Chapter 426: Three Steps Forward
Jobs smiled again.
He could clearly see Su Yuanshan's urgency.
Even though Jobs had spent the past few years away from the tech world, working in animation, that didn't mean he'd stopped paying attention. In fact, the moment Su began making waves—and was hailed as "the second Steve Jobs"—Jobs had taken notice.
As Xinghai and FarCore grew into unavoidable forces, investors across multiple sectors had begun scrutinizing them—and the man behind them.
But Jobs had taken a different approach.
Instead of focusing on company data or strategy, he tried to understand what kind of person Su Yuanshan was. Because Jobs, at his core, was a product manager. And anyone in product management must understand human nature.
At first, Jobs had seen Su as a brash, gold-rush-era entrepreneur—someone with the recklessness of a Wall Street gambler. He didn't like that.
In Jobs' view, whether in product or business, one must strive for perfection. That mentality naturally clashed with short-term opportunism.
But Su had succeeded—wildly, even.
Reality had proven him worthy of the "genius" title, with sharp strategic vision to match.
…
"My agreement with your proposal is based on our shared vision for the future of handheld devices," Jobs said carefully. "It simply means that going forward, our paths—or at least one of them—might align."
Su nodded, waiting patiently for him to continue.
"But collaboration is different," Jobs went on. "Any collaboration must deliver mutual benefits."
Su smiled and interrupted lightly, "I've never shortchanged a partner. As you said yourself, all of FarCore's partnerships are built on shared interest and development. And in areas where we're at a technical disadvantage, we've often paid more."
Jobs chuckled. "Sony Pictures might not agree."
"Cough…"
Su cleared his throat awkwardly.
He hadn't forgotten that Jobs had spent time in the film industry—but he had, subconsciously, overlooked it.
Bringing up Sony Pictures wasn't easy to explain.
Back then, Su had almost clashed with their CEO during negotiations. From Sony's perspective, investing in internet streaming rights before they'd even turned a profit felt downright foolish. But the deal eventually went through—mostly because Sony HQ replaced their film division chief.
—Which also showed how committed Sony was to working with FarCore.
And truth be told, it wasn't FarCore who had paid more—it was Sony.
"That partnership was about future positioning in the digital media space," Su said simply. "At the end of the day, Sony chose to believe in FarCore."
He didn't bother explaining more. He knew Jobs didn't care much for internet products—which were mostly services. Jobs cared about real products—beautiful ones, designed with Apple's aesthetic in mind.
"That's why I'm very curious," Jobs said finally, eyes narrowing. "If we do collaborate, what exactly will Apple get out of it?"
Su paused, thinking for several seconds before answering seriously: "It's not about what Apple gets—it's about whether Apple believes in the beauty of its own designs."
Jobs raised an eyebrow.
Su continued, "Like every entrepreneur, I have ambition. And even if I didn't, FarCore would drag me forward anyway."
"No matter how noble the packaging, the ultimate goal of a company is to dominate its field."
"But I may be more sober-minded than most. Because I know true monopoly is impossible. Even if it's achieved, it will inevitably decay—just like the Blue Giant once did."
Jobs interjected with a rare nod. "That's one point I agree with."
Su nodded back, smiling. "So, our job—while chasing ambition—is to make good products. Beautiful, delightful, and even perfect products for users."
"And if the future demands a rival, I hope it's Apple under your leadership," he added with open arms. "Instead of fighting one day, why not start as friends?"
"Compared to owning and customizing the best chip architecture, I think two companies with shared values—competing and collaborating to elevate technology and aesthetics—sounds more appealing."
Su looked at Jobs with steady eyes.
He knew Apple's DNA was rooted in "trust only ourselves." But that didn't matter. What mattered was: right now, Apple didn't have the time or bandwidth to spend years designing a brand-new, highly integrated processor architecture.
But if they partnered with FarCore, their design prowess would let Apple stay ahead in product innovation.
Now it was up to Jobs.
"Alright."
…
Feeling relieved, Su returned to the villa and collapsed onto his bed in exhaustion.
He didn't get up until dinnertime, when the others called him to eat. As he sat down at the table and noticed everyone staring at him, he blinked and said, "What's with all the looks?"
Everyone fell silent—especially Zhou Xiaohui, who looked visibly anxious.
She knew Su's entire itinerary on this trip. She also knew exactly what he hoped to accomplish.
There were two main goals:
One—finalize the x86 licensing deal with Intel.
