The atmosphere was awkward.
Time and space seemed to have been frozen, and it was terrifyingly stiff.
Lawrence's handsome face was stiff, his smile frozen as if it had been sprinkled with formalin.
But what was admirable was that even so, he still maintained the demeanor of a noble. He stiffly retracted his outstretched right hand and sat back like a robot.
Time quickly passed by.
The awkward atmosphere lingered around the dining table.
It wasn't until the waiter brought the dishes that the atmosphere was broken.
Lawrence coughed and continued with a slightly displeased expression.
"Can I know why? I think my proposal is perfect. "
"That's only for you guys." Lu Zhou said calmly, "I always believe that there is no free lunch in this world. If we accept your investment, it means that we have to give up some of our equity, am I right? "
Lawrence: "Of course … As you said, there is no such thing as a free lunch in this world. But apart from a free lunch, there is another word, and that is win-win! We can create more wealth through cooperation! "
Lu Zhou: "Yeah, so after we win, is Star Sky Technology my Star Sky Technology or your Star Sky Technology? Is it China's high-tech company or the United States' high-tech company? "
"This … depends on how you define it." Lawrence hesitated for a moment and said, "Also, does it really matter who it belongs to? Star Sky Technology might only be worth 100 billion US dollars right now. I'm taking out 100 billion US dollars to finance you. You might have less equity, but in fact, you have more wealth than the original 100 billion US dollars. Because of our cooperation, your wealth has increased several times … "
"I think the question of who it belongs to is important."
Looking at Lawrence, Lu Zhou interrupted him and continued in a serious tone.
"For me, being able to do research I like is the most important thing. This is the original intention of my founding of Star Sky Technology and the Jinling Institute for Advanced Study. In contrast, money is secondary. So you're telling me that you can turn 100 billion into 200 billion, or even multiply it several times … What does that have to do with me? "
The atmosphere at the table was in a stalemate.
After a long silence, Lawrence's shoulders suddenly relaxed and he leaned back in his chair.
"So that's how it is … I originally thought that there was still a possibility for us to work together, and with your intelligence, you would definitely be able to see the benefits. But now it seems that I was thinking too much."
Lu Zhou smiled and said, "I always thought you Americans liked to do things by the rules. Shouldn't you be talking to the CEO of Star Sky Technology about this?"
Lawrence smiled faintly. "Rules? The reason you have such thoughts is because you haven't spent enough time in America to truly understand this country. "
Lu Zhou: "Oh?"
"Merchant ships that travel the Golden Waterway will more or less act as pirates when necessary, whether it's for national or private interests. The colonists who set foot on the American continent were law-abiding 'good citizens' in most cases, but the premise was that it was more beneficial to them. If there's a profit to be made, they don't mind playing the role of bandits and looting the nearby natives to increase their wealth quickly. "
"There is a manuscript about John Adams in the Firestone Library, which details his research on this cultural phenomenon. In my opinion, it is precisely because he understood the Americans so well that he could see the 'torrent of depravity' hidden behind the colonial culture that he knew how to restrain those who disobeyed him, and even became president. "
"And the core of this cultural phenomenon, I call it pirate culture."
Lu Zhou looked at Lawrence with a faint smile on his face. He raised his eyebrows slightly unexpectedly.
"Surprising."
"What's surprising?"
"In the history of the Huaxia civilization, we usually use derogatory terms like 'Wokou' or 'pirate' to refer to pirates … In our culture, being a pirate isn't something to be proud of, nor is it a glorious profession."
"In our culture, it's equally disgraceful. If you're found to be a pirate, you'll be hung at the port, dried, and eaten by the crows … However, the premise is that you're discovered." Lawrence shrugged his shoulders and continued, "100% profit. The capital is just a ship, and it's enough for people to do a lot of things."
Lawrence looked at Lu Zhou, who didn't speak, and gently stood up with his hands on the table.
"I just want to answer your question. In order to achieve their goals, pirates are unscrupulous. I don't really want to be your enemy, and I don't even want to be a chess player, but … there is an invisible force in this world, which is affected by many factors.
"Just like the gravitational force that pulls us back to the ground, the inertia of the classic movement continues, and history returns to its original position. This is something that a person, a company, or even a country can't stop. But if you go with the flow, you can survive and even be rewarded by history. Do you understand what I mean?"
Lu Zhou: "I don't understand, I believe in science, I don't believe in metaphysics."
Except for the lucky draw.
Lawrence: "Okay, I'm talking nonsense … Are you really not going to think about it?"
"No need."
"That's a shame." Lawrence sighed and said, "Maybe next time, you won't just have to deal with small characters like ExxonMobil and Tesla. Instead, you'll have to deal with a force that even I don't want to deal with."
"Really?"
Lu Zhou smiled.
"Then let's wait and see."
…
In the end, Lawrence didn't even finish eating before he left.
Even though he said he was full, according to Lu Zhou's observation, he didn't even touch the utensils.
But honestly, the food in this restaurant was really good. If everything went well, he would probably come here a few more times.
Half an hour after Lawrence left, Lu Zhou also left the restaurant. He walked toward his car parked in front of the restaurant.
When he opened the car door and got in, Wang Peng, who was sitting in the driver's seat, had just finished a phone call. He put his phone back in his pocket.
"Where to?"
"Go straight to Zhongshan International."
"Okay."
The car was on the road.
Lu Zhou leaned back in his seat and took out his phone. He opened his Facebook page.
Just when he opened the "like" list and was about to find the article that he hadn't finished reading, he realized that the article was gone.
What?
Did I delete it?
Damn it, I forgot to take a screenshot.
Lu Zhou shook his head and put this matter aside. He turned off Qihoo and opened Weibo.
Just as he was about to interact with his fans for a while, an unread email notification popped up on the top of the screen.
He opened it and saw that it was from the International Mathematical Union.
When Lu Zhou saw the caller ID, he suddenly had a headache.
Over the past few days, he had been having a headache about whether he should go or not. Suddenly, the IMU sent him an email. He could guess that it was most likely an email to urge him to post his 60-minute report on the conference website.
Lu Zhou opened the email and was thinking about how to euphemistically tell the organizers that he wasn't ready yet. However, he suddenly froze.
After a while, Lu Zhou looked up at Wang Peng and spoke.
"Wang Peng."
"What?"
"I might have to go to St. Petersburg in August."
"Okay, we'll arrange it for you … By the way, is there any progress on the Riemann conjecture?"
"No … It has nothing to do with the report."
Wang Peng: "Then what?"
Lu Zhou put down his phone and spoke with a strange expression.
"To receive an award."
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