Soul Returns to Hong Kong: From Tailor Shop to Richest Woman

The two talked more and more, from material formulations to process flow, and then from process flow to the overall industrialization plan.

Meng Changming flipped to a page in Lin Ying's notebook and said, "If your idea can be implemented, its application scope will be vast; it won't just be limited to mobile phones, but will also be useful for future power tools."

Lin Ying nodded: "So I think the value of this project is more than just making a mobile phone."

"You're right." Meng Changming closed his notebook. "But Li Hua, I have a question for you."

"Please speak."

"What are your true thoughts about the cooperation model we discussed earlier?"

Lin Ying hadn't expected Professor Meng to ask this question.

"Didn't Xiao Zhou already talk to you about it? Twenty percent of the profits, you won't be the legal representative, and you can focus on R&D." Meng Changming looked at her. "I heard you took three days to consider it before agreeing; I think you have other ideas."

Lin Ying honestly admitted, "At first, I did have the idea of ​​doing it myself."

"As expected." Meng Changming smiled. "But young people should have these kinds of thoughts."

Lin Ying looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

"Li Hua, I need to make something clear to you." Meng Changming's expression turned serious. "Have you ever heard the phrase 'content with a little wealth'?"

"I've heard of it."

"Do you know what that means?"

Lin Ying thought for a moment: "Be content with small achievements, and don't be greedy for big ones."

"Yes, and not entirely; the real meaning of being content with modest wealth is knowing your own limitations; it's much better to make money behind the scenes than to be in the limelight; do you know why?"

Lin Ying shook her head.

"Because in this world, some money you take means you have to take responsibility for it; some positions you hold and you can't get off! Many of my colleagues, including myself, have partnerships with the government; we receive dividends, bonuses, and patent fees, but we would never become a legal representative."

Lin Ying listened very attentively.

"Do you know why?" Meng Changming asked again.

"Because the responsibility is too heavy?"

"It's not just the heavy responsibility." Meng Changming shook his head, "Once you take on the role of the legal representative yourself, many things are no longer up to you; you have to do whatever the higher-ups tell you to do, you have to take responsibility if something goes wrong below, and you have to be careful because there are people watching you outside; this kind of life is not much better than being in prison."

Lin Ying frowned. She knew this matter was not simple, but she hadn't thought too deeply about it.

"And to be honest with you, we simply can't afford to do it for two hundred million US dollars."

Meng Changming picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip. "If we really want to make this project mass-produced, the country will have to invest at least 300 million US dollars. The chip industry is a bottomless pit. Equipment, talent, and trial and error costs are all astronomical figures."

Lin Ying did the math: three hundred million US dollars, which is about 1.5 billion RMB at the current exchange rate; she couldn't possibly raise that amount of money right now.

"Don't think I'm bluffing," Meng Changming said. "Such a large project involves too many interests; suppliers, partners, investors, local authorities, higher-ups' assessments... problems can arise at any stage; if someone under you embezzles, you, as the legal representative, can't escape punishment; if you don't manage the accounts well and something goes wrong, you can't escape punishment either."

Lin Ying felt a chill run down her spine.

"You haven't even graduated yet, how much social experience do you have?" Meng Changming continued, "Can you manage those seasoned veterans? Can you see through their thoughts? Do you know how to deal with various inspections? Do you know how to deal with local officials?"

Lin Ying didn't know what to say for a moment, and the office remained quiet for quite a while.

Lin Ying sighed and revealed her initial plan: "Professor, I did consider starting my own business at first; I have 60 million US dollars, and I think I can give it a try."

"and then?"

"Then I did the math, and 60 million wouldn't even last half of the R&D phase; I didn't know who to approach or how to negotiate with them; even if someone was willing to invest, the conditions would definitely be harsh, and in the end, the company might not even be mine anymore."

Meng Changming: "Yes."

"I really lack social experience," Lin Ying continued. "I spent three years in Cambridge and only returned to China a little over a year ago; I'm not even familiar with the domestic business environment, let alone managing a large company; if someone under me were to conspire against me, I might not even know how I got scammed."

Meng Changming stood up, walked to the bookshelf, and pulled out a photo album. "Here, let me show you something."

He flipped through the photo album, pointing to one of the pictures: "Do you see this person?"

Lin Ying leaned closer to look. The photo showed a middle-aged man in his forties, wearing a white lab coat, standing in a laboratory and smiling happily.

"This is my senior, surnamed Zhang, five years older than me," Meng Changming said. "Back then, he developed a new catalyst formula that performed better than those from abroad; just then, the country that was reforming and opening up approached him for cooperation, but he refused and insisted on registering his own company and becoming the legal representative."

"And then?"

"Later, the company was established and the products sold well; however, he lacked management experience and trusted his subordinates too much. Three years later, eight million was missing from the company's accounts. The investigation eventually revealed that the finance and purchasing departments had conspired to set a trap."

Lin Ying gasped.

"My senior colleague, as the legal representative, was investigated for a whole year; although it was eventually proven that he himself did not embezzle, he could not escape the responsibility for inadequate supervision; he spent two years in prison, and when he came out, his hair was completely white, and the company was gone."

Meng Changming closed the photo album: "So I'm telling you, now you're getting 20% ​​of the profits, which is like a guaranteed income no matter what; once the project is completed and the product is sold, you can sit back and collect money every year; you can rest whenever you want, and research whatever you want, this is the best state."

Lin Ying had finally achieved good health in her lifetime, and she didn't want to confine herself to any place again.

"Professor, I understand what you mean," Lin Ying said. "I am indeed not suitable to be that legal representative."

"It's not that it's unsuitable, it's that it's completely unnecessary," Meng Changming corrected her. "You just need to develop the technology, obtain the patents, and collect your dividends; as for how the company operates and how to expand the market, leave those things to the professionals."

Lin Ying thought for a moment and said, "Professor, I understand."

"Good that you understand." Meng Changming patted the table. "Alright, stop worrying about this. What you should do now is to master the lithium battery technology and understand chip design. Let the higher-ups worry about the money. Just focus on making the technology the best it can be, and you don't need to worry about anything else."

Lin Ying stood up: "Then I'll go back and continue looking at the data."

"Go ahead," Meng Changming waved his hand.

Lin Ying smiled and said, "Okay."

As she walked out of the office, she glanced back at Meng Changming; the old man had put his reading glasses back on and was looking down at the circuit diagrams.

She felt that meeting such a teacher was the luckiest thing that had ever happened to her.