Chapter 1458 Sure Enough

When the Cadillac left Seattle and was about to cross the floating bridge on HSD Lake along Highway 520, Feng Yiping roughly understood what Bezos meant yesterday. Could it be that he heard rumors that Microsoft was also going to acquire one of his projects?

If that was true, if I guessed correctly, it should be Facebook or YouTube, which was launched later.

Then Bezos's petty words were a bit redundant.

Feng Yiping would never sell these two things.

However, Bezos, a guy born in the 1960s, is still so unwilling to admit defeat and so face-conscious. Thinking about it, it is really a bit cute.

Like many times, Feng Yiping can't help but feel a little complacent. There is no way, who said he is too good? Haha, this is also another kind of natural beauty!

Just like in developed areas of China, there must be more than one bridge across the river. There are two floating bridges on HSD Lake, which are the traffic hubs connecting downtown Seattle and the east of HSD Lake.

From this, it can be inferred that Bill Gates and his employees must have passed by here frequently.

"Vincent, do you know that the scenery here looks a bit like a scenic spot in my father's homeland, where my mother and I have been,"

"Where is that?" Vincent asked curiously.

"Are you talking about West Lake?" Ma Ling said.

"Yes, do you think it looks like it?"

From the floating bridge, the lake is not very vast, the water is clear, the waves are green, and there are also many corners of houses, which are exposed from the lush green trees around.

There are also differences. Most of the yachts on West Lake are pleasure boats, and here, the lake is full of white modern yachts.

"It feels a bit like it,"

Vincent, who was not very interested at first, said quickly, "I want to go to West Lake too,"

In the car behind, John and Heidi focused on the mansions on the lakeside, "Gates's is here, why don't you see it?" John deliberately looked over there a few times.

He was still a little curious about people like Gates.

He was naturally envious of Feng Yiping for being invited to visit Gates' lakeside mansion.

…………

After arriving at the east shore of HSD Lake, we headed north along Interstate 405 and soon arrived in Kirkland. Just after walking east along 85th Street for a while, Ma Ling poked Feng Yiping with a smile. Feng Yiping looked at it and his face turned red.

Over there was a large recruitment advertisement for Google. There was no way, it was the insistence of those two guys.

After the IPO, the company had a lot of money in its account, so the two of them couldn't wait to implement the plan they had wanted to implement for a long time. Not only did they set up an office in Seattle, but they also set up an office in Kirkland, which is less than five miles away from Microsoft's Redmond headquarters.

It's not enough to set up an office. They also had to put up such a large advertisement on the road that many Microsoft employees must take to go to and from work.

The key is that the two of them still looked as if it was natural, as if they shouldn't take advantage of Microsoft in this way.

It seems that whether it is at home or abroad, the big brother is inevitably the talent training center for the young brothers.

Feng Yiping couldn't help but wonder, after leaving Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he was founded, why did Gates give up Boston, which has Harvard and MIT, and Silicon Valley, the well-known world high-tech capital, and finally move the company back to the Seattle area of ​​​​HSD, where he was born?

In addition to being familiar with this place and the good environment here, the most important thing is that he is worried that competitors will poach people.

It is estimated that he never thought that there would be a younger generation like Google who does not follow the etiquette of the underworld and does not play cards according to routines.

Of course, after growing and becoming stronger, Google also fell into decline. For example, Facebook, during its rapid development period, poached many people from Google, from vice presidents like Sheryl Sandberg to core technical talents and ordinary employees.

Although Facebook is now his own, this will not happen, but Feng Yiping believes that there will still be many other start-ups that have set their sights on those talents from Google.

In a word, it is not so easy to be the boss.

"Page seems to have emphasized that he should not do evil?" Ma Ling asked with a smile, "This doesn't seem to be good intentions, right?"

"Strictly speaking, this is to use market means to achieve the optimal allocation of human resources, regardless of good or evil," Feng Yiping said.

It's okay to complain about things yourself, but if others complain, even if it's Ma Ling, you still have to resolutely defend it.

"Besides, do you think Microsoft's companies in Silicon Valley haven't done the same thing?"

This is natural, and it's impolite not to reciprocate. Microsoft's institutions in Silicon Valley are also using all means to dig out talents they value from major Silicon Valley companies.

"Vincent, remember not to learn from your father in the future, and make up excuses for everything," when Ma Ling was teaching Vincent, there was a large group of buildings scattered on the roadside, between the woods, lawns and flowers. It was very quiet. At first glance, it looked a bit like a university campus.

The current leader of the high-tech industry in the United States, Microsoft's headquarters campus, has arrived.

…………

In front of the headquarters building, well, it can't be said to be big. The entire Microsoft headquarters campus has very low buildings, generally three or four stories high, and the tallest building is only six stories high.

This place is not like Silicon Valley, where there are so many earthquakes. So, it’s not that Microsoft doesn’t want to build high-rise buildings, but the city of Redmond does not allow Microsoft to build high-rise buildings - I wonder if it is to sell more land?

In front of the headquarters building, Feng Yiping and Ma Ling separated temporarily. Ma Ling will take his son to visit the Microsoft campus with his parents.

Although John, especially, wanted to participate in this meeting, he also knew very well that a meeting at this level was not about adding people to the meeting at the last minute.

Before Feng Yiping came in, he had met once before. Brian, the vice president of corporate development strategy at Microsoft, came out with Frank, the top person in charge of the public relations department, and a blond female assistant. "Hello Feng,"

"Hello Brian," Feng Yiping smiled and shook his hand.

