In the fiery red era of the heavens, refrigerators are refreshed daily.

The afternoon after Yang Guangming received the stack of official acceptance receipts from the Patent and Trademark Office, his quiet apartment phone suddenly rang.

The voice coming through the receiver was that of lawyer Ernest Larson, in his signature way.

"Mr. Yang, I hope I haven't disturbed you."

Larson's opening remarks were as composed and capable as ever. However, Yang Guangming keenly noticed that beneath that inherent professional tone, there was a hint of warmth that was more pronounced than usual.

Attorney Larson did not reveal any specific details over the phone, but simply invited Yang Guangming to visit his office again at his convenience, using a polite and slightly expectant tone.

He claimed to have some "preliminary ideas" about the follow-up matters of those patents and hoped to discuss them with Yang Guangming in person.

After hanging up the phone, Yang Guangming stood by the window, gazing at the lush oak trees on the Stanford campus and the red rooftops of the Spanish-style buildings in the distance, a slight smile playing on his lips.

He understood everything perfectly.

This sudden invitation, imbued with a hint of escalating enthusiasm, undoubtedly stems from the thirty provisional patent applications that have successfully entered the "patent pending" safe harbor.

Larson, the shrewd intellectual property lawyer, has clearly sensed a much stronger commercial potential in this large portfolio of high-quality and focused patents than initially anticipated.

Yang Guangming readily accepted the invitation, and the time was set for the following afternoon—he had no intention of being coy; he knew the value of time better than anyone else.

Stepping into Larson's office again, Yang Guangming immediately sensed a subtle change.

The assistant, whose smile was as perfect as if measured by a ruler last time, was noticeably more friendly this time. She was gentler when she led him to his seat, and the coffee she served was different from the ordinary Americano last time. It was a Blue Mountain coffee with a richer aroma served in an exquisite bone china cup.

Larson himself did not keep him waiting long and soon appeared at the conference room door.

He was still wearing a well-tailored dark gray suit, meticulous in every detail.

When we shook hands, the strength I felt in my palm was the same as last time—the confident strength unique to someone who has long been in a decision-making position.

However, Yang Guangming noticed that the lawyer's expression, which had been so undisguised during their first meeting as if he were carefully assessing a target, had now faded.

Instead, there is a more formality, closer to that between equal partners, and even an implicit, subtle respect for potential wealth creators.

"Mr. Yang, please have a seat."

Attorney Larson gestured for Yang Guangming to sit down on one side of the large conference table, while he himself sat opposite him, his hands clasped on the polished walnut wood table that reflected his image. Without any unnecessary pleasantries, he went straight to the point.

"First of all, please allow me to congratulate you again. All thirty of your provisional patent applications have successfully passed the preliminary examination and entered the pending stage."

This is a crucial milestone, laying an extremely solid and inspiring foundation for all our subsequent work.

“Thank you, Mr. Larson,” Yang Guangming replied politely, his tone neither humble nor arrogant. “This is also thanks to the professional and efficient work of you and your team. Without your precise operations, this process would not have been so smooth.”

He understands the importance of acknowledging the other party's value in a collaboration, but he also understands that at this moment, it is the other party's turn to reveal their hand.

He leaned back slightly, adopting a relaxed and open listening posture, quietly waiting for the other person to continue.

Larson responded to Yang Guangming's praise with a professional nod, his gaze then becoming increasingly focused.

"Based on our very pleasant previous collaboration, and the more in-depth potential value assessment that my team and I have conducted on the portfolio of patents you have submitted."

He deliberately slowed his speech to emphasize what he was about to say: “I think the situation we are facing right now is very clear: while actively advancing the formal patent application process, we must immediately and without hesitation launch the commercialization of these patents.”

The window of opportunity is extremely precious, and can even be described as fleeting.

We must reach out to as many potential buyers as possible and close substantive deals before the one-year statutory validity period of the provisional patent expires, transforming the rights on paper into real commercial value.

