Reborn in the red age

Chapter 403: Gates, there is no point in developing operating systems, let’s develop games

After seeing Fang Wanzhen off, Li Qingfeng returned home and sat in front of the computer, having a headache looking at the information collected by the spy.

Microsoft's research and development of the operating system is a huge threat to Lemon Company.

Li Qingfeng was deeply worried about Microsoft's research and development direction. If this guy's research direction was the same as the later Linux operating system, relying entirely on command execution, Li Qingfeng would not have any worries.

After all, ordinary users will only consider which system is more convenient and simpler. When the operation can be completed with a simple click of the mouse, ordinary users will not spend a lot of time memorizing such long command codes.

The only thing we are afraid of is that Gates will do something shady and conduct reverse engineering based on the Windows 90 currently released by Lemon Company.

After all, Gates has done this kind of thing many times. As long as the benefits are greater than the risk costs brought by the law, Gates will not hesitate to pick up the keyboard and copy it.
The emergence of a Windows operating system based on the MINIX kernel, reverse-engineered from Windows 90, and compatible with the X86/RISC architecture, represents that Microsoft has the ability to compete with Lemon in the operating system field.

This was not the era of highly developed Internet. The number of computers in society was small, the World Wide Web had just been created by Li Qingfeng, the Internet ecosystem had not yet been formed, and the operating system was not something irreplaceable.

If there are talented people among Americans who realize the important position of operating systems in future computers, once Microsoft creates an operating system that is not inferior to Lemon Company, they will definitely force Lemon Company to close its business in the United States and support Microsoft to take over.

The level of spies who broke into Microsoft was not high enough, they could not access core secrets, and the only information they sent back was low-level meeting records.

Apart from some brief introduction above, no information about R&D direction and operation model was conveyed.

After sitting in front of the computer and thinking hard for an entire afternoon, Qingfeng Li still couldn't come up with a solution.

When Hu Jiabao came back in the evening, he saw Li Qingfeng sitting in front of the computer with a look of despair. He frowned and asked, "What's wrong with you? You look so sad. What happened to you?"

"Hey, just a small matter." Li Qingfeng leaned back in his chair, rubbed his brows, and changed the subject: "Let's go, let's eat. Today I asked Xiao Cai to make your famous Suzhou dish, squirrel mandarin fish."

Hu Jiabao didn't respond to the conversation. Instead, he closed the door, moved a stool and sat opposite Li Qingfeng, staring at him straight.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Tell me what's bothering you. As the mistress of this family, I have the obligation to help my husband solve his problems."

Seeing Hu Jiabao's serious look, Li Qingfeng smiled and said, "Doctor Hu, it's not that I look down on you, but I tell you, you can't solve the business problem. You can't do anything except worrying with me."

"I'm not looking down on you. I'm not bragging. I just want to be a doctor. If I go into business, I may not do worse than you," Hu Jiabao said indignantly with a pout.

After looking Hu Jiabao up and down, Li Qingfeng burst out laughing. Hu Jiabao was bragging too much.

Listening to Li Qingfeng's laughter full of sarcasm, Hu Jiabao blushed, realizing that what he had just said was a bit exaggerated.

However, it is impossible to take back what has been said. Hu Jiabao stiffened his neck and tried to make excuses for himself: "When Wenhui and I set up a street stall together, her business was not as good as mine. At that time, those aunties said that I was a good businessman."

"Yes, yes, you are right. Let's go and have dinner." Li Qingfeng did not expose him and cooperated with Hu Jiabao's attempt to make amends.

"Why are you leaving? Tell me what's going on first."

Seeing that Hu Jiabao really wanted to give him advice, Li Qingfeng did not continue to interrupt, but briefly explained the competition between his family's company and Microsoft.

After listening to Li Qingfeng's story, Hu Jiabao lowered his head and thought for a while, then said, "Although I don't understand business, I think this is the same as doing surgery. After knowing where the other party's bleeding point is, just plug the bleeding hole to stop the bleeding."

"Are you kidding? How can this thing be blocked?"

"Why can't we block it? Aren't they developing a new system based on that? You know their initial code and their ultimate goal, so why can't we block it?"

