"I'm a little curious now. Why did you study a master's degree in theology at Harvard at that time? As far as I know, you are the person who has obtained this master's degree in the shortest time in Harvard's history!"

This question has troubled Long Liexue for a long time. The information about the man in front of him collected by the detective agency in that country M even included a graduation thesis "onthenature of theology and the theory of the theory" and "The Essence and Purpose of the Theology - Thoughts Our Faith" after reading it several times, Long Liexue had to admit that this thing was beyond his understanding.

Lang Zhizhong blinked, "If I said that I was studying theology was caused by the curiosity that I felt when I was a child, I wonder if you believe it?"

Long Liexu nodded seriously, and he believed what this man said.

"All Gods and non-Gods are the excavation and reconstruction of the self-soul and theories by human beings. Theology is the key to human beings' understanding of themselves. It can be said that the achievements I have achieved later are not completely related to the major I am studying."

When Long Liexue heard this man's words, he was a little dizzy. These things would not be discussed for a year. Besides, when it comes to this aspect, he is completely an amateur.

"That... let's talk about what happened after you came out of school!"

The man smiled, "I had just come out of school, full of knight ideas, about this. My mentor at Harvard, had a great influence on me. It was a very interesting old man. The first day I knew him. He told me that the best place for a professional manager is those companies and companies that face difficulties or are on the verge of bankruptcy. A real professional manager should not exist just to get a little pitiful salary. He should go to the places where he needed him to solve problems for companies and companies, and solve problems for those who needed a company to give them a job. In ancient times, knights relied on war horses and

The sharp sword comes to help the poor and the needy. His students should rely on their brains and knowledge to help those in need, create value for society, and be a knight active in the business world..." Speaking of this, Lang Zhizhong took a sip of wine, and at this time there were fewer people in the store. The boss's wife lowered her head and pressed the calculator, probably calculating the surplus of today. Few other people would pay attention to what a "lustful uncle" was saying, even if she really heard it, those people regarded Lang Zhizhong's words as the dream of a drunkard, except for Long Liexue. Who would believe that a barbecue restaurant owner told his history at Harvard?

It was a little late at night, and Lang Zhizhong smiled. It was something that everyone had to talk to. Maybe it was because I hadn't told others about these things in a long time. Lang Zhizhong's eyes told Long Liexue - he was very devoted!

"I felt that I was really a knight, shouting the evritas battle number, holding a rifle, and rushing towards the enemy in front of me at all costs... Ha... Ha... Now I think I feel a little like Don Kehote. After I came out of school, the first company I took over was the Adria chain, an automobile service chain in Oklahoma. When I arrived at that company, the boss of that company was already filing for bankruptcy protection. At that time, the company was already heavily in debt, and the company's sales were suppressed by a powerful opponent Napa, which seemed increasingly difficult. It was getting worse every day. The company was losing money every day. I found the boss of that company and persuaded him after ten minutes. Jack agreed to let me give it a try.

In the first month of handing over the company, I reduced the company's losses by 40. In the second month, the company had stopped the loss. In the third month, the company started its first profit in two years..." Lang Zhizhong's eyes had a gorgeous spirit, "Many people think that was amazing. In fact, I think what I did was very simple. I only did two things, discovered the problem, and then solved it. I stayed in the Adria chain for less than a year. When I left, the Adria chain had paid off its bank debts. The company's business had developed to the nearby Louisiana, Texas and New Mexico. Jack offered me an annual salary of 600,000 US dollars. This reward was considered a sky-high price for a MBA who had just graduated for one year, but I still left..."

"EGS is the fourth company I am in charge. It is a company engaged in graphics chip development in Silicon Valley. It was introduced by a classmate of mine. When I went there, EGS was still worried about not being able to attract venture capital. The year before yesterday, the company had been acquired by Ati Company, with a purchase price of US$682 million. All the shareholders of the company have become billionaires. It was the experience of EGS that gave me the nickname "Ranker" and became famous..." Speaking of Silicon Valley, Lang Zhizhong's voice was a little more emotional, "It is a place full of vitality and can create dreams!"

