Who would still start a business seriously after being reborn?

Chapter 716 Do you want to become a hero?
Huang Ganping's eyes shone with a pure pursuit of technology, a yearning for advanced technology, untainted by any impurities.

Looking at this key technical figure before him, Cheng Yi felt a stark contrast between his wariness and Huang Ganping's excitement.

He understood Huang Ganping's excitement, so instead of immediately dampening his enthusiasm, he slowly said, "I also received the invitation."

Huang Ganping was taken aback, then said with even greater joy, "That's wonderful, President Cheng, let's go together. With you here, we can do even better..."

Cheng Yi raised his hand and gently interrupted him, saying, "Dean Huang, please don't rush. Sit down and let's talk."

He gestured for Huang Ganping to sit down, poured him a glass of water himself, and then looked him in the eye and asked, "Do you think Microsoft will be satisfied with the unprecedented failure they just suffered here, with Waters going back in disgrace? Don't you think this summit has a lot to do with Microsoft?"

Huang Ganping's excitement subsided slightly. It wasn't that he was ignorant of social etiquette; he had simply been overwhelmed by the joy of the technical exchange.

He hesitated and asked, "Does Mr. Cheng mean this might be a trap?"

"Whether it's a trap or not is still too early to say," Cheng Yi said, shaking his head. "But think about it, for an industry giant like Microsoft, a global summit of this caliber, wouldn't the organizers consult with Microsoft beforehand when drafting the agenda and invitation list? Even if this event wasn't directly organized by Microsoft, it must have some connection to it."

"Waters just got back and then the summit invitation came. This coincidence seems too deliberate. I suspect this might be part of Waters' counterattack."

Upon hearing this, Huang Ganping frowned. He understood Cheng Yi's concerns, but his deep-seated desire for technological exchange and fear of being isolated from the global science and technology community prevented him from fully agreeing.

He retorted urgently, "President Cheng, I understand your concerns, but have you considered this? The world's top technology companies and academic institutions will all be there, but our Momo Group will be the only one absent. What kind of signal will this send internationally? They will say that we are closed-minded and cowardly, which is tantamount to self-isolation. Do you know how rare it is to have an opportunity to be recognized by international organizations like this?"

"Moreover, this summit was initiated by a commission under UNESCO, which is quite public-spirited and neutral. Even if Microsoft has influence, would it dare to openly oppose us on such a globally watched platform? That would only damage their own reputation."

"Reputation?" Cheng Yi couldn't help but shake his head with a smile, saying, "When you're powerful enough, reputation is just a worthless facade; it doesn't matter whether you have it or not."

Seeing that Cheng Yi remained unmoved, Huang Ganping became even more anxious and raised his voice, saying, "We can't throw the baby out with the bathwater, President Cheng. If Momo Group wants to truly go global, we can't close ourselves off like the late Qing Dynasty. We must go out, engage with the most cutting-edge technologies, and participate in top-level exchanges so that others can see our strength and we can also see the gaps and directions for ourselves. Technology is different from anything else."

Watching Huang Ganping argue his case so forcefully, even resorting to the somber metaphor of closing the country off from the world, Cheng Yi was filled with mixed emotions.

He admires Huang Ganping's purity and dedication to technology, which is the core driving force behind Momo Group's technological development.

But he was even more aware of the cruelty and hypocrisy of international business competition, and these so-called neutral platforms were a complete joke.

However, Huang Ganping's resolute attitude is not entirely without reason; forcibly suppressing him would likely dampen the enthusiasm of this key technical expert.

Cheng Yi pondered for a moment, his face revealing neither joy nor anger, before finally speaking slowly, "Dean Huang, I understand your thoughts, and I admire your pursuit of technology."

Just as a glimmer of hope appeared in Huang Ganping's eyes, Cheng Yi changed the subject: "However, the risks must also be controlled. You and I, one is the technical soul of the group, and the other is the actual operator. The target is too big. We cannot put all our eggs in one basket, let alone risk our lives."

"So, are we just going to give up this opportunity?" Huang Ganping's voice was filled with disappointment and resentment. This was the first time he had received a technical exchange invitation from an international science and technology organization. Having not experienced the humiliation they had suffered, he simply did not understand the value of this invitation.

