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Chapter 1183: Chapter 1041: What Can You Do to Me (Subscribe Please!)
Although many countries had launched antitrust investigations,
they still couldn’t stop the filters from selling well, just like the U.S. antitrust investigation couldn’t prevent Microsoft from continuing to monopolize the PC operating system. You conduct your investigation, and I’ll keep selling mine.
If you want to sue me,
then let’s have a good discussion about it.
You say I’m monopolizing.
Sure.
If I were to leave, and other companies offered the same solutions at prices dozens of times higher, then it would no longer concern me. If you want to sue me, there should at least be someone who can take over the market.
This was the root of Tang Qing’s fearlessness.
The definition and judgments of antitrust.
Often, the main consideration is whether there are alternative products. If there are, such as in the petrochemical and steel smelting industries, breaking up a monopoly would surely bring new entrants.
But high-tech monopolies are different.
You don’t let others sell.
No new entrants would be able to offer similar products and services. On stage, if Zhang San leaves, at least you need a Li Si to replace him, but if a Wang Er Mazi comes and disgusts the audience, there will be protest and refund requests.
Therefore,
if there are no alternatives,
this judgment
simply cannot be made.
Only when a company could produce the filtering solution at the same cost would Tang Qing worry about the threat of this antitrust investigation, and that day, at least, wouldn’t come for another decade.
Haha. 𝔫𝖔𝔳𝖕𝖚𝔟.𝔠𝔬𝖒
Antitrust investigation?
What can you do to me?
...
After circling in the sky three times,
the airplane finally landed.
December.
Beijing had already started its winter mode; these days, the temperature had been hovering around zero degrees, especially at night, and even more so at the open airport—with a slight breeze, it really bit to the bone.
"It’s so cold," Ning Jing tightened her clothes.
Gu Man regretfully said, "I should have brought a down jacket."
"Thankfully, it hasn’t snowed yet. It will be even colder when it does," Zeng Rou gently smoothed her wind-tossed hair.
"Let’s go, the car is already outside."
Tang Qing led the way with Lin Jiaxue, and the three women with their small bags hurried to keep up. As for the airplane, it would stay here for two days, though slightly expensive, it was much cheaper than flying back to Qingyan City for refueling.
Zheng Lin had not come this time.
Chai Ren was also at home with his wife and daughter.
They couldn’t bother them every time, so Tang Qing had asked Zhongyu Special Guard to send fighters from their Beijing branch to pick him up, even leaving two cars specifically for Tang Qing’s visits to Beijing.
He would still stay at Zheng Lin’s Autumn Palace.
Initially, the organizers had arranged for accommodations right at the conference hall.
But Tang Qing didn’t fancy staying at the Huaxia Grand Hotel, which would certainly be filled with a bunch of big shots tonight, none of whom he knew. Greeting them wouldn’t even make for good conversation, so he might as well stay at Zheng Lin’s place.
"Mr. Tang, welcome," the Lobby Manager quickly approached and respectfully said.
Tang Qing said, "Manager Yi, hello, please arrange a large suite for me."
"Certainly, just a moment, please."
Yi Ming had earlier noticed the three people behind Tang Qing and quickly deduced their identities—they definitely weren’t Tang’s family or lovers. Judged by their attire, they could only be classmates.
And Tang Qing’s friends wouldn’t be so mismatched.
No need for registration.
Yi Ming directly took a card from the front desk, as Zheng Lin had instructed that all of Tang Qing’s expenses here were to be charged to the Hotel.
Just as Tang Qing was about to go upstairs,
"Boss Tang, I didn’t expect to run into you here."
Turning around, Tang Qing saw a familiar figure at the Restaurant’s main entrance—it was Jack Ma, the Chairman of Ali. It had been half a year since they last met, and Jack Ma was still as thin as ever but looked very spirited.
"Mr. Ma."
"Are you here for the conference too?"
Jack Ma had not expected to encounter Tang Qing here. Theoretically, all guests should have been staying at the Huaxia Grand Hotel arranged by the organizers. He was staying here at the invitation of a friend, purely by coincidence.
Tang Qing smiled, "Couldn’t get out of it, so I had to come."
"Seeing you’ve just arrived, I won’t disturb your rest. Tomorrow morning, let’s go to the conference hall together. We need to get up early though; you know how the traffic is in Beijing," Jack Ma tactfully did not extend the conversation.
"Not too far away, we’ll leave at eight, definitely in time."
"See you tomorrow."
"Goodbye."
Watching Tang Qing
and the four women behind him,
Ma Yun suddenly felt he was a good man.
...
The next day.
Morning.
Seven o’clock.
Tang Qing and Lin Jiaxue were already up.
It was barely dawn, yet the hotel breakfast was ready, fine pastries, nutritious sides, everything was available. Whatever wasn’t eaten each day would be thrown out to ensure top-quality service.
It was a bit wasteful.
Having gone to bed early last night, Zeng Rou and the others were also awake.
"The pastries aren’t great."
"Right, the fried dough sticks are a bit hard."
"The buns’ filling is good, though."
"Next time, I’m definitely voting to spend the weekend in the villa."
"Where are we going to play today?"
"Let’s go to the Great Wall first; I haven’t been there yet."
"Good, luckily it’s not the peak tourist season now, so we don’t have to face a sea of people. We won’t make it in time for today’s flag-raising ceremony, but let’s try to catch tomorrow’s. We’ll need to get up at six."
"I agree, coming to Beijing without seeing the flag-raising ceremony somehow feels like a wasted trip."
"Right."
"..."
The women continued chatting while eating, and as for where to go, Lin Jiaxue was indifferent, having already visited all the famous spots in Beijing previously. She wasn’t much interested in shopping, mainly there to accompany Zeng Rou and the others.
After breakfast.
It was almost eight o’clock, Ma Yun was also finishing his meal at a nearby table.
"Stay safe,"
Tang Qing advised before leaving.
"With four bodyguards arranged to protect your Jiaxue, how can we not be safe?" Zeng Rou said with a bitter smile.
"The more people, the less trouble," Tang Qing felt not the least bit that his arrangements were extravagant. At least, anyone thinking of coming over to chat would definitely weigh their options and reduce some of the hassle.
"True."
...
At eight fifty.
Tang Qing and Ma Yun arrived at the Huaxia Grand Restaurant.
They entered the conference hall.
It was already packed.
All were business big shots.
The arrival of Tang Qing caused quite a stir; at such a young age, he had created a wealth of a hundred billion, and not through real estate or national policies. These people were naturally curious about him.
He was walking with Ma Yun this time.
Was there a business collaboration in the works?
Tang Qing did not care what they thought; following the staff’s directions, he and Ma Yun took their seats. The position alone highlighted the difference; Tang Qing was in the first row.
And Ma Yun in the third.
When it came to seniority,
Ma Yun really couldn’t squeeze into the first row.
Who was sitting in the first row?
--President of Huaxia China Merchants Bank.
--Vice Chairman of Huaxia Industrial and Commercial Bank.
--Vice President of Huaxia Bank.
--Director of State-owned Assets Supervision Commission’s Research Center.
--Mr. Wu from the State Development Research Center of the Academy.
...
Behind them were a host of state-owned enterprise giants and foreign friends. In any case, the host had a lot of prestige, and if not for Tang Qing’s wild connections, massive assets, and his representational role in the era, he wouldn’t have been in the first row either.
