Xu Xiaoya held out her palm: "Give me the money, 500,000 per cup."
Hu Xiaojiang shrank back in fright: "Are you trying to rip me off? I've been busy all year and I've only earned the price of a cup of tea from you."
Xu Xiaoya said, "Stop complaining about being poor. Your sister's website has already exceeded 100 million."
Hu Xiaojiang said, "Those are all superficial, what is commonly known as intangible assets and brand value. Didn't she show you the year-end financial statements? In reality, the sales revenue for the past two months has been extremely lackluster!"
Hu Xiaojiang wasn't lying. The super optimization software received rave reviews, and the black website jumped into the top three Chinese security websites as a result, with an astonishing number of daily visits and downloads. However, there weren't many users who actually spent money. Fortunately, the huge user base allowed them to earn more from advertising; otherwise, Hu Qian's operations would have run into problems.
This was something Zhao Qiang hadn't anticipated. Luckily, he hadn't operated the software himself, otherwise he would have lost money this time. It's just the way things are in China; many people would rather be bothered by viruses and endure the snail-paced speed of their machines than spend the money. Besides, there are other free antivirus and optimization software programs available, which, although generally less effective, are fine as long as they don't cost money.
Xu Xiaoya said, "Come on, I heard that your sister is planning to invest in browsers and antivirus software again. It seems that the letter of intent has already been sent to Zhao Qiang's desk. As long as Zhao Qiang opens his mouth, the money will flow into his pocket like water."
Hu Qian plans to separate the antivirus software from the super optimization software in the new year and bundle it with the black browser. The antivirus software and browser will be free to use, as is the industry standard, but the browser will have a traffic revenue sharing. It is said that 720 earns more than 400 million yuan a year just from this. The antivirus software's antivirus performance is absolutely top-notch. With it as a foundation, it is believed that it is still possible to earn 1 billion yuan a year from the browser's traffic revenue sharing. However, this matter is a trade secret. No one on Hu Qian's side knows about this plan except for herself. But Zhao Qiang doesn't take it seriously at all, so naturally, it can't be kept from Xu Xiaoya.
Hu Xiaojiang said, "How come I didn't know about this? But Lao Zhao, you have to help my sister."
Zhao Qiang said, "There are no problems with the software, but we haven't settled on the revenue sharing method yet. This can't be rushed."
Hu Xiaojiang pointed at Xu Xiaoya and said, "President Xu, it must be you stirring things up again. If you really want my sister to not earn a penny, then stop being so blatant, or at least be ruthless."
Xu Xiaoya scolded, "You're the one who's being nosy. This is something Zhao Qiang and Luo Xiaowei are discussing; I didn't get involved."
Hu Xiaojiang obediently accepted the scolding: "I would feel more at ease if my cousin were in charge of the negotiations, because she is always on the side of our Hu family."
Speak of the devil, and he appears. The door to the finance department was pushed open, and Luo Xiaowei walked in wearing a long down jacket. As a member of the company, she naturally had a key to the door. "Oh, everyone's here! It's so lively."
Volume 2 [095] Matters Concerning Money
As she greeted them, Luo Xiaowei pointed to her desk and said, "I came back to get some documents."
Although Qimingdeng Electronics Company has its own factory and offices, Luo Xiaowei still spends most of her time working in the finance department of Shunfeng Technology. Firstly, Xu Xiaoya is there, so the two of them have company. Secondly, there are some issues that Zhao Qiang needs to decide, and working here saves her from having to travel back and forth. At the same time, Luo Xiaowei is also carrying out her cousin Hu Qian's plan to win over Zhao Qiang and get along well with him. It will definitely be beneficial to appear in front of him more often.
Xu Xiaoya said to Luo Xiaowei, "By the way, Xiaowei, let's go downstairs to buy clothes tomorrow, otherwise how are we going to go out and meet people tonight?"
Hu Xiaojiang was even more anxious than Zhao Qiang: "What are you two going to do tomorrow night? Are you going out with Zhao Qiang? Count me in."
