I am not Ximen Qing.

Chapter 72 The Spirit of Silicon Valley

The influence and dominance of the internet's virtual world are becoming increasingly ubiquitous. Many visionary internet venture capitalists are investing in the future of the internet, which is one of the most fascinating aspects of the internet. Internet mergers and acquisitions are worth hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars in a single transaction. The internet world is disrupting and changing everything; the internet revolution is truly returning.

The academic movement embodies the true spirit of Silicon Valley and Zhongguancun. The internet world allows us to return to the perfect harmony of pure philosophical beliefs, the spirit of Euler, Gauss, and Descartes' numbers, and the spirit of imagination, creativity, and innovation—like a re-arrival of a mythical world. The creation of the internet is so similar to the biblical story of the seven days after which even the Creator could not ultimately control the world. The internet has the power to truly change, lead, and innovate the world; humanity's own myth of creation has been resurrected, resurrected within the internet. For humanity itself, the internet will possess an independent spirit and will of innovation, as well as a consciousness of soul and thought. The internet gives users thought, soul, and spirit. In any case, the virtual internet seems to have more value, and the true value of the internet is immeasurable.

Sohu, Sina, Tencent, NetEase, and ZOL (Zhongguancun Online) are the rising stars of the internet. Computer hardware is only one part of the terminal of the internet world.

If computers and terminals are not connected to the internet, they are merely hardware without thought, spirit, or soul, exceeding the limitations of computer operating systems and mobile phone operating systems. It is the internet that has given the internet its mythical power, and AI (Artificial Intelligence) is no longer an illusion.

For businesses renting office space, advertising through internet search engines like Google and Baidu is far more effective than on major portal websites. However, advertising costs are also skyrocketing, with businesses vying for internet traffic – whoever controls the traffic controls the market. Sima Qian's understanding of commerce in the real world – "All the world's hustle and bustle is for profit" – has become the new ecosystem of the internet. The inevitable trend of digital technology and scientific development is an unstoppable force in global progress. Only with the internet revolution can we truly appreciate the brilliance of ancient myths, realizing they are not merely laughable fantasies. Humanity is both the proudest and the most ignorant being; human civilization mocks everything, which precisely demonstrates the limitations of human cognition. At least the internet's creation has made the re-emergence of human myths a possibility.

Zhongguancun is no longer the bustling market it once was, a place of stories of golden wealth and dreams of a golden age. It's no longer aloof and unattainable; outside of Beijing, the Zhongguancun hypermarket model has sprung up like mushrooms after rain, gradually taking shape. But the entrepreneurial and innovative spirit of Silicon Valley academia—the great spirit that changes the world—has taken root in Haidian's Zhongguancun, forming a genuine culture and spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation. This is a truly remarkable innovation in Beijing.

Zhongguancun's innovative, inclusive, and entrepreneurial spirit, Haidian's openness and tolerance, make it a paradise for unicorns and a haven for venture capital from around the world. Unicorns, so rare and highly sought after, are the darlings and favorites of capital. This is where China's Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Jeff Sobes, Google, Facebook, and Musk will emerge. It's a haven for high-tech unicorns and the best embodiment of the internet spirit.

Moore's Law, Newton's laws, Einstein's theory of relativity, and Bohr and Schrödinger's quantum theory in Zhongguancun were all guided by the innovative spirit of Zhongguancun's early entrepreneurs, and many companies in Zhongguancun today are still adapting to the internet revolution. Some have transformed, while others have diversified. Just as Steve Jobs mocked Bill Gates as a businessman, not a true entrepreneur, great companies must possess entrepreneurial spirit and create great products—this is the true embodiment of entrepreneurial spirit.

