America: I came here to study, not to show mercy.

Chapter 252 Reluctantly Cooking Himself
"I'm sorry, I have my own studio and I'm very confident about it."

Realizing what was happening, Li Xiaoen shook his head and declined, then extended an invitation, "Evan, I would like to invite you to join my studio as the technical lead."

As expected, Evan leaned back in his chair with little interest, lowered his eyes, and took a sip of coffee.

"Is it the most popular app right now, the one that mainly drives the push notification and traffic distribution business?"

Evan said matter-of-factly, "You also have a technical background, so I believe you know that with just a dozen or so people specializing in this area, it's still possible to design it with some time."

"Then why wasn't it done?"

Li Xiaoen was not annoyed by Evan's words. Instead, he revealed a meaningful smile and tapped his fingers on the table repeatedly. "In history, any brilliant plan or inspiration, after its first appearance, will only be considered mediocre by later generations."

"When Zuckerberg first founded Facebook, how many other teams on the market had the same capabilities?"

As he spoke, Li Xiaoen raised his eyes, his gaze sharpening.

"Moreover, regarding the source of the database, the team's innovation, and the product's promotion, how much credit do you think goes to our studio's app for its current popularity and download numbers?"

Upon hearing this, Evan, who was sitting opposite him, fell completely silent, his eyes lowered as he fell into deep thought.

Li Xiaoen wasn't in a hurry. He glanced at the few pedestrians outside the glass window and leisurely took another sip of coffee.

Although he comes from a technical background, he doesn't look down on the other business departments in the company. If technology and products are the foundation, then publicity and business operations are the steel and cement that build skyscrapers.

The biggest contributor to the success of his app so far has been its promotion—including the online trolls he hired, the publicity generated by Seraphine's uncle Henry's publication of the charity gala story, and Catherine's own initiative to help with the promotion.

Although he has always refused to be a kept man, it seems he has done so. Is this what is meant by "being a kept man"?

Thinking of this, Li Xiaoen's expression turned strange.

"Sean, I can join your studio, but you need to give me 30% of the profits!"

After a long period of contemplation, Evan finally made a move, but the first words he uttered made Li Xiaoen pause for a moment: "Please rest assured, regarding the studio's funding, I will make up for all your contributions up to now, and I will continue to do so in the future!"

"..."

Good grief, you and your colleagues are working yourselves to death, and you come here and want to take the lion's share, 30% of the profits?
Despite his inner turmoil and constant complaints, Li Xiaoen maintained a calm demeanor, remaining silent and simply shaking his head.

Is it too much?

He also knew that the current extremely popular app had achieved such results with very little financial support.

Evan frowned slightly. He had originally planned to start by asking for a higher price and then reduce it appropriately to meet his expectations after Li Xiaoen bargained. However, seeing that Li Xiaoen did not answer, his heart sank to the bottom.

"One-tenth, this is my biggest concession."

After hesitating for a long time, Ai Wen finally took a deep breath, exhaled with difficulty, and quickly said, "Sean, as you know, your studio is very small right now. Any other internet company of any size can easily make a similar product. I can help you!"

"The 30% capital injection you just mentioned still stands, and I'll also contribute my technology as equity; I only want 10%!"

After speaking, Evan's expression froze, and he stared intently at Li Xiaoen's every reaction.

Li Xiaoen shook his head at this, which made his eyes suddenly glaze over, and he couldn't react for a long time.

Perhaps this condition would be good enough for others, but Li Xiaoen still felt it wasn't enough—he had the technology, but he was too busy to manage it, not to mention the funds. There was no reason why Suffer and Catherine would refuse, but he had to agree to Evan's offer, even if it was only a 10% share.

So why are so many people eyeing their own studio's share?

Thinking about this, Li Xiaoen was both amused and exasperated.

Seeing that Evan still hadn't reacted, Li Xiaoen looked down, took out his notebook from his backpack, clicked a few times, turned it around, and showed it to the other person.

“I’ve heard Professor Sedgewick mention that you were his best student a few years ago. You had quite a good track record at many major internet companies, changed jobs repeatedly, and finally chose to start your own business, which has failed several times so far.”

