Huo Yao finally snapped out of her thoughts. She replied in surprise. “That was fast.”
If her memory served her right, it usually took one to two years to complete the entire patent filing process.
“I happened to know someone.” Liu Qian beamed as he spoke.
He had already started communicating with a representative from DO Corporation. When Qi Hui came back with the authorization letter from the National Research Institute of Science and Technology, they could officially start working on the new project.
Huo Yao could sense Liu Qian’s good mood even over the phone. She raised her brow and congratulated him.
“Oh yes. Have you checked out the contents of the thumb drive yet?” asked Liu Qian.
“Just slightly,” replied Huo Yao unhurriedly. “It looks complicated.”
After hearing Huo Yao’s response, Liu Qian went quiet briefly and then asked. “Do you think it’s very hard?”
The maid told Huo Yao breakfast was ready, so she went over to the dining room holding her phone as she replied. “Well, it’s not that bad. It really comes down to the company’s demands.”
“What do you mean?” Liu Qian did not quite understand what she meant.
Huo Yao picked up the spoon and ate some porridge. She acknowledged softly without explaining further. “We can discuss this after you’ve settled all the details with the company.”
Liu Qian nodded. His phone vibrated unexpectedly with an incoming call.
Liu Qian glanced at the caller ID. It was Qi Hui, so he promptly said to Huo Yao, “Okay then. I have another call coming. Talk again.”
He tapped on the phone and picked up the incoming call from Qi Hui.
Huo Yao raised her brow and put down her phone.
She paused briefly, picked up her phone again, and switched her phone to airplane mode. She raised her head and told the maid that she had a hangover today, so she was staying home and did not want to see any guests.
**
Meanwhile, Liu Qian went straight to school from home after receiving a call from Qi Hui.
When he got to school, it was roughly 10:00 am. He went to the office to put down his briefcase before he went to Qi Hui’s office without stopping.
Qi Hui was on the phone when he got there. After Qi Hui was done using the phone, Liu Qian entered the office.
“Morning, Mr. Qi.” Liu Qian nodded politely.
Qi Hui acknowledged Liu Qian. He cut to the chase, opened the drawer, and retrieved an authorization letter from the drawer. He placed it on the table and said, “Here you go.”
After he was done, he rolled his chair back in front of the computer and started typing. He clearly seemed busy.
Liu Qian knew the new school term was beginning soon, so it was a busy time for everyone. He did not want to disturb Qi Hui any more than he had to.
Liu Qian picked up the document sitting on the table and turned to leave. He lowered his head and flipped through the documents as he walked when he suddenly froze and halted.
Liu Qian furrowed his brow as he went through the contents of the document. The authorization letter was completely different from the version he had given Qi Hui.
He turned and walked back to Qi Hui’s desk and said, “Mr. Qi, this doesn’t seem to be the same agreement.”
Qi Hui continued looking at the computer screen without so much as raising his head. “This is the final version. Prof Liu has personally approved its use.”
Liu Qian was stunned. “How could Prof Liu approve this? The system is the fruit of our students’ labor. This authorization agreement says we only have the right to discuss it and possess zero ownership. This makes absolutely no sense, right?”
