America: My Time

Chapter 133 Testing
Chapter 133 Testing

With such a major incident occurring at Dreamworld, CEO Meg Whitman naturally had to report the situation to John. She had only been in charge of Dreamworld for a short time, and such a big problem had already arisen, which was unacceptable to Meg Whitman!
"Boss, we have to fight back, otherwise those Silicon Valley companies will poach our employees even more brazenly. We need to teach them a lesson, let them know how powerful we are, and make them understand how serious the consequences of going against us are!"

“Sure, whoever attacks us the most, we’ll target them. You don’t need to get involved; you can leave it to a headhunting firm. We’ll poach their core technical staff. We don’t care about quantity, just quality. One or two top talents will suffice, provided they haven’t signed non-compete agreements. Given the current situation, I believe no one can refuse Dream World’s invitation!” This time, John wanted to make a big splash, to let those Silicon Valley companies know that Dream World was not to be trifled with. Since they broke the unspoken rules of poaching first, they would have to pay the price.

"The three companies that attacked us the hardest this time are Microsoft, Apple, and Oracle, while IBM didn't make a move!"

"It's good that IBM didn't make a move. They can't even handle their own talent, so why would they offer high prices to poach our peripheral staff? Besides, IBM has always had the risk of monopolistic practices. If they dared to interfere in the software market, the outcome would be predictable. However, Microsoft, Apple, and Oracle are quite ruthless. Apple is somewhat understandable, as it has both strength and financial resources, but how could Microsoft and Oracle have the financial resources to poach our staff? It seems they've all found financial backers!"

"Boss, it's not just Microsoft and Oracle that have successfully raised funds; many companies in Silicon Valley have received venture capital funding. It's precisely because these companies have received investment that they're frantically poaching talent from other companies!"

"That's good. With these companies around, Dream World doesn't need to worry about anti-monopoly agreements or contract disputes, and can focus on its own development. As long as the core personnel don't leave, it's not a big problem for Dream World. We can cooperate with universities and leverage their research capabilities, so you don't need to worry too much. Everything can proceed according to plan. The venture capital that Silicon Valley companies can get is limited. If they can't produce results within the limited time, they will inevitably go bankrupt. Time is on our side. We don't need to rush; they are the ones who are in a hurry!"

John paused for a moment, then continued, "Since Apple has made a move against us, we can't just sit idly by. We'll hold a press conference at Dreamworld, targeting personal computer research. However, we'll only focus on the top-tier brands, targeting universities and research institutions—they're the ones with the most money!"

"Boss, will Dream World's foray into personal computer development cause trouble and affect software sales?"

"No, Dreamworld isn't what it was when it was first founded, where we had to cater to their whims. Besides, we make high-end products, so the impact isn't significant. Do you think they can do without our office software? Without our office software, how much sales would Apple and other personal computer companies have?"

Originally, this wasn't the time for Dreamworld to venture into the personal computer market. Now that Apple has given them this opportunity, they can't let it pass. Although mid-to-low-end brands are still very profitable, this situation won't last long. American workers are treated like royalty, and the costs are too high. Moreover, Dreamworld has to be wary of its competitors' schemes. If they really get involved in the mid-to-low-end personal computer market, it could easily provoke public outrage!
Dream World doesn't have the same strength as IBM to withstand anti-monopoly and monopoly pressures to this day. If Dream World were to face anti-monopoly and monopoly issues, it would have absolutely no chance like IBM, and a breakup would be inevitable. It is precisely because John understands this that he will not allow Dream World to venture into the research and development of low-to-mid-range personal computers!

"Don't worry about what those companies think. Just proceed according to plan, and you'll handle everything." John doesn't want to spend too much time and energy on Dream World right now; he just wants it to develop according to plan. Although there's a bit of turmoil right now, it won't affect the foundation of Dream World. On the contrary, with these companies around, Dream World can operate more freely without so many concerns. It's just a pity that chip development is still too slow to support a low-priced graphical operating system; otherwise, he would have the ability to sweep the personal computer market.