“No, it’s not about giving up.” Cheng Yi shook his head and said, “I will send someone to the summit. You’re right, we must get in touch with cutting-edge technologies, understand industry trends, and demonstrate the open and cooperative attitude of Momo Group. But it won’t be you or me.”

He looked at Huang Ganping and said, "I will select a highly professional technical executive to lead the team, along with several lawyers and translators. They will be responsible for listening, observing, and communicating, as well as dealing with any potential difficulties. This way, we can avoid exposing key personnel to risks and achieve the goal of going abroad as you mentioned."

Huang Ganping opened his mouth, wanting to say something more, but then he saw Cheng Yi's face darken and he said, "Alright, it's settled then. The Panda Burning Incense issue hasn't been resolved yet, and there are still many government and business entities waiting for us to put out fires. How can we, as responsible persons, have time to go overseas to attend any meetings?"

Seeing the determination in Cheng Yi's eyes, Huang Ganping knew that it would be futile to say anything more. He gave Cheng Yi a deep look, got up and left the office.

In the office, Cheng Yi looked in the direction Huang Ganping had left and sighed softly.

He understood Huang Ganping's feelings, but he had to do it.

The road ahead is long, and he cannot allow the group's core members to be placed in uncontrollable risks because of a seemingly wonderful invitation.

"I hope I'm just overthinking it," he muttered to himself, but the wariness in his eyes remained undiminished.

This summit is a good opportunity.

Let's test the waters first and see what Microsoft is really up to.

If Microsoft really resorts to extreme measures, it would actually be a good thing for Momo Group.

There are still many voices in China that want Microsoft to return. If Microsoft really takes that step, it will expose the hypocrisy of those public intellectuals in China.

Sometimes, public opinion is quite important.

Although Momo Group can control some public opinion, it cannot control the thoughts of netizens.

Those public intellectuals have too much influence, especially in this era. They have an extremely large fan base. Even Momo Group wouldn't dare to defy public opinion and openly suppress these public intellectuals.

In the eyes of public intellectuals in China, Cheng Yi is the embodiment of evil.

Originating in internet cafes, they poison the minds of teenagers, incite malicious competition, suppress conscientious companies like Microsoft, and use despicable means to attack competitors, etc.

Even now, there are still four to five million people in China using Microsoft systems. They would rather burn incense on their computers than resist the Momo OS system in the name of freedom and fraternity.

If you call them brain-dead, these people are actually quite successful in society.

To call them successful would be an understatement; these people are actually somewhat brain-dead.

They possess unique and independent thinking, enjoy over-interpreting things, and interpret this over-interpretation as a sign of sobriety. Each person in this group displays a detached and aloof attitude, as if they are the only one who is awake while everyone else is drunk.

Cheng Yi carefully screened the candidates for the delegation to the United States and finally saw a report on Lin Sipeng's recent situation on the table. Looking at the report, he couldn't help but twitch his lips.

The report also included several blurry photos. One of them showed Lin Sipeng surrounded by a group of men and women in a nightclub booth, drinking heavily from a bottle, exuding an air of confidence that the bill for the night would be paid by the young master Lin.

Another picture shows him wearing a wingsuit, standing on the edge of a cliff, laughing like a child weighing over 100 pounds.

Lin Sipeng has been living a very carefree life lately, to the point that one could even call it a bit crazy.

Ever since his last experience living with a Thai assassin, the thrill of walking on the edge of life and death seemed to have opened a Pandora's box within him.

As a result, Peng Ge, a spendthrift, became a new figure in the nightclub scene of Jingzhou City, and Lin Fengzi, a daring but technically unskilled individual, became a new figure in various extreme sports clubs.

Today he's either dancing until he's drenched in sweat at some underground electronic music venue, or tomorrow he's off to some outdoor base to do wingsuit flying. As his new cronies put it: "The way Peng is living is practically the same as being dead."

"Is this kid really not afraid of death, or does he think he's gained something from escaping death?" Cheng Yi rubbed his temples.

He needs someone to be the target at the summit. This person needs to have a certain technical background, be bold, and not be too afraid of death.

Looking at the entire Momo Group, it seems there is no more suitable candidate than Lin Sipeng, who is currently courting disaster.

He looked up at Li Weiwei and said calmly, "Have Lin Sipeng come to my office now."

"Okay," Li Weiwei replied quickly.

