Who would still start a business seriously after being reborn?

Chapter 661 Something Big Has Happened (Third Update)

Now Hector truly has no other choice, because once the Momo Group falls, the market share in China will be completely swallowed up by the Intel Group. At that time, Intel will become even stronger, which is definitely not a good thing for AMD in the long run. Now, there is a channel that allows him to continue to penetrate the market and maintain his presence even amidst the sanctions. Why not take advantage of it?

Deep down, Hector did not entirely harbor any resentment towards Intel.

So-called alliances are never equal.

If one can secretly sabotage Intel without completely breaking ties, while also profiting oneself, it would be a brilliant plan to kill two birds with one stone.

He even had a somewhat wicked fantasy about how furious Intel executives would be when they discovered the truth one day.

Besides, as Susan said, Chaowei is legally innocent.

It's perfectly normal for them to sell their goods to distributors in Southeast Asia.

As for where the distributors resold the products, what business is it of Chaowei?

Could Intel really send an audit team to every one of AMD's channel partners?

As long as Supermicro doesn't acknowledge it, this is a mess.

Even if Microsoft and Intel have suspicions, they can only suffer in silence without solid evidence.

Buying and selling is simply buying and selling; no one can truly control these two words.

“Momo Group…” Hector murmured the name of Momo Group.

He had to admit that Momo Group had indeed grown to the level of Samsung, and was even more ruthless and decisive than Samsung.

They played this move brilliantly, perfectly capturing their profit-driven nature.

How would you describe this in Chinese?
"I think it's called 'openly repairing the plank road while secretly crossing the Chencang pass,'" Hector thought carefully about the Chinese idiom he had learned.

He thought for a moment, then picked up his phone and called Tom, the vice president of sales, saying, "Tom, I know you're not happy about this. But that's business."

"Here's what we'll do: have your informal contact with our managers in Siam and Penang privately, and ask them to be mindful of the impact and not make a big fuss about it. Also, tell them that if there are more complex order requirements in the future, such as specific batches or packaging, we can consider accommodating them, but you must solemnly declare that the products absolutely cannot enter the Chinese market!"

Tom was silent for a few seconds on the other end of the phone, then finally sighed and said, "I understand, Mr. President."

Tom was indeed quite helpless; Hector had even gone so far as to do something so pointless and pointless.

What else could he say?
For the past few days, Cheng Yi has been doing something very private in a specially prepared, secluded room.

Cheng Yi sat alone in front of a computer screen, his face covered by a smooth silver metal mask. Even his eyes were covered with a special one-way light-filtering material to ensure that his gaze and any facial micro-expressions would not be revealed in the slightest.

The terminal he used went through several layers of encryption and redirection, and the IP address eventually showed up as an inconspicuous little island in Mexico.

The sound coming from the loudspeaker was a low, hoarse, electronically synthesized voice processed by a voice changer.

The computer screen in front of him was divided into more than a dozen small windows, each connected to a closed room.

There was a middle-aged man in each room, whose attire and appearance closely matched those of Lei Jun in his passport.

These people were impoverished nobles whom Zhang Bao had spent half a year collecting from prisons in various Middle Eastern countries.

In the Middle East, a region of ever-changing political landscape, prisons are never short of former nobles and fugitive royal descendants.

"Good afternoon, gentlemen." Cheng Yi's synthesized English voice echoed in the closed room and was transmitted to the ears of every candidate via the network: "Thank you for participating in this rare opportunity to turn your lives around."

A dozen or so faces with mixed Middle Eastern and North African features all had a look of anticipation in their eyes.

They were all between 40 and 50 years old, and their passport photos and basic identity information were five or six points, or even seven or eight points, similar to Lei Jun's.

More importantly, they all came from prominent families in various places, but as their illustrious backgrounds collapsed, they became the most unfortunate group. They didn't get to enjoy the good times, but when it came to suffering, they couldn't escape it.

Zhang Bao bought them out of prison and gave them a chance to rise to the top.

He became the stand-in for Mexican billionaire Smith Rebus.

At this moment, tension, longing, and even a hint of greed flickered in the eyes of these candidates.

