Steal the enemy's base at the start and build a technological empire.

Chapter 53 Aliens

Morning light bathed the high-rise buildings in the city center. The Aon Center, the tallest building in Los Angeles, appeared solid and imposing in the sunlight with its black, low-reflective glass curtain wall.

As Lingyun stepped into this 62-story skyscraper, he felt the unique atmosphere of Los Angeles in the mid-90s as a gateway for Asia-Pacific capital – funds from Taiwan and Hong Kong were pouring into Southern California, and many Asian companies were establishing a presence there.

Goldman Sachs' offices are located on a high floor of a building, overlooking the Los Angeles skyline. The offices are typical of 90s investment banking – walnut paneling, leather sofas, and busy analysts, while traders in white shirts work at Bloomberg terminals.

Richardson was a typical East Coast banker, around forty years old, and always dressed in a bespoke suit. His office walls were adorned with his Harvard Business School diploma, and his desk was piled high with Dell's analytical reports.

"Mr. Ling, I heard you're interested in computer companies?" Richardson cut to the chase, taking out several confidential documents from a folder. "There are currently several companies seeking financing or being sold."

Ling Yun flipped through the documents, his gaze quickly sweeping over the data of several companies. When he saw the fourth document, his fingers stopped.

Alienware, the company founded by Nelson and Alex a few months ago, is now facing the typical funding difficulties of a startup. Reports indicate that the two founders each invested $5000 to start, and their initial capital is now running out, leaving them with $1.3 in credit card debt.

Lingyun envisioned the company's future: he knew that the company would later become an iconic brand in the gaming PC field, known for its cool Alienware logo and eye-catching design, and would be acquired by Dell in 2006.

"This company," Ling Yun said, pointing to the aliens' information, his tone calm but firm, "I want to meet the founder."

Richardson looked slightly surprised: "Are you sure? They're a small operation, mainly assembling PCs for friends in their garage, and they'd be lucky to sell 50-100 computers a month."

"It's precisely these companies that focus on niche markets that have potential," Ling Yun said. "Their positioning, targeting the specific group of gamers, is very forward-thinking."

Richardson immediately picked up the phone and dialed the alien's number on speakerphone. A young but tired voice came from the other end.

"Mr. Nelson, this is Richardson from Qualcomm. An investor is interested in your company."

"Investors?" Nelson's voice was filled with surprise. "To be honest, we've maxed out our credit cards and are already $1.3 in debt. Now we can't even afford to buy a new batch of cooling fans."

Ling Yun picked up the thread: "I've read your product philosophy. Producing high-performance PCs for gamers is the right direction. Games like Flight Simulator and Doom definitely need better hardware support."

"You play Doom?" Nelson's tone immediately became excited.

"What interests me more is your future development strategy," Ling Yun said, "the unprecedented approach of using water to cool computers, and those futuristic designs. You need more than just funding; you also need a global market perspective."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, then Nelson said, "Alex and I... we started this company because we believed that gaming PCs were an untapped market. But the reality is, apart from die-hard gamers like us, most people don't understand it."

"Let's meet in Los Angeles," Ling Yun suggested. "I'll have Richardson arrange it. Bring your product prototype; I want to see the computer called 'Blade' in person."

After hanging up the phone, Richardson asked curiously, "Why are you so interested in this small company? Dell is the future star."

Ling Yun stood by the window, gazing at the skyscrapers of Los Angeles: "Dell excels at scaling and supply chain management, but Alienware represents the pursuit of ultimate performance. This kind of focus is what the gaming and professional computing fields will need in the next twenty years."

Leaving the Aon Center, Ling Yun walked the streets of Los Angeles. He noticed the increasing number of computer stores and the nascent internet cafes. The global PC industry in 1996 was at a turning point—Lenovo began challenging international brands in the Chinese market by lowering prices, while Dell rapidly rose to prominence through its direct sales model.

Companies like Alienware happen to be at a crucial historical juncture. Ling Yun knew that the company's problem wasn't a lack of technology, but rather issues with marketing and funding. And these were precisely the two things he could offer.

Back at the hotel, Ling Yun stood by the window, gazing at the Los Angeles nightscape, contemplating the upcoming meeting. He wasn't just investing in a promising startup; he was seizing an opportunity of the times—in an era poised for explosive growth in gaming and professional computing, a brand like Alienware was like an unpolished diamond.

This meeting will change the fate of a company and add an important piece to Lingyun's own technology empire.