America 1982

Stanford University's Liberty Avenue, a sunny morning.

"Tommy! Can you sign your autobiography for me?" A brown-skinned girl with a cheerful smile waved a book in her hand, trotted up to the two of them, and handed Tommy the pen and pen she carried. Books, asked with a smile.

Tommy took the book and pen from the other party and said, "Of course, this is my honor."

"Can I ask quietly, where can I buy the little movie you participated in?" When Tommy unscrewed the pen cap, the girl bit her lip for a moment, and finally asked Tommy in a lowered voice.

This made Jason, who was walking with Tommy towards the garage, stare: "Girl! Did you see some pirated news?"

While speaking, Jason arched his right arm: "It's me, Jason White, who makes the movie. Look at my biceps! Look at my biceps! I'm the actor, and I got the best award." What a great actor, you should come to me for an autograph."

"Sorry, I thought it was Tommy." The girl sighed regretfully after hearing Jason's words.

Tommy smiled and signed the title page of the autobiography "I Should Die Immediately" handed over by the girl, which will be released soon after the verdict is released, and then returned it to the other party with his hands, and said with a warm smile: "Thank you for purchasing this A book, miss.”

The girl ignored Jason's endless complaints. After receiving Tommy's signature, she happily turned and left. Looking at the other person's retreating figure, Jason White turned his head unhappily and asked Tommy:

"Obviously it was me who saved Actor Company by betraying my peerless appearance. Why did these women, after hearing the news, either look like they were regretting that you were not the one to make a short movie, or they just regarded this as the most important turning point in the history of Actor Company's entrepreneurship? On your head?"

"Maybe it's because..." Tommy noticed Jason's increasingly murderous face. He carefully considered that his distance from Jason was not enough to escape the bastard's beating. He said against his will, "Ladies, you're worried. Your oversize clubs scare them, after all, your body looks like it can compete in a bodybuilding competition, and the only man at Stanford who is qualified to rely on his body for a living is you, Dad Jason."

Jason nodded with satisfaction: "Very good, son, this answer saves you, and it also solves a problem that was bothering me just now."

"What's the problem?" Tommy Hawke breathed a sigh of relief and asked Jason.

Jason put his arm around Tommy's shoulders and said lightly:

"It's nothing, I was just thinking. If the answer that came out of your mouth just now is not the answer that I am satisfied with, which technique in American wrestling should I use to finish you? Is it a jaw-breaking blow to knock off all your teeth? , or use the guillotine to rip off your head directly."

When the two walked to garage No. 9, most of the items in the garage had been emptied, leaving only a few packing boxes that had not been removed. In the empty garage, Holly, Susan, Mark, Sophia and the part-time customer service team of Actor Company The person in charge, Gary Goode, was sitting on these boxes and was smiling and chatting. When he saw the Stanford roommates walking in arm-in-arm, they stopped talking and looked at them.

In other words, looking at Tommy Hawke, even Jason let go of his hand around Tommy's shoulders and looked at Tommy.

Actor Company has rented a larger office space in Silicon Valley, and its staff has rapidly expanded to more than 70 people, and there is still a steady stream of recruitment. This garage is no longer enough to carry Actor Company's rapidly expanding dreams.

Today, the place will be completely emptied and the keys will be handed back to Stanford.

"Time seems to have suddenly become precious, right?" Tommy looked at the garage, lightly kicked the packing boxes a few times with his feet, turned his head and said to a few people with a sigh:

"Jason, Holly has taken a leave of absence, Susan is busy with her studies at community college, Mark is in charge of the Hope staffing company, and Sophia is currently busy serving as Ms. Delia Case's visiting professor at Stanford Law School. Assistant, everyone has a bright future, everyone has changed, but I am still the carefree, innocent and innocent college student Tommy."