They wore clothing provided by Zhang Bao, designed for Middle Eastern tycoons, and tried to straighten their backs, attempting to project a so-called aristocratic air.

"Now, each of you will introduce yourselves in English and explain your understanding of the identity of Lei Jun. Number one, you start." Cheng Yi gave the first instruction, his voice cold and flat.

At window number one, a young man with gleaming eyes spoke eagerly: "Honorable sir, my name is... I was once the son of a spice merchant in Sana'a. I am well-mannered and can ride a horse... My understanding of Mr. Rebus is that he should be a kind and generous investor..."

He spoke quickly, with a clear air of flattery.

"Number 2." Cheng Yi didn't comment, but silently switched to the next one.

Number Two was a slightly slick middle-aged man. He tried to appear authoritative and said, "I think Mr. Leibusi should be mysterious and powerful. He should be like a lion in the desert, silent but respected by everyone..."

His metaphors were terrible, and his personal attitude was very affected.

"number 3."

The third, the fourth...

Some were overly obsequious, some tried to appear clever, and some were rather timid.

Cheng Yi, like an emotionless observation machine, quickly recorded the scores on the computer.

He was assessing not only physical resemblance, but also temperament, eyes, speech, and the psychological qualities of maintaining composure under pressure.

He didn't want a simple imitator, but a shadow who could truly integrate into high society and withstand close scrutiny.

When it came to the seventh candidate, Cheng Yi's fingers paused slightly.

This is a man around forty years old, with a thin face but clear features, and his eyebrows and eyes bear a striking resemblance to the meticulously groomed Lei Jun by Cheng Yi.

Unlike the others, he didn't act eagerly. He simply looked calmly at the camera, his eyes showing a weariness after experiencing turmoil, but deep down there was a trace of pride that hadn't been completely extinguished.

“Sir.” His English had a slight accent, but his word choice was very precise: “My name is Ali Sharif. My grandfather was a cousin of Faisal II. I have studied international etiquette, horseback riding, and have knowledge of finance. I believe that Smith Rebus is first and foremost a symbol, a symbol representing capital.”

"He doesn't need to say many words; his very existence represents power."

He didn't boast; instead, he accurately grasped the essence of Lei Jun's persona, which perfectly matched Cheng Yi's positioning of this alias. "Salif," Cheng Yi's synthesized voice sounded, "If someone directly contradicted you at a party, how would you react?"

Sharif barely hesitated. He slightly raised his chin and replied in a slow, clear tone, “I would look at him like a wild dog trying to bark at a lion, and then turn away. The lion’s time is precious and not worth wasting a second on a wild dog.”

This answer perfectly fits the persona of a top-tier financial tycoon.

Cheng Yi quickly gave Sharif a very high score on the computer.

The subsequent interviews became rather dull.

After Sharif, the performances of the others seemed somewhat lackluster.

When the last person finished speaking, Cheng Yi's synthesized voice sounded again: "The interview is over. The results will be announced within 24 hours. I think you have all accepted the conditions in advance. Regardless of whether you are successful in your application, you will not have to go back to that dirty prison. You can enjoy life in the mansion I have built for you. Except for still not having personal freedom, you can have whatever you want."

Instantly, all the other small windows on the screen went dark, leaving only an empty main screen.

A few seconds later, Zhang Bao's weathered face appeared on the screen.

His background is a simple but sturdy stone wall, and he is wearing a loose Arabic robe with the outline of a pistol faintly visible at his waist.

"Brother-in-law," Zhang Bao said in Chinese, his tone decisive, "have you made up your mind?"

"Hmm." Cheng Yi turned off the voice changer and spoke in his original voice: "Ali Sharif, focus on training him, and while you're at it, thoroughly investigate all his background before he went to prison. Once you've made sure there are no hidden dangers, then make him Smith Reibus."

"Have you made it clear to those who were not selected that they must stay in your tribe for ten years, during which time they cannot leave or contact the outside world?" Cheng Yi asked.

“They were prisoners to begin with, and they all agreed to these conditions before coming here,” Zhang Bao said.

"Yes, they should be trained well; they might come in handy in the future," Cheng Yi instructed.