Yang Guangming wholeheartedly agreed, seeing it as a crucial step in his plan.

He nodded in response: "Commercialization is my core objective, which is entirely in line with my expectations. I wonder what Mr. Larson's insights are on how to specifically advance this?" He then threw the question back at him.

"I hope to obtain your authorization to exclusively handle all commercialization matters related to these patents," Attorney Larson stated bluntly, his tone exuding well-prepared confidence, as if stating a self-evident conclusion.

"I have been deeply involved in the field of intellectual property, especially in emerging technology sectors, for more than 20 years."

It has established a broad and deep network of connections with numerous technology companies, consumer goods manufacturers, and venture capital firms focused on technology investment throughout Silicon Valley and across the United States.

This is more than just a name in a contact list; it's a foundation of trust and communication built through long-term partnerships.

He paused briefly, then emphasized his strengths with a determined look: "More importantly, I am not only familiar with the complex provisions of patent law, but I also have a deep understanding of how to package abstract technical concepts into valuable assets that can attract the attention of business partners."

I also know how to conduct compelling valuations and how to negotiate for the best interests of the company—and that is, for you—at the negotiating table.

He observed that Yang Guangming's face did not show the expected delight, but rather he was lost in calm contemplation, so he immediately added a more enticing condition:
"My law firm has the full range of professional capabilities to handle complex intellectual property transactions."

From initial contact with potential buyers, signing of confidentiality agreements, and technology demonstrations, to mid-term due diligence, valuation, and transaction structure design, and then to later contract drafting, multiple rounds of negotiations, and finally a successful closing, we can provide one-stop, seamless professional services.

As for the commission rate...

He left just the right amount of space here, showing his sincerity and flexibility: "We can discuss it based on industry standards and the specific workload."

But I can guarantee that we will ultimately deliver a figure that is highly competitive within the industry and satisfies both parties.

Yang Guangming listened quietly to Larson's persuasive statement, showing no surprise on his face, as if he had expected the other party to raise this issue.

He hesitated for about ten seconds, which seemed exceptionally long in the silent conference room. Then, he slowly raised his eyes, met Larson's expectant yet scrutinizing gaze, and shook his head calmly but with unusual firmness.

“Mr. Larson,” his voice was steady, “I appreciate your high regard and suggestion, and I have no doubt about your exceptional abilities in patent law and professional networks. Your qualifications and the strength of your firm were key reasons why I chose to work with you. However, regarding the exclusive agency rights… I regret to inform you that I cannot agree.”

A fleeting, expected hint of regret flashed across Larson's eyes, but as an experienced professional, he was neither discouraged nor displeased. He simply raised a neatly trimmed eyebrow and gestured for Larson to continue, demonstrating good manners and a willingness to listen.

"The reason is actually very simple."

Yang Guangming clearly explained his logic: "I have high expectations for the commercialization prospects of these patents, and I agree with you on this point."

However, I am also keenly aware of the time pressure I am facing.

In my view, placing all hopes, all resources, and all channels entirely on a single partner is too risky.

It's like putting all your eggs in one basket, no matter how sturdy the basket looks.

He paused, letting his words settle, "I believe that in commercial promotion, a multi-channel and multi-angle approach can more effectively improve the success rate and overall efficiency."

Different agents have different areas of expertise and networks, allowing them to uncover the value of these patents from various perspectives.

More importantly, multi-party contact can naturally create a competitive environment in the market, which will undoubtedly give me more favorable terms and prices, and stronger bargaining power.

He made a point of reiterating to avoid any unnecessary misunderstanding: "Of course, I must reiterate that this is by no means based on any distrust of your personal abilities or integrity."

On the contrary, it is precisely because I highly value your professional competence and strong network of contacts, and sincerely hope that you and your firm can become an important and core force in promoting the commercialization of these patents.

However, from the perspective of my overall strategy, I neither want nor can I accept that this force is the 'only' force.

