Chapter 24
On the train back from Beijing, Li Ming gazed out the window at the rapidly receding, increasingly familiar northern fields, feeling little relief. Rejecting Zhang Lei's seemingly generous but actually harsh conditions was like closing a door to a potential shortcut; only a rugged mountain path lay ahead, one that required hard work and personal effort to forge. He knew this decision meant that "Mingyu Technology" would have to rely on its own strength to struggle for survival in a more treacherous market environment, undoubtedly slowing its development considerably.
However, he did not regret it. Self-sovereignty was one of his core demands upon his rebirth, the foundation upon which he rewrote the trajectory of his destiny, and it was not to be traded.
Back in Jinyang, stepping into the somewhat simple yet vibrant office of "Mingyu Technology," Li Ming immediately sensed the unusual atmosphere. Liu Qiang and Wang Hao greeted him, their faces filled with concern and inquiry. Li Ziqing stood a little further away, her eyes a mixture of worry and a barely perceptible sense of relief—she seemed to have anticipated Li Ming's choice all along.
Zhao Zhen, meanwhile, sat at his desk, staring at his computer screen, his fingers unconsciously tapping on the keyboard. He didn't come over to greet him as usual. His back view conveyed a sense of alienation and suppressed dissatisfaction.
Li Ming did not shy away from the issue; he gathered his core members and frankly announced the results of his meeting with Zhang Lei.
"...Therefore, I rejected Lei Yao Capital's investment." Li Ming's tone was calm, but his gaze swept over everyone. "This means that we will have to rely on ourselves from now on. The funding for platform development mainly relies on the profits from the e-commerce business and the surplus from previous domain name transactions, which may be very tight, and the development speed will also slow down."
The office was completely silent.
Wang Hao adjusted his glasses and was the first to state, "There are no problems with the technology; we will focus more on efficiency and cost." He has always been cautious about capital involvement.
Liu Qiang scratched his head and said honestly, "Brother Ming, it's up to you to decide. Just tell us what you need us to do!"
Li Ziqing nodded gently, her gaze firm: "I will be meticulous in managing finances to ensure that every penny is spent wisely."
All eyes were on Zhao Zhen, who remained silent throughout.
Zhao Zhen finally turned around, his face expressionless, but a suppressed flame flickered deep in his eyes. "Rejected?" His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a clear skepticism. "Three million, even five million, and you just rejected it like that? Just because of that... controlling stake?"
“It’s not just ‘that’ bit of controlling stake, Zhao Zhen.” Li Ming looked him straight in the eye, his tone serious. “It’s about the soul of the company and the control over its future direction. If you accept Zhang Lei’s conditions, ‘Mingyu’ might no longer be our ‘Mingyu’.”
"Our 'Mingyu'?" Zhao Zhen scoffed, a hint of mockery in his voice. "Li Ming, aren't you taking yourself too seriously? Without the help of capital, how long will it take for us to achieve your 'platform dream' with our meager efforts? By the time everyone else has succeeded, we won't even get a taste of the profits!" He became increasingly agitated. "I've said it before: we should focus on e-commerce, that's a tangible business! You insist on pursuing that vague platform, and now you're turning away the funds that are offered to you! Have you even considered the company's actual development?!"
The long-suppressed ideological conflicts and the frustration caused by the rejection of decisions erupted completely at this moment.
"Zhao Zhen!" Li Ziqing couldn't help but call out, trying to stop him.
Li Ming raised his hand to signal Li Ziqing not to try to dissuade him. He looked calmly at Zhao Zhen and said, "I understand your thoughts, Zhao Zhen. E-commerce is very important. You led the way in building it, and it's the company's current lifeline. However, the platform is our future, the ambition that the name 'Mingyu' carries. These two are not contradictory; we can do both."
"Parallelization? What about the money? What about the energy?" Zhao Zhen suddenly stood up, placed his hands on the table, leaned forward, and stared intently at Li Ming. "Li Ming, I admit you have foresight and ideas. But I, Zhao Zhen, am a pragmatist! What I want are tangible results and rapid success! I don't want to gamble with you on an uncertain future and endure this kind of financially strained life!"
His words were like a knife, slicing through the facade of harmony within the team and revealing the cracks that had long existed inside.
"So?" Li Ming's voice remained calm, but his eyes sharpened. "What is your choice?"
Zhao Zhen took a deep breath, as if he had made up his mind, straightened up, looked around at the people present, and finally fixed his gaze on Li Ming's face: "We have different paths, so let's not work together. Li Ming, let's break up."
Despite having a premonition, the air in the office still froze the moment Zhao Zhen uttered the words "break up." Liu Qiang's mouth dropped open, Wang Hao frowned, and Li Ziqing looked at Li Ming with worry.
"Break up?" Li Ming repeated, his face revealing neither joy nor anger. "How do you mean break up?"
“It’s very simple.” Zhao Zhen seemed to have already thought of a plan. “I built the e-commerce business from scratch, and I developed most of the customers and supply chain. This part, along with the existing inventory and operating funds, belongs to me. I will set up a new company to take over. The platform project is your dream, you can keep it and develop it slowly. The money I lent to the platform project before, according to the agreement, will be returned to me with interest. From now on, we will go our separate ways.”
