Who would still start a business seriously after being reborn?

Chapter 521 Are You OK?

Watching Lei Jun's plane disappear into the leaden-gray clouds, Huang Wenrong couldn't help but say, "President Lei is a true hero. His journey must have been extremely dangerous. We must do something for him."

"Yes," Cheng Yi sighed, then solemnly clasped his hands together and murmured devoutly, "The only thing we can do now is to pray for him sincerely."

"..." Huang Wenrong stared intently at Cheng Yi, whose face showed a devout expression.

For a moment, he was speechless.

After Cheng Yi finished praying, he turned around and asked, "What's the situation with Enze Capital?"

"Jacob has initially agreed to invest in Vision World, but the price of $5 million is still being negotiated. He is demanding that some of Enze Capital’s priority investment rights in other projects in London be attached."

Huang Wenrong quickly reported: "In addition, News Corp. and Viacom have escalated their propaganda offensive. They have begun to focus their firepower on the Blizzard Cup esports tournament in several Southeast Asian countries, especially Singapore, accusing it of being a front for money laundering and illegal gambling, in an attempt to influence the Singapore government's support for the finals."

"Illegal gambling?" Cheng Yi asked in surprise, "Where did you find this charge?"

Huang Wenrong said, "Generally, there are off-field matches in these world-class competitions, including the World Cup. Some of them are legal, and some are not. It is impossible to completely eliminate this kind of thing."

Cheng Yi's eyes turned cold as he said, "Then we should crack down on the illegal activities. Contact Zhang Bao. It's been over two years since we started training him, and it's time for him to take the lead."

“Yes,” Huang Wenrong said. “If Zhang Bao steps in, illegal gambling in Southeast Asia and the Middle East should be able to be curbed. After all, our competitions don’t get much attention, and these off-the-books matches are just a waste of their time. They can do it or not.”

“Yes, tell Zhang Bao that the Middle East is fine, but in Southeast Asia, no illegal gambling dens are allowed. I don’t care what methods they use, if even one appears, I will hold them accountable,” Cheng Yi said in a deep voice.

"Okay." Huang Wenrong also knew the seriousness of this matter.

Singapore is the registered location and venue for the finals of Global Vision, and also a key foothold for Enze Capital in Asia.

Microsoft's move has hit the Achilles' heel of the Universal Vision project with remarkable precision.

If the event is stigmatized or even canceled, not only will the 10 billion prize pool plan go bankrupt, but the entire global promotion of satellite dishes will also be stillborn.

Cheng Yi spoke very quickly: "To Enze Capital, tell Mike that Jacob's conditions are negotiable, but $5 million is the bottom line. The scope of priority investment rights must be limited to the safe zone we have defined. We cannot let him reach into the core. At the same time, have him find a way to leak the news that the Rothschild family has agreed to invest to the BBC and the Financial Times."

"Leaked?" Huang Wenrong was taken aback.

“Yes, it’s not an official announcement, but rather a leak from sources. It’s letting those American media outlets that are besieging Enze Capital know that established European capital has already invested in Global Vision. Let’s see if they remain united or if internal turmoil breaks out first,” Cheng Yi sneered.

"Understood!" Huang Wenrong instantly understood Cheng Yi's meaning.

While people of this era may not be fully aware of the internal conflicts within these giants, they are no secret in 2024, a time of rapid development in mobile networks.

The so-called secrets they kept hidden have long been widely publicized by Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok, which advocate freedom.

The more you try to block something, the faster it spreads.

In his previous life, Cheng Yi worked for a rogue software company that often used these giants' secrets to create pop-up ads, attracting onlookers to click in. When they were still interested, the company would then launch a second wave of ads, bringing that familiar green hue to the screen.

These giants' secrets are basically all their traffic-generating tools.

Among these, the Rothschild family is arguably the most talked-about segment.

Firstly, the Rothschild family's assets amount to tens of trillions of US dollars, which alone is enough to attract attention.

Secondly, the Rothschild family is highly divided and competitive, with high-ranking members frequently being taken down by gunmen. These incidents have become hot topics for attention.

Will Rothschild, whose net worth is four trillion, died mysteriously in a fire at his Los Angeles home.

