Back To 1995

   Chapter 239

  What does it feel like to be in an enemy-occupied area? Follow Ella Cherry and come to Houston with the federal tax agency, the Department of Justice, the antitrust agency, and the special investigation team for corporate fraud. It's a feeling.

   In the past, when they went to a company to investigate, it was basically the style of the "earth emperor", and they would never stop until the company was demolished.

   In fact, it was also a deterrent, telling the people at that company that they were being targeted, so when they arrived at a company, these investigators would be very rude.

But this time is different. The local police station and prosecutor's office in Houston are standing by the side to watch the play, and there is a team of lawyers who are watching the investigators at all times, and there are cameras beside them. These investigators dare to mess around. , will definitely appear in the show on TV.

The personnel from these local municipal departments in Houston do not help the investigators. The investigators who came with Ella Cherry, even if they want to do it themselves, can't drive away the people who double-click the lawyer and the video. The surrounding area is fully armed, especially Well, the security guard with the fully automatic weapon is standing by, and he really starts to move, who is at a loss, not sure!

Therefore, after coming to Double-click Company, the members of the investigation team were miserable. Arranging to go to a grocery room to check those accounts, there is not even a light, it is obvious that they are responding to them.

  Ella Cherry looked at the scene in front of her and looked at Song Yang who was chatting and laughing with Chuck Rhodes and others, but Ella Cherry became calm at this time.

   Originally, in the first step today, Ella Cherry wanted to mess up the Double-click company, and she was unintentionally dealing with the listing, so Double-click was messed up, but obviously these failed!

   However, Ella Cherry was not angry. The preparations made by Double-click and all that she experienced in coming to Houston made Ella Cherry understand that it was impossible for Double-click to admit defeat easily.

   "Song, as well as executives such as Whitman from Double-click Company, I hope you can accept our questioning!" Ella Cherry, with several assistants, said towards Double-click Company.

Chuck Rhodes hesitated for a moment, but nodded to Song Yang. He could block the investigation team, but he couldn't really pretend that the people from Washington, like Chuck Rhodes, didn't exist. Otherwise, this time they If you fail to return, you can find a reason to continue tossing in Washington!

At Ella Cherry's request, Song Yang, Whitman, Greg, and two lawyers, Clifford Chance and Bob Joffe, entered a conference room with Ella Cherry. .

As soon as she entered the conference room, Ella Cherry asked the investigation team to guard the door of the conference room, and then had the camera and voice recorder and other equipment turned off, and had someone take out a set of interference devices to open it to prevent theft listen.

   Seeing this scene, Song Yang knew that this was the topic of the day, and what we were talking about now would definitely not leave any records.

  Ella Cherry sat down, shook her head gently, looked at Song Yang and Double Click Company and said, "Is it worth doing all this?"

   "Isn't it worth it?" Without outsiders and cameras, Song Yang naturally had no scruples and replied directly.

Ella Cherry didn't care, looking at the group of people sitting across from the conference room, "You know, you can't win this time, so what if you pay a huge fine, even if I get nothing in Houston this time, I can still make it happen. Capitol Hill and the Department of Justice launched an antitrust investigation of Double-click, which has also failed to go public!"

   "Ms. Ella Cherry, I want to stress your mistake, no one can decide that DoubleClick is a monopoly until there is no judgment in the Federal Court!"

  Clifford Chance corrected Ella Cherry's intimidation. In a lawsuit, it's really uncertain who wins and who loses.

Whitman also spoke at this time, she was a little suspicious, "Ms. Ella Cherry, I know you are from the antitrust school, but with all due respect, you know, now Double-click Company, in the Internet advertising industry, does not count at all. No monopoly!"

This is where Whitman has always been puzzled. Although DoubleClick seems to have a strong momentum, the entire Internet advertising industry this year, even if it explodes, the revenue of the entire industry will not exceed $780 million, and DoubleClick has Competitors, although those Internet advertising companies have some stretched hips, but Ella Cherry has been staring at the double-click, which still puzzled Whitman.

Ella Cherry heard the words, "The Internet needs order, and now Double-click Company occupies 80% or even more than 90% of the Internet advertising market share, and holds the pricing and placement rights of Internet advertising, and has established an organization such as the IAB Internet Advertising Association. , In my eyes, Double Click is the monopoly of the Internet advertising industry!"

Song Yang couldn't help laughing when he heard this, "If we follow this theory, then Microsoft should have been split a few years ago. Netscape in the first half of this year accounted for more than 90% of the browser market. I don't know why they weren't prosecuted?!"