Jason took out the cigarette, lowered his head and lit it, then looked at Susan, Holly and Mark who looked at him with inquiring eyes, and finally shook his head:

“I couldn’t convince him to drop out, guys, but he made me fucking vomit because he said he wanted to continue his studies at Stanford University and use knowledge to change his destiny. Who can resist the urge to vomit after hearing such bullshit? , you can try again, but I can’t do it anyway.”

"Leave aside the shares in Actor Company and just the money you earn from publishing books, you already have nearly one million in your bank account. Tommy, you can now teach a course at Stanford on how to get rich quickly." Holly sighed, Said to Tommy: "You must have other reasons for insisting on completing your studies, right?"

Tommy Hawke is now a real millionaire and has not taken a penny from Actor Company. But this guy hid it from everyone and asked Delia to quietly contact a publishing house she knew early on to plan to publish a book. He even secretly found a ghostwriter to write the manuscript.

So the day after Actor Company won the lawsuit, a new book called "I Should Die Now" appeared in the bookstore, telling the story of Tommy Hawke's childhood, youth, how he was admitted to Stanford University, and his original intention of founding Actor Company, etc. Let's just say they privately joked that the book had another title, "Jesus's Path to Redemption in Modern America."

A book sells for $25, and the author gets 15%. If subsequent sales increase, the share will increase. Calculated at 15%, that is to say, for every book sold, Tommy will get three dollars. , and then people realized that in addition to software can be sold on TV, books can also be sold. This guy went to various TV direct sales programs to sell inspirational stories written by someone he had found, and sold them to those who were eager to imitate Tommy and copy them. Successful people have sold nearly 300,000 copies. While making a lot of money, they also have the title of best-selling author on their head.

"This time we are not discussing the issue of me persisting in completing my studies. This issue has no value for discussion." Tommy did not answer Holly's doubts, but looked at the people in front of him:

"Today, for the last time as CEO of Actor, I announced some internal decisions of the company. I have communicated with two board members, Mr. Benjamin Rosen and Jerry Hughes, and he did not object, so he It doesn’t matter if you’re not here. The first thing is that the company’s chairman and CEO will be taken over by Holly Keener. Jason needs to focus on other issues because he is the founder of EFF and there are many things to deal with there. I can’t take care of the Actor company at the same time, so just like me, I only retain my position on the board of directors, but no longer participate in daily management.”

Everyone had been mentally prepared for Holly Keener to take over the Actor Company, but Tommy had not officially announced it. Compared to Tommy Hawke, who was always talking, Holly was indeed the busiest in the company. She is the person who wants to fulfill everything Tommy says and praise. She has also been acting as the spokesperson for Actor Company to communicate with all walks of life. As the person in charge of Actor Company, no one thinks Surprisingly, this beautiful blonde woman won it through hard work and ability.

"Tommy, I'm grateful for your trust in me, but I think you should stay on for a while so that I can learn more comprehensive thinking from you. I..." Although Tommy had already told her before , the Actor Company will give her the responsibility, but when this moment comes, Holly will still be nervous and subconsciously unconfident when facing Tommy.

After all, Tommy Hawke was too dazzling before. Who could have thought of those unconstrained methods that broke through the limits of imagination?

Actor Company has been in the eye of the storm since its birth, and until he finally defeated his opponent, Tommy Hawke was a calm and experienced captain. He firmly held the rudder of Actor Company's small ship in the stormy seas and sailed calmly through the wind and waves. , standing proudly at the forefront.

From nothing, to now it has received a total investment of 30 million from two major companies, Compaq and AT\u0026amp;T, accounting for 20% of the shares. This means that the valuation of Actor has reached 150 million, and the follow-up is obvious. It will grow.

Lotus, which was defeated by Tommy, was only valued at 1.2 billion based on actual software sales. Actor did nothing but amassed more than 600,000 users by giving away copied software for free. Defeating Lotus in court, it has already been valued at 150 million, and this was all done by Tommy Hawke. Neither he nor Jason, although they have done a lot of work, have never I thought about the amazing returns and the market value of over 100 million. Although my original 30% stake in Actor Company was diluted with the investment, it was already worth tens of millions. In the future, with each investment dilution, the value will only be more.

