Around ten o'clock the next morning, Ding Yun, with two days left before school started, was visited by Editor-in-Chief Zhang, accompanied by his boss, Xu Hongyin.
Fortunately, her parents were not home, having gone to work.
So, Ding Yun decided to entertain them at home.
She served them each a glass of plain water.
Then, she calmly sat beside them and said:
"You seem to be in a hurry. Did you rush here overnight? So, Editor-in-Chief Zhang, have you agreed?"
"Master Ding, it was my fault. I didn't trust you enough at first. I truly didn't expect you to be so formidable when combining science and metaphysics, achieving what no one else in the world could.
Accurately predicting natural disasters.
Having you is not just a blessing for our newspaper, but a blessing for our country and even our people. You've shown so much sincerity, it would be foolish of me not to agree. However, the previous contract is no longer valid.
To use the old contract would be an insult to you.
Our newspaper has prepared a new contract for you. You can review the details later. If there are any issues, we can negotiate. We will do our best to accommodate you, absolutely!"
To show his sincerity and to prevent Ding Yun from backing out of the collaboration, Editor-in-Chief Zhang adopted an extremely humble attitude, so much so that Ding Yun felt a little unaccustomed to it.
As she reached out to take the contract, she said with slight embarrassment, "Editor-in-Chief Zhang, you're too kind.
We're old acquaintances, there's no need to be so formal. Just call me Xiao Ding. I am indeed very young, so calling me Xiao Ding is normal. I'm not used to being called Master. Besides, after those fraudulent Qigong masters, the title 'Master' has almost become a noun for scammers.
Regarding the collaboration, I have no issues. As long as you don't fail me, I won't fail you either."
"This..."
Editor-in-Chief Zhang was still hesitant, but Xu Hongyin was more at ease. He immediately smiled and said, "Classmate Ding is truly a woman who is second to no man. At such a young age, not only are her abilities outstanding, but her mindset and spiritual realm are also quite profound.
Old Zhang, if you continue to be so polite, you'll be disrespecting Classmate Ding. Also, Classmate Ding, please rest assured that our newspaper is never stingy with talented individuals.
I also have a share transfer agreement here.
I wonder if Classmate Ding has the courage to sign it."
The share transfer agreement was a decision Xu Hongyin had contemplated for a long time, and he had even drafted and revised it on the way here last night.
Whether to present it, and when to present it, depended on whether Ding Yun would appear as innocent as a student or truly possessed hidden depths. Now that Xu Hongyin had a general idea and knew Ding Yun was not easily fooled, he naturally had to show his sincerity.
After speaking, Xu Hongyin handed the share transfer agreement from his bag to Ding Yun, and continued to explain:
"This share agreement includes thirty percent of the newspaper's shares. I know it's not a large amount, but the newspaper is not wholly owned by me. If I transfer this thirty percent to you, I will only have three percent more shares than you. As the founder, I have an emotional attachment to the newspaper and do not wish to be ousted in the end.
So, I hope you can understand.
However, this share agreement is not a direct gift. The only requirement is that I hope you can successfully predict ten domestic natural disasters. They don't need to be predicted consecutively, nor do they need to be one hundred percent accurate. Eighty to ninety percent accuracy would suffice.
You can also review the clauses for unmet conditions.
Even if you fail, you will not incur any losses.
At most, this agreement will become void.
If you're not at ease, you can hire a lawyer to review it later. We are genuinely sincere, and this agreement places no constraints on you.
I simply hope to become family with you.
And collaborate more closely."
Successfully predicting ten domestic natural disasters was merely Xu Hongyin's precaution. Ding Yun might have gotten lucky with one or two predictions, but he didn't want to miss this opportunity to further strengthen their ties and firmly bind Ding Yun to their newspaper should her predictions be genuine.
Thus, he specifically prepared this agreement.
In essence, it was similar to a future-dated contingent agreement.
It was even very lenient in all aspects; if she lost, Ding Yun would suffer no losses, but if she won, she would directly gain thirty percent of the newspaper's shares, becoming the second-largest shareholder, just behind Xu Hongyin. It was a clear path to becoming a boss!
And it wasn't a mere promise of a better future, but a genuine opportunity to elevate her status.
Naturally, Ding Yun wouldn't just blindly agree without reading the details. She wouldn't believe it based on their words alone. She carefully reviewed the agreement, not only by herself but also with her Omniscient Eyes, to ensure there were no loopholes or traps.
Satisfied, she nodded and signed.
As for the other contract, concerning her predictions and the payment, it was set at ten thousand yuan per prediction.
Especially significant predictions would command higher prices.
Ding Yun also signed this one.
After all, the newspaper shares would only be officially hers after she fulfilled the conditions, and becoming a shareholder didn't preclude her from receiving payment for her work. Why wouldn't she sign?
Once both agreements were signed, their relationship immediately became more harmonious. They finally began discussing the substantive matters: how Ding Yun's predictions would be published and how the newspaper would promote them.
In addition, they presented Ding Yun with the gift they had prepared for her earlier.
It was a latest-model flip phone.
"Since the predictions are not numerous and timeliness is crucial, this phone was specifically bought for you to facilitate our communication. You can directly contact Editor-in-Chief Zhang with any thoughts or opinions.
You are now effectively half his boss, so feel free to approach him with anything. Also, don't worry about the phone bill; the newspaper will ensure it's topped up promptly.
So, let's consider it a happy collaboration!"
It was indeed inconvenient to communicate without a phone. Ding Yun wouldn't buy one herself, and they couldn't force her to, so they had to spend money to buy one for her. This would allow for easier and faster communication, beneficial to the newspaper's development.
"Thank you, thank you. You've gone to such expense."
"Then, for specific predictions, I'll send text messages directly to Editor-in-Chief Zhang. If there are no urgent matters, I'll send them at a fixed time every morning. For emergencies, I'll call directly. Is that okay?"
"No problem, no problem!"
"Then I'll proceed as you suggested, starting with predictions of areas that might experience drought or floods, which are more traceable."
"If there are any major disasters, you can also report them. We'll take some risks if necessary; saving lives is always a good thing.
What I mean is, if there are no major disasters, let's proceed step by step."
"Understood..."