America 1982-Chapter 160 - 58: Before Contact_5
"What I need to say is this: during the halftime break of this confrontation, there are some precautionary points everyone needs to be aware of. The words I’m about to say aren’t targeted at you all, they’re about those employees under your management."
"What are you trying to say, Jim?" Jonathan couldn’t stand Jim’s habit of beating around the bush when holding meetings, and directly asked, "You’ve said so much, yet we still don’t understand what it is you actually want to say. In past meetings, nobody would come up and talk so much about things irrelevant to the main point."
"Lotus Corporation is a zoo, and we are all zookeepers here, while the employees under you are the animals, understand?" Jim just smiled at Jonathan for interrupting him and didn’t take it to heart. He continued to address everyone:
"Sometimes, the animals you manage are affectionate towards you, they play with you, but sometimes, they can get out of control and bite off your nuts."
"Jim, stop with the jokes you think are funny. People here don’t care about nuts problems, and they can’t catch your humor," Mitch said, barely holding back a chuckle as he tried to steer Jim back on track, "Also, these comments are somewhat disrespectful to the employees."
Jim stood up, looking around at everyone, "Don’t think that just because employees have signed non-disclosure agreements, they will really keep their lips sealed. I want you all to observe your subordinates’ recent behaviors. If you notice anything you find unusual, you can contact me. I’ll arrange for a lawyer to touch base with them. Another issue is, we need to make a out-of-court contact with Actor Corporation. Although many of you present might not attend, I still need you to spend at least half an hour daily in the company’s meeting room for legal advice. To sum it up, do not talk carelessly, understand? Not talking carelessly is very important."
"OK, everyone, go back to your work now. If there’s an important meeting, we will arrange for you all to come back," Jonathan quickly intervened to signal his colleagues to leave after seeing Jim’s actions. Then, with a troubled expression, he looked at Jim, "Jim, did you call these people in just to say this? It’s disrespectful to them, you’re telling them directly that the company doesn’t trust them."
Jim spread his hands, "Jonathan, what makes you think the world is filled with trust? They are employees, you need to teach them like animals in a circus, telling them what they can and cannot do. If you only provide a comfortable working environment and generous salaries, in the end, you’ll just spoil them into thinking they run the company. I had the lawyers give suggestions to each department recently on what to look out for, but the feedback I got was that no one wanted to listen to them."
"They’re just technicians, not secret agents," Jonathan said, hands on hips, showing his dissatisfaction with Jim, "Why would they betray Lotus for some no-name company they’ve never even heard of before? Don’t you think the idea itself is ridiculous, Jim?"
Jim sighed, "Jonathan, the other side may be a small company, but their leader isn’t a bookworm; he’s a scoundrel just like me, a villain masquerading as a software company. He’s not you or Mitch, innocently coding in a garage. If you must have a term for that small company, you could call it Gray Knight. White Knight and Black Warrior are easy to understand in business activities: benevolent investors are called White Knights or White Warriors, and malicious investors are called Black Warriors or Black Knights."
"So, what’s a Gray Knight?" Jonathan asked.
Jim lit a cigarette, "A meddler, even a madman willing to compromise his own interests to achieve his goals. Sometimes they seem like a savior, other times more like a demon. The scariest is when they exhibit aspects of both. Companies with this style of operation that fall in the gray area between black and white are known as Gray Knights."
"What is the purpose of a Gray Knight’s appearance?" Mitch asked curiously upon hearing these business terms.
"That’s the tricky part. If we don’t have an encounter, we don’t know what the purpose of this gray madman truly is." Jim looked toward Jonathan:
"It will find ways to collect all sorts of information that it thinks can cause us trouble. Imagine, it can even arrange for prostitutes to harass you, so why wouldn’t it send someone to get close to those key position engineers? Don’t think that illegally obtained information won’t appear in court. Believe me, lawyers know better than you how to get their hands on things to present before a judge. You believe confidentiality agreements will prevent employees from betraying the company when faced with exorbitant fines for breach, but what about anonymously? An anonymous employee feeds information to the press, and the press exposes Lotus Corporation’s code or recent business plans... Of course, those are issues other employees need to consider. The problem for you two is, if after the first contact, we consider a settlement between the parties, what do you think?"
Jonathan’s eyes widened in disbelief, "Settle? You’re talking about a settlement? We’re harassed by prostitutes to the point of nervous breakdown..."
"What would the other party give up?" Mitch interrupted Jonathan’s words.
"Either acquire it or invest in it, that’s my view. First, the other company has sold over forty thousand software sets, which shows they’re not doing badly. Anyway, we’ll be involved in acquisitions as we expand our business territory, so why not take them over? After acquiring them, following my plan, whether it’s a trap, a bait, or just my speculation, at least we won’t have to worry anymore. Instead, we could collaborate with them, see if we can set up the same kind of trap to draw Micro-Innovation Company into it. Robert said that they are trying to set a precedent. If that’s really their intention, cooperation is the best option. Perfectly using them to bite down hard on Micro-Innovation’s heel, by then..." Jim spoke excitedly about his theories regarding Tommy Hawk, completely unaware that Mitch and Jonathan had started looking quite uncomfortable.
Jonathan said angrily, "That guy insulted us. Even if we settle, it should be them paying the price! But now you’re saying we should pay him money to buy his company that copied us? Jim, how much have you had to drink to say something like that?"
"When he insulted you, it was because he saw us as opponents. As long as we settle and collaborate, he will soon help us insult our rivals. I don’t see anything there to be angry about." Jim dropped his joyful demeanor and looked at Jonathan:
"We’re supposed to avert crises, not get angry over trivial matters. I get angry often, but that’s against opponents who can’t fight back. If the opponent is formidable, I wouldn’t want to stir up trouble. If there’s a chance they can become my ally, I’d even show a smile. That’s how adults should act, Jonathan."
"I disagree with settling. Lotus will not settle with such scum!" Jonathan said furiously.
Mitch, who had been quiet until now, tried to soothe his partner, "Jonathan, Jim didn’t say we definitely have to settle, only to try making contact with them."
"Exactly, it’s just my opinion. I didn’t expect you to get so worked up, Jonathan." Jim also explained, going with the flow: "You’re welcome to voice a different opinion."
"Let him think it over, Jim. He’s been upset lately, and so have I, you know why." Mitch sighed and looked at Jim, "Their disgusting tactics have worn us out."
Jim nodded in understanding and left the meeting room.
Only when he was gone did Jonathan turn to Mitch, "He wants us to pay money to buy that little company... and he dares to assure us that this little company could help us take down Micro-Innovation? Good heavens, that’s the most ludicrous joke I’ve heard in years. He should understand that Lotus has the capabilities to defeat Micro-Innovation; we don’t need such a lame excuse to get our attention."
"Trust Jim, Jonathan. At least until we find a real professional manager in the computer industry who doesn’t swear all the time, trust him." Mitch patted Jonathan’s shoulder, speaking softly in consolation.
