Chapter 295 - 294: Name Your Price, I’ll Buy This Project

Chapter 295: Chapter 294: Name Your Price, I’ll Buy This Project

When Lin Feng and Cao Ming finished up for the day and returned to their guesthouse, they saw a familiar figure at the entrance.

It was none other than Zhao Zhengye, who had been out of sight for some time.

He was much thinner than the last time they had seen him, so much so that his cheekbones jutted out.

Back when Lin Feng had made it clear that he could only buy his project, not invest in it, Zhao Zhengye could no longer recall exactly how he had felt at that moment.

All he knew was that he felt as if he had crossed the point of no return.

He was going to risk it all for one last shot.

Things couldn’t possibly get any worse, so he felt he could calmly accept whatever outcome lay ahead.

Since Lin Feng wouldn’t invest, there was no need to put all his eggs in one basket.

And so, Zhao Zhengye, having "figured things out," went straight to contacting every investment firm he could find, big and small.

He cast a wide net and hadn’t been idle for the past month or so.

He did manage to secure funding and find the right people.

The project was finally moving forward smoothly.

But just as his software was entering its final, most critical stage, the same thing happened all over again.

The investment firms all pulled their funding!

"Why are you pulling your funding?"

Zhao Zhengye demanded, veins bulging on his forehead as he cornered one of the investors.

The man looked at him with unconcealed disdain.

"Are you sure your project isn’t plagiarized?"

"It’s identical to someone else’s project, and their proposal was established long before yours."

"Besides, they’ve already launched into the market and seized the first-mover advantage. Your project’s value has plummeted. Only a fool wouldn’t pull out now!"

Zhao Zhengye was stunned speechless.

He quickly figured it out. There was only one person who could have had the same idea and progressed faster than him.

Sitting across from Lin Feng, Zhao Zhengye recounted the events of the past month.

"I guess I see things clearly now. I’m just a terrible judge of character."

Zhao Zhengye let out a self-deprecating laugh.

Lin Feng didn’t say anything as he listened to the story of how Zhao Zhengye’s former partner had preempted him, taking the project and securing investments.

But seeing Zhao Zhengye’s expression now, Lin Feng smiled faintly. "So, you couldn’t accept defeat and came back, hoping to sell me the project?"

Zhao Zhengye paused for a moment, then sighed and shook his head. "Mr. Lin, I can’t drag you into this. Since so many investors say he’s already seized the first-mover advantage, there’s nothing I can do to fight back."

"If I sold the project to you now, wouldn’t I just be scamming you?"

"I wouldn’t do that."

His voice was quiet, but his tone was resolute.

Lin Feng’s expression remained unchanged, giving no hint as to what he was thinking.

Zhao Zhengye’s face flushed slightly. He glanced at Lin Feng and pleaded, "I understand now that I’m not cut out for entrepreneurship. Mr. Lin, you mentioned before that you wanted to invite me to your company..."

"I was wondering... if you’d still be willing to have me?"

Lin Feng had long predicted that Zhao Zhengye would come looking for him after hitting a dead end.

So, hearing Zhao Zhengye’s request now, Lin Feng wasn’t surprised in the least.

"Are you sure you’ve thought this through?"

Lin Feng asked him again.

Zhao Zhengye nodded immediately. "Mr. Lin, I think it would be better for me to just focus on doing what I’m actually good at, and do it well."

Since Zhao Zhengye had come to his senses, Lin Feng certainly wasn’t going to turn someone like him away.

"My offer still stands. I’ll draw up a contract for you at market rate. But I expect you to show me what you’re capable of. I don’t like to waste my money."

Hearing this, Zhao Zhengye’s face lit up with delight.

Zhao Zhengye had completely given up on his startup, and he was currently short on cash.

The salary Lin Feng was offering was very reasonable.

Part of the reason Zhao Zhengye wanted to work for Lin Feng’s company was his high opinion of Lin Feng himself.

Even though Lin Feng had been bitingly sarcastic to him in his own home back then, looking back, he realized Lin Feng was just trying to snap him out of it.

The fact that Zhao Zhengye was able to pull himself out of the entrepreneurial sinkhole so quickly was partly thanks to Lin Feng’s advice.

He thought their business was more or less concluded.

He hadn’t expected Lin Feng to bring up the project again.

"Are you sure the idea your partner took when he left was the complete version?"

Lin Feng asked casually, as if making small talk.

Although Zhao Zhengye and Lin Feng had only met a few times, their recent interactions had shown Zhao Zhengye that the young man before him was incredibly sharp.

Zhao Zhengye felt a sense of trust toward Lin Feng.

So, when Lin Feng asked about the startup project, Zhao Zhengye held nothing back.

"He left midway through the project. After he was gone, I was fuming, and I channeled that into making significant revisions to the plan."

"But now they’ve already developed the software and are starting beta promotions, while my revisions are still just ideas on paper."

Zhao Zhengye said, his expression darkening.

But when Lin Feng heard this, his expression flickered with interest.

"So, are you planning to abandon the project completely?"

Lin Feng asked.

Zhao Zhengye nodded with a touch of regret. "It has no value to me anymore. It’s like a dream I’ve finally woken up from."

Lin Feng thought for a moment. "Name your price. I want to buy the project."

Zhao Zhengye’s head snapped up, his eyes filled with disbelief and a hint of gratitude.

"Mr. Lin, you don’t have to buy this worthless project just to help me out. I don’t want your charity!"

At that, the pride deep in Zhao Zhengye’s bones flared up again.

But Lin Feng just chuckled, amused. "You think I’m buying this project just to help you out?"

Zhao Zhengye said stubbornly, "Aren’t you? Practically every investment firm says the project is worthless now..."

Lin Feng smiled. "I think you should remember that the place you’ll be working—my company—is also an investment firm."

"I’m an investor, too. I would never buy a project out of personal sentiment. I buy it because I can see value that others might have missed."

If Zhao Zhengye weren’t going to be a future member of his team, Lin Feng wouldn’t even have bothered to explain.

For Lin Feng, the reason he chose this project was that he saw opportunities within it to turn the situation around.

So, in his eyes, the project was far from worthless.

A large part of the reason the other investors had abandoned the project so decisively was that they hadn’t taken the time to seriously understand it.

They certainly hadn’t looked into the history between Zhao Zhengye and the partner who betrayed him.

Therefore, those investors naturally failed to see the project’s hidden potential.

Zhao Zhengye stared blankly for a moment after hearing Lin Feng’s words.

He stammered, "It... it really still has value?"