"You need to think about it. At your current age, after several failed startups, how many more times can your savings support you? Will repeated failures diminish your reputation with major internet companies?"

"The internet industry is very fast-paced, with fresh blood flowing in every moment. While there may not be many talented individuals among them, it is by no means that a company's business will stop or go on strike simply because someone is missing."

"You might achieve good results at other internet giants, but you'll only be one in a fraction, or even one in several hundred. But in our studio, you'll receive the same treatment, and if anything happens, you'll be the first to be recognized. As for your future prospects, that depends on your own vision."

The gentle voice echoed in his ears as Evan looked down at the script compilation logs and traces on the computer screen, completely absorbed.

Indeed, no amount of talk is as effective as simply showing your achievements.

On the way to the studio with Evan, Li Xiaoen was filled with emotion.

What he showed Evan was the script compilation log for attacking Paladin Arms Company's firewall, which the entire studio had painstakingly developed over several days, along with evidence of the other party's cheating.

Furthermore, Evan still didn't agree immediately. He talked to him about professional knowledge for a long time, skillfully answering each of his questions and then throwing out even more complex logic. When the other person was deep in thought and couldn't speak, he would answer himself, which shocked Evan every time.

Even now, Evan, walking beside him, still occasionally glances at him with a mixture of surprise and admiration.

Li Xiaoen ignored this and went to communicate with a few colleagues in the work group on her phone.

Not long ago, he successfully redeemed his "Advanced Learning Card" for the last time. Now, his knowledge of computer science and algorithms is almost on par with Professor Sedgewick's—and in terms of hacking and network attack and defense, he even has the confidence to surpass the professor.

After introducing Evan to a few colleagues in the studio, Li Xiaoen gave him an extra explanation of the improvement plan for this phase of the app, as well as the ideas and framework for its implementation. By the time everything was finished, it was already 6 p.m.

Li Xiaoen drove back to school without stopping, but this time he parked his car in front of the two girls' dormitories of Serafina.

He knocked on the door, but only faint screams and noises could be heard from inside. Li Xiaoen paused for a moment, then quickly activated [Eye of Insight].

The next moment, he pushed open the door and rushed into the kitchen, where the noise was coming from.

At this moment, Serafina and Mary were making a ruckus, and there were even some oil and water stains still hanging on the wall of the boiler, which was sizzling and crackling.

"Sean..."

The two girls turned around, and their eyes lit up instantly when they saw the young man.

Are you making nuclear bombs?

Li Xiaoen didn't know what expression to make at this moment. He lifted his leg and walked towards them. The first thing he did was to firmly turn off the gas. He also checked the other microwave ovens and other appliances. Only after confirming that everything was in order did he breathe a sigh of relief.

"Do you guys think I'm Godzilla?"

Li Xiaoen was both amused and exasperated, glancing at the two girls on either side.

"We meant well by preparing dinner for you, but something went wrong, and it's all our fault."

Serafina glared back defiantly, then turned her head away.

"I appreciate your kindness."

Li Xiaoen replied helplessly, "Our Chinese national football team hasn't won the World Cup yet, and I want to live a few more years." The two girls paused for a moment, a hint of doubt flashing in their eyes.

It seems that American football isn't very good either; they prefer American football. Sean Lee shook his head, not paying much attention, and turned to look at Mary, propping himself up in confusion.

"Mary, don't you love eating delicious food? Haven't you ever tried cooking it yourself?"

It's understandable that Serafina, a girl whose mind is only focused on guns and fighting, would end up like this, but Mary claims to want to eat all the delicacies in the world. Judging from the situation on the spot, they probably only learned how to turn on the natural gas by looking up tutorials online.

"Ha ha……"

Mary smiled awkwardly and looked away. "I only like to eat, I don't like to cook."

“I remember you taught Victoria and the others how to make Mexican tacos before, didn’t you?”

"I only know the simple ingredients and methods, but I don't know how to use these kitchen utensils."

Mary shook her head and turned away, not daring to let Sean Lee look her in the eye.

"..."

"Alright alright."

Is this some kind of genuine "gourmet"? Li Xiaoen shrugged helplessly. This young lady has the qualifications. It's understandable that she's never lifted a finger since she was a child. He rolled up his sleeves and said, "I'll do it. You guys can help me."

