The doors opened onto the ninth floor, and Lin Yun stepped out into a spacious, open-plan office. Desks were arranged in neat rows, each equipped with a desktop computer.
The employees, mostly young men and women, were engrossed in their work. Some were typing furiously, others were huddled in small groups, engaged in animated discussions. The atmosphere was one of focused energy, a palpable sense of purpose.
Many of them looked up as he entered, their eyes filled with curiosity. Word had spread about the company's founder, the young genius behind QuickBooks and Cloud Browser. However, very few knew what he looked like, and Lin Yun's unassuming appearance didn't immediately scream "Chairman."
A young woman, likely Lin Xue's secretary, approached him. "Mr.Lin?" she asked, a polite smile on her face. "Ms.Lin is expecting you. Please, follow me."
Lin Yun nodded and followed her through the maze of desks. He observed the employees as he walked, noting their focused expressions and the lines of code scrolling across their screens.
They reached a glass-walled office at the far end of the floor. Through the glass, Lin Yun could see his sister, Lin Xue, on the phone, her back to the door.
The secretary knocked lightly and opened the door. "Ms. Lin, your brother is here."
Lin Xue turned around, her face breaking into a wide smile when she saw him. "Little Brother!" she exclaimed, quickly ending her call.
She rushed over and embraced him. "Welcome to Cloud Technology."
"It's great to be here, Sister," Lin Yun said, returning the hug. "This place is amazing."
"It's your vision," Lin Xue said, stepping back and gesturing around the office. "I just helped make it a reality."
She gave him a quick tour, introducing him to a few employees who were nearby. Most were polite but reserved, clearly unsure of what to make of their young, unassuming boss.
"And this is your office," Lin Xue said, leading him to a smaller, but still spacious, glass-walled room next to hers.
Inside, a large desk sat facing a window with a decent view of the city. A comfortable-looking chair and a desktop computer completed the minimalist setup.
"It's perfect," Lin Yun said, feeling a sense of satisfaction.
"So," Lin Xue said, leaning against the doorframe. "What do you think?"
"I'm impressed, Sister," Lin Yun said sincerely. "You've done an incredible job."
They talked for a while about the company's progress. Lin Xue updated him on sales figures, marketing campaigns, and the challenges they were facing.
"The biggest issue right now is manpower," Lin Xue explained. "We have QuickBooks and Cloud Browser, but we need more products to really expand."
"I know," Lin Yun said. "I'm here for this."
He told her about the anti-virus software, Aegis, which was ready to go. Lin Xue was excited about its potential, especially after hearing about the government's interest.
They also discussed the Booble situation. Lin Xue reiterated her cautious approach to any potential partnership, and Lin Yun reaffirmed his intention to develop his own search engine.
"If I'm not mistaken, Booble must be trying to put their search engine on our Cloud Browser. Honestly, Sister, this will benefit them more in the long term. Unless we come up with our own search engine," Lin Yun expressed his opinion.
"Is there any other aspect to a cooperation?" Lin Xue asked with a frown.
"Unfortunately, no… However, it's possible to cooperate with them for a year. I believe I can come up with our own search engine soon," Lin Yun said. He didn't want to miss out on the resources and connections that came with the Booble company.
"I'll try, but don't get your hopes up. It's unlikely they will agree," Lin Xue nodded gently. In her opinion, a year was too short for such a cooperation. It was unlikely that Booble would agree.
After their strategic discussion, their conversation drifted to more personal matters. They talked about their parents, their hometown, and the changes that had taken place in their lives since Lin Yun's sudden success.
"It's all happened so fast," Lin Xue said, a hint of wonder in her voice. "Sometimes I can hardly believe it."
"Me neither," Lin Yun agreed.
In just a few months since his rebirth, Lin Yun had gone from a poor man to a millionaire, with billions more to come. It was too fast for even a person who had lived two lifetimes like him to adapt to.
Lin Yun decided to check in on the programmers. He walked out of his office and into the main area, Lin Xue following close behind.
He approached a group of programmers who were working at their desks. They looked up, startled by his sudden appearance.
"Hello," Lin Yun said, offering a friendly smile. "I'm Lin Yun."
A few murmurs of recognition rippled through the group. They had heard of him, of course, but most had never seen him in person.
"Don't mind me," Lin Yun continued. "I just wanted to see how things are going."
He spent the next hour moving from desk to desk, chatting with the programmers. He asked about their projects, their challenges, and their ideas.
He quickly realized that most of them were essentially idle. They were maintaining QuickBooks and doing some basic work on Cloud Browser, but there wasn't much else for them to do.
It was clear that the company, in its current state, was underutilizing its talent pool. Lin Yun found it a bit frustrating. He had so many ideas, so many projects he wanted to start, but he couldn't do everything at once.
He knew that the EDA tools and the CNC system were the key to unlocking the company's true potential. With them, he could start developing hardware, creating a whole new dimension for Cloud Technology. But that was still in the future.
As he walked back to his office with Lin Xue, he expressed his concerns. "They're good, Sister," he said, referring to the programmers. "But they're not being challenged. We need to give them something more."
"I agree," Lin Xue said. "Is your Aegis ready?"
"Yes," Lin Yun smiled and took out a CD from his bag. "Let's call a meeting."