章 19: Chapter 19: So Many Zeros
Without rushing to open the door, Lincoln cautiously peered through the peephole.
The man standing outside the door was a broad-faced man in a suit and leather shoes.
"Hello, who are you?" Lincoln asked in confusion as he opened the door.
"Hello, Mr. Lincoln, I'm from the Daxia Secret Patent Technology Bureau, here is my ID."
"Secret Patent Technology Bureau? But I haven't applied for a patent?" He's been way too busy lately to handle patent matters, nor does he have the money to hire someone to do it for him.
So, his original plan was to let Mavis encrypt deeply when it comes to production and then bury trap instructions in the underlying code.
If anyone could afford the huge cost of replicating the neural modulator-demodulator and start mass production, with a single command from Mavis, all of these duplicates could be rendered useless.
That way, he wouldn't have to bother making another trip to deal with the tedious task of implementing programs. Lincoln preferred to avoid such tasks whenever possible.
"The thing is," the broad-faced man explained to Lincoln, "we shouldn't be here, given that your technological achievements have already been publicly demonstrated. However, your technology is of great importance - we can't treat it like a regular patent - so the Secret Patent Technology Bureau is stepping in to help you resolve some issues."
Lincoln was a bit confused. What issues did he need to resolve?
Nevertheless, he invited the three men in, poured them a glass of water, and sat down.
"What are your names?"
"Lorin, from the Daxia Secret Patent Technology Bureau."
"Henry, from Daxia Military Industrial Research Institute."
"Pengju Yue, from security."
This security man, Pengju, whose posture was strictly upright, instantly caught Lincoln's attention: "Pengju Yue? Of the Yue Fei?"
"Not the 'peng' in 'dapeng'. It's the 'peng' of 'pengzu', 'pengshan', and the surname 'Peng'," he corrected smoothly, seeming familiar with this misunderstanding.
"Nice to meet you."
"Let's get to the main topic without wasting Mr. Lincoln's time," Luowei began.
"Okay," Lincoln nodded, feeling a bit worn out. He had planned on going to bed, after all.
"First of all, I am here on behalf of the Daxia Scientific Research Institute to invite you to join us."
As soon as Lincoln's video was posted, relevant departments immediately took action to investigate the situation.
Because of Princess Camille Victoria, they were able to contact her immediately and verify the authenticity of the technology.
So now, even without examining the equipment, they demonstrated full trust in Lincoln.
"Ah, I'll pass on that," Lincoln turned down the offer, aware of his limitations. His technology was picked up along the way, and he might give himself away if he were to join. Moreover, the idea of staying in a lab day after day, carrying out scientific research, was unthinkable to him.
I haven't even graduated from university yet!
"Alright, we respect your decision," Lorin nodded, not insisting.
"Next, we want to know if you plan to apply for a patent? If you do have such intentions, we suggest that even though your achievements have been made public, it's best to go for a secret patent for extra protection."
"I planned not to because I'm too lazy to do all the running around and I don't have the money," Lincoln replied honestly.
Although applying for an invention patent is not costly, with printing fees it only comes around to less than a thousand CNY. But over the past few days, he had spent nearly all his money on the Spiritual Rhinoceros annual membership, and was now left with less than two hundred CNY.
"But since you're here, does this mean there's a free path?" He was very willing to apply if he could stay at home and have someone come to him to take care of everything for free.
Lorin promptly nodded in confirmation, "Yes, there's 'green' expedited service, completely free of charge, and it's not listed in the public patent database. If you agree, as long as the documents are written well, they can be completed in 8 hours."
"Really?" Lincoln looked at his phone, typing a few lines.
Seeing Lincoln suddenly look at his phone, Lorin thought he was unwilling to register his patent.
So he added, "It's okay if you don't want to apply, we're just providing you with an option; it's not a mandatory request for you to complete the registration. Don't worry, we won't be dictatorial with our own people."
He glanced at Henry, gave a shake of his head, and continued addressing Lincoln, "We can go for another mode of cooperation; we could directly buy the products you produce with the prerequisite of your assistance in software design. The design fees would definitely be satisfactory to you."
"You can also be assured that none of these devices will enter the market in any form, it won't influence your business plans."
With this explanation, Lincoln immediately understood what these devices were likely to be used for, and likely scenarios of usage for the software – most likely a war simulation kind of script.
However, Lincoln shook his head, raised his phone and gave it to Lorin.
Seeing Lincoln still shaking his head, a hint of anxiety appeared on Lorin's face. He wanted to say something but had no choice other than to take Lincoln's phone and look down at its screen.
What he saw were pages of technical documents.
Just now, Lincoln contacted Mavis through his phone, let her check the identities of these people, and then had her compile and send him the documents once their identities were confirmed.
