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After simply grabbing a bite to fill her hungry stomach at a restaurant, Zhuo Rohan stealthily returned home, carefully dragging her suitcase as she slipped out once again.
Normally, if someone entered that five-story building, whether normally or otherwise, it would trigger a notification to Father Zhu and Mother Zhu's phones. However, the three family members were not included in this scenario, so unless Mother Zhu happened to be checking the family's surveillance footage at that moment, she would have no way of knowing that her daughter had returned home and sneaked out again.
Chang'an is geographically located in the center of China, but due to most major cities being situated towards the east, Xi'an appears to be positioned more to the west in the overall economic landscape. This gives it a perception of being a relatively western region in the eyes of many Chinese people.
Because it is more to the west, as night fell, Xi'an was still bathed in the glow of dusk. The streets were bustling with traffic, clearly still caught in the remnants of peak hour congestion.
Although there was still some time left, Zhuo Rohan had already dragged her suitcase to a better place early on. Upon arriving here, even she couldn't help but sigh; time truly is powerful, strong enough to change places that once seemed eternal.
The stall still looked as greasy as ever, and the two brothers grilling meat were the same as before, though they appeared more weathered now.
Muslim Street was filled with Roasted Red Willow Skewers, so much so that they had taken over the main street entirely. Yet this particular stall was worth Zhuo Rohan's memories. It wasn't just because their grilled meat was freshly cut, skewered, and grilled; it was also about the unforgettable memories tied to this place.
Waiting was naturally a dull affair. The Boss glanced at Zhuo Rohan and exchanged a brief look with her before starting to grill the meat. The charcoal-grilled lamb skewers took time; the Boss methodically brushed oil and drizzled seasoning over the skewers again and again.
About six or seven minutes later, a plate of twenty freshly grilled skewers was placed in front of Zhuo Rohan, accompanied by an opened bottle of Ice Peak with a straw inserted into it.
Zhuo Rohan smiled at the Boss. There wasn't much to say; although the night market in Xi'an hadn't fully opened yet, there were already quite a few customers at various stalls. Being served grilled meat and soda alone was already a standard treatment for her.
Sitting at a table by the entrance, Zhuo Rohan occupied the entire table by herself. This kind of dominance naturally annoyed many travelers who wanted to enter but found nowhere to sit. Yet the Boss remained indifferent to this situation.
Before long, three boys approached the stall and cheerfully said to the Boss, "Thirty skewers of grilled meat and three bottles of Ice Peak."
The Boss smiled without saying much. One of the boys glanced toward the back of the stall and naturally spotted her monopolizing an entire table.
"Barbecue is a must," Wu Haoran said with a smile as he and two friends took their seats at Zhuo Rohan's table.
Zhuo Rohan didn't care much about appearances; she continued to savor the Roasted Red Willow Skewers, enjoying each bite. Wu Haoran smiled lightly and introduced his friends, "These two are my university classmates. You've probably met them before; they are the core strength of our team."
Zhuo Rohan chewed on a piece of lamb, swallowed it with effort, wiped her mouth with a napkin, and smiled back, "You're too kind."
Wu Haoran paused for a moment, then laughed. This time, it was a natural and sincere smile, quite different from the nervousness he had shown earlier. He had considered that although Hongqi Electronics had gone bankrupt and Zhuo's family situation had greatly declined, for ordinary students like them, she still represented a significant figure—a sturdy support.
Thinking this way naturally lowered his own status in his mind. Even though they had been friends before and she had never cared about class differences, it didn't mean she wouldn't care now.
Fortunately, she still didn't seem to mind. So Wu Haoran smiled, genuinely.
"I didn't expect you to come back suddenly. But at this time, you should still be at school..." Wu Haoran picked up a bottle of Ice Peak from the table and opened it, only to realize he had asked the wrong question.
Zhuo Rohan showed little emotion and simply shook her head slightly. "I... took a leave of absence." She still lacked the confidence to reveal her situation because she wasn't sure if the person in front of her could accept that side of her.
Wu Haoran assumed it was due to family matters and comforted her, "It's okay; everything will pass. Besides, a starving camel is bigger than a horse; your family's situation..."
Suddenly feeling a sharp pain in his waist, he realized one of his friends had pinched him under the table. Wu Haoran snapped back to reality, wondering why he had been so foolish as to steer the conversation toward that topic again.
Zhuo Rohan remained calm, as if she had fully accepted the reality. "It's fine; after all, the outcome is already determined, so it doesn't matter now. Let's talk business."
Wu Haoran sighed in relief and took out a document from his friend's backpack, handing it to Zhuo Rohan while pulling out another copy for himself to explain.
