First Negotiations with Microsoft—Asking for Recommendation Votes

"Mr. Bill, let's not discuss business for now. I've arranged a special breakfast from my hometown. Afterward, you can rest a while before we talk. How does that sound?" Chu Feng said to Bill with a smile, as if he were chatting with an elderly neighbor.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. Chu. There's a saying in China: the guest follows the host's arrangements. We'll proceed as you suggest."

Bill's words left his assistant briefly stunned before he hurriedly translated them.

The assistant had been with Bill for a long time. Since when had Bill become so easygoing? Though Bill was not as forceful as Jobs, he was hardly a congenial person either. If Bill had not been standing right in front of him, the assistant might have suspected someone else was impersonating him.

The atmosphere became more harmonious, losing the initial sense of unfamiliarity. Chu Feng introduced Bill to Hailing's local customs and culture, and Bill listened with great interest, saying outright that once everything was settled, he wanted to properly tour Hailing.

Before long, they arrived at the grand hotel.

The greeters opened the car doors. To everyone's astonishment, Chu Feng and Bill stepped out while chatting warmly, making people wonder whether Chu Feng had known Bill before.

Otherwise, how had the two become like old friends in such a short time?

Under the manager's guidance, they arrived at a lavish banquet hall.

Only after inviting Bill and the others to take their seats did Chu Feng's group sit down.

Before long, the servers brought out breakfast in an endless stream.

The first dish was Hailing's specialty breakfast, Boiled Dried Tofu Shreds.

The hotel staff had originally asked whether Western food should be prepared, but Chu Feng had refused. Since Bill had come to China, his own hometown, of course he had to prepare distinctive local food. If they wanted Western food, wouldn't it be better to eat it back home?

Dried tofu shreds were a famous Hailing breakfast delicacy, generally served either boiled or blanched. Boiled dried tofu shreds consisted of tofu shreds with shredded ham, bamboo shoots, button mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms, whitebait, seaweed, egg skin, and chicken. Higher-end versions also included shredded sea cucumber or bird's nest. Blanched dried tofu shreds were made by slicing large white dried tofu into fine strands, blanching them in boiling water, and plating them. Tender ginger was then shredded and placed on top. The tofu shreds were pure white, the ginger golden, and a small pinch of dried shrimp was added, along with soy sauce and fragrant stone-ground sesame oil. Once mixed, the yellow and white intermingled, and after finishing a plate, the fragrance lingered on the teeth and cheeks.

As the saying went: "Huainan soy milk is my homeland; the Nine-Shred Soup has endured since the Qianlong and Jiaqing eras. Clear and light, blessed by nature; strand after strand, its lingering charm runs deep."

Early in the morning, a steaming bowl of Boiled Dried Tofu Shreds, with its fresh fragrance and rich ingredients complementing one another, could leave one energized for the entire day.

Since Bill and the others were foreigners unused to Chinese chopsticks, knives and forks had been thoughtfully prepared for them.

Bill looked at the dried tofu shreds before him, unsure where to begin.

"Mr. Chu, are these Chinese noodles? They don't really look like them," Bill asked in confusion.

Chu Feng had no intention of laughing at Bill and smiled as he explained the dish.

Bill suddenly understood. Following Chu Feng's instructions, he took a sip of the soup. The fresh, savory flavor immediately filled his mouth. Then he tasted the tender, smooth tofu shreds, and after eating nothing but airplane meals, Bill's appetite was thoroughly awakened. The accompanying assistants and company staff also lavishly praised the Boiled Dried Tofu Shreds. Chinese cuisine truly lived up to its reputation.

Next came the Crab Roe Soup Dumplings, renowned throughout north and south of the Yangtze River for nearly two hundred years. Their features were: rich but not greasy, oily yet not cloying, skins as thin as paper, and abundant, delicious soup. Fresh from the steamer, they were "like a clock sitting on a plate, like a lantern held in chopsticks." Their crab oil was golden, and when gently shaken, they resembled a soft-shelled egg.

Then came Huangqiao Sesame Flatbread, whose color and aroma differed from other pastries. Full and attractive in shape, golden like a crab shell, crisp and flaky when bitten into, neither burnt nor greasy.

Xuanbao Small Wontons, with thin wrappers, tender fillings, delicious flavor, and fresh broth.

Walnut Sesame Cakes, both sweet and savory, golden in color, crisp in texture, with an endlessly lingering aftertaste.

The breakfast was not expensive, yet everyone ate to their hearts' content and exclaimed in delight. In the end, Bill even hoped to pack some to take back to his wife, and Chu Feng naturally agreed without hesitation.

After breakfast, Bill and the others went to rest in the rooms prepared by the hotel, with the first discussion scheduled for the afternoon.

At noon, Chu Feng invited Bill to lunch at the Haiyan Grand Hotel.

What had been prepared was Hailing's specialty, the "Mei Lan Banquet."

The Mei Lan Banquet centered on Huaiyang cuisine, with carefully selected ingredients and meticulous preparation. It pursued original flavors, clear freshness, and balance, with dishes elegant in appearance and excellent in both form and substance. The "Mei Lan Banquet" had been created in commemoration of Mr. Mei Lanfang. Combining opera and culinary culture, it used eighteen of Mr. Mei Lanfang's representative plays as its backdrop, turning plays into dishes that either evoked their forms or conveyed their meanings. It also incorporated Mr. Mei's daily eating habits and the famous Taizhou delicacies he enjoyed while touring, creating a style that was graceful, varied, elegant, and luxurious. It consisted of twenty-one dishes, nine pastries and snacks, eighteen of which were named after Mei Lanfang's representative works, such as Phoenix Returns to the Nest, Daiyu Pities the Flowers, Farewell My Concubine, and The Drunken Concubine.

