Chapter 44: A Muddy Mess Indeed

"Microsoft is the pioneer of America's computer age, and Bill Gates created an era. No one can deny his contributions to America and the entire civilized world, even with the slight flaw surrounding MS-DOS, which built the Microsoft Empire!

Yet countless people remain firmly convinced of Bill Gates's contribution: he gave cold computer machines a brain and intelligence. After Microsoft went public, he became the richest man in America and an idol to countless young people. The phrase 'the next Bill Gates' has become the highest praise for a person's talent and genius!"

The New York Times began with flattery toward Bill Gates and Microsoft, but anyone who has read media reports knows that the more lavishly a piece praises at the beginning, the more viciously it scorns further down. Only in this way can a sharp contrast be formed; otherwise, how could readers be convinced if the attacks started right away?

True to form, after the opening praise, the tone of the report abruptly shifted: "However, ever since going public, too many changes have taken place within Microsoft and Bill Gates.

We have every reason to believe that a person's success will breed pride and complacency—this is human nature—and yet there is always a day of awakening, but these cannot serve as an excuse for doing 'evil'!

Beginning with the war between Microsoft and Lotus Development Corporation in 1983, Microsoft forced users to choose between Microsoft and Lotus, ultimately crushing its then-most powerful rival through bundled sales.

In the wake of Lotus, companies such as IBM, Apple, Sun Microsystems, and Oracle successively fought major wars against Microsoft regarding operating systems and office software, yet none of them ever managed to deliver a crippling blow to Microsoft.

Upon entering the hardware industry, Microsoft began competing with companies like Logitech and the German Cherry keyboard manufacturer.

Through all these years, Microsoft has never truly lost a single battle, nor has it ever lost a lawsuit. But has Microsoft truly never engaged in malicious competition, let alone violated federal law?!"

The New York Times did not directly convict Microsoft. After all, as a major media outlet, it had to be accountable for its words. A direct conviction would have invited a lawsuit from Microsoft. Instead, by merely raising questions, Microsoft was given no grounds to sue and no way to respond. Proving one's own innocence is the hardest thing in the world; after all, only those who wrong you know just how wronged you truly are, especially since Microsoft itself was far from clean, with a mountain of dirt hidden behind it.

Though it stopped short of a direct conviction, The New York Times used a series of interrogatives to plant a question in the minds of those holding the newspaper: Microsoft might not have lost a lawsuit in all these years, but does that really prove it is as pure as a white lotus, having never committed a single wrongdoing?

Once the seed of suspicion is sown, it continuously takes root and sprouts until it grows into a towering tree.

Following the opening salvo by The New York Times, multiple media outlets began exposing Microsoft's dark history. For instance, when crushing competitors like Lotus, Microsoft generally relied on a standard three-pronged strategy: first, cloning—whatever product Lotus developed, Microsoft immediately copied and pasted it; second, poaching—stealing the core technical personnel from Lotus; and finally, if it still couldn't win, bundling—selling software packaged together with the Microsoft operating system. If you wanted to buy the Microsoft operating system, you had to buy Microsoft software!

Relying on these tactics, Microsoft was practically invincible, knocking down rival after rival.

Starting with The New York Times, media outlet after media outlet continuously exposed Microsoft's shady dealings, generating a constant stream of news stories of questionable veracity. At first, Microsoft paid little attention, but after Lotus CEO Mitchell accepted a media interview, Microsoft realized something was amiss.

"Regarding the experiences of the company that developed the mechanical Silver貂 mouse, I express my sympathy, but I am not surprised in the least!"

Facing the media, Mitchell smiled bitterly with an expression of helpless resignation. "Back then, when we were competing with Microsoft, they embedded instructions directly into DOS, forcing users to choose between DOS and Lotus software: either Lotus would not run, or DOS would not boot!

We eventually resolved that trouble, but the users were already gone!"

Following Mitchell, several other Microsoft victims stepped forward. However, most of those stepping forward at this moment were software companies, accusing Microsoft of copying and plagiarizing their software, and even leveraging their deep pockets to poach entire project teams of technical staff.

Grant, the head of Microsoft's public relations department, also stepped forward at this time to issue a denial: "I must state that the current public opinion surrounding Microsoft is merely malicious rhetoric from competitors. The federal courts have already adjudicated our disputes with these companies, and Microsoft is innocent!"

"Damn it, clean up your own mess and stop making me clean up after your hardware division! The public opinion out there is already beginning to impact Microsoft's stock price. When the people coming to talk to you aren't me anymore, you can explain it to the board of directors yourself!"

Fuming with anger, Grant tracked down Spencer. A lousy mouse earned Microsoft a pittance in a year, yet it had managed to stir up such massive trouble; every 1% drop in Microsoft's stock price meant over four billion dollars vanishing into thin air.

If the hardware division caused the stock price to plunge, the Microsoft board of directors, Wall Street institutions, and investors large and small who held Microsoft stock would all come looking to settle accounts with Spencer.

