Chapter 726: They Are So Lucky

「Calabash Brothers Studio.」

After more than half a year of operation, the studio had expanded from its initial team of eight to nearly thirty people, most of whom were recent graduates of the same age.

The whole atmosphere of the studio was filled with youth and vitality. The young people were full of energy, acting like they were on steroids every day.

Timothy Rowe had also instilled Cecilia Sterling’s ethos in the new employees, and the studio’s compensation and benefits were comparable to those of a large corporation.

Just as Cecilia Sterling reached the door, she heard a cheer from inside loud enough to blow the roof off. This seemed to be the norm at the studio, and she couldn’t help but smile knowingly.

Pushing the door open, she walked in. “What’s all the happy news? I could hear you from the doorway.”

Cecilia met up with the studio staff for a meal every month. The new employees knew she was their investor, and they had heard the story of the original eight members’ journey countless times. In their hearts, Cecilia was a saving grace, a god-like figure.

“Cecilia!” Paige hurried over to greet her, pulling her into the crowd. “You’re just in time. We recently held a small internal competition. The staff formed teams of three to design a mini-program that adds a new function to our Project 2.0. The winning team gets a cash prize and paid time off, and their function will be added to the project, named after their team.”

“That sounds interesting. Is there a winner yet?” Cecilia asked, her face full of curiosity.

Timothy Rowe stood to the side, explaining with a smile, “Our project was already nearly perfect, so there wasn’t much that could be added. We were originally only planning for one winning team.”

“But unexpectedly, everyone was wildly imaginative, and each team created a new program command. So, I just decided to give everyone an extra bonus.”

Someone in the crowd immediately stirred. “Long live President Rowe!”

The others began to cheer as well.

“You’ve all worked hard. I know this wasn’t easy for you. Although some of the programs have minor flaws, the ideas and creativity are excellent. With some optimization from everyone later on, they can definitely be added to the project.”

Cecilia was infected by the harmonious atmosphere. She immediately spoke up, “Since I happened to walk in on this, I’ll add something too. I’ll give everyone in the studio an extra bonus of two bucks, and I’ll arrange for everyone to go to the hot springs at Mount Verdant, all expenses paid!”

The employees’ eyes widened in surprise, followed by another round of joyful screams.

Timothy Rowe and the others, familiar with Cecilia’s style, were already used to this. They couldn’t help but look at each other and smile.

In the conference room, Cecilia sat down and took out a stack of documents, handing them to Timothy Rowe. “Lawyer Quincy has reviewed the contract, and I’ve already signed it. The second round of funding will arrive in the next couple of days.”

Timothy Rowe nodded happily. “Thank you for your trust, Cecilia.”

Cecilia was also the sole investor for the project’s second round of financing. She had simply followed procedure by having a lawyer glance over the contract before transferring the funds without a second thought, showing her unconditional support and trust in the studio.

Having an investor like her was something countless entrepreneurs could only dream of.

They were truly fortunate.

Cecilia was already very familiar with them. “Let’s skip the pleasantries. Just make sure the project proceeds smoothly and finishes on schedule. Don’t worry about the money. I see the studio has grown to a decent size. After the second project succeeds, you should transition and register as a corporation.”

“R-Really? We can do that?”

Everyone was thrilled, but at the same time, they felt a little uncertain.

A studio and a corporation are two completely different concepts. Establishing a corporation would mean they had their own corporate identity and would officially become a member of the industry.

“Of course. Based on your current abilities, it’s not a problem at all. And after becoming a corporation, you’ll be able to further expand your fields and business scope. Then the company can independently develop its own artificial intelligence products. That’s much better than doing all the work for someone else’s benefit, right?”

“I’ve said it before: with your abilities and my investment, we will inevitably grow stronger and stronger.”

Everyone exchanged excited glances. Cecilia’s words had clearly motivated them.

“Cecilia, the reason we’ve been so successful is that you’re our foundation. With you here, we can devote ourselves to research and development without any distractions,” Gavin Garrett said, looking at Cecilia with deep emotion.

The others all nodded in agreement with Gavin Garrett’s words.

“We’re helping each other succeed, that’s all. I don’t want to repeat the same old lines. A successful project is the greatest return for me.”

Speaking of which, Cecilia looked at Timothy Rowe and asked, “Timothy, have any companies approached us about 2.0 yet?”

Timothy nodded. “They all want to get the program as soon as it’s finished to get a leg up on the competition. Some companies even want to discuss a short-term monopoly.”

The so-called short-term monopoly means buying out the rights for the first few months.

They all know that one company could never buy out the program completely, which is why they came up with the idea of a short-term buyout.

Just a few months’ lead on other companies would yield an astronomical profit.

“But I’ve refused them all. I’d rather see healthy competition. Our program provides a significant boost to their products, but at the end of the day, it’s just a bunch of advanced, optimized code. If these companies really want to get ahead of their peers, they should focus on the quality and materials of their products. That’s the proper way to do business.”

Cecilia agreed with Timothy Rowe’s viewpoint. It was also a crucial factor for the long-term, stable development of the industry.

“Cecilia, the Lane Group is still relentlessly trying to contact us. They’re even willing to pay a price three times higher than other companies,” Paige suddenly mentioned.

Hearing this, Cecilia sneered. “Of course they’re desperate. And even if they buy the program at three times the price, they’ll still make a profit.”

“Even if it means losing money, the Lane Group would still want to get the program. Because compared to taking a loss, they’re more afraid of being eliminated from the industry.”

“Don’t worry, Cecilia. We won’t work with the Lane Group.”

Cecilia nodded lightly. This was the only request she had ever made of the team, and she trusted them to honor it.

But just then, there was a sudden knock on the office door. An employee came in to report, “President Rowe, someone from the Lane Group is here to see you.”

Everyone looked at each other, stunned. ‘Speak of the devil,’ they thought.

Timothy Rowe’s brow furrowed, his face showing his impatience. “Didn’t they just come last week? Why are they here again?”

“President Rowe, it’s not the same person from last week. It’s… a young man.”

“A young man?” Timothy Rowe snorted coldly. “I’m not seeing him. Just tell him we’re about to close for the day.”

The employee nodded and turned around, only to jump in fright. The man was standing right behind him. “You…”

Shawn Lane, who had been outside the door, walked past him with a blank expression and went straight into the conference room. But before he could even speak, the opening lines he had prepared were thrown into complete disarray the moment he saw Cecilia Sterling sitting there.