novelnext Chapter 75 Results
Chapter 75 Results
Three days after the bidding, Zuo Cheng received a call from Lu Mingyuan.
That afternoon, he was discussing a technical detail with Chen Hao in his office when his phone suddenly rang. Seeing that the caller ID showed it was a Blue Bay Communications number, his heart skipped a beat.
The entire office fell silent, and everyone stared at him.
"Mr. Zuo, this is Lu Mingyuan."
"Hello, Mr. Lu."
"The results of the third phase of the Sky Dome project are in." Lu Mingyuan's tone was calm, but Zuo Cheng could hear a hint of a smile hidden beneath the calm. "Congratulations, 402 Technology has won the bid."
Zuo Cheng's hands trembled slightly. He gripped his phone tightly, trying his best to make his voice sound normal.
"Thank you, Mr. Lu."
"Your technical score is 92, while Huaxin's is 81. Huaxin's business score is 4 points higher than yours, but the technical score difference is enough to make up for it. Overall, you lead Huaxin by 7 points."
7 points. In the bidding process, 7 points is a significant difference. This means the judges' attitude is clear: 402's technical solution is superior to Huaxin's.
"The contract amount is 1.2 million, payable in three installments. The first installment of 30% will be received within 30 days of signing the contract, the second installment of 40% will be paid upon initial delivery and acceptance, and the final installment of 30% will be paid upon final acceptance," Lu Mingyuan continued. "We will send a formal letter with the contract details; you just need to arrange for the business team to handle it."
"Okay, thank you, Mr. Lu."
"Mr. Zuo, to be honest, your technical solution is truly impressive. Especially the adaptive coding and modulation section, with a spectral efficiency of 3.9 bits per hertz. Several experts on the judging panel were quite impressed. Although Mr. Lin exercised his veto power, the final vote was six to one, and he couldn't change the result."
Six to one.
Zuo Cheng felt a surge of satisfaction. Lin Jianhua had used his veto power, but the other six judges all sided with 402. This showed that the technical gap was too large, even Lin Jianhua's veto couldn't stop it.
"Congratulations again," Lu Mingyuan said. "The contract signing ceremony will be held next week at Blue Bay Communications headquarters. See you then."
"Okay, see you then."
After hanging up the phone, Zuo Cheng stood there and took a deep breath.
Then he pushed open the office door and walked to the work area.
Everyone was watching him. Everyone had been incredibly tense these past few days; no one could concentrate on their work, everyone was just waiting for the results.
"It's a hit," Zuo Cheng said.
There was a two-second silence.
Then the whole office exploded.
Zhang Lei was the first to rush over and hug Zuo Cheng tightly: "Brother Cheng is awesome!!!"
Chen Hao pushed up his glasses, a barely suppressed smile playing on his lips. Liu Wei stood frozen for several seconds, then threw his head back and burst into laughter: "Hahahaha! 1.2 million! I've never seen so much money in my life!"
Unlike the others, Ma Hao didn't shout or yell, but his clenched fists and reddened eyes showed that he was more excited than anyone else. From the exposure of academic misconduct by Lin Zhiyuan's research group, to working on chips in Shenzhen, and then starting over at 402, he had taken a long and winding road and endured too much doubt. Today, at this moment, he finally proved himself.
Han Lu quickly regained her composure and walked up to Zuo Cheng: "When will the contract details be sent over?"
"The official letter will arrive in the next couple of days," Zuo Cheng said. "You'll be in charge of handling the communication."
"no problem."
Just then, a thought flashed through Zuo Cheng's mind.
The system panel popped up automatically.
Main Quest Chain: Celestial Overlord
[Part One: The Third Stage of Winning the Bid for Sky Dome]
Status: Completed
[Evaluation: Technical score 92 points, overall score 7 points higher, excellent performance]
[Reward: 50 points, Tech Tree Growth Acceleration x1.5, lasting 7 days]
[Next segment preview: First phase of Sky Dome Phase 3 delivery]
Zuo Cheng took a deep breath. 50 points, plus the previous 113, now he had 163 points. The accelerated growth of the tech tree was a godsend, meaning that any technology-related learning and research would accelerate over the next 7 days.
He calmly closed the system panel. 163 points, tech tree growth acceleration x1.5—this was the system's reward for him, and also his reward for his journey.
"Let's celebrate tonight!" Zuo Cheng said. "Liu Wei, you choose the restaurant."
"Really?" Liu Wei's eyes lit up instantly. "Then I want to eat Japanese food!"
"Okay, you decide."
"I'll call right now!" Liu Wei pulled out his phone and rushed out.
Zuo Cheng took out his phone and sent Yu Ying a message: "I won the bid."
Three seconds later, Yu Ying replied: "I know you'll win. I'll come tonight."
He then sent Zhou Henian another message: "Mr. Zhou, we've won the bid for Phase 3 of Sky Dome, 402. Thank you for your continued support."
Zhou Henian replied instantly: "Good lad. Keep up the good work."
In the evening, the team celebrated at the best Japanese restaurant in Hangzhou. There were more than ten people in the private room; besides the 402 team, Yu Ying was also there. Fang Ze rushed over from the lab; usually quiet, he unusually drank a couple more glasses than usual.
Liu Wei ordered a huge spread of dishes: sushi, sashimi, Wagyu beef, and sake, covering the entire table. Han Lu reminded him, "Be mindful of the budget," only to be met with a glare from Liu Wei: "It's a 1.2 million project, what's wrong with treating ourselves to something nice!"
"Come on, let's toast Brother Cheng first!" Zhang Lei raised his glass. "A 1.2 million yuan project, the most awesome startup team in all of China University!"
"Brother Jingcheng!" Everyone echoed in unison, their voices shaking the door of the private room.
Zuo Cheng raised his glass, looking at everyone sitting around the table. Chen Hao, Zhang Lei, Liu Wei, and Fang Ze, four brothers who came from dormitory 402. Han Lu, from part-time consultant to full-time business director. Ma Hao, from competitor to comrade-in-arms. Yu Ying, from a fleeting glance in the library to now walking side by side.
"This toast is to each and every one of us," Zuo Cheng said. "The third phase of the Sky Dome project is the largest project since the establishment of 402, a contract worth 1.2 million. But today is just the beginning, not the end. There are still tougher battles to fight and a longer road to travel."
He raised his glass and looked around: "To 402."
"Respect to 402!"
The clinking of glasses echoed through the private room.
Yu Ying sat down next to Zuo Cheng and, when no one was looking, quietly squeezed his hand.
Zuo Cheng looked down at her, and Yu Ying smiled slightly, saying softly, "Brother, you did it."
"We did it," Zuo Cheng said.
Outside the window, Hangzhou's night view was ablaze with lights. 402 Technology had grown from a small four-person dormitory studio to a company that won a 1.2 million yuan contract in less than two years. But this was just the beginning; a much larger world was unfolding before them. Zuo Cheng raised his glass, gazing at the myriad lights outside the window, a slight smile playing on his lips.