Hoffman spent a full two hours inside.

When the conference room door opened, people from the three firms emerged gradually, with Hoffman leading the way, looking fully confident.

“Results will be announced in three days.”

The three firms had just taken turns presenting their proposals.

Xia Xiaolan nodded:

“Are we heading back to the firm now?”

Harold walked out of the conference room, brushing past everyone.

Thank heavens he didn’t say anything that could be misinterpreted in front of so many people, or Xia Xiaolan would have wanted to kill him.

Hoffman seemed quite satisfied too.

Whether or not GMP ultimately got the project, Hoffman didn’t want the industry saying GMP competed unfairly – even rumors weren’t acceptable. This design was his and the team’s blood and sweat; it shouldn’t be tainted by impure factors.

Before the bidding day, Kissinger had already moved to suppress rumors within the firm, forbidding them from spreading talk about Xia Xiaolan and Harold’s intimate relationship. He clearly knew there were no secrets in the industry and didn’t want other firms gossiping about GMP – large project bids involved many factors beyond design proposals, but such tactics were kept private and never discussed openly!

“Back to the firm. We’ve done our part; whether we get the project is no longer in the design team’s hands.”

Could they negotiate on the budget?

Which parts of the proposal could be modified?

As Hoffman said, it wasn’t under his control anymore.

The power now lay with the client, Wilson Hotel, and how they would choose.

Xia Xiaolan didn’t linger around either, obediently following Hoffman back.

After being teased by Foster’s Dick earlier, Hoffman seemed to treat her more warmly? Xia Xiaolan suspected it was her imagination and decided to observe for a couple more days.

The bidding results wouldn’t come for three days.

Hoffman gave his team two days off – the first real holiday Xia Xiaolan had since joining GMP.

Suddenly having free time, she wasn’t sure what to do.

Visit Professor Wen and his wife in Ithaca.

That could work.

She could also check on Comrade Jiang Yan.

In a few days, Jiang Yan would undergo her second surgery, this time in a different location.

However, before she could implement either plan, someone knocked on her door.

Outside stood Ma Hai, trembling with excitement.

“Junior Sister Xia… come look.”

Xia Xiaolan was surprised, “So fast?”

Last time Xu Jing and Ma Hai had promised it would take until July at least, but before the Wilson Hotel bidding results were even out, they had already completed the final version.

Suddenly interested, Xia Xiaolan followed the excited Ma Hai, who could barely contain himself. Xu Jing had just finished the final debugging.

“Junior Sister Xia, you can try it now.”

Xu Jing’s voice was equally excited.

Xia Xiaolan picked up their creation, typed in a word, and pressed search, while watching her watch:

“1, 2, 3…9!”

Nine seconds!

They had met her requirements, reducing the search time to nine seconds!

It still couldn’t compare to electronic dictionaries of the future, but in 1986, Xia Xiaolan felt it was ready for production – products improved generation by generation anyway.

“Senior Brothers, you’re both amazing. Now we can discuss whether you want to return to China with the electronic dictionary to set up a factory, or sell the finished product directly to me.”

Xia Xiaolan switched straight into business mode.

They had already signed contracts anyway, and now Ma Hai and Xu Jing only had these two choices.

Ma Hai had already decided: “I want to return home and set up a factory with the product!”

Xu Jing promptly nodded, “Me too.”

Two ambitious souls inspired by the American Dream and China’s Reform and Opening Up.

Entrepreneurship was the right choice – many industries in China were still blank slates, and with a boss like Xia Xiaolan, it would be hard not to make money. But honestly, given Xu Jing’s indecisive personality, Xia Xiaolan wasn’t too keen on working with him.

Xu Jing truly had talent.

But among so many talented people on Earth, whether one could succeed had much to do with personality!

Xia Xiaolan thought for a moment, “Let’s celebrate first, this is happy news. Since you both choose to return home to set up a factory, I’ll need to discuss the specific share distribution with lawyers.”

Ma Hai and Xu Jing naturally couldn’t object.

They couldn’t contribute much money to join the venture, and Xia Xiaolan’s $60,000 investment was nearly spent. They had little room to negotiate whatever shares or terms Xia Xiaolan offered them.

If they didn’t accept, they could choose the first option – sell the finished product directly to Xia Xiaolan, and she would pay them an additional one-time buyout of $40,000.

Neither wanted this option.

Xia Xiaolan thought about giving Xu Jing one last chance.

How to test someone indecisive?

See what his attitude toward Project Li was now.

Xia Xiaolan specifically asked around about the anti-violence gathering Ning Xue mentioned – Project Li would be there too. Looks like she’d have to take these two along!

After making a phone call in her room and sharing this suggestion, Xu Jing was quite surprised:

“An anti-violence gathering?”

“Yes, because of Project Li’s domestic violence incident. But I’m not encouraging you to see Project Li – you and Senior Brother Ma have been lying low long enough. If you’re planning to return home with the product to set up a factory, shouldn’t you take this chance to say goodbye to everyone? You don’t owe anyone money now, you’ve paid your dining fees, you can attend gatherings with dignity and present a whole new image to others.”

Xia Xiaolan’s suggestion greatly appealed to Ma Hai.

Wealth without showing it off back home was like wearing brocade in the night. He and Xu Jing had been pushed to the margins of New York’s international student circle, branded as failures. Now that they were returning home, wasn’t it time to tear off those labels?

And that woman Project Li, didn’t she tell everyone he and Old Xu were investment scammers?

Ma Hai wanted to throw the finished electronic dictionary in Project Li’s face.

“Junior Sister Xia, I agree to attend the gathering!”

Ma Hai looked at Xu Jing, somewhat worried about him.

Xu Jing didn’t hesitate too long, “I’ll go too.”

Xia Xiaolan looked at these two unkempt tech nerds and snapped her fingers: “You need a major makeover. The gathering is just the beginning. When you return home, you’ll realize that to put the electronic dictionary into production, you’ll need to deal with all sorts of people in society, each more difficult than the Chinese international students in New York.”

“Respect the robes before the man” was an ancient Chinese saying.

Once Xu Jing and Ma Hai returned home to set up their factory, they would no longer be poor students but returned talents with foreign investment.

Their current image and social skills were inadequate.

Xu Jing and Ma Hai still had some money left, which Xia Xiaolan didn’t take back, letting them use it as activity funds. After all, they’d been focused on the electronic dictionary lately with no other income – where else would they get dollars from?

After taking them shopping for clothes and getting new hairstyles, Xia Xiaolan drove them straight to Han Jin’s “anti-violence” gathering.