Five figures!
Five figures was a substantial amount of money.
Lin Zhixia was already tempted.
She was about to agree when she remembered the teaching assistant mentioning that this software should be worth six figures.
Summoning her courage, Lin Zhixia bargained: "Last month, we were hacked, and the program's backend crashed. I worked continuously for a month, modifying code and fixing vulnerabilities every day. My information security management solution... is quite unique, incorporating some mathematical techniques. If you want to buy out my copyright, a six-figure price would be more reasonable."
After Lin Zhixia finished speaking, the room fell silent.
The two managers from the internet company whispered briefly and surprisingly didn't reject Lin Zhixia's proposal. They only said they would discuss the details with her after class.
Lin Zhixia was about to participate in a business negotiation. She felt somewhat nervous, worried that her bold demand for such a high price might ruin the deal.
Pretending to be calm, she stood on the podium waiting for comments from the teacher and teaching assistant team. The teacher and teaching assistants praised her briefly and wished her success in selling the software copyright.
Then, following the grading procedure, the teacher began inquiring in detail about the group's division of labor and collaboration.
The software engineering course teacher was named Wang Zihuan. Teacher Wang had high grading standards and strict requirements for students. Even though Lin Zhixia's software had received recognition from the internet company's technical staff, Teacher Wang didn't go easy on her.
Teacher Wang asked directly: "I heard from the teaching assistant that your group encountered some collaboration issues, is that right?"
Lin Zhixia admitted: "Yes."
Teacher Wang spoke earnestly: "It's not just about learning technology, children, you also need to learn how to collaborate with others."
Luo Ying immediately explained: "Teacher, He Shangqing doesn't respond to our messages, doesn't attend group meetings. We wanted to collaborate with him, but he didn't give anyone the opportunity."
Right in front of everyone, Luo Ying exposed He Shangqing's shortcomings without any hesitation, something He Shangqing never expected. What followed was Teacher Wang's targeted questioning. Teacher Wang asked him exactly what code he had written? What work he had completed? What technical challenges he had overcome?
He Shangqing stammered: "I wrote the user login and registration."
"Just this one module?" Teacher Wang asked again.
The teaching assistant added with a smile: "For this small module alone, He Shangqing dragged it out for over three months."
Teacher Wang looked at He Shangqing: "What have you learned in our course?"
Teacher Wang held a "Personal Evaluation Form." In He Shangqing's "Technical Practice" column, he wrote a "D."
He Shangqing glimpsed the teacher's handwriting. He knew that being honest would result in failure. With no other choice, he stood straight with his hands pressed against his pants seams and explained: "Lin Zhixia modified my code... She wasn't satisfied with my work."
Lin Zhixia had been prepared.
She countered skillfully: "Teacher, He Shangqing's code was very short, only forty lines total, and it contained errors that prevented it from running directly. He never approached me or discussed technical issues with me. I've already reported the situation to the teaching assistant."
He Shangqing retorted: "I studied for over three months..."
Teacher Wang interrupted: "Time is almost up, you can go back first. Next group, come on, next group please hurry up and come demonstrate your program."Lin Zhixia walked briskly down from the podium, not giving He Shangqing a second thought. She casually found a seat and sent another text message to Jiang Yubai, asking him how to sell software at the highest possible price.
Jiang Yubai replied instantly: "What's your ideal price?"
Lin Zhixia: "One hundred thousand."
Jiang Yubai: "Don't state your price first, wait for their offer. If they bid over one hundred thousand, then consider your next move."
Lin Zhixia: "If their offer exceeds one hundred thousand, I'll accept it."
Jiang Yubai: "First clarify whether they want a buyout license. After discussing the details, read the contract carefully."
Lin Zhixia: "Okay, do you have any other tips to share with me?"
Jiang Yubai held his phone, fingertips lingering on the screen. After a few seconds, he sent a message: "This Saturday I'll bring the dress and shoes to your school. Try them on to see if they fit."
Lin Zhixia suddenly realized - the dress and shoes were ready!
She was extremely excited and quickly responded: "Okay, okay! Saturday at 8 AM, school gate, no see no leave!"
Jiang Yubai also said: "No see no leave."
A smile blossomed in Lin Zhixia's eyes. She repeatedly scrolled through their chat history, silently reading each word and sentence in her mind, imagining his expression and demeanor while typing... Luo Ying suddenly asked her: "Who are you chatting with that makes you so happy?"
Lin Zhixia answered without concealment: "Jiang Yubai."
Luo Ying propped her chin on her hand: "You and Jiang Yubai are almost sixteen, right?"
"Yes," Lin Zhixia said truthfully, "In two or three months, both he and I will be sixteen."
Lin Zhixia and Luo Ying's conversation didn't last long before the melodious class bell echoed through the corridor.
A manager from the internet company called Lin Zhixia's name.
Lin Zhixia scampered over. Before she even steadied herself, the other party quoted: "We've reviewed your 'Software Report,' the technology is solid. Our discussed price is two hundred forty thousand, can you accept that?"
Two hundred forty thousand?
Lin Zhixia was slightly stunned.