Two—establish a mobile strategy partnership with Apple around YX architecture (or fallback with TI if necessary).
x86 was the future of desktop processors.
YX was the future of mobile processors.
"You got rejected?" Yang Yiwen nudged him. "Old Steve's a tough nut to crack. Don't take it personally."
"Nope." Su saw their concern and couldn't help but laugh, picking up his chopsticks. "In principle, Jobs agreed to cooperate—Apple will work with us on YX architecture development."
"What kind of cooperation?" asked Tang Wenjie.
Su set down his chopsticks and held up three fingers. "Three steps."
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Chapter 427: The Launch Conference
"Step one: Apple will reassemble a research team based on the original ARM personnel. They'll adopt the same model we've used with Xinghai—regular online collaboration, supplemented with periodic face-to-face meetings to jointly develop technologies. Any successful outcomes will be shared between both sides, with existing achievements receiving exclusive cross-licensing."
That was exactly how FarCore and Xinghai had been working together for years. And their collaboration extended far beyond architecture co-development—it included full-blown patent sharing.
For example, FarCore had granted Xinghai access to their GPU architecture, while Xinghai, in turn, had YX architecture licenses on file.
In other words, the two sides were like mirrored copies—fully synchronized to allow either one to step into the other's territory whenever needed.
Chen Haomin frowned slightly. "That sounds like the entire partnership structure already. What are the other two steps?"
"Right… the initial partnership is just the foundation. But we have to plan ahead," Su Yuanshan said with a smile.
"Step two: We must maintain leadership in this partnership."
The key word Su used here was "maintain," not "achieve." That implied FarCore was already the lead party.
Of course, everyone knew—Apple, whether in terms of capability or ambition, wasn't the type to play second fiddle. If Apple made major breakthroughs or gained substantial advantages in YX R&D, their ascension to leadership would be a matter of course.
"Ultimately, we'll have to rely on technology to win over Apple's team," Su added. "Only then can step three become a possibility."
"And what's step three?"
Su answered calmly and without hesitation: "We swallow Apple's chip design team."
Everyone at the table fell silent.
They hadn't even signed a letter of intent yet, and this guy was already thinking about acquisition.
But Yang Yiwen quickly thought of something else and couldn't help but ask, "Doesn't that mean senior brother's team would have to be split off?"
She was referring, of course, to Tang Wenjie's senior—Qin Weimin. As Su Xinghe's personal second disciple, Qin was a highly respected technical leader, and the de facto chief architect of FarCore's CPU strategy.
Su smiled and nodded.
If they wanted to absorb Apple's team, the only viable path was to spin off Qin Weimin's group into a separate subsidiary. That new entity would then take the lead in bridging technical and personnel exchanges between Silicon Valley and FarCore's mainland base.
It would also lay the groundwork for truly globalizing YX architecture deployment.
"Senior brother might not go for that," Tang Wenjie chuckled. "These days, he just wants a quiet life with his wife and kids. He talks about retiring every chance he gets. If you ask him to run a company…"
"He doesn't get a vote," Su quipped with a grin.
He knew Qin Weimin well. In this lifetime, Qin had grown with FarCore and witnessed the rise of China's domestic chip ecosystem. He didn't carry the same sense of personal mission he had in Su's past life. But fundamentally, he was still a technologist through and through—retirement wasn't really in his DNA.
…
The next day, Su Yuanshan met up with Karina at Xinghai, and they headed together to the launch of Microsoft's Windows 95.
At the event, Su sat quietly in the second row—still center stage, just one row behind the top executives.
From the seating chart alone, it was clear: while Microsoft hadn't initially invited Xinghai, once they did, they treated them as equals to Intel.
Karina's seat was in the front row—right beside Andy Grove's.
The launch itself needed no introduction. Aside from a handful of industry insiders and tech execs, the audience was packed with reporters—many of whom hadn't even tested the OS yet. So when Bill Gates finished his dry technical breakdown and moved into a live demonstration, applause erupted from the "wide-eyed" press corps.
As a GUI-focused OS built for home users, Windows 95 deserved its reputation. It marked a true milestone, cementing Microsoft's dominance.
From then on, the term "multimedia PC" entered the mainstream.
As the applause and whistles rolled in, Gates continued the demo.
One interesting note: Windows 95 fully supported USB 1.1 plug-and-play. To showcase this, Gates even unplugged and replugged a USB mouse mid-presentation.
That only earned light applause—most people still didn't grasp USB's significance. Many thought PS/2 ports were more than enough…
Only Su Yuanshan sat there with a knowing smile.