This plan essentially strips away the most profitable and mature part of "Mingyu Technology"! It's equivalent to cutting off the company's main source of cash flow!
"Zhao Zhen! You've gone too far!" Li Ziqing's face turned pale with anger. "The success of the e-commerce business is inseparable from Li Ming's initial model building and everyone's joint efforts! How could you..."
“Ziqing,” Zhao Zhen interrupted her, his tone tinged with complex emotions, “Business is business. I’ve already done more than enough; at least I didn’t demand the division of those ‘precious’ domain names and that half-finished platform, did I?”
Li Ming remained silent, his fingers tapping lightly on the table. He understood Zhao Zhen's choice, and even agreed with his business logic to some extent. Having seen no hope of rapid success for the platform and having missed the opportunity to leapfrog through capital, choosing to leave with the most valuable assets was the most rational choice for Zhao Zhen, who was pursuing practical interests.
Forcing them to stay is pointless; forcing partners with differing philosophies together will only exacerbate internal conflicts.
"Okay." Li Ming finally spoke, his voice not loud, but clearly carried throughout the quiet office, "I agree."
"Brother Ming!" Liu Qiang said urgently.
Wang Hao hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.
Li Ming raised his hand to stop them, looking calmly at Zhao Zhen: "You can take the e-commerce business with you, and the relevant customer data and supply chain resources will also be handed over to you. However, the ownership of the 'Mingyu Technology' brand and official website must be retained. As for the 500,000 you lent to the platform project, according to the agreement, I will repay you 600,000, including principal and interest, within three months."
Zhao Zhen seemed surprised by Li Ming's quick agreement, paused for a moment, then nodded: "Okay. I don't care about the brand or the official website. Just pay me back on time." He paused, looked at Li Ming with a complicated expression, "Li Ming, I wish your platform... a speedy success."
After saying that, he didn't linger and began to pack up his personal belongings on his desk. His movements were swift and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.
Watching Zhao Zhen's resolute retreating figure, Li Ming felt an indescribable pang of sorrow. This was the first true "loss" he had experienced since his rebirth. A partner who had once fought alongside him had gone his separate ways.
Zhao Zhen's departure took away not only the e-commerce business and cash flow, but also a portion of the team's vitality and confidence.
The atmosphere in the office plummeted to freezing point.
Li Ming took a deep breath and forced himself to pull himself together. He looked at the remaining three people—the tech geek Wang Hao, the honest and loyal Liu Qiang, and Li Ziqing, whose eyes held a firm support for him.
“Now, only a few of us are left at Mingyu Technology.” Li Ming’s voice rang out in the now much emptier office, carrying a sense of resolute determination. “It may be very difficult, it may be very tough. If anyone wants to leave, they can say so now, and I will not stop them.”
Wang Hao adjusted his glasses, his tone calm yet firm: "I'll stay. The platform isn't finished yet."
Liu Qiang immediately declared, "Brother Ming, I'll fight you to the end!"
Li Ziqing walked to Li Ming's side and said softly, "I said that no matter which path you choose, I will support you."
Looking at the three young and determined faces before him, Li Ming felt a surge of warmth in his heart. Thankfully, he wasn't alone.
“Alright!” Li Ming nodded emphatically, his eyes sharpening and filled with fighting spirit once more. “Then let’s start from scratch! If the e-commerce business is gone, we’ll find a way to create new sources of revenue! We must continue with the platform, and we must do it faster and better!”
However, the harsh reality doesn't change because of determination. Without the stable funding from the e-commerce business, the platform project's R&D funds immediately became precarious. Li Ming had to devote most of his energy to finding new profit sources. He tried taking on small website outsourcing projects and earning meager income using Wang Hao's technical skills, but it was a drop in the ocean.
When it rains, it pours.
Just when Li Ming was struggling with funding issues and the team's morale was low due to Zhao Zhen's departure and the current predicament, Liu Qiang brought even worse news.
"Brother Ming, something terrible has happened!" Liu Qiang rushed into the office, his face panicked. "I just heard the news. That kid Zhou Ruilin somehow found out about Zhao Zhen's departure and our financial difficulties! He... he said he's going to completely shut down our platform project within three months! He even said... he'll make sure you can't stay in Jinyang!"
Li Ming's heart sank.
Zhou Ruilin's wicked intentions are still intact! He had temporarily restrained himself due to the troubles of the old city renovation project, but now that he sees "Mingyu" internally divided and weak, he immediately pounces like a shark smelling blood!
Ahead lies the precipice of financial collapse, and behind is Zhou Ruilin's relentless pursuit.
Internal and external troubles erupted simultaneously.
Standing by the office window, Li Ming looked at the gloomy sky outside and felt that he and his "Mingyu Technology" were like a small boat that had lost most of its power and was badly damaged in a storm, which could be smashed to pieces by the next giant wave at any time.
He clenched his fist, his nails digging deep into his palm.
Is it possible that by rejecting Zhang Lei and forcing Zhao Zhen away, the path of independence he chose is truly unworkable?
Faced with Zhou Ruilin's threats and his dwindling funds, what can he possibly come up with to break the deadlock?
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