The sun sets in the west, No. 1, Observatory Ring Road.
In a simple official residence with two floors and an attic, Cook walked down the steps quickly with a gloomy face.
"Tim, say hi to Steve for me!"
Lu Fei stood on the wrap-around porch, with a victor's smile on his face, and waved to him.
"Lu, thank you for your concession."
Bill Gates laughed from behind.
Beside him, Bai Dengqiao followed with a smile on his face.
"Do you know why I agreed to give in?"
Lu Fei's lips curled up, "Just so that you can help me like this in the future, we are friends, right?"
"Of course."
Bill Gates smiled shrewdly, "You are one of my best friends. If possible, I would even like you to be the godfather of my child."
"It's a pity that we are not Italian, and I am not Victor Corleone." Lu Fei turned his attention to Bai Tengqiao, who was easily ignored. After all, his identity was quite embarrassing.
Anyone who has watched "House of Cards" knows that, to put it bluntly, it is a mascot.
"Haha, I think you are more like Mike Corleone."
Bai Dengqiao showed a cunning smile.
During the entire mediation process just now, Mr. Lu showed respect and care for the elderly with Alzheimer's disease, which warmed my heart.
"But you're not Senator Gray, are you?"
Lu Fei cast a meaningful look.
"It goes without saying."
Bai Dengqiao smiled knowingly. From the Three-Body Fund, he deeply felt the sincerity and benefits of making friends with Mr. Lu.
"Say hello to Lucian and Hillary for me."
Lu Fei shook hands with the two of them, then got into the car and drove out of the observatory. He had already called Schmidt.
Naturally, the negotiation was a great success, but some concessions were made.
First, ensure that Nortel Networks' more than 6,000 patents are only for self-defense and will not be used as an attack weapon for patent infringement.
Second, help Apple stabilize its stock price.
Third, Apple can withdraw its complaints against HTC, Samsung and Motorola, but in exchange, it must sell or license some of Nortel Networks’ patents, especially wireless communications and data networks, to a consortium led by Apple...
"What patent? How much do they want?"
Schmidt frowned.
"It has to do with wireless communications."
Lu Fei disagreed, "But I didn't clearly promise how much. We can mix insignificant patents and sell them together. 100 patents, 20 useful and 80 useless. As you know, some of Nortel Network's patents are difficult to satisfy." For the needs of our patent licensing transactions, it doesn’t hurt to sell to Apple.”
"But Lu, have you ever thought about..."
"What?"
"Our own patent library is not large. Counting Nortel Networks, we only have more than 7,000 patents."
Schmidt said helplessly: "Although Apple's lawsuit has been resolved, Oracle, Nokia, and even Microsoft may come back to bite us. Without enough patents, Android will lose its ability to continue to compete with Apple and Microsoft."
"Didn't we offer a solution? Google can buy more than 1,000 of InterDigital's patents."
Lu Fei took out a cigar from the box.
"Not enough, not enough at all. We need more patents to arm the Android system and strengthen the competitive advantages of Android devices!"
Schmidt said it plausibly.
"Eric, why didn't you tell me earlier? In fact, we have another plan, but the amount is not small."
“Money is not an issue, the key is to have enough patents!”
"What do you think of Motorola Mobility?"
"Motorola is definitely the right fit."
Schmidt was surprised at first, then pondered for a moment, "There are more than 20,000 patents in total, but the price is too expensive, at least 11 billion US dollars, but if Logic is willing to bear half of it..."
"I would like it, but will the Ministry of Justice agree?"
"Would the Board of Trade agree?"
"Do you think you'll let us get involved?"
Lu Fei curled his lips. The Nortel Network in Canada alone was already facing many difficulties. It had to form a consortium, smoothen relationships, and consume "points". The plan almost died.
As a local giant in the United States, how could Motorola allow a Chinese company to get involved! Not on the market yet!
"makes sense."
Schmidt sighed, "But Motorola is too expensive, equivalent to one-third of Google's cash reserves. Even if Larry and Brin agree, it is impossible to pass it on the board of directors."
"Wrong, Eric, you are so wrong!"
"I was wrong?"
"Wrong! In fact, Motorola is not expensive at all. We have already investigated and settled the account."
Lu Fei held his cigar in his mouth and counted them one by one.
Not to mention Motorola's more than 20,000 patents, its factories in Brazil and China alone are worth at least US$150 million, and its set-top box business can be cashed in at US$2.4 billion.
Just from these two transactions, approximately US$2.5 billion can be recovered. Coupled with more than US$3 billion in cash reserves, almost US$5.5 billion in costs have been recovered.
"In other words, Google spent US$5.5 billion to buy 17,000 patents and two to three thousand patent applications, averaging US$275,000 per patent?!"
Schmidt's eyes suddenly lit up.
"Not only that, you can also package Motorola's business units and useless patents and sell them to other companies."
The corner of Lu Fei's lips raised, "IBM could cash out US$1.25 billion by selling an empty shell of its PC division to Lianxiang. How can Motorola double that? It's more than US$2.5 billion, right?"
