Chapter 49: Yesterday You Ignored Me, Today You Can

From the district court in Guangdong Province, Gao Peng’s face was filled with dissatisfaction and resentment; beside him stood a man in his thirties or forties, equally grim. [7] During this time, Gao Peng had been utterly humiliated; back in Pingyang, when had he ever endured such treatment? “If this were Pingyang, I’d…”

Gao Peng and his group were now in Yangcheng, filing a lawsuit against the New Technology Express newspaper; the man beside him was Gao Peng’s second brother, Gao Zhiyuan.

“They still won’t accept the case! How long have we been here, and they still haven’t even filed it!”

Since Li Dongling went to America to sue, Dongling Gaoke had signed an agency contract with Gao Zhiyuan, and Gao Peng had come to Guangdong with him to initiate the lawsuit against the New Technology Express.

But to this day, there had been zero progress—even the court had refused to accept Gao Zhiyuan’s complaint, because no such precedent existed before.

During this time, Gao Peng had been utterly frustrated; back in Pingyang, when had he ever endured such treatment? “If this were Pingyang, I’d…”

“What are you going to do?!”

Gao Zhiyuan shot him an irritated glare. “This is Guangdong—no one here knows our old man. You’d better behave. I don’t want to have to bail you out during this lawsuit.”

Even so, Gao Zhiyuan felt a headache coming on. This lawsuit primarily sought compensation for the massive losses Dongling Gaoke suffered due to the New Technology Express’s false reporting, and demanded that the female reporter Lin Shiman, who had been relentlessly attacking Dongling Gaoke, issue a public apology.

But the results had been terrible—the court hadn’t even accepted the complaint. Not only was Gao Peng anxious, but Gao Zhiyuan himself was also growing frustrated.

He patted his pocket, asked Gao Peng for a cigarette, and was just about to light it when a figure hurried out of the district court, spotted Gao Zhiyuan and Gao Peng, and rushed over.

“Director Wang!”

Seeing the man emerge, Gao Zhiyuan’s heart leapt; he quickly stepped forward to meet him—the man was the office director of the district court.

“You’re Lawyer Gao, right? Let’s talk inside,” Director Wang grabbed Gao Zhiyuan’s arm and pulled him toward the courthouse. “The court takes your case very seriously—we’ve been discussing it nonstop. The case was too complex before, so we couldn’t reach a decision. But we’ve finally decided: we’ll accept your complaint!”

Gao Peng’s face lit up with joy; Gao Zhiyuan, however, was suspicious—he had no idea why the district court had suddenly changed its stance, but there was no time to think. Getting the case filed was the priority.

The process went smoothly—less than half an hour later, Gao Peng and Gao Zhiyuan walked out. Gao Zhiyuan could clearly feel the court’s attitude toward them had shifted completely—it now clearly favored them. Even the trial date was astonishingly fast: it would be held next month, and now there was less than a week left until then!

Outside the courthouse, Gao Zhiyuan recalled Director Wang’s words: “The district court firmly supports domestic brands and will not allow anyone to maliciously defame them!”

“Buy a newspaper—quickly, the latest one!” Gao Zhiyuan suddenly remembered something and hurriedly told Gao Peng.

Moments later, the two brothers stared at the newspaper headline, swallowed hard, and exchanged wide-eyed glances—Dongling Gaoke had won its lawsuit against Microsoft!

There was now no doubt about this lawsuit against the New Technology Express. Dongling Gaoke had become a point of national pride in China’s tech industry; calling the Silver Mink mouse a domestic brand product was no exaggeration. If the district court still refused to file the case, the public backlash would be unbearable.

A court summons, delivered with urgent priority, lay quietly on the desk of the New Economic Express newspaper. Inside, chaos had erupted.

Lin Shiman sat motionless at her desk, expression blank, unable to believe it—Dongling Gaoke had actually defeated Microsoft? This news, like a fairy tale, had become real.

When they had been attacking Dongling Gaoke, the newspaper sold like wildfire; now, the New Technology Express was in deep trouble—all those issues had become evidence of defamation.

Before the court summons arrived, the newspaper’s editor-in-chief and owner had already gathered to discuss how to respond.

The issue wasn’t just the compensation Dongling Gaoke was demanding—if it were only about money, it would be manageable for the New Technology Express.

