One was eager to please, the other young and vigorous. When young men and women are together, they can hardly restrain themselves. Especially now that Sun Li sensed the immense change in her fate, she was full of gratitude and went all out in every way. Zhou You nearly couldn't hold his ground, but a man can't admit defeat. After making Sun Li "unable to sit still," he succeeded.
In the afternoon, he received the agreement feedback—no issues. He invited Zhang Yiming to the hotel, both parties signed, and Zhou You transferred the payment on the spot. Both sides breathed a sigh of relief. They agreed to visit the company for an inspection the next day.
As soon as Zhang Yiming arrived at the company, the finance department rushed over excitedly: "Mr. Zhang, the 5 million has arrived." "Yeah, I know, I saw the transfer myself," Zhang Yiming said, feigning calm. "Gather everyone, let's meet in the small conference room."
Back at the company, Zhang Yiming had settled down, the excitement fading. He began thinking about Zhou You's visit the next day. When everyone was assembled, Zhang Yiming looked at their eager faces, coughed twice, and said, "I know you're all thrilled. This investment is a great start for our future path. But this is just the first step of a long journey. At my earnest invitation, Mr. Zhou will visit our company tomorrow, so please keep up your spirits, as this affects future investments." Everyone nodded in agreement—it was only right. Their morale was sky-high.
They were currently in a temporary office, a spacious residential house as a stopgap. Now that the money had arrived, they couldn't immediately move to an office building. Zhou You's liquid cash was running low too; the box office dividends hadn't come through yet, likely not until next month. Once the cash arrived, his wallet would fatten up again. Without cash on hand, he felt uneasy. Though the two major corporations had successfully invested, that was all in the future.
According to Zhou You's initial plan, many upcoming projects would need funding. Slightly further off, Xu Zheng's film also needed investment, which would ease the cash flow crunch. In the short term, buying a house in Beijing was on the agenda, and he'd start looking after the New Year. So sometimes, even with a lot of money, it didn't last. No wonder lottery winners often went bankrupt. If you couldn't control your desires, one misstep could drag you into the abyss. Luckily, Zhou You wasn't greedy—he only earned money he knew about.
Early the next morning, Zhang Yiming drove over in an old car. It was beat-up, but still better than taking a taxi. Today, Zhou You decided to bring Sun Li along. That way, if he was away long-term and something came up, she could help out if he couldn't make it in time. Sun Li was delighted—Zhou You taking her to see the investment project meant their relationship was growing closer.
The two followed Zhang Yiming to the parking lot and saw a Santana, clearly not a young model. Zhou You couldn't help saying, "Mr. Zhang, you're too low-key. But the hard times are almost over. Keep this car—it'll witness your rise to success." "Thanks for the kind words, Mr. Zhou. I'm just working for you. If I thrive, you'll thrive even more," Zhang Yiming said with a wry smile. He'd be satisfied just building the company to assets of a hundred million; he dared not think further for now.
Zhou You sat in the passenger seat, while Sun Li took the back. Once in the car, Zhou You pointed at Sun Li and said, "This is my girlfriend. She'll be studying at the Beijing Conservatory of Music for the next few years. If anything comes up, I hope you can lend a hand temporarily." Zhang Yiming readily agreed—it was just for emergencies. Besides, someone like Zhou You was generous and wouldn't let help go unrewarded.
The traffic was stop-and-go all the way, but luckily, their place was in the suburbs, so the traffic thinned out. When they arrived, Zhou You got out and saw their office was in a residential building—an old, shabby neighborhood. Zhang Yiming led the way, and they soon reached the office. It wasn't big—two units connected—with only about a dozen people crammed into the dark, crowded space.
Starting a business was tough. How many would stick it out to the end? Would those who jumped ship regret it? Every successful startup loses a bunch of people along the way. That feeling of confusion and helplessness was unbearable. It was like a writer writing a novel solo with no readers—equally disheartening.
Zhou You listened briefly as they explained the technology's development and future prospects. Though he knew some surface details, he didn't interrupt. Speaking in front of experts required caution; making a fool of himself was one thing, but accidentally derailing the tech roadmap would be a disaster. If that happened, Zhou You wouldn't even know where to cry.
Since he was there, he had to say a few words. He kept it simple, focusing on basic needs: "I was deeply moved by your presentations. This is a new technology that can change people's lives. I'm honored to be part of it. You're all highly skilled talents. Even though this is an early stage, now that there's investment, don't shortchange yourselves. A good office environment can boost your efficiency." He paused, looked up at Zhang Yiming, and added, "Of course, the final decisions are up to Mr. Zhang. I'm just offering a small suggestion—choose a place with convenient transport and a nice setting."
Zhou You kept it brief, no empty talk. After he finished, the team applauded warmly. For now, everything else was secondary; transport was the real issue. Otherwise, commuting far out to the suburbs every day, and when friends and family asked where you worked—"The suburbs"—it was hard to bear. The sarcasm would come: "Is that reliable?" "Why not switch companies?" "Find something stable." It really shook morale.
Since the investor had spoken, Zhang Yiming didn't hold back. Who wouldn't spend money if they had it? "Since Mr. Zhou cares so much about everyone's well-being, let me state here: we'll secure a new office before the New Year, and after the holiday, we'll aim to work there." Moving sooner was better than later. It would win over the team and make follow-up investments smoother.
Leaving the office, Zhou You didn't ask Zhang Yiming to see them off, saying they had other plans and wanted to look around the area. "I didn't know the location when I came, so I troubled you to pick me up. On the way out, I'd like to explore nearby, so no need to bother you further." Zhang Yiming insisted a few times, but Zhou You declined, so he let it go.
They walked and chatted, Sun Li holding Zhou You's arm. "Their startup team really has it tough. All highly educated, stuck in a place like this," she said. Zhou You glanced at her. "They're lucky to have found an investor. Many more teams sell their homes and cars, pouring in their own money, and still end up with nothing." Hearing that, Sun Li felt embarrassed. She lowered her head, thinking—she and her friend had opened a musical instrument shop the same way, and it was on the verge of closing too.