“Saying all this does sound a bit like showing off, but I’m not doing it on purpose. I’m saying it to make everyone understand that following me will lead to good things.”
“More importantly, I want everyone here to understand that if Metaverse Intelligent Control takes off years from now, you absolutely won’t be able to get in with your current qualifications. Being able to join now is purely because you came early.”
“However, talking too much about grand narratives at this stage, no matter how much I say, if you don’t believe it, it won’t mean much.”
“I just want to express one core point: follow me, and your future self will definitely thank your current self for the decision you make today.”
“Conversely, you will definitely regret it. We’ll see; it won’t be long, as short as half a year, a year at most.”
At this moment, Lu An’s every word and action exuded unparalleled confidence.
As the founder of Metaverse Intelligent Control, he also had to display such confidence to his subordinates at this time.
Because the company is still in its initial startup phase, there aren't many tangible guarantees it can offer; it mainly relies on painting a promising picture to motivate employees.
Then you have to make your subordinates believe that you are truly amazing, which is very important.
To make everyone believe in their hearts that following you can lead to a bright future, you must first show unparalleled confidence; only then will people feel there's some potential.
Lu An’s recent words were very direct, but they were also the truth.
The employees present also knew in their hearts that it would be impossible for them to join major tech companies like Huawei or BAT with their current skill levels.
If Metaverse Intelligent Control truly manages to rise in the future, they definitely wouldn't be able to get in then, and even if they could, they certainly wouldn't receive the treatment of a founding member.
On one hand, Lu An demonstrated his strength and skill, making the employees present believe that Metaverse Intelligent Control was a potential stock.
At the same time, he used his words to guide them to form a thought in their minds: their choice now was more important than their ability, and their biggest advantage was that they joined earlier than others.
Finally, Lu An said concisely, “Alright, that’s all I have to say. Weigh the pros and cons yourself in your hearts. Meeting adjourned!”
…
As Lu An left, everyone returned to their respective workstations, and some employees began to chat privately.
“Hey, what do you think? Do you think the big picture the boss painted is reliable?”
“I think the boss has something. You see, he dares to put his words out there beforehand, not afraid of being proven wrong later, which means he has confidence.”
“That makes sense. Setting aside everything else, just the fact that so many big companies are competing to recruit him shows he definitely has a unique skill.”
“Maybe Metaverse Intelligent Control really is a potential stock. We joined early, so we really will be founding members then.”
“Anyway, the boss said we’d know in half a year, so let’s just keep working for now.”
“He promised to give us stock options then, but I’m just afraid that once the company takes off, he’ll turn his back on us and discard us like a used grindstone. Bosses these days, they can share hardships, but sharing wealth is difficult.”
“Thinking about that is a bit early. The probability of the company going bankrupt in half a year is higher. Don’t be too optimistic.”
“I think the boss is still decent. At least the salary and benefits upon joining are impeccable, higher than the industry median, and all five insurances and one housing fund are included. It’s not just empty promises, so there’s nothing to complain about on that front.”
“That’s true. Anyway, we can’t get into those top-tier companies, and other companies might not offer the same salary and benefits as Metaverse Intelligent Control.”
After this all-hands meeting, most of the company’s employees felt that Metaverse Intelligent Control might indeed be a potential stock.
Therefore, everyone decided to work hard with Lu An.
The employees who joined were all young, and a half-year period meant the cost of trial and error was completely acceptable to them.
The cost of trial and error was not high, but the potential upside had very high expectations.
If Metaverse Intelligent Control could truly “overcome its tribulation” successfully in half a year, then as the company’s initial team and founding members, even if the boss was willing to share a bit of the profits, this dividend would be very significant for them.
If the boss doesn't fulfill today’s promises after half a year, then they can just leave; the loss wouldn't be significant.
Anyway, they would still receive their salaries during their employment, so they wouldn't be working for free and wouldn't be at a disadvantage. Moreover, the benefits in Jianing City were considerably higher than other tech companies in the same industry.
Everyone had an account book in their minds, and after reviewing it, they found that working at Metaverse Intelligent Control was indeed very good.
With guaranteed current benefits and high future expectations, everyone decided to work hard for half a year first.
…
A month passed in a flash.
“The purchased equipment and materials have all arrived. Our next task is to manufacture the first Bionic Prosthetic Limbs arm.” In the company’s open office area, Lu An gathered the company employees to assign tasks.
In the past few days, three new employees had joined, bringing the total number of people in the company to 25, including Lu An and Meng Qiuyan.
Lu An looked around at everyone and emphasized, “In a few months, in November, we will take our product to participate in the 2013 International Rehabilitation Aids Exhibition held in the Capital, striving to make a splash at the exhibition.”
The exhibition has a history of 30 years, touring the country annually, focusing on orthotics and prosthetics, and covering 12 major categories of high-tech rehabilitation aids and welfare robots, including personal mobility aids, communication and information aids, and more.
It is an industry grand event that integrates product exhibitions, high-end forums, academic exchanges, investment promotion, and trade negotiations.
Lu An continued, “Our company is in its initial startup phase with limited resources and no money for promotion, so this exhibition is one of the few opportunities for our product to gain exposure. If we miss it, we might not have such an opportunity, and the company will definitely go bankrupt before the next one arrives. So, success or failure depends on this one effort.”
…
In the days that followed, Lu An led the company team to begin manufacturing the first Bionic Prosthetic Limbs arm. He had already completed the assembly of the software on his own, and he had also taken care of the crucial sensor components.
Now that the purchased equipment and materials were in place, Meng Qiuyan had found a small factory building not far from the company’s office space and rented it directly.
The company was currently tight on funds and couldn't hire more workers, so they had to use the existing employees.
Lu An personally taught them how to “hand-make” Bionic Prosthetic Limbss, saving on equipment wherever possible and using manual manufacturing when feasible.
As days passed, everyone gradually realized that the boss truly had something special.
He was practically an all-rounder; he understood all the technologies everyone else knew, and he also understood what they didn’t, teaching them hands-on.
What Lu An was doing now was training these twenty-odd employees into skilled technical workers, dividing everyone into several teams, each mastering a part of the hardware manufacturing and one technical aspect.
The products produced during the company’s initial phase would be manufactured by the current two to three dozen people.
The output would certainly not be high; with the company’s current funds, they could at most produce a few hundred to a thousand units for sale first.
However, Lu An also knew what he was doing; he would expand the workforce after earning money. Things had to be done step by step.
…