Chapter 577: Not Quite Like a Good Person

Because these companies believe that these restrictive clauses and the Prohibited Directory are not just thresholds, but towering mountains.

Never mind five years; even if you gave Lin Sicheng fifteen years, he still wouldn't be able to finish the Artifact Research.

That is why a betting agreement was added, and it is detailed to an extreme degree:

The venue, funding, and instruments required for each stage of research, as well as the technical level to be reached at each stage, the academic achievements to be completed, and the degree of applied transformation.

Only by meeting these conditions can these technologies be considered licensed for free; otherwise, a high royalty fee must be paid. In addition to this, a massive penalty for breach of contract must be paid to the first party.

By that time, Lin Sicheng would have only one path left: bankruptcy...

Wang Qi Zhi hesitated to speak: "Lin Sicheng, the higher-ups won't just ignore this, will they?"

Of course they will manage it, and in every aspect. For example, technical support, academic resources, and even more so, financial support.

Taking a step back, even if nothing is researched and the bet is lost, it is impossible to let Lin Sicheng pay a single cent.

It is not about welching on the debt, but rather that there are specialized departments providing the funds.

But there is one point: all support can only be behind the scenes.

Anything that might allow foreign capital to seize a handle: such as restricted entities, unidentified funds, third-party holdings, and so on and so forth.

If even one is discovered, it will trigger the Safety Clause, and the license will be automatically voided.

Especially the first clause: any third-party institution is strictly treated as a restricted entity. To put it bluntly: refuse any research institution not headed by Lin Sicheng from participating in the research or injecting capital.

Once discovered, it will be deemed an institution secretly controlled by the "military and its affiliated units," simultaneously triggering the Safety Clause.

Wang Qi Zhi frowned: "The problem is, you don't know how to do it, right?"

Since Lin Sicheng grew up, when has he ever researched any instrument technology?

Lin Sicheng nodded: "What the other side wants is for me not to know. Of course, for us, it doesn't matter if I don't know; we just need to find people who do!" "Does that mean you still have to be the one at the very front?"

"That is roughly how it is!"

Moreover, what Lin Sicheng needs to do is far more than just being at the front.

These agreements were jointly formulated by European and American Industry Associations and the State Security Department. Since they were able to set so many thresholds, they won't just be for show. Lin Sicheng must personally raise the funds, personally recruit the personnel, personally inspect the venues and equipment, and even personally participate in the design of the research plan.

Whether he knows how to do it is one thing, but whether he has done the work is another.

But Lin Sicheng only has one head and two hands; can he split them into several pieces? To put it bluntly: foreign capital set so many clauses precisely so that he wouldn't be able to research a single thing.

Seeing that Wang Qi Zhi still didn't understand, Lin Sicheng explained further: "What is lost outside the wall is compensated for inside the wall; after all, even if there is no credit, there is hard work, so one won't suffer a loss in the end!"

Wang Qi Zhi does not doubt this point, because there are countless precedents.

Lin Sicheng being able to negotiate this agreement is his greatest merit. Even if nothing is researched in the end, there will inevitably be compensation. There is no reason to let a hero bleed and cry.

He just feels that Lin Sicheng has limited energy and cannot even manage this mess, so what will happen to his own career?

Lin Sicheng is not very worried: "It won't delay things for long, just the initial starting phase. Once it gets on the right track, I'll just hold a title and be a mascot!"

Wang Qi Zhi was noncommittal: according to his estimation, this starting phase would at least be counted in years.

The key is what comes after: what counts as being on the right track?

Completing the academic level required by the first party, or turning the technology into a product, or perhaps reaching a certain market goal?

As long as the first party's goal of causing trouble for Lin Sicheng remains unshaken, it will never get on the right track.

Wang Qi Zhi estimates that Lin Sicheng will have to be tied up here for at least three to five years.

Lin Sicheng is quite optimistic: "Teacher, don't worry, that won't happen!"

It is an exaggeration to say it is the power of the whole nation, but the level of support is definitely large enough. It is nothing more than one set of rules for the inside and another for the outside: Lin Sicheng acts as a front on the outside, while the real researchers are on the inside.

All he needs to do is copy the answers handed out from the inside.

Of course, this is also a technical job. But it is definitely not as Wang Qi Zhi thinks, where he wouldn't be able to spare a single bit of energy...

As they spoke, the motorcade drove into the courtyard of the building; the driver got out first, observed the surroundings, and then helped him open the car door.

After getting out of the car, Wang Qi Zhi patted Lin Sicheng on the shoulder: "Stop overthinking it; you've been exhausted enough during this period, so get a good rest for two days first!" It was indeed exhausting enough; even with Lin Sicheng's good spirit and physical strength, he was showing signs of being unable to hold up.

The few of them went upstairs, ate something casual, and Lin Sicheng returned to his room.

Wang Qi Zhi called Zhao Xiuneng out.