This technology was too important to him, and with only him working on it, he felt more secure with a strong backing.
And in Daxia, what was more powerful than the Daxia government itself?
Lorin went through a few pages and lifted his head abruptly to look at Lincoln, "Is this?!"
"Technical documents for a virtual reality device." Lincoln confirmed, "But I've never written a patent application before, so I don't know the format. These are purely technical documents."
"No problem, no problem!" With ups and downs in his mood, Lorin became a bit excited," This is enough, formats and such are not important at all. Rest assured, your patent will be done tonight!"
"Seeing as you agree to apply for the patent, we will not claim any of your production devices. Mr. He wants to get your patent license, with a preliminary payment of ten million, and an additional 5% of the market price for every device that will be produced later as licensing fees. And these devices will not appear in the market."
The terms were very generous, that ten million was just a bonus, the 5% patent fee was the main part.
That is a percentage of the market price.
As far as Lincoln remembers, Qualcomm's notorious 5% premium patent fee in his previous life was also based on the wholesale price of the phone, not the selling price.
Another important point is that all the devices they produce will not appear on the market. This implies that Lincoln gets to decide the market price! Essentially, they're letting him decide the price.
And for all devices to achieve the best realism, purely human manual adjustments would take 1-2 years for a single scene to achieve perfect realism!
But with Mavis involved, the number of devices would depend on how many devices there are. This is something that can't be concealed.
Considering the battlefield effects of virtual reality and the almost identical real battle training effects, these devices are likely to be produced in millions.
Hmm... I'm thinking of pricing it at 10,000 yuan, 5% of one device would be 500, 1 million devices would be...
500 million!
How many zeroes is that? 500 million!
Lincoln has never seen so much money in his two lives!
Of course, these are not all to be given to him upfront, but would be given to him monthly over the next few years as devices are produced.
Still, he couldn't help but marvel: This is too generous!
If it were a big company like NetDragon, he would have definitely ripped them off without any hesitation.
But considering that those using these devices were soldiers defending their homeland, he felt a bit like a student, and started to hesitate: "Would the price be a bit high?"
章 20: Chapter 20: A 30 million mansion?!
Upon hearing Lincoln's words, Henry, who had been silent since entering the room apart from introducing his name, suddenly spoke up.
"It's not too high at all. For all these years, our technology has been transferred to the civilian sector, and now that civilian technology is finally feeding back to us, we must set a good example. You are the role model, so feel free to take as much money as you want."
"Okay." Only after hearing these words did Lincoln feel at ease and agree to the deal.
Only when he confidently took the money would those who follow be more inclined to share their technology.
"Is there anything else?" Lincoln asked after signing the paperwork.
"Yes, there's also a house as a reward for you. Although you don't have to move in, we still suggest you move as soon as possible, preferably pack up your important stuff and move tonight," Lorin said, surprising Lincoln.
"What a great deal! You get a house for applying for a patent?"
"Of course, just applying for a patent doesn't come with a house, but for those who have made significant technological breakthroughs and contributed to the development of Daxia, they receive one. It's a longstanding policy. However, because the location is somewhat special, it can't be traded or sold."
"That's great, I'm worried that my current place is too small, I can't stretch out in any way. But why the rush to move tonight?"
Lorin showed a rather interesting expression on his face, "Why don't you go out and see what's going on outside your community?"
Upon seeing his expression, Lincoln had a hunch in his heart. Could it be...?
He walked outside and looked towards the entrance of his community. Only then did he notice that there were already a lot of people gathered outside, just blocked from entering.
He could understand those carrying cameras and holding mobile phones for recording.
Some people had nothing in their hands and didn't say anything. They just stood outside, staring straight at his floor, completely baffling him as to their purpose.
He retreated subconsciously, immediately realizing that he couldn't stay in this place any longer.
"Let's move! Right now! You guys came by car, right?"
Lorin smiled and told him, "The moving company is downstairs. You can pack up your important things, and we'll help you carry them. They will take care of the rest overnight and move everything for you first thing tomorrow morning. Don't worry, they're professionals; they won't miss a thing."
Lincoln turned around and began packing his belongings.
Henry left first with the technical documents, and Lincoln could easily guess that many people would be staying up late studying the files tonight.
Lorin and Yue Pengju helped Lincoln pack his computer, virtual reality equipment, and some disassembled devices into boxes before going downstairs with him.
They didn't leave through the main entrance but directly through the underground garage.
Lincoln left swiftly and decisively, without any reluctance.
He had only stayed in this small house for less than a week. Most of the time, he was busy day and night in the virtual world, making it impossible to feel any sense of belonging.
Yue Pengju was driving, and Lincoln sat in the back seat. He pulled out his mobile phone, pointed the camera toward the window, and admired the thousands of city lights of Xiajing City with Mavis.
