Chapter 35: This Is the True Angel Round

In the office of the Chairman of SkyVault Technology, Ren Jian sat across from Lin Xu. He held the nondisclosure agreement and the patent licensing letter of intent that Lin Xu had brought back, signed by Xu Jin. His expression remained entirely unsurprised.

In truth, after his conversation with Chu Xu, he had no remaining doubts about whether this matter would succeed. It was obvious—if someone reached out to you, they had clearly already mapped out their strategy. If the strategy was already in place, how could they possibly get stuck at this stage? All the talk of Asperger’s, autism, or "friends" were merely excuses to cut off direct contact. It was even possible that the full documentation was already complete, and it wasn't being shown yet simply because his side wasn't qualified to see it.

The fact that Lin Xu had returned with the letter of intent so quickly only confirmed the suspicions he and Chu Xu had harbored. After all, what reasonable person signs a letter of intent right off the bat? If the technology wasn't fully developed, they would have signed a "joint research agreement" instead. Bringing back this document proved only one thing: the results already existed, and they didn't need a small fry like SkyVault Technology to participate in the actual R&D. All they had to do was act as a reliable "white glove" for the big players behind the scenes, execute the tasks assigned to them, and preserve the country’s dignity.

In that instant, countless thrilling spy stories flashed through Ren Jian’s mind. He had spent years navigating the business world and had seen his fair share of high-stakes situations. Especially since entering the field of private rocket manufacturing, he had been exposed to many events that were considered "secret legends" even to the biggest capital tycoons. Yet, never before had he been this excited.

He could almost envision the patriotic scholar operating within foreign institutions, enduring humiliation to organize research using "outsider" resources, the heart-pounding process of passing the results to operatives on the secret front, and how those operatives had selected an agent domestically to finally deliver this letter of intent into his hands. Though it was only a thin sheet of paper, it represented the tireless efforts of countless people.

Deeply moved, he said to Lin Xu, "You've worked hard."

Lin Xu was stunned. Hard work? It felt like he hadn't really done much. But, he supposed, it was indeed a bit of a struggle.

"Ahem... the process was indeed a bit convoluted," Lin Xu said. "But fortunately, the outcome is good. My communication with Xu Jin went smoothly. He will apply for the patent after completing the development of the material processes and will grant us exclusive licensing rights. However, as the price for obtaining priority usage rights, we need to pay him an upfront consideration. The exact amount is still under discussion—as you can see, we have only just reached a preliminary consensus, and many details need further deliberation. Meanwhile, the other party has also raised requirements for equipment and funding. Perhaps we need to set up a subsidiary specifically to support the subsequent R&D work. That is something you will need to consider."

"Understood, perfectly understood." Ren Jian’s attitude toward Lin Xu was no longer that of a superior to a subordinate; while "reverent" might be too strong, it was at the very least an attitude of equality.

"The specific business details won't be finalized so quickly, so let’s negotiate slowly; that’s no problem at all. As for the subsidiary... I don’t think we need to delay. We should proceed with registration and procurement as planned. Once we determine the equity distribution, we can complete the company registration within two or three days. How about you take direct responsibility for the subsequent equipment and raw material procurement, as well as talent recruitment?"

"Huh?" Lin Xu was dumbfounded. "Me?"

"Is that not suitable?" Ren Jian’s heart skipped a beat. He was terrified that his suggestion might conflict with Lin Xu’s plans, thereby offending the people behind him and causing them to miss out on this immense opportunity.

"...It’s not impossible," Lin Xu replied.

Ren Jian let out a long sigh of relief and continued, "You are already a key member of our company, so I believe we should keep your position at SkyVault Technology unchanged for now. As for the new company, you can contribute the technology as an individual shareholder. Regarding the share distribution between you, Xu Jin, and the company..." Ren Jian paused. "According to industry practice, the company, as the sole provider of capital, should hold at least 33% of the shares. But considering that the technology is independent of the company, we can take a step back and concede 1%. That is to say, the company will only hold 32%."

"Do you think that’s acceptable?"

It was more than acceptable. Lin Xu couldn't even fathom why he was getting such favorable terms from Ren Jian. According to his original expectations, he would have had to solve the "company" problem himself, have the company provide most of the funding, and then negotiate a patent share split that would essentially exclude SkyVault Technology from the patent rights. But now, since Ren Jian had voluntarily lowered his share to 32%, it meant he had lost the one-third veto power, leaving Lin Xu in complete control of the company.

This was a true angel round of investment! This was a true angel! Lin Xu thought about it from beginning to end and couldn't find a single catch. What was going on? Had the capitalists suddenly developed a heart? If that was the case... then he wouldn't be polite.

Lin Xu nodded decisively. "This plan is reasonable. I don't think the other party will refuse."

"Then we can start the preparations as soon as possible."

Hearing Lin Xu's words, Ren Jian couldn't help but smile. "Won't refuse"? Of course not—whether or not they refuse is entirely up to you, isn't it?

He was quite the diplomat. But it didn't matter; as long as the goal was achieved, it was fine. Ren Jian had never dared to hope for the patent rights to both materials; that was far too out of reach for him. But even just having the exclusive priority usage rights was a massive gain for SkyVault Technology. These were the industrial manufacturing processes for two top-tier materials! Once they could be produced, not to mention self-use, selling them directly to the market would clearly be a dimension-reduction strike against the current high-strength carbon fiber market. By then, SkyVault Technology would no longer be limited to civil aerospace; it would likely leap into becoming a high-end materials supplier.

Profit was inevitable, and with this priority right and a stable cash flow, investment would surely pour in. In this virtuous cycle, the main business of civil aerospace would develop even faster. What was this called? Self-circulation!

Ren Jian’s heart was pounding. He realized this might be the greatest opportunity he would ever encounter in his life. And this opportunity came from the young man standing in front of him. He had to treat him well!

Thinking of this, he stood up quickly and extended his hand toward Lin Xu. "Then we are basically in agreement. Later, I will have my secretary draft a to-do list and set up the milestones for you to review. I will handle the company preparations immediately, and I’ll leave the contract issues to our legal and business colleagues."

"No problem," Lin Xu nodded quickly.

Good grief, the Chairman was drafting a to-do list and setting milestones for him. What kind of topsy-turvy situation was this? Before he could even offer a polite response, Ren Jian continued, "Also, you have truly performed a great service for the company this time. We will process your bonus; once the material prototype is out, it will be issued alongside the year-end bonus around the end of May. Your salary can also be adjusted upwards—that will take effect next month."

"Thank you, boss." Lin Xu remained poised. *I deserve it!*

The two shared a smile, exchanged a few more polite remarks, and Lin Xu took his leave. As he walked back to his desk in the corner, Jiang Xingye couldn't wait to lean in and ask about the progress. Lin Xu didn't know how to explain it to her, so he could only say vaguely, "It seems I’m about to become a boss myself..."