Who would still start a business seriously after being reborn?

Chapter 425 The Earliest Starlink Project
Musk was quite normal at first, achieving minor success with his two startups.

In particular, his founding of PayPal caused quite a stir in the industry, but since his company was acquired by eBay and he was kicked out, he has become quite abstract.

He was a good-for-nothing with $1.6 million from eBay, and he started implementing the 'Mars Oasis' project in 2001.

Many people thought he was just making things up because he was mentally unstable, but unexpectedly, this guy actually rented a rocket from a Russian space company and tried to launch a small laboratory to Mars.

His behavior was seen by many as utter madness.

Even the Russian space agency thought it was pure nonsense, but they naturally wouldn't let go of the money that was offered to them, so they reluctantly helped Musk transport a set of materials for building the laboratory.

As for whether they actually sent those supplies to Mars, Musk doesn't know. In any case, after sending them once, the Russian space agency stopped sending them.

Perhaps feeling guilty, or perhaps thinking that fooling a fool once was enough, they simply gave up.

This directly led to Musk's Mars colonization plan being abandoned just as it was getting started.

Just when everyone thought Musk would come to his senses, he became abstract again.

He felt that his plan failed because he didn't have access to a space company.

So in mid-2002, Musk founded SpaceX, a space exploration company, officially launching his Mars colonization plan.

In an era where planes frequently crash, Musk's Mars colonization plan has been met with a barrage of ridicule and sarcasm.

A globally renowned newspaper named Musk the biggest fraudster of the century.

This comment also caused Musk to completely lose his ability to attract investors.

Researching rocket technology is something that Musk's $1.6 million simply cannot accomplish.

The emergence of Enze Capital made Musk feel like he had met a savior.

Investing in Musk was one of Cheng Yi's plans. After all, Musk had been struggling without any business investment between 2002 and 2008. If it weren't for Musk's father owning a gem mine in Africa, Musk would have gone bankrupt long ago.

Worst of all, from 2006 to 2009, all of Musk's rocket launches ended in failure, nearly bankrupting his company.

Cheng Yi has absolutely no hope for Musk's Mars colonization plan. He thinks, "We haven't even figured out how to live on Earth yet, how can we be thinking about living on Mars?"
Although many people in later generations believe that Musk's Mars colonization plan is beneficial to mankind, programmers like Cheng Yi do not really approve of Musk's actions.

Cheng Yi is more optimistic about his Starlink project than the Mars colonization plan.

The Starlink project is truly groundbreaking and is also a very practical project that can be implemented in the present.

Back in 1998, Motorola launched a project called the Iridium system, which was the earliest Starlink project. Its space portion consisted of satellites operating in seven orbits, with 11 satellites evenly distributed in each orbit, forming a complete constellation.

Because they resemble the chemical element iridium, they were called Iridium satellites. Later, after repeated calculations by top researchers around the world, it was confirmed that six orbits were sufficient to achieve global communication, so the total number of satellites was reduced to 66.

Users can directly connect to the satellite for communication simply by holding a handphone, without needing a parabolic antenna several meters in diameter to make calls worldwide.

Motorola's satellite deployment mission was completed in May 1998, and on November 1, Motorola officially launched its global communications services.

The most distinctive feature of the Iridium system is that it achieves global communication through relay between satellites, essentially bringing the terrestrial cellular mobile phone system into space.

Compared with the currently used geostationary satellite communication systems, it has two major advantages: first, the orbit is low, the transmission speed is fast, the information loss is small, and the communication quality is greatly improved; second, the Iridium system does not require a dedicated ground receiving station, and every mobile phone can communicate with the satellite, which makes it possible to communicate without obstacles in barren lands, remote areas with poor communication, and natural disaster sites.

It can be said that the Iridium system ushered in a new era of personal satellite communications.

However, this system is also too advanced, perhaps excessively so.

They launched the project without developing matching phones and mobile devices, and ultimately declared bankruptcy in 2000.

Plans like this require a madman to execute.

Looking at the global landscape, Musk is the most suitable person to execute this plan.

Firstly, Musk currently owns nothing except a gem mine.

Secondly, the Starlink project can be linked to Musk's SpaceX.