But now, the newspaper’s reputation was ruined. Accusing Dongling Gaoke had made it untrustworthy in the eyes of readers. Who would buy a newspaper no one trusted? Who would dare advertise on it, afraid of being called a scam company?

“No matter what, get rid of Lin Shiman first. Issue a statement saying the newspaper was deceived by her!”

The newspaper owner made the final call—blame Lin Shiman first. She could not stay a single day longer.

“Go handle your resignation.”

Hearing the editor-in-chief’s cold tone, Lin Shiman rose like a walking corpse. She didn’t even remember how she left the newspaper—but she knew her journalism career was over.

At Dongling Gaoke’s headquarters in Pingyang, phone calls rang nonstop. Hu Zi was answering calls until his voice went hoarse; Chen Tao and the tech department had come to assist sales, they were simply overwhelmed.

After the central media reported on Dongling Gaoke, city officials came to inspect the company—and rumors said provincial officials were coming too.

Media outlets kept calling, demanding interviews. Most crucially, major domestic computer brands—Great Wall, Lenovo, Seven-Up, Shida, Langchao—and dealers from computer markets across the country were all calling, eager to partner with Dongling Gaoke or become agents for the Silver Mink mouse.

Think of how Dongfang Magic Water, Jianlibao, became famous: by sponsoring China’s Olympic team for the 1984 Los Angeles Games, then seeing those athletes win gold medals. The athletes became heroes, and Jianlibao, as sponsor, exploded overnight. Rumors even spread that athletes won gold because they drank Jianlibao—the “Dongfang Magic Water” echoed nationwide.

This era needed heroes. Heroes were made by circumstance. Jianlibao became famous overnight thanks to Olympic gold. Now, Dongling Gaoke and the Silver Mink mouse had become heroes of China’s tech industry.

Brands like Seven-Up, which had previously ignored the Silver Mink mouse—or even walked away just before finalizing a deal—now turned back, begging to partner with Dongling Gaoke and make the Silver Mink mouse a standard accessory for their computers.

The mice stockpiled in Yangcheng’s warehouse had been snapped up by computer component dealers who smelled opportunity. The factory price of 150 yuan had been inflated to 180 yuan, and even at over 200 yuan, people still bought them.

This era needed heroes—and support for heroes came with unimaginable passion, backed by real gold and silver. Jianlibao sold out; so would the Silver Mink mouse.

Major domestic computer brands were now desperately trying to get Dongling Gaoke to supply them with mice. All their years of aggressive marketing hadn’t earned them the fame Dongling Gaoke had just gained.

After being certified by Microsoft and the central media, Dongling Gaoke’s technology was now seen as the “highest” in China’s computer industry. Whether these brands admitted it or not, users believed it: a computer without a Silver Mink mouse was clearly low-tech.

“I know Dongling Gaoke is willing to cooperate with your company, but we simply can’t produce this many units yet. Once our capacity increases, the Silver Mink mouse will be prioritized for your company.”

“Exclusive partnership?”

Hu Zi spoke in a hoarse voice into the phone: “That decision must wait for Chairman Li’s return. But personally, I’d love to reach an exclusive partnership with your company.”

As the highest-ranking executive currently managing Dongling Gaoke’s headquarters, Hu Zi was responsible for handling all affairs. The caller just now had been a senior executive from Great Wall Computer, wanting more Silver Mink mice—or an exclusive deal.

Computer manufacturers had realized: pairing computers with the Silver Mink mouse actually boosted sales. Most users knew little about computers, and few professional media outlets educated them. Buyers chose computers based on brand reputation—whichever brand advertised most, users bought most.

But Dongling Gaoke had changed the computer industry’s sales landscape—at least for now. A computer paired with a Silver Mink mouse was seen as high-tech; one without it was dismissed as inferior—even if it was a foreign brand.

This situation left computer brands and dealers alike baffled. No matter how hard salespeople explained, some buyers wouldn’t listen. You could say anything—but could you argue with certification from the central media and Microsoft?

“Cheers!”

In New York, after settling with Microsoft and receiving the compensation payment, Larson immediately threw a victory party.

Li Dongling raised his glass and clinked it with Larson. Per their prior agreement, half the compensation went to his law firm; the remaining nine million U.S. dollars belonged to Dongling Gaoke.