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With the support of funding, their progress was remarkably smooth. Initially, they had no equipment and could only use what was available at the school. Over time, they became familiar with the staff managing the equipment, but this also caught the attention of the school administration.
Generally, the school would not interfere much with activities intended for learning and research. However, somehow word had leaked out. Their research topic had little to do with their academic subjects, and they were unwilling to share their findings with the school.
This situation left them in a passive position, which is why they desperately needed an investor, someone to turn to in an emergency.
At that moment, Zhuo Rohan appeared, and they could not help but see her as a lifeline.
Yet, perhaps even they did not expect this lifeline to come so easily. It felt almost dreamlike—yet it was not a dream; it seemed tinged with a sense of unreality.
However, that feeling of unreality vanished in an instant when the investor found herself deeply involved with those she was investing in—a rarity indeed. But Zhuo Rohan was doing just that.
Having been cooped up at home with nothing to do, she decided to invest her own savings. Regardless of whether she trusted them or not, she would certainly take a closer look, as this had become one of her few sources of enjoyment.
That feeling of leading others brought her joy.
Although the group of students was somewhat dissatisfied, considering she was their investor and treated them reasonably well, they had no intention of forcibly sending her away.
However, it was still necessary for her to leave eventually; after all, staying there would only waste a lot of time. This kind of situation was best handled by Wu Haoran, a former friend and classmate of Zhuo Rohan.
"Is that what you mean?" Zhuo Rohan sighed and smiled wryly at Wu Haoran.
Though she sensed some underlying tension, she never expected such a reaction to come so quickly. Judging by Wu Haoran's response, it seemed this decision had gone through a collective vote among the students and likely passed with overwhelming support.
Thinking about this made Zhuo Rohan smile wryly again as she looked at Wu Haoran, her eyes filled with confusion.
"That's not what you meant!" Wu Haoran quickly clarified.
"Don't misunderstand; we don't have any issues with you. It's just that if you continue like this, the project's progress might face significant challenges."
"It ultimately remains the same." Zhuo Rohan let out a bitter smile and sighed. There was nothing more to say; she simply turned and walked away silently.
Wu Haoran wanted to comfort her, but he didn't know how to do it, where to start. So he just sighed and quickly returned to the Project Team.
Zhuo Rohan returned home in a daze, collapsing onto her bed. She wanted to sleep but found it impossible, as she couldn't understand why, despite not having done anything this time, her subordinates still disliked her.
Zhuo Rohan aspired to be a leader, and she indeed had the innate qualities of one. However, things were always two-sided; if she couldn't understand this, she would forever be distanced from leadership.
Thinking about it, it was clear that leaders were generally not well-liked by their subordinates—except in military contexts where a different dynamic applied.
Zhuo Rohan hadn't done anything wrong, but she failed to realize that ordinary employees often felt anxious or even resentful when their leaders hovered around them during work hours. This behavior made them nervous and hindered their ability to work effectively, leading to a deep-seated dislike for their leaders.
Zhuo Rohan had made this mistake because she had never truly understood the mindset of grassroots personnel; she had never worked at that level herself.
Gradually, Zhuo Rohan fell asleep on her bed. The central air conditioning was running, so there was no worry about catching a chill while sleeping like this.
After a good rest, Zhuo Rohan seemed to have figured out what she needed to do. With renewed energy, she organized herself and headed towards the city with her nearly depleted savings card.
Father Zhu stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, watching his spirited daughter with a silent sigh.
In the city, Zhuo Rohan bought a lot of food and supplies. Since she wasn't entirely sure what her team needed, she purchased a bit of everything before heading back to the studio.
Upon re-entering the studio, the students looked at Zhuo Rohan carrying large bags. Their expressions of disdain faded somewhat, replaced by confusion.
In the following days, Zhuo Rohan continued to shower her employees with what she believed was care for them by providing various benefits. The money spent on gifts was almost enough to cover their salaries.
The first phase of progress moved quickly; perhaps they had already been doing well but were reluctant to break momentum at a critical moment. So they withdrew from the school and sought investors independently.
Within less than a month, they achieved results with the initial prototype of the touch connection. The students were naturally overjoyed, and even Zhuo Rohan, who sat nearby watching, could feel their genuine excitement.