The fact that Windows 95 came bundled with USB drivers meant that the age of "blue screen of death" might finally begin to fade.
—Anyone who had used Win95 or Win98 knew just how easily a PS/2 mouse or keyboard could crash the system.
"And in addition," Gates said, "our system now supports the most advanced multimedia instruction set available—MMX. With MMX, Windows 95 delivers optimal performance for multimedia programs. You no longer need to worry that watching a video will freeze your entire machine. You can decode and multitask smoothly."
As Gates spoke, Su smiled and shook his head.
He knew the age of video decoder cards was over.
Although FarCore still produced decoder chips and held patents, they had never been aggressive in manufacturing full decoder cards. In fact, Su had deliberately made those patents available to small electronics companies.
On one hand, it was to foster new hardware startups. On the other, it helped FarCore avoid unnecessary risk.
Because Su knew Win95 would render decoder cards obsolete. And he didn't want the budding electronics firms he'd nurtured to collapse after a single product launch.
Starting last year, FarCore's VCD division had quietly tightened supply chains to protect downstream partners in a "nanny-style" fashion.
Not every company had FarCore's "luck" or early access to inside information. Just like when Windows 3.2 launched and wiped out every Chinese language card manufacturer. Even large IT firms back then didn't have that kind of foresight.
"And, of course," Gates continued, "this requires CPU support. Fortunately, our partners are here with us today."
He turned toward the center of the front row.
Everyone else followed his gaze.
Karina from Xinghai. Andy Grove from Intel.
Su watched with keen interest. He was dying to see how Gates would introduce these two… "frenemies."
And whether Andy Grove would use this opportunity to unveil Intel's latest processor.
After all, the original plan had been a joint release.
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Chapter 428: Intel's Indifference
From his seat, Andy Grove nodded politely to Karina beside him, then stepped up onto the stage.
The crowd of reporters—most there to gawk rather than understand—burst into applause once again.
Su Yuanshan also smiled and clapped slowly.
Mr. Gates, standing on stage, returned the smile calmly.
…
After the morning's Windows 95 launch, Karina gave Su Yuanshan a ride to the Silicon Valley office of NewBook.
"Want to come upstairs for a bit?" Su asked as he spotted Ding Lei's secretary descending the front steps—a curvy, all-American blonde, unsurprisingly.
"I'll pass. We'll meet again soon enough," Karina said, shaking her head. But after a beat, she gave in to her curiosity and asked, "Boss, are you sure everything went fine this morning?"
"Yeah. All good."
"Alright then. I won't dwell on it."
With that, she waved the driver on, not even turning back.
Su smiled and shook his head.
Intel had chosen to announce its latest Pentium Pro processor during Microsoft's event—casually piggybacking off the Windows 95 press conference to "mention" their own CPU.
This kind of thing hadn't happened in all the years Su had followed the industry—not in his past life, not in his present.
In the modern world, this would be a textbook case of "dream collaboration."
Of course, since the main focus was Windows 95, Andy had only briefly introduced Intel's new chip, without trying to steal the show. He was, in fact, unusually reserved, showering most of his praise on Windows.
Still, even with Intel being so low-key, Karina was visibly annoyed.
To her, Intel was clearly flexing—reminding everyone that they, not Xinghai, were Microsoft's rightful and irreplaceable partner. And they made it very clear they didn't care about Xinghai's "challenge" at all.
Even Microsoft… despite Xinghai's much deeper cooperation with them recently, Gates had still pulled that move right in front of her and Su. No wonder she was frustrated.
That was why she had asked.
Su had been a little annoyed at first too. But he quickly stepped back and reminded himself of the broader context. He mentally reviewed every major strategic move Microsoft and Intel had made since forming their alliance and realized something important: despite their long history, this kind of joint public appearance was almost unheard of.
These two companies now had a combined market cap of over $400 billion.
Each was the undisputed leader in its field.
That they would go out of their way to make a public joint appearance?
If he interpreted that purely as Intel trying to snub him, he'd be seriously underestimating them.
Intel, after all, was founded by one of the fathers of Silicon Valley.
Clearly, despite its recovered stock price, Intel was feeling the pressure from both Xinghai and FarCore.
Of course, Su also believed that Andy Grove's move did carry some intent to "show dominance"—but it wasn't some petty attempt to undermine Xinghai. It was a statement of confidence: he'd announce when he wanted to announce, no matter who was watching.
Once Su understood that, his mood improved.
Gates, he thought, was smart enough to call when the time was right.