After deliberating for a long while, he stammered: "General Manager Zhao, you know the situation now; Lin Sicheng is at his most difficult point." "Not a single person, not an inch of land, not a cent of money..."

At first, Zhao Xiuneng was a bit puzzled: if you say Lin Sicheng is in danger, I believe that. Just look at the eight bodyguards following him twenty-four hours a day. But if you say Lin Sicheng is in a difficult spot, I haven't seen it.

When he heard "not a cent of money," he realized what Wang Qi Zhi wanted to say.

"Professor Wang, with our relationship, do you need to be so evasive?" Zhao Xiuneng patted his chest, "I'll cover those twenty million in the joint account!" "Wait... I haven't finished speaking yet, and you're already covering it?"

Wang Qi Zhi's eyes widened, "General Manager Zhao, these twenty million, what is required is US dollars, not Renminbi?"

Zhao Xiuneng was indifferent: "I know!"

"But you forgot, at that time when Junior Brother Lin was preparing to come to Beijing to open a Sub-center, I said: I'll cover anything under one hundred million! This time it's only three or four million more, it doesn't make much difference to me..."

"It's not that, General Manager Zhao... this is fundamentally not the same thing!" Wang Qi Zhi explained patiently, "This time it's not an investment, but a loan. There is a ninety percent chance that this money will be thrown into the water!"

That is why Wang Qi Zhi was hesitant: knowing that this money would be lost, and still asking the other party to pay for it, isn't that cheating someone?

And it is not a small amount: at least a few million, at most tens of millions; whose money is blown in by a strong wind?

But Zhao Xiuneng: opening his mouth to talk about a hundred million?

"Professor Wang, don't scare me!" Zhao Xiuneng squinted, "Do you believe that even if I wanted to lend this money, it might not be possible to lend it out? Even if I lent it out on the front foot, it would be returned on the back foot. I might not even know who returned the money!"

Wang Qi Zhi was stunned: is that really uncertain?

Because according to the restrictive clauses, Lin Sicheng is the sole investor: he is the one paying for the Technology Authorization Agreement, and all research funding can only be provided by him personally.

By then, regardless of whether this research institution bears his personal name or another, he must hold one hundred percent of the shares.

For Lin Sicheng, from top to bottom, there is naturally one hundred percent trust. But if it were someone else, the relevant departments would certainly be as cautious as possible. Especially one of the clauses, although it is a threshold deliberately set by those instrument companies. But for the relevant departments, it is equally applicable: at the very least, this money, and the person borrowing the money, must be able to withstand investigation, and even more so, withstand review.

Borrowing a hundred million at once, you say you are betting on Lin Sicheng's character; do the leaders believe you?

Wang Qi Zhi was full of hesitation, but Zhao Xiuneng was not very worried: "Don't worry, there will be a way when the car reaches the mountain; with so many leaders around, there is no need for us to worry!"

"What I'm worried about is not the leaders; I'm worried that this thing has a ninety-nine percent chance of not succeeding!"

Wang Qi Zhi sighed, "A few years just slip away in the blink of an eye. How many 'few years' does Lin Sicheng have?"

Zhao Xiuneng disagreed: Just as Lin Sicheng said, what is lost inside the wall can be made up for outside the wall; even if there is no merit, there is still the toil of labor.

Could the state really let him work for nothing?

Lin Sicheng slept for a day and a night.

He dreamed that Li Zhengwu was carrying a large cannon and pulled the trigger on him.

But what came to his ears was not the sound of a cannon, but a "ding-a-ling" ringing sound.

He slowly opened his eyes, feeling dazed for quite a while before his brain began to turn.

Lin Sicheng sat up and wiped his face.

His brain had been running continuously, operating at full capacity every day; suddenly relaxing would produce a state similar to "crashing."

In his previous life, this happened every few days, but in this life, this was the first time.

It showed that he had indeed been excessively tired these past few days...

The ringing sounded five or six times, then stopped. It paused for three or four seconds, then started up again.

Lin Sicheng glanced at it and answered it casually: "Senior Sister Li!"

"Teacher Lin, several people from Hong Kong have come to the Center, specifically asking to see you! I said you were resting these past few days, and they said they could wait!"

They could wait—what did that mean?

"Does that mean they haven't left?"

"Right, they came at eight o'clock, went out for a meal at noon, and then came back!"

Lin Sicheng took down his phone and checked the time: it was now 3:30 in the afternoon.

That meant this group had already been waiting for the better part of the day.

As for people from Hong Kong, he only knew one, Chen Weihua, the one who had been swindled out of over a million by Feng Sanjiang with a Japanese Imitation Ru Ware Brush Washer. But if Chen Weihua were coming to visit, he would definitely have contacted him first.

"Did they say specifically what the matter was?"

"I asked, but they didn't say, only that they wanted to see you! They also said they wanted to tour the place, but I didn't let them in!"

Of course, he couldn't let them in; having just caused such a big rift with a group of foreign businessmen, what if they were there to cause trouble?

