……

The Los Angeles Olympic torch relay began on May 7 this year, and after the flame was collected in Greece, it was transported directly to the United States. The Soviet Union immediately announced in the face, "I'm not going, you can play by yourself." ”

On the American side, of course, the torch relay was unaffected and was carried out with great activity, with an estimated quarter of Americans taking part in the event.

However, the most bizarre and most criticized aspect of the torch relay was the sponsorship – US$3,000 per kilometre, which cost about US$30 million for more than 10,000 kilometres of travel in more than 1,000 towns and cities from New York to Los Angeles.

At first, of course, the IOC was opposed to this overly commercial approach, but eventually gave in. And this is just one of the many compromises made by the IOC since the date the bid for the Games was decided, and it is not unusual.

The reason why the IOC is so compromised is nothing more than because of the "money shortage".

Originally, the Olympic Charter stipulated that the host city of the Olympic Games and its organizing committee must guarantee to the IOC that it "assumes full financial responsibility for the organization of the Olympic Games".

Until the last Moscow Olympics, the hosting process followed this rule.

But the problem is that in addition to the political significance, the current Olympic Games do not seem to show satisfactory benefits, and after a lively time, all that is left is the sky-high bill.

If the host city has a mechanism to back it up with the power of the whole country, it naturally does not need to care about the profit or loss of money - the remaining surplus is earned, and the loss is shared equally by everyone. There's no need to worry about it.

For example, the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. After the successful bid. The Japanese government has invested US$3 billion in the construction of stadiums and related infrastructure, including transportation facilities and water systems. The Tokaido Shinkansen, the world's first commercially operated high-speed railway, opened just days before the Tokyo Olympics, and the Tokyo Expressway and Tokyo Metro system have also been significantly expanded.

Taking advantage of the opportunity of the Tokyo Olympics, Japan has earned both face and samurai, and everyone is happy.

And the 1980 Moscow Olympics. The Soviet Union invested a record $9 billion, but the scene was deserted, and the blockade and national strength were damaged, and the money was not well spent, but it was paid for by the state, and all contradictions could be covered up logically.

But the 1976 Montreal Olympics were not so lucky, costing $5.8 billion and losing $2.4 billion, leaving Montreal's municipal government in high debt. One of the debts, totalling $1 billion, will not be paid off until November 2006, 30 years later.

The worst loss in the history of the modern Olympic Games. Many cities interested in bidding for the Olympics were frightened, and the subsequent 1980 and 1984 bids were very few competitors for this reason.

In November 1978, California, where Los Angeles is located, passed a law prohibiting the use of public funds to host the Olympics.

As a result, the Los Angeles Olympics face two fates if the Los Angeles City cannot provide financial assistance: either they are canceled or handed over to the private sector to prepare for the eventual eventuality.

In negotiations with the Los Angeles City Council, the IOC was forced to make significant concessions, recognizing the Los Angeles Olympics as an exception for the first time in the hands of private individuals to be organized by a business enterprise.

The so-called special case is believed to be won only by the world's number one power. But as soon as this example is opened, a series of downward brushing of the bottom line will follow. The $3,000 per kilometre commercial sponsorship of the Olympic torch relay is only remarkable because it is a traditional part of the race. In fact, a discerning businessman like Tang Huan has privately obtained more and more advertising opportunities.

With the start of the Olympic Games just around the corner, these propaganda machines are naturally running at full capacity. After Tang Huan returned to the United States from Europe, he began to cooperate non-stop.

The last two stops on the Los Angeles Olympic Torch Relay route are San Diego, the southernmost point of California, and Los Angeles, where the torch relay will be held, and the penultimate stop is San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, the three major cities in the San Francisco Bay Area. Tang Huan sponsored about 70 percent of the Olympic torch relay in the three places, and it is not an exaggeration to describe it as a chartered venue.

For Tang Huan, these expenses are naturally a drop in the bucket, not to mention that Fangyuan corresponds to San Francisco, EA corresponds to Oakland, and Zheru corresponds to San Jose.

The organisation of the torch relay was very open, and the public could not only watch the torchbearers up close and personal, but also have the right to vote on the selection of the torchbearers.