…
Back in the NewBook office, Su followed a bubbly assistant named Penny into the elevator. Just as the doors opened, he spotted Ding Lei laughing and chatting with a group near the lift.
When Ding saw Su, he didn't acknowledge him right away. Instead, he made eye contact and pretended not to notice.
Su didn't mind. He stepped aside to let the group pass.
But one person in the group seemed to recognize Su and lit up with surprise—just as he started moving toward him, Su coughed lightly and turned away.
The man caught on quickly, smiled awkwardly, and gave Ding Lei a long glance before disappearing into the elevator.
"Sequoia Capital," Ding said as he walked over and draped an arm around Su's shoulders. His round face beamed. "Looks like that guy recognized you."
"Doubt it. I'm not exactly famous," Su replied, playing dumb. "I've never been in the papers."
"Pfft… where'd you learn that trick?" Ding grinned.
The two of them chatted and laughed all the way into the office. Ding didn't even bother introducing Su to anyone else.
As they entered, a young man with glasses stood up from the guest sofa.
"Brother Pony."
"President Su."
Su nodded and walked over to sit with Pony Ma.
…
Though EM and NewBook had set up Silicon Valley offices a while ago, their real operations were still based in China, particularly in the Special Economic Zone. After breaking away from Xinghai, their ties to FarCore's industrial park had actually grown closer.
But the domestic internet market was still nascent. Official data showed that China's total individual internet users hadn't even crossed six figures. Most traffic came from research institutes, government departments, and universities.
And FarCore.
No exaggeration—FarCore alone accounted for almost half the internet population in China.
So even though Ding and Pony's headquarters were technically in China, their operational focus had shifted to Silicon Valley.
Silicon Valley welcomed them with open arms—whether Wall Street or local tech titans. Both companies were being treated like rising stars.
Sequoia Capital itself had come knocking.
"Xiaoshan, quick question—what exactly did you agree on with Andy Grove?" Ding blurted the moment they sat down.
Ever since splitting from FarCore, he and Su had become more like real brothers than boss and subordinate. That closeness made calling Su "Xiaoshan" feel natural.
Su knew exactly where Ding's curiosity came from. He didn't mind.
"No secret. I just asked for x86 licensing."
"You got it?" Ding's eyes widened in delight.
Su nodded. "He agreed."
Pony adjusted his glasses and smiled. "If he hadn't, I doubt Gates would've let Karina and President Su sit front and center at the Windows 95 event."
Su smiled and nodded.
"Enough about me. Let's talk about you two," he said, exhaling as he looked at them seriously.
It had been nearly a year—and their growth had exceeded even his expectations.
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Chapter 429: The Call from Gates
What's that saying again?
A person of exceptional talent remains exceptional regardless of time or place. Sure, timing and opportunity—what some call "catching the right wave"—matter a lot. But at the end of the day, character determines destiny.
Both Ding Lei and Pony Ma had made names for themselves in Su Yuanshan's previous life. But now, having emerged from FarCore's system and received his direct guidance, their success had come earlier—and more impressively—than before.
And even after separating from FarCore, their growth hadn't slowed. It was the perfect validation of the theory that success has momentum.
"When are you planning to IPO?" Su asked, finally getting to the real purpose of his visit.
The two exchanged a glance, silently conferring with their eyes. It was still Ding Lei who answered: "No firm date yet, but we're thinking no later than the end of next year—that's the earliest Nasdaq would allow, anyway."
Su nodded thoughtfully.
Compared to other exchanges, Nasdaq had always been friendlier to tech companies—especially internet startups. Part of it was to give Wall Street's big players early access to promising ventures. But the bigger reason was to support and nurture the tech sector.
After all, while the stock market had evolved into a playground for capital, its original purpose was still financing: helping businesses grow. And tech companies—particularly internet firms that required massive infrastructure investment—needed funding more than anyone.
In that regard, the support America's institutions gave to tech was something worth learning from.
"Not sure if it'll go smoothly though," Pony added, half-joking.
"Don't worry—it'll go just fine," Su said with a grin.
Ding chuckled too. "Honestly, things here have been going so well these past few months… I'm not sure whether to be grateful or suspicious."
Su cleared his throat and suddenly looked a little more serious. "Senior brother, don't start overthinking it."
Ding also coughed and nodded. "I know, I know… Just letting off steam."
What he was really thinking about, of course, was the recent standoff between mainland China and the island in the south. It had unexpectedly made mainland-based entrepreneurs like him the darlings of the Western tech scene.
