The Dust Settles

At this moment, the conference room suddenly fell silent.

Ma Teng stood up and patted his back. "Excuse me, I need to use the restroom."

"Excuse me, I'll go too."

Several people hurried out.

In the restroom, Ma Teng sighed. "Sigh, I've been out of the academic loop for too long. These cutting-edge things—the more I listen, the less I understand. But looking at the expressions of those old professors, there shouldn't be any problems... Xisha University has been cooperating with us for a long time, and their credit has always been good."

"Xiao Guo, what do you think of Zhang Yuan?"

The assistant named Xiao Guo thought for a moment and said earnestly, "Mr. Ma, if we can hire him, we absolutely must. I estimate that with him, we could shorten the timeline by at least a third. A job that would originally take 12 months could be finished in 8..."

The restroom door opened again, and Chairman Ding walked in.

As soon as he entered, he said loudly, "Mr. Ma, can I ask you for a favor in a private capacity?"

The circle was small; although the two were rivals, they were also friends in private.

Ma Teng laughed heartily, as if he knew what he was going to say. "No, not happening! Even in a private capacity, absolutely not!"

"Mr. Ding, are you really going to fight me for this person?"

Ding Peng laughed along. "Then let's both carry the sedan chair together? Shall we drive the price up to the moon?"

"I'm not stupid. I think we can do it this way..."

When the group returned, Ma Teng's first words were, "Mr. Zhang, have you considered staying on Earth and joining our company?"

He held up two fingers, making a gesture. "I'll offer you an annual salary of two million. If the government imposes any penalties on you, we will take care of all of them!"

Faced with this blatant poaching, the two representatives from the Deep Space Foundation turned green, but they didn't know what to say.

Zhang Yuan shook his head immediately. "I'm sorry, Mr. Ma... This has been my dream since I was a child."

The two representatives let out long sighs of relief.

Ma Teng said meaningfully, "Two million is already quite a lot. To parachute someone into a high-paying position, I have to spend a lot of breath in the board of directors... Every cent in the company is budgeted."

"You have to realize, we've only known each other for two hours. I know your level is quite good, which is why I offered this price..."

"But academic level doesn't equate to work ability. I've seen too many people who can only talk but not act... If you actually produce results later, the price will definitely not be an issue!"

Ding Peng laughed loudly. "Mr. Ma, you're too stingy. I'll offer an annual salary of three million, with the extra million coming out of my own pocket! As long as you're willing to stay here."

Zhang Yuan quickly said, "I appreciate your kindness, but it's not about the money. Even two hundred million wouldn't work. Mr. Ma, Mr. Ding, I think from your position, you should be able to understand that life isn't just about money; there are many things more important than money."

"I can complete this project on the spaceship. There is communication equipment on board, so remote collaboration is not difficult."

Ma Teng was stunned for a moment, then nodded to show he understood, and sat down quietly.

The conference room was silent for a while.

After a long time, he said with an appreciative tone, "I really envy you young people. Abandoning everything, leaving it all behind, to start over on a strange planet. Sometimes, I have that impulse too."

"A new civilization, a great vision. In our fantasies, it's like heaven, always filled with infinite possibilities."

"...As a beneficiary of the development of Earth civilization up to this point, I often think many things are not right, but I don't know how to correct them."

"Or rather, I actually know full well that many things are wrong, yet I oppose such corrections because it would affect my personal interests. I suppose that's what they mean by 'where you sit determines where you stand'..."

"I hope you, the new civilization, can become something better."

"Thank you, Mr. Ma," Zhang Yuan said with a smile.

"See, he won't stay here!" Wang Lili whispered, discussing it secretly below.

Han Ziyue smiled and said, "I know. If he actually stayed, I wouldn't even bother with him..."

"Don't you think the way he refused just now was cool? Even that Mr. Ma was stunned! Two hundred million didn't work either..."

Wang Lili felt quite helpless. "Fine, I really don't understand you literary girls, always looking for trouble for yourselves. Why make friends? I don't want to be friends with him at all."

Just like that, the entire cooperation was negotiated over three days. The backstabbing during the equity distribution process and the various clauses left Zhang Yuan mentally exhausted.

Even the usually refined Professor Lu and Professor Lin had to get involved, stating they could participate in a portion of the work.

After everything was finished, Zhang Yuan was treating the two girls to a meal at a small restaurant.

"I finally know why those big companies are so rich; they are the type who won't release the hawk until they see the rabbit. They get rich by saving money!" Zhang Yuan couldn't help but complain.

After the five major enterprises pulled and tugged, in the end, they only invested twenty million, which was truly shocking. They planned to register a small company called "Genesis Technology Co., Ltd."

As one of the technology providers, Zhang Yuan owned 10% of the shares. Of course, to get this 10% stake, the two-million-a-year salary was off the table.

"They even wanted to save on the two-million salary; I'm truly impressed."

However, despite saying that, he was in quite a good mood. Although he had donated like a wealthy spendthrift, that was money left by his father. Now, this was money he had earned himself, which felt distinctly different.

Han Ziyue smiled and said, "This round of investment is called a 'seed round.' The project only has a concept; it has an idea but no concrete product or service. It's also called 'face-value investment'... meaning they give you money based on your reputation."

"The fact that they were willing to invest twenty million is already giving you and the academy a great deal of face! After all, there's nothing yet. Did you expect them to invest billions based on just a concept? That's impossible."

Zhang Yuan nodded; that was indeed the case.

Whether it's good to watch or not, whether it can actually yield results is another matter.

Han Ziyue added, "Didn't they reserve the right to prioritize additional investment in the cooperation agreement? If they really achieve results, these large enterprises will definitely pour money in like a swarm, and in the subsequent Series A, Series B, Series C, it will rapidly grow into a large company."

"Alright, I know that too. Investing less now is just a form of risk control. But they are really tricky."

Zhang Yuan said, "Moreover, even if large companies grow in the next few years, it will have nothing to do with me."

He didn't care how the company developed in the future; he wasn't on Earth and couldn't enjoy that sense of accomplishment.

The foundation had also helped him secure considerable benefits. According to the company's articles of association, Zhang Yuan's 10% stake was considered fixed equity. Even with future financing and expansion, it would remain 10% and wouldn't be diluted.

"If it weren't for fixed shares, I might as well take a salary and donate it to the foundation."

This distribution method was actually quite a rip-off. A fixed 10% proportion of shares, without needing to invest more, guaranteed his shareholding ratio. Zhang Yuan had made a killing. The premise was that this project could truly take off; otherwise, it would just be a mirage.

Afterward, several chairmen also invited him and the professors to a meal, but Zhang Yuan politely declined. It was better to avoid such social engagements, and everyone understood.

"I'd rather eat with you guys!"

"Why?"

Zhang Yuan stammered, "Because it saves time."

"Eating with them, who knows how long we'd discuss, and we'd have to flatter each other. Annoying."

A burst of laughter filled the air.

With one worry off his mind, Zhang Yuan felt quite at ease. This should be the last major matter before he left.

Looking at the date, with only one day left, Zhang Yuan couldn't help but feel a little sad.

Tomorrow would be his last day on Earth.

That day had finally arrived.