game trailblazer

Chapter 32 VIC Alliance
While Rhodes Law Firm was busy pulling BADD's pigtails, Zhang Lexing received another invitation letter, but this time it was no longer a buffet reception, but an invitation from Compaq Corporation.

Compaq Corporation was founded in February 1982 by three Musketeers of Texas Instruments, Rod Callian, Jem Harris, and Bill Moto. % compatible Compaq portables.Since the launch of Compaq portable machines, the sales volume of the machine has exceeded 2 units, and the revenue in 100 is expected to reach 84 million US dollars. This is a very good achievement for a small company that has only been established for more than two years, but this kind of Performance is nothing more than a small point for IBM.It's a pity that such a small company just poached IBM's corner and caused IBM to suffer a big loss. The success of Compaq made it a thorn in IBM's side and a thorn in its flesh.

Zhang Lexing was not surprised when he received the invitation from Compaq.Although Compaq has successfully set off a wave of compatible machine development, IBM's own strength is still very strong.After grabbing the throne of the personal computer market with the PC/XT last year, IBM made persistent efforts and launched a PC/AT based on the Intel 286 processor this year. The PC/AT got off to a bad start with failures such as machine instability and data loss. However, after replacing the hard disk, the PC/AT finally showed its kingly style and once again seized a large market share.As the number one thorn in IBM's side, Compaq's current life is not too bad.

Compaq chose the Hilton Hotel in Houston as the venue for this meeting. Zhang Lexing decided to go with Dr. Yu. After all, Dr. Yu has a wider network and it is easier to say hello.

A few days later, the small conference room on the twelfth floor of the Hilton Hotel...

After Zhang Lexing and Dr. Yu arrived in Houston, under the arrangement of Compaq's reception staff, they soon came to the small meeting room of the Hilton Hotel.Perhaps Compaq wanted to keep a low profile. Apart from a few receptionists from Compaq, there were only Intel's Grove and his assistants in the conference room.

"Mr. Grove, hello!" Zhang Lexing greeted warmly.

"Mr. Zhang, Yu, how are you?" Grove smiled and nodded.

Dr. Yu and Grove are old friends. Although they never went back after leaving Intel, they kept in touch frequently, but they didn't have many opportunities to meet each other.On a rare occasion, Dr. Yu and Grove shook hands, and then embraced warmly.At that moment, Zhang Lexing found an empty seat and sat down, and then left a place for Dr. Yu next to him.After everyone was seated, Compaq's receptionist immediately came over and asked softly, "Sir, do you want coffee or tea?"

"Coffee." Zhang Lexing chose one at random.

Soon a cup of hot coffee was delivered to Zhang Lexing. Zhang Lexing picked up the cup and took a sip. The taste was not bad.

"Mr. Grove, congratulations. I heard that you have a new product to launch." Zhang Lexing cupped his hands towards Grove.

"Yes, but we can't arrange enough manpower. It's still too early for the official launch." Grove shook his head and made a helpless gesture, "Why don't you ask Yu to come back to help me? faster!"

"You are too direct, you want to poach my partner in front of me." Zhang Lexing deliberately made an angry expression, and Dr. Yu sat beside him and let out a good-hearted laugh.

"I'm joking, don't mind." Grove said with a smile.

……

Zhang Lexing and the others continued to chatter about, when Harris, who initiated the invitation, finally came to the meeting room, and apologized repeatedly as soon as he entered the door.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, something was delayed." Harris said apologetically.

"Harris, why did you bring us here?" Grove asked first.

Harris didn't answer directly, but talked about "today's weather, haha" and other unnutritious conversations. Zhang Lexing and Grove also pretended not to know, and continued with him on unnutritious topics. In the end, it was Zhang Lexing, a brat I can't bear it anymore.

"If it's really okay, let's go first." Zhang Lexing got up and pretended to leave, "I spend hundreds of thousands of dollars a second, and I wasted millions just to accompany you."

Harris' complexion changed, and he finally got to the point, "I heard that IBM plans to research a new generation of operating systems by itself. I wonder if Mr. Zhang has any ideas?"

"Really? I haven't heard of such a thing. However, IBM's new PC/AT seems to be doing quite well in the market. Coupled with the previous generation of PC/XT, IBM's market share seems to have expanded a lot. This is not good news for you, Mr. Harris." Zhang Lexing would not be so stupid as to be the first bird, and the topic naturally turned back to Compaq.