But just as a seemingly bright future was about to arrive, a bolt of lightning struck Zhuo Rohan, just like it had a month and a half ago in Beijing.
He wanted her to leave; they wanted her to leave.
Staring at the document and check that Wu Haoran silently handed over, Zhuo Rohan was stunned. She never expected this would be the outcome.
"Why?" Zhuo Rohan asked in confusion.
Wu Haoran shook his head. "There is no reason."
Zhuo Rohan grabbed Wu Haoran's shoulders and shouted, "Why? What is the reason behind this?"
Wu Haoran sighed and continued to shake his head. "They don't like you; they want to choose a better partner or someone who fits their taste better."
"Is that so?" Zhuo Rohan turned to look at the group of students. "What have I done wrong to you all?"
The students remained silent, and Wu Haoran was also quiet.
She had not wronged them, nor did they owe her anything. It was simply a matter of not being compatible; nothing more… nothing less.
Zhuo Rohan forced a bitter smile. "Don't think I don't understand. This day was bound to come sooner or later, but I still didn't expect it to arrive so quickly."
Wu Haoran opened his mouth slightly, wanting to explain something, but Zhuo Rohan cut him off.
"Do you think I’m blind to your tricks? According to the contract we signed back then, once finalized, Party B has the rights to produce and sell the first phase of the product, and Party A must sign a one-year labor contract with Party B. If unable to sign, Party A can compensate with five hundred thousand Renminbi."
Zhuo Rohan clenched the document tightly, her fingers nearly tearing the paper apart, raising concerns for the check tucked within—the hefty sum of five hundred thousand.
"But you didn’t specify who holds the patent rights, so as soon as it’s completed, you can swiftly apply for the patent and won’t have to worry about finding partners."
"I am merely a stepping stone on your path forward."
No one spoke. Although Zhuo Rohan's words were somewhat harsh, in a certain sense, it was indeed the truth.
"But I still signed that contract because I once believed you would feel at least a little gratitude for it, which could potentially facilitate our future cooperation. However, I didn't expect," Zhuo Rohan coldly glanced at everyone, "that you would be even more pragmatic than I am. Compared to you, I feel like just a college student."
Silence lingered; no one responded to Zhuo Rohan's words, as if she were merely a madwoman talking to herself.
Yet they all knew she was not insane; on the contrary, she was smarter than most. However, her simplicity made her intentions painfully clear to others.
Wu Haoran sighed silently, as if lamenting, "I'm sorry."
Zhuo Rohan forced a smile and said, "Don't apologize; you haven't done anything wrong to me. Even without the rights to the touch connection, this five million is still a pretty decent investment. Those earlier words were just my childish temper."
Indeed, achieving over sixty percent appreciation in just one month was something to be proud of.
Zhuo Rohan quietly placed the check into her handbag, took one last look at Wu Haoran, and hurried down the stairs. She didn't know what to do next; she just wanted to leave this place quickly because it filled her with disdain.
She walked briskly ahead, unaware of where she was going but determined not to look back or recall those painful memories that tormented her.
Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice calling from behind. She frowned slightly; should she go or turn back? But then she saw Wu Haoran across the street, looking terrified as he shouted, "Stop!"
In an instant, Zhuo Rohan felt her body lighten as if she were flying. Time seemed to slow down around her; everything appeared to move in slow motion.
She collapsed onto the ground, darkness enveloping her as she lost all sensation.
※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※
"Is this how it ends?"
"No, this is just the beginning!"
The sunlight was a bit blinding. Zhuo Rohan couldn't quite grasp what had just happened, but she felt an inexplicable admiration for the person before her.
However, she quickly realized that this person was far too young, almost unrecognizable from the memory she held.
He stood before the stone steps, his right hand tucked into his pants pocket while his left hand casually tapped on his phone. The speaker was playing a rhythmically intense foreign song.
He seemed to notice her presence and smiled lightly, asking with a hint of curiosity, "Hello, are you... here to attend school?"
---
I apologize for yesterday's events. I can't take all the blame for the delays; it's quite awkward for me as well since I don't have any drafts saved.
I feel heartbroken over losing many readers due to my inability to update on time, so I hope everyone can hold onto a little faith in this book. As long as you keep reading, I will continue writing.
Lastly, I would appreciate any encouragement while you enjoy the story—flowers and collections would be greatly appreciated!
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