Long Liexue smiled and glanced at Lang Zhizhong, "It was then that you said the first time that you gave me 100 million dollars and could I sled the earth?"

Lang Zhizhong nodded without any embarrassment, "I don't know what the final future of mankind is, but when I was in Silicon Valley, I felt that I had seen the future of mankind within two hundred years. The digital age has arrived. Silicon Valley is the hematopoietic organs and heart of this era, and there is no power to stop this great change. Given 100 million US dollars, I have the confidence to stand on the wave of this great change with the wisest people of this era!"

If someone said this in front of Long Liexue, Long Liexue would definitely kick the guy into the gutter, but Lang Zhizhong was probably the only person who was qualified to say this in front of Long Liexue. Long Liexue had no doubt about this man's words. The information sent from M Country has already told Long Liexue that this man had experienced after leaving EGS. With the belief of a knight, he then took charge of an investment company - altoglobalinvestment. During the two years he took charge of that investment company, this man opposed the public and was arbitrary. With extraordinary souls, he was in charge of the people.

Li and Vision have invested in many companies in Silicon Valley. Within two years, they have created more than 1,800 return on investment for AltoGlobalinvestment. It was when he was in charge of AltoGlobalinvestment that with its undisputed outstanding performance, this man who already has a reputation as a "raceman" appeared on the cover of "Business Weekly" for the first time. "Chief Executive" magazine rated it as one of the top ten best CEOs in the whole M. Lang Zhiyuan began to be known to the big guys on Wall Street...and then.

This man's miraculous performance has won him countless honors - "Inc" magazine "Entrepreneur of the Year" "Wonth" magazine "Best CEO of the Business in M" and "Finance World" and other titles.

At that time, the headhunting companies such as Heidrick and Struggles called this man the "most popular CEO". The editor-in-chief of Harvard Business Review even said this on a very serious occasion, "So far, Lang is the best and most chivalrous CEO I have ever seen from Harvard." It is precisely because of the legendary experience of this man that this man entered ibm at the age of 32. If it weren't for some unknown reasons that he had not been in ibm for long, this man would definitely be rated as the youngest CEO in the world's top 500 companies by Fortune magazine that year. This man's experience abroad is definitely not something that can be summarized by the "scenery".

"What's going on with your experience at ibm? There are more versions circulating now than the ones, and ibm is unwilling to mention what you did when you were in the company." Long Liexu finally couldn't help asking this question.

Speaking of this question, Lang Zhizhong's face was a little complicated, and he sighed leisurely.

Then he showed a smile that was a little puzzled, as if it was a sweet memory, and as if it was a disdainful mockery, "IBM doesn't want to mention me now, so maybe they feel embarrassed!"

Sorry? Long Liexu looked at Lang Zhizhong, and the doubts in his eyes were not hidden at all.

"When I entered ibm, it was the time when this blue giant was facing the most serious situation. I still remember that it was early 1993, and ibm's annual report had just come out. At that time, it had been losing money for three consecutive years. In 1992, the blue giant, whose body was increasingly bloated, suffered an unprecedented loss of $7.639 billion. This figure is almost twice the loss of the previous year. When this figure came out, the company's stock on Wall Street fell to its lowest point in fifteen years, at $29.71 per share, compared to $100 eight months ago.

For the stock price of the company running at a high level, this result is simply unacceptable. On the second day of the annual report, the board of directors of ibm accepted the resignation of the then company Ceosandycanten. At that time, there were news that ibm would lay off employees on a large scale. There were also reports that ibm would implement antitrust lawsuits against ibm and was preparing to demolish ibm. The entire company was panicked at that time, and internal and external troubles were coming. In this case, ibm needed a person who could inspire people to lead the company out of the predicament, so they found me!"