The manager thought he had quoted too low. He turned to speak with Teacher Wang, and the teaching assistant senior also joined in, adding support: "Lin Zhixia is a student from the Mathematics School. Our university's mathematics and physics programs rank first nationally, better than the neighboring university. The algorithm Lin Zhixia conceived is quite innovative. With some organization, it might even qualify for a national patent, with good follow-up development potential."
The manager worried Lin Zhixia might suddenly raise her price. To keep the price down, he could only say: "Lin Zhixia upgraded a chained hash algorithm, saving computational load for the program. Her system architecture still uses traditional methods. Considering her system's stability, it's not even as good as our interns' work."
Remembering Jiang Yubai's advice, Lin Zhixia immediately spoke up: "May I ask, are you looking for a buyout license?"
Lin Zhixia only said this one sentence, but the manager showed hesitation on his face.He stepped out to make a phone call and returned several minutes later. This time, his smile had vanished as he spoke with formal seriousness: "Lin Zhixia, let's be frank and talk business. I've negotiated with my superiors, and the maximum we can offer is four hundred thousand—after taxes. That's truly our final offer. What we value are your database algorithms and information security algorithms. The software itself isn't really within our scope of consideration..."
This last statement was actually a lie.
The software's theme, design, and creative concepts were precisely what the company highly valued.
Lin Zhixia didn't overanalyze it. She bounced on her feet and jumped before the manager: "Four hundred thousand after taxes? Final offer, no take-backs?"
The manager chuckled lightly: "Would you go back on your word?"
Just as Lin Zhixia was about to respond, Jiang Yubai's advice floated through her mind once more.
Imitating Jiang Yubai's demeanor, she politely said: "Thank you for your recognition. Let's discuss the details after I've reviewed the contract."
The manager repeatedly agreed.
That afternoon, the manager arrived at the school with several colleagues, printed contracts, and lawyers from the company's legal department. Eagerly seeking out Lin Zhixia, they discussed every clause in the contract with her.
After confirming the contract's contents, Lin Zhixia called Jiang Yubai again. While she could recite legal provisions, she knew almost nothing about actual business—real commerce hid within reality, originating from human interactions, and she lacked relevant experience.
Jiang Yubai quickly answered her call. Since the internet company was purchasing the entire software's copyright, Jiang Yubai advised Lin Zhixia to document each team member's contributions in the contract, distributing the copyright fees according to individual contribution percentages.
All team members were present except for He Shangqing.
Lin Zhixia calculated that she had written nearly all the backend code herself, about eighty percent of both iOS and Android apps, while the remaining work had been handled by Senior Luo Ying. The other three seniors had only worked on the web version's frontend—and Lin Zhixia had corrected numerous errors for them.
Lin Zhixia stated honestly: "Senior Luo Ying contributed over twenty percent, while you three combined account for about ten percent."
The three seniors never expected to receive any payment. Aware of their actual workload, they silently accepted Lin Zhixia's distribution method, even feeling vaguely grateful to her.
But Luo Ying said: "Give my twenty percent to you. I don't need the money."
"No," Lin Zhixia insisted firmly. "I want to give you thirty percent."
Luo Ying smiled radiantly: "Without you, I would have scored at most eighty in this course. You helped me achieve high grades, and now you want to give me money? I'd feel guilty. You're my junior after all, several years younger than me. How about this—just give me ten percent as a token gesture. Tens of thousands make no difference to me anyway."
Luo Ying's casual remark that "tens of thousands make no difference to me" stunned everyone present.
The internet company's lawyer asked: "Have you decided on the revisions?Luo Ying answered first: "I'm willing to relinquish all my shares, letting Lin Zhixia take ninety percent alone." The other three can split the remaining ten percent."Lin Zhixia softly persuaded her: "Senior, are you really not taking any money at all? You've worked hard for three months..."
Luo Ying gently wrapped an arm around her shoulder: "I know exactly how hard you've worked. Have you been sleeping well these past few days? Last month you developed dark circles from staying up late. These hundreds of thousands in copyright fees are entirely your hard-earned money. Compared to you, I'm not tired at all—I was just doing it for the grades. As I said earlier, without you, I wouldn't even have scored 90 points. You've been my programming teacher for three months—I can't not show some appreciation."
Lin Zhixia wanted to say more, but Luo Ying's attitude remained exceptionally firm.
The deep friendship between Lin Zhixia and Luo Ying moved the other three seniors in the software group—however, they couldn't completely give up their shares, only agreeing to transfer ten thousand yuan to Lin Zhixia.
Thus, the final contract terms stated: A total of four hundred thousand RMB would buy out the software copyright in one payment, with Lin Zhixia receiving three hundred seventy thousand and the other three seniors each receiving ten thousand.
Looking at this contract, Lin Zhixia felt waves of emotion surging in her heart and solemnly signed her name.
A few days later, Lin Zhixia received a text message notifying her that three hundred seventy thousand RMB had been deposited into her account. She was so excited she nearly fell off her chair. After nearly a minute, she calmed herself down, picked up her backpack, and went out happily.