How could Chinese people eat without baijiu?

Made from premium sorghum and wheat as its main ingredients, using high-temperature yeast cultivation and high-temperature distillation, then aged for a long time and carefully blended, Mei Lanchun Liquor had a slightly yellow hue, was clear and transparent, with an elegant aroma and a mellow body. It had successively won the gold medal at China's first Food Expo and gold medals at every Jiangnan Province Food Expo. Exported to Hong Kong, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and more than twenty countries and regions across Europe and America, Mei Lanchun Liquor became the natural choice.

These dishes also let Bill understand Chu Feng's regard and enthusiasm for them, and the atmosphere became even warmer.

After lunch, Bill and his entourage arrived at Origin Company's temporary office building.

Everyone took their seats in the massive conference room, and the discussion began.

"Mr. Chu, I must first apologize to you. Because of certain unstable factors, Microsoft and Origin Company had an unpleasant conflict. I wish to express my apologies."

Bill opened with an apology, catching Chu Feng's side off guard, especially those who had planned to use the matter as leverage. However, Chu Feng was not surprised at all. China's ancestors had long mastered such tactics to perfection—strike first. I've already apologized, so surely you can't keep holding it against me?

Chu Feng had not really taken the matter to heart. The Origin System was bound to be released sooner or later; it was only a matter of timing. The actions of companies like Microsoft had merely given Chu Feng an opportunity. In a sense, he should have thanked them.

Of course, Chu Feng would never say that aloud.

"Let the past stay in the past. People must always look ahead. If one remains fixated on the past, there will be no prospects for development. I can see your company's sincerity. Otherwise, Mr. Bill would not have come here to discuss cooperation, correct?"

Chu Feng brushed the matter aside casually, leaving Microsoft's side feeling as though they had punched empty air. Their prepared arguments were now useless. They could not possibly keep dwelling on it after the other party had made clear that he did not mind.

Still, it was best to put it behind them. Bill did not dwell on it either and continued, "Then may I ask whether Mr. Chu has any intention of cooperating with Microsoft?"

"What kind of cooperation do you have in mind?" Chu Feng asked with some interest.

Seeing that Chu Feng was interested, Bill breathed a sigh of relief. What he feared most was Chu Feng being a stubborn hothead who thought himself invincible and insisted on doing everything alone. Then the basis for negotiations would be gone, and they could only clash head-on. Microsoft had developed for so many years; it would not be defeated so easily.

"I'm very curious. The language used by Origin Company's Origin System and Basic Artificial Intelligence is clearly not the C language we know. Could you satisfy my curiosity?"

Before cooperation had even been discussed, he had gone straight for the crucial point. As expected of someone in software—he targeted the heart of the matter.

"Mr. Bill, as someone in software, you should know C language's characteristics well. C has only thirty-two keywords and nine control statements. Its programming format is flexible, and it distinguishes between uppercase and lowercase letters. That makes it concise, compact, flexible, and convenient, among other things. But its shortcomings are also obvious. C language's main weakness lies in data encapsulation, which leaves C with major flaws in data security."

As Chu Feng spoke at length, Bill nodded. He knew all this well, which only made him more curious about how Chu Feng had solved those problems.

"Our Origin System uses a new programming language, which we have named Origin Language. It signifies a new beginning for system languages. Origin offers more convenient programming conditions and tighter logical reasoning, while also processing data more quickly. However, this involves company trade secrets, so please forgive me for being unable to provide details."

Bill felt like he had been strung along. Just as Chu Feng had reached the crucial point, he glossed right over it. He revealed nothing concrete; all Bill learned was that they used a new algorithm called "Origin." That was practically the same as saying nothing at all.

"This kid was too slippery." Bill sighed inwardly.

"I hope your company can accept Microsoft's partnership. Microsoft can purchase Origin Company's patents! Even exchanging 2% of Microsoft's shares would be acceptable."

Bill's words stunned everyone. Two percent was no small amount.

Microsoft's stock was currently 158.67 Citibank Currency per share, with a total market capitalization of 1.21 trillion Citibank Currency. Two percent of its shares amounted to 24.2 billion Citibank Currency.

China's richest man was currently Wang Jianlin, whose fortune was only 28.7 billion Citibank Currency. If Chu Feng agreed now, his net worth would instantly place him on China's rich list, and he would become the youngest Chinese candidate in Forbes' top 100.

On top of that, with Origin Company, this rapidly rising tech company, in his hands, another technological empire would surely be born given enough time!

The Origin Company side was ecstatic. With Origin Company's technology combined with Microsoft's strength, their future prospects were easy to foresee.

Yet Chu Feng merely shook his head calmly.

Origin Company's executives felt both admiration and disappointment, while Lin Lin, standing behind Chu Feng, looked at the rejecting Chu Feng with shining eyes.

Bill was filled with disappointment as well. This result had been beyond his expectations.

However, it also made him even more interested in Chu Feng. He had encountered only a handful of young people in his life who possessed such deep composure.

How many people had the nerve to refuse the temptation of becoming one of the world's top tycoons in an instant? And do it so casually, at that?

In truth, Chu Feng simply did not care much about money. He could not spend what he already had anyway. If Bill and the others found out, would they be furious enough to twist their noses out of shape?

"It seems Mr. Chu has great confidence in his company's technology. Is there truly no way for us to cooperate?"

Bill probed. They had reached the final juncture now. If things really came to this, they could only fight to the bitter end.

The guaranteed 3,000-word chapter for twenty consecutive check-ins was posted first. I'll work hard to build up a backlog.