"No, that makes sense."

Li Qingfeng, who was about to refute Hu Jiabao, stopped and began to think seriously about what Hu Jiabao said.

Although I don’t know what the research and development direction is, there are only two directions: one is to copy, and the other is independent research and development.

If it is original, I don’t know what your ideas are and there is no way to stop you, but if it is plagiarism, it is nothing more than a graphical interface.

You can first develop a graphical operating system based on the MINIX kernel and imitate Windows 90, and send the new system to the patent office for registration and release before Microsoft applies for a patent. Then you can see if your new system can bypass your patent.

This is called taking your own path and leaving you with nowhere to go.

Li Qingfeng was overjoyed, hugged Hu Jiabao, kissed him on the face, and said happily: "Great, wife, I didn't realize you are such a genius in business."

"What are you doing? The child is still outside. Come on, come on, eat quickly."

Hu Jiabao felt a little embarrassed because he was worried that his child would suddenly come in. He quickly pushed Li Qingfeng away and urged him to go out for dinner without even asking him whether the problem had been solved.

As this was an important project for Lemon Company, Li Qingfeng acted immediately. He went straight to the Computer Software Research Institute early the next morning and summoned all the programmers in the mainland to develop a new system.

"Teacher, our company's operating system is already very complete, why do we need to develop a new system?" During the lunch break, Yu Zheng came up to Li Qingfeng and asked puzzledly about the reason for developing a new system.

After finishing the green tea in his cup, Qingfeng Li glanced at Yu Zheng and said unhappily, "Just do what I tell you to do. Why are you asking around?"

"I'm just curious. After all, I think it's completely meaningless to develop a new operating system based on our old system," Yu Zheng smiled awkwardly and continued.

"What do you think? It's too early for you to say this now. Wait until you kick me out and become the chairman of the company before you say what you think."

"."

Lemon Company has the most experienced group of people in operating system development in the world at that time.

More than 90 software engineers, including Li Qingfeng, wrote a complete operating system code in just over a month. At the same time, on the other side of the ocean in America, Gates had just determined the direction of research and development, which was to refer to Lemon's Windows and write a new operating system based on the MINIX kernel.

After making up his mind, the blond Gates went home to meet his father, a partner in K&L Gates, one of the top ten law firms in the United States. After a long conversation, he returned to his company in high spirits.

Gates and his good partner Paul stood on the platform built by the company, facing the company's software engineers, and talked about the company's research and development ideas for the new system.

When he was excited, Gates shouted loudly to all the software engineers: "Kill Lemon Company's Windows. We Microsoft will restore the glory of the DOS era and return to the top."

A few years after the bone marrow transplant, Paul's body recovered and he returned to work. He didn't look sick at all. He waved his fist excitedly and shouted: "Kill Windows and restore glory!"

"Kill Windows and restore glory"

"Kill Windows and restore glory"

The two major shareholders of the company on the stage took the lead in shouting slogans. Naturally, the engineers below would not be indifferent like fools, and they also raised their hands and shouted along.

Regardless of whether they have confidence in getting rid of Windows or not, they appear to be confident and excited.

Looking at the performance of his employees, Gates was very satisfied.

Just as he was about to start assigning tasks and urging employees to start working, his secretary Anya rushed in:

"Boss, something has happened. Li from Lemon Company accepted an interview with Huaguo. He announced two new operating systems in the news, which are exactly the same as the development ideas of our new system."

Anya's shout was like pouring a bucket of cold water on the heated scene, and it instantly became quiet. Everyone looked at Anya who was running over in a hurry.

Gates suppressed his panic and said calmly, "Really? Is there a video of the interview? I want to see what Redneck, who made his first fortune from our charity ten years ago, said on TV this time."

(A derogatory term for redneck Americans, describing those who are considered to have a vulgar lifestyle, low cultural level, and poor economic conditions)
Ever since Lemon Company rose rapidly with its operating system and squeezed Microsoft's MS-DOS out of the market, Gates has been calling Li Qingfeng "redneck" in the company to express his contempt for Li Qingfeng.