If he takes over the Actor company, he will never be able to achieve more impressive results than Tommy. The most shining moment of the Actor company will never be repeated as Tommy Hawke chooses to withdraw from the day-to-day management of the company.

"Have confidence in yourself, Holly. Besides, I have talked to you about some ideas for future development before. If you encounter problems that you think need to be discussed or are difficult to deal with again, you can call me privately to make an appointment and buy it in advance. A box of Trojan, I am very willing to give you some advice. Thinking is not learned, it is honed by continuous thinking and trying." Tommy walked up to Holly, reached out and touched her delicately made-up face and said:

"You always have to learn to think about comprehensive issues personally. This is a good opportunity. You can use the investment from Compaq and AT\u0026amp;T to develop the company and improve yourself at the same time. This is a precious opportunity, even if You can’t even learn this knowledge at Harvard Business School. You can waste money, but don’t waste opportunities. If it weren’t for our deep friendship, you wouldn’t have this opportunity even if you paid me the damn money, do you understand?”

"Understood." Holly looked Tommy directly in the eyes and nodded.

"Good." Tommy turned around and said to the other people:

"The second question is about income. We have worked hard for so long. Except for Mark and Susan, who received a salary of two hundred yuan a week, no one else has received a formal salary in the company. Mainly because we have no money, but Now that the storm has passed and the Actors are no longer short of money, it’s time to turn the company’s banknotes into their own banknotes.”

When it comes to income, everyone looks to Tommy. Tommy first sets his sights on Jason and Holly:

"Shareholders also need to receive a salary if they work. I specifically asked several other companies about the salary of shareholders while working for reference. Mr. Seymour-Rubinstein of MicroPort said that he pays himself five dollars a week. Thousands of dollars in pocket money. Mr. Steve Ballmer, a small shareholder of Microsoft, earns two thousand dollars a week. Mr. Benjamin Rosen only receives a pitiful salary of two hundred thousand dollars a year from Compaq. Therefore, as CEO, Holly Officer, with an annual salary of 200,000, Jason, randomly arrange for him to have a position in Actor Company other than a shareholder, and receive 150,000 per year, and help him buy a medical insurance that covers frigidity treatment. I'm afraid Fifty thousand is not enough to cover the cost of his treatment, so be it.”

"What about you?" But Holly immediately realized a problem, that is, this bastard didn't give himself a salary.

Tommy shook his head at Holly: "I don't need to receive a salary. A symbolic weekly salary of one yuan is enough, but I must ensure my other benefits, such as helping me buy medical insurance that covers dentists, regular physical examinations at high-end private hospitals, etc. , and the pension with the highest income will be enough. Just don’t forget to remit the dividends from me as a shareholder to my account on a quarterly basis. The royalties are enough to cover my university expenses. You all know that I don’t care about money.”

"Yeah, your ordinary medical insurance and pension are enough for the company to hire five programmers." Holly rolled her eyes.

Tommy walked up to Gary Goode. This effeminate guy in front of him had done a lot of work for Jason before. Later, he led the customer service team as a part-time employee and provided various telephone consultations for a large user group. When he saw Tommy Mi looked at him, and Gary smiled: "Do I also have a high salary? I mean, I was getting a part-time salary before."

"You're overthinking, you're not." Tommy destroyed Gary's pitiful illusions with one sentence, and then asked: "You are an egalitarian, right?"

"That's right, otherwise why would I join the Stanford Women's Equality Organization?" Gary Goode didn't understand why Tommy asked this, but he still said.

Tommy nodded: "Very good, in order to thank you and the customer service team for your efforts, if you are willing to take a leave of absence, the company can give you an overseas assignment, maybe to Europe, maybe Asia, to help more people of other skin colors and countries. The company will also consider giving you some motivating rewards, and Holly will discuss the details with you."

