Who would still start a business seriously after being reborn?

Chapter 699 One Sword Seals Godhood

“I understand,” Waters said with a smile. “Mr. Booker, thank you for your hard work.”

"You're welcome. I hope this is helpful to you." Booker smiled.

Waters returned to his office and immediately connected to a video conference with Redmond headquarters.

"Gentlemen," Waters said to the Microsoft headquarters' vice president of legal affairs and chief technology officer on the other end of the screen, "I have found a new breakthrough. After Mr. Booker's in-depth analysis, Momo Group's Moc-os system contains some patented technology code from the 90s."

Waters quickly gave a brief presentation of the evidence Booker provided on camera.

Chief Technology Officer Kay McKinley said, "These are still a bit far-fetched. Let's try to acquire companies that are involved in these patents."

“Mr. McKinley is right,” Waters said. “In addition, I request that headquarters organize a global internet technology summit and invite IT companies from around the world to participate.”

He paused, then stated the most crucial purpose: "Most importantly, we want to formally invite the core members of the Momo system development team, especially their chief engineer Huang Ganping, under the guise of technical exchange."

Waters' words were immediately understood by the higher-ups at headquarters.

Using legal means to attack competitors is a strategy they have always been adept at.

What they prefer to use most is sharing patented technology.

However, these shared patented technologies are all dubious. Strictly speaking, they are just like pirated Microsoft systems, which anyone can use and modify at will without any problems.

But when a company grows to the point of threatening them, then sorry, you've infringed on their copyright, you'll have to go in and stay for a few years.

This strategy is called "raising Gu".

Just as Microsoft was preparing for the Global Internet Technology Summit, the number of malicious software programs in China's internet sector was also increasing. This gave the closed system environment of Momo Internet Cafe Edition an overwhelming advantage, and Microsoft XP Lite's market share dropped by another 8 percentage points.

In order to address the current problems, Waters, after careful consideration, convened the Asian Systems Security Conference in Beijing, inviting well-known antivirus software companies in Asia.

The following morning, the conference room was filled with representatives from the world's leading antivirus software companies, sitting around the huge oval conference table.

Ivanov, head of Kaspersky Lab's Asia-Pacific region, Liu Weiming, vice president of Rising Antivirus, a local giant, and executives from companies such as Trend Micro, Symantec, and Jiangmin Technology were present, but the seat belonging to Kingsoft Antivirus was empty.

Waters stood in front of the main seat, with shocking data charts displayed on the projection screen behind him.

Without any pleasantries, he went straight to the point, saying, "Gentlemen, thank you for gathering here under these tight deadlines. We are now facing a severe challenge together, which is not only a challenge for Microsoft, but also a survival crisis for the entire Windows ecosystem, and a crisis for you as well."

He clicked the laser pointer, and the chart on the screen switched, revealing a steep downward curve in everyone's view.

"In the past two months, the XP Speed ​​Edition that we have poured a lot of effort into launching has seen its market share plummet by 8 percentage points again. According to our in-depth research, the direct cause of the loss of more than 70% of users is not system performance, but this."

The screen switched, and various screenshots and dynamic demonstrations began to play in turn.

Pop-up ads keep popping up like a persistent skin irritant, software is installed silently without warning, browser homepages are hijacked, and system resources are being consumed by unknown processes...

Upon seeing that Waters had actually pointed out the problem to her face, a low murmur immediately filled the conference room.

Waters raised his voice a few decibels, his voice filled with barely suppressed anger: "This malware is destroying the foundation of user trust in our platform. Everyone, if our system's market share decreases, your market share will decrease in tandem, because Momo's system doesn't need your antivirus software."

Waters' words made everyone present look serious.

However, neither of them spoke up first.

They knew that Microsoft, this behemoth, was unlikely to collapse, so since they had encountered such a good opportunity, they naturally wanted to maximize their profits. They couldn't just step in and help Microsoft out when it was in big trouble, could they?
Moreover, unlike ordinary Trojans, this is clearly a major offensive by Momo Group against Microsoft.