In other words, under commercial operation, the torch relay has become a big party, far more down-to-earth than the previous Olympic Games.

Not surprisingly, Tang Huan was also one of the torchbearers, and he was responsible for the section in San Jose, which is the part of Silicon Valley.

Under the continuous publicity, Silicon Valley high-tech companies have shown the same enthusiasm for this national carnival, after all, it is a national publicity platform.

Tang Huan became the first torchbearer in this section, not because he didn't know modesty, but because running with a 1kg torch was not as easy as it looked, and it was really a test of physical fitness.

At the beginning, Tang Huan specially consulted whether William Whitlett and David Puctor, the two founders of Hewlett-Packard, were interested in participating, but these two were too old to adapt to this hard work.

Next, Tang Huan learned about the meaning of Robert Noyce, the founder of Intel, who is less than sixty this year and should be competent. However, Robert Noyce had a heart condition, and he was not necessarily suitable for such a lively occasion, so he refused after thinking twice.

When these most qualified Silicon Valley seniors withdrew one by one, Tang Huan became the first person to be indispensable, which was also elected by the votes of the people in the San Francisco Bay Area, and others were not qualified to steal the limelight.

Tang Huan was followed by four volunteers who served as guards, one of whom was through the Shennong Foundation Scholarship Fund. The benefits of going from Hong Kong to the United States to study at university.

This is also a major feature of the organization of this Olympic Games. That is, the activities recruited an unprecedented number of volunteers. The vast majority of them came from various universities, and some Chinese students also got the opportunity to exercise.

Tang Huan smoothly completed his own section of the road, and there were no accidents such as robbing the torch, and even if there were, he could kick it over.

"Help me keep this souvenir first. Tang Huan casually handed over the extinguished torch to Lizhi and said two words.

……

In addition to Tang's own participation in the torch relay, many of his company's most prestigious figures were selected as torchbearers, especially urban heroes like the Oakland Raiders, who won the Super Bowl. More popular with people.

It can be said that the charter of the torch relay not only helped Tang Huan to build his reputation, but also showed from the people's attitude of support how Tang Huan has achieved in the San Francisco Bay Area for five years.

As the torch moved to the next stop, the national carnival here in San Francisco came to an end, and Tang Huan was ready to move to Los Angeles.

The two little cousins, Han Sining and Han Siwei, who wanted to watch the Olympics live, have already arrived in San Francisco under the leadership of their parents, Han Anyong and Wen Ya.

In order to treat rheumatism before, his uncle Han Anyong went to the United States accompanied by his wife Wen Ya, and he is familiar with the situation here. But Han Sining and Han Siwei felt that everything was fresh, and as soon as they arrived in San Francisco, they pestered their cousin Meng Jing, who went to school here. Take them out and play.

Seeing that the two little heels were also making such noise in the United States, Meng Jing, who was so annoyed, decided to "teach them a lesson".

After asking Han Sining and Han Siwei about the amount of pocket money, Meng Jing first led them to meet the juniors, that is, Tang Huan's children.

Looking at the pair of cute twins, Han Sining and Han Siwei couldn't help but be a little dumbfounded, and these little nephews were also very eccentric, stretching out their little hands to greet them.

In Meng Jing's snickering, Han Sining and Han Siwei scattered all their family wealth in order to support the scene, so naturally they couldn't afford to hire their cousin as a tour guide.

These two brothers are not fuel-efficient lamps, and after discussing it, they decided to get back the loss from their cousin, so when they saw Tang Huan, they slapped their ass, "Brother, you are so amazing!"

Tang Huan has already heard the joke directed by Meng Jing, and he can guess from the appearance of the two hippie smiling faces that they are playing the small abacus of "paying the debts of the son and the father".

He didn't break it, and asked casually, "Where am I so good?"

The eldest cousin, Han Sining, gave an answer without thinking, "When you hold the torch, so many people cheer for it, which is both majestic and handsome." ”

Little cousin Han Siwei felt that his lines had been snatched away, so he couldn't help glaring at his brother, and then replied in a hurry, "You got so many nephews for us, it's amazing!"

