infodatos Chapter 275 Political Games
Chapter 275 Political Games
February 15, 1998, 6:20 a.m.
Ling Yun woke up in bed in his apartment in Jinan. The sky outside the window was still a deep blue, with only a hint of gray and white showing on the eastern horizon.
On the bedside table was a photo of An Shiyu, framed in wood. In the photo, she was wearing a white sweater and smiling in the snow.
Just then, my phone rang; it was a Silicon Valley number.
He glanced at the time—it was a little past 2 p.m. in Silicon Valley—and the call connected.
"Mr. Ling," Ofina's voice came through the receiver, the background noise somewhat noticeable, "I'm sorry to bother you so early. But there are some things I need you to know as soon as possible."
"explain."
This morning, the California Department of Consumer Affairs sent a formal letter requesting a "consumer privacy compliance investigation" into StarCraft Technology. The reason given was "an anonymous complaint alleging that StarCraft's operating system may have engaged in undisclosed data collection practices, violating user privacy."
"What are the contents of the letter?"
"They require us to provide: First, a complete document of all user data processing policies; second, a list of modules in the operating system source code related to data collection; third, a description of the types of user data collected in the past twelve months and their intended use; and fourth, copies of agreements for sharing user data with third parties." Ofina spoke quickly. "The investigation team will be on-site next Wednesday and is expected to stay for two weeks. They have access to our server logs, codebase, and internal communication records."
"Anonymous report..." he repeated the phrase, "Any leads?"
"No. But the letter was copied to the California Attorney General's office and the Federal Trade Commission's San Francisco office. This wasn't a routine administrative inspection; it was prepared."
"Microsoft?"
“It’s very likely,” Carly said. “Richardson called me an hour ago and said that Goldman Sachs’ connections in Sacramento had a tip that the investigation was being pushed by a Democratic member of the state legislature. That legislator… just attended a Microsoft fundraising dinner in Redmond (where Microsoft headquarters is located) last month.”
"What do we need to do?" Lingyun asked.
"Goldman Sachs advised us to hire a dedicated team of government affairs lawyers. Richardson recommended three law firms, all with strong networks in Sacramento. But the costs are high—initial estimates put the legal fees for this investigation at at least $500,000. If it goes into administrative litigation, it could exceed $2 million."
"Money isn't the issue," Ling Yun said. "The issue is time. The investigation will last two weeks, during which time the media will definitely report on it. The damage to our reputation will be more serious than the fine."
“Yes.” Ofina paused for a moment, “and… this could be the beginning. If California sets the precedent, other states might follow suit. The federal government might also follow suit.”
"I'll book the earliest flight back," Lingyun said. "Don't make any formal response to the letter until I arrive. Have the legal department prepare the materials, but don't submit them yet. Wait until I've read the original letter before making any decisions."
"clear."
"In addition," Ling Yun added, "we contacted Morgan Stanley, who have strong government connections in Washington, to see if we could exert pressure at the federal level to narrow the scope of the investigation or speed it up."
"it is good."
He glanced at the clock on the wall: 6:50.
He picked up his phone, then put it down again. He walked to the window and looked down at the gradually waking neighborhood. There were elderly people doing their morning exercises, children carrying their schoolbags to school, and office workers hurrying out of the building.
This is the life of an ordinary person. Simple, regular, and controllable.
His life was like a never-ending storm.
At 7:10, he put on his coat and went out.
The breakfast shop is located at the entrance of the residential area. It's a long-established business, mainly selling soy milk, fried dough sticks, and steamed buns. An Shiyu was already there, sitting by the window. She was wearing a light blue sweater today, and her hair was tied in a ponytail, making her look very fresh.
She waved when she saw Ling Yun come in.
Ling Yun sat down opposite her.
She smiled. "I ordered you soy milk, fried dough sticks, and tea eggs. Is that enough?"
That's enough.
Breakfast was served quickly: soy milk in a white porcelain bowl, with a thin layer of bean curd skin on top. The fried dough sticks were golden and crispy, and the tea eggs had beautiful cracks.
An Shiyu sipped her soy milk, looking at him. "Didn't you sleep well last night?"
"A little." Ling Yun broke off a piece of fried dough stick and dipped it in the soy milk.
"What's wrong?"
Ling Yun paused for a moment. The fried dough stick had soaked up the soy milk and become soft. He took a bite and chewed slowly.
"Something came up in Silicon Valley," he said. "I have to go back early."
An Shiyu put down the spoon, and the ceramic pieces made a soft clinking sound.
"today?"
"Okay. The earliest flight to San Francisco is at 2 PM. I'll pack up and head to the airport."
Silence. The noise from the breakfast shop suddenly became clear: the crying of a child at the next table, the shouts of the proprietress collecting money, and the sizzling sound of frying food in the kitchen.
"Didn't you say...we'd stay a few more days?" An Shiyu asked softly.
"The plan has changed."
"Things always change," she said, but there was no blame in her tone, only weariness.
Ling Yun looked at the soy milk in the bowl. He had broken the soy skin with a spoon, and it sank to the bottom of the bowl.
"sorry."
"You don't need to apologize." An Shiyu picked up her spoon again. "Work is important, I know that."
But the knuckles of her fingers, which were gripping the spoon, were turning white.
"Can we... still get our marriage certificate as planned?" she asked, without looking at him.
"Yes," Ling Yun said with certainty. "I will definitely be back on May 20th."
"You said the same thing last time."
"This time it's for real." He reached out and took her hand. "I promise."
Her hands were cold, and she didn't shake them back.
"Lingyun," she finally looked up at him, "I'm not trying to tie you down. You have your career, your ambitions, I understand. But marriage... isn't something you can just set a date for. It requires both people to be present, not just physically, but also emotionally."
"I know."
"Do you really know?" Her eyes were a little red. "Sometimes I feel like you're dating me, but you're married to your job."
These words were like a needle, piercing my heart.
“Poetry,” he said in a low voice, “what I do… isn’t just about making money, or just about a career. There are many bigger things driving me. I can’t stop, at least not now.”
"Something bigger?" she asked, looking at him. "What is it?"
He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a word. Rebirth? Prophet? Changing the fate of China's technology industry? These words sounded like the ravings of a madman.
"I can't say," he finally said, "but please believe me. Everything I've done has a reason."
An Shiyu stared at him for a long time. Then she lowered her head and continued drinking her soy milk. One sip, two sips, three sips. The bowl was quickly emptied.
"Okay," she said. "I believe you."
"Poetic language..."
"But I have one condition." She looked up, her eyes still red, but her gaze resolute. "May 20th, no matter what happens, you have to come back. If you don't come back that day..." She paused, "...then it's over."