To compete with a behemoth like Momo Group, they also have to bear considerable risks.

This is a tug-of-war over interests, and now Waters can't hold on any longer and has finally revealed its hand.

Since Waters invited them, he would naturally offer them attractive terms.

Waters was well aware of the group's ulterior motives. He switched the screen again, this time showing a clean and simple interface and stable operating data comparison of the Momo system's internet cafe version.

"I called you here today because I know what you're thinking. Indeed, while we're struggling to deal with these junk software programs, our competitors are reaping our lost users with their closed system environments. They don't even need to do much advertising; just touting their software as non-toxic, undisturbed, clean, and fast is enough to create an overwhelming advantage. As one side gains at the expense of the other, we are losing the Chinese market."

Kaspersky's Ivanov spoke first, displaying the straightforwardness typical of the Russian people, saying, "Mr. Waters, our lab has also detected an exponential increase in the number of malicious samples targeting the XP system recently. They reproduce extremely quickly, and many have obvious regional characteristics. Their sources of propagation and coding habits seem to be highly concentrated within China. However, these software programs are very troublesome to deal with. They are different from ordinary Trojans and plugins; they are more like a small game with a server and backend."

Liu Weiming of Rising Antivirus adjusted his glasses and said, "Yes, Mr. Waters, we understand Microsoft's predicament, but to effectively curb or even clean up these malware programs, we need deeper system permission support and for Microsoft to open up more API interfaces so that we can perform deeper behavior detection and interception. At the same time, this requires a huge investment of R&D and server resources for sample collection, analysis, and real-time updates to the virus database. This is not just a technical issue, but also a huge cost issue."

A representative from Trend Micro echoed this sentiment, saying, "Yes, and many of these types of software are extremely cunning, using servers to update configurations and frequently changing signature certificates to evade detection. Traditional signature matching is often lagging behind, and we need to build a more efficient proactive defense model and detection network, which also requires Microsoft to provide collaboration at the system level."

Inside the meeting room, representatives from all sides spoke one after another, expressing both their concerns about the current situation and their considerations for their own interests.

But what they said was almost identical.

They need Microsoft to open up more interfaces, they need R&D funding, and they need Microsoft's technical support even more.

As Waters listened to the discussion, his gaze frequently drifted to the empty seat at Kingsoft, his frustration growing. He knew that these antivirus companies each had their own agendas, making a coordinated effort extremely difficult.

But he was even more aware that if he could not reverse the decline in system security as soon as possible and regain the lost 8 percentage points or even more market share, Microsoft's foundation in China would be shaken.

Their biggest advantage and reliance right now is that many computer users are already used to Microsoft, and many of these users are middle-class consumers who have a higher level of trust in overseas electronic products.

That's why they only declined by 8 percentage points. If they were a local Chinese system, they would probably have been completely crushed by Momo Group's actions.

Waters stood in the main seat, coldly observing the performance of the antivirus software giants below the stage, who were either worried or calculating.

He knew perfectly well that these people were simply trying to take advantage of the situation and extract more resources and profits from Microsoft.

But Waters is no pushover.

Just as the discussion subsided and everyone's attention returned to him, awaiting his response to the demands regarding resources, technology, and funding, Waters slowly spoke, saying, "Gentlemen, I understand your concerns and I have heard your needs. But Microsoft will not indiscriminately invest resources to meet the demands of every individual in a crisis that should be faced collectively by the entire ecosystem."

His words were very clear: I am the client, and I have no reason to pay attention to your messy conditions, which are not my responsibility.

He paused, his sharp gaze sweeping across every face in the room. Seeing the surprise that flashed across their faces, he smiled and said, "Of course, Microsoft wouldn't let your hard work go to waste."

He paused deliberately to make sure everyone's attention was fully focused.