Many companies in Zhongguancun invested in internet-related industries after receiving capital. Large companies without an internet DNA are not competitive. Perhaps not just one computer company is transforming; Lenovo acquired IBM and then Motorola. Besides Nokia, Lenovo is also manufacturing mobile phones, and Google and Microsoft are both developing mobile operating systems. However, Microsoft lacks innovation, but it has a large number of internet customers, which was an advantage for its early Windows operating system. In the desktop and laptop markets, Windows 95, 98, 2000, XP, and Windows 10 gave Microsoft an early user advantage.

Apple, the great Apple company, embodies the innovative spirit of Steve Jobs. Its focus on mobile devices and its strong late-mover advantage in innovation truly represent the innovative spirit of the internet. Apple is God's favorite, a magnificent aristocrat in the computer field, and a favorite of artists. Apple possesses a true soul, imagination, and innovative spirit, creating truly great products.

Taiwanese computer manufacturers were among the first to establish a presence in mainland China, with products ranging from memory motherboards to optical storage. The chips are ubiquitous, clearly "Made in Taiwan." This reflects Taiwan's strong global advantage in the semiconductor chip industry. The era of rampant counterfeit and smuggled goods is over, as is the era of exorbitant profits – a testament to the dual nature of development. After years of development and innovation, Zhongguancun has witnessed the rise of numerous computer giants, including Founder, Tsinghua Tongfang, and Hasee, creating a vibrant and competitive market.

Lenovo has gone global, competing with computer manufacturers like HP and Dell worldwide. Many of Lenovo's major distributors in Zhongguancun started from scratch and have grown into large companies – a natural consequence of Lenovo's expansion. The government has also implemented preferential policies for procurement, intensifying market competition. Major brands and companies are vying for potential second- and third-tier distributors. This aggressive expansion, this proactive approach, involves ubiquitous online advertising and marketing campaigns across major platforms. Merchants and second- and third-tier distributors in Zhongguancun's major markets are receiving numerous invitations. Large companies like ASUS, Gigabyte, and Lenovo have deep-rooted relationships with Zhongguancun, characterized by both competition and cooperation. For example, Lenovo branded computers use both ASUS and Gigabyte products, diversifying their product lines for greater stability and to avoid being held hostage by competitors. Lenovo has abandoned its proprietary QDI brand; anything not aligned with the company's long-term development strategy is being abandoned to focus on perfecting its core products.

Large companies also employed compelling marketing strategies. Besides distributing McDonald's coupons to merchants, they played the emotional card, inviting merchants and distributors to brand product seminars and PowerPoint presentations—a continuation of Silicon Valley culture in China. Manufacturer engineers explained the product's performance advantages and then promoted the company's culture to the merchants. Most notably, an elderly ballet dancer from Shanghai parachuted into Zhongguancun. This Shanghai gentleman was adept at emotional appeal; he challenged himself by giving up his theater career to pursue a new path, like Argentines. ASUS's official brand presentation was incredibly exciting and impactful. It turns out that there was only one ASUS product distributor in Beijing, so to increase competitiveness, ASUS split its product lines: one for Intel chips and one for AMD chips, creating competition between the two companies. Intel's product manager, Li Shuo, was almost rendered powerless by the Shanghai gentleman's witty and humorous delivery on stage.

"Not enough, not enough, Li Shuo, what kind of company is ASUS?"

"ASUS is a global company full of creativity and innovation..."

"Not enough, not enough, Li Shuo, what's missing?"

"ASUS is a global company full of creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit..."

"Yes, that's right. ASUS is a great company that is so low-key that it covers almost everything. Lenovo, Dell, and HP all rely on its support. Our products are as ubiquitous as Intel, Apple, AMD, and Microsoft."

The banquet hall of Yanyuan Hotel was filled with over fifty tables of lavish luncheon guests. Of course, all invited merchants had undergone rigorous screening, selecting those with strong sales capabilities and brand loyalty. Don't underestimate the dozen or so people at each table; each person's potential monthly sales volume is at least several hundred units—and that's a conservative estimate. Business banquets are part of traditional Chinese culture, and large companies understand human nature. Big companies and distributors excel at this kind of business feast, combining food, drinks, and presentations. At the height of their enthusiasm, they'll project their company logo and the latest products onto a large screen. The older Shanghai man who can dance ballet naturally shines on stage, leaving Li Shuo only a supporting role.