Attorney Larson listened quietly, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly twice on the smooth tabletop, producing an almost inaudible "tap-tap" sound.

He quickly assessed the situation in his mind.

The young man from the East in front of him was far more clear-headed, decisive in his decisions, and had a strong sense of risk control than he had initially judged.

The other party's refusal to become an exclusive agent was not an impulsive decision or a lack of experience, but rather based on a broader strategic plan and prudent risk diversification considerations. This reflects mature business thinking, rather than simple suspicion or non-cooperation.

I understand your concerns.

Attorney Larson quickly adjusted his mindset, and his face once again displayed that approachable yet professional smile, demonstrating his extensive negotiation experience and flexibility in prioritizing the client's wishes.

"In business cooperation, mutual benefit and mutual trust are the cornerstones. Since you prefer a non-exclusive agency model, we can certainly explore the possibility of in-depth cooperation within this framework. The flexibility of the model always serves the final outcome of the cooperation."

His attitude shifted swiftly and pragmatically, without dwelling on issues that couldn't be changed.

“That’s natural.” Yang Guangming acknowledged Larson’s understanding and offered reassurance, “I believe that with your capabilities, Mr. Larson and your firm, even under a non-exclusive representation model, you will certainly demonstrate a strong competitive advantage that distinguishes you from other channels. I look forward to you creating significant value for our common goals.”

The core of the subsequent negotiations naturally and inevitably turned to the most practical issue—the specific commission rate for agents.

Larson was clearly prepared for this. He initially proposed a fixed percentage based on the final transaction amount, a percentage that was above average in the industry. This demonstrated his sincerity while also leaving himself some room for negotiation.

He listed many advantages of a fixed ratio: it is clear and straightforward, has low management costs, and avoids potential disputes arising from complex calculation methods.

However, Yang Guangming has a clear disagreement with this.

He doesn't disagree with the simplicity of a fixed ratio; rather, he has deeper considerations.

He believes that the potential value of the thirty patents he holds is extremely unevenly distributed, with differences that could be as vast as heaven and earth.

By adopting a one-size-fits-all fixed percentage, he paid too much commission for projects that could generate exorbitant licensing fees, such as the two-wheeled suitcase project on which he had high hopes.

For smaller projects with insufficient overall revenue, low commissions can discourage partners from pursuing their goals. "Mr. Larson."

Yang Guangming explained his point of view: "I believe that an excellent cooperation model should be able to accurately reflect the different challenges and returns brought about by different value patents."

We cannot abandon projects with low returns; our commission structure should serve as an incentive.

Even if the projects we negotiate are those with relatively low overall revenue, I need to ensure my partners have sufficient motivation.

Attorney Larson fell silent.

He had to admit that Yang Guangming was very shrewd and wouldn't give him any obvious openings to exploit.

While a fixed percentage is convenient, it does have a ceiling effect in terms of incentive. A model that better reflects shared benefits might be more likely to motivate his team to create miracles.

After a protracted discussion, analysis of pros and cons, and numerical simulation, both parties finally reached a consensus and adopted a more incentive-based and fair tiered commission scheme, and clearly agreed that commissions would be calculated separately for each individual patent.

The final terms were:
• For the portion of the revenue generated from the licensing, authorization, or buyout of a single patent that is up to and including one million US dollars, the commission rate is 12%.

Such a high commission rate ensures that agents can obtain relatively generous returns when facilitating small and medium-sized transactions, which is sufficient to cover their basic costs and effort.

• For earnings exceeding one million US dollars, the commission rate is reduced to 10% for the portion up to five million US dollars (inclusive).

This means that once the transaction volume exceeds the million threshold, although the agent's percentage decreases, the absolute commission amount is still growing rapidly due to the increased base, while the principal begins to retain a larger share of incremental income.

For revenue exceeding five million US dollars, the commission rate will be further reduced to eight percent.

If they can target truly massive transactions, even if the percentage drops to 8%, the agent's commission will still be a very considerable figure, enough to satisfy both parties, given the potential transaction volume of tens of millions or even more.