Seeing that Long Liexu had a little doubt in his eyes, Lang Zhizhong smiled, "Often people probably don't understand ibm's embarrassment at that time. This giant once once glorious. This company has been firmly ranked first among the Fortune 500 companies for four consecutive years, and has created the world's highest after-tax income that is enough to make any company in the world ashamed of. Its stock exceeded 100 billion US dollars ten years ago. However, due to the company's rigid management system, the increasingly strong corporate bureaucratic atmosphere and a series of strategic decision-making mistakes, it finally tasted the bitter fruit at that time. ibm is in the mainframe and its soft

The huge achievements made in the computer industry can easily make it think that the computer industry is already a mature and stable industry without any drastic changes. But the fact is contrary to ibm's judgment. The computer industry is developing rapidly at a speed of technological revolutions that occur every 18 months. The computer industry cannot be considered a mature and stable industry. In other words, the computer industry can never be a mature and stable industry without innovation! In this industry, that means death. ibm, who has always regarded himself as the leader of the computer industry and has thus been complacent, did not realize this.

It invested heavily in creating the world's first personal computer, but gave up this strategic leading advantage at will. It did not expect that the personal computer would completely change the landscape of the computer industry and shake the foundation of its high performance. In particular, it did not expect that the growth potential of personal computers, and that these computers would replace mainframes and microcomputers, where the traditional advantages of ibm were. At that time, ibm even reached a ridiculous conclusion that there would be no more than ten monthly personal computers in the world. When it realized the development potential of PC computers, it could not control the most

Two key parts of value: microprocessors and operating systems. The control of the operating system falls in Microsoft's hands. The control of the microprocessor falls in Intel's hands. ibm's long-term effective strategy is to produce all parts by itself, but he chose an "open" system for PC, allowing a large number of cloning companies to seize market share. It can be said that the rapid rise of companies such as Intel, Compaq, Apple, Sun, HP and Microsoft is entirely caused by their own hands. Those strategic mistakes are simply unforgivable, and the giant defeated himself. ibm turned completely into a pitiful person at that time!"

Lang Zhizhong glanced at Long Liexue, "I understand what you mean. I was not me at first, but it would be easier to help a giant poured into the mud. Maybe even I would get in. I know that ibm had found two people before looking for me, but they both refused ibm's "invitation". Only I am a fool like me. After receiving ibm's "invitation", I had almost no thoughts. I came to ibm excitedly with my spear." Speaking of this, Lang Zhizhong sighed long, "It was also because of this short experience of ibm that prompted me to return to China after leaving ibm."

"oh!"

"I thought everything too simple!" Lang Zhizhong smiled bitterly, "But ibm taught me a vivid lesson. My first strategy was to get rid of plans that were not in line with the company's core competitiveness. I was hindered when submitted to the board of directors. I was going to sell the company's federal system. I also wanted to sell the artworks of the founder, as well as the company's skyscrapers in downtown Manhattan and Boca Raton, Florida... After I submitted the plan, someone started calling me a prodigal son behind my back. When I proposed to completely break the company's lifelong employment system and introduce a competition mechanism.

, I encountered unprecedented resistance, which not only came from the senior management, but also received bullets in envelopes sent by company employees at home. When I proposed a new company strategy, that is, to shift the company's business focus from hardware production to service, from the original selling of products to providing customers with the most popular solutions and focusing on developing grid business, I encountered unprecedented doubts on the board of directors. After several fierce debates, my strategy was finally denied by the board of directors. Although I made ibm CEO at that time, I was struggling in the company!"

"Why?"

"Don't say you want to know why? After a series of setbacks, even I wanted to know why. Later I learned that when I was in charge of ibm, the company's board of directors had two opinions, and it was not completely unified. For some ibm shareholders, letting a young yellow man take charge of a company that was once the proudest country of M will not accept it. They do not believe that I can do what they cannot do. Especially after the series of measures I proposed, some people even suspected that they had ulterior motives. Some people accused me of wanting to erase the things and traditions that ibm relied on, and I wanted to put the company on.

