Fifty thousand yuan for complete ownership?

When I presented the input method software I had developed to Mr. Xu, he was astounded, his mouth wide open like a big frog.

"Just wait, Kris. I'll immediately contact my friend at a software company for you. Who would've thought that my student, Kris Lei, would have a bright future!" Mr. Xu couldn't care less about me standing there and quickly ran off to make a phone call.

...

"Mr. Zhao, it's me, Mr. Xu!" Mr. Xu spoke into the phone.

"Oh, Mr. Xu! What can I do for you?" the person on the other end, called Mr. Zhao, asked enthusiastically.

"I have a student who has developed a software program and is looking for a company to collaborate with. That's why I thought of you, Mr. Zhao!" Mr. Xu explained.

"Oh, come on, Mr. Xu! I was your student. Don't call me 'Mr. Zhao.' If it weren't for you teaching me, would I be in the computer industry? I owe my achievements to you!" Mr. Zhao humbly replied. "What software is it? What's special about a program developed by a student?"

"Ha, you're underestimating me! Have you forgotten who your teacher was? Weren't you my student as well?" Mr. Xu boasted.

"Well, that's true. What program did he develop?" Mr. Zhao asked awkwardly.

"It's an input method, and I think it has great potential!" Mr. Xu explained.

"Alright, I'm free in a while. Bring it to me, and we can have a meal together," Mr. Zhao suggested.

"Okay, it's a deal. I'll be waiting for you at the company!" Mr. Xu happily hung up the phone.

...

"Kris, I'll take your program to Tianheng Computer Company in our city later. The CEO there used to be my student too. It should work out." Mr. Xu told me.

"Great, I'll leave it to you, Mr. Xu. I'll wait for your message," I said.

As I walked out of the Youth Center, I spotted Julie Yan waiting for me not far away. I waved to her, and she quickly ran over, latching onto me in an instant. "Why were you so slow? Didn't you say it would only take a moment?"

"Well, I wanted to sell my program for a high price. Otherwise, how can I afford to support you in the future?" I said, lifting Julie Yan off me and placing her back on the ground.

"Acting like I'm so spendthrift," Julie Yan pouted unhappily.

"Alright, alright, I won't depend on you," I consoled her.

"That's more like it," Julie Yan said, taking my hand as we walked to the Line 6 station together.

"The competition is over, so there's no reason not to go home now," Julie Yan sighed.

Actually, I would have liked to spend more time with Julie Yan, but as an adult, I knew better than to act impulsively. If we were discovered too early by her parents, normal parents would surely obstruct our relationship, posing a significant obstacle to our feelings. Although I was confident that Julie Yan would never leave me, I didn't want to take that risk. If her family became too agitated and transferred her to another school, it would be a disaster, something that her grandfather, a provincial leader, could easily accomplish.

Just as I arrived home, I received a phone call from Mr. Xu. "Kris, why didn't you answer your phone?"

"What's wrong, Mr. Xu?

I just got home!" I asked curiously.

"Do you have time this afternoon?" Mr. Xu anxiously inquired.

"Yes, why?" I said.

"I want you to come to Tianheng Computer Company on Development Road. Mr. Zhao is interested in your program and wants to talk to you in detail," Mr. Xu explained.

"Alright, I'll be there right away!" I said excitedly. My hard work was being recognized by others!

"Okay, when you arrive, go directly to Mr. Zhao. Zhao Junsheng. I need to hurry back home. Otherwise, that silly girl, Ruoyun, will think I sneaked out to drink again!" Mr. Xu chuckled.

"Alright, I'll come over now." I hung up the phone and immediately went downstairs.

The address Mr. Xu gave me was easy to find. From a distance, I could already see the prominent sign of Tianheng Electronic Computer Technology Co., Ltd.

As I entered the company, the receptionist stopped me. "Young student, whom are you looking for?"

"I'm looking for General Manager Zhao," I replied.

"Do you have an appointment?" the receptionist asked.

"No, but it was Mr. Zhao who asked me to come," I said.

"Alright, let me check." The receptionist picked up the phone and dialed a few numbers. "Hello, Mr. Zhao, this is Xiaoli. There's a student here who says you were looking for him?"

After hanging up, the receptionist asked me, "Are you Mr. Xu's student?"

I nodded.

"Then it's fine. Let me take you to Mr. Zhao's office." The receptionist led me to a room and said, "You can go in now. Mr. Zhao is waiting for you inside."

I knocked on the door, and a middle-aged man's voice came from inside, "Please come in!"

I pushed the door open and asked, "Is this Mr. Zhao's office?"

The middle-aged man seemed visibly surprised when he saw me, but quickly regained his composure. After scrutinizing me for a moment, he said, "Hello, I'm Mr. Zhao, Zhao Junsheng, the General Manager of Tianheng Computer Company. And how should I address this young student?"

"Mr. Zhao, my name is Kris Lei," I said.

Zhao Junsheng nodded calmly and said, "Alright, Kris. You don't have to call me Mr. Zhao. You can call me Uncle Zhao. I hope being a little older than you won't make you feel at a disadvantage!"

"No way!" I replied. "Then I'll call you Uncle Zhao."

Zhao Junsheng pulled up a chair for me and invited me to sit next to him at the computer. He asked, "Kris, did you really develop this input method software?"

I nodded and asked, "Any questions?"

"No," Zhao Junsheng shook his head and said, "I just wanted to confirm again. It's hard to believe that a high school student could develop such an input method. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would have a hard time believing it!"

"You're too kind, Uncle Zhao. I was just fooling around," I said embarrassedly.

"Don't be so modest, Kris. I see great potential in your input method. Let's put a price on it. How much do you want to sell it for?" Zhao Junsheng asked.

"Well, what do you think it's worth?" I asked in response. It was my instinctive reaction. In my past life, I was a seasoned fox in the business world, so handling such matters came naturally to me.

"Alright, Kris.

I'll give you a fixed price: fifty thousand yuan. I'll buy the copyright of this input method and have the right to develop future versions," Zhao Junsheng confidently stated. Fifty thousand yuan was already a substantial amount in the software industry in 1994. Although it wasn't Zhao Junsheng's bottom line, he believed that this money would be a significant sum for a high school student.

"Well, Uncle Zhao, let me do the math for you," I said calmly.