"You have to admit that Apple has reached the most dangerous point, and even you can't turn it around." Bill Gates had a smile on his face, giving people a feeling of shyness. But those who had dealt with him knew that shyness was indeed real, but the tyranny and authoritarianism underneath it was also real.
"There are always miracles in this world, Bill, and opportunities come to those who are ready." Steve Jobs pushed up his glasses, still frowning.
Basically, the debate between the two was coming to an end. They had probably debated similar topics countless times at different times and on different occasions, and neither was able to convince the other. However, it would be a big mistake to think that the two of them were complete rivals. As two people who had a profound impact on the development of IT, although they were at loggerheads at work, they could still be considered friends in private. Rivals were generally also confidants.
"Frankly, it was interesting to hear you argue." After the crowd dispersed, Adriaan came to Jobs' side.
"I'd be happy if you benefited from it," Jobs said calmly over his shoulder as he walked up to his wife.
"In fact, I did benefit a lot from it." After shaking hands with his wife, Lauren Powell Jobs, Adriaan smiled and said, "Bill is right, Microsoft is booming, and I've made a lot of money."
Jobs did not respond, but Lauren said, "For investors, making money is always a good thing."
"Yeah, Microsoft may face antitrust lawsuits, but they've always had good luck." Adriaan inadvertently threw out a predictable topic. It was still early 1997, and although Microsoft had made astounding leaps and was getting bigger, and some people were vaguely aware of it, no one would bring it up as a topic of conversation.
Jobs' interest was inevitably piqued by the "good luck" remark, which was both flattering and teasing. Then he said, "But I also agree with Steve, there are always miracles in this world."
"Oh?" Jobs finally raised his eyebrows.
"In particular, Steve Jobs is finally back in his rightful place," Adriaan said with a smile.
Lauren was slightly moved, but Jobs remained impassive. "Thank you for your comment, Eide, but I'm still just an adviser to the Apple board."
"Really?" Adriaan looked at him meaningfully. "In my opinion, only Steve Jobs' Apple is Apple."
There was a flash of surprise in the eyes behind the glasses. The word "only" could be used as a predicate or an attribute, depending on how the listener judged it. Of course, Jobs remained calm on the surface, and then said in a half-joking tone, "It's a great honor. Maybe you can try to invest in Apple."
"Maybe, if I have the opportunity." Adriaan laughed and did not give a definite answer. He said a few other things and left.
As early as early November, Jobs' NExT company was officially acquired by Apple. With the $50 million from the sale of Pixar to Adriaan, his company finally broke even. Although Jobs was ridiculed for selling Pixar, Apple still looked to him. After all, no one knew Apple better than he did.
So under the leadership of then-CEO Gil Amelio, Apple bought NExT more than a month ahead of schedule and invited Jobs back. After some discussion, he was given a position as an adviser to the board of directors. But Jobs' return did not improve Apple's current predicament. He made a few suggestions, but they did not work. Apple's stock was still shaky, and Gil Amelio was still under pressure.
But Adriaan knew that this was an illusion. He knew something about Jobs because of Pixar in his previous incarnation, and now it was all about cleaning up the people who had betrayed him. It was also said in his previous incarnation that these were largely accidents. For example, the current CEO, Gil Amelio, did not particularly offend Jobs. It was just that Apple did not really do what Jobs said, so it continued to decline.
But they also acknowledge that Gil Amerio's ouster had a lot to do with the fact that, in addition to a consistent decline in sales, he was dismissed by Jobs when they first asked him to talk to him, even to the point of dismissing his ideas as fanciful. In any case, Jobs was stingy and somewhat vengeful when it came to this, so Adrian wasn't about to open his mouth just yet in case Jobs had an ulterior motive, even though he had approached him many times before.
Besides, let Jobs beg himself so that he can take control of the things he doesn't know how to do, right?
"You seem to think very highly of him?" Charlize, who had been silent since leaving the Jobs couple, suddenly asked.
"Of course, he has all kinds of shortcomings, but he is a real genius." Adriaan shrugged. "I remember asking you to collect information on Apple and Steve. Don't you think he will do well?"
"Too arrogant, too greedy for power and control, narcissistic and arrogant, always thinking that he is right …" Charlie recalled and then looked at Adrian as if he had thought of something.
"I'm not like him." Adriaan smiled and raised his hands.
"Yes …" Charlize was silent for a long time before sighing, but immediately added, "At least in terms of possessiveness, you are on the same page."
