Marriage Can Wait - Novelbike

Xiao Chen’s video conference lasted until 6 a.m.

At 8 a.m., Xiang Meilan woke up, walked out of her room, and saw Xiang Yi and Xiao Chen leaning against the glass door of the kitchen, holding coffee cups and sporting dark circles under their eyes.

“The key is still the people,” Xiao Chen said seriously, discussing work. “If they refuse to send over technicians, then everything is pointless. The further we go, the more we’ll be led by the nose.” With core personnel in their hands, if Xiao Chen halted development now, there was a risk of breaching the contract; but if they continued, they might just be making a wedding dress for someone else.

Xiang Yi said, “I don’t think they’ll agree to send anyone over. It’s clear they aren’t sincere about this collaboration. We were careless when signing the contract.” Xiao Chen’s company was understaffed, mostly composed of researchers who were single-mindedly focused on getting things done, never suspecting there might be traps in the contract.

In fact, halfway through the meeting, Xiang Yi noticed He Songshi was losing interest and didn’t want to continue discussions with these foreigners, likely having spotted their issues.

Xiao Chen said, “I know that Chinese technician from the meeting. Not only do I know him, but we were also mentored by the same advisor, we’re like brothers. But I can’t poach him because when we signed the cooperation agreement, we also signed a non-compete agreement.” With this in mind, he immediately sent a message to his secretary, “I want them to pull out the agreement and review it.”

He wanted to see if there were any overlooked loopholes in the agreement. After working so hard, Xiao Chen didn’t want to give up, nor did he want to make a wrong move and end up with a complete loss, becoming an early casualty in the medical AI field.

Xiang Yi knew it was futile; since the other party had planned this, they must have considered every detail. She felt a headache coming on, took a big gulp of coffee, and when she saw her sister coming out, she said, “Have breakfast before you go to work.”

“Okay.” Xiang Meilan nodded, glancing back at He Songshi sleeping soundly on the sofa, covered with a blanket.

Pouring herself a cup of coffee, Xiang Meilan joined her sister and Xiao Chen’s little circle. “How did the talks go?”

Xiang Yi shook her head and explained the situation to her sister. “Unless we find a way to force them to send a technician over and share the technical details with us, we won’t be able to replicate their technology. This collaboration would not only be meaningless but also disastrous, as they’ve already obtained our core results.”

Xiang Meilan shook her head, thinking, “Xiao Chen is so naive, handing over his core without securing theirs.” But she said lightly, “So in this industry, a technician is so crucial that success or failure can hinge on one person.” After reviewing the materials yesterday, Xiang Meilan had also noticed this issue, and Xiang Yi’s words confirmed her findings.

After a quick breakfast, Xiang Meilan headed to the company.

Whether to get involved in Zhou Yanyin’s project was still undecided for Xiang Meilan. But throughout the day, she watched Zhou Yanyin tirelessly working alone, seeking investors, arranging for subordinates to prepare materials, multitasking like a whirlwind.

High heels were swapped for soft-soled shoes, her loose bun casually tied at the back of her head, and the once elegant lady was now unbothered by details, even fetching tap water from the break room when thirsty.

Xiang Meilan had never seen her so disheveled.

She walked into the break room, closed the door behind her, looked at Zhou Yanyin, and took a deep breath. “To finish before the end of the year and leave time for bank payments, you actually only have three days. You need to raise funds and negotiate with entrepreneurs. Even with my help, it might not be possible.”

Zhou Yanyin leaned against the cabinet, drinking water. “Are you here to mock me or to propose a partnership?”

“Partnership,” Xiang Meilan replied coolly. “I’m interested in your two million.”

Zhou Yanyin seemed to relax, pulling a business card from her suit pocket and handing it to Xiang Meilan. “If you want the two million, settle this person. He’s the company’s founder and a key technical figure. Convince him to accept our investment, and your task is complete. Once the funds are in and we get the shares, I’ll give you the two million.”

Xiang Meilan glanced at the card and handed it back. “We can cooperate, but I have two conditions. First, I want the two million in exchange for 1% of the shares.” Although she felt a sense of camaraderie with Zhou Yanyin as a fellow career woman, she wasn’t so soft-hearted as to not fight for her own interests.

Zhou Yanyin’s expression remained unchanged, though her eyebrows raised slightly.

Xiang Meilan continued, “My previous job was about following rules. The Regulatory Authority issued rules, I interpreted and followed them, and taught those aspiring public companies to comply. I was used to doing what I was told. But now, my job is to assist in company innovation, to break the mold. It’s not about accepting everything you offer.”

Leaving Beicheng was Xiang Meilan’s way of taking control of her life, no longer being a price taker without bargaining power.

If she took on this project, she was betting her future, so why not bet bigger?

1% of the shares might be a total loss, or it might be worth far more than two million in the future.

Zhou Yanyin hesitated; in her eyes, 1% of the shares was worth much more than two million. If not for the urgency, she wouldn’t agree to such terms.

She didn’t rush to answer Xiang Meilan. “What’s the second condition?”

“Tell me why it must be settled before the end of the year.”

This time Zhou Yanyin didn’t hesitate. She straightened up, ready to leave. “The first condition is negotiable,” she said, reluctantly accepting the deal. “The second, you don’t need to know, and I won’t tell you.”

