63: Chapter 63 Chen Zhongxuan's Advice

At the Software Park, inside the small building belonging to Frontier Technology Company.

On the third floor, Wang Shuo had already rushed into the office that Liu Yemei had rearranged. Without waiting to reply to Mark I System's greeting, he shouted, "Mark I System, help me connect a WeiChat video call to Uncle Chen, Chen Zhongxuan!"

At the same time, he was silently complaining like crazy. The fact that video calls with others had to go through WeiChat, and even sending regular messages required WeiChat, was not only insecure but also made him look incredibly uncool.

But for now, he would just have to make do.

"Calling now. Please look at the large screen." A familiar neutral male voice replied.

Reminded, Wang Shuo realized that what he had always wanted had been realized by Liu Yemei. On the wall not far in front of him hung a massive 65-inch television. It was not only ultra-thin but also came with a built-in camera. As Wang Shuo turned toward it, his own large head was already displayed on the screen.

After waiting for a dozen seconds, a familiar figure appeared on the screen.

"Uncle Chen."

Once he truly saw the other person, much of Wang Shuo's urge to ask questions vanished, and he could only manage to choke out a greeting.

"Wang Shuo." Chen Zhongxuan, on the screen, did not seem surprised to see him. He said happily, "I figured you would contact me in the next couple of days, and sure enough, it went exactly as I expected."

"Uncle Chen, were you waiting for me?" Wang Shuo asked, somewhat surprised.

"Not exactly waiting for you." Chen Zhongxuan's tone was certain, and he wore a smile. "It's just that there are some things you would discover sooner or later. Given your personality, you probably wouldn't pay attention to these things on your own. Let me guess, it was that girl Chen Xin, wasn't it?"

"So…" Wang Shuo felt a bit awkward. "Uncle Chen, you knew what I came here for this time?"

"Anyone in your position would come to find me. Hahaha, you don't need to feel burdened." Chen Zhongxuan laughed heartily.

"Let's get straight to the point." Chen Zhongxuan's tone shifted, becoming slightly serious. "Before we begin, please let me confirm: in what capacity are you speaking with me today?"

In what capacity? Wang Shuo was a bit confused. What did that mean?

"If you are representing yourself, then as a friend of Xiner, I will chat with you, but we won't discuss other matters." Chen Zhongxuan smiled again, speaking gently. "If you are representing the developer of the software, I will discuss the project's progress and future steps with you, but nothing else…"

"But if you are here to negotiate with me in the capacity of the company's legal representative, then we are here to talk business, and I will not engage in idle chatter."

"Three capacities, three approaches. Wang Shuo, in what capacity are you conducting today's conversation with me?"

Wang Shuo understood. He hesitated for a moment, then finally confirmed, "Uncle Chen, today I am speaking with you in the capacity of the software developer and the company's legal representative."

"Very good." Chen Zhongxuan nodded in approval, his voice suddenly turning serious. "Then the conversation begins now. As the representative of Party B, you may state the reason for initiating this video conference today."

It was starting already? Wang Shuo was stunned by Chen Zhongxuan's rapid change in demeanor. Shouldn't there be a gradual process?

"Uh… it's like this, Uncle Chen." Wang Shuo said, feeling a bit awkward. "I want to know the specific value of the system I provided."

"Specific value?" Chen Zhongxuan revealed a playful smile. "The specific value is the quote our company gave you. You should have already received the relevant financial documents."

"I did receive them." Wang Shuo gave an embarrassed smile. "But…"

"There are no 'buts'." Chen Zhongxuan waved his hand, cutting Wang Shuo off. "If you intend to discuss this issue today, I'm afraid I cannot accommodate you."

"This…" Wang Shuo's eyes widened. Was this still the kind and benevolent Chen Zhongxuan? Why did it feel like he had become a different person today?

"But Uncle Chen, I don't know…"

"Not knowing is not our company's fault, Wang Shuo." Chen Zhongxuan leaned back on the sofa, looking somewhat bored. "Our company has no obligation to remind you or provide you with specific data on the project's value for you to make a judgment. That would not be in our best interest."

"If you cannot accurately value your own product, then do not expect others to protect your interests. This is a world of survival of the fittest, and information asymmetry is one form of opposition."

This didn't feel right…

Even if he were slow, he would have realized something was off by now. Since when did Chen Zhongxuan talk so much?