Ever since the problems with the school's intranet arose, Cheng Yi has been considering the issue of wireless networks.

2G is just starting in China, while 3G has already been launched in developed countries.

In terms of network technology, we are five or six years behind Europe and the United States. It will be difficult to shorten this gap in 3G technology, at least not within the capabilities of Momo Group.

However, this also led to the prosperity of the internet cafe industry in China for nearly ten years, continuing into the 4G era.

In the domestic market, all we need to do is continue to work steadily and surely. Once internet cafes are spread all over the country, the Momo system will also be revitalized.

However, the situation is different in overseas markets. With the three giants Intel, Microsoft and IBM in the market, it is almost impossible to expand overseas. To gain a foothold overseas, it is necessary to take a shortcut to overtake them.

Whether in the 3G or 4G era, China has lagged behind. Whether it is 4G mobile phones or 4G computer equipment, China can only passively allow overseas companies to reap huge profits. One step behind means falling behind at every step. This backward state was already sown in the 1980s and 1990s.

To think that we can catch up in the new century is simply a pipe dream.

Even Huawei, in later generations, was really just desperately trying to maintain the last vestige of dignity in the IT industry.

In the Starlink field, the world is completely blank. Satellite phones and satellite computers are in a completely different track from ordinary phones and computers. Most importantly, there is no competition in this track, just like the internet cafe industry. Top groups think this thing is unreliable.

Now that we've been reborn, we're going to go crazy! Even if we lose, Musk will be there to take the fall. If we win, we can change the direction of the IT industry, shifting the R&D goals of Microsoft and Apple, and putting everyone on an equal footing to compete again.

During this period, Cheng Jian and Musk were getting along very well. The two had similar personalities and were both outliers among scammers.

Cheng Jian likes to deceive foreigners.

Musk also likes to deceive foreigners.

Furthermore, Enze Capital's initial investment of $8000 million in Musk, acquiring a 38% stake in SpaceX, further strengthened the relationship between the two.

For Musk, SpaceX is a bubble; it has nothing to offer. His $8000 million investment for a 38% stake is essentially buying a bunch of air for $8000 million.

So Musk wanted to swindle Cheng Jian's money, and Cheng Jian wanted to swindle Musk's people.

These two are a perfect match!
To help SpaceX raise funds, with Musk's involvement, Enze Capital acquired a French aerospace company, then repackaged and listed the company to help SpaceX raise capital.

Musk is a smart man. He put all of SpaceX's rocket development projects into this aerospace company and hired professional managers. Meanwhile, he and Cheng Jian worked behind the scenes, advocating for rockets to enter every household, and began researching rockets with the lowest launch costs.

Jiang Yuxi and the others were all watching the Spring Festival Gala intently, while Cheng Yi, who wasn't interested in it, went back to his bedroom and turned on his computer. He first activated the VPN to remotely log into an American server, and then accessed Stephen Reibus's business email through the American server.

The email he is currently using is an email product developed by an international email company that was acquired by Enze Capital.

For Cheng Yi's email account, the email company uses the highest level of security, meaning that emails are deleted immediately after reading and do not go to the recycle bin.

The inbox was empty; there were no new emails.

After logging out of the server, Cheng Yi logged into his domestic email account. This was his regular Shangyi email account, which didn't have any security level and was used for sending and receiving emails.

I opened my email and found more than a dozen emails.

Most of them were New Year's greetings emails from friends. He read through them one by one and found that there was even an email from Zhang Bao.

The email contained Zhang Bao's work report, a photo, and a New Year's greeting from him.

In the photo, Zhang Bao, who is noticeably darker-skinned, is holding a KH2002 assault rifle. Behind him are dozens of jeeps filled with fully armed people of all kinds, laughing at the camera while holding up a banner that reads "Happy New Year, Boss."

Upon seeing this photo, Cheng Yi couldn't help but burst out laughing.

It must be said that Zhang Bao's carefree personality is well-suited to growing up wildly overseas.

As the head of the overseas business division of Black Panther Security Group, Zhang Bao has already gained a certain degree of recognition in the Middle East.

Many businessmen who travel to the Middle East for business negotiations often choose Black Panther Security Group, which offers relatively high cost-performance.

