Chapter 521: Fishing in Troubled Waters

If one wants to cash out the investment in Feiyan Technology, there are naturally plenty of ways to do so. But if this were to delay Feiyan Technology's grand plan for an IPO, that would be penny-wise and pound-foolish.

As long as Feiyan Technology goes public, then as long as the hype is managed properly, how many "small goals" of USD can't be cashed out?

After Feiyan Technology goes public, hyping it up will be incredibly convenient. For instance, by manufacturing an influential podcast creator on the Himalaya platform similar to Jori Kings, the stock price could soar by a significant margin.

This is just like record companies; every time they sign a well-known singer, their stock price can surge, and when a film or television company has a blockbuster movie or drama, their stock price can double.

Even when the stock market is stagnant, a single game like *Black Myth: Wukong* can form a concept stock. Game publishers, peripheral manufacturers, co-branded custom fonts, co-branded coffee, custom game graphics cards, game controllers, and game-supplied televisions—a whole wave of concept stocks can usher in a carnival. In reality, these are all the same tactics.

Moreover, because of the market value brought about by the soaring stock price, cashing out just a portion of these companies can far exceed the revenue brought by a single movie or game. *Black Myth* broke 200 million USD in pre-sales and sales within two days of launch, but hyping up game concept stocks can bring returns ten times higher!

This is also the reason why so many companies are desperate to go public—because they can truly harvest the leeks!

Upon hearing this, Larsen couldn't help but look toward Li Dongling, secretly clicking his tongue in his heart. To make someone give up the more than 300 million USD that could be cashed out from Feiyan Technology this time, the amount they want to obtain from Feiyan Technology in the future must far exceed this sum. This is a certainty; one must cast a long line to catch a big fish!

The business jet pierced through the clouds in the sky, flying rapidly toward New York. Li Dongling turned his head and looked at Zhou Hualiang beside him, "How is Lin Benjian doing over there?"

When Li Dongling first arrived in America, he had entrusted Zhou Hualiang with a few tasks, the second of which was to poach Lin Benjian.

Lin Benjian's fame in the domestic semiconductor industry is not yet high, but in his past life, as the number two figure at TSMC, he made monumental contributions to TSMC's chip empire!

It could even be said that Lin Benjian was the key figure who completely distinguished TSMC from other chip foundries.

One must know that TSMC was not the only player in chip foundry, but it was able to play the game to perfection in this industry, even producing advanced process chips that even Intel and AMD could not mass-produce. The most important reason was that its chip production technology surpassed the chip manufacturing level of the processor hegemon, Intel, itself.

The reason it could achieve this was because of Lin Benjian's existence. TSMC and ASML were able to break through in both chip foundry and lithography machines, relying entirely on the existence of EUV lithography machines!

In his past life, although the EUV lithography machine project was concocted by a large group of American chip manufacturers like Intel, IBM, and AMD, in league with America's energy and trade departments, to deal with Japan's Canon and Nikon,

However, as the two main companies responsible for developing EUV lithography machines, they were TSMC and ASML. Even the breakthrough point of EUV lithography machines—using water as a light source medium—was a theory first proposed by Lin Benjian. One can imagine how significant he was to TSMC.

"Lin Benjian is currently serving at the company he founded, Linker. He previously worked at IBM for over twenty-two years, helping IBM develop the X-ray lithography machine project!"

Zhou Hualiang blurted out the information he had gathered about Lin Benjian; he had clearly put in a lot of effort.

Lithography machines are currently in a state of "letting a hundred flowers bloom." Every company has a different path, and they are all very wild, with very imaginative ideas. Japanese lithography machines, represented by Nikon and Canon, play with ArF argon fluoride laser lithography, while IBM plays with X-ray lithography.

Other lithography machine manufacturers, such as ASML, also have their own directions for developing lithography machines. Before a winner is decided, it is hard to say who is right and who is wrong. Everyone is running blindly, just waiting to see who touches the finish line first. Of course, Dongxin Semiconductor is one of them, just not yet known to others...

Zhou Hualiang handed some materials about Lin Benjian and Linker to Li Dongling, which also included information collected on Lin Benjian's personality, hobbies, and the like.

After reading the materials, Li Dongling set them aside. He now had a basic understanding of Lin Benjian's current situation. As a technical professional, the now fifty-something Lin Benjian was still at the tail end of his peak.

