After finishing today's study session, John organized the complex problems he couldn't solve on his own and emailed them to Professor Easton Smith.
Professor Smith was the expert John had found on a Q&A website who seemed reliable. Initially, they communicated through the website, but after a few exchanges, they decided to connect directly, cutting out the middleman and avoiding extra fees.
Every day, John would compile the issues he couldn't resolve and send them to Professor Smith, who would then take some time to research and think before providing answers.
In return, John had to pay Professor Smith between $10,000 and $30,000 per month, essentially hiring him as a part-time scientific advisor.
John expected a reply by the next day at the earliest, but to his surprise, Professor Smith called him shortly after receiving the email.
"John, these problems are highly specialized and complex. Even for me, it would take four to five days of careful thought to come up with answers, and I can't guarantee they'd be correct."
Professor Smith said with a tone full of helplessness, "I just do this as a side gig to earn a bit of extra money from the Q&A website to support my household. But you're working me so hard that I don't even have the energy to teach during the day."
John felt a pang of guilt. He knew the weight of the problems he was asking Professor Smith to solve.
"Alright, I can't keep milking one person for answers. With the amount I've paid for Professor Smith's help so far, I've already gotten a good deal."
Thinking it over, John smiled and said, "How about this, Professor Smith? I'll give you $50,000 a month, and you can form an advisory team. You decide who to hire and how much to pay them, as long as they can solve my problems. This way, you won't have to bear all the burden alone."
There was a brief pause on the other end before Professor Smith seemed to warm up to the idea.
Professor Wang, Professor Miller, and a few of my students could use the extra money. I bet they'd be happy to earn $5,000 each per month. Plus, having more people means we can discuss and solve problems more accurately and efficiently. I'll also get to lighten my workload and make more money."
"That sounds like a plan."
Professor Smith quickly agreed, and John felt a bit relieved. "Alright, then. I'll send you the money for this month right away."
Their cooperation had been going on for a while, and there was a good level of trust between them.
Professor Smith sighed, "I still don't understand why you're so focused on these problems."
John casually replied, "Our team got an investment to develop a hardcore tech game. We want players to be able to build their own chips in the game, so the technical details need to be spot on."
"Oh, I see."
Professor Smith finally understood. "Still, your team is learning at an impressive pace. The questions you're asking are getting more and more advanced."
"That's the power of teamwork."
Having resolved the issue with Professor Smith, John sent him another $40,000, feeling the pinch of the expense.
"Learning isn't just tiring; it's expensive too. Sigh."
Despite John's high income, his expenses were significant. Just paying Professor Smith $50,000 a month, plus the $25,000 he had to pay the local security official, the monthly utility bills, and the expenses of running the still-not-profitable Renaissance Mall, left him stretched thin.
"But no matter how tight the budget, I still need to buy the necessary equipment. I need this workbench and the industrial robot now."
As the precision of his CPU manufacturing increased, relying solely on manual labor was no longer feasible.
The wires were as thin as a sewing needle, and a single transistor was the size of a grain of rice, with tens of thousands of them to deal with. It was impossible to solder them by hand.
Buying an industrial robot and a workbench to operate the robot was the only viable solution.
This purchase cost another $200,000.
Looking at his account balance, now down to $50,000, John sighed again.
Thankfully, by the end of today, he would be able to withdraw the earnings from yesterday's work, bringing his balance up to $80,000.
After a good night's sleep, John felt rejuvenated and threw himself back into his studies.
Time flew by. Meanwhile, David and his partner, Mike, were patrolling the streets.
After a month and a half of grueling training, David was now a different man. He stood tall and straight, with a sturdy build and a sharp, elite appearance. The uniform with the Renaissance Group logo added to his imposing look.
The streets were bustling with activity. Every building, no matter how dilapidated, had been rented out for businesses. Food stalls, clothing shops, barber shops—everything you could think of, making the area lively and prosperous.
In contrast, just a few yards away, another street was desolate. Buildings were tightly shut, and pedestrians hurried along, not daring to linger. It was only when they stepped onto the streets controlled by the Renaissance Group that they relaxed.
Everyone knew that the streets under Renaissance Group's control had excellent security. Not only were there no muggings or gang conflicts, but even petty thieves wouldn't dare show up. If caught, they would surely face severe consequences.
As David walked by, both passersby and shopkeepers looked at him with respect, making him swell with pride.
"Life is much better now. Training might be tough, but so what?"
The sense of accomplishment from earning people's genuine respect and being part of creating an oasis of order in a chaotic world was incomparable.
"Officer David, here's this month's protection fee," said a shopkeeper warmly, trying to hand him some money.
"Uncle Tom, I can't accept that. The company has designated personnel to collect the fees," David politely declined.
"I just happened to see you, so I thought I'd give it to you directly. Alright, I'll wait for the fee collector. Fresh roasted seeds just came out of the oven, want to try some, Officer David?"
"Uncle Tom, please don't get me into trouble. The company is strict about this. We can't take anything from you."
Waving his hand, David walked away, continuing his patrol. His partner Mike remarked, "I've never seen people eager to pay protection fees. Back when I was in a gang, we'd have to beat up a few people to make a point..."
David sneered, "What gang can compare to our company?"
Patrolling to the end of the street, David looked at the deserted street across from them, shook his head, and turned back.
Suddenly, someone ran out from the other side, holding money, and knelt in front of David, begging, "Officer David, please, take this protection fee!"