Gary Goode looked at Holly in confusion, and Holly gestured to him to talk later.

Tommy thought for a while and said to Holly: "Susan and Mark are not strictly considered employees of Actor Company. They are members of Hope Human Resources Company. We will talk about their income later. Other employees of Actor Company do not need me." Have you taught me, Holly? Follow Microsoft and outsource everything. Let Delia help draft the contract. The design should be as complicated and obscure as possible. The unimportant staff should be recruited by Mark's human resources company. Always remember to save the company's costs. , we do charity, but we are not a charity.”

Tommy lit a cigarette, took a puff, and then continued: "Don't let employees eat too much. If they eat too much, they will think about issues that have nothing to do with work, such as rights, unions, and industry development. Of course, they shouldn’t be really hungry because of the nonsense they worry about. Employees who worry about credit card repayments every day will not be able to serve the company wholeheartedly. They must always be in a state of seventy percent full, which is harmful to their bodies and work enthusiasm. There are benefits.”

While giving himself a high salary, he also reminds himself to save the company's costs. If it is so contradictory, maybe only Tommy Hawke can say it, and he can do it so righteously.

"That's it, this is the arrangement of Actor Company." Tommy asked Jason, Holly and Gary: "Are there any other questions?"

Seeing that the three of them were shaking their heads, Tommy walked up to Mark, who was wearing a black jumper, and reached out to lift his hood: "How are you doing, Mark?"

"Compared to the big things you do, it's nothing." Mark said with a smile on Tommy's face.

"It's insignificant. You may feel that the human resources company is insignificant now compared to the Actor company, and you are scolding me in your heart. Look at the good things that this bastard Tommy has done, Jason, and Holly got a lot of money, and every one of me You only earn so little per month!" Tommy exhaled a puff of smoke, stared at Mark and said:

"I want you to know that you are now the head of the human resources department of many companies, do you understand? Before, you only helped those companies find cheap people who served tea and water. Next, I want you to work while Try to understand the world and there is a profession called headhunting. You are a natural expert at this job. Just like you did before when you scouted actors for small movies, you collect money and then use various means to help the companies that pay you to recruit them. Come to those computer geniuses, you will find that it is so damn easy to make money after pimping is replaced by a fancy term! Making money is easy, as long as you work hard. The reason why you make less now is because Holly and Jason have used their academic qualifications You have proven your ability, but you haven't. You can only perform better every time in exchange for better treatment. This is the reality of America."

"I will work hard." Mark nodded seriously: "I will find out what the profession of headhunting is."

"Very good, remember what I said? I want you to never go to those lousy things again. I want you to wear a designer suit and a luxury sports car." Tommy smiled and took out a car key and patted it in Mark's hand. In the other party's surprised eyes, he smiled and said:

"Parked outside the door of your residence, the latest two-seater Lotus sports car costs 40,000 yuan. It was bought for you in the name of the company using the profits of Hope Company and some blank expenses. The boss of Hope Human Resources Company should have his own car."

Mark looked excitedly at the keys to his sports car, and then at Tommy, trying hard to think of something to say, but he couldn't get the words out of his mouth.

"Don't be excited, this is the reward you deserve. If you perform badly, I will simply clean you up like I'm giving you a sports car now." Tommy patted the other person's shoulder and said to Holly:

"Holly, go back and transfer part of the shares you hold in Hope Company to Mark to give Mark some motivation. You don't have the energy to take care of it anyway."

Then Tommy walked up to Susan. Susan had changed her look compared to when she worked at Hope before. Her long hair was tied into a high ponytail, she was wearing loose and comfortable casual clothes, and she was playing with a pen in her hand. , sitting there, she seemed to have more sunshine and the youthful vitality that she should have at her age.

"A postdated check for twenty thousand dollars." Tommy took out a check from his arms and handed it to Susan.

Susan looked at Tommy with a puzzled face, and Tommy nodded: "Put it away."

