Chapter 895
The Choice of Giants, The Rule-Makers
At 10 a.m. the next day, Cook's private plane landed at Tangdu International Airport.
There was no red carpet, no welcoming ceremony, and no official reception.
Only one black Galaxy minivan was quietly waiting by the tarmac.
As Cook descended the gangway, he saw the car, and a complex expression flashed across his face.
Three years ago, when he first came to Tangdu, he was picked up by a stretch Lincoln, with police cars leading the way.
At that time, he was the CEO of Apple, one of the most powerful businessmen in the world, and a VIP that local governments in China vied to invite.
Now, he has been "reduced" to riding in a minivan.
But Cook did not hesitate.
He opened the car door and got in.
The van drove out of the airport and merged into the traffic.
Cook looked out the window at the street scene rushing by—skyscrapers, green belts, bike lanes, and the ubiquitous Galaxy Technology billboards.
Jeff.
He turned to Williams beside him and said, "Do you know what I'm thinking right now?"
Williams shook his head.
"I'm thinking, what were we here for when we came to China ten years ago? Was it for cheap labor or for the huge market?"
“We thought we were the hunters and China was the prey.”
He paused, then added, "But now, the hunter has become the hunted."
Williams remained silent, not uttering a word, for the situation before them was extremely dire.
It can be said that their trip to China this time was a completely shameful choice.
The commercial vehicle drove into the underground parking lot of Galaxy Technology's headquarters.
The elevator went straight to the top floor, and when the door opened, Wang Donglai was already waiting there.
Wang Donglai did not embarrass Cook, after all, he is the head of Apple and still has considerable influence.
If it weren't for the emergence of Galaxy Technologies, Apple's global standing would remain completely unaffected.
To humiliate such a person would also be demeaning to oneself.
"Mr. Cook, welcome."
Wang Donglai extended his hand to welcome him.
Cook grasped it, feeling the hand as dry and strong.
The two sides took their seats in the conference room.
There were no pleasantries or formalities; we went straight to the point.
"Mr. Wang."
Cook got straight to the point, stating his purpose: "I'm here to discuss a major issue: Apple can run the HarmonyOS operating system on its phones within China."
As soon as he said that, the Apple executives following behind Cook showed various expressions.
But Cook remained calm.
"reason?"
Wang Donglai was not shocked by the news; instead, he calmly asked a question in return.
Wang Donglai's composure further enhanced his standing in the eyes of the crowd.
Three reasons.
Cook raised a finger and said calmly, "First, the HarmonyOS ecosystem is mature. Currently, there are over 600 million devices worldwide running HarmonyOS, and the compatibility rate of mainstream applications exceeds 95%. If Apple continues to insist on iOS, it will lose its competitiveness in the Chinese market."
"Secondly, Xuanwu batteries. We've used your batteries and they work very well. But batteries are just hardware; the operating system is software. If Apple depends on you for both hardware and software, its independence will be further weakened. Rather than passively accepting, we should proactively cooperate."
"third……"
Cook paused, looked directly into Wang Donglai's eyes, and continued, "In the next decade, the global technological discourse will no longer be defined by Silicon Valley. I want Apple to be part of the new rules."
Wang Donglai looked at Cook without saying a word for a long time.
This veteran, who has weathered the ups and downs of the business world for thirty years, showed no resentment or anger in his eyes at this moment, only an almost calm acceptance.
Cook has already made it very clear.
Launching an Apple iPhone with the HarmonyOS operating system within China is a declaration of allegiance.
All this was so that we could get on board Galaxy Technology's ship.
This decision and this boldness also shocked and surprised Wang Donglai.
“Mr. Cook, you are a smart man.”
Wang Donglai finally spoke up, saying, "But it's simpler for smart people to do business, and I don't have many conditions."
He held up his fingers and said them one by one:
"First, all Apple phones sold in China must come pre-installed with the HarmonyOS system, and Apple must not restrict users from using any services in the HarmonyOS ecosystem."
"Second, Apple's App Store must be completely open to HarmonyOS applications and must not set up any technical barriers."
"Third, Apple's chip design must open its interface to Galaxy Semiconductor so that we can optimize the collaboration between HarmonyOS and Apple's chips."
"Fourth, Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference must invite Galaxy Technology as a partner to attend, once a year."