"Li Shuo will be the general distributor for ASUS and Intel in Beijing from now on. Under no circumstances should you sell other products on the side. The company will absolutely not compromise on this point. Follow the company and make money together."

"Does everyone have the confidence to make money together with the company?"

"I have confidence, I have confidence, and I will make money together with the company."

"Let's drink this glass, carry forward the spirit of Intel's dunes, the spirit of Silicon Valley, turn sand into a real pyramid, sand into gold, into the brain of AI. This is the spirit of Silicon Valley in the United States."

An older Shanghai man succinctly revealed the industry's deeper meaning: the true essence of Silicon Valley lies in its innovative spirit, transforming barren lands into gold through high-tech innovation. Zhongguancun, on the other hand, is a marketplace of imported products, dominated by high-tech creations born from the sand dunes themselves. This led to the rise of Zhongguancun's three giants: JD.com, Gome, and Suning, who engaged in a cutthroat price war. Merchants in Zhongguancun gradually found themselves unable to compete on price.

Appliance retailers simply need to add a booth, and they naturally transform into IT product superstores, offering better service, more affordable prices, and direct access to manufacturers. Gome, Suning, and JD.com's directly operated stores are located across the street, building to building. They take turns showcasing their products, waving flags and shouting slogans, competing on price, service, and quality.

The vision of Zhongguancun merchants is limited to the scope of the industry itself. What about JD.com? Now it's locked in a fierce battle with Dangdang.com. Haidian is not just Zhongguancun; it's also a cultural cradle, where countless booksellers have toiled and struggled. When giants like eBay, Amazon, and JD.com emerged, traditional booksellers and Zhongguancun merchants alike faced the destructive, consuming power of disruptive innovation. Intel's Silicon Valley spirit of innovation, originating from the sand dunes, was packaged by computer manufacturers large and small, such as Tongfang, Founder, Hasee, Lenovo, Dell, HP, and Tsinghua Unigroup. It's not that there's no force for change here; it's a place where all sorts of people mingle. The effect of this mixing is that the fish leap over the dragon gate, while the dragons can only lie dormant in the abyss, waiting.

The result is that those who used to sell fake invoices, pornographic DVDs, and collect scrap metal are now high-achieving students from Tsinghua and Peking Universities, and on the streets, besides those from Tsinghua and Peking Universities, they are the top students from Renmin University and Beijing University of Science and Technology. Even stones can be turned into precious jade. According to Yang Yulei's realistic Nirvana theory, they have been reincarnated into a new world. Although Nuwa abandoned them, she placed them in the Three Hills and Five Gardens of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Haidian District, outside of the Great Wilderness Mountain, Wuji Cliff, and Qinggeng Peak. The back garden of the Forbidden City is a wonderful place in the Saha world, with a bit of a Zen flavor.

The lotus flowers of Haidian are most beautiful in the Old Summer Palace, the Summer Palace, Zizhuyuan Park, and Jingcui Lake in Fragrant Hills, but in Haidian's most beautiful gardens. Just like Haidian's "low, dilapidated, and small" appearance, it truly embodies the spirit of Haidian, its cultural heritage, and its innovative spirit. Go to Haidian Park to listen to music, go to Wanshou Temple, go to Dazhong Temple. People changed their fate simply by doing what they did in these streets and alleys; this is the value of Haidian itself. People are always like this, sinking into the mortal world, indulging in its extravagance and decadence. Breathing in the pure, clear air of the lotus, this ethereal, literary air, is something even the chickens and dogs inhale and exhale. Those without culture, staying here long enough, become cultured. It's not just Sima Qian who said, "The world is bustling with people coming and going for profit."

