America 1982

"Mitch, Debbie said you are thinking about the future development of the company, can I get involved?" Jim pushed open the door of Lotus CEO Mitch Kapur's office, and while pushing the door, he asked loudly.

Mickey Kapur stood in front of a large desk, using a measuring ruler and pencil to draw something on a piece of white paper. He smiled helplessly and said: "Jim, before you come to see me next time, can you contact me first?" Secretary, could you please confirm my availability?"

Jim walked over and found that the piece of paper in front of Mickey had straight and precise lines. It was obvious that this was a circuit schematic diagram.

It seems that every programmer who likes computers can draw good circuit diagrams, and has strong enough hands-on skills to assemble some weird computers by himself based on the various drawings he has drawn.

He sat across from the table, with his upper body lying on the table. He looked like he was exhausted. He looked weakly at the secretary at the door and shouted with an exaggerated smile: "Debbie, give me a glass of energy." How about a refreshing drink? You know how I like it. California sucks because they don’t have the special drinks you prepared for me.”

"Of course, Mr. Manzi." The secretary chuckled, turned and left the office, closing the door thoughtfully.

Jim slowly sat up straight and tapped his back gently with his hand. His voice gradually became calmer and deeper: "The long-distance flight has damaged my back muscles."

"It may also be that the long-term pleasure behavior has hurt it. Birch from "Information World" once called the company, yelled at you, and asked the company administrator to remember to play the call recording for you. You caused him losses. More than three thousand yuan." Mickey stared at the drawing, holding the measuring ruler in one hand, and the pencil in the other hand drew a new extension line with the measuring ruler. Judging from his focused expression, it seemed that he was not drawing a drawing, but more Like the Creator creating new life.

Jim looked at Mitch Kapoor: "So now can you give me a small part of your time when you are thinking about how to transform the company into a hardware company?"

"Of course, of course..." Mickey agreed perfunctorily, but he didn't put down the pencil until he finished drawing the line, looked at Jim, and smiled: "Of course there is time, Jim, you can say what you want to say now. anything."

Jim stared into Mitch's eyes and nodded: "I called you and Jonathan in California, remember? I also asked my secretary to bring the software back to Actor Company. I heard you say it before, you want to Send Jonathan to fly there and talk to them and see if there’s any chance of acquiring them, right?”

"Yes, I did say that." Mickey nodded and said.

"Then I called you in California and called Jonathan. I hope you would fly over to meet me or authorize me, but you never responded. You like that company and that software. Now you can send them Incurring his subordinates." Jim Manz spread his hands in confusion, stared into Mickey's eyes and asked:

"But there's no response? I waited for you in California for two fucking days like an idiot, and then I had to fly back to confirm whether the company phone was broken, or California no longer belongs to the earth, and there is no relationship between us Exaggerated communication delay? Why?”

Mickey did not rush to answer Jim Manz's words, but walked to his president's desk and pressed the intercom: "Let Jonathan come to my office, thank you."

After finishing the call, Mickey sat back at his desk, leaned back in his chair and looked at Jim, who was a little sullen: "Jonathan and I have discussed that we don't want to have any more contact with Actor."

"That would at least give me a reaction," Jim said, staring at Mitch. "Instead of leaving me in California looking like a fucking homeless kid."

Mickey lowered his head and smiled bitterly and shook his head: "No, Jim, we have no objection to you. In fact, Jonathan and I didn't contact you for two days because we were together and constantly discussing a problem, how to explain it to Jim, and Convince Jim to keep us out of contact with the Actor."

"It sounds like you are not discussing me, but the Bluebeard who terrorized two girls in "Grimm's Fairy Tales". Am I that scary?" Jim turned his head and complained unhappily:

"Why can't you just bring me together to discuss it? Why is it always just you and Jonathan? I'm like a fucking whore who's always eager to have a threesome with you, waiting for you two to call!"

"You're too strong, Jim. To be honest, Jonathan and I are a little afraid of you. I'm not joking, we are really afraid of you. We think you are doing the right thing or the wrong thing. Maybe we will have our own judgment. But the final reaction is always, screw it, let Jim do what he wants. Anyway, if we don't agree, Jim will definitely convince us to agree, and there will be no other results." Mickey put away his smile and said to Jim - Manzi said frankly:

"We trust you and are somewhat afraid to discuss with you any issues you insist on."

Jim exhaled a thick breath: "Okay, so you guys have been discussing it for two days and have you come up with an explanation for me?"

