pertwk Chapter 84 Confrontational Simulation
Chapter 84 Confrontational Simulation
As dusk settled over Los Angeles outside the window, the main lights remained off in the office. Only a desk lamp on Ling Yun's desk and a large whiteboard hanging on the wall emitted a cold glow. The whiteboard was covered with dense arrows, keywords, and question marks, resembling a chaotic battlefield map.
Ling Yun and Li Mo sat facing each other at the table, with several sheets of paper filled with calculations and strategies spread out between them. The air was heavy.
"Let's do it again." Ling Yun's voice was a little hoarse. He picked up the whiteboard marker, walked to the whiteboard, erased all the previous content, and wrote "Microsoft" on the central axis. Then he drew a few small circles around it to represent the possible survival strategies of the stars.
"The first approach is technological differentiation, focusing relentlessly on user experience and performance." Ling Yun wrote "Technological Advantage" next to a small circle. "We assume that the Starry Sky system and browser will continue to be one generation ahead of Microsoft, providing a better user experience and faster speed."
Li Mo rubbed his throbbing temples and continued, "Then Microsoft will directly 'borrow' our core technologies in the next version of Windows and IE, such as the multi-process architecture and the V8 engine concept. They can even be more aggressive due to their size. Our technological advantages will be quickly wiped out by their ecosystem barriers and replication capabilities."
Ling Yun crossed out the small circle. "The second option is a price war, or free." He wrote "free" in another small circle.
Our system is free, and our browser is free.
Li Mo immediately retorted, "But Microsoft's Windows is bundled with every computer sold, so the marginal cost for users is almost zero. They can even subsidize OEMs and suppress manufacturers that pre-install our system. We can't outspend them by burning money. Moreover, we don't have a stable income, so our R&D and ecosystem development cannot be sustained."
He paused, then added, "Don't forget, Microsoft's cash reserves are something we can't compare to."
Another cross.
"The third approach is to focus on niche markets, such as government and education," Lingyun wrote down "niche markets."
"That's a possibility," Li Mo admitted. "Entering the US government and education markets is out of the question. Even domestically, Microsoft won't stand idly by. They'll launch special editions of Windows for these sectors, and even collaborate with domestic partners like Longteng Computer to launch a targeted propaganda campaign, questioning the security, stability, and long-term service capabilities of our system. In procurement decisions, 'avoiding mistakes' is often the first principle, and choosing Microsoft is the 'safest' option. We can secure some peripheral orders, but we can't achieve scale, let alone shake Microsoft's foundation."
This circle wasn't completely crossed out, but it was marked with the words "Difficult to survive, unable to develop."
"The fourth method is legal means, namely anti-monopoly." Ling Yun wrote "anti-monopoly litigation".
"It's useful, but too slow." Li Mo shook his head. "An antitrust lawsuit can drag on for three to five years. By the time we win, the market will have already settled down, and Xingchen may no longer exist. Moreover, the litigation process itself will consume a huge amount of our resources and public attention."
Another cross.
"The fifth option is to seek capital and tough it out," Ling Yun wrote, referring to "financing and burning money."
"Capital is profit-driven." Li Mo's voice was tinged with helplessness. "Given that Microsoft is suppressing us in every way and we don't see a clear profit prospect in the short term, most investors, except for a very small number of venture capitalists with extreme idealism or who intend to disrupt things, will choose to wait and see or even stay away. Our financing channels will soon dry up."
A long silence fell over the office.
The options marked with an X on the whiteboard are like red lights, indicating that all seemingly feasible paths for Xingchen are blocked.
No matter how they extrapolate, the final result points to the same end: under the complete crushing force of the behemoth Microsoft, Starry Sky will eventually suffocate and die slowly due to channel blockade, ecosystem isolation, and depletion of funds.
The so-called "breakthrough" strategy appears so pale and powerless in the face of absolute power.
Ling Yun walked back to his seat, sat down heavily, and pressed his fingers tightly against his brow. The result of the deduction was even more brutal than he had imagined. This was not an evenly matched battle, but a massacre destined to be crushed.
"So, no matter how hard we struggle, we can't escape death in the end?" Li Mo's voice was a little dry, with a hint of despair.
"On our own, yes." Ling Yun raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, but a flame burned stubbornly deep within them. "Microsoft is too strong. Its moat is too wide and too deep. We, a small boat, cannot get through it."
He stood up, walked back to the whiteboard, and drew several new circles around the word "Microsoft," labeling them "AMD," "Dell," "IBM," "Compaq," "SUN," and "Apple." He then connected these circles with lines, forming a loose, encircling net around Microsoft.
"Since one ship can't get through," Ling Yun's voice was deep and firm, "then we will unite all the forces that are suppressed by Microsoft or have conflicting interests with Microsoft, and form a fleet."
Li Mo frowned as he looked at the newly formed "encirclement": "AMD is indeed motivated by being suppressed by Intel in the processor market. Hardware manufacturers like Dell, IBM, and Compaq may not be willing to offend Microsoft for our sake; Windows is the soul of their machines. Sun, on the other hand, is fighting tooth and nail with Microsoft in the server and workstation fields. Apple... they're barely surviving themselves, and their system is closed, not on our side."
"We don't need them to be completely on our side, we just need them to share common interests with us—weakening Microsoft's monopoly." Ling Yun pointed to these names with his pen. "AMD needs new growth points, and we can promise to deeply optimize AMD chips for the Starry Sky system. Hardware manufacturers like Dell may not like Microsoft's dominance in OEM licensing and its increasingly high prices, so we can offer them an option to reduce their dependence on Windows, even if it's just as a bargaining chip. Sun and Microsoft are mortal enemies, and the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Apple... they need any possibility of survival, even if it's just a temporary respite."
He turned to Li Mo and said, "This isn't an alliance; it's a strategic maneuvering. We need to exploit the conflicts between international giants to buy ourselves room and time to survive. Microsoft can't afford to be at odds with the whole world, at least not with so many powerful rivals at the same time."
"But it's too difficult." Li Mo remained pessimistic. "These companies each have their own agendas. How do we balance their interests? How do we ensure they won't betray us at a crucial moment? Moreover, this alliance itself is very fragile."
"I know it's difficult." Ling Yun's eyes sharpened. "But this may be the only way out, however slim it may be. We're not just seeking survival; we're fighting for life. Even if this alliance ultimately fails and Starfall falls, we will make Microsoft pay a heavy price in this encirclement, letting them know that challengers will keep emerging."
He picked up a pen and forcefully wrote the word "stars" in the center of the "encirclement," though small, it was pointed at the "Microsoft" in the center by numerous arrows.
"Get ready," Ling Yun said to Li Mo, his tone leaving no room for doubt. "We're going to take the initiative. First, contact AMD and SUN; they're our most likely points of attack. Then, Dell. Even if it all turns out to be futile, we'll make this battle as loud as it gets."
The brutal outcome of the simulation did not deter him; instead, it ignited the resolve deep within him. Since gentle resistance was doomed to failure, he would choose the most drastic approach: uniting all available forces to launch a devastating charge against the giants.