Anya didn't say much. She took out the videotape she had just copied and quickly put it into the VCR in the corner.

Soon, the TV began to play the interview video of Cheng Yan with Li Qingfeng from the Chinese TV station broadcast by ABC.

"Our Lemon company has released two computer operating systems based on the MINIX kernel. They absorb the essence of MINIX, remove the complicated core programs, and rewrite them into x86 systems suitable for general computers. I temporarily named them Lemon and Lemon . These two operating systems are not for commercial use this time, but mainly for in-depth exploration of operating systems."

"Among them, Lemon No. 86 is a Windows operating system based on the MINIX kernel and compatible with the X90/RISC architecture. It is similar to our Windows 90, but it cannot be compared with Windows in terms of functions and complexity. Our company will continue to research and develop it."

"Lemon II is not a Windows system, but a Unix-like operating system, a multi-user, multi-tasking, multi-threaded and multi-CPU open system based on POSIX and UNIX."

"Since our company has limited resources and cannot develop multiple operating systems in depth, I have decided to open source Lemon 2 without copyright and put it on the official website of Lemon Company for everyone to download, allowing everyone in the world to use it for free and freely disseminate it."

"I sincerely invite technicians from all over the world to participate in the development and improvement of Lemon II."

Gates was so angry that his lungs almost exploded when he saw Li Qingfeng talking on TV.

Damn it, I just had the idea of ​​plagiarizing you, and I just finished the meeting here and shouted to kill you, but you turned around and blocked my way to kill you.

One set of windows is kept for your own research, and the other set of codes is open source, inviting programmers from all over the world to participate in the development and improvement.

No money required, no copyright, okay, okay, you are really good, you have blocked my way.

You really are following my path and leaving me with no way to go.

When the interview on TV was over, Paul sighed deeply, stepped forward and patted Gates on the shoulder, and said, "Gates, the operating system has been messed up by Lemon Company, and there is no way to improve it. Games are very popular recently, and I think we can study games."

"."

Huaguo, Computer Research Institute, Yu Zheng took advantage of his free time to come to Li Qingfeng's side and asked in confusion: "Teacher, I don't understand why we have to open up the system code that we wrote for more than a month. Wouldn't this affect our company's product sales? Wouldn't it actively increase our competitors?"

"It's too small. We need to look at the long term. It's just an open source operating system. Don't take it too seriously. We are here to change the world. We should not just focus on the small piece of land in front of us."

"If software engineers from all over the world participate, they will definitely be able to create a great system. Even if a new company develops an excellent software based on Lemon II in the future and replaces our company's market position, what does that mean? Isn't this a great change?"

Li Qingfeng turned his back to Yu Zheng, stood up and walked to the window, looking at the scenery in the distance, and said in a very aggressive tone.

"Well, doesn't it cost money to conduct research and development that changes the world? If our company's position in the operating system market is shaken, where will we get the money to change the world in the future?"

"."

Li Qingfeng looked into the distance without saying a word. He didn't like the fact that someone was asking questions without paying attention to the occasion.

The teacher has said such great and glorious words, you just need to flatter and brag about them. Why are you talking about other nonsense? Isn't that vulgar?

What? Do you really want to force the teacher to tell the truth?
"Teacher? I don't recommend you to open source the system. It's better not to upload the system to the official website. It's just a matter of losing face. Don't go against the market and money!"

Listening to Yu Zheng's non-stop chattering behind him, Li Qingfeng suddenly got angry and turned around and yelled, "You know shit, don't I know what you are talking about? If I don't open source now, Microsoft will soon make a new system based on MINIX to compete with us. In the American market, we really can't beat Microsoft."

"If we open source Lemon 2, programmers from all over the world can improve it as they please. Individual users don't need to be afraid. The operating systems developed based on Lemon 2 over the past decade or so will not threaten us."

"If we open source Lemon 2, as long as we hold the copyright of Windows, Microsoft will be cut off from developing operating systems, and our company will lose a strong competitor."

Li Qingfeng scolded Yu Zheng for not cooperating with him and pretending to be cool. Only then did he feel a little better.

(End of this chapter)