Ding understood why.
To Wall Street—and to Silicon Valley's elite—it looked like these Chinese entrepreneurs were realizing that their home country might not offer the stable environment their businesses needed.
In other words, America is better.
That was the thinking Su needed to shut down.
"We're not talking geopolitics here. You've both worked at FarCore long enough to know how I view the internet and the future," he said firmly.
He had never intended to control EM or NewBook with an iron grip. But that didn't mean he wanted them drifting off course either.
"Yeah… understood," Pony said, nodding first. "Internet users are still people too."
"Exactly. And I believe more than anyone that our country will rise. It will become the largest internet population on Earth, purely because of its size," Su said, now staring directly at Ding. "Capital only recognizes capital—it doesn't see race. But society? Society does. You must remember that."
He couldn't have been clearer.
Sure, it was fine to make money in America. And yes, capital could be trusted to follow logic. But don't fool yourselves into thinking you were now Americans.
After a pause, Su added, "I was actually supposed to attend a private forum this week, hosted by Chinese-American scholars. I had to cancel because of time. But I can tell you the theme of that forum: raising the ceiling and influence of Chinese scholars in Western academia."
"The West's been 'competing' with us for years. And while they talk a big game about freedom, even in the supposedly most open fields—like science and academia—if you carry a Chinese name, even if you have U.S. citizenship, you still don't get full recognition. We won't even talk about the rest."
Ding and Pony exchanged another glance—then both nodded seriously.
Seeing that his point had landed, Su relaxed a little. He pulled out his phone, checked the time, and laid it gently on the coffee table.
Ding, ever curious, asked, "Waiting on a call?"
"Yeah," Su replied, smiling as he caught his senior's tone. "From Mr. Gates."
"…"
As they waited, Su kept the conversation going, chatting casually with the two about future plans and strategies. He reiterated his support and confidence in both companies.
"Xiaoshan, Xinghai also supports us…" Ding finally said, unable to hold back any longer.
Pony also looked over expectantly.
That was the real reason they'd asked Su to visit.
Xinghai had expressed interest in investing in EM and NewBook.
Normally, they would have evaluated that offer purely based on what was best for their companies.
But Xinghai wasn't just any investor.
Everyone knew the company's largest shareholder was Su Yuanshan, and its co-founder was Xi Xiaoding—Su's closest ally. His sister-in-law, his friends, his most trusted people—all still worked there.
It didn't matter how others viewed the connection.
To Ding and Pony—both FarCore alumni—Xinghai was Su Yuanshan.
And now Karina wanted a stake in their companies.
They weren't sure whether to feel honored or uneasy.
Su saw their hesitation and smiled.
He understood exactly what they were feeling.
They'd just "escaped the left hand," only to see the "right hand" reaching in.
Anyone would be confused.
Was Su trying to reassert control over EM and NewBook? Or did he truly believe in their potential and want a stake purely for strategic reasons?
"You don't need to think about anything else," Su said, dropping the smile and speaking seriously. "Forget Xinghai. Forget me. Make the decision that's best for your business."
He tapped his phone. "It's like me waiting for Gates' call. If I couldn't detach myself from my own situation, I wouldn't be waiting—I'd be smashing furniture."
As if on cue, the phone's screen lit up—and its pleasant ringtone filled the room.
The caller ID read: Gates.
Su picked it up and smiled again. "See? That's Mr. Gates calling."
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Chapter 430: The Value of Trust
Su Yuanshan had always believed that Mr. Gates was a smart man.
And communication between smart people often required nothing more than a single glance.
As he'd said before: once he detached himself from his own sense of identity and no longer took Intel's appearance at the Microsoft launch as a "slap in the face" to him or to Xinghai—but rather, as a sign of Intel's stubbornness and a unilateral show of strength—his mindset shifted completely.
And with that shift came the ability to perceive the message Gates was actually sending.
As the saying goes, "a blessing in disguise." While it may have looked like Xinghai and Su lost face at the launch, the hidden rewards might be far more significant.
…
Su took a quiet breath to compose himself, then calmly pressed the "accept" button on his phone in front of the two others.
"Got time tonight?" came Gates' cheerful voice on the other end.
It was clear from his tone—today's launch had been a great success.
Whether it was the Win95 system itself, or the way Intel and Xinghai's top execs had both shown up to support it, the event had generated massive buzz.
Regardless of who won or lost between Intel, Xinghai, and every other x86 manufacturer, one thing was now certain:
Windows would rule the platform.
