Chapter 248 Don’t you want to be a capitalist?
The next morning, Larry Page took the contract he had agreed with Lu Yiming and hurriedly flew back to the United States. Google was still in its difficult start-up period, and as the founder of the company, he had no time to rest.
Los Angeles International Airport ranks sixth among the top ten worst airports in North America. Whether it is the lack of obvious signs in the departure area or the arrogant and unreasonable attitude of the staff, passengers coming and going can't help but give them the middle finger.
Everyone who lives in California has experienced how bad the service is here.
After getting off the plane, Larry Page saw the desolation around him and recalled the prosperity of Hong Kong, and suddenly felt a sense of unreality.
In the United States, which is reported by the media as the richest, most advanced, most civilized and freest country, the airport is so backward. There are piles of weeds around the airport, and the terminal building is short and dilapidated with peeling paint and cracks.
In contrast, at Hong Kong Airport, the planes are shiny and gleaming, and tall buildings are everywhere you look. Even the terminal building is brand new, with the floor so smooth that it can reflect a person's shadow. Even the various markings on the apron are as white as jade and extremely clean.
Who is the poor and backward one?
Walking out of the terminal, Larry Page was filled with emotion. Looking at the few hurried passengers around him, he actually missed the prosperity of Hong Kong.
Sergey Brin appeared at the airport gate in a brand new Dodge. Seeing his friend return safely, he waved his arms happily to greet him.
After Larry Page got in the car, he couldn't help but be curious and asked eagerly: "Didn't I tell you to treat it as a vacation? Why don't you stay for a few more days? Is it because the place is too poor and there is nothing to do there?"
Larry Page slumped in the passenger seat exhausted, and said weakly, "No, Hong Kong is more prosperous and developed than you and I imagined. I feel that many places are more fascinating than Los Angeles. As for traveling... I will have plenty of time to go out and play when I retire, but now is not the time. Let's go back to the company quickly, we have to start working quickly."
Sergey Brin shook his head slightly and said helplessly: "You are such a workaholic. You just got the money and you can't wait."
Sergey Brin was driving and had just left the airport and was about to get on the highway when he suddenly saw a black Ford Raptor whizzing past them, which scared Sergey Brin into a cold sweat.
"It was a close call. If I had driven any faster, the two of us might not have seen the sun tomorrow."
Then, the sound of sirens came from far away, and several police cars with flashing colored lights were chasing closely behind. Gunfire rang out, making people's scalps numb.
The worst thing was that the Dodge parked at the intersection was hit by a stray bullet, the right headlight was directly shattered, dozens of grooves were punched on the hood, sparks flew everywhere, and even the front windshield was shattered. Sergey Brin and Larry Page were so scared that their palms were sweating. They quickly turned off the car, then squatted under the seat with their heads in their hands and shivered.
After a long while, until the sound of gunfire could no longer be heard, the two men dared to stick their heads out to check the surrounding situation.
Hearing the urgent horn sounding from behind, Sergey Brin quickly started the car and drove home with lingering fear.
He was afraid that if he was a little slow, the grumpy old man driving behind him would pull out an AK47 and put it to his head.
After returning home, Sergey Brin cursed with red eyes as he looked at the broken headlights, the hood covered with scratches from stray bullets, and the front windshield that was torn like a spider web. "This is the new car I bought last month! These damn federal police officers, can't they aim a little better? The public security in California is terrible. There are more and more Mohegans here, and they are all extremely vicious. Now we can encounter one or two waves of bank robbers and highway patrol officers fighting on the streets almost every week."
Larry Page was also still frightened: "Mr. Lu joked with me that in our free America, there are gunfights every day. I used to think he was exaggerating, but now I think he is right. When I was in Hong Kong, I could walk freely on the street without having to worry about people around me suddenly pulling out a gun and shooting me in the head."
