About fifteen minutes later, the meeting room door opened.

Wang Lijun walked out, followed by several people whose expressions varied, but all showed a resolute determination to burn their bridges.

Ye Linchen looked up and saw Wang Lijun's expression, and then he knew what was going on.

Wang Lijun walked up to them, but instead of sitting down, he stood and solemnly said, "Student Ye, we've reached an agreement. We're willing to cooperate."

Lin Xiaojuan's eyes lit up instantly.

“However,” Wang Lijun changed the subject, “we have a condition.”

"Please speak," Ye Linchen nodded to him.

"We didn't charge a single penny for developing this software."

When Wang Lijun said this, even Ye Linchen looked surprised.

He then revealed his true purpose.

"However, we demand that we jointly own the software with your company. All profits generated by the software in the future, whether sold to other companies or used by us to take on projects, will be split 50/50."

This proposal was completely beyond Ye Linchen's initial expectations.

She had expected it to be a tug-of-war over development costs, but she hadn't anticipated that Wang Lijun's ambitions were far greater. He didn't want short-term profits; he wanted a long-term, mutually beneficial partnership.

She didn't answer immediately, her fingers tapping lightly on the table unconsciously.

A 50/50 split means they have to give up half of their profits.

On the other hand, this also means that Miki Software will treat this project like its own child, and will devote 200% of its energy and resources to it.

Sharing risks and benefits creates a more stable cooperative relationship.

But the downsides are even more fatal.

This software is the foundation of their business and their trump card in the future battles in the business world.

If you jointly own it, it's like handing over half of your lifeline to someone else.

Now that we're working together happily, it's natural that we're both doing well.

But what about the future?

What if the two sides have different development philosophies? What if Wang Lijun and his group want to use this software to do business that Ye Linchen does not approve of? What if they use the software's subsequent development and maintenance to "choke" them?

Moreover, the core of this software is Lin Xiaojuan's model and Ye Linchen's forward-thinking business concept.

They provide the "soul," while Sanmu Software only provides the "body."

Giving up 50 percent of the profits and ownership is fundamentally unfair.

Just as Ye Linchen's mind was racing, she felt her sleeve being gently tugged.

She turned her head and saw Lin Xiaojuan leaning over, lowering her voice and saying urgently in a volume only the two of them could hear, "Lin Chen, no! Joint ownership is too risky! The development ideas all depend on our guidance, and the framework is mine too. Splitting it 50/50 is too unfair to us!"

Lin Xiaojuan's voice was urgent, as if she was afraid that Ye Linchen would be misled by the "win-win cooperation" promises made by the other party.

Ye Linchen gave her a reassuring look and nodded gently, signaling her to calm down.

Her thoughts coincided with Lin Xiaojuan's.

The silence, lasting only a dozen seconds, felt like an eternity.

Wang Lijun still had a smile on his face, but his eyes revealed a hint of tension. The "skinny monkey" and others behind him didn't dare to breathe, staring intently at Ye Linchen, waiting for the final verdict.

Finally, Ye Linchen raised his head again, meeting Wang Lijun's expectant gaze.

“I’m sorry,” she said clearly, “we cannot accept this proposal. This software is a core asset of our company, and we do not accept joint ownership.”

Wang Lijun's smile froze instantly. He clearly hadn't expected that his proposal, which he considered sincere and mutually beneficial, would be rejected so thoroughly, without even a shred of room for negotiation.

His partners behind him also looked on in astonishment, exchanging bewildered glances.

The atmosphere became extremely awkward.

Ye Linchen, however, seemed oblivious to the awkwardness.

She stood up from the chair and straightened the hem of her clothes.

“It’s alright.” Her tone remained calm. “We’re all in business, so of course we’ll choose the option that’s most advantageous to ourselves. Although this collaboration didn’t go through, the cooperation we agreed on before can still continue. If you change your mind later and want to cooperate with us as a pure developer, you can contact us at any time.”

Her words were perfectly worded, demonstrating her firm stance while also saving face for the other party.

After saying that, she winked at Lin Xiaojuan and the others: "Let's go."

Lin Xiaojuan and the other two immediately stood up, ready to leave with her.

Seeing that Ye Linchen and the other three had reached the door and were almost touching the doorknob, Wang Lijun finally snapped out of his shock.

"Ye, wait a minute!"

He spoke urgently, his voice carrying a hint of panic that he himself was unaware of.

He quickened his pace and blocked their way.

Ye Linchen stopped and turned to look at him, her eyes calm and unwavering, as if asking: Is there anything else?

Fine beads of sweat had already seeped from Wang Lijun's forehead.

Looking at the young girl in front of him, who possessed a maturity and decisiveness far beyond her years, he felt a strong sense of defeat.

He knew he had misjudged the student; he thought he was someone he could control, but he hadn't expected the other party to be a formidable negotiating opponent.

He gritted his teeth, as if making a huge concession and lowering his stance.

"Student Ye, how about this... how about we split it 20/80? You get 80%, we get 20%! We only take 20% of the shares, isn't that a very reasonable split? We provide the technology and manpower, and only take 20% of the profits, just to be friends!"

This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!