Adrian laughed and shook his head. He didn't want to talk about this anymore. "Alright, why don't you start collecting more information about Steve now? We'll talk about this in a few months. What do you think?" Adrian shook his head.
What can you learn from this, my little Charley?
The regular press reception was over. Claude returned to Los Angeles the next day, and Adriaan went to New York. After all, it was so close, and it was a weekend. Of course, Charlize was not around at this time.
"Boring? But wasn't it very lively when I watched it on TV last night? " Natalie asked curiously, leaning on Adriaan's arm on the grass in the park. The warm sun on her body made her feel warm and comfortable.
"He's not bad when he's telling jokes, but after that, it's no different from his usual social life." Adriaan put down the book in his hand and shrugged.
"So, in your eyes, what kind of person is the president?" Natalie rolled over and lay on the mat on the grass, holding her chin in her hands. She looked very cute.
"Talkative, funny, confident, and gives people a feeling that he has everything under control," Adriaan recalled.
"It sounds like you're talking about yourself?" Natalie giggled.
"Really? If I ran for president, would you vote for me, Nada? "Adriaan asked seriously.
"Unfortunately, I don't have the right to vote yet." The girl made a face.
"What if you do?"
"Can I choose not to answer?"
"Why?"
"No reason."
"There must be a reason."
"No, I just don't want to answer."
"Well, it seems like I'm an annoying guy." Adriaan sighed and lowered his head to continue reading the book in his hand.
"Angry?" Natalie propped herself up and asked tentatively. He didn't answer. She waved her hand in front of his face again, but there was still no response.
The girl's eyes turned, and she revealed a cheeky smile. Suddenly, with lightning speed, she leaned over and kissed the corner of Adriaan's mouth. Adriaan, who was suddenly attacked, finally showed a stunned look, and Natalie, who succeeded, covered her mouth and laughed. Adrian glared at her in annoyance. He looked around and immediately reached out his hand to take back the kiss.
Natalie didn't dodge, but looked up at him with her chest out. "You have to think about it, Eide. This is a public place. I can kiss you, but you kiss me …"
She dragged out her voice, and her eyes flashed with a sly look, which made people want to hate her.
"Well, you win." Adriaan reluctantly let go of his hand.
"Give up? I thought you would come up with some evil ideas to turn the situation around. " The girl showed a surprised look, but Adriaan once again changed to ignore her, but it seemed that he was angry.
"Well, I'll tell you the answer. I won't vote for you, because if you become president, the loss of the film industry will be too great." Natalie leaned back again, and took Adriaan's arm and shook it gently, looking very intimate. She had a good sense of propriety, and no one would doubt anything.
"Really? I'm already so great? "Adriaan asked deliberately.
"Of course, the reporters who flatter you during this time not only put all the words of praise on you, but also some people call you Kubrick the second." Natalie said half-jokingly, but her face suddenly turned red.
"Kubrick the second? Hehe, it's really frightening. Unfortunately, I'm me, and I'm no one's second. " Adriaan chuckled, then noticed the blush on the girl's face. After a little thought, he knew what was going on, and suddenly asked in surprise, "You've seen it?"
"It's an R-rated movie anyway." Natalie tried to look indifferent.
"I don't think your parents will agree to take you to see such a movie." Adriaan said directly.
"Fine, fine. I just … want to see your work …" Natalie pouted. "Those plots aren't that big of a deal. I've even seen you …"
Speaking of this, she suddenly realized that something was wrong, and quickly closed her mouth in fear. After a while, she looked at Adriaan with a guilty conscience. However, Adriaan didn't seem to notice this. He shook his head and reached out to touch her head. "I know, you are a big girl, a mature big girl, and … not a good girl."
When he said the last sentence, he deliberately added a teasing tone, and Natalie, who knew what he meant, suddenly blushed.
"But this kind of movie is still not suitable for you to watch alone. Even if you know what you are watching, you have to think about your parents and even the cinema, right?" Adriaan continued to persuade her gently.
"Okay, I promise, this is the last time." Natalie immediately said.
Adriaan smiled and affectionately stroked her hair, then threw out an important topic. "By the way, I have a role to recommend to you."
"Recommend to me?" Natalie looked at him as if she had discovered a new continent. "You, a miracle director, ace screenwriter, and gold medal producer, will also recommend a role?"
"Because it's not my movie, but the role is very suitable for you, and it will be more helpful to your future," Adriaan explained.
"Oh?" The girl was suddenly interested.
