Traversing the courtyard

Chapter 430 Joint Research and Development
Gordon Moore asked aloud: "You have established an institute?"

Ruan Tao said: "We were established to study integrated circuits for home appliances, but many of the researchers we recruited came from Fairchild and graduated from the Stanford Computer Science Department, and they also have certain abilities. Can we cooperate on the 4004 chip project? "

There is only one employee in Weidong's research institute who came from Fairchild, but now is the time to raise the flag, as long as we can talk about cooperation, we will recruit software engineers in the future.

Ruan Tao briefly introduced that the research institute is researching the chip set of the radio, and has developed the first FM chip.

Ted Hoff asked: "Do you have complete R&D equipment?"

If there are people, there must be equipment. At this time, industrial computers are too expensive, and minicomputers cost about 2 US dollars. It is useless to cooperate without equipment.

For this equipment purchase, the wealthy Weidong has long been prepared. Not only did he buy some minicomputers from IBM, he also bought a medium-sized service station. Weidong is willing to spend money on equipment investment.

"We have IBM's medium-sized service station, seven minicomputers, and some matching oscilloscopes, radio frequency generators and other equipment."

Tedhoff and the others looked at each other and asked, "How do you want to cooperate?"

Wei Dongdao: "Researchers from both parties can form a research team to conduct research and development on the 4004 chipset, and the future results can be divided according to the ratio of research and development."

Arthur Locke said: "In principle, it can be agreed, but we will discuss specific issues in the afternoon."

It is also good for Intel to do so. Form a joint research team and hand over some simple things to Yixin Technology for research. Isn't this project subcontracting?

After all, many calculation tasks are very time-consuming, and they are all low-professional tasks. If someone in the team can accept them, of course they can cooperate.

After the meal, I first accompanied Tedhoff to the research institute in San Jose, and I was quite satisfied with the equipment and personnel. Now there are only more than 20 researchers at Intel, which is not as many as the research institute, but In terms of ability, Intel is far ahead of the research institute.

Wei Dong said: "I also want to set up another research institute in Los Angeles. It will be managed together with this side. There are enough researchers."

Tedhoff is very satisfied: "I think I can participate in the research and development of our Intel. I will discuss the specific cooperation method when I go back, and I will come to the company to discuss it tomorrow."

Wei Dong smiled and said, "Okay, Mr. Tedhoff."

After sending Tedhoff away, Ruan Tao asked, "Are you very optimistic about the 4004 chip?"

"Of course, I found that the 4004 chip can be used not only in counters, but also in some other fields, that is to say, it has general characteristics, rather than only being used in a specific environment."

"You mean it's a general-purpose chip? What can it do?"

Wei Dong thought for a while and said, "Such as typewriters, copiers, word processing systems, and some trajectory calculations are all fine."

At this time, it would be too early to talk about PCs with Ruan Tao. Most people really don't understand what multiple computers in a family can do. Even with the emergence of PCs, entertainment at home is impossible without an operating system.

"Okay, I don't understand what you said. If you think it's useful, I'll do it for you. Go back and accompany your two wives. I won't keep you."

Mi Xiaozhou smiled at the side, Ruan Tao turned around and asked, "Do you want to go back too?"

Mi Xiaozhou was embarrassing, he had been tacitly aware of it before, and had never been told by Ruan Tao in person, so he said embarrassingly, "I'm not going!"

Facing the general manager of the company, Mi Xiaozhou didn't complain, and he really didn't dare to speak nonsense.

Ruan Tao sighed, Wei Dong, a little rascal, is so attractive!
The next day Weidong and Ruan Tao came to Intel Corporation again, and Arthur Locke said: "We are also very satisfied with your research institute, but you know the core business of Intel Corporation, this part cannot let you research institute involved."

Before the advent of the CPU, Intel was mainly engaged in the research and development of memory chips. This is a core interest. Of course, we don’t want to share the technology with Weidong. Yesterday’s meeting discussed this area and excluded it from the scope of cooperation.

Weidong doesn't care much about the research and development of memory. Now it is enough to cooperate on the 4004 project. We will talk about things in the future. After this breakthrough, we must gradually strengthen cooperation. Early chip development is very important. Take it slow, don't rush now.

"We don't need to cooperate with memory chips. I just need to give me a preferential price in the future."

The directors have the right to check the internal reports, and it would be great if they ordered the best price, Arthur Locke said:
"It's no problem, it's just a small matter, let's talk about the cooperation on commissioned projects!"

Intel also designs and produces external chips, just like the development and production of the 4004 chipset this time, the research and development of Weidong's electronic calculator is also a commissioned research and development, but Weidong purchased a production line from Intel. Production will not be entrusted to Intel.