Susan took the check and asked, "But you have already helped me pay for my community college tuition. I don't need the money. Hope's current part-time job is enough to cover my school expenses."

"I also helped you prepare the tuition and other expenses for Stanford University. Let's put it this way, girl, there is a price for me to help you pay for community college. This is an investment. If you get the transcription notice from Stanford University, , I will add an A to your life transcript. If it is a public university like the University of California, it will be a B. As for the transcription notices from other garbage universities, there is no need to notify me to congratulate you. Cash this check, and then Disappeared from my sight forever, because there are too many wastes in the world who don’t work hard, and I can’t find a reason to congratulate another waste in this world." Tommy looked at this woman who always believed in herself and grew up in the mud. :

"If you feel that climbing up is too tiring, then take out this check and take a look at it. It will tell you that if you lie down until you graduate, the rest of your life is only worth 20,000 yuan."

Susan shook the check in her hand, shrugged cutely, and tore it into pieces: "I won't give it a chance to look at me. Remember to cash a new check, Daddy Tommy."

Tommy touched Susan's head affectionately: "Good Girl, then remember, if you don't work hard, you will be as good as these check fragments and worthless. I know you will not let me down, because I met After you, you never let me down and every performance deserves an A."

"Sofia will definitely not be a good lawyer. Lawyers should not have such emotional behavior as crying." Tommy finally walked up to Sophia. Sophia had already had red eyes and took off her glasses when Tommy was talking to others. Keep wiping tears.

Hearing Tommy's words, she choked with laughter and said: "I'm just... just a little sad. I know we will meet again, but... but it won't be the same as before. I thought of Jason and Holly sitting there before We were bickering at the desk over there, and I remember that Susan sometimes changed her clothes boldly..."

She tried to make herself laugh and wiped away the tears with her fingers: "This is all the fault of Tommy, a bastard... If he is willing to take a leave of absence from school and continue to manage Actor Company, he can handle everything in an orderly manner, everyone. We can still gather around him and see each other every day, instead of letting everyone... separate like now... This feeling is very sad. I can't believe that I have been working in this garage for so long. I thought it would be a relief not to have to work, and I wouldn’t be so tired anymore, but when it really didn’t require me to be busy anymore...I actually...missed those days of hard work for Actor Company."

Jason, Holly, Mark, and Susan were all a little sad when they saw Sophia's reaction. Although Jason and Holly both work in Silicon Valley, and the distance between EFF's office and Actor Company is only three kilometers, they still see each other often. , I’m afraid it won’t recreate the scene of a few people talking and behaving unscrupulously in the garage.

Susan moved into the student dormitory of Dalport Community College, leaving Mark alone to continue to live in the apartment they shared. The two may still see each other from time to time at work, but they will not be together every day as before. We walked back to our apartment, sat on the sofa, called and ordered some takeout, and watched a movie together.

No one has changed, but life is completely different. Sophia thought for a long time and could only blame Tommy for all this, because Tommy has the ability to handle everything. As long as he is willing to continue to devote time and energy, everyone will be happy. People would still gather around him and act for every decision he made, but he refused and distributed these things to the people in front of him, completely tearing them apart.

He is just a bastard, Sophia thought sadly as she looked at the smiling Tommy in front of her.

Why can't everyone work together happily like before, fighting fiercely for the last cup of coffee and the last piece of pizza regardless of gender...

Tommy took out a tissue and handed it to Sophia, and said with a smile: "You should be happy, Sophia. These guys all have holidays. It would be better to make an appointment every year and get together for a few days regularly than to be together all day long. And you You and your friends need to continue to grow and keep yourself and your friends in the same class. Only in this way can you be friends for life, and I can always be proud to tell the world that at this moment, everyone in this garage is me. friends, not the poor chicks living under my Tommy Hawke wings.”

Sophia took a breath and took the tissue handed over by Tommy: "I'm just a little sad. Thank you, Tommy. This tissue made me feel for the first time that you are also a polite human being."