"Our plan is to create touch connections for mobile phones, laptops, and feature phones. Of course, we know this journey will be long, but we are already standing at the beginning of the road..."
Wu Haoran stole a glance at Zhuo Rohan, noticing that she still looked so energetic, fully focused on every detail of the documents in front of her.
"Our plan is divided into three phases: in the first phase, our main goal is the touch connection between mobile phones and the new feature phones. This phase is both the simplest and the most challenging because once we succeed, the success of the second and third phases will just be a matter of time. In the second phase, our goal is to connect mobile phones with laptops and feature phones; in the third phase, we aim for a mixed connection involving multiple types and quantities."
Wu Haoran briefly explained the entire plan to Zhuo Rohan. He didn't delve into technical issues, knowing that her major was management. What she needed were clear factors like execution capability, feasibility, and risks, so he chose to present her with the full plan and let her make her own judgment.
"This project," Zhuo Rohan said as she organized the documents in her hands, smiling, "once successful, will yield a hundredfold return."
Wu Haoran and his two companions showed expressions of delight. Generally speaking, when an investor makes such a statement, it indicates that she has begun to take an interest in the plan and understands it.
As for the investor's ultimate intentions, conclusions could only be drawn after thorough investigation. However, it was clear that this investor did not fit that mold—or at least not at this moment.
"Alright, let's give it a try," Zhuo Rohan said with a smile. "Three million is the investment needed for the first phase, right?"
Wu Haoran realized that this investment was basically confirmed and was naturally overjoyed. "Yes, but according to estimates, once the first phase is completed, we can start commercialization right away, so there’s no need to worry about subsequent funding issues."
Zhuo Rohan smiled and extended her right hand toward Wu Haoran. "I hope for a pleasant cooperation."
Wu Haoran grinned as he shook hands with Zhuo Rohan, even giving it a couple of shakes to show how serious he was.
However, this was in a barbecue restaurant, and people around them were watching as if surprised that someone was discussing business in a night market barbecue joint. Various emotions filled the atmosphere.
Some envied the boy's luck; others looked down on the female investor. Most simply smiled lightly at this scene while continuing to enjoy their Roasted Red Willow Skewers.
In the business world, many deals—or rather, most deals—are made over drinks at a table. However, very few significant deals are struck at barbecue stalls; moreover, they weren't even drinking alcohol but just soda.
The boy with the backpack quickly pulled out two copies of the contract from his bag and handed a black pen to Zhuo Rohan.
Before arriving at the barbecue restaurant, Wu Haoran had already envisioned this scenario—Zhuo Rohan agreeing to invest in their plan at the restaurant. Therefore, he had brought along the prepared investment proposal.
He hadn't expected things to progress so swiftly.
Zhuo Rohan glanced over the contract briefly and signed her name at the end where it indicated the investor, Party B.
As the team leader, Wu Haoran naturally signed as Party A...
They exchanged contracts and signed again...
With both parties having signed on the two copies, these contracts now held legal effect. Wu Haoran looked at Zhuo Rohan with delight, surprised that the negotiation for this investment had gone so smoothly.
The other party hadn't even made any demands; she simply signed her name on the contract. In a sense, this investment had already been secured.
Zhuo Rohan smiled as she tucked the contract into her handbag and asked, "Where is your team located?"
Wu Haoran was taken aback by Zhuo Rohan's sudden inquiry about his team, wondering if she was now concerned about their execution capabilities after signing the contract so readily.
"Most of our team members are students, so our office is quite close to National Chiao Tung University. I'll send you the exact location later."
Zhuo Rohan laughed, "Sounds good! But you should make sure to tell your team members not to get too distracted when they see me."
Wu Haoran understood she was teasing about the current situation at National Chiao Tung University: too many wolves and too few sheep, leading many 'wolves' to devolve into 'dogs' or seek alternative paths.
"We're doing pretty well; most of us are in relationships."
Zhuo Rohan stood up, smiling as she handed her suitcase to Wu Haoran. "I don't see how that's possible, especially since you, the group leader, aren't setting a good example. Are your team members more motivated than you?"
Wu Haoran shrugged nonchalantly.
Zhuo Rohan glanced at her watch and sighed. "I have to go; if I'm late getting home, my mom will start yelling again."
"Actually, she’s probably already yelling..."
Zhuo Rohan laughed as she dashed out of the barbecue restaurant, and Wu Haoran faintly heard her call back.
"Make sure to settle the bill for me!"
...
Wu Haoran suddenly realized that Zhuo Rohan had just shoved her suitcase into his hands. Although he didn't want to admit it, he thought it was exactly the kind of thing that crazy girl would do.
"Damn it, can't I just use a check or transfer to a bank card? Who's going to take responsibility for all this cash getting robbed?"
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