No matter how many reasons Ella Cherry looked for, she couldn't get around it. She only stared at Song Yang and the fact that Double Click Company, and even Song Yang felt that if it wasn't for Hotmail, he suddenly sold it to Microsoft last year. , Maybe the Hotmail mailbox this time will also be unlucky.

   "As long as I'm still in this position, no matter whether it's a technology or Internet monopoly, it's impossible to escape!" Ella Cherry said with a serious face, tapping her fingers on the table.

   "Now is the Internet industry, I want to establish the order of the Internet, and must not allow another Microsoft to appear on the Internet like the software industry!"

Song Yang, Whitman, Clifford Chance and others heard this, they all understood the real reason, and their faces became a little ugly. Ella Cherry was going to kill the chicken and show the monkey. Intimidate other Internet companies, and then implement a set of strict Internet advertising bills. The premise of this bill must be to double-click the company to kneel down, otherwise the Internet industry will not succumb.

After    beating for a while, Ella Cherry did not forget the purpose of her visit this time, "Song, it's actually not necessary, I still don't have the Trade Commission, I'm going to split the Double Click Company!"

"As long as DoubleClick accepts charges of false advertising, suspected monopoly, etc., I can agree to an out-of-court settlement. DoubleClick will not be punished for $110 million, maybe only one-tenth of the fine, and the class action in Tennessee will not continue. Go ahead, Song, don't worry, you'll be questioned on Capitol Hill!"

Ella Cherry said with "goodwill", "In the future, as long as Double-click, and the company in your hands, Song, can accept the upcoming Internet Advertising Act and give up part of the equity, I promise that Double-click and other industries will not be affected again. influences!"

Ella Cherry is preparing to "kill the chicken and warn the monkeys", and regards the punishment for Double-click as a standard. In the future, there will be standards for punishing other Internet companies. As long as the company exceeds the current scale of Double-click, they will be punished. This can ensure the Internet In the industry, there will not be a second Microsoft.

   As for Song Yang to give up part of the equity, the reason is of course to ensure that Song Yang cannot interfere too much with the company's operations. Once successful, this will also become the standard of the future Internet industry.

Of course, once Song Yang gives up the equity of Double-click, ICQ, America Telecom and other companies, Ella Cherry will "slightly" intervene and let Howard Winslow's gang take over these equity, which is also a support for the other party. s return!

Hearing these "full of sincerity" requirements, admitting guilt and accepting punishment can ensure the smooth listing of Double-click Company, and give up the shares of ICQ, America Telecom, etc., and can guarantee that there will be no more trouble in the future. These conditions sound really "attractive" ".

In fact, companies in other industries in America have also encountered this situation to some extent. It is true that the wealthy and powerful people in America are eating rice, and they play this kind of empty-handed and white-wolf method. , simply not too much.

Not only did they play in America, but with the dominance of America, those people even played abroad. First, they used people like Ella Cherry to suppress overseas companies that entered America, and then there would be Winslow. Waiting for someone to come forward to solve the trouble for those companies, the price is, of course, to get a large amount of equity in that company at a very low price.

   Even played this routine overseas, and Wall Street also used this method to "draw wages from the bottom of the pot", otherwise how could they invest in so many industries overseas!

Song Yang looked at Ella Cherry, who also looked at Song Yang, and after a while, Song Yang said, "I'm sorry, Ms. Ella Cherry, I'm very sorry to tell you what you said. …

  As a major shareholder of Double-click, including ICQ, American Telecom and other industries in the future, I will not accept any of your conditions! "

  Song Yang tapped the table lightly with his fingers, and said word by word to Ella Cherry and the few people who came in with her.

   "We'll see you in court or in Washington." Song Yang, Whitman and the others got up and prepared to leave. Knowing that it was no longer possible, they would definitely not waste time.

When he was about to leave the conference room, Song Yang pointed his finger at Ella Cherry, "Thanks to Ms. Ella Cherry and some people I don't know yet, for the gift of Double Click Company's listing, I promise. , I will definitely return these gifts!"

   The reporter squatting outside the Harbour Building thought that today, Double Click and Ella Cherry's investigation team would talk for a long time, or even reach a settlement or something.

   But beyond their expectations, in less than an hour and a half, Ella Cherry took the people from the investigation team, and went straight to the airport without even going back to the hotel.

   Then the photo of Song Yang shaking hands with Ella Cherry was reprinted by major technology media, and the news that came along with it was the exact opposite of the seemingly "harmonious" photo.

Double-click did not reach any agreement with Ella Cherry, and Double-click even rejected any reconciliation conditions proposed by Ella Cherry. When the news came out, the entire technology and Internet industries were very concerned about Double-click's "stunned" behavior. Behaves a little confused.

   (end of this chapter)