"I have already submitted an application to headquarters in advance. Which company's security products can be the first and most effective in solving the current malware? My criteria are that within one month of launching the solution, the rate of user complaints about malware will be significantly reduced, and the detection and removal effectiveness and system resource usage will be at a leading level as evaluated by a third-party organization. Then, that company will become Microsoft's exclusive built-in security partner in Asia."

The words "exclusive" and "built-in" instantly stirred up a huge wave in the conference room.

Everyone's eyes widened and stared intently at Waters.

Waters continued, "I think you know what this means. It means that all new computers sold in the Asian market in the future that come pre-installed with genuine Windows XP will have the partner's security software forcibly bundled into their system. It will become part of the system's underlying structure, and users will not be able to uninstall it. They can only choose to enable or disable real-time protection in the settings. At the same time, we will also strongly recommend and guide the installation to the large number of existing XP users through system patches and updates."

"Gentlemen, think about it. Wherever Microsoft systems are used in Asia, whether it's tens of millions of personal computers or internet cafes, businesses, and government agencies all over the world, your products will be there. This is a near-monopoly on installations. Do I need to say more about the user data, brand influence, and potential paid conversions behind this?"

What Waters offered was no longer a bone to be slowly gnawed on, but a ticket directly to the summit.

For a moment, the conference room was completely silent, but the excitement and greed in the air were almost overflowing.

Research and development costs and technical support seem insignificant in the face of such unprecedented conditions that could shape the market landscape for the next decade.

Liu Weiming of Rising Antivirus began to breathe rapidly. Ivanov of Kaspersky Antivirus, though still keeping a straight face, revealed the shock in his eyes. Representatives from international giants such as Trend Micro and Symantec exchanged glances, each seeing a determined resolve in the other's eyes.

"Actions speak louder than words." Waters concluded the meeting with these words: "Microsoft only cares about results."

He didn't give anyone another chance to ask questions or negotiate, and directly adjourned the meeting.

Almost the instant the words were spoken, the representatives from various companies, who had been sitting upright in their chairs, didn't even bother with polite farewells. They grabbed their briefcases and documents and hurriedly left the conference room.

They had to rush back to the company immediately, gather all the key technical personnel, and launch the highest priority emergency project.

Over the past two months, they have not been idle. Their research team has actually been tracking and analyzing these malicious software programs, and has accumulated a certain amount of knowledge about their propagation mechanisms, behavioral characteristics, and variant patterns.

Previously, the intention was to wait for a higher price to sell, and the investment was not considered a full commitment.

But now, the bait Waters is offering is so tempting that it's enough to make them stake all their technological reserves and R&D resources on it.

A crackdown on rogue software tactics, driven by a Microsoft bounty, has begun with unprecedented efficiency and determination within these antivirus companies.

Everyone wants to be the lucky one to secure the exclusive pre-installation rights from Microsoft Asia, thereby dominating the antivirus software market.

Looking at the empty conference room, a smile appeared on Waters' face.

He knew that a generous reward would surely attract brave men.

Now, all he needs to do is wait and see which knife is the fastest and sharpest.

Ivanov made a phone call as soon as he got in the car.

The owner of this phone is his current business partner, named Zhou Hongyi.

In his eyes, Zhou Hongyi was a maverick in the field of security protection in China, and the rogue software that was troubling Microsoft was similar in style to Zhou Hongyi's 3721 Internet Assistant in many ways.

Zhou Hongyi's 3721 Internet Assistant reached its peak in 2002. It forcibly installed itself into users' computers through various means such as bundled installation, and even professionals could not completely uninstall it. By 2003, the number of 3721 installed on computers exceeded 7000 million.

At the beginning of 2004, Zhou Hongyi sold 3721 to Yahoo for 1.2 million yuan, and invested in Qihoo Technology this year, becoming the chairman of Qihoo 360.

Qihoo 360's first product, 360 Security Guard, was designed to target the most troublesome malware, 3721.

This sword strike has made him a god.

(End of this chapter)