While rummaging through the drawer for documents, Luo Xiaowei said, "No, cousin, it's the year-end business reception. This is a great opportunity to promote Qimingdeng fast chargers. My senior sister and I each paid a 10,000 yuan entrance fee. Representatives from all kinds of companies in Donghai City will be attending. We can't miss this promotional opportunity."
The year-end business banquet was originally a revenue-generating project initiated by the municipal government. It was held every year before New Year's Day, with attendees being business owners from various industries in Donghai City. They would get together for a simple meal, the main purpose being to get to know each other, exchange ideas, and plan for the coming year. Those who wanted to attend the banquet had to pay 10,000 yuan for venue rental and dinner fees. In reality, at least 5,000 yuan of this 10,000 yuan ended up in the pockets of certain individuals. However, the government provided a platform for business owners to exchange ideas, which did indeed facilitate a large number of transactions. Therefore, this format was preserved and even featured in national newspapers and received high praise from the province. As a result, the government has been promoting it even more vigorously.
Hu Xiaojiang said, "Aren't you bringing your family members? Is Zhao Qiang going? If he goes, I'll ask to go too."
Zhao Qiang knew about this, and he shook his head: "What would I do there? They're the ones running the company now. I'll just do my job as a repairman. They'll handle the business."
Xu Xiaoya shrugged at Zhao Qiang: "But boss of the repair shop, you have to pay us some wages. We don't even have money to buy work clothes. This box of snacks was bought with money I borrowed from my mom. I'm going to have her interrogate me this evening."
The company is currently facing a severe cash shortage. Almost all of Shunfeng Technology's funds have been diverted to the production of Qiming lamp chargers. Since large-scale sales have not yet begun, the current stockpiled inventory is worth over five million yuan. If the sales of this product do not pick up, Zhao Qiang may go bankrupt.
Zhao Qiang reached out his hand to Hu Xiaojiang and said, "Pay a deposit first, I need the money."
Hu Xiaojiang reluctantly took his bag and flung out ten bundles of RMB. "One hundred thousand. This is only because of my connections. They gave me a deposit. Otherwise, they would have paid after seeing the goods. I'm giving it all to you. Isn't that generous?"
Zhao Qiang divided the ten bundles of RMB into two piles, pushing one pile to Xu Xiaoya and the other to Luo Xiaowei. "I'm sorry, both of you. The company's funds have been tied up in charger inventory recently. This is to give you some year-end bonuses first. Don't think it's too little."
Luo Xiaowei glanced at Xu Xiaoya, who picked up the money and stuffed it into her bag, saying, "You're welcome. You've been busy for half a year, it's time for some reward. Besides, we're buying clothes for your company's image, right, Xiaowei?"
Luo Xiaowei chuckled as she put away the money. It was only right for her to work for Zhao Qiang and receive a salary. Besides, she had previously stated that she would enjoy the same treatment as Xu Xiaoya. The amount of 50,000 yuan had already exceeded her expectations. It seemed that her boss, Zhao Qiang, was not stingy at all. Moreover, Zhao Qiang had emphasized that this was only a year-end bonus and probably did not include her salary.
As Hu Xiaojiang watched Zhao Qiang distribute the 100,000 yuan he had just received, he flattered him, saying, "Good, Lao Zhao, you treat money like dirt."
Xu Xiaoya and Luo Xiaowei chattered excitedly about where to go shopping tomorrow. After all, they were still students and had all the hobbies of young girls. Even the usually composed Luo Xiaowei had excitement on her face.
Zhao Qiang had been wanting to say something for the past few days. Since he had a few drinks today and everyone was here, he thought for a moment before speaking: "Actually, there's something I've been thinking about for several days. Since everyone's here today, I'll just say it and you can see if it's feasible."
It turned out that Zhao Qiang had something else to say, so Luo Xiaowei left without looking for information and sat down next to Xu Xiaoya to wait for Zhao Qiang to continue. The two women thought it might be about company decisions. Meanwhile, Hu Xiaojiang ate and drank heartily, oblivious to everyone else.
