People are afraid of being famous

When Group Vice President Liu Zhang found Lin Yuan, Lin Yuan guessed his intention.

“Lin Yuan, the company’s stock price has soared this time, and you are the number one contributor…”

Before the dagger is revealed, one always needs to slowly unfold the map. Lin Yuan held a cup of coffee, listening to Liu Zhang's rambling.

It wasn't that he liked coffee, but Liu Zhang had hand-ground the coffee for him on the spot as a show-off, and it would have been rude not to drink it.

But to be honest, it tasted really awful, even worse than instant coffee.

“As the number one contributor, if you have any requests, just state them.”

Lin Yuan knew, the moment for drawing a big picture had arrived.

“Mr. Liu, there’s no need for a contributor. This is the result of everyone’s collective effort.”

“As expected of Professor Zhang’s student, you have foresight and vision. You’ve been with our company for almost half a year now, and the company feels it has underestimated your abilities, so we plan to sign a new contract with you.”

“Regarding salary, whatever your demands are, just state them. You haven’t bought a house yet, right? Interest-free loans, stock options, Beijing and Shanghai household registration, the company can meet all these conditions.”

Not to mention, this move was truly impressive. Besides offering money, they could also help with household registration. How many people worked for ten or twenty years and still couldn't get a household registration in those two places, only leaving their youth behind.

Lin Yuan immediately felt somewhat ashamed and inadequate. If everything Liu Zhang mentioned was implemented, it wouldn't be just empty promises.

“Mr. Liu, is the contract still the same as before?”

“It’s similar to before. It just needs an upgrade to the non-compete agreement. Additionally, for your future, the company plans to offer you a long-term contract starting from five years.”

Lin Yuan’s heart sank instantly. Sure enough, there’s no such thing as a free lunch.

After he finished reading the non-compete agreement Liu Zhang handed over, his previous feeling of shame and inadequacy completely vanished.

According to the list of companies to avoid listed in the non-compete agreement, it almost included all first, second, and third-tier brands in the IT industry. Moreover, the term was ten years.

It could be said that if Lin Yuan signed it, he would essentially be selling himself to Good Group for the next ten years.

“This is the company’s sincerity,” Liu Zhang said to Lin Yuan with a smile.

Lin Yuan didn’t deny that for an ordinary person, the conditions offered by Good Group were indeed commensurate with this non-compete agreement.

Rights and responsibilities are equal, and once you step into society, there’s nothing more to say.

But Lin Yuan clearly couldn’t accept it. Ten years? What a joke, how precious a decade is for a cheater.

“Mr. Liu, can it be like this? Whether I get household registration or not isn’t important,” For Lin Yuan, there wasn’t a strong desire to settle down in a first-tier big city.

“I have no objection to the duration of this non-compete agreement, but can the scope of the companies involved remain as it was?”

Lin Yuan actually had strong objections to the “ten-year term” of the non-compete agreement, but he couldn't completely overturn this new non-compete agreement, so he treated it as a concession. Anyway, the original non-compete agreement only stipulated that Lin Yuan could not go to certain Alibaba-affiliated companies. This was only because Good Group's biggest competitor—You Hungry Me??—was an Alibaba-affiliated company.

Lin Yuan never intended to stay long in the food delivery industry, so it wouldn't affect him much. Ten years is ten years, so be it.

“This…” Liu Zhang showed a difficult expression, “Between us, the scope of companies involved in this agreement is indeed a bit harsh, but it also reflects the company’s Pay attention to of you, and the company will give you ample compensation. The annual non-compete compensation starts at one million, and you’ll receive it immediately after signing.

And this is just the non-compete compensation; your salary and stock options are calculated separately.”

“I also know that the conditions offered by the company are very sincere,” Lin Yuan didn't deny it, “However, I still want freedom. Also, I hope my employment contract can be signed annually. Or simply signed until I graduate two years from now.”

Lin Yuan wished he could sign his employment contract monthly; agreeing to sign until his postgraduate graduation was already his biggest concession.

“Freedom?” Liu Zhang got up and refilled Lin Yuan’s coffee, just like refilling tea, even though Lin Yuan hadn’t drunk much of it.

“Lin Yuan, honestly, do you know how much I envy you? When I was your age, I was still anxious about getting a good job after graduation. We study and work, isn’t it all for money?”

Liu Zhang was a technical person, usually quite sophisticated, always talking about technology changing the world and service giving back to society. He was the typical high-end technical professional with some sophistication and ambition.

But at this moment, he actually took the initiative to say, “Isn’t it all for money?”

Lin Yuan thought to himself, ‘It seems that as long as it's not truly an empty promise, and as long as the promise is big enough, it's enough to make people drop their pretense.’

Liu Zhang’s voice continued, “You entered Good Group as a student, and from the company’s perspective, you are homegrown… cultivated by us. This is different from others who parachuted in; you will easily be regarded as a direct descendant.

Then you can first work in the research institute, and in a few years, the position of Deputy Director of the Shanghai Research Institute will definitely be yours.

There is no explicit limit on the number of Group Vice Presidents in the company. In less than ten years, you will have walked the path I took twenty years to complete.

If you make further significant contributions, it’s not impossible for you to join the board of directors in the future. I might even have to report my work to you then.”

Liu Zhang, after all, came from a technical background. Although he represented Good Group's interests and had his own stance, speaking behind closed doors, he was being sincere.

“Mr. Liu, thank you for your kindness. Given our shared understanding during this time, and considering that you and my mentor have many common teachers and classmates, please tell me the truth. This time, is there no room for negotiation with the company?”

Lin Yuan’s implication: he would never accept Good Group’s non-compete agreement.

“Why on earth is this?” Liu Zhang’s face was full of incomprehension. But it also answered Lin Yuan’s question.

Lin Yuan said no more. He picked up the coffee and took a big gulp, “Thank you, Mr. Liu, for the coffee, and even more for your tolerance during this period.”

“Lin Yuan,” Liu Zhang called out to him just before Lin Yuan was about to open the door of the office.

“Think about our company’s market value, and the internet is a capital-intensive place.” His tone was sincere, “If you negotiate proactively, you can ask for more conditions. If you surrender after being beaten down, you won’t get as much.”

“Is Mr. Liu saying that Good Group will target me?”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“Thank you, Mr. Liu. I’ll remember that, but I won’t be beaten down.”

“Sigh~~”

As Lin Yuan closed the door, he only heard a long sigh coming from inside.

Liu Zhang was very decent, after all, he seemed like Lin Yuan, also an ordinary person from an IT background. He only achieved class transcendence by following the technical path.

Therefore, it was inevitable that he would treat Lin Yuan as one of his own.

However, he might also have completed the task of winning over Lin Yuan assigned by Good Group through this slightly warning “senior’s advice.”

Who knows the specific situation, Lin Yuan was still willing to maintain a positive attitude about it, he was willing to believe Liu Zhang was acting out of good intentions. He didn't want himself to become someone whose mind was full of conspiracy theories all day long, because that would make life very tiring.