Chapter 242: The Unfortunate Olympics

Words : 1359 Updated : Oct 12th, 2025

"Sir, here are the patents owned by Bell Labs. The red ones are shared patents. The black ones are still in development." Looking at the pile of documents in front of him, the old man was quite bewildered. "With so many research projects, how many successes can there be?" "Not many. Most will fail. Bell Labs mainly focuses its research on the communications field." "Do you think there's a chance William White is interested in something here?" "Unlikely. The lab is quite remote, and our investigators haven't found any signs of White's investment or contact with these folks." "Sigh, he has a unique perspective. Look at the current Motorola chips. They're outdated, yet it remains the most profitable chip company." "Sir, are you saying there might be some products we've overlooked?" "Haha, it's not a possibility for sure. Did our insider discover anything?" "Nothing. His design schematics and scripts are kept in the safest place. No one is ever allowed in." "Haha, this guy is something. Forget about everything else, just the car he owns -- I have the urge to buy it outright." "Haha, sir, you can buy it, but forget about the black one. The premium ones are silver. Rumor has it that black ones will be used as coffins in the future." "Plop, cough, cough, this rascal is still so petty?" "Haha, anyway, Rolls-Royce is quite annoyed by him." The old guy at Morgan Stanley wasn't quite willing to give up. He didn't necessarily want to interfere with William White's acquisition, but if he had a way to know beforehand, he could have a chat with William White. They were different from Citibank. While William White was a troublemaker, but he had one rare trait -- integrity. Once he agreed on the terms, he never reneged. That chip company from Motorola was an absolute bargain. If Morgan Stanley had operated it, both Motorola and the Japanese would have exited long ago. Such a partner was delightful to have, but if you messed with him, even a small incident could cost you dearly. That's exactly what happened to Rolls-Royce. Though the impact wasn't significant now, as time went on, it could be unpredictable. As for the cause? Haha, it all stemmed from not selling him a black bulletproof car. What was even more exasperating was that this guy had a real shot at winning. Though only three cars were produced, they were gaining popularity among the rich. It's believed that once mass production started, sales wouldn't be too shabby. The eccentric aura William White exuded was becoming more intimidating to some. Things that seemed worthless always seemed to come back to life under his touch. Take that Disney theme park, for instance. Many thought that after a month of excitement following its opening, things would settle down. However, that wasn't the case. Time passed, and yet the Japanese still flocked in droves. And that's not all; the two struggling mouse parks in the United States also began to turn around. It was all quite magical! So what specific business strategy changes were made? Haha, they actually learned from the good example of Japan. The Americans felt it was all a big mess, and their worldview was swiftly crumbling. ... "What are you saying, Jobs? Are you nuts? The Lisa computer as the second-generation Macintosh?" "Markkula, the Lisa computers are piling up. If we can't ship them on time, who's going to shoulder the loss?" "Dear Jobs, do you realize the magnitude of loss we face? For every computer sold, we lose one Apple II." "I've said it a long time ago, that damn Apple II should have been discontinued ages ago. There should already be a fourth-gen machine on that platform. Why are we still producing the previous models?" "Jobs, do you even know what you're talking about? This is our only profitable project right now. Alright, never mind, we can't reach an agreement. Let's see what the board decides." From this point, Apple began to splinter, and the once-solid friendships fell apart. *** The weather was gradually heating up, and the world's most unfortunate Olympics was drawing nearer. Due to the Soviets' occupation of Afghanistan, most countries voiced their condemnation. However, the Soviets, with their vast ambitions, remained indifferent. As a result, their Olympics turned into a self-aggrandizing spectacle. Nine billion dollars went down the drain, failing to showcase any positive image to the world. After being humiliated by the Americans, the Soviets naturally sought revenge, turning the Olympics into their tool. It was truly a tragedy, to see a sports festival symbolizing peace become a tool for some individuals. The most pitiful, of course, were the athletes. The mutual boycott led to a significant devaluation of the Olympic gold medals. For an athlete, participating in one Olympic Games is extremely fortunate. Making it to two is quite the achievement, and participating in three in a row would be legendary. In Los Angeles, the host city, William White didn't see much Olympic spirit. Many bystanders didn't even know about the event. Olympic Village? Didn't exist; everyone was going to college dorms. As for the sports venues, those were just temporarily rented. The funniest part was that the California legislature was actually resisting. The organizing committee, strapped for cash, naturally needed to hit up the wealthy for funds. To their surprise, William White fully supported them. First, he personally donated one million dollars, and then with a generous gesture, all his brands became Olympic sponsors. Well, if you can't sell alcohol at the Olympics, you can sell grape juice, right? Glacial mineral water should be fine too. Regarding the price, it was indeed very cheap. Despite having support from a wealthy patron, the Olympic organizing committee still struggled. They raised over 400 million dollars in total and still couldn't figure out what to do with this edition of the Olympics. What many didn't realize was that after this Olympics, the previously neglected sports festival became highly coveted. Because they discovered that its commercial value was immense, incomparable to things like basketball or baseball. Nowadays, glacial mineral water was very popular among the wealthy in the US, who noticed that glass bottles seemed to upscale the product a bit. ... "William, is that advertising expense really worth it? Were you swindled?" "Hahaha, you know, George, if they didn't come to me, I'd have big trouble. When I go to negotiate, how could I get such a bargain?" "Bargain? Not many people are advertising. Could you be mistaken?" "Alas, it's a shame there's no chance for the next one. If possible, I'd hope to be a permanent Olympic sponsor." "Hmm, hearing you say that, I am certain it's something worthwhile." "It's different. You don't have consumer products, so it's useless to you. Also, the price might be high now. Do you think they wouldn't use my name for advertising?" "Ugh, although I hate your arrogance, I must admit you do have enough influence." In reality, the organizing committee regretted their decision immediately. They felt like they sold too cheaply, but what's done is done, and they had to find another way. ... William White's product quality aside, and regardless of how his movies fared, one thing was commonly agreed upon: his promotional capabilities were exceptional. Apple's 1984 ad was impressive but essentially useless; that computer was just a showpiece -- a beautiful misunderstanding. William White was different. Not only did he advertise well, but his products sold well. Most importantly, his choice of advertising media was almost transcendent. Now, as this guy used the Olympics as a promotional platform, what's there to hesitate about? Unexpectedly, the previously neglected ads suddenly became hot commodities. The organizing committee calculated and realized they might not incur huge losses after all. Of course, not losing money was no longer their option; making some profit was their real goal. ***** https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.

Chapter 242: The Unfortunate Olympics

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