Zhao Qiang said, "In the past two months, Shunfeng Technology's sales have not only not declined, but have increased every day. In addition to the price advantage of our goods, I think the most important point is that you, squad leader, have excellent business skills."
Xu Xiaoya pretended to sigh: "Oh dear, it's not easy to get your approval. I thought you were going to give me a lecture, but it turned out to be a commendation. You could have said this during the day at work, or during the year-end summary."
Zhao Qiang said, "This isn't a commendation; you'll understand once you listen. Besides, regarding Qimingdeng Technology Company, from patent registration to factory construction and worker recruitment and training, everything was done single-handedly by my junior sister Luo Xiaowei, while she also had to ensure her studies at school weren't neglected. The hardships she endured are beyond what ordinary people can comprehend."
Xu Xiaoya pouted: "You said it wasn't a commendation, but here comes Junior Sister Luo again. I think we should wait until Liu Dazhuang and the other two come to work tomorrow before announcing it to everyone. That way, we'll look good too."
Liu Dazhuang, Hu Le, and Wang Xiaonian are now almost always stationed at Shunfeng Technology Company. Zhao Qiang gives each of them a formal salary of 2,200 yuan, which is considered quite good in Donghai City. After all, it is not easy for recent graduates to earn this salary, and the work is also very easy. They help sell some goods in the business hall or help Xu Xiaoya deliver goods.
Zhao Qiang said, "Squad leader, I have more to do. It can be said that without the help of the two of you, we wouldn't be where we are today. In fact, you have put more effort into these two companies than I have. You should be the real owners of these companies. So I have decided to convert the total assets of the two companies into shares, with each of you owning 50 percent of your respective companies."
"Ah." The three people in the finance department were all taken aback. Xu Xiaoya exaggeratedly picked at her ear, thinking she had misheard. Hu Xiaojiang's half-eaten piece of meat fell onto the coffee table. He thought Zhao Qiang hadn't drunk much yet but was already drunk.
Let's calculate Zhao Qiang's total assets. He received over 300,000 yuan from Hu Xiaojiang's special effects video, and Hu Qian's initial 500,000 yuan prepayment was also in place. Later, he received over 1.2 million yuan in sales revenue. (Although the super optimization software didn't make as much money as expected, it still provided some income; otherwise, Hu Qian would have gone bankrupt long ago.) He handed over all of this 2 million yuan in cash to Luo Xiaowei. From patent registration to the completion of the automated assembly line, this 2 million yuan disappeared. Later, Zhao Qiang had to withdraw 200,000 yuan in cash from Shunfeng Technology to buy electronic components. However, after only five days of production, Luo Xiaowei's funds were running out again. Just then, Hu Qian sent over 800,000 yuan in sales revenue, which he also gave to Luo Xiaowei in one go. It's estimated that they can only keep production going until after New Year's Day. Based on this, Qimingdeng Electronics' total assets should be around 3 million yuan, including 1 million yuan in inventory. If this 1 million yuan in inventory were sold at retail price, it would bring in about 5 million yuan in cash. If sold wholesale, it would only be around 3 million yuan. Even if we calculate it at 3 million yuan, plus fixed assets, it still reaches 5 million yuan! Zhao Qiang is now saying he'll give half of the five million to Luo Xiaowei!
The accounts for Shunfeng Technology are easy to calculate. The working capital and inventory together amount to more than 500,000 yuan. Adding the 200,000 yuan that was borrowed to Qimingdeng Electronics, the total is 700,000 yuan. Zhao Qiang also considered that the share that Luo Xiaowei received was completely unequal to that of Xu Xiaoya, so he added: "I have decided to agree to the cooperation with Hu Qian on antivirus software and browsers. This part of the revenue will be counted in Shunfeng Technology Company, and the class monitor will also have half of the revenue rights."
(Thanks to God's Father for the 1888 Qidian Coins reward!!! Thank you to smilelibra for the reward!!! Also, please give some votes to support Xiaoqiang.)