Ruan Tao and Arthur Locke negotiated, mainly about how the two parties should conduct research and development and communicate. At the beginning, Arthur Locke just wanted to outsource some of the projects, so that in the future it will be a master-slave relationship, and of course there will be no authorship .

This is unacceptable to Weidong, and he has also contributed to the R & D signature, so as to leave a strong mark in history. For a while, neither side wants to make any concessions, and the negotiations almost come to a halt.

Weidong said: "Mr. Arthur Locke, I have an additional business that I want to cooperate with Intel. I wonder if Intel can purchase some production lines for me?"

Arthur Locke was also a little impatient, and he pulled off his tie before asking, "Do you want to purchase a second chip production line?"

Of course, there is no need for a chip production line. If you have a sample, you can copy it yourself, shaking your head and saying:
"I want to buy a production line for hard disks, floppy disks, circuit boards and monitors, and keyboards."

Now that there is a chip production line, Weidong intends to produce industrial computer accessories. Calculated by the labor cost of Xiangjiang, it is only one-tenth of that of the beautiful country, and with his own abilities, it is enough to enter this market.

The average annual income of a beautiful country family is about 2000 US dollars, and one US dollar can be exchanged for 7.8 Hong Kong dollars. Now the wages of workers in the Xiangjiang factory are only about 150 Hong Kong dollars, which is much cheaper. In addition, multiple production lines can be copied, which reduces production costs. , you can sell the products to the beautiful country.

If there is a production line for monitors and circuit boards, you can buy some TV technology to produce TVs. The production lines for circuit boards and monitors are common, but a few technologies are different.

However, Intel does not have related production lines and needs to be purchased from the market. Arthur Locke understands that Weidong is giving benefits to Intel. He just thinks about the right of authorship that is being discussed now. Does Intel want it? Take this business!

As for why he doesn't want to give the research institute the right to authorship, it is also a long-term consideration. If Weidong's reputation of Qiu Yu Research Institute is publicized, will he compete with himself in this regard in the future?

It's just subconsciously wanting to limit the fame of the Qiuyu Research Institute in this area, but right now there are a lot of profits from purchasing the production line on behalf of the company, and it would be inappropriate to refuse the profits that can be obtained immediately.

Wei Dong explained: "After all, we are outsiders, and it is not easy to directly purchase production lines in the market. Originally, we wanted to entrust Citibank to purchase on our behalf, but now we want to cooperate with Intel. After all, I still have Intel shares!"

That's right, Weidong still holds shares in Intel. Isn't it just the authorship right of a chipset? It's no big deal to add it, and it's not his core business.

Arthur Locke understood the relationship, and said with a smile: "You can add Yixin Technology Company to the signature."

Wei Dong and Ruan Tao glanced at each other. The first step of this cooperation is right. It will be much easier to strengthen cooperation in the future. Ruan Tao and Arthur Locke discussed some details, and they didn't have much opinion on the allocation of research expenses. , the total entrusted research and development fee is only [-] US dollars, Wei Dong really didn't like this money.

Arthur Locke recruited the company's lawyers, drafted a cooperation agreement, and both parties signed the cooperation conditions.

In this way, the 4004 chipset has become a chip jointly developed by Intel and Yixin Technology, and the task of leaving Wei Dongqing's name in history can be completed.

In the future, the name of Yixin Technology will be mentioned in computer textbooks. This kind of publicity can last for decades, and it will be talked about by all IT practitioners.

Is it just not going on sale until the end of '71?It's still more than two years, do I want to push forward?Wei Dong has never thought about it, if there are too many changes, his advantage of foresight will gradually weaken in the future.

Taking advantage of the lawyer's presence, another entrusted procurement agreement was drafted. The specific amount has not yet been determined, but it is only a framework agreement.

After negotiating the purchase agreement, this trip to Stanford came to a perfect end. Weidong played with Qin Xiayue and Yan Jiedi for two days before reluctantly leaving Stanford and returning to Los Angeles.

Returning to the bustling Los Angeles Weidong, I was not in the mood to play again. After discussing with Ruan Tao, I called Virginia over and said, "Virginia, now I have a task for you."

Virginia was a little surprised, thinking that the trip at noon was just a trip to the mountains and rivers, and she had nothing to do with herself!

"Boss, you can ask me to do anything."

Ruan Tao smiled and said, "Don't be nervous, it's a good thing."

Virginia smiled and said, "I'm not nervous, please tell the boss."

