Chapter 147: Are They Running a Pyramid Scheme?

Chen Ni took a sip of her coffee.

"Their interest is certainly high, but they also expressed a concern—namely, the financial backing of the investors."

This was a formidable team with strong research and development capabilities, but everyone knew that once R&D funding began, it wouldn't just be a matter of a few million.

The only reason they had endured such humiliation at Motorola was because they valued Motorola's powerful backing.

China's reform and opening up had only been going on for a little over a decade, and the market economy had just begun to recover. Society was filled with an atmosphere of impatience and the pursuit of quick, exorbitant profits.

Most enterprises started out by imitating others. When you manufactured something and sold it at half the price of the genuine product, how could you not make money?

Who would bother investing in R&D? Such behavior was entirely normal.

This R&D group was afraid that once they left Motorola, their funding would be abruptly withdrawn by their financial backers before their research could officially get on track.

At that point, they would truly have no way out.

Chai Jin listened quietly. After she finished, he asked, "Is it possible to have them take a trip to Shenzhen? I'd like to meet them."

Chen Ni replied, "That shouldn't be a problem. I'll get in touch with him."

"Also, once we start getting things done, how will the equity be split?"

Although their relationship was unusual, business was business, and this was to prevent any future disputes.

Chai Jin had already considered this point.

He asked, "How much money do you have on hand?"

Chen Ni's face flushed instantly.

She was a wealthy man's daughter, but the money was all in her father's hands; she really didn't have much cash of her own.

Faltering slightly, she said, "My dad bought me a villa a few years ago, along with two apartments. I sold all of them. Combined with the savings I earned from working part-time while studying abroad, I should be able to scrape together around two million."

Hearing the sum of two million, Chai Jin couldn't help but be amused.

That amount wouldn't even make a ripple if thrown into his investments.

However, Chen Ni was capable, and he also wanted a steady person in charge. If he wanted someone reliable, he had to know how to share the profits.

Eventually, Chai Jin proposed a plan.

He would establish a separate real estate company, and the land and factory buildings would be invested in by this real estate company.

Then, the factory would be leased to the joint venture brand owned by him and Chen Ni.

The two of them would together contribute twenty million in capital injection, meaning Chen Ni's two million would secure her a ten percent stake.

A mobile phone couldn't be developed overnight, nor could a factory be built instantly.

Therefore, they agreed to first register a brand, and then find an office building to set up a laboratory to begin R&D.

As for the brand name, the two of them discussed it for a long time before finally settling on "Phantom Color".

***

The rest of the work was left for Chen Ni to run around and handle.

Chai Jin still had to deal with airplanes, so he couldn't possibly devote all his energy to that project.

Of course, Chai Jin ultimately still didn't admit that this was his own money.

After finishing discussing official matters, Chen Ni suddenly looked at Chai Jin and fell silent for a moment.

Her large eyes seemed to hold words that could not be spoken.

Seeing Chen Ni suddenly fall silent, Chai Jin raised his head and asked, "What's wrong?"

Chen Ni tried hard to steady her composure and asked, "Let me ask you a very personal question. Can you tell me the truth?"

Chai Jin replied, "When have I ever been hypocritical in front of you? Just ask directly."

Chen Ni gave a soft acknowledgment, her voice dropping a little: "You have a girlfriend, don't you?"

This was the answer Chen Ni had always wanted to verify in her heart, yet somehow didn't quite want to know.

For instance, when they were praying at the temple on Guanyin Mountain last time, she had wanted to ask, but ultimately failed to voice it.

Chai Jin hadn't expected Chen Ni to ask this.

He put down his cup and smiled gently: "I suppose so. We grew up together since we were kids."

"She's from my hometown. When there's a chance in the future, I'll introduce you two."

A sudden wave of bitterness washed over Chen Ni's heart.

It was an indescribable feeling, but the girl, despite appearing gentle and docile, possessed a fiercely proud personality that suppressed everything within her.

A lovely smile bloomed on her melon-seed-shaped face: "Childhood sweethearts, then. I certainly must meet her. Congratulations."

Chai Jin smiled.

Then, glancing at the time on his watch, he remembered that Old Huang and the others were discussing matters over at Shenzhen Airlines.

He no longer had the heart to linger and chat here.

He quickly stood up and said, "I'll mention the subsequent matters to my boss. He'll send someone else over to deal with you. I have some things to take care of, so I'll be leaving first."

Chen Ni instinctively stood up: "I'll see you out."

"No need, you just rest here."

With that, Chai Jin hurriedly headed out the door.

Chen Ni had already risen, but seeing how fast Chai Jin was moving, she didn't follow him out to bid farewell.

Yet, watching Chai Jin hurriedly get into a car outside the floor-to-ceiling window, the young woman felt a sudden, inexplicable sense of loss.

She couldn't even be sure whether it was because Chai Jin had just admitted to her face that he had a girlfriend.

***

Today marked Xu Jiayin's fourth day coming to work.

On the first day, he hadn't felt much, spending a very cautious day there without even knowing what this Zhonghao Group was actually supposed to be doing.

By the second day, he had started to feel the company was rather strange, featuring Old Huang who acted like a scalper, and two guys surnamed Liu over there who spent all day bragging about their common ancestor, Liu Bei the Imperial Uncle.

He figured they were all eccentric weirdos.

On the third day, Old Huang called a meeting of everyone present, and listening to it made his scalp tingle and the hairs on his body stand on end!

Because it was only then that he learned this company was actually trying to emulate Zhongde Group's Mou Qizhong and get into the airplane trading business!

And every single one of them talked as if their mouths possessed miraculous, god-like powers!

*Why do I feel like I've walked right into a pyramid scheme den?!*

Because of this, Xu Jiayin spent an entire night struggling and agonizing.

He felt the whole thing was unreliable and wanted to resign, but he couldn't bear to let go of the ultra-high monthly salary of one thousand yuan.

Right now, Old Huang and the others had just returned from Shenzhen Airlines and were holding a meeting in the inner office.

Since he hadn't been assigned any specific work duties yet, he was left alone outside the conference room, sighing and agonizing over the question of whether to stay or leave.

Just then, Chai Jin hurried past him.

However, halfway through, he stopped and turned back: "President Xu, how come your complexion doesn't look too good? Is it too hot, or are you constipated?"

Xu Jiayin snapped back to reality: "Oh, no, I was just thinking about something."

With that, he gritted his teeth, pulled that resignation letter out of his drawer, and walked over: "President Chai, I've thought about a lot, and this is for..."

"Alright, alright. Real men speak their minds directly; writing letters just tends to cause misunderstandings."

"Put your matters on hold for now. Come inside with me—from now on, you also need to participate in our great engineering enterprise."

Without looking back, he dove straight into the conference room.

Xu Jiayin stood there in a wave of awkwardness, ultimately having no choice but to tuck the letter back into his pocket and helplessly follow behind him.

The moment Chai Jin stepped in, a cigarette filter came flying straight toward him: "Brother Jin, this deal has finally gone through!"

"An order for six airplanes! We'll be officially signing the contract very soon!"

Chai Jin reached out and straightened the flying head: "If you have the talent for it, go kiss Old Huang."

"To save time, give me a briefing on today's negotiation process and the results using the fastest speed possible."

Old Huang and the others immediately straightened their expressions and began explaining various details right by the table.

With a chief executive and decision-maker stepping in personally, things had become exceptionally smooth.