"No, no, no, Lu, if we can really acquire Motorola Mobility, we will not consider selling the mobile phone business for the time being."
Schmidt's heart pounded when he heard this.
In fact, seeing that Logic, Samsung, and HTC are making a lot of money from Android smartphones, Google has long had the idea of making mobile phones on its own, and Motorola's brand is loud enough.
"You don't have to worry about money. Although logic cannot directly intervene, Trisolaris can assist Google indirectly."
Lu Fei made his own conditions.
Motorola's patents will be transferred to their joint venture Android, and Logic will have permanent free use rights. It will also be open to other members of the Android camp, with discounts on licensing.
"There is no problem with this, but will Motorola agree?" Schmidt said with a hint of doubt in his excited tone.
"Have you forgotten, I am the majority shareholder of Motorola."
Lu Fei puffed out his smoke. The reason why he was not afraid that Google would acquire Motorola Mobility behind his back was because he was confident that without his own logic and logic, the deal would never be completed. Only he could broker it.
"But Lu, you don't have a seat on the board of directors."
Schmidt was shocked, co-writing that your investment is an inside job!
"I really don't, but don't forget Carl Icahn. He is now the general manager of the spin-off and reorganization of Motorola. You don't know what kind of person he is, right? As long as the conditions are in place, there are no high-quality assets. He doesn’t dare to sell it.”
Lu Fei smiled and said, "I can give him an offer that he can't refuse. Even if he can't directly agree to sell to us, he can at least help me get a director's seat. As long as the bill goes to the board of directors, are you still worried that the bill won't pass?"
"hiss!"
Schmidt suddenly felt horrified.
Through the phone, I can feel the yin energy of Mr. Lu, a lyb, he is simply a demon who eats people without spitting out their bones!
Motorola is so unlucky!
They brought in Carl Icahn, the Wolf King of Wall Street, on the front foot, and on the back foot they brought in Mr. Lu, who is better than his master. What a sin!
But I only sympathized with Motorola for a second, and immediately joined Mr. Lu in the same trap. After all, Google's acquisition of Motorola can combine software and hardware and get a share of the mobile terminal market.
Even in the worst case scenario, if the operation collapses, the entire business unit can be packed up and sold to recover the original cost, no matter what——
This deal is definitely a bargain!
After weighing the pros and cons, he decisively agreed: "I can convince the board of directors. As for Motorola..."
"I'll help you connect with Icahn."
Lu Fei hung up the phone and curled his lips.
If the United States didn't allow it, why go to all the trouble, using a trick similar to the backdoor nesting doll to acquire overseas rare earth resources, and borrowing the hand of Google to get Motorola into its belly.
After winning Motorola's patents, plus existing patents such as Nortel Networks, the total number has exceeded 25,000.
It is enough to form an all-round three-dimensional patent defense system.
Not to mention Apple, Nokia can’t target it either!
There is only one problem now,
Who is Motorola selling its empty shell to?
…………
Two days later, the Department of Justice announced with great efficiency:
"The department's investigation focuses on whether the acquirer will use these patents to attack competitors and stifle competition."
"After an in-depth review, we believe that the acquisition of Nortel Networks is unlikely to significantly curb market competition, so we decided to end the investigation of Logic, Google and other consortiums."
"Formally approved to approve the acquisition of multiple patents from Nortel Networks by a consortium composed of Logic, Google, Microsoft, and Motorola!"
As soon as the news came out, the United States was in an uproar.
The theatergoers, the media and the public were all dumbfounded.
Just like when Musk asked Zuckerberg for a date, the audience had already moved tables, chairs, and benches to have popcorn, and suddenly announced that they were not going to fight.
The three giants of Apple, Intel, and Ericsson are fighting against the five giants of Google, Microsoft, Logic, Motorola, and Huawei.
greatly awaited!
The NBA isn't even that exciting, but this is the result?
Boring, we want to see a river of blood!
It doesn’t look like much excitement, but according to rumors——
Due to successive failures, Jobs' condition worsened and he was rushed to the ICU for rescue. Although he and Apple responded immediately to clarify the rumors, the stock price still fell.
Mr. Lu also kept his promise and continued to invest heavily in Apple.
Losers such as Intel and Ericsson were not so lucky. They were more or less implicated and their stock prices fell.
On Google's side, not only the companies that directly acquired Nortel Networks' patents have soared, but the stock prices of all members of the Android camp, even Sony, which has just joined, are in the green and the momentum is like a rainbow.
Seeing that Android is becoming bigger, manufacturers such as LG, Toshiba, Sharp, and Pantech are considering whether to follow Sony's example and abandon the dark side for the bright side?
When the whole world was amazed that Mr. Lu actually withstood the pressure from the United States and really took over Nortel Networks, the situation in the country had already exploded. The official media boasted objectively and the Internet media boasted exaggeratedly.
The self-media didn’t even follow the procedures and just blew it up!
The Weibo topic #Nortel Networks Patent Acquisition Case was not only the top trending topic, but also the comment area was completely thrown into a carnival.
