The assistant glanced at Wei Yong cautiously before he told him about his conversation with Qi Hui.
Wei Yong promptly frowned, but his voice sounded calm as he spoke. “Have they already applied for the patent and heard back from them?”
The assistant lowered his head deeply. “That’s right. They are just waiting for the official paperwork. Since software is patent protected from the day of application, the authorization agreement we’ve made Mr. Qi sign is not legally binding.”
Wei Yong looked annoyed. President Xue had just brought up the subject of the patent earlier in the lift. If they did not have the patent for the project, it would be an absolute embarrassment for his department.
The assistant said cautiously, “I have asked Secretary Wang. Unless the students choose to give up the application, there is no way for us to get the patent.”
“What’s Mr. Qi’s take on this?” asked Wei Yong.
“He didn’t say much. I think he might already know about this, but didn’t tell us until now,” said the assistant candidly.
Wei Yong turned on his laptop and remarked mildly. “If he already knew about it, why would he help us with the filing so enthusiastically?”
“What now?” The assistant looked at Wei Yong powerlessly. “Unless the students revoke their application, there’s no way we’ll get it.”
Wei Yong entered his password into the computer, logged into his mailbox, and checked his mail. After reading one of the emails, the sternness on his face dissipated and he looked happy.
As he went through the email, he asked the assistant without even raising his head. “Where there’s a will there’s a way. Make arrangements with Mr. Qi. I want to speak to him.”