The CEO of Rothschild's $2 trillion healthcare group was shot dead in the street.

Even companies like Microsoft have some degree of conflict with several tech giants.

The battle between IBM and Microsoft is a case in point.

London, Heathrow Airport.

As soon as Lei Jun and Chen Rui stepped out of the customs passage, they were surrounded by a surging crowd and flashing camera flashes.

Long lenses and short lenses were practically shoved in my face, and a flood of questions in English with various accents came rushing in.

"Mr. Lei! Microsoft has accused Jinshan Software of unfair competition using WPS. What is your response?"

"Mr. Lei, as the president of a top software group in China, is your trip to London to seek European capital to counter Microsoft?"

"Mr. Lei, we have heard that you have close ties with Enze Capital. Are you here to lobby on their behalf?"

Chen Rui nervously tried to stand in front of Lei Jun, but Lei Jun gently pushed him away.

Faced with this unexpected welcoming ceremony, Lei Jun's signature gentle smile remained unchanged. He knew that this must have been arranged by Cheng Yi or Enze Capital.

These people really treat him like an animal.

They just landed, haven't even had a sip of water, and are already being forced to start operating.

He stopped and straightened his suit collar, exuding composure as if he were standing on the stage of his own company's press conference.

Facing dozens of media outlets, Lei Jun raised his hand, revealed a very friendly smile, and called out, "Are you okay..."

Lei Jun said a few words in English, but the audience remained silent.

He frowned slightly and said to Chen Rui, "These people don't seem to understand my English. Can you translate for me?"

"Ah, okay." It was the first time Chen Rui had heard his boss speak English, and he was completely absorbed in listening.

Soon, Lei Jun's voice clearly reached everyone's ears: "First, I must clarify one point. I, Lei Jun, am here representing only Jinshan Software and myself. Our purpose is simple: to seek cooperation, to seek development, and to seek a fair, open, and unconquered global software market environment for Jinshan, one that is not stifled by the monopoly of giants." He paused deliberately, allowing Chen Rui to convey his words precisely.

The hall quieted down a bit.

"Microsoft is one of the greatest companies in the world, and we respect its achievements."

Lei Jun said with a hint of regret, “But respect is not the same as submission. When a company uses its monopoly position to maliciously suppress competitors through technological means, even at the cost of harming the interests and choices of users worldwide, it is not competition, but bullying.”

"Even in London, and even in Microsoft's backyard in the United States, WPS continues to provide users with efficient, convenient, and secure services. This is the choice of users and the choice of the market. Any attempt to stifle this choice is a betrayal of the spirit of the free market!"

This resounding declaration was highly impactful and excited many reporters.

This is a voice from the Third World; there's a lot to explore here.

Lei Jun continued, "Jinshan Software has no intention of making enemies with anyone. We just want to make good products and serve our users well. But if someone wants to bring the flames of war to our heads and deprive our users of their right to choose, then for the sake of our users and for a healthy industry ecosystem, Jinshan Software will fight to the end, no matter how powerful our opponents are!"

He raised his head slightly, his gaze sweeping across the room, deliberately exuding an air of formidable resolve, and continued, "I came to Europe to seek understanding, and also to seek like-minded people. I believe that in this land of Europe, which cherishes freedom, fairness, and innovation, we will surely find common ground. That's all I have to say, thank you all."

After saying that, he ignored all further questions and, under the escort of Chen Rui and the Black Panther Security Europe branch personnel who were already waiting there, walked steadily through the crowd and toward the Mercedes-Benz that had been waiting for him.

Flashbulbs went off behind him as he captured the first appearance of this antitrust fighter from the East in London.

Jingzhou, top-floor office of Momo Group headquarters.

On the huge screen, a live BBC report on Raymond Leigh's speech at London Airport was playing.

Cheng Yi leaned back in his large executive chair, watching Lei Jun's speech frame by frame.

He planned to record every word Lei Jun said, so that if anything happened to Lei Jun, these words could become a sharp sword.

"Mr. Lei's aura is really impressive. Mr. Cheng, you've chosen the right person this time." Li Weiwei, who has studied abroad for many years, couldn't help but exclaim, "These words carry a lot of weight in the European and American markets. It's like putting Microsoft on the hot seat. Microsoft pays a hefty anti-monopoly fine to Europe every year."