Accurately evaluate his own product?

Wang Shuo pondered silently.

"But Chen Xin, she…"

"I know Chen Xin is a good friend of yours." Chen Zhongxuan shook his head helplessly, looking somewhat disappointed. "But I am a businessman. In the business world, I only care about money! If you can help me make money, you are a good partner. If you cannot help me make money, or worse, lose money, then you will be eliminated. Business is business, and personal relationships are personal relationships. The two cannot be mixed."

Wang Shuo gritted his teeth. He really wasn't giving him any face at all.

"But I'm the creator of the system!"

"And that is the only bargaining chip you have to negotiate with me." Chen Zhongxuan smiled slightly. "It is a chip that Chen Xin personally handed to you. If Chen Xin hadn't altered the contract, this system would belong to our company now. You would just be an inventor with no ownership rights, and everything you are asking for today would be a joke."

"Due to the binding nature of the contract and the exclusivity of your product, we cannot find a substitute for the system you provided for the time being, nor will we be able to find a suitable replacement for a long time to come. Furthermore, it is likely you will continue to upgrade it; in this regard, you have the absolute advantage. Therefore, under these circumstances, our company has already paid you the licensing fee for one year, totaling ten million. I assume you have already received this money. If we are to reach a further cooperation agreement, given your status as the rights holder of the product, we are willing to continue negotiations."

Wang Shuo looked at Chen Zhongxuan on the screen with a strange expression, then nodded. "That works. I will need to send an employee to conduct the negotiations."

"It can be done at any time." Chen Zhongxuan smiled.

"Uncle Chen." Wang Shuo sighed helplessly. "I have remembered all of your teachings today… but the question is… was it necessary to do it this way?"

"You remembered it all?" Chen Zhongxuan finally burst into laughter. "It seems my acting skills are still not quite there yet. Hahaha, don't mind it, Wang Shuo. This was also Chen Xin's idea. We both believe that if you aren't given a sufficiently unforgettable lesson, you will never learn how to get along in society. Since we can't let you suffer the harsh beatings of society, let me, as someone who has been through it, give you a beating within a reasonable range first!"

"How do you feel?"

"Unforgettable." Wang Shuo nodded helplessly. One hundred million—it would be a lie to say it wasn't unforgettable. And were they sure this was within a "reasonable range"? If it were someone else, there would be a good chance they would have flipped out. It was only because he didn't care much about the Mark I System that he could barely accept it. After all, he had already gotten over twenty million, which solved his immediate crisis, and there would be a ten-million licensing fee every year. He couldn't ask for too much at this stage.

However, he was still somewhat unwilling to let it go.

"Uncle Chen, that one hundred million… are you really prepared to just ignore your conscience and not give it to me?"

Chen Zhongxuan remained calm and composed. "In business, we only talk about money. Why talk about conscience?"

Wang Shuo was speechless. So he was really going to be shameless about it.

"You are very talented, Wang Shuo, and you have a bright future." Chen Zhongxuan put away his smile, his tone becoming unprecedentedly solemn. "But you have not yet realized this yourself. Perhaps before you started university, you were thinking about hiding yourself, but after you got involved in the affairs of the Chen Group, you could no longer hide."

"Perhaps you can still hide under the wings of the Chen Group to avoid the storm for now, but you must know that what you have gotten involved in this time is a powerful storm that even the Chen Group cannot face. Without your intervention, even if our Chen Group could survive this, we would suffer heavy losses."

"The Chen Group appeared to be at its peak on the surface, but inside, it was already like a rotten apple—completely spoiled through and through."

"This time, I used your hands to carry out a cleanup, but it wasn't pure or clean enough. I have a premonition that the affairs of the Chen Group are far from over. We may suffer even more violent attacks than now, and only then will we see who emerges victorious."

"Wang Shuo, I don't care what purpose you had for starting your entrepreneurial journey, but you must remember: an innocent man is innocent, but his treasure makes him a target! The system you brought out, your technology, and your abilities—these are your original sin. This world is not as peaceful as you imagine. You may not covet others, but you cannot stop others from coveting you."

"Defeat others, or be defeated by others. Only the victor has the right to enjoy the final fruits, and only then will you have the right… to realize your dreams!"

"Hurry up and become strong. Before that happens, all the storms—your Uncle Chen will carry them for you!"