Sergey Brin continued to curse: "I really don't understand why those idiots on Capitol Hill are unwilling to ban guns. What kind of rubbish did we vote for? What's wrong with the United States?"
Larry Page said firmly: “Let’s not discuss these topics anymore. When we make money, maybe we should consider immigrating to a safer place, or at least leaving this dangerous country!”
Back in the garage, Larry Page took out the contract and showed it to Sergey Brin, then told him about his communications with Lu Yiming over the past few days.
Although Sergey Brin already had a general idea of it over the phone, it naturally felt different when Larry Page told him in person.
"Are you really going to let this Xia countryman participate in your business?"
Larry Page corrected: "It's our business! Didn't I tell you that before?"
Sergey Brin still looked puzzled: "You did say that you wanted to find a partner in Xia Country, but why did you choose this Mr. Lu? In Hong Kong alone, there are many excellent partners, such as the newly-crowned richest man in Asia, Li Chaoren. He is very influential in Xia Country and is a guest of many people in power."
Obviously, in Sergey Brin's opinion, Lu Yiming is not the best partner. There are too many wealthy people who are richer and more connected than him.
Larry Page shook his head upon hearing this: "This is not a matter of money. We need Mr. Lu, who can point the way for Google's future. To be honest, he is an amazing young man from Xia Country. Although he looks quite young and is even still in high school, he is extremely talented and has become a billionaire from scratch. He also has a first-rate vision. He even told me how Google can start to make a profit."
Sergey Brin still had doubts about this: "Even so, if you just refuse, you can get five million dollars for free! Now, he has used five million dollars to buy Google's shares!"
Selling shares means that the two's control over Google will be reduced.
Larry Page has always attached the most importance to his control . After all, the lesson learned from Steve Jobs really makes them, as fellow entrepreneurs, feel deeply uneasy.
No one wants to be kicked out of the company they founded. It is not only a matter of losing money, but also a shame.
However, Larry Page's attitude was unusually firm this time. He shook his head slightly and said, "Don't be greedy for this little profit. Don't forget where our hyperlink analysis technology came from."
Reminded by this sentence, Sergey Brin remembered an Asian genius named Robin whom he met at Sohu.com.
We are all working on search engines and are in the same industry, so people in the circle are no strangers to each other.
In fact, Google's search engine has borrowed a lot of Li Robin's hyperlink analysis technology. They all combine mathematics and information science to analyze various phenomena such as the properties of network links, link objects, link networks, etc., and finally obtain specific quantitative characteristics and internal laws.
Although Robin Li applied for a patent for himself, patents only protect technology, not ideas.
So Google borrowed Li Robin's technology, and the other party had no way to deal with it and could only watch.
But the same is true in reverse!
The better Google Valley develops, the more likely it is that Li Robin, who possesses the same technology, will be able to follow in Google's footsteps and become a strong industry competitor.
Larry Page was not a short-sighted person, so he saw this possibility, and looked at Sergey Brin seriously: "Listen to me, man, Mr. Lu is a genius. We may not need his money, but we definitely need his brain and wisdom. If Google rejects him, then maybe our enemies will get him. Believe me, you never want this result."
Google is not the only company working on search engines. For example, Yahoo, which is now at the peak of its popularity, has a department that is also conducting related research and development.
In addition, there are smaller peers such as SouXin.
In terms of technological prowess, Google may have an advantage, but what the United States lacks the least is talent. They are not invincible.
Larry Page had a clear mind: "Mr. Lu can easily think of using paid ranking to solve Google's profit problem. Who knows how many wonderful ideas are hidden in his genius mind? I talked to him for a long time and realized that he still had reservations about Google. Therefore, I specially added a clause in the contract that after Mr. Lu invested in our Google company, he could not continue to invest in other search engine companies, otherwise I had the right to force a repurchase of his shares at the transaction price."
After listening to this, Sergey Brin couldn't help but give a thumbs up: "You are such a smart guy."
