Chapter 65: The Mastermind

The door at home swung open and slammed shut. Zhao Fan wiped his face—a mess, to be sure, and awkward, but he remained steadfast in his choice.

For nothing else, he could not give up this opportunity for the sake of school.

He would finish his studies, but he must also seize the chance to do business.

Perhaps to break the stalemate over He Yongshan, that very afternoon Zhao Fan received a call from Yang Yuqing, who told him she had found the person Zhao Fan was looking for.

“Just returned from overseas, majored in computer science. I can introduce you, but whether you can keep him is up to you,” she said.

Zhao Fan took a deep breath and thanked her earnestly, “Thank you very much!”

A talent returned from abroad—exactly what he needed.

“No need to thank me. If you can keep him, that’s thanks enough.”

“With those words, I’ll do everything in my power to keep him.”

With the prospect of talent within reach and the company about to take off, joy flooded Zhao Fan’s heart, and even his tone grew lighter.

Yang Yuqing caught it, her own voice lifting with cheerfulness. “When do you want to meet?”

“Whenever he’s available, I’ll coordinate.”

“Alright, I’ll ask him.”

“Thank you.”

After hanging up, Zhao Fan couldn’t suppress the smile on his lips. If this wasn’t good fortune, what was? One phone call and the problem was solved—even the future seemed to unfold before him.

That evening, Yang Yuqing informed him of the meeting time: tomorrow at eleven a.m., at the Tianyuan Hotel in the east part of the city.

The next day, Zhao Fan arrived half an hour early, thinking he was punctual, but upon asking the receptionist, he learned that Yang Yuqing had already arrived.

“Miss Yang is waiting for you in the Jiayu Room on the second floor.”

Jiayu Room? A room?

Just for a meal with a few people—was it necessary to book a room?

Suppressing his doubts, Zhao Fan walked upstairs and quickly found the Jiayu Room.

Yang Yuqing happened to glance out and, seeing Zhao Fan, called out immediately, “Zhao Fan, come in, we’re only waiting for you.”

Only waiting for him.

Zhao Fan’s mouth twitched—he’d come half an hour early and was still the last to arrive. Really…

He sighed inwardly and followed Yang Yuqing inside.

Only then did he realize that “Jiayu Room” was just a name—not a full banquet hall as he had imagined.

At the center of the table, a young man in a black suit sat smiling. Upon Zhao Fan’s entry, he stood up. “Hello, Mr. Zhao, I’m Han Chen.”

Han Chen?

Zhao Fan’s expression flickered. The name sounded familiar, as if he’d heard it somewhere before.

He set the thought aside, greeted Han Chen, and they each took their seats.

Yang Yuqing looked from one to the other and smiled. “I’m just the intermediary here for introductions. I won’t say much more, so you two can…”

Zhao Fan smiled gently, naturally picking up the conversation. “Mr. Han, you majored in computer science, so your understanding of the internet must be impressive. I want to start a multifaceted company, but as a student, my understanding is only superficial. So I hope to find someone who can fully take charge of the project. That’s all my side has to offer.”

Han Chen nodded, appreciating Zhao Fan’s directness.

“Understood.” Han Chen nodded again, then laid out his own background.

He was a graduate of a prestigious university, a Ph.D. who had returned from overseas, and had led two projects while still at school.

Not only that, he already had achievements in hand.

“A search engine—people can use it to find all kinds of information.”

Hearing the words “search engine,” Zhao Fan immediately knew what Han Chen was talking about.

In that instant, he finally remembered who Han Chen was.

In his previous life, Han Chen was a famous internet founder in China, who created all sorts of things, but because he fought alone, his inventions turned into liabilities, even used as leverage against him. Eventually, he was set up and forced to hand over everything.

In the end, those who took Han Chen’s work made fortunes, while Han Chen himself wandered destitute, living a life of hardship.

At least, when Zhao Fan returned to this life, Han Chen was still drifting and struggling.

How did Zhao Fan know? The newspapers had chronicled Han Chen’s experiences in detail. But no matter how much people pitied Han Chen, it couldn’t change the fact that he was the one who handed over his creations.

If Zhao Fan remembered right, the ones who set Han Chen up were his fiancée and a long-time friend.

Looking at the confident and spirited Han Chen before him, Zhao Fan recalled the dejected man from those reports and smiled slightly.

This talent—he would do whatever it took to keep him, even if it cost everything.

Under the gaze of Han Chen and Yang Yuqing, Zhao Fan pulled out the bankbook he’d brought along.

Han Chen was startled. “What does this mean?”

Aside from mentioning his search engine, he hadn’t said much else—why take out a bankbook?

Zhao Fan smiled. “Don’t misunderstand. I just want to show you my financial resources. I’m very interested in your search engine, and I’m satisfied with you as well. Would you consider working with me? I’ll give you equity.”

Han Chen’s mouth twitched. “Mr. Zhao, this is…”

Strange—this attitude was very strange.

Even Yang Yuqing was baffled. After glancing at Han Chen, she excused herself and dragged Zhao Fan out of the room.

“Zhao Fan, what were you saying just now? You haven’t even seen the product and you’re offering equity? What if it’s all a scam?”

Zhao Fan replied, “With all the effort you’ve put into finding someone, how could it be a scam?”

Though he said he trusted Yang Yuqing, in his heart he thought: having a future titan land in your lap is a rare stroke of luck. If handled well, the future rewards could be limitless.

Yang Yuqing froze. “You… you trust me that much? Aren’t you afraid I’m in on a scam with him?”

Zhao Fan asked in return, “Would you?”

Just those three words made Yang Yuqing purse her lips and lower her head.

“I wouldn’t.”

“Since you wouldn’t, why worry? I may not be good at much, but I have a good eye for people. I’m sure Han Chen can help me—he’s a rare talent and worth giving equity in a startup.”

Yang Yuqing opened her mouth, then sighed helplessly. “Alright, talk it through with him. I won’t interfere.”

“Thank you.”

Zhao Fan thanked her again, returned to the table, and opened the bankbook for Han Chen to see.

“This is my financial strength. The internet is just starting out, and in the early days there won’t be any profit. At this stage, strong financial backing is crucial. Han Chen, am I right?”

Han Chen’s face remained calm, but his fingers tightened. Of course Zhao Fan was right. The internet was a new industry in China; at this point, nearly everyone was focused on traditional business, and few paid attention to the web.

In other words, even if they wanted to, most lacked the resources to invest. Even Han Chen himself couldn’t support it.

That bankbook…

Han Chen took a deep breath. “How much equity can you offer me?”