Desperate Measures

Wu Wei was very angry.

Lan Meng had actually dismissed his product as worthless.

It was too much.

Relying on this product, Wu Wei had managed to pick up quite a few female students at Imperial Capital University. Not to mention, their figures were all quite good, and they all had boyfriends to boot.

There was clearly demand and a market for it, yet Lan Meng insisted on saying it was meaningless.

Wu Wei was not happy about this.

Of course, that was not the only thing he was unhappy about.

"Yunhai, I feel annoyed."

Wu Wei invited Qin Yunhai out and recounted his interaction with Lan Meng.

Qin Yunhai was also quite stunned by Wu Wei.

"Brother, I actually think Lan Meng isn't wrong here."

"Actually, I know that too. I'm not such an unreasonable person," Wu Wei said calmly.

Qin Yunhai glanced at Wu Wei, then nodded against his conscience.

After all, brotherhood was more important.

But his conscience really hurt.

"But I just feel annoyed," Wu Wei emphasized.

Qin Yunhai and Wu Wei were on the same wavelength; otherwise, they wouldn't have become such close friends.

After Wu Wei emphasized it again, Qin Yunhai vaguely guessed what was on his mind.

"Because of money? Strange, why are you suddenly so triggered? We aren't short on money."

The two of them received the highest scholarships every year.

Plus, with the side jobs they took on privately, it was impossible for them to be short on pocket money.

Of course, they weren't short on pocket money, but as long as their family backgrounds weren't exceptional, they certainly didn't have access to big money—at least not yet.

Wu Wei had always known that money was important, and as he grew older, his desire to make money grew stronger.

"Yunhai, we are short on money—short on big money."

"So we need to build our reputation. Only by making a name for ourselves can we obtain government funding or investments from corporations. But we are still too young, and we've only just finished our studies; is there any need to be so anxious?"

Qin Yunhai could understand Wu Wei's urgency, but he didn't think it was necessary.

Wu Wei shook his head: "This method of building a reputation is effective, but it's too archaic and too passive. One's fate is entirely in the hands of others—and only a few people at that."

Qin Yunhai frowned.

"We have both studied history. Wang Anshi spent decades building his reputation before he finally had the chance to launch his reforms, and then what happened?

Zhang Juzheng also spent decades building his reputation before he could finally put his learning into practice, and then what happened?

Yunhai, can we wait that long? Can we accept that kind of ending?"

Wang Anshi and Zhang Juzheng were both giants who turned the tide during the long history of the Great Qin Empire, and they both had significant chapters in the history books.

Unfortunately, neither of their endings was particularly good.

Qin Yunhai looked at Wu Wei, thoughtful: "I understand now. You want to strengthen yourself so you aren't coerced by capital or power, but that's not realistic. No one living in this world can remain completely independent."

"Yes, we live in this world and cannot remain independent; we must let many people benefit together for things to last, but I want to change the method."

Wu Wei had actually been thinking about an idea for a long time, but it was crazy, so he needed to find like-minded friends.

"Yunhai, take my situation for example. I invent something, and if Lan Meng says it has no future, it might truly have no future, because she has the money, the influence, and the decision-making power.

I know this is a very normal state of affairs, but I don't like this feeling of being controlled by others. I think my mother didn't do enough."

Lin Shen had certainly received strong support from Lan Tian, which allowed her to reach legendary status.

But wasn't it also because Lan Tian invested in Lin Shen that he became the richest man in the Qin Kingdom?

In this process, Lan Tian and the Lan Family actually gained much more.

"To some extent, my mother was kidnapped by Lan Tian. That's the way of the world, and I can't say Lan Tian did anything wrong, but I don't like it. I think she should have received more."

The Five Emperors standing together in harmony was certainly beautiful.

But that was only because none of them had reached the true pinnacle.

Everyone knew that Lin Shen was the soul of the group.

But she couldn't reap the greatest rewards.

Because her research had to rely on their support and help, even if they were just playing supporting roles.

"Wu Wei, what exactly do you want to do?"

"After a company grows big and strong, it eventually goes public, letting many people who originally had nothing to do with the company's fate buy its shares, binding the fates of thousands together to make the company even stronger. Yunhai, think outside the box—if a company can go public, why can't a person?"

Qin Yunhai's pupils dilated sharply, and his hands trembled for a moment.

"This idea—it actually doesn't seem impossible to execute."

Qin Yunhai's eyes gradually began to brighten.

"If a scientist or a specific research project could sell their own stock to raise funds for development, and then reward the shareholders twofold after the product is developed, it might seem no different from seeking investment on the surface. In reality, however, it saves many steps, creates new channels for wealth circulation, alters the existing class stratification, and elevates the social status of scholars. Still, I have to admit, the difficulty of operation is high, and the social environment might not necessarily permit it."

"Every reform comes with difficulties. But every reform also sees new beneficiaries soar to the top. The curtain for the last reform was pulled back by my mother, but in the end, the ones who enjoyed the fruits of her labor were the four subordinates who helped her." Wu Wei's tone was calm, showing no signs of resentment or self-pity. "My mother did well, but I think, perhaps, it could have been done even better."

"Actually, when I used to read wuxia and xianxia novels, I always wondered why those highly skilled heroes or immortals never seemed to lack money, yet they were never the wealthiest. Their methods of acquiring wealth were nothing more than begging for favors, doing good deeds, or collecting protection money. It was effective, but it was truly quite low-class."

"In modern society, scientists in cutting-edge fields are essentially the equivalent of those cultivators, as are the top-tier experts supported by the state, especially those at the Heaven Realm. Their thinking seems completely rigid; they have no idea how to leverage their own advantages. Even entertainment stars know how to cultivate a persona, but when it comes to personas, who in this world can compare to those who truly possess such extraordinary skills?"

"Why can't knowledge and ability be directly converted into money and brought face-to-face with the public? We aren't limited to working for conglomerates or the state; we have other choices."

"When one day our individual brand value exceeds that of the entire Lan Group, wouldn't that future be more worth looking forward to? When one day the entire world becomes our investor, who would be able to contend with us then?"

Wu Wei calmly painted the blueprint of his imagination for Qin Yunhai.

Qin Yunhai's breathing gradually grew rapid.

This future was difficult to realize, perhaps even like a fantasy.

But today, looking at the scale of BAT, who could have imagined it twenty years ago?