Chapter 185: My Triumphant Smile~ - Part 2

"Because the scenery is nice," Ethan spoke truthfully, "I visited Professor Cerf's office in Arlington last month, and the environment there was exceptionally beautiful."

"There were mountains, water, gardens, and even a large fountain."

Ethan gestured to the chancellor.

The chancellor laughed and nodded at Ethan's almost joke-like explanation, "Okay, okay, the land to the west is yours. How much do you want? Fifty acres or a hundred?"

"Oh... a hundred acres is a bit much..."

Ethan's eyes rolled as he conjured up the image of his own farm.

He briefly considered building a headquarters in Thomas's hundred-acre orchard...

Damn! The thought was too beautiful, he couldn't bear to look!

"You do know a hundred acres is large, huh?"

Ethan's comment made the chancellor glare at him, "You're starting a business, right?"

"This is because of business expansion that you're changing headquarters, right? And now you're asking for mountains, water, gardens? What's next, should I give you the land of the Santa Cruz Mountains when you decide to move again?"

"We have twelve hundred acres there, all part of an ecological preserve."

"If you build your headquarters there, you'll be going to work to the sound of birds chirping and leaving at sunset."

"Can we do that?" Ethan's eyes widened, full of anticipation.

The chancellor paused, then grabbed his cane and swung it at Ethan.

With a swift dodge, Ethan avoided it, and the cane hit the floor.

The two men, separated by nearly three generations, couldn't hold back their laughter.

The chancellor knew Ethan was bluffing.

Ethan also knew the chancellor was joking.

After the laughter, the chancellor brought up a serious matter, "Oh, Ethan, I hear you've been in touch with some of the professors here researching optical storage?"

"Yeah." Ethan nodded without any hesitation.

"You're interested in optical storage?"

"Sort of."

"Is there a project?"

"Just some unripe ideas."

Although Ethan didn't share any useful information during their conversation, to Fred Terman, a professor fully immersed in the technological boom, this was enough.

He adjusted his glasses and spoke in a calm tone, "If you're truly interested in optical storage, then I suggest you move your company to Palo Alto."

"The reason is simple, Stanford Research Institute's headquarters is there. If you have any research to do, you can just go there. They have the most complete and advanced equipment in the entire West, and also, there are many patents on optical storage there. If you're interested, you can directly purchase them..."

The chancellor was serious.

When he established Stanford Research Institute, he defined it as a non-profit scientific research organization, aimed at using scientific achievements to promote local economic development.

Driven by this mission, the institute would undertake R&D projects for government agencies, commercial enterprises, and private foundations, and directly transfer past research achievements.

Because of their generosity, many companies came every year to pick products, and as more products were purchased, more companies sprung up around Stanford.

Actually, when Ethan decided to work on optical discs, he had considered the institute because Evelyn had told him that the initial perfection of optical discs was completed there. He even thought about buying out the research as soon as the development team was formed.

But Ethan could afford it!

Turning company profits into tax deductions not only reduced taxes but also solidified the foundation for the company's long-term development.

And now, the chancellor was suggesting they just move there?

And mentioned that their machines could be borrowed?

Oh—those buildings were not in the Stanford Industrial Park!

"Can we do that?" Ethan asked with a grin.

"Why not?" The chancellor shrugged. "The better you develop, the more it proves my decision was right. For someone like me, who's almost got one foot in the grave, seeing the world's praise before I close my eyes would be the most wonderful thing."

"Money and honors don't mean anything after death, right?"

"My teacher closed his eyes surrounded by a blooming garden."

"I'd like that too."

The chancellor was seventy-seven years old.

For the wealthy, this age was considered prime, thanks to superior medical care extending lifespans beyond average expectations. But Fred Terman had been frail since childhood, and tuberculosis in his youth had left his lungs weakened.

He didn't know how long he had left.

But he wanted to leave a mark as his teacher did.

The day after Ethan was called over, people from Stanford Research Institute contacted him, offering him a five-story building, which was...

"This is actually our spare office building."

The deputy director, a middle-aged Caucasian, introduced to Ethan, "Our institute currently has over a thousand researchers, and of course, we'll hire more in the future, so we're always building."

"This building was completed last year, initially intended for use once a major project was launched. But since the chancellor said you might transition from a gaming company to a tech company and will have

 more dealings with us, this building is yours to use first."

"As for the lease term..."

"The chancellor said you decide."

"It's one dollar a year anyway."

"As long as you don't dissolve your company, you can use it indefinitely."

"Of course, subletting is not allowed."

"Oh, right... The building right in front of this one, that's our optical research lab. It'll be convenient for you to use the lab if you're working here."

Ethan smiled as he accepted the keys handed to him.

Now, he fully understood what it meant to cling to a powerful support, to fast-track a decade.

Of course, as a multimillionaire, he wasn't stingy.

The day after signing the contract, he had Alan Massey donate a million dollars in the name of the company and his sister to both Stanford University and Stanford Research Institute.

Two million dollars at that time was a lot.

Its purchasing power could sustain four hundred families at a standard living level for a year.

But Ethan didn't care!

If previously, having a factory in the Stanford Industrial Park made them part of Stanford's joint campus-company initiative,

Now, having a company on Stanford Research Institute's land was getting the university's real endorsement!

That wasn't something two million dollars could buy!

With the company located here, Ethan wasn't afraid of Hollywood's rules anymore!

Would Warner and Philips dare to shake people, and would the media dare to pick it up?

Just randomly pick a professor here, and they're either handling Lockheed's projects or Boeing's, orders from General Motors or research sponsored by Dow...

When all these giants are mixed in here, would the media dare to come?

Hehe~

Leaning on the railing of the rooftop, Ethan looked down at the research park, his mood was excellent.

Thank you to "Planting Peanuts, Cheer Duck" for the 3800 Qidian coins donation.

Note:

In the 70s, the highest personal income tax rate in the U.S. was 70%, down from 91% before the Great Society programs of 1964 and further reduced by Reagan to 50% in 1981 and to 28% in 1986. The story about needing to draw a salary for R&D was mentioned by Wozniak, who said he was earning $600 a week while selling Apple II, not including product dividends. He didn't want to take so much money because of the high tax rates, but not taking it would have made it easy for the IRS to audit a large corporation. Using the method of founding a company alone could save over thirty points in taxes. D-777 is the 10th-anniversary commemorative model of Sony's portable CD player, released in 1994.