Wei Dong said: "A Virginia company has been established in your name before, and now I want you to come forward to find Goldman Sachs to negotiate an entrustment. I want to buy a part of the shares of Wang An Computer Company."

Weidong cooperates with Citibank, so he can no longer go to Citibank. Goldman Sachs is no worse than Citibank. It would be good if the entrusted acquisition of stocks by Virginia Company is left to Goldman Sachs.

The highest market value of Wang An Computer Company was in the 80s. It has not yet entered the 70s. The market value of Wang An Company is not yet [-] million U.S. dollars. Now invest while the stock price is not high. Accessories can also be directly contacted for supply.

What's more, now we also hold the patent of the liquid crystal panel, and we have to bring this product to the market.

Virginia also learned some management experience from Ruan Tao recently, but after all, she was a little girl, so she was still a little nervous, and asked, "Do you want me to talk?"

After saying that, she looked pitifully at Weidong.

Wei Dong explained: "If you go out, of course I will bring you a few assistants. Neither Manager Ruan nor I will show up, but we will give you a file for you to look at."

Weidong planned to hand over 2000 million yuan to Goldman Sachs to negotiate the purchase of Wang An's shares. It would be best if he could buy 20% of the shares, and if he couldn't reach it, he could buy as much as he wanted.

Neither Wei Dong nor Ruan Tao will show up, just find two white assistants from the Los Angeles branch to help Virginia.

Virginia was a little embarrassed: "Can I do it?"

"If there's anything wrong with it, you don't steal or grab it, and let you spend money to buy shares, just do it openly."

Virginia took a deep breath: "Then I'll go tomorrow?"

Ruan Tao said: "I've made an appointment with someone. You go to the Goldman Sachs branch in Los Angeles tomorrow morning, and someone will discuss the details of the acquisition with you."

In the era without the Internet, it is easiest to find a big bank or securities company to buy shares on behalf of you. Otherwise, you have to go to New York to buy them, and you don’t have the time and energy to do these trivial things.

Goldman Sachs and Citigroup both have securities companies, and they can buy and sell stocks by entrusting them. The acquisition of Weiweidong will be held for more than ten or twenty years.

It’s fine to invest in IBM. Buying tens of millions of stocks with a market value of 350 billion is just a small retail investor. It’s useless to come to cooperate.

The information in Virginia has a specific plan, as long as the discussion is done according to the script given, Virginia read it and chatted with Ruan Tao for a few words, and went back to her room after figuring out the meaning in the middle inside.

Ruan Tao smiled and asked, "Do you think it's appropriate to push such a weak Virginia to the fore?"

Wei Dong smiled and said: "Otherwise? Find a very strong puppet? Besides, Virginia has also learned acting in the Retiro Garden, don't be fooled by her cuteness, she may be stronger than many people. "

Thinking about the environment in Retiro Gardens, it would have been difficult for people to be bullied without any ability. Virginia must have learned how to live with a mask in it, so she can't be regarded as an ordinary person.

Virginia can get along well with Mi Xiaozhou and never make any noise, so she has some skills. Even that girl Mi Xiaozhou has to count the money for Virginia when she is sold by Virginia.

Ruan Tao smiled and said, "Okay, why don't you go back to your room?"

"There is still business!"

"Is it really business?"

Wei Dong said: "I found that there are no home appliance chain supermarkets in Los Angeles and San Francisco, only some small home appliance stores."

Weidong found out the last time he met, but he felt it was too far away. His focus was on Xiangjiang, and he didn't want to spend too much time here. It's different now. If he earns too much money, he must find a way to invest. It’s not too late to set up supermarkets now, but if you want to invest in a chain of home appliance supermarkets, you can do it.

The washing machine will be launched soon. This can no longer be handed over to the foreign firms to operate the beautiful country market. It is better to invest in a home appliance chain company, which can produce by itself, has a fleet, and there is a chain supermarket in the beautiful country, which can produce. Transportation and sales are one-stop, and the profits are all in their own pockets.

Ruan Tao thinks about it, it is indeed a good idea. Home appliance stores are all big items, and the possibility of being stolen is very small. Now that I have a large amount of capital income, I will invest in Beautiful Country and try it out in Los Angeles, California. If possible, I will promote it first. to cities across California and then cover the West.

"Then inform Manager Bian tomorrow and ask him to make a plan."

The situation in Xiangjiang and Los Angeles is different. Of course, it is necessary to find shops and negotiate with manufacturers based on the local reality, so this matter needs to be led by the side manager. The headquarters only needs to manage and supervise the funds well, and also find professionals with management experience. to manage.

(End of this chapter)