"fifth……"
Wang Donglai paused for a moment and then said, "Apple must issue a public statement acknowledging that HarmonyOS is one of the best mobile operating systems in the world today."
In the conference room, the expressions of the Apple executives who had come along changed.
This isn't cooperation; this is surrender!
But Cook's expression remained unchanged.
He remained silent for a long time, then asked a question: "Mr. Wang, if I agree to everything, what will Apple get?"
"Priority access to the HarmonyOS ecosystem."
Wang Donglai stated, "HarmonyOS is an open system, and we welcome manufacturers worldwide to actively adapt to it and work together to build HarmonyOS."
“But that’s just platitudes. I can tell you the truth.”
"That means Apple will receive all the new HarmonyOS features simultaneously with Huawei and Xiaomi. Apple devices can seamlessly collaborate with all HarmonyOS devices. Apple users can enjoy all the services of the HarmonyOS ecosystem."
"Anything else?" Cook pressed.
"besides……"
Wang Donglai smiled slightly, revealing an indescribable air of dominance: "Apple's brand can continue to exist under the new rules."
These words were like a knife, precisely piercing Cook's deepest fears.
Apple's brand, its culture, and everything about Apple are built on the myth that "Apple defined the smartphone."
If this myth is shattered, what will Apple have left?
But if it can continue to exist under the new rules, at least Apple can retain its soul.
“I need time to think about it,” Cook said, not rushing to make a decision.
The academic conference is not over yet; he still has time.
Moreover, he couldn't have made such a decision on his own.
At best, he was just a professional manager at Apple; he was never the one who truly controlled Apple.
Even Steve Jobs had the experience of being ousted by shareholders, let alone him.
His haste to come to China was indeed to persuade some shareholders, but it's still a long way from actually getting Apple to make that decision.
Therefore, he also needs time to persuade Apple's shareholders or to make a separation.
"Four days! The Better Century Academic Conference will also be over by then, and Mr. Cook can give me an answer then."
Wang Donglai also knew that Cook couldn't make decisions on such important matters.
So, with a wave of his hand, he gave Cook four days. Cook didn't say anything, he just nodded.
Thus, their meeting came to an end.
However, no sooner had Cook left than the second visitor arrived.
Masla.
The head of Tesla and SpaceX, wearing a wrinkled black T-shirt and slippers, strolled into the meeting room with a thermos in his hand, looking nothing like a billionaire.
But Wang Donglai knew that this man's brain was more valuable than any CEO in a suit and tie.
"Your Majesty, this place is quite nice."
Masla plopped down, looked around, and said, "Much cleaner than my factory."
Wang Donglai calmly said, "Mr. Ma, you didn't fly all the way here just to visit my office, did you?"
"of course not."
Masla put down her thermos, her expression turning serious, and said, "I've come to ask for help."
"SOS?"
"Correct."
Masla looked directly into Wang Donglai's eyes, his expression scrutinizing and thoughtful, and said, "Your Galaxy Aerospace has already cornered my SpaceX. Reusable rockets, you have them. Heavy-lift launch vehicles, you have them. Lunar landing capabilities, you have them. And now you have this 'Breath-like Coating' with 1,500 tons of thrust, while my Falcon 9 only has 500 tons."
He shook his head, a hint of frustration in his voice, and said, "If this continues, SpaceX will have to shut down."
"So you want to..."
"Cooperation."
Masla immediately became excited again, saying, "This isn't the kind of 'I provide the money, you provide the technology' kind of cooperation; it's a real, deep collaboration. My Starlink project needs a lot of launch capacity. Your GalaxySpace needs commercial orders. Let's cooperate: you help me launch satellites, and I'll help you make money."
Wang Dong looked at him and calmly asked, "Is it that simple?"
Of course not.
Masla laughed and said, “I know what you’re worried about. Starlink is satellite internet with military potential. You can restrict my usage, such as limiting Starlink signals to areas outside of China and prohibiting its use for military purposes. I can accept that!”
Wang Donglai raised his eyebrows slightly.
This condition was much more lenient than he had expected.
"anything else?"
"besides……"
Masla leaned closer, lowered his voice, and said, "I heard you're working on a 'whole rocket to the moon' project. Sending a rocket to the moon and converting it into a base. I've had that idea too. But my plan was to send a module up, while your plan is to send the whole rocket up—that's much more ruthless than mine."
His eyes gleamed with excitement, more like a researcher than a businessman: "I want to participate. Not to steal your credit, but to get my people involved too."
