Chapter Twenty-Five: The Fastest Billionaire in History

My Legend of Rebirth, No Pop-Up Ads

At first, after sending emails to those few companies, I honestly had no idea when they would actually call me back, so I prepared myself for an all-nighter. Yet, everything proceeded more smoothly than I’d imagined. Around eight in the evening, I received calls from both Paradise Corporation of Japan and Psion Corporation. Their representatives were excited by my email and eager to sign a contract with me.

Feigning calm, I claimed to be merely the technical lead behind these innovations—that the true developer was a relative of mine who worked at the National Research Institute. This only made both companies more convinced of my story. After all, I had only provided them with partial sketches and technical outlines; without a complete design or fully realized technology, they were naturally somewhat wary.

Paradise, being a Japanese company, was met with a rather cold attitude from me, as in my previous life I had always disliked the Japanese. Nevertheless, to secure start-up capital, I agreed to transfer the design of the GBA to them for five million yuan. After all, it was just a gaming console; I only offered it in case the other companies weren’t interested in my software, so the price was of little consequence to me. But once I agreed, the representative on the other end of the line was so thrilled that he kept thanking me profusely, even expressing a wish to meet me in China. I hurriedly declined, suggesting instead that if he truly wished to thank me, he could simply reimburse my travel expenses should I ever visit Japan. Of course, I only said that in passing—I had no intention of visiting the country I liked least.

Psion, however, was not so easily placated. Using a similar approach as with Paradise, I insisted that the SX6.0 mobile operating system could only be licensed to their company, not sold outright, and that profits were to be split fifty-fifty. What a joke—the legendary Symbian system would be worth more than mountains of gold in the future; I would never settle for a mere pittance now. Sensing my resolve, Psion had to concede, agreeing that the SX6.0 system would be licensed for their exclusive use. That was fine by me. They only specified the use of SX6.0, not any future versions. When I release version 7.0 or 8.0 in the future, I’ll be free to sell it to whomever I please. Enduring the ordeal of their interpreter’s broken Mandarin, I hastily agreed to license the SX6.0 system for ten million US dollars.

By the time negotiations with both companies finished, it was already past ten. Only then did I realize that Paradise was based in Japan, whose time zone closely matches China’s, allowing them to respond to my email promptly. Psion, on the other hand, was in Europe, where it was still afternoon. But the American companies, Intel and Microsafe, would have received my email in the dead of night, making an immediate response impossible. And since they were to be the main targets of my hard bargaining, I had no choice but to wait a bit longer.

Still, the thought that I would soon have eighty-five million yuan at my disposal was enough to keep me wide awake with excitement. Eighty-five million! In China in 1997, even a millionaire was a remarkable figure. Though the money had not yet arrived, I was already starting to feel like a high roller.

Looking around my barren home, at the old furniture in the living room, I was filled with determination: I would make my parents happy, and let this family bask in the glow of pride and prosperity.

At about eleven, my largest client, Microsafe, finally called.

"Hello, is this Mr. Xiao?" came a voice in clumsy Mandarin. I frowned, unable to stand it any longer, and replied in flawless English, "Sir, if you’re not comfortable with Mandarin, you can try speaking in English."

My words clearly caught him off guard. With a wry chuckle, he said, "Ah, if I’d known your English was so good, I wouldn’t have had my colleague scrambling for a Chinese dictionary at the crack of dawn. Forgive me—I’m Jack Donald, Vice President at Microsafe headquarters. We’ve examined your SX Chat software and find it remarkable. Did you design it yourself?"

"No, it wasn’t me. A relative of mine, who wishes to remain anonymous, was the true designer. However, all future negotiations regarding the SX software will be handled by me." I wasn’t about to reveal everything; a little mystique always helps.

"Oh..." A note of disappointment crept into his voice, but he quickly became enthusiastic again. "We are very interested in your software. Is it possible to speak directly with the developer and discuss selling it to Microsafe?"

"Of course, if I had no intention of doing business, I wouldn’t have contacted you. However..." I drew out my words with a sly smile, "I’m not looking to sell, but to enter into a profit-sharing agreement. Microsafe will handle sales and maintenance; we’ll handle upgrades. Fifty-fifty split."

"Fifty percent? Isn’t that a bit too much? While the SX software certainly has great potential, without Microsafe’s promotion and expansion, it’s just another chat program. Isn’t this a bit excessive?"

"Mr. Donald, I’m afraid you don’t fully grasp the situation. SX Chat is the most advanced and robust software of its kind, with far fewer bugs than Inos97 and vastly superior speed and security compared to your company’s MSN. Even ICQ, the current leader in chat software, can’t match it. If you’re not interested, I’m sure ICQ would be eager to work with me. Of course, I chose Microsafe because of your resources and expertise. If you’re not interested, I have no qualms about choosing another partner."

At the mention of selling to a rival, Donald grew flustered. "Perhaps my earlier words were a bit hasty and gave you the wrong impression—I apologize. Regarding your fifty percent share, what would be the price for Microsafe to purchase half the rights to your software?"

I chuckled to myself—Microsafe was truly anxious now. My confidence stemmed from knowing that, in 1997, MSN was struggling under ICQ’s dominance. If SX were acquired by ICQ, Microsafe would be forced out of this highly lucrative market. That was certainly one of the reasons their vice president was calling me personally. Having seized upon their vulnerability, I could name my price, but I had even bigger plans in mind. So I replied frankly, "To be honest, Mr. Donald, fifty percent of this software is worth more than a billion dollars, considering the vast user market. But, recognizing your company’s sincerity, I’m prepared to transfer a fifty percent stake for one hundred million dollars."

There was a long, audible intake of breath from Donald before he laughed and said, "You certainly drive a hard bargain, sir. Since you have so thoroughly prepared for these negotiations, I won’t attempt to change your mind. Very well—we have a deal at one hundred million dollars for fifty percent ownership. However, I have only received part of the source code. I must insist that you provide all core technologies related to maintenance and promotion for Microsafe. Here’s what we’ll do: in a few days, I’ll send Mr. Zhang Zihua, President of Microsafe China, to meet you. You can deliver the software to him directly. To demonstrate our sincerity, we’ll pay half the amount as a deposit now, with the remainder paid upon receipt of the technology and contract signing. How does that sound?"

"That’s perfectly acceptable." I readily agreed.

Afterward, I discussed some contractual details with Donald and gave him the Construction Bank account I had just set up a few days prior. Never mind that I was only seventeen—by 1997, temporary IDs were already in use, and they carried the same legal weight as a regular ID, so opening a bank account was no problem. All three companies would transfer funds to this account.

In other words, overnight, I would soon possess assets amounting to nearly 485 million yuan! In just one night, a billionaire was born.