The current Lin Benjian is very similar to Ni Guangnan, who serves at Dongxin Semiconductor. In terms of technology alone, he is not like young technical personnel whose imaginations can run wild, but his experience has reached the pinnacle of his life. Additionally, his management ability, his ability to lead R&D teams, and his ability to cultivate developers are also at the peak of his career.

To describe it in one sentence: an old treasure in the house is like a golden treasure. Whether it is the current Lin Benjian or Ni Guangnan, they are no longer suitable for leading the charge as vanguards; they are more suitable for sitting in the middle of the army and devising strategies!

Lin Benjian is a great hand at R&D and has the ability to manage teams, but when it comes to running a company, Lin Benjian is not as outstanding as he is at R&D.

The company he started cannot be said to be doing poorly, but it is definitely not as comfortable as when he is doing R&D.

However, this also provides an opportunity to poach Lin Benjian. If he were still serving as an engineer at IBM, or if Linker were flourishing, then poaching him might not be a sure thing. After all, having become accustomed to being the master of his own house, who would be willing to bow down and play second fiddle again?

"On your end, prepare some things. I want to meet with Lin Benjian as soon as possible!" Li Dongling said to Zhou Hualiang.

In the chip industry, which is "turning sand into gold" in the true sense, it is by relying on a handful of sand that the modern electronic industry was created. Although the global chip industry is dominated by Chinese people, it is really not easy to poach top-tier chip processor bigwigs back to the country, and it gets harder the further you go!

It is only because America and Japan are currently wrestling in the semiconductor industry, and America is keeping a close eye on Canon and Nikon, that other companies in the industry have been given a chance. Otherwise, if one wanted to poach a technical bigwig like Lin Benjian, there would likely be no chance at all.

"What about Microsoft?" Li Dongling asked the question he cared about most.

When Zhou Hualiang heard Li Dongling mention cooperation with Microsoft, a look of worry appeared on his face. The Intel-Microsoft alliance is the key to Microsoft's system dominating the operating system market. Inside Microsoft, there are a large number of Intel supporters, and poaching their corner is not that easy.

After all, if the Microsoft-Intel alliance were destroyed, offending Intel and becoming a "sinner" of Microsoft, those executives inside Microsoft would not be willing to take the blame.

"I contacted several Microsoft executives through a PR firm, but none of them agreed to act as lobbyists for Dongxin Semiconductor. For Microsoft, Intel is still the most important ally!"

Zhou Hualiang said, "However, we have now also come into contact with a veteran figure at Microsoft. He might be able to help Dongxin Semiconductor build a relationship with Bill Gates!"

"Fries, Ed Fries, the current head of Microsoft's game division!"

"He is Bill Gates' confidant. Back then, he was appointed as the manager of Microsoft's Office software division, but Fries refused. He went to Microsoft's game division, which no one was optimistic about, and is now leading a team to develop the *Age of Empires* game project!"

Zhou Hualiang said. Office software is currently Microsoft's most user-heavy and profitable business besides systems, used by municipal governments, banks, hospitals, and giant companies in dozens of regions around the world.

As the biggest rival to Jinshan's WPS software, the Office suite has shown strong money-making ability since its birth, and it will continue to provide revenue for Microsoft for decades to come. Even more than twenty years later, it is still a software division with 2.2 billion users and annual revenue exceeding 48.7 billion USD.

Whether Fries regrets giving up the position of Office division manager to take over the game division, which no one cared about inside Microsoft, only he knows.

However, as Bill Gates' confidant, Fries taking over the game division might not be without the intention of solving problems for Bill Gates. Bill Gates' desire to make Microsoft achieve something in the hardware business is known to everyone.

And in reality, in his past life at Microsoft, it was Ed Fries who led the game division, whether it was developing games or acquiring game companies. Even the Xbox game console project was pushed and facilitated by Ed Fries inside Microsoft. The Xbox console also brought Microsoft 15.5 billion USD in revenue in one year!

Without Bill Gates' support, Fries couldn't have pulled these off, especially since the Xbox lost more than 10 billion USD right from the start, yet was still able to continue fighting Sony to the death. To say Fries didn't have Bill Gates' support would be nonsense.

Li Dongling thought for a moment and vaguely guessed Ed Fries' intentions. Fries is willing to come and meet with Dongxin Semiconductor, likely still for the sake of Microsoft's hardware business.

Microsoft is unwilling to give up on the hardware business, but as a company that is shouted at by everyone in the hardware industry, it is not easy for it to find helpers and allies. This time, Fries is likely also wanting to test the waters.