"Your astronaut?"
"Yes! Let SpaceX astronauts ride on GalaxySpace rockets to the moon."
"Even if it's just a short stay, even if it's just one night at your base, I want the whole world to see that SpaceX is still alive and can still participate."
Wang Donglai did not answer immediately.
He understood Masla's plan.
This person never cares about saving face, only about the result.
If SpaceX astronauts actually land on the moon, even if they use Chinese rockets, SpaceX's brand value will skyrocket.
But more importantly, it symbolizes a gesture that even America's top tech companies are seeking cooperation with China.
In other words, SpaceX gained fame through Masla's work, which boosted its stock price.
Huaguo or Galaxy Technology obtained something other than money.
It can be said that everyone gets what they need, resulting in mutual benefit and a win-win situation.
"Mr. Ma."
Wang Donglai slowly said, "I can consider the conditions you proposed, but I have one request."
"You said."
“Starlink’s data must be made available to Galaxy Technologies. We need to be able to see the real-time location, orbital parameters, and communication traffic of all satellites. This is not to monitor you, but to ensure that Starlink does not pose a threat to China’s space assets.”
"This request is essential. If you cannot agree to it, there is no possibility of us continuing this conversation."
Masla was silent for a few seconds, then nodded: "Okay!"
"Furthermore, SpaceX's rocket technology must be made available to GalaxySpace. Not the core design, but the test data, failure logs, and lessons learned. Our engineers need to learn from your failures."
At that moment, Masla almost laughed in anger: "Your Majesty, in your Chinese terms, you're killing someone by attacking their spirit!"
"Learning from your failures is not about surpassing you, but about avoiding making the same mistakes you made."
"Besides, these things only have value to us, don't they?!"
Wang Donglai calmly retorted.
Masla laughed heartily, "Good, you're absolutely right!"
It was already evening when Masla left.
Wang Donglai stood by the window, watching the setting sun slowly sink into the outline of the Tang Dynasty capital.
"boss."
Nuwa's voice rang out: "Today you met two Western giants, one begging for mercy, the other seeking cooperation. Does this mean that the era of Western technological hegemony is truly coming to an end?"
Wang Donglai did not answer immediately.
He recalled how he felt when he saw comments online like "it's better to buy than to make" and "you're bound to lose if you try to win" in his previous life.
He recalled the resentment and anger he felt when he first learned that most of the profits from a smartphone were taken by the Qualcomm chip, Intel processor, and Samsung screen, leaving only a very small amount of profit in China.
He recalled the decision he had silently made in his heart after his rebirth.
"Nuwa".
He finally spoke: "You know, there used to be a phrase I really hated."
"What?"
"If you fall behind, you will be bullied."
Wang Donglai turned around, looking at the darkening sky outside the window, his expression inscrutable: "It's not because this sentence is wrong, but because this sentence always makes me feel stifled."
"Feeling frustrated?"
"Correct!"
"We get beaten because we're backward. But what if we're no longer backward? What if we become stronger than them? Will they still beat us? No, they'll come begging to us!"
He walked back to his desk, picked up the letter of intent for cooperation left by Cook, and shook it: "Just like Cook, he came not because he wanted to cooperate, but because he had no other choice. Just like Masla, he came not because he wanted to share, but because he was afraid of being left behind."
"So, Wa, do you really think they've submitted?"
"No, based on the characters' behavior and personality, plus micro-expression analysis, I determined that Cook was not genuinely begging for mercy. He was thinking about surviving first and then finding an opportunity to turn the tables. Masla had the same idea."
Wa's voice remained calm, like a steel needle piercing through Cook and Masla's disguise.
“I knew all this, but I still agreed to their request.”
Wang Donglai smiled, a smile that only he could understand: "Because it's safer to let them on the ship than to leave them on shore."
He gazed out the window at the setting sun sinking completely below the horizon, his tone filled with confidence and pride: "I built the ship, I set the course. Once they're on board, they have to follow my rules. Want to turn the tables? Fine. Wait until they can build a better ship than mine."
"What if they can never build it?"
"Then they will follow me all the way to the finish line."
Where is the finish line?
Wang Donglai remained silent for a long time, then spoke a sentence, his voice soft yet like a hammer blow striking the stillness of the night: "On the day humanity ventures into the universe." (End of Chapter)