Tang Huan, who was drinking with a cup, couldn't hold back his laughter, and a mouthful of water squirted out.

He stretched out his finger, flicked Han Siwei's little head melon, and instructed with a smile: "It's good to know, to be an uncle, you have to look like an uncle, don't forget it during the New Year's holiday, and prepare the red envelopes for your nephews." ”

Han Siwei's face suddenly frowned, and he said honestly: "We just went bankrupt. ”

"Now that I'm in the United States, I'll teach you two a lesson. Tang Huan smiled slightly, "Teach you how to support yourself." ”

"We are here for tourism. Han Sining, who felt that he was going to go to the soup, planned to slip away.

Tang Huan took out two $20 and shook them at Han Siwei, who was standing in place, "Do you want to get out of bankruptcy?"

"Yes!" Han Siwei, who was not yet ten years old, nodded very sincerely.

"Then I'll give you a job. Tang Huan put a $20 sum in Han Siwei's hand, "I will be the kindergarten class president for a week, and then I will decide the next step according to the evaluation." ”

"Don't talk about the class leader, I can be a teacher. Han Siwei accepted the task with a smile on his face.

"I'm here to be a teacher. Seeing that his younger brother was submissive, Han Sining also planned to be good.

"Okay, I'll let you be the teacher. With an inexplicable smile in his eyes, Tang Huan handed another $20 to Han Sining.

He could see that his two little cousins were a little squeamish and arrogant, so let them have a closer look at the power of supernormal children, right?--The little nephews don't just reach out and ask for red envelopes.

……

After arriving in Los Angeles, Tang Huan first inspected the news center he had donated. It applies the communication technology of Pacific Telecom, as well as the computer technology of Fangyuan and Zheru, which can be called the most modern office technology.

Media reporters can get a one-stop service for writing, printing, copying, faxing, e-mailing, etc., to get the latest news of the Olympic Games as quickly as possible.

Observing the technically trained volunteers and busily instructing the media professionals who were already in place on how to use the latest office equipment, Tang Huan asked, "How is it, are they all used to the office environment here?"

"At least half of the reporters have used Fangyuan's personal computers and Zheru's word processing software before, so the acceptance speed is still very good. The person in charge replied with a relaxed expression.

Tang Huan bowed slightly in satisfaction, but when he saw the dense lines like a beehive, he couldn't help frowning, but in the end, he could only shake his head.

Computers accessing online services such as e-mail over telephone networks through modems often require two lines, and telephone voice and data communications cannot coexist on the same line.

Of course, various communication companies are willing to see users apply for an additional line, and in this way, it means more income.

However, it is precisely because of this profit model that can produce immediate results that various communication companies are not highly motivated to find upgrade solutions for data services on traditional telephone networks, so that the ISDN - Integrated Services Digital Network, which is completely digital lines, has become the successor of the next-generation telecommunication network that is widely recognized.

Pacific Telecom's communications solutions for the Los Angeles Olympics were very successful, but they also unmistakably exposed the shortcomings of the existing analog telephone network, drawing criticism for its delay in building a next-generation network.

Such a public opinion influence, listed companies really can't turn a blind eye.

Chuck Smith, CEO of Pacific Telecom, said with a wry smile after the meeting: "I originally wanted to report to you in detail about this after the Olympics, but now it seems to be a lot of hype." ”

Tang Huan, who had heard such rumors from Tang Wenmao for a long time, waved his hand disapprovingly, "Don't be impatient, the technology roadmap is in my mind, and those industry commentators simply don't know how to pretend to understand." The traditional analog telephone network is not so useless, and its data transmission rate of 56kpbs is not impossible. ”

Hearing Tang Huan say such a high indicator, Chuck Smith couldn't help but be a little skeptical, but it was difficult to refute, so he turned to ask: "Can voice calls and data services be implemented on the same line like ISDN?"

"Don't worry, there is a solution to this limitation. Tang Huan replied firmly, and then pointed out meaningfully: "The Bell system has left us the best traditional telephone network in the world, and its value is far from being fully developed. ”

Seeing that the boss was so confident and unpredictable, Chuck Smith had no choice but to pack his mind and nod yes. (To be continued.) )