[Lu Fei, the eternal god! 】
[Why do I love logic? Maybe, this is the answer]
[I eliminated my parents’ copycat phones and replaced them with two Logic phones. I am waiting for this year’s latest model! 】
[I have turned into the shape of a logical family bucket]
[Ten years of Lianxiang is less than one year of Huawei and Logic. They are both developed by Huaxia. How come the difference is so huge? 】
[You would rather believe that Lianxiang has technological content than believe that I am Qin Shihuang]
【…………】
Netizens joined in the fun and kept @lianxiang on the official accounts of these companies, but there was no response from any of them.
At the moment, Lian Xiang has too much to take care of himself.
The entire company was in turmoil due to the fickle work of foreign executives and the indigestion of IBM's PC division.
Liu Chuanzhi had to go back to the mountain, put on armor and took command, cut through the mess with a sharp knife, and finally stopped the downward trend.
The next step is to find a way to turn losses into profits.
"Liuyang Pairing" works wonders again!
It also made Yang Yuanqing's shaky position stabilize again. As soon as he calmed down and took a breath, he saw news about Lu Fei and Logic pouring in, which was very unpleasant.
"Succeeded again? He actually succeeded again?"
His eyes were blank, "Why should I say 'again'?"
"Yuan Qing, there is no need to envy him. Young people are full of energy. The higher they are held up, the worse they will fall." Liu Chuanzhi said seriously, "We are upright and surprising. In this high-tech road, we have to be optimistic about the terrain before taking it. When will it happen?" Do something.”
"Mr. Liu, what do you mean?"
Yang Yuanqing cast a curious look.
"It seems that smartphones must be developed, otherwise it will be impossible!"
Liu Chuanzhi spoke firmly.
"Mr. Liu, do you want Lianxiang to enter the smartphone market?"
Yang Yuanqing couldn't help but murmur in his heart.
Lianxiang's mobile phone business has been half-dead since it was wiped out by copycat phones. Its domestic market share is only a fraction of that of the first tier companies such as Logic, Nokia and Samsung, and even the second tier companies of Shenzhou and Tianyu.
"I didn't do it on a whim."
Liu Chuanzhi said seriously: "After retiring, I have been reviewing the results. When did Lianxiang start to be separated by logic? There is only one final answer, which is to start with logic He hit the explosion of smartphones, and logic overtook us in a corner, and we missed the new trend."
"You are absolutely right. PCs are already a sunset industry, while smartphones are a sunrise industry. We should immediately invest heavily in the mobile phone business and catch up!"
Yang Yuanqing adjusted his glasses.
"I have thought about it. We can find investors led by Hongyi Fund to buy back all the rights and interests of Lianxiang Mobile, and then concentrate our efforts to attack the blue ocean smartphone market."
Liu Chuanzhi had an intriguing smile on his lips.
"Hongyi Fund?"
Yang Yuanqing is so excited, it's not yours...
The left hand beats the right hand, playing this trick again?
"I've already thought of a name for my phone, so I'll call it 'Lephone'!" Liu Chuanzhi stretched out two fingers to explain his intention.
"Le" is "le", which are the two letters at the beginning of Lianxiang's English brand. It has an extra e than the logical "lphone".
E, homophone means win!
Lianxiang just wants to give Logic a hard win!
"What a bad name, it sounds like the name of a copycat phone."
Yang Yuanqing complained in a low voice.
"Yuan Qing, what are you mumbling about?"
"Oh, I say, Mr. Liu, thank you!"
"When Lephone makes its mobile phone business bigger and stronger, and makes Lianxiang one of the top three in the country, and then goes overseas, we will not only have to fight against logic at home, but also abroad."
Liu Chuanzhi touched his chin, "But Lianxiang alone is not enough. It would be best to acquire an international brand and join forces."
"Mr. Liu, I think maybe 'buy, buy, buy' is not suitable for Lianxiang at present. Isn't this acquisition of IBM's PC department..."
Yang Yuanqing was excited and reminded him kindly.
"Yuan Qing, you are wrong! There is nothing wrong with 'buy, buy, buy'!"
"Look at this little bastard Lu Fei, isn't he buying and selling all over the world! Qimonda, Nortel Networks, Transmeta..."
Liu Chuanzhi's eyes widened, "Our mistake is that we bought the wrong one. What if the one we bought was not IBM? What if Lianxiang's mobile phone business could buy Motorola? Would it still be a mistake?"
“You can’t go wrong buying a Motorola.”
Yang Yuanqing couldn't help complaining, but why did Motorola sell its mobile phone business to Lianxiang? Does he love us?
"I still say the same thing, the technical industry trade is not suitable for Lianxiang!"
"We must adhere to the line of 'trade industry and buy skills'. If we can buy it, we will never build it. If we can build it, we will buy better ones. Although logic is a little way ahead, it doesn't matter. We will definitely catch up!"
"In the end, the shipment volume of smart terminals will surpass Logic and Apple, and we will become the world's largest smart terminal company from the world's largest PC company. This is my goal!"
"It's also your goal! Lianxiang's goal!"
Liu Chuanzhi slapped the table, his eyes flashing green. (End of chapter)