This ingenious tiered design tightly binds the interests of the principal and the agent together.

It ensures that agents receive reasonable and attractive rewards for facilitating small transactions, avoiding the predicament of lacking motivation due to their low value;

More importantly, this approach can incentivize clients to invest top-tier resources, expertise, and effort in large or even massive transactions.

This is because even if the percentage decreases with each level, the absolute commission amount will still increase exponentially as the total transaction amount rises.

At the same time, the client can also enjoy the benefits of the profit distribution tilting towards them when the value of the patent is fully realized.

"A very reasonable and visionary solution."

After carefully scrutinizing every number and level, Attorney Larson finally expressed his approval, with a hint of admiration even flashing in his eyes.

He appreciates this cooperative structure based on logic and long-term interests.

"This ensures that at any trading volume, our interests are highly aligned, and we are jointly pursuing higher trading prices. I think this will be a win-win model."

Yang Guangming nodded in agreement, "Cooperation and mutual benefit have always been the foundation of all our cooperation, and I believe this structure will allow us to go further."

Once the major principles and core interest distribution mechanism were established, the remaining detailed terms were negotiated one by one in a relatively efficient and pragmatic atmosphere.

Both parties have clearly defined and recorded the specific scope of the agency authority, the regular reporting mechanism, and the principles for sharing related expenses.

Larson's team of assistants demonstrated exceptional professionalism and efficiency, quickly preparing a well-structured and rigorous draft of a non-exclusive representation agreement based on the results of their discussions.

Both parties spent nearly an hour reviewing and fine-tuning the wording of each clause to ensure that every right and obligation was clearly stated, unambiguous, and could withstand the test of time and potential risks.

Finally, under the soft lighting of the conference room, Yang Guangming and lawyer Ernest Larson each signed their names on the agreement that symbolized the start of a new cooperation model.

“It’s a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Yang.” Attorney Larson extended his hand to Yang Guangming again, this time the handshake seemed more solemn and firm than ever before.

"I will start working immediately, prioritizing the projects on the list that I believe have the greatest market potential, and begin targeted outreach to potential partners that I think are the most suitable. After all, time waits for no one."

“It’s a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Larson. I look forward to hearing good news from you soon.” Yang Guangming responded to the handshake with a tone full of trust and anticipation.

Leaving the rather modern building of Larson Law Firm, Yang Guangming did not stop, nor did he even have time to savor the joy of reaching an important cooperation with a powerful ally.

He is well aware of the ironclad business rule that "you can't put all your eggs in one basket," especially when it comes to the uncertainties of commercializing patents.

While Larson is undoubtedly professional and well-connected, his main area of ​​activity and legal service background may be more focused on the Silicon Valley tech ecosystem and venture capital circle.

His patent list is like a dazzling toolbox, containing many items, especially everyday consumer goods, with potential buyers spanning entirely different sectors such as more traditional manufacturing, consumer goods giants, and even air transport.

He needs a wider and more diversified promotional network.

Over the next few days, Yang Guangming transformed into a highly efficient information hunter.

He made full use of Stanford University’s rich library resources—which not only have a vast collection of academic journals, but also detailed industry reports, company directories and business databases.

At the same time, he also indirectly obtained some industry information and recommendations from an insider perspective through the network of contacts he had initially established.

Like sifting through gems, he actively searched for and made initial contact with three other people.

They are well-known "patent brokers" or heads of small technology transfer intermediaries with different areas of expertise in the San Francisco Bay Area and even across the United States.

These professionals have indeed diverse backgrounds, creating an interesting complementarity:
• A middle-aged man named Mark Jennings previously worked as the head of the R&D department at a large consumer goods company. He later started his own business, focusing on technology transfer and patent licensing in the consumer goods sector. He has a deep understanding of the needs and technological preferences of giants such as Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Coca-Cola, and Pepsi.