Grove is also an old fox, so of course he would not stand out rashly. When he heard Zhang Lexing targeting Harris, he immediately agreed.

"Your Intel's new products don't seem to be taken seriously by IBM." Harris turned the flames of war on Grove again.

……

No one spoke for a while, and the atmosphere in the conference room became a little awkward.

"In fact, IBM is everyone's opponent, so there's no need to make a fuss over it!" Dr. Yu saw that the situation was a little bit bad, so he hurried out to smooth things over.

In fact, everyone knows that IBM is the main threat, but they are unwilling to be the first to stand out for their own interests. This time, with Dr. Yu's step up, everyone will take advantage of the situation and go downhill.

"IBM needs some attention from all of us."

"That's right, after all, IBM is too big."

"Why don't everyone organize themselves and wrestle with IBM!"

"That's a good idea."

"So good."

From then on, the three core members of the Compatible Machine Alliance officially came together, but at this time the alliance was more of a formality.Because IBM has not resorted to the trick of buying out the Intel 286 chip, Compaq has not yet felt the danger of the skin.Intel's idea of ​​promoting a new generation of 386 processors has just emerged, and it has not yet had time to be rejected by IBM, and it cannot feel the crisis of survival for the time being.In fact, only the VisualSystem company represented by Zhang Lexing is really interested. Although the direct threat has not yet appeared, Zhang Lexing knows that IBM's majority market share in the personal computer market is the biggest threat, because IBM is a company that takes all software and hardware. Enterprises, as long as they want to do, there are few things that IBM can't do.

"Since we want to get rid of IBM, why don't we find more allies?" Zhang Lexing felt that if there were only three companies, the strength was still too weak.

Grove agrees with this suggestion, but Harris's complexion is much worse. It is normal for the two to have completely different performances. For computer processor suppliers, of course, they hope that the more people who purchase their products, the better. But for Compaq, which manufactures and sells computers, not only IBM is its own opponent, but other compatible machine manufacturers are also potential opponents. Naturally, it does not want more people to share its benefits.Under such circumstances, Zhang Lexing's proposal could only be shelved, after all, everyone didn't want any dirty things to happen at the beginning of the alliance.Zhang Lexing didn't seem too frustrated when the proposal was rejected. Anyway, IBM will help to push everyone together in the future.Now that the goal has been achieved, the fraternity has come to an end. Before leaving, Zhang Lexing even named the cooperation of the three companies——VIC Alliance.

When Zhang Lexing and Dr. Yu returned to San Jose from Houston, there were only three days left before the trial of the Molitor manslaughter case. Got a good news.Just like Jamie's guess, Molitor changed his confession because of BADD's instigation. With this trump card in hand, the lawsuit is already in the cards.

Three days later, Molitor's manslaughter trial began in California District Court.In order to feel her victory up close, Patricia brought a group of BADD members to the auditorium, and even prepared a celebration banner.Patricia believes that as soon as the verdict comes out, and then she leads her men to pull the banner, the news of BADD's victory will definitely be on the cover of tomorrow's newspapers.Thinking of this, she couldn't help but think of YY's scene where companies related to D&D games in the United States trembled under the iron heel of BADD.

Unfortunately, after the trial actually started, the whole process did not proceed as Patricia envisioned.Of course, it was similar to Patricia's prediction at the beginning, basically a denunciation of the D&D game, but when the lawyer Jamie Rhodes presented the evidence that BADD induced Molitor to lie, the atmosphere in the courtroom immediately changed. For a change, the BADD members and their group of so-called experts who were still excited just now died down.And Molitor, who has been accusing the D&D game of harming himself, had to tell the truth, and even admitted that the article published before was written under the pressure of BADD. There is no magic power to control people.Molitor's confession allowed the jury to make a conclusion in favor of Blue Dragon Studios, and D&D games therefore did not become a scapegoat for some people.

The acquittal of the D&D game made the members of Blue Dragon Studio deeply gratified, and at the same time, it also made the entire game industry feel rejoiced. In the first round of struggle with BADD, the game industry won!The temporary defeat did not make BADD retreat, and Patricia and her team members began to try other ways of fighting. Pride and prejudice still existed in many places.

(End of this chapter)