And Microsoft would always be the victor.
"I do," Su answered.
"Then I'd like to visit you tonight. That villa of yours—number 361—has a bit of a reputation in Silicon Valley. I've always wanted to see what kind of place could bring together so many brilliant young minds."
Su was caught completely off guard.
He had anticipated that Gates might call. But a house visit?
Still, even in surprise, Su knew exactly how to respond. He laughed and said, "You're more than welcome. We're having Chinese food tonight—feel free to bring your family."
"No need for that. I'll come alone. By the way… is Miss Qin Si home? That spicy fish you mentioned last time—I asked around. Heard it's excellent."
"Haha, she's here. And yes, it really is that good."
They set the time for 7:00 p.m. sharp. Then Gates hung up.
Su locked the phone and slipped it into his pocket as if it had been any ordinary call.
…
Even though the receiver volume on his feature phone was fairly low, the room had gone completely quiet—so both Ding Lei and Pony Ma had heard enough to recognize Gates' voice.
Though it was just a short conversation—casual, even—it stirred powerful feelings in them both.
They exchanged glances, each seeing the same thing in the other's eyes: admiration.
It was Gates, after all. The head of Microsoft. A legend among programmers. The world's richest man.
And here he was, calling Su like an old friend—asking to visit his home.
That's what status meant.
"All right," Su said, pulling their attention back. "Let's get back to Xinghai."
He had seen the look in their eyes. He knew his brief call with Gates had stirred up feelings of awe and maybe even envy—but it wasn't something he could address directly. All he could do was pretend not to notice, and steer the conversation forward.
And truthfully, his heart wasn't as calm as he pretended.
It wasn't about bragging rights. It wasn't about the prestige of a call from the world's richest man.
No.
What mattered was that Gates had called.
And that meant Gates had made his decision: he was going to stand with Su.
The only question now was—to what extent would he join the Xinghai Foundation?
"You only need to remember one thing," Su said, turning serious. "Xinghai is an independent company. Karina is a free and independent leader. Her decisions reflect her own goals—and Xinghai's."
"Just like you two. I'll be shameless enough to say this—it's because you trust me that I've been able to influence your decisions."
Ding Lei clenched his fist and took a deep breath, saying nothing. Then he reached over and gave Su a quick shoulder hug.
Su's emotional intelligence was, once again, on full display.
With one sentence, he had dispelled months of unspoken confusion—and the lingering sense of rebellion the two had been feeling.
They'd been conflicted.
Why did they still feel the urge to consult Su Yuanshan?
Why did they keep listening to him, even now that they were leading their own companies?
After all, FarCore might still be the biggest shareholder in both EM and NewBook, but it didn't dictate operations or decision-making. The two of them had total control now.
They were moving at incredible speed in the internet space—well on their way to becoming giants in their own right.
They had every right to act independently.
And yet, they still followed Su's lead.
That contradiction had created tension neither could quite name—until Su's words clarified everything.
They followed him not out of obligation, but because they trusted him.
Trusted a genius who had worked one miracle after another.
Su saw the shift in Ding Lei's expression and smiled faintly.
"Of course," he added, "trust like this is rare and precious. And I won't—can't—abuse it. That principle applies not just to us, but to any business dealing with its customers."
"Exactly. Brand reputation is really just brand trust," Ding Lei agreed, clearly lighter in mood now.
"Right," Su nodded. Then, grinning at their reinvigorated energy, he joked, "That's why Intel spent nearly half a billion dollars building user trust in their brand."
Time slipped by as Su chatted with the two of them, moving from business theory to small stories. He hoped these two would grow up carrying FarCore's DNA—and become allies in the future.
Not obstacles.
…
He had already called Qin Si earlier to let her know.
So by the time Su returned to the villa at 6:15 p.m., everything was spotless.
The floors gleamed. The sofas were pristine. Even the CD cases under the TV had been cleared away.
Clearly, everyone in the house was taking Gates' visit seriously.
After all, this would be the first non–Xinghai / FarCore guest to visit.
And not just anyone—Bill Gates.
In the kitchen, Qin Si already had her apron on. At the prep table, Yang Yiwen was pounding away with a cleaver, and Zhou Xiaohui was peeling garlic.
The whole scene was buzzing.
Su wandered around the house, then started coughing as chili oil stung his nose. Giving up, he dragged Chen Haomin and Tang Wenjie outside to the front gate. The three of them waited there, chatting under the sunset.
At exactly 6:50, a car pulled up at the corner.
It was Gates—right on time.
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