Work hard and hard work have not gained the trust of others. On the contrary, they have made me lose even the initial trust. At a board meeting, when I was arguing with one of the guys about my plan, the guy said to me with a sarcastic and arrogant smile when he was speechless, "If you are a Chinese, why doesn't there be a truly Fortune 500 company in the world in the sense of the world? Don't tell me about your junk companies. What kind of pride is the ocean except for comparison with a top 500 country like Venezuela, which is not easy to find on the globe? Do you know what is a real Fortune 500 company?"

Lang Zhizhong said this and drank the beer in the glass. "I don't know how I looked when I heard that. But I knew that my face must have been white at that time, and it was ugly. An unprecedented feeling surged in my heart, as if it was splashed by sulfuric acid. My knight's armor became shattered at that moment, and the spear in my hand fell to the ground... The other people on the board of directors didn't know what to say at that moment. They looked at me, and everyone looked at me. I didn't say a word at that time, turned around and left the conference room. The next day, I submitted my resignation to the company. With my insistence, the board of directors approved it. In the next two weeks, I ended everything in M ​​country and returned to China. My knight's dream was completely awake at that time!"

Long Liexue was silent and drank the glass of wine in his hand. Long Liexue knew very well that Lang Zhizhong was definitely not going to come here to sell barbecue.

"After I returned to China, I changed my name to the current Langzhizhong, and then set up a company myself."

"COSCO?"

"Yes. I founded COSCO, and used the tens of millions of dollars I accumulated in M ​​Country and the money I borrowed from my friends to set up this company. At that time, I was ambitious. In my plan, within ten years, I would make this company one of the top 500 companies in the world."

"What happened later?"

"Later?" Lang Zhizhong smiled a little heartbroken. "I went to prison less than a year after I founded COSCO and the company collapsed. If I hadn't had some friends abroad, if my friends had some energy, I would have died in prison now!"

"how so?"

"Foreign education has burned my brain, so bad that I naively thought that with my own abilities, I could do something no matter where on earth. I was hopelessly naive and smoothly. At that time, I used COSCO Holdings to reorganize a well-known listed company in China, Yinfan Group. I took that plan as my starting point, but unexpectedly, it was my end point."

Lang Zhizhong took a sip of wine. This time, because he drank too hard, he choked on the wine. The man wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "The location of Yinfan Group, Mianyin City, was a nationally renowned industrial base at that time. In the great deterioration of industrial enterprises across the country, Mianyin City's industrial enterprises did not suffer any losses for five consecutive years. This was a miracle at that time. Mianyin's experience was widely publicized in newspapers, and the leaders there were one by one. Before I reorganized Yinfan, Yinfan Group was a leading enterprise in Mianyin City controlled by the state. The reason why I reorganized Yinfan was that the local municipal party committee and municipal government "invite" COSCO. I was very happy at that time, but I didn't know that this was a trap."

"After I really took control of Yinfan, I felt something was wrong. This group with a total asset of billions had beautiful external financial statements, but in fact, the company's accounts were messy. Maybe you don't believe it. After I took over Yinfan, I realized that I didn't know how much money I had, and I didn't know how much debt I had. I don't know why such a company could be listed and had a great reputation. If it were in M ​​Country, such a company would never appear in the stock market on Wall Street. My first idea at that time was to review the accounts of Yinfan Group.

I had no choice but to do such a simple act, and I was in charge of the company's power. A leader of the Mianyin Municipal Government asked me out and told me clearly that I would not be allowed to audit the accounts of Yinfan Group. I asked him why, and he said that if I did, many people would die. Then, I even received a warning from the local underworld in Mianyin City. Those people took my driver away and cut off one of the driver's fingers and gave it to me. At that time, I couldn't believe that such a thing would happen to me. I began to feel that it was wrong to control Yinfan."