"Because they are plagiarists, not creators with dreams. The version you brought back is no different from the first version in terms of interface, but in fact, by comparison, we can find that the version we received is They prepared carefully to portray themselves as admirers of Mickey and I, adding some Easter eggs to pay homage to us, hoping to scratch our itch, and then acquire them as a matter of course, making a lot of money with just a few small features. , obviously, we ignored them, and they just sold another version, which did not draw on the Lotus prototype source code that Mickey and I published in the Telephone Line community. It just copied our functions and interface, and was compatible with us without authorization. I asked the lawyer about the files. Similar interfaces are also infringements, so Mickey and I listen to you and teach these little liars a lesson." Jonathan walked in from the door and said to Jim seriously:

"Their clumsy tactics angered us."

After Jim Manz listened to Jonathan's words attentively, he looked at Mickey again. Mickey nodded to him, indicating that he agreed with Jonathan's words.

He likes to have his true admirers. The first time Actor sent him software, he thought he was this kind of person, but now he discovered that those guys were just bastards who wanted to take advantage of his cherished talent and take advantage of the opportunity to defraud the acquisition.

"I think your lesson is to let the court trouble them after knowing that they have sold the software to some housewives to make profits?" Jim Manz took out a piece of chewing gum provided by the flight attendant from his pocket and opened the package. Throwing it into his mouth, he finally asked Mickey.

Mickey nodded: "Isn't this how you taught us to deal with those small studios that plagiarize or learn from others?"

"Listen, Mickey, I think the other party's purpose is not that simple. Of course, I am not opposed to you using legal means to solve them, but... just..." Jim chewed gum, emphasized his tone, and looked at the two founders respectively. :

"Can you please hold off for a while? I am talking to Mr. David Kearns of Xerox about Xerox's investment in Lotus. However, he has been flying back and forth between Canada and Japan recently, and I have not yet talked to him in person. Opportunity, during the phone call, he was personally very interested in investing in Lotus, and Xerox was willing to invest 80 million in exchange for 10% of Lotus’ shares.”

Mitch first looked at Jonathan, and then looked at Jim with a blank face: "Sorry, Jim, I can't see the connection between discussing cooperation with Xerox and us suing Actor Company, and we have plenty of cash, Jim, no need to I am anxious to consider financing, I mean I understand that the more cash a company reserves, the better, but I really can’t see any connection between the two things.”

Jonathan also looked at Jim with a puzzled face: "I don't even understand why we are talking about investment."

"Mitch, Jonathan, I know that many people in magazines value our company at 1.2 billion. Because of the amazing sales of Lotus 1-2-3, they call it the third largest software company after Microsoft and MicroPort. "Jim rubbed the stubble on his chin vigorously with his hand:

"But since Mr. Leon Severn and his people left the company, frankly, the company is like a baby with a huge checkbook, and we are by no means as strong in the industry as the magazines say."

Hearing Jim mention Leon Severn, Mickey and Jonathan's expressions became a little unnatural. Jonathan even lowered his head and turned slightly, as if Jim's mention of this name made him very unhappy.

Jim Manz also noticed the reaction of the two people. Leon Severn was a key figure in the success of Lotus, because it was the Severn Rosen Foundation that he co-initiated and invested 20,000 in the newly founded Lotus company at that time. US dollars, accounting for 30% of the shares.

The investment of 20,000 yuan allowed Mickey and Jonathan to focus on software development, and finally successfully developed the phenomenal software Lotus1-2-3. However, not long after the software was launched, Mickey and Jonathan had not waited for the sales data to become popular. A disagreement broke out with Leon Sever first. Mickey and Jonathan insisted that after developing the software, they should try to develop the hardware. They were completely computer geeks. No matter whether they made money or not, they had to make themselves happy first.

However, Leon Severn suggested that the company should keep focusing on software development. Apparently Leon Severn was eventually angered by the two stubborn programmers. He originally valued the two of them, but he made the decision to withdraw from the stock in disappointment. Lotus finally used 800,000 to repurchase Leon Severn's shares, and both parties were completely cleared.

Although he only received 800,000 yuan, coupled with the sudden blockbuster sales of Lotus 1-2-3, Leon Severn's return on investment seemed a bit low, but in fact, he did not care about these small sums of money. As early as 1980, , he easily made 300 million by selling a company he held shares in, and he invested in countless such companies. In addition, he also used various methods to hold Microsoft, IMB, Ash shares in companies in the computer industry such as TonTate.