Recently, Lin Zeqiu had been under heavy academic pressure. His school's final exams were scheduled for late June, and despite studying frantically, Lin Zeqiu still couldn't cover all the knowledge points.
While sitting dazed in the library, Lin Zeqiu's phone suddenly vibrated, showing three characters on the screen: "Mommy's cling-on."
Lin Zeqiu answered the call and walked out of the study room, asking: "Lin Zhixia, what's up?"
Lin Zhixia urged impatiently: "Brother, come out quickly! I'm waiting for you at your school gate. I have a gift for you."
Lin Zeqiu found this strange.
Today wasn't any important holiday, nor was it his birthday. Why would Lin Zhixia give him a gift? Was it some kind of code?
Clutching his phone, Lin Zeqiu sprinted to the school gate at the fastest speed of his life. Seeing Lin Zhixia standing perfectly fine outside the gate, his pace slowed again.
He walked slowly toward Lin Zhixia.
Lin Zhixia held out a box with both hands: "A new phone! For you! It's 2011 now—the smartphone era is here. Brother, you're still using Nokia—it's so inconvenient. You can use a smartphone to download apps, look up words, make memos..."
Lin Zeqiu asked her: "How much did this cost?"
"Four thousand," Lin Zhixia said.
Lin Zeqiu's fingers tightened around the packaging box. He lowered his head and asked hoarsely: "Where did you get that much money? I'm asking you."
Lin Zhixia declared confidently: "Money I earned myself. The software I made got sold. You can see the news on our school's official website."
Lin Zeqiu didn't respond for a long while.
Lin Zhixia waved at him: "Brother, I have other things to do, so I'm leaving now. You keep studying for your exams!"
Lin Zeqiu called out to stop her: "Lin Zhixia!"
Lin Zhixia turned her head: "What?"Lin Zeqiu let out a sigh. He walked closer and gently patted her head. His palm was very warm as it lightly rested on her hair, his voice low and tender: "Don't overwork yourself. Don't always think about making money. I'll handle family matters—you just focus on pursuing your research."
Her brother could actually say such things!
It must be because the gift was well-chosen!
Back when Lin Zhixia gave her brother an Easter egg, he even stayed up late to bathe her Little Penguin.
Lin Zhixia suddenly understood and pressed on: "Brother, as soon as I got the money, I went straight to the mall and bought your phone. I know you're reluctant to spend money on yourself, but you deserve all the good things. Just wait until I make big money—I'll make sure you, Mom, and Dad all live comfortably."
This stream of sweet words made Lin Zeqiu slightly turn his face away. He pretended nonchalance: "What's with all this sudden talk? Just focus on your studies and stop thinking about unnecessary things."
Lin Zhixia pointed out in surprise: "Your eyes are a bit red. Are you so moved you want to cry? Brother, I didn't know you were so easily touched."
Lin Zeqiu scoffed coldly: "Impossible."
He turned around and added: "Alright, don't you have things to do? We'll talk another day. I'll come find you for a meal."
Lin Zhixia replied with a smile: "Okay! Bye!"
After parting with Lin Zeqiu, Lin Zhixia called Jiang Yubai to invite him out.
It had been over a month since Jiang Yubai and Lin Zhixia last saw each other. Jiang Yubai had originally planned to visit Lin Zhixia's school this Saturday to deliver the custom-made clothes he ordered for her, and take the opportunity to walk and chat with her.
Now that Lin Zhixia had invited him out earlier, he could conveniently bring her the clothes.
The first thing Lin Zhixia said upon seeing him was: "Jiang Yubai, I have good news to tell you."
Jiang Yubai and Lin Zhixia sat on a roadside bench. The warm early summer breeze brushed through her hair, and the bright sunlight shone in her eyes. She slowly leaned close to his ear and whispered: "I've earned some money and want to buy you a gift, but I don't know what you need."
Just as Jiang Yubai was about to speak, Lin Zhixia let out a soft sigh. Her breath brushed against his earlobe like a soft feather grazing his skin. His breathing became uneven, though his words remained calm: "You don't need to spend money on me. You've already given me many gifts..."
"Do you like them all?" Lin Zhixia asked him.
"Yes," he admitted frankly.
He picked up two gift bags and handed her the custom-made clothes: "Your dress and shoes."
Lin Zhixia hugged the bags tightly: "I'll go back to the dorm to try them on."
Jiang Yubai said: "If they don't fit properly, they can make alterations."
This was Lin Zhixia's first time receiving custom-tailored dresses and shoes, so she wasn't sure what the standard for "good fit" was.
Carrying the gift boxes back to her dorm, she unwrapped the packaging and marveled at the fabric and craftsmanship of the dress—the material had a pure color and was exceptionally fine and lightweight, coming with a matching camisole.
Lin Zhixia squatted on the floor examining the dress for ten minutes before finally changing out of her clothes and putting it on.
Just at that moment, Deng Shasha and Feng Yuan returned from outside. The moment they entered the dorm and saw Lin Zhixia, Deng Shasha murmured in astonishment: "Oh my god, a fairy has descended upon our dormitory."
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