Xiang Meilan opened the break room door first, decisively saying, “Then when you change your mind, we can talk again.”

With the information Xiang Meilan had, there were better companies to invest in on the market. Why was Zhou Yanyin so insistent on this one? Xiang Meilan pondered all night, suspecting Zhou Yanyin was hiding something. To cooperate, Xiang Meilan needed to know everything.

Even if Zhou Yanyin hadn’t agreed to cooperate yet, Xiang Meilan couldn’t waste precious time.

She returned to her office and dialed the number she had memorized from the business card.

Using Hengxing Capital’s name, Xiang Meilan directly proposed an investment collaboration to the founder.

The other party quickly declined. “Miss Xiang, compared to new companies like Hengxing Capital, we prefer to receive funding from leading funds. To be honest, Jinshi Asia Fund has already accepted our investment invitation and is currently in the due diligence process. They are market leaders, and with their investment, we can outpace our peers.”

Jinshi Asia was one of the leading funds in the artificial intelligence field. This conversation was exploratory, and Xiang Meilan didn’t have high hopes. If it were easy to negotiate, Zhou Yanyin wouldn’t have offered her two million at the start.

She just didn’t expect to be rejected so bluntly.

Xiang Meilan said, “Leading funds have high standards.” This was an objective fact known to both parties.

The other party was unfazed. “I know we may not be their first choice. But as long as there’s a chance, it’s worth fighting for.” Overflowing with confidence, it was almost arrogance.

In the original market dynamics, startups with high capital and background requirements naturally sought investment from large funds. Large funds selected the best to lead investments. New companies like Hengxing Capital, with insufficient reputation and conservative investment strategies, typically preferred to follow large funds.

What Zhou Yanyin wanted was to break this pattern and invest ahead of the large funds.

But both the Investment Committee and entrepreneurs were still thinking within the pattern, one unwilling to invest, the other unwilling to accept funds, both waiting for the leading fund’s move. It was a chicken-and-egg stalemate.

Xiang Meilan knew further discussion was pointless. Without breaking the stalemate, the project’s negotiations couldn’t make substantial progress. So she politely said, “If you change your mind, please feel free to contact me,” and hung up.

Five minutes later, Zhou Yanyin entered, locking the door and closing all the curtains.

“You knew I would agree to your terms,” she said, sitting directly across from Xiang Meilan. “You know me well.”

Zhou Yanyin was someone who wouldn’t give up until the last moment. Seeing that she couldn’t make it in time alone, partnering with Xiang Meilan was the only hope. So she would definitely come to Xiang Meilan, even if the terms were harsh and costly, it was better than giving up.

Despite their rocky acquaintance and experiences, they undeniably admired each other, their abilities complemented each other, one could secure funds, the other could negotiate projects, and both could set aside emotions for money, making them ideal partners.

“I have reliable sources that in the medical AI industry, there will be a new policy after the New Year, specifically targeting the assisted diagnosis sector. The company I have my eye on meets the policy requirements, while its competitors do not.”

Xiang Meilan said, “So when the new policy comes out, all the other companies will suffer.” At best, they would abandon their developed content and adjust their strategies; at worst, they would suffer severe setbacks or even shut down projects.

Xiang Meilan thought of the entrepreneur’s confidence earlier and asked Zhou Yanyin, “Do many people know about this?”

If the entrepreneur’s confidence was due to knowing about the new policy, she really had no chance of negotiating. Otherwise, there might still be hope. In the financial industry, from ancient times to now, the side that makes money always relies on the advantage of information asymmetry.

Zhou Yanyin knew Xiang Meilan was concerned about whether the entrepreneur knew about the news. “He can’t possibly know. This is highly confidential, and even telling you now is a huge risk.” Zhou Yanyin said, “If you have any more questions, just ask. Now that I’ve told you this, I’ll be completely open with you.”

This was the cooperative state Xiang Meilan wanted.

After discussing some cooperation details and reaching an agreement, Zhou Yanyin left Xiang Meilan’s office.

Then, Xiang Meilan asked her secretary to call a car. She needed to rush to a hotel in the City Center to attend an event organized by Jinshi Asia Fund.

This was information she had heard from Xiao Chen earlier that morning. Xiao Chen was invited to attend, and Xiang Meilan had checked the attendee list; the entrepreneur she was interested in was also among the guests.

On the way, Xiang Meilan called her sister Xiang Yi. “You help me with something, and I’ll help you with something.”

This business-like statement made Xiang Yi wary. “What are you up to?” Being sisters, Xiang Yi knew how determined Xiang Meilan could be when she wanted to accomplish something.

“I need to acquire a medical AI company and need your help. If I succeed, I can help you by having this company recruit Xiao Chen’s senior brother. Hiring a programmer for an AI company should be normal. Then, his name will be with me, but he’ll work with you, which won’t violate the non-compete agreement.”

“Is it reliable? Are you setting me up?”

“Not reliable.” After all, the acquisition was still uncertain. “But I won’t set you up.” So far, Xiang Meilan had no guarantee, but she was taking a 1% chance of success with 100% hope, which was completely different from her past approach.

Xiang Yi knew Xiao Chen’s company was on the brink of survival, unable to afford weakness or uphold any moral high ground. She thought for a few seconds, didn’t consult Xiao Chen, and made the decision herself. “Alright, what do you need me to do?”