Chapter 493 Rebirth
When I got home that evening, I was in a foul mood. Brad noticed and asked what was up. I told him about Elliot refusing to co-sign. Brad wasn't shocked at all. He said that's just how Elliot is, and if he didn't want to co-sign, then so be it.
"How can that be? Elliot did way more than I did for the lab's success. If he doesn't co-sign, I'm not publishing it," I said, pouting and fuming.
Brad chuckled in frustration and said both Elliot and I were being stubborn. Elliot wouldn't budge on not co-signing, and I wouldn't budge on needing his co-signature.
I just wanted things to be fair. We agreed from the start that any achievements would be credited to both of us. I wasn't going to hog all the credit.
Maybe Elliot didn't care about a small lab because of his status, but contributions should be recognized.
That night, I went to bed still thinking about how to convince Elliot to agree to my request.
The next morning, around ten, Elliot messaged me on Facebook: [I don't need to co-sign. If you really want to give me something, then when your company is up and running, give me a small share of the stock for my contribution. Five percent will do.]
I had to admit, Elliot was pretty bold.
Right now, it was just a small lab, and it was uncertain if any companies would want to collaborate, yet he was already thinking about equity options.
Fine, for Elliot's five percent, I had to work hard and get the company listed as soon as possible.
I sent out the report, and within a week, I got a reply saying I had been accepted.
Within five days of the magazine publishing the report, six companies reached out, wanting to collaborate on the production and sale of new pigments.
I didn't agree to any of them.
The patent was mine, and choosing the right company to collaborate with was crucial. The selection had to be made carefully.
Among all the companies interested, one medium-sized company on the brink of bankruptcy seemed the most sincere.
The person in charge called me several times, and on the last call, he said that if I joined their factory, he would give me management rights.
To discuss this, Brad made time to invite Elliot and Bronte over for dinner.
Collaboration was a big deal; it directly affected whether our patent could be maximized.
We finally decided to conduct an on-site investigation of the factory.
I knew nothing about such matters, so I had to ask Mindy for help.
Mindy and her husband put aside their work and came with us.
The factory director was a thin, middle-aged man with a weathered face. After just a few words, he sighed heavily.
We all felt uncomfortable seeing this.
Collaboration was a big deal, and we couldn't agree to it out of pity. Besides, I felt they didn't need pity; they needed a rebirth.After checking out the factory, we had a couple of meetings with them. In my downtime, I chatted with the workers living there to gather some useful info.
We still didn't know if we'd end up collaborating, but the workers' sense of community really moved me.
The company had hit a rough patch due to a bad decision. At this crucial moment, if everyone united with a common goal, a new direction would surely emerge.
None of the workers bad-mouthed the factory; instead, they were all worried about how to revive it.
I didn't know much about management, but I felt that working with such a dedicated group of people, all sharing the same goal, would be pretty awesome.
Louis gave the factory a thumbs up overall, and Elliot left the final decision to me.
Seeing their eager faces, I made my first major decision in life.
Next came the prep work before the investment. Elliot had other commitments and couldn't be there, so Bronte and I traveled around a lot, often going on impromptu business trips.
Brad had some complaints about this. He often grumbled that I didn't need to work so hard because he could support me.
But the next day, when I was about to leave, he'd still pack my luggage, take me to the station, kiss my forehead, wave goodbye, and tell me to stay safe and come back soon.
Living with Brad made me feel like a cherished princess.
Occasional business trips added some excitement to our otherwise peaceful happiness.
Time flew by, and soon it was March, another season of blooming peach blossoms, filled with hope everywhere.
With Brad's and my joint efforts, the project design received high praise from the client and the school, especially Uriah, who was super excited when he saw the drawings.
He said it was the first time in his life he'd seen such fresh and elegant work, and he instantly loved it.
Uriah conveyed his grandmother's words, saying this design was her favorite, and she was very satisfied. She hoped to collaborate again in the future.
With just over a dozen paintings left to complete the project perfectly, Brad and I felt both relieved and pressured.
The closer we got to the end, the more relaxed the artist's emotions would be, and relaxation was the enemy of creation.
So, the closer we got to the end, the more cautious we had to be.
In early April, we completed all the project creations, and Brad and I were over the moon.
The Taylor family once again expressed great appreciation and praise for our work. They invited Brad and me to join their company and offered us any salary we wanted.
But Brad and I envisioned our careers focusing on painting. Projects like these were taken on because the school wanted them, and we completed them smoothly. We wouldn't take on such projects casually in the future.
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