In the morning, I attended ASUS's product launch event, and in the afternoon, I attended Lenovo's Shangdi R&D Center launch event. I learned about Lenovo's unique computer technology and met many foreign friends, including Long Li from the United States and his Japanese girlfriend, whom he called "Puter Superman." Long Li teaches English at various foreign teacher tutoring centers in Beijing and lives in a foreign teacher apartment near Sanlitun. He would occasionally contact Zhang Sheng to come over for cocktails and a chat.

Mengge from Niger introduced the chieftain from within the country, who was neither interested in money nor effort, and Ono Shiro from the Wudaokou Language Institute, who was obsessed with graphics card technology. He almost forgot about Lin Xiaoqing. Xiaoqing, ah, in the city, no girl is purer than her. Even Chen Guangyuan, who was all talk and no action, especially after Zhang Sheng took him to the Venus de Milo, encountered an extremely pure girl that night. The city is a purgatory for girls; not everyone can be as shrewd as Carmen. The Gypsy girl's love is like a flame; she absolutely understands that men are merely moths seeking desire in the night, releasing their true nature like Don Huang. For Pushkin, whose love and desire have escalated to a duel, a man's nature, like Julien Sorel in Red and Black, will escape the tyranny of his parents, flee the entanglements of his siblings, and turn to the bewildered Qu Yuan. Zhang Sheng and Lin Xiaoqing maintained that ambiguous relationship. When he arrived at Lin Xiaoqing's exhibition hall, her flushed face seemed oblivious to his arrival.

"Please sit down, I'm too busy."

Indeed, she was busy enough, and seemed to be deliberately keeping her distance, saying, "There haven't been many CD burners like this lately."

"It's okay, our company's products are being sold throughout the entire market." Looking at Lin Xiaoqing's figure, what exactly made her different from the busty women of the Venus Temple? In terms of temperament, figure, and face, the difference between Tangshan girls wasn't in the degree of their physical fullness. It seemed that Faust, under Mephistopheles' seduction, had deceived the pure and innocent Gan Leiqing's body.

"Mom, you're here!"

"What happened to Jinxia?"

"He's good, he's good, we should treat him well."

"Let's go to a disco, Volcano Disco. What would you like to drink? Are you free tonight?"

"No, I have to go back to the company to do the accounting and inventory checks. I won't be back in the dormitory until at least 10 o'clock."

"What a pity."

"Don't overthink it, there's nothing to regret. Have a seat, I'm going to deliver some goods to Silicon Valley."

In Zhongguancun, relationships between merchants are purely based on money. I miss the old days when I would desperately try to sell Lin Xiaoqing's CD burners to every merchant, even using my own money, just to see her. Looking at her beautiful, voluptuous, and youthful figure, what went wrong?

"We have to be thick-skinned to seduce girls, and we have to keep at it every day. It's not necessarily true that she's not interested in you at all. Some girls are like that. It's hard to get them to cooperate at first, but once they're in bed, they're more proactive than other girls, you know? They're like a serious girl, but once they're in bed, they're like a flame, and eventually they become a raging fire. It's terrifying, you know? Macbeth's wife, what if you meet a girl who's truly driven by desire and ambition? If she goes crazy, don't end up like Macbeth, a victim of a woman's desire."

Chen Guangyuan couldn't even remember how many girls he had slept with. According to his boasts, any girl who had slept with him on QQ would immediately and automatically take off her clothes if they met in person.

"Then why didn't the little dinosaur succeed?"

"Military training? I'd forgotten about military training too. But don't worry, Little Dinosaur just wants to end his teenage years as soon as possible. It's the natural instinct of men and women. It's estrus, just like the mating season in animals. You need to keep talking to him."

Why is she avoiding me?

"You've gotten to this point, you're pretty sure you're on track. You've practically cornered her right now, and she's hesitating. Let's put it this way, once you've got this good at flirting, all that's left is for you to play dumb and then make physical contact."

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