dtnovels Chapter 354 Claims 100 Billion
Chapter 354 Claims 100 Billion
November 2, 2000, 8:00 AM.
As soon as Ling Yun entered the office, Fiona pushed the door open and came in. She didn't knock, held a laptop in her hand, and her face was pale. "Mr. Ling."
Ling Yun looked at her, "What's wrong? Why are you in such a hurry?"
Fiona walked over, placed the computer on the table, and pushed it in front of Lingyun.
The screen displays a CNBC news page, with headlines in bold black font:
"Microsoft sues Chinese tech firm Star Technologies for patent infringement, seeks $10 billion"
Microsoft is suing Chinese tech company Star Technology for patent infringement, seeking $100 billion in damages.
Ling Yun stared at the title but didn't move.
Fiona stood beside her, her fingers trembling. She scrolled down the webpage a little further. "There's more below."
The second news item is a live report from CNBC; the video is already loaded, and the cover image shows the Microsoft headquarters building.
The scene depicts a product launch event with the Microsoft logo in the background. Two people are standing behind the stage. One is Jim Olson, and the other is an unfamiliar white male in a dark blue suit with a serious expression.
Olsen was speaking, "...We have gathered sufficient evidence. Over the past few months, we have confirmed through technical means that Star Technology's core code contains a large amount of content that infringes on Microsoft patents. These patents cover key areas such as operating system infrastructure, memory management, and inter-process communication."
He paused and glanced at the camera.
"This is not accidental; it is a systematic and deliberate act of infringement. We have reason to believe that Mr. Ling Yun, the CEO of Xingchen Technology, bears direct responsibility for this."
The scene cuts to a reporter asking a question. A male reporter wearing glasses stands up and says, "Mr. Olson, could you elaborate on the evidence you mentioned?"
Olsen nodded.
"We have an assessment report from third-party technical experts that details the infringed patent numbers and corresponding code snippets. These reports have been submitted to the court and will also be made public to the media."
Another reporter raised their hand, "Why is the claim amount 100 billion?"
The man in the suit next to him chimed in, "Because this is a reasonable assessment of StarCraft's value. If the infringement is established, they should compensate for all the unjust enrichment they gained. $100 billion is just the beginning."
The reporters began to stir, with some shouting, "Are you targeting Chinese companies?"
Olsen laughed. "We're targeting the infringer, not the Chinese company; it's the act of infringement. If it were an American company, we would sue them too. But the fact is, it's Xingchen Technology that's infringing, and its CEO is Chinese. That's a fact, not a choice we made."
Ling Yun turned off the video, and the office fell silent. Fiona stood beside him, looking at him. "Mr. Ling, there's also..."
She took the computer, clicked a few times, and then handed it back to her.
This time it's the Wall Street Journal's website, and the headline is even more direct:
"Microsoft alleges Chinese CEO stole trade secrets, evidence shows"
Microsoft has accused its Chinese CEO of stealing trade secrets, and the evidence is conclusive.
First paragraph of the main text:
Microsoft today formally filed a lawsuit in federal court against StarCraft Technology and its founder, Ling Yun, accusing them of systematically infringing on Microsoft's operating system-related patents and stealing trade secrets. A Microsoft spokesperson stated that they have obtained key evidence, including a detailed comparison report between StarCraft Technology's internal code and Microsoft's patented technology. The spokesperson also hinted that StarCraft Technology employees may be cooperating with the investigation and providing testimony.
Lingyun scrolled down and saw that the comment section had exploded.
The first comment reads: "I've said it before, Chinese companies only know how to steal."
The second point: "I've used the Starry Sky system before, it's quite useful, I never expected it to come about like this."
Article 3: "10 billion is too little; they should be bankrupted."
Article 4: "That CEO was on the cover of Time magazine, a so-called disruptor, but he was just a plagiarist."
Article 5: "Drive them out."
Ling Yun put down the computer. "Is there anything else?"
