Chapter 8

Li Xuan's Han Card was not mass-produced but was just a prototype, so after obtaining the circuit board, he had to manually solder the chips, EPROMs, and resistors himself.

Compared to his design skills, Li Xuan's soldering technique was clearly much worse. He either caused short circuits by making the solder joints too large or open circuits by making them too small. He scrapped two circuit boards in a row, and it was only on the third one that he finally managed to solder everything successfully. He managed to debug everything, including the driver, before the Japanese arrived in Hong Kong.

Two people from Japan's Epson Corporation came to Hong Kong with Hu Junming. One of them was named Kō川Shinji, who, unfortunately, chose to pursue technology instead of playing soccer. He was a section chief in the technical department of Epson Corporation.

"Mr. Li, you are a very talented designer, and the design of this Han Card is excellent. Mr. Hu told me that you just graduated from middle school and haven't started university yet. You should be aware that Hong Kong's electronics industry is not well-developed. Have you considered studying in Japan? Epson Corporation can help you contact the best universities in Japan and cover all your expenses!" Kō川, who was in his early forties, slim, and wearing black-rimmed glasses, said sincerely.

"No, thank you, Mr. Kō川, for your kind offer, but I don't plan to leave Hong Kong for now!" Li Xuan did not accept the offer. His ambitions were much greater than what the other party imagined, and Epson Corporation was not his goal.

"That's too bad! If you change your mind in the future, feel free to contact me!" Kō川Shinji did not show any displeasure at the failed recruitment and continued to smile warmly and humbly. However, his heavily accented English made it difficult for Li Xuan to understand.

He whispered a few words to the other Epson representative, Oda Masaharu, who was standing beside him.

"Mr. Li Xuan, this is the transfer contract our company has prepared for you. Please review it!" Oda Masaharu pulled out a document from his briefcase, bowed, and handed it to Li Xuan.

The Japanese were impeccable in their etiquette, but their English skills were often a source of amusement. In his previous life, when Li Xuan worked in Silicon Valley, the English of Japanese and Indian people was the hardest to understand among all Asian groups, while the English of Chinese, especially new immigrants, was the most standard, even better than many Americans.

After the Meiji Restoration, Japanese introduced a large number of English-derived words, which, after being adapted to Japanese pronunciation, differed from their original English pronunciations. However, the Japanese were already accustomed to these pronunciations, and when learning English, they found it difficult to change their tongues.

Li Xuan took the contract from Oda. The other party had been very considerate, providing a bilingual Chinese-English version of the contract. These details clearly showed why Japanese products were so successful worldwide.

He carefully read through the contract from start to finish. Epson Corporation's offer was very generous, offering 120,000 Hong Kong dollars to buy out all his software and hardware designs. This price was already higher than Li Xuan's initial expectations.

After having the contract reviewed by a lawyer from Hengtai Company to ensure there were no hidden traps, Li Xuan signed his name on it without hesitation.

"Let's have a pleasant cooperation!"

Hu Junming specially took a bottle of red wine from the glass cabinet, poured a glass for everyone, and they all clinked glasses in celebration.

When Li Xuan put the 120,000 Hong Kong dollar check from Epson Corporation into his pocket, his heart couldn't help but race. This was his first real earnings since his rebirth. 120,000 Hong Kong dollars, equivalent to about 25,000 US dollars at the current exchange rate.

Three years ago, Steve Jobs and his two friends started Apple with only 1,300 US dollars. In comparison, the income Li Xuan had now was already quite substantial, and he could finally start his next plan.

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"School doesn't start for more than a month, and you're resigning so early. I'll have to find a new translator!" Hu Junming said with a smile as he took Li Xuan's resignation letter.

"I haven't had a proper summer vacation yet. Thanks to your help, I earned some money from the Japanese, which covers my university tuition and living expenses. Now I can finally relax a bit!" Li Xuan had been dealing with Hu Junming frequently, and their relationship had transcended that of a typical boss and employee, making his tone more casual.

"Right, I forgot you're still an 18-year-old kid. When I was your age, I only knew how to go out and chase girls, not like you who's already making a fortune!" Hu Junming leaned back in his chair, a cigarette in his mouth, and said leisurely.

"Speaking of making a fortune, that's definitely you, Boss! When will Epson's printer be launched in Hong Kong?"

"Not soon. The launch will be in October. We need to shoot an advertisement and build up the promotion. It will also take time to establish distribution channels in Taiwan."

"Shooting an advertisement? Do you need a female actor? I have a friend who is a very beautiful woman named Maggie Cheung. She was the fourth runner-up in this year's Miss Hong Kong pageant! How about I arrange a dinner for her to meet you, and you can see if she's suitable for the role?"

Li Xuan suddenly thought of the beautiful Maggie Cheung he had met recently. He had been calling her every few days, and a few days ago, he even got a free meal from her. When pursuing a girl, occasionally letting her treat you to a meal can make you more memorable.

Of course, getting a free meal was just an excuse. After dinner, you should invite her to a movie, and after the movie, go for a coffee. This combination of activities can quickly bring you closer.

"It seems you're quite skilled at pursuing girls, already knowing a Miss Hong Kong runner-up! I was thinking of sharing my experience in chasing beautiful girls from my youth, but it seems I don't need to!"

Hu Junming took a puff of his cigarette, slowly exhaled a smoke ring, and laughed heartily. "No need for dinner. I'm flying to Taipei tomorrow. Here's the director's business card. Have her call him directly. I'll also give the director a call, but I can't guarantee he'll choose her."

"Thank you, Boss. Just having the opportunity is great! If she gets chosen, it's a stroke of luck, and if not, it's no big deal!" Li Xuan took the business card and carefully put it away.

After chatting with his boss for a while, Li Xuan tactfully took his leave when the phone on the desk rang. Not far away, Cao Jingya was reading a book and didn't notice him.

"Anne, daydreaming on the job?"

Li Xuan quietly sneaked up behind Cao Jingya and suddenly spoke. Startled, Cao Jingya looked up and, realizing it was Li Xuan playing a prank, swung her fist at him.

"Ah! Ah! Vincent, you're so bad, you scared me to death!" Cao Jingya hit him a few times, but seeing that he didn't dodge, she calmed down and patted her chest in relief.

Cao Jingya, despite her cheerful and outgoing demeanor, was actually quite ambitious. Although she didn't go to university, she didn't plan to be a secretary for life. She was attending night school to prepare for an accounting qualification and would secretly read financial course books during her free time at work.

"You're so bold, reading unrelated books during work hours. Be careful the boss catches you!" Li Xuan said with a smile. "I just resigned, coming to say goodbye to you!"

"Ah?" The girl's face was full of surprise. "Isn't it still a month before the start of the semester at CUHK?"

"Right, I plan to take a break for a while. I haven't had a proper summer vacation yet!" Li Xuan gave the same explanation as before.

Cao Jingya nodded and looked at Li Xuan with a complex expression. "Stay in touch!"

Li Xuan knew she had a vague fondness for him, but he had no interest in her. He said goodbye to the other colleagues and then left the place where he had worked for nearly two months.