The blonde girl next to him looked at the young man in front of him with some curiosity, wearing khaki pants and a white shirt, carrying a backpack, and smiling brightly. He was really younger, gentler, and more mature than what he saw in the reports. attraction.

"Hello Mr. Feng, I am Sophia,"

"Hello," Feng Yiping smiled and shook her hand briefly.

"Bill is attending an impromptu meeting and Ballmer has just been called away by a colleague, so sorry Feng, I have to greet you," Brian said with a smile.

Regardless of whether it is true or not, for example, Ballmer was here just now, but in fact Microsoft sent Brian to wait here and already attached great importance to Feng Yiping.

This is not the two presidents of Microsoft in China later. This president is a serious senior vice president of Microsoft headquarters. He is directly responsible to Gates and appears in the company's annual report every year.

"Haha, I'm honored that you came," Feng Yiping said with a smile.

"This is your first time coming to our headquarters. How about showing you around first?" Brian suggested.

"That's exactly what I thought,"

When I first looked at the Microsoft campus, I thought it was like a university campus with a nice environment. When I walked in, I looked at the tall trees, the neatly trimmed lawns, the blooming flowers, and the chirping birds above my head. It feels more like this place will be like a park.

Because it was built earlier, the buildings at Microsoft's headquarters are not as trendy as those of emerging companies in Silicon Valley. They are generally white walls with large dark green glass windows. Although they are low-key and simple, they are very harmonious with the surrounding green environment.

The most eye-catching buildings in the park are the X-shaped buildings. Feng Yiping has seen them in reports before, but this is the first time he has seen them with his own eyes.

Why is it this shape? This is what Gates meant.

He hopes that every programmer can have an independent office with good lighting and a good view.

In order to satisfy his wish, the designer finally came up with this plan.

So this is also the difference between Microsoft and many companies in Silicon Valley. Google and Feng Yiping's companies both have open offices, while Microsoft is separated from each other.

Sitting on the commuter car with the windows wide open, Brian carefully introduced some anecdotes in the park to Feng Yiping, "That building, Building 5, is the research and development base of win95, and over there is the development base of Office 2000... …,”

As we talked, we arrived at Building 8, where Gates’ office is located.

This is actually said.

Except for the boss Gates, all other Microsoft employees working in Microsoft's Redmond headquarters campus have their offices constantly changing, including President Ballmer.

A few years ago, he was still working in Building 18, but now, he has moved to Building 25.

Naturally, doing this is not just for fun. In addition to the need to reorganize departments and personnel, the more important reason is to keep employees fresh about their work by changing the office space.

…………

"Ding," the elevator stopped, and Feng Yiping glanced at the guy outside wearing a horizontal striped T-shirt and white casual pants, who was wandering around. Who else could he be if he wasn't Gates?

Hearing the sound of the elevator, he turned around and said, "Hi Feng,"

This Gates is different from the later Gates who was dedicated to philanthropy.

At that time, when Gates appeared in public, he always looked lazy and arrogant. He was not very enthusiastic about anything. Even when he shook hands with leaders of various countries, he was very perfunctory. He didn't care about these things at all. No expression of interest.

Now Gates is still the top leader of Microsoft. He has the same enthusiasm as all entrepreneurs in his eyes. He held Feng Yiping's hand vigorously and supported Feng Yiping's shoulder with his other hand. "Welcome to visit!"

"It's my pleasure, Mr. Gates,"

"Haha, you told me to call me Bill," Gates brought Feng Yiping to his office.

This isn't the first time they've met.

After Feng Yiping wrote "Blue Ocean Strategy", he contacted Bill Gates and Ballmer, and they also helped recommend Feng Yiping's book to many people.

Feng Yiping took a look and found that compared with Jobs's, Gates' office was much richer in levels. At least, the layout of his office was more advanced than the Microsoft logo.

"Congratulations, you have achieved so much in Silicon Valley in just a few years," Gates said with a smile. "Your achievements surprised both Steve and me."

He said that this Steve was not Steve Jobs, but his partner, Ballmer.

"Thank you," Feng Yiping said thanks according to American rules.

To be honest, he really didn't understand Microsoft's intention of coming to him this time.

Of course, he was certain that it was probably related to the sharp increase in his net worth and the two projects launched this year.

After chatting for a while, Gates actually talked about the weather, "This time Hurricane France is causing harm..."

Feng Yiping had some bad thoughts, Uncle, you are not asking me to donate, are you!

But he was interrupted, "Feng," the tall and strong Ballmer strode in, his voice still high and a little hoarse.

"Haha," he was more enthusiastic than Gates, and hugged Feng Yiping tightly, "I haven't seen you for a few years. The young scholar who was a genius at the time has now become a world-renowned young entrepreneur,"

He laughed and held Feng Yiping's shoulders and said, "Congratulations,"

"Thank you,"

Feng Yiping was very grateful to Ballmer for coming in suddenly. He had already donated once in Silicon Valley for the hurricane, but if Gates asked, it would be hard to refuse, and he had to show some appreciation.

And combined with the recent situation, such as his huge increase in wealth, this gesture really can't be too small.

There is no way, successful people in the United States talk about either business affairs or charity when they get together.

As soon as Ballmer came over, he basically dominated the conversation. After a few pleasantries, he got straight to the point. "Feng, the new social project you launched this year, Facebook, is a really good idea. Bill and I are both very interested in it. Do you think we can cooperate on this project?"

Haha, Bezos was right. They really had this idea.