Chapter 534: Big Shots and Small Potatoes

Microsoft had been jointly targeted by the American computer hardware industry in the hardware sector for so many years, not allowing Microsoft the slightest chance to intervene. Now that there was finally a glimmer of hope for escape, who would dare let Microsoft give up this opportunity?

Moreover, this time, the "living room strategy" in Bill Gates's mouth was indeed ambitious. Once the cooperation with Dongling High-Tech was completed, Microsoft would enter computers, game consoles, and TV set-top boxes in one fell swoop. In the future, they might even launch TVs and other hardware equipment. Who would still dare to say Microsoft isn't "hard"?

Compared to the benefits Microsoft might gain, the Intel-Microsoft alliance wasn't that important. After all, even if Intel chips supported other operating systems, so what? Could it shake Microsoft's status in operating systems?

After this wave, Microsoft's stock price would likely soar by a large margin, which would also let Huaerjie see Microsoft's determination in new fields. Only with expectations could the stock price and market value be pulled up!

So even Microsoft executives who were still flirting with Intel and were dissatisfied with Bill Gates, such as Paul Allen's representatives on the board, didn't dare to directly oppose Bill Gates and had to support him. Only when the project failed one day could they beat the drowning dog.

"Connect me to Bill Gates's phone immediately!"

Intel CEO Grove, who was rushing to the airport, roared angrily at his assistant in a Hungarian accent.

This emperor of Intel, born in Hungary, appeared somewhat unremarkable and short in stature compared to Americans who grew up eating beef and drinking milk.

But it was he who led Intel to unprecedented glory, which also made him the true emperor of Intel.

Grove was paranoid, combative, and prone to temper tantrums, but he was exceptionally capable, had keen insight, and was more diligent than a donkey. He led Intel to become the existence that influences the global computer industry today. No matter what brand of computer it was, everyone wanted to install an Intel chip. This was Grove's credit; he successfully linked computers with Intel.

But now, this Intel emperor was very unhappy. He felt betrayed. He received news that Microsoft, a staunch ally in the Intel alliance, was actually going to port the Microsoft operating system for chips of other new brands!

When he heard the news, Grove was burning with anger. He felt deep betrayal and anger. This was not only a betrayal of Intel; Grove felt it was more like a provocation to him, a provocation that he, the emperor, was old and could no longer lift his blade!

The core of the Microsoft-Intel alliance lay in the X86 architecture. For the past eighteen years, all of Microsoft's operating systems had been developed based on this architecture. This meant that a computer using an Intel chip would have a smoother and more stable system operation, with fewer software problems.

Even the chips developed by their arch-rival AMD were based on the X86 architecture. This kind of alliance determined Intel's huge advantage in the chip industry. No competitor could easily surpass Intel, and they even had to buy architecture licenses from Intel.

Even if they developed chips more advanced than Intel's, so what? If the Microsoft system didn't support them, they still couldn't be used, and even if produced, they couldn't be sold.

While asking his assistant to call Bill Gates, amidst his anger, Grove felt a faint worry in the depths of his eyes. Microsoft's sudden change made Grove suspect whether Microsoft had received some wind of news, whether the news of him having cancer had leaked out.

This news hadn't been announced to the public yet. This year was very special. If the news that he had cancer and needed treatment were announced, it would be hard to say whether he could keep his position as the Intel emperor.

Grove had said years ago that he would retire at 57. After all, what tech company boss is still in office at 60 or 70? A tech company based on innovation, yet the boss is an old man with rigid thinking—how could this lead the company forward?

But Grove broke his word. He was already 60 this year and still had no intention of retiring. But if the news of his illness spread, it would be unjustifiable to continue clinging to the emperor's throne. He wanted to cure his illness before announcing the news.

"It's connected!"

Just as Grove's thoughts were restless, his assistant's words pulled him back to reality. Taking the phone, Grove roared angrily, "Bill, you need to give me an explanation. Is Microsoft going to tear up the alliance?"

The roaring sound coming from the phone made Bill Gates, who had just finished the meeting, feel his ears buzzing. He couldn't help but move the phone a bit further away and muttered to himself, it seems Grove's condition is stable; this intensity of yelling doesn't look like someone who is ill at all.

Just as Microsoft had Intel's traitors, Intel also had Microsoft's traitors. For Bill Gates, probing for news about Grove was simply not too easy.

"CEO Grove, I don't know what you mean by this!" Bill Gates said "aggrievedly," as if he didn't know what had happened at all.

This made Grove even more furious. "Bill, you know what I'm talking about. What's going on with that company called Dongxin Semiconductor?"

"Damn it!"

Hearing that Grove had received wind of it so quickly, Bill Gates cursed angrily, feeling like he needed to deal with Microsoft's traitors. The speed of this tip-off was just too damn fast.

