Chapter 118: Incitement

The business James had started with Lee Zhekai was more or less finished.

When Leon rode his bicycle out, the garage door was tightly shut, and the programmers had not come to work for several days.

Lee had lost only a Ferrari, which was practically meaningless to him. His family home in Hong Kong still had several more. In his eyes, a supercar was merely a slightly prettier means of transportation—more like an oversized toy. Whether he had one or not made little difference.

All the money James had earned from working during his university years had gone down the drain. Furious, he had quarreled with Lee, and the two were now locked in a cold war. Neither had gone out to look for work. For the past few days, James had stayed home during the day and gone drinking at night.

Since they spent every day together, Leon knew something about the project they had been developing. They had contacted Microsoft and Apple separately, and even approached IBM through George’s connections. None of the companies showed any interest in their office software. Apple and Microsoft were already developing their own office applications and had no regard for the pair’s project. The rejection had dealt James a severe blow.

Some people rode the growth of the IT industry to sudden wealth and success; others watched their investments vanish without a trace. Unless something unexpected happened, these two unfortunate partners belonged to the latter group.

In truth, Leon had never been optimistic about their software project. In this era, everyone was developing office applications, treating each computer as an independent machine used simply for work.

Leon believed that computers and the Internet ought to connect every terminal into a single whole, enrich people’s lives, and ultimately transform the way they lived. He was certain that this was where the future lay.

He had no time to laugh at Lee and James for failing in business, because he himself was beginning to face a crisis. If all that happened was the loss of a few employees or the appearance of several competitors, Leon would not have cared. The global market was vast. Countless regions across the world were excellent places to sell computers, and there was more than enough room for a few rivals.

What worried him most was that the veteran employees he had painstakingly trained might resign in large numbers after being poached. He was even more afraid that they would follow the example of others, set out to develop markets on their own, and leave Penguin, scattering an already loosely connected group of shared interests even further.

Several thousand dollars, sometimes even more than ten thousand, flowed into the accounts each day. Leon had no intention of surrendering such an opportunity to make a fortune. As he turned the problem over in his mind, he worked out several possible solutions, planning to see how the employees reacted before deciding what to do.

Pedaling his bicycle and breathing heavily, Leon muttered to himself, “Damn, it’s too far. I’m definitely going to learn how to drive during winter break. I’ll buy a car next year.”

The first thing that came to mind was a Ferrari.

He realized that if he continued earning that much every day, buying one would be no problem at all. Now that he was beginning to have money in his hands, Leon planned to improve his own standard of living—and that of his family as well.

If all one did was make money without ever spending it, what was the point of making money?

While his family’s attention remained fixed on FunBuy Supermarket, the liquid funds in Penguin’s corporate account had quietly surpassed three hundred and twenty thousand dollars.

Leon was holding his breath, waiting until he had become richer before returning home and showing off in front of his parents and grandfather, thereby avenging the three-thousand-dollar “for your own good” decision. The facts had proven that his choice was the better one!

...

The warehouse was some distance from Menlo Park. Leon had chosen it for the cheap rent, but now he had to ride forty minutes there and back every day. It was almost impossible for him to gain weight; he looked full of vitality.

As he reached the entrance of the “company headquarters,” he could hear an argument inside. He could vaguely guess that another company had offered better benefits and shaken the loyalty of some employees. His nerves tightened at once. This was no good sign.

“Hey, quiet down. Our little boss Leon is here,” Matthew said, clapping his hands.

The situation had just spiraled out of control. The employees were supposed to go out and sell products, but none of them were in the mood today.

A slovenly white salesman had clearly seen Leon enter, yet still sneered without the slightest regard for his feelings. “Boss? Do you really think a kid this young can build a successful business? We’re the ones doing all the work for him, and we get a measly twenty percent commission. The other company is offering thirty percent!”

There were more than a dozen people in the warehouse altogether. Most employees did not stay at the office; the majority only showed up at the end of each month for the summaries.

After hearing the young white man’s words, quite a few employees’ eyes flickered, their faces thoughtful. It was obvious that they were wavering. They could sell for either company, and naturally, the one offering the higher commission was preferable.

Leon paused slightly, then smiled. “You’re fired. Get out. Now.”

Perhaps he had never imagined that Leon—usually mild and agreeable with everyone, seemingly incapable of losing his temper—would dare speak to him that way. The young white man flushed with fury and was about to start cursing when the supervisor, Mr. McKay, stepped in front of him.

“Didn’t you hear him? Get out.”

“Were you bought off by another company?” McKay continued. “How else could you shamelessly stand here after selling only two computers last month, you useless excuse for a salesman?”

Leon shrugged and added, “If that company is full of people like you, I have to wonder whether it will go bankrupt within a month.”

There was competition among the salesmen as well. Some had sold several hundred computers, while a normal result was around a hundred. Hearing Leon’s sarcasm, several of them burst out laughing.

The young white man who had tried to incite his colleagues to leave turned crimson. With a cold snort, he stalked toward the exit, still unable to swallow his anger.

“You won’t be smug for long. Soon I’ll show you what it feels like when computers can’t be sold! The market belongs to us!”

“Is that so?” Leon replied. “If only two people in the whole state of California bought computers, then yes, you’d have won.”

Leon was usually modest and polite, but when it came to trading insults, he feared no one. He had often witnessed the aunties in Chinatown tearing into one another, and he had learned plenty of “valuable experience” from them.

The laughter behind him grew louder. Soon he heard a car start and drive away. Only then did Leon inwardly curse those men for trying to stir up his employees even after quitting. The sooner such pests were dismissed, the better.

He could not simply pretend nothing had happened and let the employees continue working. It was necessary to say something to reassure them.

“Ever since the company was founded, our cooperation has been very pleasant. As long as you work hard, you can earn money, and so can I. Every commission has been paid to you on time. I have never withheld even a single cent.”

“But if you go to the new company, can you be certain they’ll be as trustworthy as I am? Besides, our company has already found its footing. The California market is nearly fully developed, and our New York branch is being established. Let me tell you something in advance: I made eight phone calls earlier, to eight different schools, including New York University, and none of them purchased computers.”

“My ambitions extend beyond California. We’re already expanding across the United States, and in the future we may even enter overseas markets. IBM is currently reviewing our application. If everything goes smoothly today, I’ll be able to obtain computers at the lowest possible price. When we compete with other companies, you’ll have an absolute advantage.”

The warehouse fell silent. No one spoke.

Leon understood that most of what he had said was still hypothetical. The employees were continuing to wait and see.

He had previously paid commissions on time, but that alone would no longer be enough. After a moment’s thought, he added, “In addition, at the end of every year, you’ll receive a bonus equal to fifty percent of your total commissions.”

“You were Penguin’s first employees. That means every one of you has a chance to become a supervisor. I’ll also consider granting certain members of management shares in the company. I’ll write down the details and give them to you. If you’re still dissatisfied, you’re free to leave at any time.”

Mr. McKay was not very good at mathematics. Looking completely bewildered, he asked, “Fifty percent of the commissions? What does that mean?”

Quite a few others looked equally confused. Leon had overestimated his employees’ ability to calculate. Helplessly, he explained, “It means that after earning one hundred thousand dollars in commissions, you’ll receive another fifty thousand dollars as a bonus. Previous orders will count as well.”

“So, Mr. McKay, you’ll receive an additional six thousand five hundred dollars or so. If I remember correctly, you’ve already sold several hundred computers...”