Upon hearing this, the two girls widened their eyes at the same time, excitedly raised their hands, and shouted out.

"Thank you, Sean, you're the best!"

"Even if you say nice things, you still can't cut back on your work."

Compared to the two girls' excitement, Li Xiaoen was rather helpless and indifferent. He took out the remaining tableware and kitchen utensils from the cupboard and handed them to Serafina, saying, "You're in charge of washing these..."

"They've all been washed, dried, and sterilized in the dishwasher, so why can't we use them directly?"

After staring blankly down for a moment, Serafina raised her head indignantly and retorted.

"These past few days, in early spring, it's been raining frequently and the air humidity is high, so I'm worried."

After giving a calm and collected explanation, Li Xiaoen moved to the refrigerator.

Serafina was right. Even socks and shoes can be put in the washing machine. Americans usually just take the tableware and kitchen utensils that are in the cupboard. This is one of the few aspects that he has never been able to integrate into, nor has he ever wanted to.

"Mary, you're in charge of preparing and washing the ingredients."

As he spoke, Li Xiaoen looked around the refrigerator, took out a few pieces of steak and some fruits and vegetables, and handed them to Mary, who was standing next to him.

"Sean, Sean..."

Seeing that the young man still couldn't bring out the ingredients she preferred, Mary got a little anxious and started jumping around, bumping into him repeatedly, saying, "Bring out that box of foie gras, I want to eat it."

"can."

Li Xiaoen turned his head, gave him an amused look, reached into the refrigerator and took the box of foie gras out and placed it in the other person's arms, or rather, on his full chest. He only realized what was happening after he put his hand down and quickly coughed twice to look away.

"whee……"

Seemingly oblivious to the young man's reaction, Mary chuckled, "Sean, you can do it, right? This is a custom-made item; it took a long time to arrive."

"Don't worry, it's just foie gras, it's very easy to make."

Li Xiaoen gave him a reassuring look.

"Mary, you really don't trust me!"

While washing the dishes at the sink, Serafina kept her attention on the two of them. When she noticed the exquisitely packaged foie gras in Mary's arms, she exclaimed in surprise, "I said I would make it before, but you wouldn't agree. Now that Sean is here, you're making him do it on your own?"

"It turns out Mary did the right thing, didn't she?"

Li Xiaoen gave the clueless, wooden look a good look and said, "Please wash your dishes and utensils properly, thank you."

"Sean..."

Clenching her teeth, Serafina stared intently ahead, taking several deep breaths to ease the tightness in her chest. She couldn't help but recall Uncle Henry's words to her after the charity gala, and she felt extremely uneasy.

It was only after listening to her uncle's advice that she decided to cook for the young man and invite him over. Now, it seems that he hasn't noticed anything at all, and she is being disliked.

Should we be direct and find an opportunity to get him drunk?

A thought suddenly flashed through her mind, and Serafina jolted awake. Her heart pounded in her throat, making her worry that the two people next to her would hear it.

Having at least some experience, the entire dinner preparation process went smoothly without any major incidents. Sophie was still at home, and the three of them sat around the dining table, while also turning on the iPad for a video call.

The video call connected, revealing the stunningly beautiful face that Li Xiaoen had been longing for.

As soon as the image appeared on the screen, their eyes met and they both stopped what they were doing.

“Much profit… … ”

After calling out a few times, thinking it was stuck, Serafina waved her hand at the iPad's camera.

"Oh, what's wrong?"

When she came to her senses, Victoria was wearing loose pajamas, her blonde hair cascading down her back. Her beautiful appearance was exactly the same as what Li Xiaon had seen when she turned into a cat through the Anywhere Door.

Are you having dinner? Did you order takeout, or did someone cook it?

Victoria immediately shifted her gaze to Serafina and Mary, and with a smile, brought up a topic.

"Sean made it, hehe."

Serafina chuckled and reached out to pat Sean Lee on the shoulder.

"is it?"

After a moment of surprise, Victoria forced a smile and looked away.

“Victoria, spring break is coming soon.”

Sean Lee took a deep breath and brought up the main purpose of his visit tonight, "When Sophie, Serafina, Mary, and I go to England, how about we all get together?"

(End of this chapter)