Chapter 102: Chapter 102: The Negotiation

A Vice Director from Iris Visuals laughed upon hearing this: “Assistant Sterling, if you put it that way, isn’t it tantamount to hiring us as mere laborers? I hope you haven’t forgotten that our initial premise was mutual cooperation and development. The figure we proposed is merely the cost for the Caldwell Empire to assist us in further modeling research. Essentially, Iris Visuals also has to spend a significant amount to retrain other departments. Your company invites us to cooperate, yet refuses to spend money or grant authority. How are we different from a dog seeking a leash for its own neck, leaving us to be ordered around at will later?”

The atmosphere in the conference room shifted, becoming heavy and palpably tense, as if the air itself had solidified. It was no longer just a negotiation; it was a standoff. Fundamentally, Iris Visuals had no intention of conceding ground or accepting a diminished role in the partnership. They were acutely aware of their leverage and were determined not to let the other parties dictate the terms of their involvement.

While on the surface, the perception was that Iris Visuals would merely provide the aesthetic skin – the imagery and textures – the reality was far more complex. Behind their artistic façade lay a robust and sophisticated technical department, a team that rivaled many dedicated software firms. They boasted a portfolio rich with collaboration, having engineered high-fidelity augmented reality environments for AAA games and blockbuster movies. They were not just painters, they were architects of digital perception. Consequently, according to their counter-proposal, Iris Visuals demanded more than just creative input. They insisted on a permanent seat on the technical board, claiming equal sovereignty over the project’s infrastructure.

However, this demand struck a nerve, presenting a dilemma that was not easily resolved. The project’s technical foundation was already a fragile ecosystem, currently balancing on a razor’s edge between two powerful factions. On one side stood the experts invited by Julian, who controlled the basic platform and underlying architecture. On the other stood the elite core technology team from The Olympus Group, guarding their proprietary algorithms.

The balance of power was already delicate. Introducing a third distinct group into this volatile mix was a recipe for disaster. It threatened to turn the development process into a tripartite struggle for dominance, where conflicting coding standards and ego-driven friction could easily derail the technical construction process before it truly began.

“It seems this director is somewhat mistaken,. Julian’s voice hardened slightly: “Firstly, we have not yet mentioned how benefits and personnel will be distributed. For now, we are only discussing the proposal for ’cost support’ that Director Cole just mentioned. This figure is completely inappropriate.”

“As you yourself just stated, Iris Visuals and the Caldwell Empire are in a joint partnership, so it cannot be that we fund every aspect. Clearly, the platform, machinery, and production costs are all borne by us. By rights, Iris Visuals should be responsible for the visuals. The Caldwell Empire is currently offering to assist with a portion of the costs, not to shoulder the entire responsibility for this matter.”

“Furthermore, as previously stated, the issue of visuals is entirely decided by Iris Visuals. The Caldwell side will only intervene in the supervision of restoration details to ensure the setting and imagery do not deviate from the core storyline created by the scriptwriting team.”

“Therefore, you cannot say that the Caldwell Empire is not granting Iris Visuals any rights. Naturally, if Iris Visuals wishes to propose adding your own technical team, the Caldwell Empire welcomes it completely. However, your company must guarantee a clear separation of personnel. This means that staff participating in the technical team for this project must not assume any other roles or accept any other projects from Iris Visuals, even for emergency support.”

“We need an assurance that the participating personnel will dedicate their full effort to developing this project, as the technical aspect is the key factor deciding success or failure. Moreover, they must follow our orders.”

“Otherwise, if we have an argument every two days, the only option would be to shut down the technical team altogether.”

Julian paused for a moment before continuing: “Moreover, regarding rights and benefits, weren’t the relevant documents submitted to you right from the start? Regarding the profit-sharing percentage, the figure presented is the optimal plan that the Caldwell Empire can offer. We will not negotiate anything further on this matter.”

Throughout this negotiation session, the person who spoke the most was Julian. Although Ethan held the title of the project’s highest executive, he did not utter a word, merely expressing absolute support for Julian. Yet, it was precisely this stance that made everyone realize more clearly who would decide the future of this project and who held the greatest power.

Naturally, Ethan was not the type to throw away the company’s future for a lover. Not to mention that the relationship between Ethan and Julian had not yet reached the stage called love. The reason Ethan could rest easy letting an eighteen-year-old boy sustain this entire negotiation session was Julian’s persuasive ability.

Standing in the conference room, the feeling Julian projected was no longer that of a child just stepping into the world, innocent as his appearance suggested. Instead, he was an old fox, utterly calm and leisurely, preparing every step of the way, gradually leading his opponents into the trap he had set beforehand.

It was the aura of an executive who had managed hundreds, even thousands of people for over a decade.

Ethan looked at the slender young man speaking without pause, his eyes narrowing slightly, his fingers habitually tapping lightly on the table surface. Every time Julian focused too intensely, he evoked a sensation that made Ethan feel as though he were facing a veteran who had weathered a hundred battles in the marketplace, just like himself. Such decisiveness and the ability to remain calm and debate in a negotiation council were not things an eighteen-year-old boy could easily achieve. Even someone trained to be an heir from childhood like Ethan dared not claim that at eighteen, he could have proposed such a detailed scheme or maintained such a dominating attitude in a commercial negotiation.

It seemed Ethan’s gaze was too intense, to the point where Julian had to turn around and glance at him. Julian said nothing, merely smiling softly. It was not the confident, almost arrogant smile seen during the negotiation, but a relaxed smile that revealed a small dimple on his cheek, exposing the innocent charm true to his age.

Ethan let out a breath.

Well then, there are things that will become clear sooner or later anyway.

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