In his hotel room, Xiao Zheng stood at the window, a cup of water in hand, staring out at the bustling traffic below. His brows were deeply furrowed.
The negotiation had almost reached its conclusion. Just one final step remained, but they were stuck on it. Marching Ant's stance was clear—and from Zhao Min's expression, there was no room left for compromise.
If talks continued like this, who knew how long it would take to close the deal?
After thinking for a while, Xiao Zheng picked up his phone and dialed a number. This wasn't something he could decide on his own. He had to report upwards and get guidance on how to proceed.
The line connected. A calm, middle-aged man's voice came through:"Yes, Director Xiao? Has the cooperation been finalized?"
"Not yet," Xiao Zheng replied. "We've basically agreed on all major terms. But the Marching Ant company is dead set on retaining control of management. That's the final sticking point."
There was a pause on the other end—quiet deliberation.
After a few seconds, the voice returned."We'll need to study this further. In the meantime, see if you can persuade them to compromise a little."
"Understood."
Xiao Zheng hung up and sighed.
In the following days, he made repeated attempts to sway Zhao Min on the issue of company control—but no matter what he tried, she remained immovable.
This was the final hurdle—and one that neither side could avoid. For a joint venture of this magnitude, management authority was paramount. Neither party wanted to let go.
Inside the lab of Building 1, Zhao Min stepped in and saw Chen Mo still immersed in his work.
The large [Star Ring] device in the center of the lab hummed as it operated. Within the holographic projection, a purple-red plasma ring spun rapidly, glowing like a flame. It was mesmerizing.
"How's the progress?" Chen Mo turned from his console to glance at her.
"Still stuck on the last point," Zhao Min said, handing him a folder with the negotiated terms so far."According to PPP principles, management rights should be ours. But they want control too. I'm not backing down."
She added coldly,**"Some things I can't say at the negotiating table, but let's be honest—when it comes to cooperating with the government, we've already compromised more than enough. Now they even want to control operations? That's unacceptable.
"If we let them run it, and they rack up years of losses, it's our investment that gets wasted. And in the end, they still walk away with everything. It's not about trust—when even oil giants can report losses, we can't afford to be naïve. This is PPP, not nationalization. Since we're investing and providing the tech, it's only fair that we manage it too."**
Chen Mo nodded in agreement.Although his main goal was to collaborate on nuclear fusion research, he wasn't looking to waste money either. With tens of billions going into the venture—not to mention the technology—asking for management rights wasn't unreasonable.
"If they won't agree, what's your plan?" he asked.
"We stall. If they don't budge, neither will I."
"How long is the planned transfer period for the company?"
"Sixty years. They're supposed to pay a transfer fee when it changes hands."
Chen Mo thought for a moment before responding:"Dragging it out isn't a solution. Here's my take: our investment needs to be secure, and the management rights you mentioned are necessary. But we can compromise—let's say we retain management for 30 years. That's enough time to recover costs and generate returns. After that, they can take over operations, and we remain shareholders receiving dividends for the remaining 30 years."
"Isn't thirty years too short?" Zhao Min asked.
"Not really. Marching Ant has only existed for three years. Thirty years is more than enough for a lot to change. By then, money may not even be that important to us. Besides, I'll only be involved in the fusion research phase. I won't participate in operations beyond that," Chen Mo replied.
Zhao Min accepted his judgment and nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile, Xiao Zheng was also feeling the pressure. The negotiations had dragged on for half a month, and they were still stuck at the final point.
If someone didn't know better, they'd think the delegation was just lounging around on the government's dime.
But Marching Ant wouldn't budge, and the higher-ups hadn't provided clear instructions. He was caught in the middle. International-level business talks might take even longer, but this kind of stalemate was exhausting.
Suddenly, his phone rang, interrupting his train of thought.
"The higher-ups have given their reply," the familiar voice on the other end said."You can give them up to 40 years of management control."
"Understood." Xiao Zheng exhaled in relief. With this bottom line set, he finally had some leverage to work with.
Negotiations resumed—this time back at the Marching Ant company's conference room.
Each time the delegation stepped into Marching Ant's HQ, they couldn't help but admire it. The entire place felt like a tech company straight out of a science fiction movie, overflowing with futuristic vibes.
Their ability to stand toe-to-toe with government negotiations clearly came from strength.
As Zhao Min and Xiao Zheng took their seats, the atmosphere was noticeably more relaxed. With bottom lines now drawn, things were unlikely to spiral into another deadlock.
"President Zhao, dragging this out won't solve anything, and you clearly aren't backing down. How about we find a middle ground?" Xiao Zheng started.
"I'm listening." Zhao Min's expression didn't change.
"We'll offer you 15 years of management rights. That seems reasonable."
Zhao Min was slightly surprised Xiao Zheng would open with a concrete offer—but she didn't show it.
"Fifteen years is too short. The technology may not even be ready for full application by then. We need at least fifty years."
"President Zhao, this technology is tied to national strategy. Typically, these companies are state-owned."
"Then you're free to develop it yourselves," Zhao Min shot back without hesitation.
Li Jian, seated nearby, felt awkward. Marching Ant's research had already overtaken global progress. After reviewing Chen Mo's data, they knew Marching Ant was far ahead.
Xiao Zheng hadn't expected Zhao Min to be so blunt. If they could develop the technology themselves, they would've done it already. But he didn't dwell on it and quickly pivoted.
"Having the company under our management helps coordinate all stakeholders and accelerates development. Fifteen years is already a major concession."
"Your side will have directors involved in decision-making. Those directors aren't freeloaders either. That argument doesn't hold. Fifty years is our bottom line."
"Twenty years. One more step from us."
"Then let the Plasma Research Institute study fusion for 20 years and see if they succeed," Zhao Min replied coolly.
The deadlock returned. The two clashed again like lions fighting over territory—trading offers, counter-offers, and heated words.
"At least forty years."
"Thirty, max."
"Give your Plasma Institute 30 years, see what they come up with."
"You're not budging?"
"No."
"To be fair, thirty years is quite generous."
"Generous? We're the ones putting in the R&D, and the tech comes from our boss. What kind of deal are you talking about here?"
"..."
Half an hour later, the two fell silent, sipping tea quietly.
This was a game. And the closer you got to the end, the calmer you had to be. Showing your bottom line was a mistake.
The tension eased a little. After such a heated clash, both sides recognized that they were nearing the threshold. What remained was to test whether the other party might give just a little more.