Volume 2 [096] Each Takes a Step Back
Xu Xiaoya finally came to her senses and shouted, "Zhao Qiang, you've gone mad!"
Zhao Qiang said seriously, "No, I'm not crazy. This is what you deserve. To be honest, if it weren't for your help, I, Zhao Qiang, would still be a college student working odd jobs, at most running a small company and running around doing business and building relationships. In fact, you achieved this success, while I took away the fruits of your labor."
Xu Xiaoya said, "But do you know how much revenue browser traffic revenue will generate in the future? Do you know how vast the market for fast chargers will be? Are you just going to give up half of that value like this? Are you crazy?"
Zhao Qiang said nonchalantly, "By my standards when I was working, I was content as long as I didn't starve. Besides, I can still drink and eat meat now."
Luo Xiaowei spoke up, "I'm sorry, Zhao Qiang, I appreciate your kindness, but I don't agree with your proposed distribution method. This 50,000 is already the result of our labor over this period of time, and you don't need to make any further contributions."
Zhao Qiang's expression was very firm. He had been watching Xu Xiaoya and Luo Xiaowei work day and night for the company, and he felt uneasy. He felt that he owed them too much. Zhao Qiang said simply, "If you don't agree, let's just dissolve the company tomorrow. Anyway, I can't run it on my own."
Hu Xiaojiang quickly stepped in to smooth things over, saying, "I say, the three of you can talk this over. What about my sister's side if the company is dissolved? Let me analyze it for you. Old Zhao feels that you two have made huge contributions to the company, and he feels bad that you haven't received the compensation you deserve. On the other hand, you two feel that this is depriving others of their property, so you are unwilling to accept it. Actually, it's not a big deal. Both sides can lower their standards. It's very normal for a joint-stock company. For example, in my Flying Bird Studio, I allocated two percent of the shares to each member. This way, everyone can be more motivated to run the company well. President Xu, President Luo, you two tell me what kind of company shares you can accept."
Xu Xiaoya said, "If the revenue sharing from browser traffic goes to Shunfeng Technology Company, I think I would get more than 0.1 percent."
Hu Xiaojiang turned to Zhao Qiang and said, "Old Zhao, look at you, you've scared President Xu half to death! My estimate is that the Black Browser's annual revenue should be over 500 million, and you should get no less than 200 million or even more. Giving half to President Xu would be at least 100 million! My goodness, I'm shocked! And let's analyze President Xu's 0.1%, that's 20,000. President Xu, you've been working so hard all year and you only ask for this little salary? Your employees are too easily satisfied. So, shouldn't both sides make some concessions?"
Hu Xiaojiang is truly a genius. After he said that, Xu Xiaoya also felt that she had been taken advantage of. She said, "Yes, I only get a 20,000 annual salary by risking being scolded by my dad. It's really not worth it. Let's raise it to one percent?"
Hu Xiaojiang said, "President Xu, you have too little confidence in yourself! With your figure and your face, you're definitely more than one percent!"
Xu Xiaoya reached out and pinched Hu Xiaojiang's waist: "Hu Xiaojiang! Are you saying I make a living based on my figure and face?"
Hu Xiaojiang cried out, "No, no, no, Mr. Xu, you've misunderstood. I meant that no company you work for would offer you more than 200,000 yuan a year, right?"
Xu Xiaoya replied, "I never thought about it. I thought that earning an annual salary of 100,000 yuan after graduation would be good."
Hu Xiaojiang slammed his hand on the table and said, "Five percent, is that settled? If you have any objections, then we'll part ways. Zhao Qiang will dissolve the company, and you can all go back to school to study. If you have no objections, then we'll do it this way. There are plenty of companies in big companies with million-dollar annual salaries."
Luo Xiaowei glanced at Xu Xiaoya, indicating that she would wait for Xu Xiaoya to make a decision. In fact, although Qimingdeng Electronics Company is not very profitable at present, if fast chargers are promoted in the future, the patent royalties paid by countries around the world will be astronomical! This includes Luo Xiaowei's five percent of the profits.
