry—that thing about "not accepting gifts during the holidays, only accepting..."

"No matter what, the Taishan Industry Research Association will help you, Shi Laoban. We will never abandon any member!"

Boss Liu said righteously. This sounded like he was supporting Shi Laoban, but in reality, he was also pointing at the founders of companies like Sitong, Yuanda, Kehai, and Fanhai.

This time, it was he, surnamed Liu, who had encountered a difficulty. If they didn't help, then in the future, if they encountered difficulties, would other members of the Taishan Industry Research Association still help them?!

Joining the Taishan Industry Research Association meant being grasshoppers on the same rope. If they didn't save Giant and Legend, who would save them in the future?

How could Shi Laoban not hear that the one surnamed Liu was using him to point at the crowd? But he had to take it, because the Taishan Industry Research Association was truly helping him, especially Sitong.

Without the support of the Taishan Industry Research Association and the guarantee of the Sitong Group, how could those creditors let him live in peace with just his empty words? Where would the money for R&D and promotion of Brain Gold come from?

Taking people's hands makes you short, and eating people's food makes you soft. Shi Laoban had truly been helped by the Taishan Industry Research Association, and he had to accept this favor!

"That is only natural!"

Lu Laoban of Haikong spoke up, "It's just that now, to what extent has Legend reached, and how do we need to help? We are not very proficient in matters of the tech industry!"

With Lu Laoban's statement, the other bosses of Yuanda and Kehai also expressed their support, saying they would fully support Boss Liu.

"The world is blinded by what is before their eyes. They don't know how much hair I've lost and how much heart's blood I've poured into Legend Computer, how many times I've been hospitalized. That gang of media only knows how to follow along and frame the loyal!"

Boss Liu said indignantly, "They are cursing me now, but if it weren't for my painstaking efforts, domestic brand computers would have disappeared long ago. Where would there be anything today!"

"The most important thing now is that Legend in Hong Kong is banned from sale overseas, and the stock price has fallen too severely!

Here in the mainland, the release of new products has been affected and delayed. Although sales haven't been calculated yet, the Microcomputer Department expects that the computer sales for the new quarter might be affected."

Boss Liu said with an ugly expression. He had no influence overseas, and he didn't count on it at all; he was afraid that he would lose the lawsuit anyway.

In the mainland, he didn't know what the impact was yet, but it was foreseeable that Legend Computer's sales would be hindered. This storm was simply too big.

Duan Yongji and the others felt their hearts sink upon hearing this. Even if Legend didn't fall this time, it was a certainty that it would lose a layer of skin and its strength would be greatly damaged. Most importantly, it was hard to say how much of the company's brand and Boss Liu's reputation would remain after this wave passed.

"The most important thing now is to resolve the patent lawsuit with Shenzhou Storage. Shenzhou Storage can afford to drag it out, but you can't afford to, Old Liu!"

As one of the big brothers of the Taishan Industry Research Association, when Boss Liu encountered a difficulty, the Taishan Industry Research Association could only be presided over by him.

Duan Yongji pointed out the crux of the matter: the root of everything for Legend lay in this lawsuit. No matter what, the lawsuit had to be resolved before other troubles could be addressed.

"I am not willing to fight among ourselves, but the other side may not be willing to let us off!" Boss Liu said coldly.

"Why not ask the Industry and Commerce Bureau, the Science and Education Committee, the Electronics Ministry, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences to come forward and coordinate? We in the Taishan Industry Research Association can also mobilize our connections to make the other side withdraw the lawsuit!"

The boss of Kehai also spoke up at this time. This was an attempt to use influence to pressure others, asking these departments to come forward and suppress Shenzhou Storage.

"What if the other side doesn't withdraw the lawsuit?"

Boss Liu thought for a moment. He had also thought of this path; it was a double-edged sword. If it succeeded, everything would be easy to say, but if it failed, it would completely tear away the last bit of room for maneuver.

Besides, to use influence to pressure others, one must be able to suppress the other side. With Legend's influence, plus the connections of the Taishan Industry Research Association, if it were any other company in the country, it would probably be forced to withdraw the lawsuit.

But it was specifically Shenzhou Storage, and he really wasn't sure!

Shenzhou Storage was easy to suppress, but could its parent company, Dongling Gao Ke, be suppressed? Even Boss Liu didn't have that confidence.

Comparing connections and influence, even if he was unwilling to admit it, he knew that Dongling Gao Ke was almost a unique existence in the country. Just the ability to earn foreign exchange was enough for the Foreign Exchange Department and all domestic companies that needed foreign exchange to naturally support Dongling Gao Ke.

At a critical moment, who knows how many units, departments, and companies would clamor to support Dongling Gao Ke? Without Dongling Gao Ke, who would earn foreign exchange for them to buy foreign experimental equipment, production equipment, technology, patents, and so on?

And there were the jobs provided by Dongling Gao Ke. With the jobs and tax revenue provided by Dongling Gao Ke, Feiyan Technology, Torch Group, and the series of companies in Dongling Gao Ke's industrial chain, the Economic and Trade Commission, Hanxi, Guangdong, Shanghai, and other places would probably protect Dongling Gao Ke at all costs!

"Old Liu, if asking the Industry and Commerce Bureau and other departments to intervene fails to coordinate, sometimes you have to cut when you should cut. Indecision will only lead to harm!" Duan Yongji said gloomily.

Upon hearing this, Boss Liu's expression changed drastically, and he stood up abruptly, "Are you asking me to concede, apologize in the newspapers to Shenzhou Storage, and pay hundreds of millions in compensation?"

"Old Liu!"

Duan Yongji sighed and pulled Boss Liu back down to sit, "As long as the green hills remain, there's no need to worry about firewood!"

"At present, Legend is indeed in a weak position. Even if everyone in the Taishan Industry Research Association helps you, you may not necessarily win!

Even if you lose this round, as long as Legend hasn't fallen and you are still at Legend, Old Liu, you will have the opportunity to find your footing again.

And this round may not necessarily be without any benefits for Legend!" Duan Yongji said.

Hearing this, Boss Liu immediately said, "I have been too angry these days and have been blinded. I hope Brother Duan will enlighten me!"

"Enlightenment is not the word!"

Duan Yongji looked at Boss Liu, "It's just that you care too much about Legend, Old Liu, and are somewhat blinded by a single leaf."

"Two things. First, are overseas computer component companies like IBM, Microsoft, Intel, Toshiba, and Sharp really willing to watch Legend fall?"

"Second, Old Liu, don't you want Legend to develop better and want the management to get more equity? Isn't Legend's current situation, along with the current stock price of Legend in Hong Kong, an opportunity for you?"