Rebirth as an American Tycoon

[Chapter 819: The European Allies Were Furious]

"Sir, the negotiations in China fell through. They're more interested in Bell Labs' DSL technology."

"Hans, what are you talking about? That's just some lab tech. Can it really compete with Siemens?"

Hans was feeling a bit frustrated. Things were almost in the bag. Who would've known such a turn of events would happen?

"Sir, they've already rolled it out in Hong Kong. Under unchanged pricing, the speed has increased significantly. The key point is, they don't even need dedicated lines. They can use the internet and make phone calls simultaneously without any issues."

"Are you sure? Hans, this isn't just some casual promotion on their part."

"Sir, I just confirmed this with my colleagues in Hong Kong. The international lines are performing average, but as long as the servers are in Hong Kong, the speed is really fast.

The most important part is, whether you're faxing or making calls, there's no impact at all. Sir, we have to have this kind of technology. Otherwise, even our mobile equipment could be affected."

...

Siemens had problems, and so did Alcatel. Not just in Asia, but Europe was also grinding to a halt.

'Damn it, this stuff obviously isn't cutting it. If I spend a fortune on an upgrade that lasts only a year, what's the point?'

Bell Labs had authorized Cisco, so when clients made their purchases, they had to ponder, 'Is this reliable? What if it doesn't work? Am I just buying a bunch of junk?'

"Sir, isn't this a monopoly?"

"Damn it, did he ever say we couldn't produce it? Did he ever say he wouldn't give us authorization?"

"No, but Cisco is now a private company."

"So what? Good grief, he might just turn that lab into Cisco's headquarters, right? Enough with this nonsense; we need the higher-ups to intervene. For heaven's sake, what is our lab doing?"

"Sir, this invention was completely unexpected. They had been working on it years ago. At first, they wanted to develop video-on-demand, and they never thought it would be applied to the internet."

"Ha! I just want to know what else is in that Bell Labs. Damn it, we should have bought them out earlier."

...

You had to admit, William White really knew how to generate resentment.

Losing one deal wasn't a big deal. If you had a good relationship, you might buy Airbus. If relations with the U.S. calmed down, you might support Boeing. The logic was basically the same; it was more of a game.

But now it was different. Sure, we had a good relationship, but don't trick me. That tech was on the verge of becoming obsolete, and you were offering it to me? That was just absurd.

Being questioned about professionalism might lead to an explanation. For instance, the last loser was a temporary employee, and this time we sent over a technical director.

But questioning integrity was another story; that would undoubtedly lead to disaster.

Asia was developing rapidly. Its communication and computer technology were basically keeping pace with Europe. In some areas, it was even ahead.

There weren't many eight-bit processors in use, and few sixteen-bit ones either. Compaq and IBM PC were the most common computers of this time in Asia.

People's consumer perspectives varied; Europeans thought, "As long as it works, that's good enough." But the reality is "If you fall behind, you'll be left behind."

Spending such a large amount on something wasn't meant to have it become obsolete in just a couple of years. In the internet age, unless the prices were about equal, you would naturally go for the best.

What? You think ISDN is better than DSL?

Er, let's leave it at that. We'll talk again next time.

Generally, Germans were quite straightforward. If you weren't the best, you simply weren't -- the idea was to work hard to catch up. Pretending otherwise didn't help; it would just become an international joke.

...

"Give it, why not? The market is so vast that one company can't handle it all."

"Sir, Cisco clearly has the advantage."

"Ha! Filson, if they've shown an obvious advantage, and if they still lose, then there's really nothing to be said.

Bell Labs just sells patents; they don't care about anything else. The most important thing is, the technology is with us. If the whole world used DSL, then our advantages for the next generation of internet access would only grow.

Moreover, the Europeans are getting antsy. I have plenty of business in Europe; I don't want to become unpopular."

"Alright, sir. I'll arrange for them to negotiate." Filson actually wanted to ask, "Are there even people in Europe that still welcome you?"

Disneyland had certainly angered the French. For the sake of some dairy company and real estate, they bad-mouthed the Brits to no end. As for the Germans, you gave their digital mobile communications standards a serious blow.

...

Filson wasn't wrong; the European allies were indeed furious.

Forget about combating the U.S.; damn it, you couldn't even compete with a private lab.

What frustrated everyone was that the billionaire in question was obviously a bit distracted.

Wait, authorization? Sure, just tell me earlier. This tech isn't high-end. As for the terms, let's have them be the same as Cisco.

The negotiations went unusually smoothly, so smooth it felt a bit dismissive. This strange outcome indeed left many bigwigs feeling uneasy.

Something you all cared about turned out to be just a minor gadget. Just look at that spirited guy over there; he's talking about interstellar travel.

Is there really that big of a gap?

...

Nonsense, that was just a psychological game. There are still plenty of good things here. It's fine to get rich together; just don't con me. I'm already scraping by with my patent fees.

You know, building rockets really costs a fortune.

"Hello, Mr. White. Can you tell me about this rocket factory?"

"Of course, Warren. You can call me William; that's what my friends call me." Since Warren Buffett was interested, he didn't mind. If he could attract an investment, great; if not, no big deal.

"Great, William. What are these? They look pretty strange."

"You mean these? This is a solar array designed to enhance sunlight collection. I estimate there will be around a million reflective panels. I believe this factory will free us from the limitations of traditional power."

"Solar power?"

"Indeed, don't underestimate it. Our current solar technology is frankly lacking. Most sunlight isn't utilized. With this solar array, we can improve efficiency significantly. And that's not the best part; we've made breakthroughs in both sunlight collection and electricity storage."

Buffett was certain this guy wasn't off his rocker. His rocket factory might actually have potential. And this solar energy sounded quite interesting too.

"William, the electricity generated by the solar array -- must have a hefty price, right?"

"Of course, you wouldn't want to know its current price. But as an attempt, it's well worth it.

Our world simply cannot sustain our current population. Whether it's coal or oil, they are always finite. In fifty years or a hundred, they will eventually disappear. The sun, however, rises on time every day. Hopefully, we can reduce costs to about a quarter of that rate."

Buffett nodded, realizing White hadn't mentioned how much a kilowatt cost now. He suggested it could potentially be several times more expensive in the future.

That didn't pose a problem. If it could work, this clean energy would be quite something. He also understood that going into the desert to launch rockets wasn't just about the safety.

Yeah, Nevada, a sunny place. Other than sand, nothing else was found on the land.

However, such a place was a great choice for both solar power and rocket development.

*****

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