Xu Xiaoya considered for a moment and said, "Okay, five percent it is. But I have a condition: we must have full control over the company. Zhao Qiang, you can't be an outsider leading an expert and giving orders randomly. You can't just push inventory on me or raise prices whenever you want."
Before Zhao Qiang could even voice his opinion, Hu Xiaojiang gritted his teeth and said, "I'm really dumbfounded. It's one thing for you to reluctantly accept the money Old Zhao gives you, but he even comes with conditions."
Xu Xiaoya said, "Anyway, that's what I think. If you agree, fine. If you don't, I'll go back to school right away. I've been skipping classes for so long, and I really miss the days at school. What do you think, Junior Sister Luo?"
Luo Xiaowei nodded in agreement. Hu Xiaojiang thought Zhao Qiang would try to bargain, but Zhao Qiang said instead, "Okay, I don't have any management skills to begin with. You guys do what you think is best. Even if you lose the whole company, it doesn't matter. We started from scratch, so we can always start over."
Hu Xiaojiang gave a thumbs up: "Old Zhao, you're so generous! Let's have a drink, and also to celebrate the two sisters being promoted to the company's board of directors!"
Unexpectedly, Xu Xiaoya, who enjoys drinking, waved her hand and said, "I'm not drinking anymore. I need to discuss the promotional strategy for tomorrow night with Xiaowei. My main products are computers and consumables, so there aren't many big selling points. But the fast charger is different. We can't take this lightly! If this battle fails, the investment of more than three million yuan will be wasted!"
That night, Xu Xiaoya and Luo Xiaowei studied in the inner bedroom of the Science and Technology Department until midnight, while Zhao Qiang slept the most sound and sweetest sleep. In the past, when he saw Xu Xiaoya and Luo Xiaowei running around for the company, he always felt guilty. Now that they were also the owners of the company, it seemed that their hard work was justified. No wonder they promoted the shareholding system to let the workers be the masters. So this is the benefit.
A day passed quickly. After finishing his computer repairs, Zhao Qiang also fixed the 42-inch LCD TV that Shan Hongfei had brought. Now Zhao Qiang was quite skilled at physical repairs, and with Xiao Wei's guidance, he found the faulty electronic components in the shortest amount of time. Then he found suitable replacements at the spare parts counter, soldered them on, plugged it in, and tested it. OK, done. With Xiao Wei as his repair assistant, what can't he fix?
Zhao Qiang opened a Word document and began writing his paper. Yes, it was a paper. Zhao Qiang had already obtained Professor Gu's analysis report on the scraps from the black box. An expert is an expert; he analyzed all the substances contained within clearly and successfully discovered an unknown substance, which he would temporarily refer to as Professor Gu's initial "G". However, Professor Gu couldn't figure out what role this substance played in the entire material. What Zhao Qiang needed to do now was to use this very vague paper to tell Professor Gu as much as possible about the properties of substance 'A'.
This is a hundred times more difficult than repair. Zhao Qiang has now mastered the principles and production methods of substance 'A', but conveying this knowledge to Professor Gu without leaving a trace is no easy task. Unfortunately, Xiao Wei is not good at such roundabout things, and she is afraid that Professor Gu will see through her fabricated paper at a glance. Therefore, this matter must be handled by Zhao Qiang himself.
After spending an hour carefully crafting over three hundred words, Zhao Qiang sighed and closed his computer screen. It seemed unlikely he'd finish in a week or two. Liu Dazhuang, Hu Le, and Wang Xiaonian finished get off work, locked up the office, said goodbye to Zhao Qiang, and went out to take the bus back to school. Since they'd be starting their internships next year and the year-end was approaching, the serious pressure from the midterm exams had long since dissipated. Instead of going to the study room to catch up on the day's classes, the four of them continued their gaming sessions at the internet cafe.
The main door closed, but the side door remained open. Before long, Xu Xiaoya and Luo Xiaowei entered together. Both of them were wearing oversized down jackets, making it impossible to see what they were wearing underneath. However, just by looking at their hairstyles, it was clear that they had just returned from the hair salon. They had been preparing for this business cocktail party all day, and had bought five or six bags of clothes alone.