Cheng Yi smiled and said, "Of course. Looking across the whole country, President Lei is the only one who can compare with me."

Hearing Cheng Yi say that, Li Weiwei was somewhat surprised.

Isn't this a bit too much praise for Lei Jun?
Li Weiwei knew Cheng Yi's abilities and methods very well. The fact that Cheng Yi had elevated Lei Jun to this level seemed rather strange.

Cheng Yi laughed and said, "What Mr. Lei is best at is that he knows how to portray himself as a banner of positive energy, and those European capitalists who are dissatisfied with American giants will be happy to raise this banner."

London, Mayfair district, Rothschild Trust headquarters.

A small but high-profile signing ceremony is underway.

There were not many media outlets; only reporters from the Financial Times and The Economist, two top financial media outlets, were allowed to enter.

On the background wall, the logos of Enze Capital and Rothschild Investment Trust are displayed side by side.

Mike and Jacob smiled as they signed their names on several thick documents, then exchanged texts, shook hands, and posed for a photo.

The flash clearly captured this historic moment.

Jacob spoke into the microphone in a steady and powerful voice: "The Rothschild Trust is delighted to become a strategic shareholder of Universal Vision. We are very optimistic about the enormous potential of new media technologies to connect the world, and we are optimistic about Universal Vision's vision in breaking down information barriers and promoting cultural diversity."

"This is a forward-looking investment, and we believe it will bring positive and far-reaching changes to the global media landscape."

Jacob made no mention of Microsoft or the US crackdown, but his words conveyed a clear message of challenging the existing media giants.

Mike then spoke, his tone full of confidence: "Thank you, Mr. Jacob, for your vision. The collaboration between Enze Capital and the Rothschild Trust will undoubtedly inject strong capital momentum and deep European resources into Universal Vision. We will work together to build a truly global, diversified, and user-centric modern media platform. Universal Vision's Blizzard Cup Global Esports Tournament will be the first grand debut of this vision, and we hope everyone will give it their support!"

The press release and photos of the signing ceremony spread instantly throughout the global financial and technology circles through the channels of two top financial media outlets, as well as the official channels of Enze Capital and Rothschild Trust, immediately after the ceremony ended.

The effect was explosive.

The name Rothschild itself represents power and historical significance.

Its public stance instantly reversed the passive situation of Enze Capital and Huanyu Vision in the public opinion arena.

Some European investors who were previously hesitant and observing have begun to actively contact Enze Capital.

The internal divisions within Viacom have become public, with its European president stating in an interview that "a reassessment of the position on Viacom is needed."

Even News Corp.'s offensive has noticeably weakened, and CNN's reports have begun to analyze the emergence of 'cracks within the Microsoft camp'.

For the next period of time, the headquarters of Momo Group in Jingzhou appeared calm on the surface, but inside it was like a precision machine running at high speed.

Yu Sen led the Moc-os technical team to work overnight to produce a detailed technical white paper titled "On Ensuring Fairness in Esports: The Application of the Moc-os System in the Blizzard Cup," which was then released globally through Enze Capital.

Now that Microsoft has taken the initiative to provoke them, Enze Capital is no longer being polite and has directly announced that it will use the Moc-os system as the only designated competition system for the Blizzard Cup.

Although Momo Group and Microsoft signed a truce agreement, the agreement only stipulated that Momo Group would not promote its operating system overseas, but did not restrict others from purchasing computers with the Moc-OS system installed in China.

In addition, Microsoft is currently preoccupied with internal troubles within its camp, so they have no choice but to remain silent in the face of this matter.

To catch the thief, first catch the king. Once we take down Enze Capital, how can we not deal with Momo Group?
Meanwhile, the headquarters of Universal Vision mobilized all available media relations to launch a counter-offensive in Singapore.

They closely linked the Blizzard Cup to Singapore's national strategy of building an Asian esports hub, listing the huge benefits it would bring to employment, tax revenue, and international image, which finally stabilized the Singapore government's attitude.

From a fundamental perspective, Universal Vision is currently considered stable.

(End of this chapter)