Chapter 65 Selling Patents
Fang Zhuo ignored the email, but the next morning, several business personnel from Platinum Arrival still waited at the entrance of the JR team's base, carrying several bags full of gifts and smiling broadly, saying they wanted to come and discuss cooperation.
"Mr. Fang, if we cooperate, it will definitely be a win-win situation. Now that Platinum Chase has captured the largest share of the mecha market, it will definitely help you get the most generous patent fees. Why don't you give us priority consideration?"
As the portly middle-aged man spoke, he reached for the cigarettes and alcohol in his hand to hand to Fang Zhuo:
"Please accept this as a small token of my appreciation."
Fang Zhuo remained indifferent, showing no intention of reaching out.
Last time, he used Wu Yucun's related exposé post to lure people in. Just a few hours after posting that post, Platinum Drive's parent company immediately began to secretly retrieve virtual pod data located at the JR training base.
The other side's intentions are already very clear.
The person who took action was trying to confirm the specific information and identity of the person who had used the virtual pod, and wanted to know if the person mentioned in the post was Wu Yucun.
The only reason someone would care so much about the fate of supporting characters is because they once personally altered the original trajectory of these characters.
Although it's unknown whether other teammates of Lin Yuzheng, the male protagonist of the original novel "Broken Army Soul," were involved in interfering with the plot, at least Bocheng is definitely implicated.
Platinum Technology is a typical family business. Almost all the heads of various departments are members of the Zeng family. The only son of Platinum's largest shareholder is Zeng Ge, one of the teammates of the male protagonist Lin Yuzheng.
In the original story, Zeng is practically overflowing with advantages—a graduate of a prestigious university, with double degrees in mecha piloting and financial management, a height of 1.85 meters, loving parents, a privileged family background, a kind and generous personality, and two beagle dogs. On a dating website, he would be the kind of high-quality human being you'd expect.
When Fang Zhuo first saw the read command issued by the virtual pod, he was slightly surprised.
He couldn't fathom what Zenger's motives were in tampering with the careers of so many athletes.
Doing this wouldn't bring Zeng Ge any obvious benefit. There was no incentive for him, nor was it intended to deliberately interfere with the investment binding of the money-spraying system operators, since the previous operators hadn't even gotten close to Zeng Ge.
This person seems to have mutated after drinking nuclear wastewater; their transformation into a villain is inexplicable.
Jiang Yu stood right behind Fang Zhuo. Having followed his boss for so long, he knew perfectly well that Fang's heart was filled with unspeakable rage. Given Fang's initial attitude towards the invitation from Platinum Chase's business department, he was clearly deliberately trying to avoid cooperation.
Jiang Yu also acted quite tactlessly, seemingly lacking any self-awareness as an assistant. She would occasionally touch her nails or look at her shoes, but refused to help take the gift box from the person from the Platinum Driver business department.
The middle-aged man was clearly embarrassed, but he quickly composed himself and said with a smile:
"Mr. Fang, we would like to obtain the priority agency rights for your technology. That is, for the next four months until the end of the year, Platinum Technology will be the exclusive distributor of the new energy stone storage mech. You don't need to worry about anti-monopoly laws; Platinum will be fully responsible for any compensation in this regard."
"As compensation, we can appropriately increase the patent revenue sharing ratio. During these four months, Platinum Drive can pay you a patent fee of 3% of the mecha's selling price. Next year, this patent revenue sharing will be reduced to 1.9%."
Upon hearing this condition, the middle-aged man revealed a faint, confident smile.
He has already conceded a considerable amount of profit. Based on past negotiation experience, the smaller technology solution providers should be grateful by now and starting to inquire about the specific details of the profit-sharing agreement.
The first four months after the launch of the new model are a critical period for the market. Compared to the compensation under the Anti-Monopoly Law, Platinum's priority is to maintain its industry position.
Fang Zhuo smiled as well.
A 3% share of patent revenue? Platinum Drive is truly arrogant from top to bottom.
For small tech companies, partnering with Platinum is definitely a win-win situation. After all, Platinum owns the largest mech factory in the entire Star Alliance, firmly holding more than 80% of the market share. Most consumers who want to replace their mechs will certainly prioritize choosing a trustworthy company.
As long as sales increase, even if the patent revenue share is slightly lower, the final earnings will definitely be much higher than if there is no cooperation at all.
Unfortunately, Fang Zhuo's goal was not just to make money; he also wanted to bankrupt Bocheng.
"You're currently the best-selling mech brand in the entire Star Alliance, right?"
Fang Zhuo glanced at his watch; there were only ten minutes left before the next meeting. He planned to quickly brush off this employee from Platinum Cheng's business department.
"Yes, yes." The middle-aged man thought Fang Zhuo was about to change his mind, and a look of wild joy flashed across his face.
"Cherish this time when you're still number one on the sales charts, because you won't be anymore."
As soon as Fang Zhuo finished speaking, the other person's expression changed immediately.
His confident smile turned into an awkward, embarrassed laugh, and the man's expression froze on his face.
