Chapter Twenty-One: An Era of Blossoming Flowers

This is a good era. As long as you invest enough effort, success is not impossible. At least, that's true for Silicon Valley. The giants in blue and HP dominate the high-end clients, leaving the mid- and low-end markets to other companies.

This is, in fact, a vast cake, with far more users than mainframes. As the software improves, an increasing number of people begin to pay attention to computers.

The involvement of government agencies and large enterprises has also led to a sharp rise in the computer user base.

Typing with computers is naturally more efficient than with typewriters; editing is convenient, and—most importantly—the file formats are compatible. You can modify them on other systems as well.

Thanks to this, working from home becomes possible. Those engaged in writing need not work overtime at the office—much can be accomplished from home.

For accountants and warehouse managers, the software’s efficiency is simply unmatched. Its accuracy cannot be compared with traditional methods.

What? You mention databases and ERP systems.

These are no longer considered anything special; even large enterprises hesitate to purchase them. Small and medium businesses would do better to save their energy.

With the completion of several government procurement projects, Apple finally faces competition.

Not only in America—Europe, too, is unwilling to be left behind. Everyone hopes to carve out a share in this emerging market.

“Tom, how’s the European language section coming along?”

“Boss, another week at most and we can start testing. Asia won’t be so quick, though.”

“Tsk, it’s really troublesome, but Tom, hurry up. Though the Chinese input card is a hassle, its applications are extensive. Making money is secondary. What do I need? You should know well—I need an edge, and this is something everyone in the company must understand.”

“Alright, boss, I’ll pick up the pace.”

“If it doesn’t work, hire more staff. I have other plans to implement.”

“Then we better bring in more people; we really don’t have enough hands now.”

“Fine, notify HR and bring the report; I’ll sign it.”

“Understood, boss.”

Tom was a CEO he poached, a choice that stunned the industry. Tom had never been part of IT; he was a marketing manager at an advertising agency, and how he caught William White’s eye remains a mystery.

The hardest aspect of running a business is often its direction. Since William White need not worry about that, his focus naturally falls on marketing. If other companies tried the same, they’d be doomed—utterly crushed.

With the IT industry growing ever more lively, Wall Street urges caution. The expansion of user numbers is undeniable, but competition is fiercer than ever. Who will ultimately triumph? It remains uncertain.

At this point, they noticed that White Software stood firm as a mountain, facing no serious competitors—everyone seemed to have chosen to forget it.

That was odd. In contemporary America, scruples are in short supply; at the sight of profit, people swarm in like locusts.

The American market is eccentric, monopolies are everywhere, and traditional industries have no chance. If you don’t want to be swallowed whole, you’d better innovate.

Silicon Valley’s birth is rooted in the times. Like Hollywood, it’s made up of escapees; near New York is a dead end—the conglomerates and old families will devour you, leaving not even bones.

San Francisco’s taxes are high, yet IT firms prefer paying more taxes to risking New York. The financial powers cluster in New York, where you might be swallowed up at any moment.

San Francisco and California are much better. The only dominant force here is the Texas consortium—relatively young, with limited control and no power to cover the sky with one hand.

As a newly risen consortium, they must always guard against being steamrolled. Their style is gentler, and far less greedy than the others.

As time passed, White Software began entering the European market, leaving Wall Street elites utterly astonished.

To them, the product seemed too simple; to say it was worthless would be unfair, but they didn’t think it was worth much.

But these people aren’t fools—they quickly dug deeper. It wasn’t out of high-minded scruples that no one copied White’s product. The patent traps were everywhere. To invest heavily without caution would be to court disaster.

Patents? Just circumvent them, right?

When they raised this question, the look they received was that of someone observing an idiot—no one even bothered to reply.

Circumventing is easier said than done. Even professionals struggle; these fools only know how to talk.

Didn’t they notice? No European country showed any intention to develop their own—they all purchased White Software.

William White is a rascal; he long ago assembled a team of legal experts. If you don’t have strength, your company will be bankrupt before your product even hits the market.

After a moment’s stupefaction, they realized their mistake: White Software had been undervalued. Twenty million dollars was not a joke—it was an insult. No wonder they received no reply.

Though they couldn’t produce an office suite, there were other software opportunities. Around computers, what else could be done? The whole Silicon Valley began to open its mind, and all sorts of software sprang up. As long as your imagination was big enough, there was always venture capital willing to invest.

William White became famous, not for inheriting billions—those funds weren’t his yet.

His story is truly inspirational. The money left by his parents is still out of reach. After paying massive inheritance taxes, he might even end up owing money.

His success is due more to personal effort, while the family legacy is more of a burden.

The public had reason to believe this; the Hunter family was shameless, taking advantage of him so ruthlessly.

William White inherited two assets. To ordinary people, the oil company was obviously more valuable. Haven’t you seen how expensive gasoline is now?

That company is now under government trusteeship, its dire straits needing no further mention. The farm was even more terrifying—almost every farmer was on the verge of bankruptcy.

Faced with such adversity, William White never gave up. Now, it seems likely he’ll reclaim what’s rightfully his.

This story has aristocratic feuds and self-reliance, and perhaps will feature revenge in the future—Americans adore such tales.

Considering he’s also a writer, the public’s anticipation grows. These things may well become novels. The Hunter family must be troubled, lucky if they aren’t vilified beyond recognition.

In any novel, anyone named Hunter is doomed to be the most despicable. Considering the consequences, the old men of the Hunter clan feel their scalps tingle.

They attempted reconciliation, but their overtures were ignored—he simply dismissed their so-called goodwill.