It seems that he established the foundation just because he wanted to see if anyone's dream was more interesting when he was bored, and whether it was possible to change the computer industry, and then use the money to invest in the other person's dream. It was the best way to make money. Not making money would not affect his status and Life.

"Are you saying that we have become babies after losing Mr. Leon Severn, who only knows how to persuade us to give up our dreams and focus on money?" Mickey lowered his head first, then raised his head to look at Jim, and said with a smile: "We And you, right? You are the perfect guardian of this company."

Jim Manz pursed his lips. He was a little touched by what Mickey said, but in the end he still insisted: "I'm very happy that you treat me as a big shot, but in fact, I only have work experience as an assistant to the editor-in-chief of National Policy. I got to know some big names who had been interviewed by that magazine. To put it bluntly, I had some connections, but I have no influence in this industry. And Mr. Severn, who obviously has influence, will not return to Lotus. We can only find another one. Xerox, which has enough influence in the typewriter, copier, printer and computer hardware industries, is obviously a good choice to cooperate with a sponsor."

"You have said so much, but you haven't mentioned the connection between the two things, Jim." Jonathan looked at Jim blankly: "What does this have to do with us teaching Actor Company a lesson?"

"Maybe the possibility is very, very low, but the possibility does exist, that is, the fucking Actor company may be a bait thrown by a rival company that drools over us." Jim Manz looked at the two people and slowed down. Speak quickly, open your mouth and raise your head, like a fish caught by a fishhook:

"If Mr. Severn were still there, or if Xerox invested in it, we would naturally have nothing to fear. No matter what kind of poison was mixed in the bait, we would be able to digest it with their industry influence after swallowing it. But now we only have We are three little guys. I think we should be more cautious and just let the lawyer collect all kinds of information. After I get the cooperation with Xerox, we can solve it, or talk to it, if they like it. Money, then let’s see if there is an opportunity to acquire it at a suitable price.”

Mickey and Jonathan laughed out loud after hearing Jim's words. Mickey said: "When you dealt with those small companies that copied us, you never said that we would be afraid. Besides, it's not us who are at fault. We are not minions, the other party is. A bunch of despicable liars and plagiarists.”

"That's right, they are the minions, the real nobody." Jonathan also said with his arms folded next to him.

Jim said with some excitement: "The real unknowns are those companies that used to sneak around and make some small money! Have you ever seen those companies send us software to provoke us first? Have you seen them carefully prepare two fucking files?" Software? Have you ever seen them openly selling software to poor people? No, but Actor has done these things, and is not afraid that we know what it is doing. It is like a coquettishly dressed woman, standing on the He is groveling at you across the street! He is taunting you, silly*, do you dare to* me? You don’t dare, I bet your thing can’t be used at all, you are..."

"Before you come back, we have asked colleagues from the company's legal department to submit a complaint to the Massachusetts court." Mickey saw Jim start to speak dirty words again due to excitement, and suddenly said calmly.

Jim suddenly seemed to have something stuck in his throat, and he froze in place. He looked at Mickey and then at Jonathan, who nodded affirmatively to him.

Jim opened his mouth, and then said after a few seconds: "I thought this kind of thing should be discussed before deciding, or in other words, it is my job to deal with the opponent..."

"Of course it's your job, it's just that we were irritated by the software you asked the secretary to bring and overstepped our authority a little. It won't happen again next time, I promise, Jim." Mickey said to Jim.

Secretary Debbie came in from outside with a carefully prepared cocktail and handed it to Jim, who had not recovered yet: "Mr. Manz, your drink."

Jim took it, walked in front of Mickey, took a few deep breaths, and then said with a fierce expression: "Okay, I forgive you, but if I fucking find something wrong, I will withdraw the lawsuit as soon as possible, and you can't stop me. .”

"Of course." Mickey said firmly.

"Please drink." Jim handed the cocktail to Mickey, turned around and left the other party's office in a hurry.

After watching Jim leave, who passed by him without saying goodbye, Jonathan said to Mickey, who was holding a cocktail: "Jim looks very angry."

Mickey Capper walked up to the drawing with a cocktail in hand, admiring his work, and suddenly poured the cocktail on the drawing. He turned around and looked at Jonathan: "Do you think we are leaving those damn capitalists in Jim's mouth? A baby that’s going to die at any moment?”

"I don't know. I only know that our Lotus company provides Jim with a salary." Jonathan shrugged: "It's not Leon Severn."

Nearly 5,000 words, this is the only update. I have to get up early tomorrow to drive my wife out~ Sorry