He curled one side of his lip into a subtle, mocking expression, then tried to forcefully stop Fang Zhuo:
"Mr. Fang, I really can't talk to you with this attitude. I can only say that next time you take the initiative to email Bocheng, the terms we offer you will definitely be far less than this."
Seeing the other party extend his hand, Jiang Yu seemed to be instantly activated, his actions were completely different from before, and he stepped aside to block the middle-aged man on the side of the road.
Fang Zhuo's voice was devoid of any extra emotion: "Is that so? I think you should be thinking about when Platinum will be unable to pay the business department's salaries, rather than when I will email Platinum. I suggest you think more about practical things."
The other person pointed at him and kept saying "you you you..." for a long time, but couldn't come up with a single rebuttal.
Yi Dian Dian couldn't help but silently complain in her mind: [Host, you have such a sharp tongue]
Fang Zhuo: [I was being very realistic. I already warned him that asset-heavy manufacturing companies like Bocheng can collapse even faster than internet companies. Once their cash flow stops, they can go from booming to bankrupt in just a day or two. Before they go bankrupt, they'll hold onto at least a month and a half's worth of salaries.]
If I were him, I would immediately go back and find out which companies Juke sold its patents to, then pack my things and prepare to switch jobs.
Yi Dian Dian thought about it for a moment with its tiny cyber brain. Although something seemed off, it was indeed the case, and the logic was flawless. It immediately changed its tune and began to flatter:
[Host, you're so kind~~ Mwah~]
Fang Zhuo: [...Thank you for the compliment]
At 10:30 a.m., he also met with several other companies that were at the top of the mecha sales rankings.
Unlike Platinum, these mecha companies combined only accounted for 16% of the market share last year.
Mecha technology has a high barrier to entry, and the basic quality of any product with capital investment is generally not bad. The difference between Platinum and these other companies is not in the quality of the product itself, but in the snowball effect brought about by advertising and economies of scale.
Unlike Platinum, which only sent staff from the business department, these other companies all sent leaders at the vice president level or above, showing a world of difference in the level of importance they attached to the project.
For them, Fang Zhuo's technology was a lifesaver that allowed them to turn their sales around.
Fang Zhuo didn't exchange many pleasantries and went straight to the point:
"Hello everyone, there are two prerequisites for the Juke New Energy Mecha patent cooperation: first, the patent revenue sharing must reach 8% of the mecha's selling price; second, we will only sell patent technology for A-level and below mechas, and S-level technology will not be sold to external parties for the time being."
This condition is actually quite demanding, after all, the cost of mecha is not low, and the profit margin is not as glamorous as rumored online. But rather than being slowly squeezed out by Platinum Chaser, these companies are more willing to give up some profits and strive for higher sales.
After Fang Zhuo finished speaking, the companies present discussed the matter in hushed tones for a moment, but when the discussion ended, none of them chose to withdraw.
These companies were clearly much more sincere than Platinum Drive. Several CEOs even took the initiative to step forward and shake hands with Fang Zhuo, their eyes filled with sincerity, looking at him as if he were a god of wealth.
These companies all brought their lawyers in advance, and the contracts were reached quickly. Several vice presidents didn't even have time for pleasantries and went to the window to call headquarters to report the good news.
Fang Zhuo then walked up to the vice president of one of the mecha manufacturers, exchanged a few polite words, and said directly:
"Mr. Ge, would it be convenient for you to take me to your S-class mecha factory?"
Ge Weiming looked pleasantly surprised and quickly gestured for him to proceed.
"Of course, it's convenient, I'm available anytime."
Giant Technology immediately invested billions in theoretical research and development. Such financial reserves and excellent cash flow are something that many mecha manufacturers cannot achieve. Faced with such a company with a deep and mysterious background, Ge Weiming certainly dared not be negligent in the slightest.
The company he works for, Yuanchuang Mecha, is a brand that is well-regarded but not commercially successful. Yuanchuang Mecha was originally an OEM manufacturer for major mecha brands, and its boss only started his own business eight years ago.
Although the brand itself is not well-known, their manufacturing quality and craftsmanship details far surpass those of their peers, and they are also the official suppliers of many top e-sports teams.
The big boss firmly believes that the market has a discerning eye, so he invests most of his funds in the materials used in the product itself, leaving his marketing budget pitifully small compared to other companies.
However, this expectation was quickly dashed. The market's impression of them remained that of contract manufacturers, rather than high-tech R&D companies. Their market share was never large, and sales of mechs below Class B were even more dismal.
I don't know why General Manager Fang specifically requested to visit Yuanchuang's S-class mecha factory, but Ge Weiming felt that a big order was coming.
As he led the way, he quickly sent a message to the big boss, urging him to hurry to the factory as well.
Around midnight, Fang Zhuo changed into his work clothes and, under Ge Weiming's guidance, looked down at the S-class mecha production line.
Ge Weiming rubbed his hands together and said, "President Fang, are you planning to invest in Yuanchuang? Our market value is very low right now. It should rise after the new energy mecha is released."
Fang Zhuo's plans clearly went beyond just acquiring shares: "Besides this, I also want to customize ten S-class new energy mechs. Name your price."
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