Steal the enemy's base at the start and build a technological empire.

Chapter 238 Follow-up Arrangements

At three o'clock in the afternoon, Fiona knocked on the door and came in, holding a printed copy of the flight information.

"Mr. Ling, I've checked. The fastest flight is United Airlines UA888 on the morning of January 17th, a direct flight from San Francisco to Beijing, departing at 10:35 AM and arriving in Beijing at 2:20 PM on January 18th, with a flight time of approximately 12 hours. For the return trip, I suggest Air China CA985 on the evening of February 2nd, a direct flight from Beijing to San Francisco, departing at 7:30 PM and arriving in San Francisco at 4:30 PM on the same day."

Ling Yun took the printed paper, glanced at it, and said, "This is the itinerary. Let's book the tickets. What about the hotel?"

"I've booked a suite at the Crowne Plaza Zhongguancun, a ten-minute walk from the New Century Hotel, for two nights on the 18th and 19th. Also, Director Wang from Spark Capital's Beijing office has been notified that all the necessary materials will be prepared and a presentation can be arranged immediately upon your arrival."

"Okay." Ling Yun added a few notes to the itinerary memo, "Notify Eric, Carly, and David that the project review meeting originally scheduled for the afternoon of the 18th has been moved to the morning of the 17th. Also, please prepare a small gift for me... for the Kingsoft employees. The budget... is around $50,000, something practical."

"Do you have a specific idea about the gift?" Fiona asked.

Ling Yun thought for a moment: "Electronic products, then. Use Spark's optical mice and keyboards, bundled together. Prepare ten sets based on the number of Kingsoft employees. Ship directly from the factory to Beijing, making sure the packaging is top-notch. Also, send thirty high-spec Alienware computers to Kingsoft, giving one to outstanding employees as a small incentive."

"Understood. I'll contact General Manager Li Mo right away."

After Fiona left, Ling Yun continued to refine the memo. He listed several matters that needed to be handled in Beijing:

1. Discussions with Kingsoft's core team (technology roadmap, market strategy)

2. Visit Spark Capital's Beijing office (assessment of the investment team's capabilities)

3. Other possible meetings (Ni Guangnan, relevant ministry officials? TBD)

He paused for a moment when he wrote the last line.

Ni Guangnan, a landmark figure in China's chip and operating system industry, is currently working on chip design projects for Spark Technology. The last time I met him was in November, when he assembled a strong team and established Qilu Microelectronics in Jinan.

Chip manufacturing is a long-term project that requires continuous investment and attention. Qilu Microelectronics needs to continue investing, and Lingyun should assess how much more investment is needed and how well the team expansion is progressing.

He added a question mark after "Ni Guangnan" and decided to contact him again after the itinerary was confirmed.

At four o'clock in the afternoon, Eric knocked on the door and came in, holding a draft of the technical solution for the Star Language plugin framework.

"Mr. Ling, this is the preliminary design. Also, I heard you're going to Beijing?" Eric pulled up a chair and sat down.

"Yes, attend Kingsoft's annual meeting." Ling Yun took the proposal and quickly glanced at it.

"How's it going over there? Is WPS development progressing smoothly?"

"Mr. Qiu said it's pretty good; the Starry Sky System version has a good reputation." Ling Yun looked up at Eric. "What, you're interested in office software too?"

"It's not about the office software itself, it's about the ecosystem." Eric adjusted his glasses. "If WPS can establish itself on the Starry Sky system and form a basic combination of 'system + office suite,' it will greatly help us attract enterprise and educational users. You know, many schools and small businesses nowadays, the first thing they do when they buy a computer is install pirated Windows and Office. If we can provide a legal and user-friendly alternative..."

"Price is still key," Ling Yun said. "Microsoft's Office is priced too high, creating an opportunity for piracy. If WPS is priced reasonably, or even offers basic features for free and advanced features as a subscription, it has a chance."

"Free?" Eric raised an eyebrow. "Then how does Kingsoft make a profit?"

"We rely on value-added services, enterprise customization, cloud storage, and collaboration features." Lingyun laid down the plan, "However, this is a long-term plan. At this stage, we should focus on making the product better and perfecting the user experience of the Starry Sky system version. We want users to choose us because 'WPS is better on the Starry Sky system,' not because it's cheap."

"Understood." Eric made a note in his notebook. "So the review meeting for the Star Language plugin framework has been rescheduled to the morning of the 17th?"

"Yes. Be well-prepared. This framework is very important; it will determine how far Xingyu can go in the future."

"Don't worry." Eric stood up, walked to the door, then turned back. "Mr. Ling, if you need technical support in Beijing, just call me anytime. I'm also quite curious about WPS's architecture."

"it is good."

After Eric left, the office fell silent again.

Lingyun opened her email and saw a new message from Qiu Bojun. The subject was: "Kingsoft Software 1997 Annual Summary and 1998 Plan (Draft)".

He opened the attachment. It was a PowerPoint presentation of more than thirty pages, with the Kingsoft logo and the eight characters "Accumulate strength and unleash it, embark on a new journey" on the cover.

He didn't look closely; he simply scrolled through the outline quickly with the mouse wheel.

Part 1: 1997 in Review (Difficulties, Turning Points, Acquisitions)

Part Two: Release Data and User Feedback for WPS 97 (Star Edition)

Part Three: Technical Team Restructuring and R&D Direction

Part Four: Product Planning in 1998 (WPS 98 for StarOS and Windows version under simultaneous development)

Part Five: Market and Channel Strategy

Part Six: Financial Forecasts and Resource Requirements

The page design is simple, with dense text and clear charts. Typical engineer style.

Lingyun closed the PowerPoint presentation and sent Qiu Bojun a brief email: "Materials received. See you on the 18th. My assistant will contact you once the schedule is confirmed. Also: I've prepared some small gifts for the staff, which will be delivered then. Lingyun."

send.