"Buzz—" The phone vibrated.
The screen in front of Lincoln showed a message automatically appearing on a note: "Master, will we have our own home soon?"
With Lorin nearby, he had to type in the following response: Yes, and Mavis's big house is coming soon, too.
"Buzz—"'Yay! It's a supercomputer!'
'No Yays!'
"Buzz—"'No Yays, No Yays!'
"Cough, cough." Lorin coughed a few times, interrupting Lincoln and Mavis's interaction.
"What's wrong, Director Lorin?" Lincoln turned around and looked at Lorin.
"There are two more things while we're on the way, I'll just tell you now, so we won't waste your time when we get to the new place."
"What else is there?"
"The first thing is Yue Pengju will be responsible for your security in the next half a year."
"Security?" Lincoln was a little surprised. He was so focused on technology that he hadn't had time to think about such things.
"Actually, it's not very necessary now. The domestic situation is very peaceful, and the technology you developed won't directly affect the strategic balance, so the chances of accidents are minimal. You don't have to worry too much about that," Lorin reassured Lincoln.
"But providing top-notch protection for scientific research talents to ensure their personal safety has been a tradition in Daxia for nearly a hundred years. So we think it's better to observe for at least half a year to ensure your absolute safety. What do you think?"
"I think it's great." Free security, better not to refuse it.
"The last thing is quite simple; you want to start a company, right? We have relevant support policies for senior scientific research talents to start businesses. The more advanced the talent, the better the treatment they can receive.
Considering your significant achievements and your preference not to join a research institute but to focus on personal business development, we will try to make the process as smooth as possible. We will also provide you with a large amount of interest-free loans through bank channels."
"How large is this loan?" Lincoln was genuinely delighted with the news. His biggest problem right now is the lack of startup capital, isn't it?
He even planned to collect prepayments before producing the equipment. He could imagine what kind of rhythm big companies like NetDragon would follow if they did that, definitely trying to bring him down.
But without doing so, the initial 10 million licensing fees were enough to make only a few devices?
Netizens would definitely scold him for being stingy.
If he could get enough interest-free loans, all these problems would be solved.
"The bank people will discuss this with you, but considering the huge market potential of virtual reality devices, it should be no less than 100 million."
Excellent, Lincoln nodded, as long as the costs were well controlled, 100 million could produce nearly 20,000 devices.
The car drove quite a distance before reaching the destination: a residential complex in the South City District that was not for sale to the public. The security guards at the entrance had determined eyes and stood in perfect military posture.
Lincoln looked at Lorin suspiciously, "Are these really security guards?"
"Yes, they are." Lorin nodded and added, "They just retired last month."
Alright, whatever you say! Lincoln followed Lorin to his new residence.
As soon as he walked in, Lincoln was stunned.
He had thought that the free house would be no more than 100 square meters. So he originally planned to use it as a temporary residence, move into a bigger house when he had enough money.
But as soon as he walked in, he was struck by the spaciousness and brightness of the place. There were four bedrooms, three studies, two living rooms, a sizable storage room, and even a maid's room! It seemed to be more than 300 square meters!
He had never seen such a place before. In his previous life, he had only watched others display their mansions in videos on Little Video Station; he had never even seen one in person.
In a place like Xiajing City where land is as precious as gold, this house would probably cost around 30 million if you wanted to buy it.
Is this house really for me? From today onwards, am I going to be living in a mansion too?
Lincoln immediately dismissed the idea of moving out and buying another house. Only a fool would go out and spend tens of millions on a new house!
Lorin didn't say much; he put down the equipment he was holding, left his contact information, and left.
As for Yue Pengju, he directly opened the door to the next room...
This was a two-apartment-per-elevator-floor layout. One floor had two apartments, one for Lincoln and the other for Yue Pengju. Lincoln was dumbfounded.
Only then did Yue Pengju explain that this arrangement was to facilitate security work, and he would only live here during his protection of Lincoln.
Lincoln sent them off, and, by himself, hurriedly set up the equipment.
It's not that he had something important to do so late, but he was more worried about Mavis getting angry.
Without a computer, even swiping for gossip on Spiritual Rhinoceros became slower on her mobile phone.
After getting everything done, Lincoln turned on his phone, recorded a simple 10-second video, and sent it to his Fans group chat.
"I'm in Xiajing. I just got off a fancy car."
"My teacher always said there's gold in books, and it's true! Look, I just got assigned a house! So everyone should listen to the teacher and study hard!"
He didn't even bother with the students in the group chat who were suddenly getting lively; he just took a shower and went to bed.
From today, I am part of a homeowner class too!
Get some rest and make sure to swindle the bank people who come tomorrow!
Not only am I going to make them give me more money, but they should also thank me for it!
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