After Lin Xiaojuan finished her demonstration, Wang Lijun stared at the buzzing computer screen, as if trying to etch the numbers and lines on it into his brain.
His mouth was slightly open, his Adam's apple bobbed up and down, and after a long while, he seemed to come back to his senses, pulling his gaze from the screen and turning it to Ye Linchen.
"Student Ye," Wang Lijun cleared his throat and asked directly, "How...how do you want to cooperate?"
Ye Linchen saw the light in his eyes, but her face remained calm, without the slightest hint of smugness.
"Right now, all we have is a very basic model, which can only make the simplest risk assessments based on existing data. But our ideas go beyond that."
Her gaze swept over Wang Lijun and the several partners behind him.
“We want to add more ‘possibilities’ to this. For example, can we simulate how long a company’s cash reserves can last if a financial crisis occurs or the government suddenly raises loan interest rates significantly? Will its cash flow be disrupted?”
"That is, complete scenario analysis and stress testing functions," Lin Xiaojuan summarized.
"That's not all," Ye Linchen continued. "We also want to add a cash management module that can help companies predict cash flow for the next few months and provide early warnings of potential cash shortages. Another example is a marketing optimization module. If a company spends money on advertising, how many customers does it actually bring in, and is the money well spent? The software should be able to calculate that."
After Ye Linchen finished speaking, the office became even quieter.
The people at Sanmu Software looked at each other, their faces filled with shock.
Previously, they only made small software programs for bookkeeping and inventory management, earning only hard-earned money.
What Ye Linchen described was a grand blueprint that they dared not even imagine.
Lin Xiaojuan added from the side: "Simply put, it's about developing a highly functional professional financial risk control software based on my model. But... I can't do it on my own. The amount of programming involved is enormous; even if I worked day and night, it would take me several years."
She looked at Wang Lijun, a smile in her eyes.
"If we cooperate, I hope to be involved in the entire software development process from the beginning. I don't want to delegate the technical aspects to others. It's up to you whether you're willing to take on this task."
Ye Linchen added, "I've seen the software you've developed; it's related to finance and has received positive feedback, which shows you're capable of developing this software. If you're interested in collaborating, we can sit down and discuss the terms. Price is negotiable. This isn't our first time dealing with each other; we know each other well. If there are any issues, let's put them on the table."
Wang Lijun did not answer immediately.
He subconsciously touched the stubble that had just sprouted on his chin, turned to look at his colleagues, and seeing that they were also a little confused, he discussed it with Ye Linchen.
"Ye, this... this collaboration came up a bit suddenly, and there's so much information involved. How about this, give us ten minutes, and we can go back inside and meet up to discuss it. You don't mind, do you?"
"Of course I don't mind." Ye Linchen shook his head decisively and made a "please do as you please" gesture. "You guys discuss it, we'll wait."
Wang Lijun nodded and immediately led the people from Sanmu Software back to the conference room.
Once the door closed, only Ye Linchen and three others remained in the office.
Zhao Yutong and Li Hongying exchanged a glance, both seeing tension in each other's eyes.
This was their first time coming out to discuss cooperation with the company.
Lin Xiaojuan clasped her hands on her knees, clicking away at her mechanical pencil. Her eyes, however, were fixed on the tips of her shoes, her heart pounding with anxiety.
She was afraid that Wang Lijun and his men wouldn't dare to accept the offer, and she was also afraid that they would make exorbitant demands and propose conditions that Ye Linchen could not accept.
This software is like a child she has carried for ten months; she desperately hopes it can be "born" smoothly.
Only Ye Linchen seemed the most composed.
She picked up the cup of tea on the table, which had already gone cold, and took a slow, deliberate sip.
He was quickly making a mental calculation.
The "pie" she painted for Wang Lijun was huge, but she also knew that realizing it would be equally difficult.
What she and Lin Xiaojuan could offer was core algorithms and advanced concepts, but turning all of this into mature, operational, and marketable software required an experienced team like Wang Lijun.
As for the price, they had already discussed it before they came.
The initial development costs were shared by her and Lin Xiaojuan.
They have decided that regardless of whether they receive funding from the school, they will start their own company, and this software is the foundation of the company.
If you do it well, even if you can't find a partner, you can still apply for a patent for the software and make a fortune just by selling the software usage rights.
On the other side, in the small conference room, the atmosphere was as boiling as water.
"Take it! We have to take it!" A man nicknamed Skinny Monkey was the first to slam his fist on the table, his face flushed with excitement. "Old Wang, what are you hesitating for? This is such a huge opportunity! If we can make this, we won't be just dabbling like we are now; we'll become a real high-tech company!"
The other, slightly overweight partner shook his head repeatedly, looking worried: "What are we going to take on? Did you even understand what they're going to do? How much manpower and resources will that require? We only have a few dollars in our accounts right now. Once this project starts, all the odd jobs we're doing will have to stop, and we'll have to throw ourselves into it. If something goes wrong, we'll all be starving!"
"What's there to be afraid of! The bold will thrive, while the timid will starve!"
"This isn't a matter of being bold or cowardly, it's a matter of putting food on the table!"
The sounds of arguing could be faintly heard through the thin door panel.
Wang Lijun remained silent, leaning against the wall, his mind racing, contemplating a chasm between a bottomless abyss and a golden road.
After a long silence, he said in a deep voice, "Stop arguing."
He raised his head, his bloodshot eyes flashing with determination: "We can't just take this project as a 'job'."
Everyone was taken aback.
“Think about it,” Wang Lijun began, “If we’re just taking money to do the job, and the software is completed, they’ll get the lion’s share, and we’ll only get a small fee for our work. But I believe you all see the value of this software. Once it’s completed, its future value will far exceed the value of the orders we’re currently handling!”
"So what do you mean?" the skinny monkey asked tentatively.
Wang Lijun said, word by word, "We won't charge development fees. Not a single penny. But we want shares in this software! We will jointly own this software with them!"
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