Volume 2 [097] Another story unfolds
Seeing Zhao Qiang wandering aimlessly in the yard, Xu Xiaoya said, "Zhao Qiang, I unloaded two boxes from the trunk of my car. When we get back tonight, let's have a Christmas Eve celebration!"
Zhao Qiang went to the door and opened the trunk of Xu Xiaoya's Passat. There were two boxes containing various cooked foods and four cases of Tsingtao canned beer. Zhao Qiang said, "Damn, can we drink now? I'm not planning to sleep tonight."
Xu Xiaoya chuckled and said, "Yes, it's Christmas Eve, how can we sleep? We'll wait for Junior Sister Xiaowei and me to come back."
Seeing that it was almost time, Xu Xiaoya and Luo Xiaowei left in one car. After wishing them a triumphant return, Zhao Qiang went back to his room, opened a can of beer, and started eating roast chicken and sausage. He had just given them bonuses yesterday, so this was their way of treating him to a meal, which saved him the trouble of cooking instant noodles.
Just as he was enjoying his meal, his phone rang. Zhao Qiang put down the sausage in his hand, took out his phone, and saw it was his mother calling. He quickly grabbed a tissue to wipe his hands and mouth and answered the call attentively.
"Xiaoqiang, it's Mom."
Zhao Qiang asked, "Mom, how have you been lately?"
Liu Huilan said, "Good, very good. Your father hasn't been to town to unload cement these past few days, and his health is much better than before."
Zhao Qiang said happily, "That's good. I'll send some more money home before New Year's Day. You and Dad can spend it as much as you want, but you must take good care of your health."
Liu Huilan quickly stopped her, saying, "No, you can't send money home anymore. You need capital for your business, right? You haven't even spent the money you sent home last time. By the way, Xiaoqiang, what about that shop you mentioned that got vandalized...?"
Zhao Qiang said, "Mom, it's all over now. I have a senior brother who helped me out, so no one dares to cause trouble for me now."
Liu Huilan said happily, "Really? Then we really have to thank them properly. How about this, since you have a holiday for New Year's Day, when you go home, your mother can prepare some things for you to take to your senior brother. You should at least express your gratitude."
Zhao Qiang considered to himself that the thesis shouldn't be in a hurry, and as for the repair work, a few days' delay wouldn't matter. He could also take advantage of the New Year's Day holiday to go home and visit his family. So Zhao Qiang agreed, "Okay, I'll go home to see you and Dad for New Year's Day."
After finishing his phone call with his mother and having a full meal, it was already dark outside and no one could see anything. Suddenly, Zhao Qiang's phone rang again. He saw it was Xu Xiaoya's number. They should be starting their party by now. Why was she calling? Could it be that she was dressed up too beautifully and attracted too many men, so he needed to go and save the day? Zhao Qiang had a wicked thought.
"Hey, squad leader, why are you calling me instead of busy with social engagements?"
Xu Xiaoya said, "What a bad day. The Holiday Inn is doing exterior renovations, and for some reason, first the power went out, and now that the power is back on, the background lights and background music aren't working. The city government staff are really worried. Could you hurry up and bring all your tools to help fix it? They'll pay you."
Zhao Qiang glanced at the strong winds outside and said, "There are no maintenance workers at the hotel. It's already dark outside, and the wind is so strong."
Xu Xiaoya said, "The hotel's maintenance workers are terrible. They've been working on it for over half an hour and still can't fix it. You can drive my car over here. The key is in my coat pocket in the bedroom."
Zhao Qiang said, "Forget it, I don't have a driver's license. Wait, I'll take a taxi."
Xu Xiaoya must have been bragging to the staff about how strong Shunfeng Technology's repair capabilities were, which is why he's going to have to make another trip. He'll definitely need a three-proof shirt, X-ray glasses, and of course, a super screwdriver. He'll also need to change into running shoes. As for Xiao Wei, she'll have to come along, otherwise, who will Zhao Qiang consult if he can't handle something?