"I can't tell you the specifics, after all, it is a trade secret. But I can tell you that the role is a young woman, and at the same time, she is in charge of … a medium-sized country. The producer needs an actress who can show that she wants to be independent but can't be independent for the time being. I thought of you immediately. I don't think there is a better candidate than you, "Adriaan said." Besides, this is a completely commercial film. "
Natalie was curious at first, but when she heard the words "completely commercial film", she couldn't help but frown.
"What's wrong?" Adriaan keenly sensed her emotions.
"Nothing, just …" She shrugged. "This is definitely not a historical film, nor a modern urban film. I don't know if it is a science fiction film or a fantasy film."
Adriaan laughed. "You are really smart, Nada. You will know when the time comes. Well, let's change the topic first. What kind of actress do you want to be? Or, what level do you want to reach in this field? "
"I'm not sure yet, but if I keep making movies in the future, I hope I can become the best actress in the world. I hope that there will be fans of me all over the world! No matter who it is, ordinary people, film critics, or film artists, they will all have a deep impression of me. "Natalie clenched her fist and vowed.
"Very good, people need dreams to have motivation." Adriaan first nodded approvingly, then asked a question. "So, do you know how to achieve your goal? First, you have to have a movie that is popular enough so that you can be widely known around the world. Second, you don't need to try too many themes. You need to play the best of yourself. Only in this way can you play a role that will give you honor, and then be recognized by those who are picky. And this movie I'm talking about can meet your first requirement. "
Natalie stared at him for a long time. Then she gave him a lovely and beautiful smile. "Okay, I'll do it."
"Really?" Adriaan was a little surprised. He wanted to ask more.
"Of course." The girl said, stretched out her finger and gently poked his chest. "Because I know that you love me."
In the narrow space, the sound of heavy breathing continued to echo. Adriaan held Natalie's face, blocked her mouth, and constantly sucked that flexible little tongue. The girl closed her eyes and responded enthusiastically. She wrapped her arms around his neck. Her face was flushed, and her eyebrows showed an excited look. She seemed very emotional.
Finally, Adriaan left her moist lips, and then kissed her eyebrows, eyes, nose, chin, and neck like raindrops. At the same time, he greedily inhaled the girl's unique fragrance. Natalie began to moan in a low voice. Her hands also slid down. Finally, she grabbed Adriaan's clothes and lifted them up.
Just when the passion was about to explode, Adriaan suddenly stopped. "Wait, Nada, wait."
"What's wrong?" Natalie looked at him with half-opened eyes, full of lust. She seemed to realize something. After a pause, she stuttered, "It's … It's okay. I don't … I don't mind …"
"But I mind." Touching her face, Adriaan said seriously, "It's too close to your home. If someone sees this, it'll be very bad. I don't care what will happen to me, but you can't."
After playing with Natalie for a whole day and basking in the sun in the park for a while, Adriaan drove her back to Changdao. As usual, they stopped at a quiet corner, and then she would go back by herself. But maybe it was because they didn't see each other often, and they didn't hug each other passionately every time, plus they played in the park, they suddenly became impulsive when they kissed goodbye. If Adriaan didn't restrain himself, they would have done it in the back seat.
With his words, Natalie finally calmed down. Finally, she looked at him gratefully. "You're right, Eide. I was too frivolous. The school is very close to here. If my classmates …"
She stuck out her tongue in fear and didn't say anything.
"Don't worry. It's only for a few minutes. No one will see it." Adriaan stroked her hair. "But I'm curious. There are so many good high schools in Changdao. Why did you choose a public high school?"
"Because I want to try something new, and I can also exercise my will. Although the public high school isn't good, I can still learn something if I study hard." Natalie shrugged and then giggled. "Why? Are you afraid that I'll be taken away by someone else? "
"Of course. You're my favorite little lover." Adriaan gently pinched her soft chin and then sighed. "I should have driven around before coming here."
"Rest!" Natalie wrinkled her little nose and snorted. "I was stupid just now. I won't do it again!"
"That's a pity. I shouldn't have asked you to stop." Adriaan pursed his lips deliberately.
"It's too late to regret now. You came today and left today." Natalie smiled proudly. "You didn't come yesterday, and you can't leave tomorrow."
"Because I have something to do …" Adriaan mumbled. "How about giving me some compensation?"
"What compensation?" Natalie asked curiously.
He then leaned over and whispered something in her ear. The girl's face suddenly turned red. She immediately spat at him. "You're so dirty! I don't want to talk to you anymore! "
Then she made a face, picked up her things, tidied up her clothes, and looked around. Then she quickly got out of the car and slipped away.
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