Half an hour later, Lin Sipeng, dressed in a trendy brand that seemed completely out of place in the Momo Technology Industrial Park, strolled into Cheng Yi's spacious and bright office.

"Brother Cheng, you called for me?" Lin Sipeng yawned; he had been clubbing all night and wasn't fully sober yet.

Cheng Yi didn't say anything, but gestured for him to sit down with his eyes, and then pushed a printed summit invitation and an internal analysis report in front of him.

Lin Sipeng casually picked it up and glanced at it a few times. At first, he didn't pay much attention to it, but his eyes lit up slightly when he saw the words "Global Internet Technology Summit" and "UNESCO".

"This is so high-end, Brother Cheng, you're not going to send me out to broaden my horizons, are you?" Lin Sipeng knew that since Cheng Yi had shown him this, it couldn't be to show off the invitation.

“I do want to send you,” Cheng Yi nodded and said, “but not to broaden your horizons, but to carry out a potentially dangerous mission.”

"Danger?" Lin Sipeng immediately became interested. He was extremely sensitive to the word "danger" these days. He looked at Cheng Yi with bright eyes and asked, "How dangerous? Is there another assassin?"

“No, not at all.” Cheng Yi shook his head and said, word by word, “It’s just that there’s a high probability that as soon as you get off the plane, or during the summit, you will be arrested by the FBI on various trumped-up charges, such as commercial espionage, technology theft, and so on. Then, you may face a long legal process and eventually be placed under house arrest for several years.”

"Pfft..." Lin Sipeng had just picked up the water Cheng Yi had poured for him and taken a sip when he spat it all out, choking and turning his face red.

He likes excitement, but not the kind that leads directly to jail.

If you die from a wingsuit flying crash, at least you die a thrilling death. But what's with getting arrested by the FBI?

"Cheng...Brother Cheng, you're kidding, right?" Lin Sipeng's face turned pale as he said, "My little body can't withstand the iron fist of capitalism!"

“I’m not joking.” Cheng Yi’s expression remained unchanged as he said, “Microsoft just suffered a huge loss here, and Waters will definitely not let it go when he gets back. This summit is very likely a trap they set. We, the core members, cannot take the risk, but the group needs someone to make a statement and show our stance. Therefore, I need a substitute with a spirit of sacrifice.”

"Brother Cheng, you're really honest." Lin Sipeng felt like a million grass mud horses were galloping through his mind.

"I've never liked to hide things from my own brothers," Cheng Yi answered frankly.

Seeing the undisguised fear on Lin Sipeng's face, Cheng Yi said in a tempting tone, "But, Sipeng, have you ever thought that if you were really arrested and detained by the FBI, you would immediately become the focus of attention in the entire Chinese and even the world's technology circles?"

"You will be portrayed as a hero, a technological pioneer who risked his life for the rise of China's independent operating system and was ultimately suppressed and framed by Western giants. Your name will be recorded in the annals of China's technological development."

"If you are really detained, Momo Group will use all its resources to elevate you to a pedestal in the media, making you a world-renowned tech expert. Everyone will say, 'Look, Microsoft is afraid that Lin Sipeng's technology is too amazing, so they used such underhanded methods to arrest him.'"

"???" Lin Sipeng's eyes suddenly lit up.

Cheng Yi continued, "Moreover, as long as you are willing to go, I will immediately sign the appointment document and promote you to the Vice President of Momo Group in charge of technology, as well as the General Manager and Director of Technology of Momo OS. At the same time, I will arrange for you to be listed as a personal director of the European Semiconductor Association."

With each word Cheng Yi spoke, Lin Sipeng's eyes widened and his breathing became more rapid.

Vice President! General Manager! Technical Director! Individual Director of the European Semiconductor Association!

Hero! Technological genius! World-renowned...

This string of glittering titles instantly shattered Lin Sipeng's fear of the iron fist of capitalism.

He could almost see himself standing under the spotlight, receiving the admiring gazes of countless media outlets and peers, while the price of being detained by the FBI for several years was just a drop in the ocean compared to this immense glory.

"Being locked up for a few years will lead to the pinnacle of life?" Lin Sipeng muttered to himself, his eyes gradually shifting from fear to fervor and longing. He thought excitedly, "Damn, is there really such a wonderful thing in the world? I really am the person Brother Cheng values ​​most!"

(End of this chapter)