"You don't forget to attack me at such a sad moment. You were taught badly by me." Tommy laughed happily: "By the way, you have to go with me later."

Then he turned around, looked at the other people, and opened his arms: "Come on, we rich people will do it ourselves, move the things out, officially close the garage No. 9, and wait for its next tenant."

Several members of the Actor Company, who were worth a lot at this moment, moved the packing boxes out of the garage with great difficulty. After they were all moved out, the group stood in a row and looked at the completely empty garage.

Tommy finally pulled down the roller shutter door of the garage with his own hands, locked the door, and threw the key to Holly, who would return it to the Stanford University administration.

"Work hard for your life, everyone! I will cheer for you while studying at Stanford University. Don't contact me if you have nothing to do. The courses at Stanford University are very heavy." Tommy looked around the crowd and finished these words. Then he grabbed Sophia's wrist and walked towards the school.

Sophia was grabbed by Tommy's wrist and forcibly taken away. While struggling, she asked him confusedly: "But I haven't said goodbye to everyone yet, Tommy, this is very rude!"

"Goodbye? To these guys, I don't have to look back to know that they have raised their middle finger." Tommy said with a smile without looking back.

Sophia turned back curiously, and sure enough, except for Gary Goode, Holly, Jason, Mark, and Susan, the four people were raising their middle fingers in the direction where the two left.

"They did do that, but why? What you just said was not a curse word?" Sophia asked Tommy after seeing this scene.

Tommy said: "Because they have to work hard for my life at the same time. The harder they work, the more money I make. But I, the person who makes the most money, am not prepared to do anything. I just want to shout a few words from the side. Cheers, I think, that's why they gave me the middle finger."

"Tommy! You're a fucking bastard!" Holly looked at Tommy Hawke's back and suddenly shouted loudly. After shouting, tears flowed out first: "I can't believe it. Actor has no regrets.”

Jason exhaled and comforted Holly from the side: "You already told the answer, because he is an asshole."

"God and the world have witnessed it!" Hearing Holly's cry, Tommy did not look back, but raised his left middle finger high and shouted loudly:

"Actor! The birth of a bunch of assholes!"

It wasn't until she walked back to campus that Sophia adjusted her mood and asked Tommy, "Where are you taking me, Tommy?"

"Is the bed in your dorm room comfortable?" Tommy asked Sophia.

Sophia frowned, stopped where she was and glared at Tommy: "Tommy~~You can't always make such vulgar jokes on women that you think are charming but actually don't respect women enough."

"I'm not going to go to bed with you, Sophia. I now have a lot of female readers who are willing to have some affairs with me. As long as I agree, I can now help the United States create a state's newborn population." Tommy put his hands on his head Finally, facing the sunshine without stopping, he continued to walk forward, saying as he walked:

"I just want to say that you have slept on my pillow countless times on red-eye flights. This time, it is your turn to be the pillow. I want to have a good sleep."

This bastard's words made Sophia instantly recall the images of him and her caringly putting on the eye mask for her every time they took a red-eye flight, and then lending her his shoulder to use as a pillow.

"Do you think you'll sleep better if I get a breast augmentation and then you lie on it?" Sophia imitated Tommy's tone and said this to Tommy's back loudly with a tearful smile. She felt a little embarrassed. Bad jokes.

"You come back from breast augmentation, and I'm as sleepy as before. Wouldn't it be worse?" Under the sun, Tommy turned around, looked at Sophia, and waved with a tired face:

"So, why not go to bed first? I'm sleepy and need a long enough sleep."

Sophia walked over and walked side by side with Tommy: "What happens after you wake up?"

"Of course I will continue to be busy. I stayed in college not only for the graduation certificate, but also for the reason that the value of the SSD has not been squeezed out." Tommy walked towards the dormitory and said:

"The work of the Actor has come to an end, but my time in the Brotherhood has just begun."

Eight thousand words today~