louisehourcade Chapter 36 My company, why should I give it to you?
Chapter 36 My company, why should I give it to you?
Bai Che counted the string of glaring zeros twice before confirming that he wasn't seeing things.
One billion.
He felt his head throb even more. This wasn't just a problem; this was a massive problem. He just wanted to be an ordinary tech geek, but the system was forcing him to become a tech godfather, and now the country had put him in a very difficult position.
The ups and downs of life are truly thrilling.
"Brother Che, we've struck it rich! How much money is this? I can't even count it!" Wang Tao finally snapped out of his euphoria, leaned over to look at Bai Che's phone screen, and almost drooled.
Bai Che silently locked his phone and pushed the money-grubber away.
"It has nothing to do with you; this is the company's research and development funding."
No sooner had he finished speaking than there was a knock on the door. It was the same staff member in the black suit, but this time his demeanor was much more respectful.
"Comrade Bai Che, Comrade Li Jianguo requests that you and General Manager Su proceed to the 'Qiming No. 1' conference room to discuss important matters."
Bai Che sighed, knowing there was no way to avoid it.
He changed out of his slippers, threw on a jacket, and followed the staff out. When he arrived at the newly renovated "Qiming-1" laboratory, Su Wanqing was waiting at the door.
She changed into a smart women's suit, her long hair was tied up, and she wore frameless glasses. Her aura as a cool and aloof senior student instantly transformed into that of a decisive and efficient female CEO. Seeing Bai Che's sleepy appearance, she simply pushed up her glasses, said nothing, and silently walked to his side.
The two walked side by side into a newly renovated conference room.
The long conference table was spotless, and the cold light tubes on the ceiling were clearly reflected on its surface.
The head seat at the table was empty, while Li Jianguo sat on one side, flanked by two very different figures.
A man in his fifties, wearing a military uniform without rank, but with his shoulders ramrod straight, and a face that exuded authority without anger, marked by the hardships of life, clearly a military bigwig who had come through the hail of bullets.
The other man wore a well-tailored dark suit and gold-rimmed glasses, with a warm smile on his face, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. In front of him was a notebook bearing the emblem of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission.
A negotiation that would decide the fate of the nation.
Bai Che lazily pulled out a chair and sat down, while Su Wanqing sat upright beside him, gently placing a folder on the table, entering a state of readiness.
The air was so heavy it felt like water could drip from it.
Finally, it was the military leader who broke the silence first, his voice loud and powerful, carrying an undeniable authority.
"Comrade Bai Che, I am Zhao Zhenhua from the General Armaments Department."
He didn't waste time with pleasantries and went straight to the point.
"We have already conducted a preliminary assessment of your technology. Its value is immeasurable. From a national security perspective, this technology, and you yourself, must be under the absolute control of the state. We cannot afford even the slightest risk of leakage."
He paused, and every word he uttered struck Su Wanqing's heart.
"Our internal discussion suggests that 'Zero Boundary Technology' be fully integrated into the military industry system and placed under the highest level of militarized management. You yourself will be awarded the rank of Special Researcher, enjoying the highest level of treatment and security. You only need to focus on research and development; the country will take care of everything else."
These words sounded perfectly reasonable and high-sounding.
Su Wanqing's fingertips instantly turned icy cold, and her hands on her knees unconsciously tightened.
This was her biggest fear: a blatant attempt to "co-opt" her.
Once incorporated, Zero Boundary Technology will cease to exist, and Bai Che will become a "tool" kept in captivity, only responsible for producing technology.
She was about to speak and refute from the perspective of law and business cooperation, but was stopped by Bai Che's casual gesture of raising his hand.
All eyes were on Bai Che.
He remained as lazy as ever, even stretching, as if what he had just said wasn't about his future, but rather what he would eat in the cafeteria for lunch today.
He leaned back in his chair, glanced around at the three bigwigs present, and finally fixed his gaze on Zhao Zhenhua's serious face.
Then he spoke, his tone as calm as if he were asking for directions.
