Chapter 241: The Epic Feast

The breakup of the telephone and telegraph company introduced new variables, and everyone had to renegotiate their agreement over the division of spoils. Although they were unhappy, the group of bloodsuckers had no choice but to comply.

Fortunately, the young man was only interested in the technological reserves and had no intention of managing a telephone company.

The old geezers at Citi wanted to oppose it, but unfortunately, as soon as they opened their mouths, the White Capital folks ignored them, and some other groups started with the sarcastic remarks.

As for the reason, well, if it weren't for you fools, the feast would have been devoured by everyone long ago. William White had no right to use a knife and fork. You're nothing more than a little fox, thinking you're a meat-eater now.

"No way, we have to share these patents. We also have first rights to use any future patents."

"Okay, then Citi can buy them all. We'll take the California telecom business."

"You're dreaming."

"Fine, continue negotiating then. Let me tell you, if the researchers leave, I don't care, but my boss will be really unhappy. What's that phrase? Embezzling national assets makes you a national thief."

Many were displeased, but now, they preferred William White's intervention. The reason was simple: that asset wasn't important; the stubborn Citi folks were merely embarrassed and angry.

But since the word "thief" was being tossed around, it was best not to tear up any agreements.

Are you kidding me? Wouldn't it be better if everyone just shared the spoils?

After some coordination, Citi opted to remain quiet. They weren't fools. If William White pulled another stunt, everyone today would likely end up in trouble.

...

"Sir, they've agreed initially. It won't be executed so quickly."

"No worries. This is one of life's four bonds. If these guys aren't dumb, they'll keep their promise."

"Sir, and what are the other three bonds?"

"Go check the Oxford English Dictionary. Ha!"

Watching the slightly aggrieved Filson leave, William White felt quite happy. This guy's always so serious -- it's just too dull.

Regarding Bell Labs, William White wasn't particularly interested. Frankly, nobody cared about it.

Investment banks and professional managers are the same; they prefer immediate benefits. Projects like labs hold no interest for them.

As for Citi's trouble-making, when Filson threatened to flip the table, they completely gave up.

The idea was simple: "We're not buying. You Citi folks can take it. Meanwhile, I'll take California Telecom at a bargain."

Honestly, dealing with the old-timers -- politely termed 'unreasonable antics' -- works best. It's the same old routine: no benefits, no cooperation.

Citi's grievances weren't really about Bell Labs but more about White Investments. Clearly, William White was now part of their game, a player rather than a mere observer.

They say birds of a feather flock together, and now William White, unmistakably a local magnate, could no longer be trifled with.

Alright, though they never succeeded once, things were different now. Any rash move would irritate other investment banks too.

Before this, who would've thought this kid could be so formidable? Knowing the situation now, they'd have thought of ways to suppress him.

For Citi, regrets and frustrations were useless. Things were already torn apart, and there was no need for niceties.

...

"Dad, do you think there's something in that lab that outsiders don't know about?"

"Impossible. His weight is significant now. No one would underestimate him. The most likely thing is, he's secured himself a ticket."

"Dad, you mean the elite club?"

"Yep, the future of America has never been determined by that white house." Bush Sr. looked on wistfully.

"So young?"

"Yeah, these young folks are determined now. Get along well with him; your dad doesn't measure up."

Bush Jr. disagreed. To him, William White was just messing around. Though clever, luck played a huge part, as White himself admitted.

Like his silver futures speculation: if the Hunter family hadn't misjudged, his meager funds would've been washed out quickly.

Nevertheless, no matter how down on luck he was, those novels and movies always let him turn the tables.

Frankly, Bush Jr. admired this talent of his. Damn, each movie made massive profits -- that's a mind-blowing business model. With that income, nothing else really matters.

...

William White's acquisition of Bell Labs wasn't random at all. In fact, he had his eyes on a very promising industry. That's right, the mobile phone industry, which hadn't attracted much attention yet.

You couldn't help but acknowledge the foresight of the Europeans. Mobile phones didn't have any commercial use at that time; even the large brick-like models would take a few more years to launch.

However, the European GSM had already been established. It's hard to say whether it was a coincidence or if they were deliberately digging a hole for the Americans.

This industry was kickstarted by the Americans. When Motorola was making heaps of money, they didn't see it coming when Ericsson overtook them in a twist of fate. 

They encouraged others to pursue the satellite phone plan, offering all the help they could provide, looking very selfless, huh?

Haha, letting the largest American communication company work on satellite phones while the Europeans developed GSM -- it was all part of the plan!

This GSM stuff was naturally present at Bell Labs. If they had acted early, they wouldn't have lagged too far behind the Europeans.

Even if they could secure just 20% of the market share, it would've amounted to a tremendous figure. After Ericsson and Nokia were beaten down, why didn't they just pack up and leave? Well, it was because they held many patents.

The Americans took a big hit when it came to wireless communication standards, but in the ensuing battles, they were determined not to be fooled again.

Regarding 3G or even 4G, even if the European system was better, the Americans steadfastly refused to use it. Their R&D might not match up to Europe, but their ability to sell concepts and market was superior to Europe.

Don't talk about poor relations. Even if they're allies of the United States, given such lucrative benefits, everything else is just fluff.

William White initially intended to cooperate with Motorola, but it seemed that the other party was planning to bail. So he decided to go it alone.

During that era, the mobile phone industry was a bona fide high-tech field. Forget about wireless towers; even the phones themselves looked quite upscale.

Thinking of future phones, William White couldn't help but sigh. The industry wouldn't last forever.

Sigh, the telecommunications industry had a long way to go, and there wasn't much he could do about it at the moment. 

*****

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