Thinking of this, Lin Sicheng's heart stirred: could it be the foreign businessmen?

According to the agreement, starting from today, several companies would send inspection teams to supervise and audit the project's qualifications.

But they had only signed the agreement yesterday—wasn't it a bit too fast to send people today?

The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed: apart from the foreign businessmen, no one else would travel so far to find someone without saying what they were looking for. "Senior Sister Li, you receive them first, be polite!"

After hanging up the phone, Lin Sicheng jumped off the bed and took a quick shower.

He changed his clothes and left the room; the few people sitting in the lounge chatting all stood up.

There was Wang Qi Zhi, there was Zhao Xiuneng, and the remaining four were not strangers either; they were all members of the Consultant team during the negotiations.

Two were the "Lawyers" who had stayed by his side and participated in the negotiations throughout, and the other two were staff members from the Property Rights Bureau and the Ministry of Commerce. They were called staff, but all held official ranks, just like Wang Qi Zhi: Deputy Division Chief.

Just as Lin Sicheng was about to greet them, the four stepped forward and simultaneously handed over four business cards:

"Teacher Lin, from now on, we are all employees of the Center. These are our business cards!"

Lin Sicheng glanced at them, his expression strange.

First, he looked at the two lawyers' cards: Lin Sicheng Cultural Relic Restoration and Protection Research Center, Legal Consultant.

Then he looked at the remaining two: the same prefix, Lin Sicheng Cultural Relic Restoration and Protection Research Center, both were Deputy Office Directors. No... he suddenly had four employees under him, how did he, the boss, not know?

Just as he was stunned, another person walked over, in his early forties, wearing glasses, looking refined.

With the same action, he first shook hands, then handed over a business card: "Teacher Lin, hello, my surname is Du, Du Luoyan, currently the Deputy Director General of the Finance Department!" Lin Sicheng was silent for a moment before taking it.

You have to say, this business card was printed quite nicely.

He nodded: "Where did Deputy Director General Du work before?"

"I was doing audits at Rongcheng before!"

Good heavens, one of the Big Eight firms?

With this resume, coming here to do finance, and in a deputy position, it wasn't just a waste of talent; it was squandering it.

"Is Deputy Director General Du working part-time or full-time?"

"Full-time, of course!" Du Heng adjusted his glasses, "I resigned a month ago!"

It definitely hadn't been a month; it might have been yesterday, or perhaps he had resigned in a hurry this morning.

But Lin Sicheng did not ask further.

To make a deeper impression on Lin Sicheng, the newly appointed Deputy Office Director introduced them again.

Fearing he would misunderstand, the new director explained: "We were originally going to wait until Monday, after you and the leaders discussed it, to set the regulations. But we didn't expect the foreign inspection team to arrive so quickly."

"Division Chief Chen called Professor Wang, and the professor said you were resting, so he didn't disturb you. Then Division Chief Chen, Professor Wang, and General Manager Zhao communicated and had us come over first to prepare."

"At this stage, there are few people, so we will temporarily handle these tasks. Once the company is established, we will definitely hire a professional team, and we will step down then..."

Lin Sicheng naturally understood the leaders' meaning: all personnel matters must be approved by Lin Sicheng.

But he hadn't expected the foreign envoys to arrive so quickly, catching him off guard.

If they asked who was in charge of finance or who was in charge of personnel, and he said he didn't know and hadn't arranged it yet,

it would look unprofessional and invite ridicule.

At least these people had all worked together before, so they weren't strangers.

"Thank Division Chief Chen for me!" Lin Sicheng expressed his thanks, "Are those Hong Kong people the inspection team?"

"Yes, but they didn't send a letter or notify us; they went straight to the Center. They probably wanted to catch us off guard to see the old machines from before, but they couldn't get in."

The security at the Center was handled by Zhu Heng; it would be a miracle if they could get in.

"Sorry to trouble you, Director He, let's head over now!"

"Teacher Lin, we have prepared our own car!"

"Good!"

Saying this, the group went downstairs.

Lin Sicheng disliked being flashy, so he swapped the Red Flag for a Jinbei van.

Once in the car, Lin Sicheng closed the partition: "Teacher, Senior Brother, why didn't you call me?"

"It was Division Chief Chen who wouldn't let us call, saying you had been tired for many days and we should tell you after you woke up. Otherwise, he would have called you directly."

"Division Chief Chen also said that those few are only holding their posts temporarily. After a period of time, higher-level departments will certainly intervene, and they will be replaced then!" It wasn't that these individuals were unprofessional, but that their rank was a bit lacking: how could a subordinate unit of a municipal-level bureau coordinate with a national-level Artifact Research institution? He had to be able to coordinate them as well.

"Teacher, that is not what I meant; I am talking about this group of people from Hong Kong!" Lin Sicheng stared at the car roof, "I feel like they are not the type of people who play by the rules."

Wang Qi Zhi nodded in agreement: "Sneaky and suspicious, they don't look like good people!"