"Technology can be shared with the country. Even in the military field, it can be given away for free."
Li Jianguo and the leader from the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission were both taken aback, not expecting him to be so easy to talk to.
Even Zhao Zhenhua's usually tense face showed a rare hint of relaxation.
However, Bai Che's next words caused the temperature in the entire conference room to plummet to freezing point.
"But Zero Boundary Technology must be mine."
He leaned forward slightly, and for the first time, his eyes, which always seemed weary, revealed a sharpness that made everyone present feel uneasy.
"Why should I give you my company?"
This statement is not a question, but a statement.
Zhao Zhenhua's face instantly darkened, and an overwhelming aura of authority descended upon him. "Comrade Bai Che, watch your words! This is for the sake of the country..."
"For the country?" Bai Che chuckled, interrupting him. "Minister Zhao, your vision is too narrow."
He held up one finger.
"Use my technology to make better military batteries, so that our tanks can go further and our planes can fly longer? That's your idea, right? But that's just the most superficial application."
He stood up, walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window, turned his back to the crowd, and looked out at the strictly controlled area.
"What I want to do is use this company to disrupt the entire consumer market. I want to turn Apple and Samsung phones into electronic waste overnight. I want to make Tesla's proud range a joke."
His voice wasn't loud, but it resonated clearly in everyone's ears.
"I want the world's energy, communications, and transportation to use my standards. I want to build an unprecedented technological empire, so that those foreign tech giants will either submit or be crushed. I want the name 'Zero Boundary Technology' to become a Damocles' sword hanging over their heads."
He turned around and looked at the leaders who were completely stunned.
"Do you think it's more beneficial to the country to manufacture a few indestructible military batteries, or to create a commercial empire with trillions in annual revenue, controlling the global technological lifeline, and entirely belonging to our Dragon Nation?"
"A military factory that only knows how to blindly manufacture weapons will never win a war. But a company that can use technology to set the rules of the world can."
Dead silence.
The entire conference room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Zhao Zhenhua stared, speechless. His mind was focused on upgrading his equipment and taking a shortcut to victory. But the young man before him was thinking of overturning the entire table and setting the rules for himself.
What ambition! And what arrogance!
Li Jianguo and the leader from the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission were so shocked that they couldn't recover for a long time. It was the first time they had ever seen someone use such a calm tone to describe a grand blueprint that could change the world order.
Su Wanqing stared blankly at Bai Che's back, her heart, which had been pounding with nervousness, now filled with an unprecedented surge of excitement and admiration.
This is the real him.
This is the man who says he's afraid of trouble, but whose heart holds the entire universe.
After a long while, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission leader, who had been smiling the whole time, gently clapped.
"Wonderful."
He pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses and looked at Zhao Zhenhua and Li Jianguo.
"I suggest we report this to the highest level immediately. This young man's ideas have exceeded the scope of our authority at this level."
Li Jianguo took a deep breath, looking at Bai Che with an extremely complex expression. He nodded heavily, took out a red secure phone, and strode out of the conference room.
Zhao Zhenhua sat there without saying a word, staring intently at Bai Che, as if trying to see through the young man completely.
About twenty minutes later, Li Jianguo pushed open the door and entered.
He walked straight up to Bai Che, his expression shifting from scrutiny to utter solemnity.
"The highest command," he said, enunciating each word clearly, "agrees with your plan."
"Military-civilian integration, independent operation. In the military field, Zero Boundary Technology has exclusively authorized the state and will provide full support regardless of cost. In the civilian field, the state will protect you, but the company will develop independently, and we will not interfere in the specific operation."
He took out a freshly printed document and a heavy fountain pen from his pocket and placed them in front of Bai Che.
"This is a preliminary cooperation framework agreement. If you have no objections, you can sign it now."
Bai Che picked up the still-warm document, didn't even look at it, and threw it directly to Su Wanqing next to him.
"Steward Su, it's your business."
He picked up the pen, tossed it in his hand, and then lazily spoke to Su Wanqing.
"Check carefully, see if there's a listening device inside the pen."