sbdcsierra Chapter 82 Mondrian's Banquet
Chapter 82 Mondrian's Banquet
The silver-gray Rolls-Royce glided silently along the well-maintained driveway, its wheels crunching over the fine gravel with a soft, rustling sound.
Ling Yun, dressed in a dark gray Zhongshan suit, got out of the car. Eric, as the driver, went to park the car in the parking lot.
Ahead, a building with clean, modern lines stands, its huge floor-to-ceiling windows letting in warm light and reflecting the shadowy figures moving inside.
As Lingyun stepped through the gate, a bustling atmosphere and warmth enveloped him. It was practically a combination of a modern art museum and a technology exhibition center.
The high-ceilinged hall is spacious, with large abstract paintings hanging on the walls and some uniquely shaped sculptures placed in the corners.
The guests gathered in small groups to chat. Most of the men were dressed in casual suits or polo shirts, while the women's attire was more varied.
The crowd included many young faces, exuding the arrogance characteristic of Silicon Valley elites.
Bill Gates was standing in the center of the hall, talking to several people. He was wearing a light gray V-neck cashmere sweater over an open-collared shirt, looking relaxed and casual.
He quickly noticed Ling Yun, who had just entered. He said a few words to the person next to him, then walked over with his wine glass.
"Ling, welcome!" Bill extended his hand, his face full of a gentle smile, his gaze quickly and sharply sweeping over Ling Yun.
"Thank you for your invitation, Mr. Bill." Ling Yun shook hands with him.
"Ling, you haven't been in the US for very long, so you probably don't know many people. This is a good opportunity for you to get to know more people in the same industry, which will be good for your future development." Bill gently put his hand on Ling Yun's shoulder and guided him toward the crowd.
Ling Yun smiled and said to Bill, "Then thank you, Bill. I love making friends, especially those with similar interests. We can become good friends very quickly."
Bill didn't say anything more. They first approached a young man wearing round-framed glasses. "This is Marco Anderson, the co-founder of Netscape."
"Oh, I know, Netscape Navigator is a pioneer in browsers." Ling Yun greeted Anderson with a smile.
Anderson, however, said somewhat stiffly, "The Trail Blazers also face real competitive pressure." He glanced at Bill, clearly implying something.
Bill seemed oblivious to the implication in his words, and smiled as he turned to another slightly overweight, affable middle-aged man. "This is Nathan Myhrwald, Microsoft's Chief Technology Officer, and the source of many of our crazy ideas."
"Ling, it's an honor to meet you!" Myrward warmly shook hands with Ling Yun, his handshake firm and strong. "I've seen your ideas on the multi-process architecture of browsers, they're very interesting!" He spoke quickly, full of the excitement of a technical person.
Bill then took Lingyun to meet several other people, including Jerry Sanders, a senior vice president from Intel and AMD. Several venture capital partners also showed great interest in Lingyun, with questions consistently revolving around the Starry Sky System's business model and future financing plans.
Throughout the process, Bill consistently acted as a warm and welcoming host, treating each guest with courtesy and accurately recounting their recent projects and achievements, making everyone feel valued.
His display of these things in front of Ling Yun was primarily a demonstration of his connections. However, he didn't intentionally place Ling Yun in the spotlight; rather, by bringing him into this inner circle, his gesture was already quite clear.
Ling Yun held the champagne offered by the waiter, rarely speaking, and mostly listening.
He could feel the gazes from those around him—curious, scrutinizing, and even hostile. But he maintained a composed smile throughout.
Halfway through the banquet, Bill gently tapped his water glass, the crisp sound gradually silencing the hall. He stood on higher ground, his gaze sweeping across the room.
"Thank you all for coming to the party tonight," he said, his voice not loud, but clear enough to reach every corner of the hall. "There are many old friends here, and some exciting new faces as well." His gaze lingered briefly on Ling Yun, a smile playing on his lips.
"We are living in a wonderful time," Bill continued, speaking in a calm tone as if chatting with friends. "The development rate of chips doubles every eighteen months, the internet is connecting the world more and more closely, and the technologies we are discussing today may completely change the way countless people live in just a few years."
He didn't talk about any specific Microsoft products or mention any competition, but instead steered the conversation toward the broader future of technology, discussing information access, human-computer interaction, and how technology can solve global challenges.
His words were filled with a sense of confidence in having control over the overall situation, as well as a clear vision of the future.
"I believe the answers to the future don't just exist in the labs of any one company, but also in the thoughts and discussions among everyone here." He raised his water glass. "So, thank you again for coming. For thinking, for discussion, for the future yet to be written."
Everyone raised their glasses in response, creating a warm and harmonious atmosphere.
After the toasts, the conversation flowed more freely.
Some people continued to discuss a point Bill had just made, while others approached Ling Yun to chat.
More people came to Lingyun to discuss the specific details of the StarCraft kernel open source. They wanted to understand the business model of StarCraft open source. Lingyun certainly wouldn't say much about such core secrets.
Lingyun is more like a technological idealist, making numerous pronouncements about the advantages of open source, its contribution to technological advancement, and its benefits to human development, but he never mentions a profit model.
When asked many questions, Lingyun used Yahoo as an example, saying that it didn't matter if there was no profit now, they would definitely find one in the future. The company's lack of profit didn't stop Yahoo's shareholders from becoming billionaires.
The crowd burst into laughter, saying that Ling Yun didn't seem like a technological idealist, but rather a big liar who was trying to fool people.
Lingyun weaved through the crowd, exchanging business cards with different people.
Lingyun specifically spoke with Jerry Sanders of AMD and arranged to visit AMD another day.
He noticed that although Bill was talking to many people, his gaze would occasionally sweep across the room, as if he were observing something. He didn't approach Ling Yun again, as if his previous introduction had already fulfilled his purpose.
As the banquet drew to a close, guests began to say their goodbyes. Ling Yun also approached Bill, preparing to bid him farewell.
"Bill, thank you for the hospitality tonight. It was a wonderful party, and I learned a lot from it." Ling Yun expressed her sincere gratitude.
"I'm glad you like it, Ling!" Bill shook hands with him again, his smile unchanged. "If you have time, we can find a quiet place to talk alone later."
"Of course." Ling Yun nodded without asking any further questions.