Spencer looked somewhat embarrassed as well. He had never expected that an interview given by Li Dongling could trigger such massive ripples. In truth, he also felt aggrieved—weren't those opponents like Lotus all provoked by the software department? Yet this time, the blame was being pinned entirely on the hardware division. Spencer felt even more wronged than Dou E; he hadn't tasted a single bite of the meat, but he hadn't missed a single beating.

"The New York Manhattan Court has just accepted Dongling High-Tech's lawsuit. We need time to fight this legal battle. Unless we surrender right now, settle out of court with Dongling High-Tech, and pay compensation, there is no way this lawsuit can end immediately!"

Spencer said with a helpless shrug, "You want Microsoft to surrender to a company from a technological wasteland?!"

Grant was left somewhat speechless by the question. Naturally, he couldn't possibly let Microsoft actually surrender to Dongling High-Tech—where would Microsoft save face? Knowing Bill Gates's personality, if he found out about this, he would definitely hold them accountable.

"Just handle this matter properly!"

With that parting shot, Grant threw the words at Spencer and stalked off. Microsoft had fallen into an awkward predicament, both regarding the lawsuit with Dongling High-Tech and the storm of public opinion.

The lawsuit had just entered the federal court pipeline, and it would take at least a month or two before the trial could even begin. To halt the proceedings, Microsoft either had to surrender or convince Dongling High-Tech to drop the suit. Given the attitude Li Dongling had displayed, how could he possibly drop the suit and surrender? Even if Dongling High-Tech went bankrupt, it would still drag Microsoft down in the mud with it.

As for public opinion, if Microsoft stayed silent, the media would paint an even darker picture; if Microsoft offered explanations, its opponents would twist the narrative: if you were truly innocent, why explain? Explaining was a sign of a guilty conscience...

At an open-air garden restaurant in a New York hotel, Yao Luoying reclined under a parasol, holding a fashion magazine, though her mind was not on it. Her gaze drifted frequently toward Li Dongling, who was seated alongside Larson.

"Two million dollars has been completely poured out, and I even chipped in an extra four hundred thousand dollars of my own!"

Larson wolfed down his steak, abandoning all regard for his image. He had been flying all across America over the past few days, spending money everywhere to lobby the media, which was why public opinion seemed to be universally bashing Microsoft online.

"If we win, the money you spent will be returned tenfold, even dozens of times over!"

Li Dongling said to Larson, before asking the most crucial question: "How are the subsequent media outlets and the Federal Department of Justice looking?!"

For now, it might seem like the media was launching a verbal assault on Microsoft, but in reality, this was merely a warmup and posed very little threat to Microsoft.

According to the strategy mapped out by Li Dongling and Larson, the current wave of public opinion was just the appetizer; what came next was the crucial move of deflecting the disaster and using a borrowed knife to kill!

"The Chicago Daily News will run the next piece. It all depends on whether companies like HP, Dell, Apple, and Intel take the bait!

As long as these companies take the bait, the California Federal Department of Justice official I've been in contact with will accept a media interview to express his dissatisfaction with Microsoft—though he will only grant that single interview."

Finishing the last bite of his steak, Larson washed down a full glass of red wine. "Li, everything that can be done, we have already done!"

Standing near the glass window of the open-air garden, looking down at the city of New York beneath his feet, Li Dongling knew that this war between an ant and an elephant—the war with Microsoft—would essentially be decided win or lose within this very week!

"How far is Microsoft from dominating the computer industry?!"

The Daily News, ranking among the top twenty in circulation across all of America's newspapers, suddenly published a front-page story: "The profit margins of a mouse are not high, but Microsoft's hardline stance on mouse products reveals its ultimate ambition in hardware!

Microsoft has already nearly monopolized the computer operating system and software industries, with over 80% of computer systems occupied by Microsoft.

Microsoft has currently introduced computer peripheral accessories such as mice, keyboards, and displays. If Microsoft takes the next step and introduces its own chips, then Microsoft will be able to launch computers under its own brand!

Microsoft's operating system, combined with Microsoft-branded computers, and perhaps continuing its 'past' sales tactics, will transform Microsoft into the most powerful empire in the history of the technology industry, without a single exception!"

What did continuing "past" sales tactics mean? Wasn't that simply bundled sales—Microsoft's signature move?

The speaker had no such intention, but the listener took it to heart. The report by the Daily News laid bare Microsoft's overwhelming dominance in the computer industry, highlighting that indeed, only the core chips were missing for Microsoft to assemble every single component of computer hardware. If Microsoft were to release computers under its own brand and bundle them with operating systems and office software sales, which computer brand—or even component manufacturer, including Intel—could possibly stand as Microsoft's match?!

Relations between Microsoft and computer hardware manufacturers had already been strained, with major computer brands constantly guarding against Microsoft encroaching upon their territory. The moment this report was published, it left people guessing whether someone was deliberately smearing Microsoft or if Microsoft was testing external reactions. If the voices of opposition were weak, Microsoft might genuinely launch its own products.

The direct consequence of this was that rumors of Microsoft launching its own brand of computers were suddenly picked up and recirculated by media outlets of all stripes, and even analyzed on financial news channels on television. That very day, stock prices across the entire computer sector—from computer brands to component manufacturers—plummeted in a massive sell-off!