Chapter 60

Zhuochuan listened to these words without surprise, but instead smiled. He knew what Yuan Xiaobing was about to say. Sure enough, after saying this, Yuan Xiaobing flipped through the thick documents and shook his head.

"This project has too much potential. If I invest, it would be like you giving me money. Besides, my investment company isn't solely under my control. If I were to invest, the company would have to go through the process, and we would inevitably have to discuss matters of shares. If I were to ask for shares in such a project, it would be a bit too much," Yuan Xiaobing said, looking at Zhuochuan's expression. He noticed that the other party was not surprised, which made him think even more highly of Zhuochuan.

"I'll lend you four million in cash privately, you can use it as you wish. If it's not enough, I'll help you contact the bank for a loan. You don't need to worry about collateral; there won't be any problems under ten million," Yuan Xiaobing proposed his plan, which was purely out of gratitude.

From the documents, he naturally saw the potential market for this project. To put it bluntly, the Western market was completely open, with a market size of hundreds of billions of dollars and euros. The domestic market was even larger, and the prospects were beyond his imagination.

He knew that if it were in the past, he would have pounced on such an investment opportunity without hesitation. But facing Zhuochuan, his savior, he wanted to repay his kindness. Giving money directly was something the other party had already refused. Now, if he were to take shares to invest in such a project, it would be like the other party giving him money.

Seeing this, Zhuochuan no longer mentioned shares. This made him realize that Yuan Xiaobing was a man of principle, not just a businessman driven by profit. This person was worth getting to know further. The other party's straightforward attitude meant that what he could return in the future might far exceed what money could bring.

Since the other party was determined not to follow the investment route and only wanted a personal loan, Zhuochuan wrote a promissory note. Yuan Xiaobing firmly refused any interest and did not require any collateral, making it a loan based on personal trust.

Zhuochuan put away the cash check Yuan Xiaobing had written and gave him the promissory note.

Looking at the time, it was only 8 PM. The entire process, including the flight, did not exceed ten hours. This was the benefit of a life-saving favor. If Zhuochuan had accepted the monetary compensation from Yuan Xiaobing at the time, there would be no such personal loan. Even if he had approached a regular venture capital firm, it would have been a long process. It would have taken at least half a month of investigation before entering the investment negotiation stage, followed by endless haggling over share distribution, power allocation, and the dispatch of company supervisors.

In total, it would take two to three months to secure an investment, but now, after just a few hours of conversation, he had four million in cash. This money was enough to cover the rental of a place, setting up a company, establishing an account, and other necessary tasks.

"By the way, A-Chuan, when the new company is just starting, a reliable accountant is essential. Otherwise, managing the funds will be too much of a distraction. I have an old accountant in my company who has worked for over thirty years, since my father's time. He has handled billions of funds and has never been dishonest. He is honest and reliable. Now that I'm less involved in business, and the company has fewer affairs, I can have him work part-time for you for a while. Once you have reliable staff, he can return," Yuan Xiaobing felt no regret after doing this.

He felt that he was not just repaying a life-saving favor but also making a more promising friend. Although he had given up a lot of benefits, he had gained a friend with a bright future. For someone like him, who did not pursue a luxurious life but valued the quality of life, having tens of millions in assets was already enough. The actual significance of money was minimal. On the contrary, this promising friend was more important. His intuition told him that his decision was correct.

...

After securing the four million loan, Zhuochuan quickly began the preparatory work for the company. He hired a specialized agency to handle the registration, and within three days, a software company with a registered capital of one million was established, and the office space was leased.

Next, he needed to find people to fill the framework. Zhuochuan first met with the old accountant from Yuan Xiaobing's investment company. At first glance, Zhuochuan's keen eye immediately recognized that this old accountant, named Li Zhengding, was indeed honest and reliable. In other words, he was cautious and dared not do anything irregular. No wonder the Yuan family trusted him and had him serve as the financial director of the family company for over thirty years.

Such a person, although unable to help with accounting tricks or tax evasion, was the most suitable for the long-term stable development of the company.

"Mr. Zhuo, I'll follow your arrangements and take on the role of financial director part-time. I'll set up the company's accounts first. Once you have reliable staff, I can hand over the responsibilities," the accountant said respectfully.

"Alright, thank you, Mr. Li. Your salary will be the same as what you receive at Mr. Yuan's company," Zhuochuan had a broad vision. His focus was not on money but on the soul power that would be invaluable to his future.

"That won't do. I'm only working part-time, and my salary is actually paid by Mr. Yuan's company. If you pay me here, I'll have to tell Mr. Yuan to stop paying me there. He won't be happy when he finds out," the accountant waved his hands. He knew the relationship between Yuan Xiaobing and Zhuochuan, with the latter being Yuan Xiaobing's savior in a mountain climbing incident.

Saying it was part-time, it was actually a free loan of his services. The accountant was very clear about this.

Zhuochuan was in a hurry and saw that the accountant was very principled and straightforward, unwilling to take any undue benefits, which would make him feel uneasy. He decided to compensate him later.

Zhuochuan recalled that in his old company, there were a few employees like this. Although they were twenty years younger than Mr. Li, their personalities were similar. They felt guilty if they took even a small advantage from the company. Such people were the best employees. Regardless of their abilities, at least the basic business would not have problems with them around.

Thinking of this, and considering the previous unpleasantness, Zhuochuan thought, "You were the ones who acted unrighteously first, so don't blame me."

Zhuochuan did not directly poach employees but made a call to his loyal former subordinate, Dong Ze, who had left the old company over a dispute for him.

Since leaving the company, Zhuochuan had been busy with the duel, and they had not met in person, only occasionally talking on the phone.

However, Zhuochuan knew his current situation through QQ status updates. He was still traveling and enjoying himself.