Another is a small intermediary firm called "Technology Bridge," founded by two former corporate M&A lawyers. They have close ties with some traditional industrial groups and family businesses on the East Coast and are good at handling patents that are not cutting-edge in technology but are highly practical and can directly improve production processes or products.

The third is a Chinese professional named William Chen, who reportedly has unique connections with Asian markets, particularly Japanese and emerging South Korean industries, and focuses on bringing valuable US patents to the other side of the Pacific.

The contact and negotiation process with these agents was similar in core logic to the negotiation with Larson, but the specific styles and focuses were different.

Sunshine Ming has always adhered to the bottom line principle of a non-exclusive agency model.

The tiered commission terms he agreed upon with Larson's lawyer also remained in effect.

After a preliminary evaluation of the patent abstracts provided by Sunshine, these patent brokers or intermediaries almost all showed great interest, even surprise.

Although they all expressed some instinctive concerns about the non-exclusive agency model, they ultimately accepted the condition after weighing the options.

After all, the astonishing market potential and practical value of the patents held by Yang Guangming in his possession, which directly address real-world pain points, are obvious.

If any one of them can successfully close one or two deals, their personal income will be quite considerable, based on tiered commission rates.

For individuals like them, who are typically not large in scale and rely on successful cases to build their reputation and wealth, this is undoubtedly a high-quality project that is well worth investing their main efforts in.

In just over a week, Yang Guangming worked tirelessly to complete negotiations with these agents and sign formal non-exclusive agency agreements.

He felt a slight sense of relief as he filed the last signed agreement.

A preliminary patent commercialization promotion network covering different technical fields and potential market channels has been initially established.

Four "vanguard teams," each with distinct styles and complementary resources, will set off towards the vast market in accordance with his strategic intentions.

Next, we just need to patiently wait for market feedback and be ready to personally get involved in any potential real-world business negotiations.

However, the speed of the market response slightly exceeded his most optimistic expectations.

A few days later, the phone rang again in the Sunshine Ming Apartment, and the caller ID showed it was the Larson Law Firm.

Over the receiver, Larson's voice carried a hint of barely suppressed excitement and a clear sense of self-satisfaction.

"Mr. Yang, I have some very good news. The project concerning the 'Improved Series of Patents for Plastic Bottled Water' may soon see substantial and significant progress."

Attorney Larson got straight to the point, speaking a little faster than usual.

It turns out that Larson had a very good college classmate who now holds a mid-level management position at Coca-Cola's Atlanta headquarters, where he is primarily responsible for supply chain optimization and the evaluation and introduction of new packaging technologies.

During an informal phone conversation between friends, Attorney Larson casually mentioned to his old classmate an improved patent portfolio related to plastic water bottles that he had just acquired the agency rights for. With his lawyer's precise articulation, he particularly emphasized its unique advantages in terms of leak-proof reliability, everyday portability, and potential production line filling efficiency.

Unexpectedly, this seemingly casual message was quickly relayed to the relevant department head through that classmate and attracted great attention.

At that time, Coca-Cola was at its peak, committed to consolidating its absolute dominance in the global soft drink market, while also keenly responding to challenges from old rivals such as Pepsi in various market segments.

Any technological improvement that can subtly enhance the consumer experience, optimize the cost structure, or even just create a temporary competitive advantage is likely to quickly come into their strategic assessment.

The plastic bottled water market, in particular, has been highly valued by some visionary executives within the company due to its enormous growth potential and its symbolic significance as a representative of future healthy beverages. Any creative idea that can bring a breakthrough in packaging deserves their attention.

"They take this very seriously and have dispatched a five-person professional negotiation team, which has already flown to San Francisco."

Larson, the attorney, said over the phone with a hint of pride in his voice, “The team was led by a very high-ranking intellectual property strategy director from their headquarters.”

The other party hopes to arrange a formal, face-to-face meeting as soon as possible.

This level of protocol and efficiency clearly indicates that they did not come to test the waters, but rather came with a strong intention. (End of Chapter)