John also knew that there wasn't much time left for Dream World to develop. Once those companies ran out of money, they would still have to face the pressure of anti-monopoly and separatism. That's why he set his sights on Taiwan and placed his semiconductor business there, in order to avoid the pressure of anti-monopoly and separatism in the United States and reduce the pressure on Dream World!
What are Dream World's hardware R&D plans? They plan to develop high-end personal computers, workstations, minicomputers, and mainframe servers, with a focus on blade servers. Although progress is slow, they have achieved some results. It's fair to say that Dream World is targeting high-end products, focusing on schools and research institutions.

Dream World doesn't conduct chip research and development; everything is handled by Nvidia. This applies not only to Dream World but also to Game World, which also relies entirely on Nvidia. Nvidia is more important than Game World, even more important than Dream World itself. The semiconductor industry cannot be controlled by others, lest it threaten the security of their own supply chain! After a detailed discussion with Meg Whitman, John let go of the burden of Dream World and was very satisfied with her abilities. With her around, Dream World wouldn't face major problems, allowing him to focus on expanding in other areas. The allure of Dream World would draw the attention of those old fogies to this area, thus reducing their focus on other aspects—this was exactly the result he wanted.

Just as John breathed a sigh of relief, Morgan couldn't resist calling to inquire about Dreamworld's progress and when its funding round would begin. Although Morgan didn't ask about Dreamworld's database software or even its system details, John knew that once funding was secured, they would know all of that!
"Jimmy, this isn't something you Morgans want to know, is it? It's those old guys pushing things behind the scenes, isn't it? Is the current turmoil in Silicon Valley also their doing? Or are they trying to force me to raise funds for Dreamworld? But they overestimate their abilities. Research and development isn't something you can do just with money."

“John, I won’t lie to you, that’s definitely one of the reasons. But you should also understand that Dream World can’t go on like this forever. And don’t you think now is the best time to raise funds? With such a huge response, Dream World’s market value is bound to soar. You’ll get more from raising funds now!”

“Jimmy, you’re playing dumb. If I were to raise funds for Dreamworld at this time, I would lose even more. Do you think I would agree to that? Besides, those old guys are very insidious. Once they get access to Dreamworld’s secrets, other companies in Silicon Valley will probably find out soon, and I’ll lose much more than just a little bit of profit.”

“John, the sensation caused by Dream World this time is too great. Although I don’t know exactly what the system Dream World provides is like, it has indeed attracted too much attention. You can’t keep it a secret forever. Fundraising is the best solution. At least the pressure on Dream World will not continue to increase!”

"Pressure? I don't see any pressure on Dream World. You think they can poach Dream World's core personnel? Don't forget about the non-compete agreements. They've only poached peripheral personnel; it doesn't involve Dream World's core secrets, nor does it affect Dream World's development. And you don't think Dream World will just take the beating without fighting back, do you? Since they dared to break the tacit agreement, they should bear Dream World's wrath!"

"John, is there really no possibility of financing? Is there absolutely no chance?"

“Jimmy, my cooperation with Morgan has been very pleasant. I can tell you clearly that it is impossible to raise funds now. It’s not because of the mysterious system you mentioned, but because the core secrets of Dream World cannot be exposed at this time. Raising funds now will only affect the future development of Dream World. I don’t trust those old guys, do you understand?”

"John, can you tell me when Dream World can start fundraising? I need a precise timeframe. You can't keep delaying like this. Besides, those companies in Silicon Valley can't possibly be completely without results. With so much money invested, there will eventually be some output. If this drags on, Dream World's market value will inevitably be affected!"

"Haha, that's impossible! Jimmy, you still don't know enough about the computer industry. Don't worry, even if those old guys invest more money, they can't affect the development of Dream World. They don't know what the core development direction of Dream World is. They don't understand Dream World at all. The existence of those companies in Silicon Valley is not an obstacle to Dream World. On the contrary, their existence is more beneficial to Dream World."

(End of this chapter)