"Invite Ed Fries to New York. I want to meet with him!"

Li Dongling looked at Zhou Hualiang and said. There are no eternal enemies or eternal allies in the world, only eternal interests. As long as there are sufficient returns, mice and cats can be friends just the same!

Expecting Dongxin Semiconductor to cooperate with Microsoft is not an easy task, especially while the Microsoft-Intel alliance still exists, but... it is not impossible!

In his past life, the seemingly indestructible Microsoft-Intel alliance—after Microsoft saw the strength of the ARM camp, didn't it also backstab Intel just the same, developing an ARM version of the Microsoft operating system, wanting to pull the vast number of companies and users in the ARM camp into the Microsoft camp?

If ARM can do it, why can't Dongxin Semiconductor? The only difference is how big a bargaining chip Dongxin Semiconductor can offer to make Microsoft backstab Intel.

Dongxin Semiconductor currently cannot compare to Intel, but it has good fortune; it was born with a silver spoon in its mouth. It currently doesn't have any bargaining chips that can move Microsoft, but its parent company, Dongling Gao Ke, definitely has them!

For the computer business that Dongling Gao Ke is about to enter, launching Shenzhou-brand computers—Microsoft has been thinking about computers for so many years. If Dongling Gao Ke's computer business is willing to let Microsoft join, would Bill Gates be tempted?

And there is the game console project. If Dongling Gao Ke provides key components like chips, graphics cards, and memory for Microsoft, as well as OEM production for the game console, and Microsoft only needs to stick a label on it to sell it, would Ed Fries and Bill Gates not covet this big pie?

Anyway, let the friends die, not the poor monk. Dongling Gao Ke entering the computer industry also means a pile of rivals. Domestically, there is Lianxiang, supported by Intel, Xia Pu, Samsung, and others, which will definitely fight Dongling Gao Ke's Shenzhou computers to the death.

And in the overseas market, just by Shenzhou computers using chips self-developed by Dongxin Semiconductor, it is a mortal enemy of Intel. Plus, with self-developed screens, memory sticks, hard drives, etc., it is also at odds with global computer component manufacturers like Samsung and Xia Pu.

Anyway, as long as Dongling Gao Ke self-develops chips and related components and launches computers using domestic components, it will have a pile of rivals both domestically and overseas, so it's not afraid of offending one or two more. It might as well pull Microsoft into the game and thoroughly muddy the waters.

For a company like Microsoft with an innate "black-attracting" and villainous constitution, with it around, Dongling Gao Ke might not even be the one attracting the most hate. Instead, it would make Microsoft attract even more hate, and the hatred value would all be drawn away by it!

The plane circled over New York and slowly landed at the airport. When getting off the plane, Larsen whispered a sentence in Li Dongling's ear, "Tonight, do you want to have a meal with Johannes Reed?"

Li Dongling nodded slightly. Johannes Reed is the powerful supporter they are preparing to find for Feiyan Technology in America. If the cooperation goes smoothly, Dongling Gao Ke will also treat him as a supporter in America in the future.

New York media and reporters, with their keen sense of smell and news, had long been waiting outside the airport. When Li Dongling and the others exited the cabin, a burst of camera flashes sounded immediately.

Zhou Hualiang, Larsen, and the others all wore smiles on their faces. American media and reporters are quite realistic. With so many media and reporters paying attention right now, it shows that the popularity of Feiyan Technology and Himalaya Radio is very high, and for them, it also means fame and fortune are within easy reach!

"Yao, when will Feiyan Technology go public?"

"Some Wall Street analysts believe that Feiyan Technology's valuation is severely overestimated. What is your take on this?"

"May I ask the General Manager of Feiyan Technology, it is rumored that your family background in the mainland is very special. Is this true?"

"May I ask Li, what is the relationship between you and Yao? Will you get married?"

Just after getting off the plane, a group of reporters threw a pile of questions at Li Dongling, Yao Luoying, and the others.

New York media and reporters are not just paying attention to Himalaya Radio; they are also very concerned about Li Dongling and Yao Luoying. Even many New York gossip media came over to join in the fun, which shows just how high the popularity of Himalaya Radio has been in America during this period.

But thinking about it, it's understandable. A company founded by Asians can actually make such a big stir in the Silicon Valley internet scene, and even help many nobodies realize the American Dream. For American media, there are simply too many places to pay attention to. ===== CHAPTER 522 =====