After Zhao Yutong finished speaking, the dormitory fell silent for a moment.
Lin Xuemei and Li Hongying exchanged a glance, clearly showing some interest.
They had considered that, as the project progressed, the most troublesome part was not the theoretical part, but a large number of trivial and headache-inducing little things.
For example, contacting interviewees, scheduling appointments, printing and photocopying, and organizing materials may seem simple, but they are extremely energy-consuming, and yet no one can refuse them.
Often, in their race against time to discuss the project proposal, they would find themselves with a lot of time being cut off by these little things, which inevitably made them feel a bit irritable.
Zhao Yutong is right.
If someone could take over these tasks, it would certainly save a lot of effort.
Furthermore, they weren't unaware of the "confidence" in Zhao Yutong's words.
When Zhao Yutong spoke of her parents, her tone was gentle, yet carried a hint of unintentional certainty.
Their families have connections and resources, and can even help them connect with startups, which is exactly what they lack most.
After all, it was still 1995. Although entrepreneurship was gradually emerging in cities like Jiangcheng, it was not easy to find suitable cases and connections.
College students have even fewer social resources.
If we can truly leverage this support, it would be a godsend for the project.
Lin Xuemei was even a little tempted, secretly thinking: if it were just as an employee, it would indeed be a good choice.
They didn't suffer any losses either.
But Ye Linchen was not moved.
She looked at Zhao Yutong, her gaze slightly hardening.
Zhao Yutong's eyes were bright, and her smile was sweet. She seemed to be full of sincerity, but the more she acted this way, the stronger the vague unease in Ye Linchen's heart became.
She understood Zhao Yutong's thoughts. It's not surprising that a student who has just entered university is eager to integrate, eager to find value, eager to walk alongside her seniors, and even willing to take on a small role of "learning while doing".
The problem is...
The resources and connections that Zhao Yutong mentioned are by no means trivial matters.
If Zhao Yutong's family connections were truly involved, her role couldn't simply be that of a "jack-of-all-trades."
In the later stages, even if it's not explicitly stated in the team, the scales in people's minds will inevitably tip: who contributed more and who got less?
This imbalance is most likely to trigger conflict.
Ye Linchen's past life experiences taught her that people's hearts are often not as simple as they appear on the surface.
Zhao Yutong may be genuinely enthusiastic about learning now, but what about a year or two later?
If she becomes dissatisfied due to the unequal contribution of her efforts and threatens to leave, or even turns on the team, that would be a fatal blow to the team.
Thinking of this, Ye Linchen's caution deepened even further.
But she did not immediately reject Zhao Yutong.
I understand why you want to join.
Ye Linchen hesitated for a moment before speaking slowly, trying to keep his tone gentle, "But our current project isn't just a matter for one or two people. There's also a girl on our initial team whom you haven't met. Whether she agrees to let you join is also very important. So I can't make the decision on my own right now."
She paused, then added, "We'll have a meeting and discuss it with her, and then we'll give you a clear answer."
These words were spoken politely yet left room for maneuver, neither outright refusing nor making definitive statements, leaving no room for criticism.
Zhao Yutong was stunned for a moment, then quickly smiled, her smile still obedient and gentle.
"Okay, senior, I'm willing to wait."
When she said this, her eyes were clear and her tone was sincere, as if she was truly entrusting the decision-making power to Ye Linchen with complete peace of mind.
But no one present noticed that her fingers, hanging at her sides, tightened slightly before quickly relaxing and returning to their natural state.
For a fleeting moment, a glint flashed in her eyes, but it was quickly concealed by her docile expression.
The meeting regarding Zhao Yutong joining the team did not take too long.
The group had previously agreed to hold a meeting at Ye Linchen's rented apartment the following day at noon to report on their recent work.
This is a good opportunity to discuss Zhao Yutong's matter.
Lin Xiaojuan was the first to arrive at Ye Linchen's rented apartment.
As soon as she entered, she put her schoolbag on the table and casually asked, "Lin Chen, didn't you go to the city library yesterday? How did the investigation go?"
Ye Linchen nodded and briefly explained his discovery of the paper he found in the magazine yesterday, as well as Zhao Yutong's desire to join.
Finally, he added, "We might need to discuss today whether or not to let her join the team."
Lin Xiaojuan is a computer science major and is in charge of the technical aspects of the project. She's usually busy researching the integration of finance and electronic technology and is also trying to build financial models using programming. After listening, she frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and said, "I think I understand. I don't quite understand your predicament, but let me think about it first, and I'll share my thoughts at the meeting later."
Not long after, Lin Xuemei and Li Hongying arrived.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the meeting officially began.
Regarding Zhao Yutong, Lin Xuemei was the first to speak: "I think she's quite sincere. If she's really willing to do some trivial things, we can save a lot of time. These little things are actually the most energy-consuming."
Li Hongying nodded and continued, "Yes, and she also said that her family has connections that can help. This is indeed a great help to us."
Lin Xiaojuan pondered for a moment and then shared her opinion: "If she can really do all that, I wouldn't mind her joining. But I'm a little worried about whether she's reliable or not."
Seeing that Lin Xuemei and Li Hongying looked puzzled, she explained, "I remember Xiao Chen mentioned before that when she first went to tutoring, she found that Zhao Yutong's grades were not right. Later she found out that Zhao Yutong's good grades in the early stages were achieved by cheating."
Li Hongying was taken aback: "Cheating? That would be troublesome."
Ye Linchen nodded: "Yes. That's what I'm worried about too. She's probably not a bad person, and it's fine to be friends with her."
"But this shows that she's someone who likes to take shortcuts."
"During her senior year of high school, she was forced into a corner. With her mother constantly watching over her and me tutoring her, she finally worked hard and got into Jiangcheng University."
"This shows she's smart and capable of learning. But without high-pressure constraints, will she revert to her old habits?"
Lin Xuemei's brows furrowed slightly: "You mean, she might not be reliable enough? Perhaps she'll try to find shortcuts and get by when faced with difficulties?"
"yes."
Ye Linchen answered crisply and decisively. She paused, her gaze sweeping over the project proposal on the table.
"Cheating in studies is a minor matter, but in projects, even the slightest bit of opportunism can ruin all our previous efforts. What we need is someone who can share the burden, not someone who just talks a good game."
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