Fiona nodded, then pulled up a webpage and handed it to Lingyun. It was a Yahoo Finance forum, and the title of a popular post was:
"StarCraft Technology's stock price is about to plummet, run!"
There are already hundreds of comments below.
"The stock will definitely drop by 30% at the open."
"I've already placed a sell order."
"I always felt things were going too smoothly for them, and sure enough, there was something wrong."
"That Chinese man doesn't look honest at all."
"Microsoft should have acted a long time ago."
Lingyun returned the phone to her.
"How long until the market opens?"
"The market opens at 9:30, so there's still one hour left."
Ling Yun glanced at the clock on the wall.
Fiona stood there, her fingers still trembling.
"Mr. Ling, the stock price..."
"I know."
Nasdaq opened at 9:30 a.m.
Ling Yun sat in front of the computer, staring at the screen. Fiona stood behind him, and Li Mo stood beside him; none of the three spoke.
The ticker symbol for Star Technology is STAR, and its opening price was $49.5, down $2.5 from yesterday's closing price.
The numbers on the screen began to plummet: 49.2, 48.8, 48.1, 47.3...
Three minutes later, it dropped below $40, and the downward trend continued.
Fiona's hand rested on the edge of the table, her knuckles turning white.
Li Mo remained motionless, staring intently at the screen.
The numbers on the screen continued to drop: 39.7, 38.2, 36.5, 35.1...
At 10:00 AM sharp, it broke below $30, reaching $29.8. The entire downward trend was very smooth, with large trading volume.
Fiona took a deep breath, and Li Mo turned around to look at Ling Yun.
There was a knock on the door, and an administrator poked his head in.
"Mr. Ling, a lot of reporters have come outside and want to conduct interviews."
Ling Yun didn't turn around. "I won't see you."
"They said if I didn't agree to be interviewed, I should write 'I refuse to comment'."
Ling Yun didn't speak. The man stood at the door, unsure whether to leave or stay.
Fiona went over and closed the door.
She walked back and stood next to Lingyun.
"President Ling."
"Um."
"What should we do?"
Ling Yun stood up and walked to the window.
A crowd had already gathered at the entrance downstairs, some carrying cameras, some holding microphones, and others taking photos. Security guards stood at the entrance to block them; as they pushed forward, the guards retreated.
Several white interview vehicles with satellite antennas on their roofs can be seen in the distance.
Ling Yun watched for a while, then turned around.
"Li Mo, how's the new version of the code coming along?"
"It's finished and ready to be released at any time."
"A new version announcement will be released in three days, and the new version will be launched at the same time."
"Three days? Mr. Ling," Fiona looked at him, "the stock price will plummet in three days."
Ling Yun ignored her and looked at Li Mo, "Proceed according to plan."
Li Mo turned and left, while Fiona stood there, still looking bewildered. "President Ling..."
Ling Yun looked at her and said, "You should go out too. I have plans, so you don't need to worry."
Fiona opened her mouth, but didn't say anything. She turned and left.
Ling Yun was the only one left in the office.
He returned to his computer and looked at the number: 29.3.
He opened the news website, refreshed it, and a new headline appeared:
"StarCraft Technology's stock price halved, triggering panic selling by investors."
Microsoft's lawyer: This is just the beginning; we will file further lawsuits.
Industry experts say Xingchen Technology may face delisting risk.
Who is Ling Yun? How did this "technological genius" from China fall from grace?
He refreshed the page again.
A new post appeared on the Yahoo Finance forum, with its title pinned to the top:
"I bought shares in Xingchen, and now I regret it so much I could die!"
There are already more than two hundred comments below.
"I bought $10 worth of goods, and now I have $3 left."
"My 20 is gone."
"That Chinese man lied to all of us."
"He should go to jail."
"Thief."
"Thief."
"Thief."
Ling Yun closed the browser, leaned back in his chair, picked up his phone and made a call. "We can move out now. Be careful to stay hidden and don't attract their attention."