"A even more exaggerated thing happened later. After I controlled Yinfan, the main leaders of the local municipal party committee and municipal government actually ordered Yinfan to acquire a local state-owned enterprise that encountered difficulties. That enterprise was an empty shell to me and had no investment value. Naturally, I would not do it. It was this incident that made me fully understand what the "Mianyin Experience" that was hailed as a miracle nationwide and the so-called Mianyin Industrial Enterprises did not lose money for five consecutive years. The industrial enterprises in Mianyin City were not without losses, but as soon as the loss-controlled enterprises appeared, the local leaders would immediately let other companies that could make money to lose money.

When mergers and acquisitions disappear, the loss-making companies will naturally not suffer losses. Such things are something I could not imagine, and I could not learn from Harvard. Before I took over Yinfan, from a certain perspective, Yinfan Group acted as such a garbage recycling bin. At that time, Yinfan was already shaking. In the eyes of others, the funds I injected into the group were just the energy necessary to maintain this garbage recycling bin and the "Mianyin Myth". Since I knew it, I naturally would not continue to do this. The money I earned with great effort. Why should I pay for other people's "political achievements"?"

"My uncooperative attitude and persistence in auditing the accounts of Yinfan Group finally made others regard me as a thorn in their eyes. When the company's shareholders' meeting was held that year, according to the procedures of the shareholders' meeting, I was going to let all shareholders vote to decide whether to audit the company's accounts. At the beginning of the shareholders' meeting, a large brigade of police rushed into the venue. The senior executives of China COSCO and I were arrested by the police who rushed in at the venue on suspicion of embezzlement of state-owned assets and illegal violations. The public shareholders' meeting was not completed. Just after we were arrested, a small-scale "Yinfan Group's shareholders' meeting" held by the main local leaders was held.

In the absence of the group's largest shareholder, this secret shareholder meeting quickly reorganized the group's board of directors, supervisory board, and all the work results of COSCO's since taking over Yinfan were rejected. On the second day after I was seized, I was still in prison, and someone sent me the official newspaper of Mianyin City. That day, the official newspaper of Mianyin City issued news about "Seven shareholders jointly regaining control of Yinfan in accordance with the law" and "COSCO's illegal and irregular get out of class, Mianyin regained the power of Yinfan". In addition, all local media were required to reach a political level in this matter, and they must follow the reports of the local municipal party committee and government."

Speaking of this, Lang Zhizhong looked at Long Liexue and smiled self-deprecatingly, "There is no need to say what happened next. I lost everything and almost died in prison. I became the only tragic figure in this absurd farce rare in the world. I wanted to cry without tears and had no way to sue. In M country, I can lead the Fortune 500 companies in the world. I was the most successful CEO. No matter which company I went to, my annual salary would not be less than 10 million US dollars. After I came back, I found that my understanding of this society was not as good as a middle school student. A small Mianyin City made me feel bloody. The things I am proud of are nothing in front of a pair of handcuffs. My mentor told me that fists cannot defeat the truth. I have always regarded myself as a knight who defends the truth. However, I was knocked down by fists. Isn't it ironic?"

The wine in front of Lang Zhizhong was empty again, and the wine in front of Long Liexue was also empty. At this moment, neither of them spoke. The people in the barbecue restaurant were almost gone. Long Liexue didn't ask Lang Zhizhong what, and Lang Zhizhong didn't promise anything. The two just drank. When Long Liexue left, he left a business card for Lang Zhizhong, and then said to Lang Zhizhong, "The fist cannot defeat the truth, but the truth also needs to be defended by fists. We all need to clench our fists. I think this is why the ring with the word truth engraved on your fingers rather than somewhere else!"

Lang Zhizhong looked at his hands, as if he was stunned, and seemed to be drunk again...
Chapter completed!