Chapter 176 - 174: A Sudden Enlightenment
He clearly had something on his mind but kept it to himself.
As the project team leader, his words certainly carried weight. His decision to remain silent at a time like this meant he definitely had his own reasons.
Perhaps he was worried his words would sway the vote and make the outcome less democratic, so he chose not to say anything at all.
Cecilia Sterling didn’t push him, just nodding lightly. As the investor, she naturally wouldn’t participate in the vote, but with eight people on the team, it was easy for a tie to occur.
"Alright, let’s have a show of hands. Since we’re all in this together, we don’t need to bother with a secret ballot. Raise your left hand if you agree to a one-time buyout, and your right hand for a licensing model."
"One, two, three, vote!"
The moment Cecilia Sterling finished speaking, some people raised their hands immediately. Others hesitated. And some didn’t raise their hands at all.
Timothy Rowe, Gavin Garrett, and Maverick voted for the licensing model, while the other four voted for a one-time buyout.
Paige didn’t raise her hand. All eyes fell on her.
She pursed her lips and said, "I haven’t decided yet. Or rather... I think either way is fine."
Everyone lowered their hands, their expressions complicated. In truth, no one was completely certain about their choice; they just had their leanings.
"Cecilia, you’re the investor. You have veto power. What we think doesn’t really matter. In the end, it’s up to you," Timothy Rowe said suddenly, looking at Cecilia.
Cecilia naturally hadn’t forgotten her rights as an investor. She just wanted to see what everyone truly thought.
Cecilia nodded. After a moment of thought, she spoke in a soft tone, "I’ll share some of my personal thoughts first. After you’ve heard me out, we can vote again."
Hearing this, the group nodded and looked at Cecilia seriously.
Cecilia said, "Personally, I don’t think a monopoly on anything in this world is ever a good thing."
"Our project might not have started with such a grand ambition, like making a huge contribution to artificial intelligence or leading the industry forever. Maybe at the beginning, everyone was just thinking about making money, because AI is the biggest trend right now and for the future."
"But since we’ve chosen this industry, we can’t ignore its future development. If this project is bought out by a single company, the next time we have a new product to offer them, we might lose our leverage. If we get bought out a second time, and then again and again, our team’s voice as developers will shrink until it’s gone completely."
"Think about it. What kind of impact have the major corporations that monopolize industries had on other companies? The government enacts antitrust laws precisely to encourage all industries to flourish, not for one to dominate."
"What I’m saying today might sound a bit grandiose, but this could very well be a dilemma we face in the future. Paige mentioned that everyone is worried this product’s cutting-edge nature might be surpassed by other systems in the next three to five years. If that’s the case, why can’t the product that replaces it be one we create ourselves?"
"We can be the ones to make our own work obsolete. If we can all work together to create such an excellent project today, then I believe we can create even more advanced products in the future. By constantly surpassing ourselves and continuously providing fresh technical support to the AI field, we can earn a never-ending stream of money."
"Unless you’re all just in this for a quick buck, planning to take the money from this project and leave the industry, then you can just forget everything I’ve said today."
"But if you’re all truly committed to optimizing and developing AI technology for the long term, then you shouldn’t support a single-company buyout of advanced tech right from the start. The entire industry needs to advance together. Only when the overall environment improves can we truly benefit and reap greater rewards, right?"
Cecilia’s words were like a revelation.
As expected of a businesswoman, she had a vision and foresight for the future that the rest of the team lacked. No one had thought so deeply or looked so far ahead.
To think a temporary project could have such profound implications and significance. And Cecilia’s explanation was so precise, her analysis of the pros and cons so reasonable and convincing.
Paige raised her hand. "I have my answer. I support Cecilia’s idea. I vote for licensing."
The others subconsciously exchanged glances with the people next to them before raising their hands to vote as well.
This time, their opinions were completely unanimous. They had all been persuaded by Cecilia’s words.
Only then did Cecilia add, "In fact, the profits from licensing will also be far greater than a one-time buyout. For example, if one company offers five thousand dollars to buy us out, we get a nice one-time payment. But it would take ten companies paying five hundred dollars each per year just to match that."
"But that’s just the first year’s revenue. With a buyout, we get no subsequent income. With licensing, we’ll still receive usage fees from various companies in the second year, and even the third. Even if this program only stays relevant for three years, the money we earn over those three years will definitely be far more than from a one-time buyout."
Everyone nodded. They all understood this principle, of course. The hard part was finding enough corporations willing to partner with them.
It was worth remembering that, starting from the final phase of the project, Timothy Rowe had taken the project proposal everywhere looking for investment but hadn’t found a single backer. In the end, it was Cecilia who had approached them.
Otherwise, who knows where the project would be today.
They were well aware of how difficult it was to find partners, especially Timothy Rowe. Perhaps that was why he hadn’t voiced his opinion earlier. He knew reality was too harsh for his opinion to hold up.
Seeing this, Cecilia could guess what they were thinking. She clapped her hands lightly to encourage them. "The road ahead is long and difficult, but we’ve already made it through the hardest part. What we have now is a successfully tested product, not just a few pieces of paper. That’s our foundation. I believe that as long as we all work together, we can secure partnerships very soon."
With that, she looked at Timothy Rowe. "Rowe, do you remember where we first met?"
Timothy Rowe nodded. "In the garden of the Goodman Family’s villa."
Cecilia smiled faintly. "The heiress of the Goodman Group is my best friend. I’ll find a way to talk with Mr. Goodman again and try to secure a partnership with them."
Timothy Rowe’s eyes lit up. "Really?"
Cecilia nodded and added, "And then there’s the Jennings Group. Rowe, you mentioned before at the AI conference that the Jennings Group was also starting to venture into the AI field. I’ve actually crossed paths with their chairman, Mr. Randall Jennings, before. I just wasn’t sure if I’d be able to meet with him, so I didn’t bring it up."