"Don't worry! There's plenty to go around. You're my employee—do you think I'd make you pay out of pocket? No matter how shameless I am, I wouldn't go that far!" Chen Mo smiled.
"So, how much startup capital do we have?" Tian Tian asked.
"Is one billion enough? If not, I can add more."
Chen Mo had never run an internet company before, so he wasn't sure what the right amount was. His plan was to use eight or nine billion to acquire a nuclear power plant, so he didn't have that much liquidity. The one hundred billion that Red Queen had hacked wasn't even close to being enough.
"One billion?"
Tian Tian gasped. One billion in cash was terrifying in Jiuzhou. Many mid-sized companies couldn't cough up that kind of money. Only major corporations could possibly come up with a billion in cash on short notice.
How could Chen Mo possibly have that kind of money?
Was he joking?
But looking at Chen Mo's serious face, it didn't seem like he was.
"Are you sure it's one billion? Seriously?" Tian Tian asked cautiously.
"Of course I'm serious. I'm an adult—I wouldn't joke about something like this," Chen Mo replied. Then as if he thought of something, he added, "Is it not enough? I can try to gather more."
"No. That's more than enough. I'm just curious about your background. I thought your family wasn't wealthy—where did you get so much money?"
"Oh, that. I received an investment. Anyway, don't ask. Just know that the money is solid."
Chen Mo waved his hand, clearly not wanting to say more. Tian Tian was a dual PhD and highly intelligent. The more he said, the more likely she'd figure something out.
Tian Tian was silent for a moment, then gave a faint, teasing smile. "Alright, I won't ask. After all, you're the boss—I'm just an employee. If something's wrong with the funding, they'll arrest you, not me."
Heh.
No way there's a problem.
Chen Mo and Tian Tian chatted a bit more, finalizing Black Domain's office location and its organizational structure.
Tian Tian, true to her reputation as a decisive and capable dual PhD, moved quickly. She planned to resign from the university tomorrow and start renting office space and recruiting staff the day after.
Her proposed management methods were also very forward-thinking, surprising Chen Mo in a good way.
She talked about ways to secure talent for 10, 20, or even 50 years.
No need to worry about employee turnover at all.
Chen Mo's throat was a bit dry from all the talking. He took a sip of water and glanced at the clock—it was already 1 AM.
"Teacher, it's really late. I should head back now. I've already sent you the startup funds and the core code for Hatsune. From here on, feel free to go all-in. Aside from the strategic direction, everything else is yours to decide."
"Don't worry. I'll handle it. But it's really late, and the dorms must be locked by now. Why don't you stay over at my place tonight?" Tian Tian, still in her pajamas, looked at Chen Mo with a sweet smile. She saw him as a student and didn't think much of the risks involved.
Chen Mo looked at her, so close and so fair-skinned… Suddenly, his mouth felt dry, and desire stirred.
What are you thinking?
He forced himself to calm down and looked away. "Teacher, even though this is a two-bedroom apartment, we're still a man and a woman. It's not really appropriate. I'll just head back—I have a place I rented off-campus."
"I'm not afraid—what are you afraid of? I'm your teacher! You wouldn't dare try anything, would you?" Tian Tian blushed slightly but pretended to be casual. She'd never had a man stay the night at her place before.
"You were my teacher. Now you're my employee." Chen Mo grinned.
"..." Tian Tian.
"Alright, enough jokes. I'm heading out. Oh, and since we stayed up late, I'd like to take a day off tomorrow. Please approve my leave."
"Fine. I'll approve it one last time. From now on, you'll be the one approving my leave."
"..."
Sensing the slightly ambiguous atmosphere, Chen Mo quickly left Tian Tian's place.
Women?
No rush.
Once I stand at the peak, I could have a different one every day if I wanted.
As he stepped out of the campus into the cool night air, the drowsiness disappeared. He was completely alert now.
Although Haishi was a second-tier city, getting a cab late at night was still easy.
He ordered a taxi through an app, and in less than five minutes, a driver arrived.
"You're headed to Xingfu Community, right?" A white taxi stopped in front of him. The honest-looking driver rolled down the window and smiled at Chen Mo.
"Yes. Thank you."
Chen Mo got into the backseat and looked around carefully—nothing suspicious.
"You're out pretty late, huh? Just getting back now?" the driver asked, clearly chatty and eager to talk.
"Was handling some stuff at school."
"You're a student at Qingmu University?"
"Yes."
"Then you better be careful. Remember the citywide blackout? The Xuanwu Department is investigating it hard—sent ten task teams to figure out who tapped into the power grid."
"Xuanwu Department? Ten task teams?" Chen Mo asked, surprised.
"Yep! My son works for them, so I hear a bit of inside info. Just don't spread it around, alright?"
"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone," Chen Mo nodded.
"They suspect some kind of machine way ahead of its time was used at Qingmu University. That's the only way it could've drawn so much power."
Chen Mo sighed when he heard that.
He thought the blackout incident would gradually fade into a cold case. He didn't expect it to escalate like this.
Ten task teams?
That's quite the compliment.
Looks like I need to be even more cautious—not just with those mysterious figures in black, but also with the Xuanwu Department. If they catch me, it's game over.
I need to stay low. Real low.
Especially those people in black—they seemed like they weren't even from this era. They appeared for only a second, like phantoms, and vanished without a trace.
Chen Mo couldn't shake the feeling that they possessed abilities beyond ordinary people—and were part of something much, much bigger.