I'm back in 1990

Chapter 605: Comprehensive Preparations and a Calm Response

After the initial draft of the plan was approved by Huang Xiaochuan.

In the offices of this top-tier office building on K Street in Washington, D.C., dozens of printers spew out papers day and night, and even the coffee machines are constantly working overtime. The team members' eyes are bloodshot, but they still work without the slightest slackening.

Zhang Sui remained at the headquarters of Changhong Capital in New York because she also had to advance two other fronts simultaneously.

According to the pre-established strategy, the Washington law firm took the lead and was responsible for the direct attack. Therefore, Ed Farrell's team not only had to prepare various documents and white papers, but also had to act as the vanguard in the charge.

While preparing the documents, Ed himself and the core partners of the law firm, relying on their extensive network of contacts, began to make intensive visits to mid- to high-level officials in the core member agencies of the CFI (the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Defense, and the Ministry of Justice) to informally lobby these individuals.

Using their professional eloquence and strategies, they conveyed positive ideas to these individuals, explained the business logic of commercial acquisitions and their significance in rescuing the technological ecosystem in the current technological predicament of the United States, and listened to and probed the core concerns and bottom lines of these regulators.

After each meeting, team members would work overnight to adjust the wording and focus of the agreement. Meanwhile, the technical team of Changhong Capital had urgently borrowed several experts familiar with Sun Capital's technology from Huyo to work with the law firm team to transform complex technical issues into simple solutions.

With a multi-pronged approach, several large checks were written, and several professional lobbying firms that were already deeply entrenched on Capitol Hill and had close ties with key members of the Committee on National Defense, the Committee on Innocence (QB), and the Committee on Science and Innovation were activated, and a lobbying campaign that appeared to be uneventful quietly began.

Lobbies from various lobbying firms, armed with carefully crafted talk pots, repeatedly emphasized to the target senators and their key advisors that this was a purely commercial endeavor, primarily aimed at saving a technology company on the verge of bankruptcy and whose technology might be scattered and lost due to bankruptcy liquidation. They went to great lengths to exaggerate the consequences of Sun Microsystems' bankruptcy, such as the technology being acquired by different regions and countries, or even its complete disappearance.

This would be a major blow to America’s technological competitiveness and job market, with consequences far greater than being acquired by a transparent, professional, and committed-to-preserving-American-roots company like Evergreen Capital.

These people are truly professional. They also subtly hinted to their target that Microsoft's interest in Sun Microsystems is merely in partial control of Java or certain enterprise software patents. They have neither the real intention nor the current ability to acquire Sun Microsystems as a whole, which is a hot potato. To prove that this is not just empty talk, these people also presented Microsoft's financial reports for the previous year and the current quarter, as well as its recent strategic focus, to support their conclusions.

These individuals are well-versed in the rules and regulations of the American system. Within these rules, they subtly imply to their targets that Changhong Capital is optimistic about the American innovation ecosystem and may continue to invest in the United States in the future. For example, the Hong Kong Economic Research Institute, which is currently under construction, has a cooperation plan with American universities and has shown an investment intention in emerging American technology companies. This will bring huge employment and tax revenue. In this way, the economic interests and transactions of these congressmen's jurisdictions are secretly linked.

The professional public relations team was also busy. Through meticulous planning, they were specifically responsible for creating a positive image for Changhong Capital in the media and public opinion, and refuting Andy Bertosen's theory of technology theft.

They provided detailed background information and objective analysis of Changhong Capital to several financial media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, the financial section of The New York Times, and the Financial Times. The analysis primarily focused on whether Asian capital was the savior of Silicon Valley's mess or a predator; the future of Java—openness in globalization or withering due to protectionism; and whether CFI reviews sought a balance between national security and technological globalization.

Several in-depth technical analysis articles were published in academic media such as Wired and MIT Technology Review, focusing on the leading role of Huang Xiaochuan's economics papers published over the years in the world economy. This also confirms Changhong Capital's foresight and academic practice, and also shows that Changhong Capital's acquisition is a protection of the current technology ecosystem.

With meticulous planning by his public relations team, Huang Xiaochuan granted an exclusive interview to Sofia Lee, editor-in-chief of the renowned and rigorous Technology Observer. The interview took place in a discreet yet luxurious private club study on New York's Upper East Side.

Huang Xiaochuan wore a perfectly tailored dark gray Zegna suit, paired with a light blue shirt and a dark tie. His temperament was calm and refined, and his eyes were deep and peaceful, perfectly matching the image of a "scholar-type business leader". This was also an image tailored for him by a professional team.

Following the strategy devised for him by his team, he avoided specific acquisition battles and sensitive CFI details, instead steer the conversation toward broader technological developments and global collaborations.

In the interview, Huang Xiaochuan elaborated on the openness and cross-platform advantages of the Java platform and its core value in the future era of the Internet of Everything. He emphasized that Changhong Capital's investment was based on its belief in long-term potential, aiming to stimulate innovation rather than "profiteering." The report, accompanied by a close-up of him calmly contemplating, successfully reversed his image as a "mysterious tycoon" and established him as a "visionary technology evangelist."

These forward-thinking and visionary remarks, after being featured in an in-depth report and carefully crafted illustrations by Tech Observer, were quickly reprinted by major media outlets, greatly reversing the stereotypical image of him as a "mysterious Asian tycoon" and establishing him as a "visionary technology evangelist."

The public relations team is equipped with a comprehensive media monitoring system. If Beterson or certain biased media outlets spread claims of "technology theft" or "endangering national security," the team will react swiftly, issuing a concise, powerful, and fact-based statement through an authorized spokesperson—usually the general counsel for Changhong Capital's North American operations or a partner media outlet. Changhong Capital emphasizes its past record of respecting intellectual property rights and operating in compliance with regulations, highlighting the transparency of the acquisition process and the detailed mitigation plan submitted to the CFI. The team will avoid emotional confrontations with Beterson and maintain a rational and professional approach at all times.

This was Huang Xiaochuan's first encounter with the true essence of the most comprehensive commercial acquisition battle in the capitalist society. It was truly an eye-opening experience for him, and he also gained a profound understanding of what it means for professionals to do professional things.

The world depicted by Sijiucai (a pseudonym) can be found in "1990 I'm Back".