Knowing he couldn't hide it anymore, Bill Gates couldn't be bothered to pretend. "Grove, calm down!"

"Since you know about this, you should have heard more news. What Microsoft reached with Dongxin's parent company, Dongling High-Tech, is a comprehensive cooperation agreement!

Porting the operating system for Dongxin's chips is just a 'very small' part of the cooperation. This will not affect Intel!"

But Grove didn't care about this. "But that's a MIPS architecture chip. This is something that has never happened before. Microsoft supporting the MIPS architecture will give Intel many more competitors!"

"I know!"

Hearing Grove's repeated angry roars, treating him like an Intel employee, Bill Gates also got a bit angry.

"I've said it, Intel doesn't need to worry!"

"I remember the Microsoft-Intel alliance better than anyone else!

In the agreement signed between Microsoft and Dongling High-Tech, the system update time for Dongxin's chip system porting is stipulated to be one to three months later than for Intel chips. The latest generation of Microsoft systems will also be launched on Dongxin three months later than on Intel!

In addition, Microsoft's system porting for the MIPS architecture is limited to Dongxin. Dongxin is not allowed to authorize, transfer, or sell the operating system to other MIPS chip manufacturers; otherwise, Microsoft will stop the cooperation!"

Bill Gates said coldly to Grove. Microsoft was ultimately wary of Intel and didn't want to provoke them too much. Therefore, when Bill Gates was negotiating with Li Dongling, he also set down that even if the Microsoft system was ported to MIPS architecture chips, it would only support Dongxin Semiconductor's chips, and products from other chip companies with the same architecture would not be supported at all. There were also other harsh terms.

Hearing these terms Microsoft had for Dongxin, Grove felt a bit more at ease. There were quite a few capable chip manufacturers with the MIPS architecture, especially MIPS itself, the developer of the MIPS architecture, whose chip R&D strength was still very strong.

Workstations and game consoles from a host of companies like DEC, Epson, NEC, and Nintendo were all equipped with MIPS architecture chips. It was just that in the computer industry, they couldn't beat Intel, not that MIPS had no fighting power.

"But Microsoft still betrayed the Intel alliance, giving Intel a competitor in the future..."

"Give it a rest, Grove!"

Bill Gates couldn't help but sneer, "A small, unranked chip company from Asia actually makes Intel feel nervous?"

"Grove, as long as you say it yourself that Intel is afraid of Dongxin, I will immediately tear up the cooperation agreement between Microsoft and Dongling High-Tech. I'll give Intel another three, five, or ten years. When Intel is no longer afraid of Dongxin, Microsoft will then start cooperating with Dongling High-Tech on hardware business. How about that?"

Hearing this wave of sarcasm that was almost maxed out, Grove was so angry his liver hurt. "This is different, Bill!"

However, when he said this, Grove also lacked confidence. It was true that he was here to hold Microsoft accountable, but... he couldn't admit that he was afraid of a small, unranked chip company he had never heard of before, right? That would leave his face as the Intel emperor nowhere to put.

"Bill, I don't want this kind of thing to happen again!"

Listening to the busy signal coming from the phone, Grove threw the phone down in anger. He knew that the cooperation between Microsoft and Dongxin probably couldn't be stopped.

In fact, Grove wasn't worried about the cooperation between Microsoft and Dongxin. A small, unranked chip company, even with Microsoft system support, so what? Could it really turn the world upside down?

But Grove was afraid of accidents. This time Microsoft supported Dongxin; next time, which chip factory would they support?

To avoid another time, Grove had to show his attitude, lest a threat to Intel really emerge in the future. As for Dongxin Semiconductor, Grove snorted coldly—he would just crush it!

"Are we still going to Seattle?" Seeing that they had already arrived at the airport and Grove and Bill Gates seemed to have reached an agreement, his assistant asked Grove in a low voice.

"Go, why wouldn't we go!"

Grove glared and said. His going to Seattle had nothing to do with reaching an agreement with Bill Gates.

Grove was purely going to put on a performance. After all, Microsoft licensing its system to chips of other architectures was a huge negative for Intel. He had to go to Seattle to "protest," sign an agreement, and issue a statement to stabilize morale and boost the stock price. Otherwise, what was the use of him as the Intel emperor?

As soon as the Nasdaq opened the next day, Microsoft, with a market value of 180 billion US dollars, staged a scene of an elephant dancing. The stock price surged by 3%, appearing in a straight line!

This scene surprised countless investors and even Huaerjie institutions. They didn't know what had happened, and Microsoft's stock price had suddenly gone wild.

It wasn't until a report in the Seattle Times was quickly reported by media in Washington State and across America that the outside world finally knew what had happened: Microsoft's "living room strategy" had suddenly emerged. ===== CHAPTER 535 =====