"Understood!" Zhang Bao nodded and said, "I will also keep a close eye on them and make sure they don't have any contact with the outside world."

“Hmm.” Cheng Yi paused, then added, “Be careful and be careful about how you do it. The stand-in plan is top secret. No one else, except you, me, Huang Wenrong, and my older brother, can know the truth. We also need to isolate Sharif from information. Just let him know that he is playing the role of a Mexican tycoon.”

“No, it’s not an act, it should be said that he is Lei Jun himself,” Cheng Yi said. “Send a few Mexican bodyguards to follow him. If they find any unusual behavior from him, deal with him immediately and replace him with Number 9.”

"Yes!"

The video call ended, and the screen went dark.

Cheng Yi slowly removed his mask and muttered to himself, "It's time for Lei Jun to step into the limelight."

Lei Jun has been shrouded in mystery for so long that many industry giants are investigating who he is.

Since they're all so interested, let's have Lei Jun come out and talk to them.

As soon as Cheng Yi stepped out of the secret room, his phone rang.

The call was from Lei Jun, whose tone was a mix of excitement and schadenfreude.

As soon as the call connected, Lei Jun laughed loudly and said, "President Cheng, something big has happened in Europe, haha."

"What happened?" Cheng Yi was taken aback when he heard this.

Lei Jun laughed and said, "It'll probably be in the papers tomorrow. Microsoft and Intel, in order to put pressure on the EU, have joined forces with many semiconductor companies to announce price increases for high-end CPUs and high-end automotive chips. Their notice has just been sent to the European Automobile Industry Association, and I just got the news myself."

"Raise the price of automotive chips?" Cheng Yi was also somewhat surprised.

Microsoft and Intel are really ruthless; they've unleashed their big moves right from the start.

Doesn't this directly hit Europe where it hurts?

Lei Jun laughed and said, "I reckon I'll be busy these next few days. Several media outlets have contacted me, asking for my opinion. What can I say? Of course, I'll just lie down and watch."

Cheng Yi was silent for a few seconds, then said, "The EU can't hold out for long."

"What?" Lei Jun was taken aback.

Cheng Yi said, "The automotive industry is the backbone of Europe. The EU will inevitably choose to sacrifice Enze Capital's interests for the sake of the automotive industry. Moreover, this matter will not last long. During this period, you should not make any public statements and just remain silent. Let Enze Capital handle the rest. After all, we are a company under Enze Capital, and it is not our place to interfere in such important matters."

"Okay, okay." Lei Jun's excitement immediately subsided.

"Keep an eye on things and report back to me promptly," Cheng Yi said before hanging up the phone.

He certainly didn't expect Microsoft to use such a powerful move right away. This suggests that Microsoft and Intel are desperate because negotiations with the EU have made no progress.

Within days, news of price increases by Microsoft and American semiconductor companies spread throughout Europe.

Outside the EU headquarters building in Brussels.

The once orderly Schuman Square has been engulfed by noise and anger.

The square was filled with a dense crowd.

They held up signs written in English, German, French, and Italian, with shocking words on them:

"Chips are not weapons!"

"Our auto industry is bleeding!"

"Resolve this immediately, or step down!"

Among the crowd were car company managers in suits and ties, as well as industrial workers in overalls.

In Europe and America, the greatest use of labor unions and workers is to serve as weapons for capitalists, pushing them to the forefront to realize the capitalists' desires.

At this moment, the square was in complete chaos, with the piercing sound of police sirens, the roar of the crowd, and the noise of reporters broadcasting live.

The source of this storm was the sudden announcement three days ago by semiconductor giants such as Intel of a comprehensive price increase for high-end server CPUs and crucial automotive chips supplied to the European market, with price increases ranging from 15% to 40%, citing continued strain on the global supply chain and the reallocation of strategic resources.

This seemingly casual reconfiguration statement is undoubtedly a major blow to European industries, which heavily rely on chip imports, particularly Europe's globally renowned automotive industry.

They were quietly observing the drama between Enze Capital and the Wintel alliance, never expecting that this drama would somehow end up affecting them.

(End of this chapter)