In the end, Sergey Brin was finally persuaded by Larry Page to accept the decision to let Lu Yiming become a shareholder of Google.
Although it is a pity to "lose" five million dollars, it will be worth it if it can help Google reduce a potential strong enemy.
What the two are most worried about now is that if Lu Yiming cannot get the benefits he wants from Google, he will most likely choose to invest in Google's competitors.
At least Li Robin, who invented the hyperlink analysis technology, is a pure Xia citizen. The two of them naturally have a good foundation for cooperation, which cannot be ignored.
If Lu Yiming invested in Li Robin's business and gave him advice, Google would be in big trouble.
The two guessed correctly. Not long after, Li Robin would choose to return to Xia Country to start a business and founded a search engine company named Baidu.
At this time, the Hong Kong River was shrouded in misty night and the sea breeze was blowing gently.
Lu Yiming stood on the balcony and called his cousin Li Yiwen, and casually mentioned the contract with Google.
Li Yiwen was happy at first, but then he felt a little depressed: "I have been here for more than half a month, trying to persuade those guys, but there is no progress at all. How come you can do it in two days?"
Lu Yiming smiled calmly: "These are just basic operations. I, the big boss behind the scenes, have personally stepped in. Isn't it a matter of course to take down Google?"
Thinking of his cousin's ability, Li Yiwen soon felt relieved, and then talked about his return journey: "Now that you put it this way, the mission you assigned to me has basically come to an end, so can I return home?"
Lu Yiming laughed: "Why? Are you not comfortable living in the capitalism base of the United States? There are countless people in China who dream of going to the United States to wash dishes and sweep the streets. You are eating and drinking well in the United States now, and you are not satisfied?"
Li Yiwen complained bluntly: "The discrimination here is too serious. The Moshegos and black people on the streets are very unfriendly to us Asians. The public security in California is especially terrible. Every day I see gangsters fighting with guns on the streets. The scene is even more exciting than what I see in the movies. I really can't stand it. It's safer to go back to China."
Poor people want to go abroad because they have no money.
Li Yiwen is now financially independent, and he can live freely wherever he is. Naturally, he doesn't want to stay in a place where everyone has a gun and has to go out with bodyguards and ride in a bulletproof car. Such a life would be too damn scary.
If those who want to yearn for the beacon of the United States heard this, they would probably be so angry that they would fight with Li Yiwen and ask him not to slander their spiritual motherland.
However, Lu Yiming knew that what Li Yiwen said was absolutely true. In fact, because he was too rich, he had never experienced the miserable life of the lower class people in the United States.
Especially living in California, many people at the bottom of society spend their days taking drugs and engaging in gunfights. Life is so exciting that people who are used to a comfortable life in China really cannot accept this kind of life.
Lu Yiming couldn't help but joked: "I thought you didn't want to come back after you left. It seems that the extravagance of capitalism has not corrupted you. This is good."
When Li Yiwen heard this, he was immediately delighted and asked with a cheerful expression, "So, I can go back to China?"
However, Lu Yiming broke his dream: "I'm afraid it's not possible yet. Although the Google issue has been resolved, I have thought of a new matter that I still need you to deal with in person."
Hearing that he couldn't return to China, Li Yiwen became depressed. But thinking that he was now relying on Lu Yiming to eat and drink here, he had no choice.
He sighed dejectedly, "Tell me, how are you going to order me around this time?"
Lu Yiming smiled and consoled him, "How can this be considered ordering you around? I just want you to make more money. You said you're an employee now, don't you want to learn how to be a qualified capitalist?"
Li Yiwen nodded without hesitation: "Yes."
Everyone is cursing the capitalists, but everyone wants to become a capitalist.
Perhaps this is what it means when love turns to hate. If you cannot get the love you want, you will naturally hold a grudge and grit your teeth.
After all, in life, a poor man who doesn't want to be a capitalist is not a good poor man. People should have dreams while they are alive.