Zhang Bao now has a security team of more than 3000 people in the area, many of whom are retired special forces recruited from various countries.

The only difference between them and Blackwater's Middle East branch is that they don't have the support of armed helicopters because they don't accept military orders.

"This guy's life is truly enviable." Looking at Zhang Bao's unrestrained smile, Cheng Yi couldn't help but be infected by it.

With over 3000 armed bodyguards, Zhang Bao is considered a powerful figure in the Middle East.

Whether Zhang Bao did it intentionally or unintentionally, he would often send over photos, including pictures of target practice, pictures of buying firearms, and pictures of testing new firearms, which really made Cheng Yi envious.

He has never touched a gun in either his past or present life.

Men's love for guns is probably no less than their love for women.

"Once I've sorted out Shengda's troubles, I'll also take a trip to the Middle East."

Just as Cheng Yi finished deleting the emails in his inbox, he heard Jiang Yuxi shouting outside: "Cheng Yi, hurry, the girl who has a crush on you is on the Spring Festival Gala!"

Upon hearing Jiang Yuxi's words, Jiang Aiguo and the others, who had been speaking out for Iraq, all turned to look at the television.

A girl who has a crush on Cheng Yi will appear on the Spring Festival Gala?

Doesn't this sound surreal?
Jiang Aiguo even stood up and moved closer to the television.

On TV, a girl group was jumping and dancing on stage, their youthful energy practically overflowing through the screen.

"Which one has a crush on Cheng Yi?" Jiang Aiguo asked, looking at the three energetic girls.

Jiang Yuxi pointed to the girl in the middle of the three girls and said, "That's the girl in the middle, she's head over heels in love with Cheng Yi."

At this moment, Cheng Na, Cheng Rui, and Cheng Ting on the sofa were all intrigued by Jiang Yuxi's words.

Cheng Na exclaimed, "Cheng Yi, is this true or false? I've never heard you mention this before!"

"Brother, is Rao Yuan your girlfriend? Really? I love their group the most!" Cheng Ting was also incredibly excited.

Seeing that his cousins ​​believed Jiang Yuxi's words, Cheng Yi couldn't help but walk out of the bedroom, glaring at Jiang Yuxi and saying irritably, "Jiang Yuxi, don't talk nonsense during the New Year."

"What nonsense am I talking about?" Jiang Yuxi said confidently. "Sister Su Duo said that Rao Yuan's apartment has a lot of your photos on it."

"Wow! Bro, you're amazing! You're my idol!" Cheng Ting's eyes sparkled, and the way she looked at Cheng Yi changed.

Jiang Aiguo looked at Cheng Yi with some surprise. He hadn't expected that Cheng Yi would have such a lucky love life.

He looked at Jiang Yuxi, who was still laughing and joking, with a look of disappointment and frustration, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

His daughter is really disappointing. Big stars are pursuing her so much, how come she hasn't realized it yet?

It's easy for a woman to pursue a man, especially since this girl grew up with Cheng Yi. Doesn't that give her a natural advantage?

Jiang Aiguo was about to say a few words when Cheng Jianshu called out, "Aiguo, what are you doing getting involved with the kids? Hurry up, it's your turn to offer a toast."

Jiang Aiguo glanced at Cheng Yi, then at his daughter, wondering if he should ask Cheng Yi for help.

Although forced fruit is never sweet, it doesn't matter whether it's sweet or not, as long as it quenches your thirst.

Having made up his mind, Jiang Aiguo didn't say much and staggered back to the table.

As soon as Jiang Aiguo left, Cheng Ting and the others grabbed Cheng Yi and started chattering away, asking him a series of questions.

The conversation revolved entirely around Rao Yuan, leaving Cheng Yi unsure how to respond.

They only let Cheng Yi go after he agreed to help them get autographed photos.

As the New Year's bells rang, their New Year's Eve dinner finally came to an end.

Everyone returned to their homes and began the series of procedures for bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the new.

The next morning, Cheng Yi drove back to the village, gave a brief New Year's greeting, and then locked himself in his bedroom.

He hadn't logged into the game for three days. During the Spring Festival holiday, he planned to indulge himself a bit.

(End of this chapter)