The atmosphere shifted.
All four of them looked uncomfortable. They glanced at each other, none of them wanting to speak first.
Finally, Xu Cheng scratched his head.
"Our company... doesn't have much value, to be honest."
He shifted his weight.
"If we count the equipment we own as valuation, it's around 50,000 yuan."
He paused.
"But then again, we have 15,000 worth of unpaid rent."
Lin Feng's expression went blank.
This guy is…quite honest.
But saying all of this in front of the person buying?
He sighed internally.
If it weren't for me, these kids would've been taken advantage of.
They should be glad I'm not a bad person.
"What's your company name?" Lin Feng asked.
"Fuxin Tech," Xu Cheng replied.
Lin Feng stroked his chin.
"That name sounds..."
Xu Cheng's eyes lit up.
"You noticed?"
He stepped forward, suddenly animated.
"Not only does it have a nice ring to it - if you say it fast enough, it sounds like the English word 'fixing.'"
He grinned proudly.
"Smart, right?"
Behind him, the other three covered their faces.
It seemed this wasn't the first time he'd talked about this.
Lin Feng just smiled.
"It's quite creative."
"Right?!" Xu Cheng beamed.
Lin Feng let the moment pass.
Then his expression turned serious.
"I'll acquire Fuxin Tech for 100,000 yuan."
The room went still.
Xu Cheng's eyes widened.
"One hundred thousand?"
That was double what their equipment was worth.
Lin Feng continued.
"In addition, I'll clear your 15,000 yuan debt immediately."
He held up a finger.
"But there are conditions."
He began listing them off.
"First. All four of you will sign employment contracts with me. The contract term will be five years. During this period, you cannot leave without my approval. If you do, you'll have to pay back a portion of the acquisition cost proportional to your remaining contract time."
He raised a second finger.
"Second. You will each receive a monthly salary of 6,500 yuan."
Chen Lei's mouth fell open.
That was more than double what they were making before - when they were making anything at all.
"Third."
Lin Feng looked at each of them.
"You will collectively receive 20% equity in the new company I'm forming. That's 5% each. However, this equity will vest over five years - 1% per year. If you leave before the five years are up, you forfeit the unvested portion."
He lowered his hand.
"Fourth. I will provide a new workspace and cover all equipment costs. You focus on the work. I handle the business side."
He paused to let it sink in.
"To summarize: 100,000 yuan acquisition. 15,000 yuan debt cleared. 6,500 yuan monthly salary each. 5% equity each, vesting over five years. New workspace and equipment provided."
He looked at the four of them.
"What do you think?"
…
The four of them exchanged glances.
Were those conditions?
They sounded more like benefits.
100,000 yuan for a company worth maybe 35,000 after debt. Salaries higher than anything they'd earned before. Equity on top of that. And he was providing the workspace?
Lin Feng noticed their hesitation.
"Is something wrong?"
They quickly shook their heads.
Then, almost in unison, all four of them bowed.
"We accept!"
"Please take care of us from now on!"
Lin Feng smiled.
"Good choice."
He straightened up.
"I'll have my lawyer go through the acquisition details before we make it official."
He reached into his bag and pulled out his phone.
"For now, I'm going to transfer you 50,000 yuan."
Xu Cheng's eyes went wide.
"Use it to pay off your debt and get your equipment back," Lin Feng continued. "Then find a larger warehouse and transport everything there."
His fingers moved across the screen.
A moment later, Xu Cheng's phone buzzed.
He looked down at the notification.
50,000 yuan.
Just like that.
As expected of a rich tycoon.
Taking out this kind of money so easily.
…
Thursday, November 12th.
Xu Cheng walked beside Lin Feng, gesturing as they moved through the space.
"This is the main work area," he said. "We set up the stations over here. Storage is in the back."
Lin Feng nodded, looking around.
The warehouse was modest but functional. Clean floors, good lighting, plenty of room to expand. A significant upgrade from the cramped apartment.
Their equipment had been arranged neatly - soldering stations, microscopes, hot air rework tools, testing rigs. Everything was in order.
"Not bad," Lin Feng said.
Xu Cheng beamed.
They made their way to a small meeting area that had been set up near the entrance. A table with a few chairs.
The other three were already seated, waiting.
Lin Feng sat down across from them.
Wang Hao, Liu Yang, and Chen Lei straightened in their seats. Xu Cheng joined them on their side of the table.
All four of them looked nervous.
Lin Feng leaned back.
"Now that the acquisition is complete, we can talk about the real matter."
They tensed.
"I didn't actually want to focus on laptop repairs."
Xu Cheng blinked.
"You... didn't?"
"As you've seen for yourselves, it's not all that profitable."
The four of them exchanged glances. They couldn't exactly argue with that. Their locked warehouse and months of unpaid rent were proof enough.
Liu Yang spoke up cautiously.
"Then... what did you want us to repair?"
Lin Feng smiled.
"GPUs."
Silence.
Wang Hao frowned slightly.
"Graphics cards?"
"That's right."
Lin Feng leaned forward.
"Right now, the GPU market is relatively stable - at least on the surface. But that's going to change."
He looked at each of them.
"Cryptocurrency mining is ramping up. Data centers are expanding. The demand for GPUs is going to skyrocket - and supply won't be able to keep up."
He paused.
"When that happens, prices will surge. And not just for new cards. Second-hand GPUs, refurbished units, even salvaged parts - all of it will become valuable."
Chen Lei's eyes widened as he began to understand.
"So you want us to..."
"Repair and restore GPUs," Lin Feng confirmed. "Buy burned-out cards from mining farms. Salvage what we can. Repair what's possible."
He spread his hands.
"If we can repair them, we can make quite a bit of money."
And I'll hoard all these GPUs.
The restored ones. The new ones I buy.
Then, once I guide Yu Shen to establish an AI research lab under Tianji Capital...
I sell them everything they need.
Then print money.
His smile didn't waver.
The four technicians across from him had no idea what was going through his head. They only saw an opportunity.
"I understand," Xu Cheng said slowly. "The shortage will drive up prices, and if we have inventory ready..."
"Exactly."
Lin Feng stood up.
"For now, take some time to research GPU repairs. Board-level work on graphics cards is different from laptops - different components, different layouts. Familiarize yourselves with it."
He pulled out his phone.
"I'll look for schematics and some GPUs for you to practice on."
He glanced at them.
"Alternatively, if you can find a source for either - schematics or practice units - forward it to me. I'll look into it."
He tucked his phone away.
"Also, if you need anything, just tell me."
With that, he turned and walked toward the exit.
The door closed behind him.