Chen Qi looked at the three of them in confusion. "What? Wasn't I clear enough? You're starting a company without me?"
Zhao Pingchuan tried to persuade her. "Chen Qi, you have a stable job now. Don't risk it by joining us."
Chen Qi arched her brows and glared at him. "If I don't join, can the three of you even get the company off the ground? Lin Zhou and Chen Mo only handle the technical side, and you'll be out finding projects. Who's going to keep an eye on the contracts, finances, personnel, and all those other details?"
Zhao Pingchuan had no rebuttal and could only admit, "You're right. We really can't do without you."
He'd been too embarrassed to ask her before. He couldn't very well ask her to quit her job and help him. Lin Zhou and Chen Mo were a different matter: since someone was deliberately blacklisting them, they had no choice but to make a last stand. Chen Qi, however, had a choice.
He had thought that, if there was no other way, he could try hiring someone new. But then they'd have to spend a lot of time learning to work together, and the company's efficiency would suffer greatly.
Chen Qi maintained her aloof, haughty air. "Then that settles it. I'll hand in my resignation when I get back. Don't even think about leaving me out."
Zhao Pingchuan went home and told Ji Ran the good news.
Ji Ran was so happy he ran a lap around the living room. "Brother, that's great! Now your team is complete. You can hire more people once the business grows."
Zhao Pingchuan brushed his bangs aside and smiled. "Yeah. I didn't expect things to go so smoothly either."
Ji Ran remembered something else. "Oh, right. They all transferred the money to me today. We agreed on two hundred thousand at first, but they pooled another thirty thousand."
Ji Ran's four colleagues had only met the brothers by chance, yet they had lent him so much money without hesitation, simply because they trusted the two of them.
Zhao Pingchuan felt the weight of that responsibility. So many people had placed their hopes in him; he couldn't afford to fail.
At the same time, though, he no longer had nothing. So much support gave him a constant source of strength and told him that although he, Zhao Pingchuan, was bankrupt, he wasn't a failure. The love and trust he had once sown had now borne fruit.
True to her word, Chen Qi soon left her job and threw herself wholeheartedly into establishing the new company.
They rented a space in a makerspace. The facilities were fairly basic: in the end, it was just a few office desks and two small glass cubicles, with a shared lobby and conference room. This kept costs to a minimum and let them spend their money where it mattered most.
They bought a batch of computers and printers and registered a domain name, and just like that, their little startup was up and running.
The new company was called Hengtu. It was both a continuation of Pingchuan Technology and a declaration of their determination to keep going.
This time, Zhao Pingchuan kept a very low profile to avoid attracting the attention of Gu Xingye's people.
During that time, Ji Ran came along for a look. Curious, he studied the place where Zhao Pingchuan would be working. "It's my first time seeing how a tech company gets started."
Lin Zhou, who was organizing his workstation, laughed when he heard that. "It isn't our first time. We started from scratch and built our way up like this back then too."
By then, Ji Ran had met them several times, and they had all become familiar with one another. Lin Zhou and Chen Mo in particular thought highly of Ji Ran, who also worked in tech, and even joked, "Why don't you just come work with us?"
Chen Qi scoffed. "Don't go dragging the kid into this. Our company hasn't even gotten off the ground yet."
Ji Ran blinked and smiled. "If Brother needs me, I can come over."
Zhao Pingchuan happened to come in just then. He opened the package in his hands and said, "Don't listen to Lin Zhou's nonsense."
Although Ji Ran hadn't quit his job, he still helped Zhao Pingchuan a great deal, often working overtime with them on weekends and running code.
Zhao Pingchuan brought it up many times. "You're not even getting paid. Why work so hard? Get some proper rest on weekends. Aren't you tired from working two jobs?"
Ji Ran took a sip of coffee and looked up with a smile. "I'm not tired. You're all here, and I'd be bored sitting at home alone anyway."
Ji Ran wasn't the only one going unpaid. In fact, the other three received very little too, not even a fraction of what they had made before.
But no one complained. In a sense, they were all working for themselves, so naturally, their efficiency and motivation were different.
Zhao Pingchuan had a clear idea of what to do. They were just starting out, and competing with big companies was impossible. They couldn't match them in platforms, costs, or access to information, but small companies had their own way of surviving.
For now, they mainly took on outsourced projects for businesses, the same kind Ji Ran had done as a part-time job. These contracts came with an advance payment of 30% to 50%, and turnaround times were short: the fastest could be delivered in two weeks. Payments came in quickly, and there was no need to burn money on promotion, making them ideal for a company with limited funds like theirs.
For the Hengtu team, this kind of work was basically something they could do with their eyes closed. It involved no creativity whatsoever, but at least it kept the company alive and gave them a stable client base.
The advantage of their small initial investment soon became apparent. Three months later, the company began turning a profit.
Zhao Pingchuan treated everyone to a celebratory meal. As glasses clinked around the table, all five of them wore looks of anticipation for the future.
Lin Zhou said with feeling, "It's been a long time since I felt like this. It's like being back when I first started working."
Chen Mo said, "I like how things feel now."
The main thing was that the team got along well and everyone was pulling in the same direction. The work was tiring, but they didn't have to worry about interpersonal relationships.
Chen Qi spoke up then. "I've discussed it with Mr. Zhao, and we're planning to expand the company and hire a few more people. What do you think?"
At present, Lin Zhou and Chen Mo were handling every contract between them, with help from Ji Ran. No matter how efficient they were, the workload was still too much.
Zhao Pingchuan explained, "We've secured a stable source of clients, and orders will only keep increasing. We need people to help share your workload."
Chen Mo was the first to speak. "I have no objections."
Lin Zhou had no objections either. "Of course it'd be good to have a few more people helping out."
Everyone agreed, so the matter was settled.
Chen Qi was currently handling all the administrative work as well. She posted job listings and soon hired two new programmers, bringing the company to six members, including the boss, Zhao Pingchuan.
Zhao Pingchuan didn't spend much time at the company, but he was actually very busy every day.
He spent a lot of time on market research, finding business, and negotiating partnerships, and the balance in his stock account kept growing as well.
The car he had bought earlier came in handy. He was rushing from place to place all day, but he never missed picking Ji Ran up or taking him where he needed to go.
It pained Ji Ran to see him sometimes rushing back from the other side of the city, so he said, "Brother, if you don't have time, I can get home on my own."
Zhao Pingchuan patted his head, his expression gentle. "But I want to pick you up."
Ji Ran's heart beat faster, and he couldn't bring himself to refuse.
Zhao Pingchuan had his own principles. He was starting a business so they could have a better life. If he neglected Ji Ran because of it, wouldn't that be putting the cart before the horse?