Ye Linchen and the other two were stunned for a moment when they heard Zhao Yutong's suggestion.
The air was silent for several seconds, with only the sound of footsteps coming from the dormitory corridor and the laughter of students in the distance.
Li Hongying glanced at Lin Xuemei subconsciously, her eyes filled with hesitation.
Lin Xuemei returned her glance, their hearts in sync.
The word "difficult" actually came to both of their minds at the same time.
It's not that they're stingy or unwilling to let new people join, but this project is really not easy.
From the initial market positioning to researching materials and revising the plan again and again, every step requires a lot of time and effort.
Even for two "top students" like them, following Ye Linchen's lead often left them feeling overwhelmed, and it was common for them to stay up until the early hours of the morning.
If they were to mentor a new student who had just entered the school, they could almost imagine that they would have to explain things from scratch again and again and tutor her, and the "teaching cost" alone would be much higher than if they did it themselves.
Moreover, as a freshman, Zhao Yutong's major courses haven't even officially started yet.
Whether she's interested in continuing or whether she can keep up is anyone's guess.
If we give up halfway, it will be a waste of time and energy for everyone.
An old saying even flashed through Li Hongying's mind: "Mentoring newcomers is a thankless task."
She pursed her lips, not daring to speak.
Lin Xuemei thought about it more carefully, and she frowned.
Another concern is that they are not familiar with Zhao Yutong.
Although Ye Linchen had tutored her before, it was only a teacher-student relationship that lasted a few months.
Explaining problems and providing tutoring in class does not constitute true understanding.
If they get along well, that's fine. But if they don't get along, or if they have disagreements, they have to be very careful to take care of her feelings.
We can't be like old friends, speaking our minds freely.
This approach may not be efficient and could even increase conflicts.
These concerns were not only shared by Li Hongying and Lin Xuemei, but also by Ye Linchen.
She remained silent for a moment, then carefully examined Zhao Yutong.
Zhao Yutong, however, was eager to try, her face full of anticipation.
However, in Ye Linchen's eyes, this expectation also carried a bit of the "blindness" often seen in young people.
She sighed inwardly.
Although there is still a year before the project application, time is not ample at all.
The basic framework of the planning proposal, market research, and the accumulation of practical cases all require a great deal of effort.
The three of them are already extremely busy. If a new person is added, the workload will inevitably be spread out, and the progress may be slowed down.
After thinking it over, Ye Linchen finally decided to be upfront about it.
She softened her tone and frankly expressed her views.
“Yutong, I understand your feelings and I appreciate your interest in our project. However, you should know that our project is indeed quite complex. We are still in the early stages, and there are many tasks that even we ourselves find a bit challenging.”
Zhao Yutong was slightly taken aback, seemingly not expecting her to bring up difficulties so soon.
Ye Linchen continued, "You're only a freshman now, and you haven't started learning your major courses yet, so you might not be able to keep up with a lot of the knowledge for the time being. In addition, the coursework in the first year is actually very heavy. You need to adapt to the transition from high school to university, familiarize yourself with the school environment, and take care of various new courses and activities. All of these require time and energy."
She paused, then changed to a more tactful way of putting it.
"If you force yourself to get involved at this stage, it will probably put too much pressure on you, which will not only affect your studies, but may also make you lose enthusiasm for the project itself."
Zhao Yutong opened her mouth as if to say something, but then swallowed it back down.
Seeing her dejected expression, Ye Linchen smiled and added softly.
"Another point is that our startup support program is ultimately just a plan, and no one can guarantee that it will be selected. If it's not selected, all the time and effort we've put in could very well be wasted."
"What's worth the effort for us might not be the best choice for you, a freshman."
At this point, her tone became more forceful.
"Instead of exhausting yourself now only to end up with nothing, it's better to focus on your studies first."
"When you're a sophomore or junior, you'll be more familiar with the pace of school life. Maybe then you'll have projects that you like more and want to do more. It will be more prudent to start working on them then."
Her words were both straightforward and considerate.
The dormitory fell silent for a moment. Li Hongying and Lin Xuemei exchanged a glance and both secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
They didn't really know how to refuse Zhao Yutong, afraid of seeming petty, but luckily Ye Linchen spoke up for them.
Zhao Yutong lowered her head, her fingers gently twisting the strap of her schoolbag, her expression complicated.
She was clearly disappointed, but she could also hear the sincerity in Ye Linchen's words.
She remained silent for a moment, as if she was preparing something.
The dormitory light shone on her fair face, making her look obedient and docile, but her eyes shone with a defiant light.
"Senior, I understand your concerns, and I know I'm just a freshman now."
She nodded first, adopting a very humble posture, her attitude so gentle it was almost ingratiating.
Then, she gently bit her lip and bravely raised her head.
"But... after I enrolled in this major, I've been reading related books."
"Although there are still many parts I don't quite understand, it has at least made me increasingly interested in this field."
"Didn't you just mention that you wanted to contact some small startups?"
"My parents happen to have connections and financial resources; they can help you make the connection."
"Even if I can't personally help much at the moment, I can use my family connections to find more opportunities for your project."
These words were spoken casually, yet they still caused the three people in the dormitory to pause slightly in surprise.
That's one way to go.
Seeing that they didn't respond immediately, Zhao Yutong continued, "Besides, there's still a year before the official application, and I'm not about to catch up with you right away."
"This year, I can start from the basics and have some tedious little tasks delegated to me, such as organizing data, contacting interviewees, running errands to deliver materials..."
"These things may seem insignificant, but they are an indispensable part of the project."
She paused, lowering her voice even further, as if cautiously probing.
"By the time I apply next year, I'll be a sophomore, and I'll have taken some of the required courses, which will allow me to offer more substantial help."
"You don't need to treat me as a partner; just consider me your first 'employee.'"
"Senior, I really want to join you, even if it's just learning on the job, I hope to grow together with you."
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