32. The Ten Million Dollar Blueprint

32. The Ten Million Dollar Blueprint
Inside his new office, Calvin remained transfixed, staring at the contract he had just signed with Bastian. The massive capital the man had provided was beyond reason, surpassing any expectation that had ever crossed his mind. Dazed, he blinked repeatedly, trying to ensure that all this luxury wasn't merely a daydream.
The first thing that came to mind was to contact Bao Yu. The girl, daughter of Jin Hai, was a genius young programmer and the mastermind behind Calvin’s brilliant startup idea.
"Hello? What’s up, Calvin?" Bao Yu’s voice crackled over the line.
"Are you busy?" Calvin asked, trying to steady his slightly trembling voice.
"Of course. I’m an important person; I’m always busy," Bao Yu replied with her signature playful tone.
"Well, then I’m about to make you even busier. Can you meet me right now?"
"Emm... I’m turning down any dates! I’m still a minor!" Bao Yu countered, followed by a crisp laugh.
Calvin snorted in amusement. "Don’t be ridiculous. I want to discuss something serious. Can you come to Building F in the Stuard Corporation complex?"
"Wow! Wait a second... Why the Stuard Corporation Building? Tell me what’s going on, quick!" Bao Yu’s voice suddenly spiked with excitement.
"Never mind. Minors should just stay at home and help their fathers cook!" Calvin teased.
"Hahaha! Calvin, come on! I’m only joking. What kind of minor is already in college? I’m eighteen now!"
"You still look like a kid in my eyes."
"Oh, whatever! Building F, right? I'm leaving now!"
"Yeah, hurry up. I'm waiting for you."
"Okay, I’m flying there!" Bao Yu concluded before abruptly hanging up.
Calvin chuckled softly. To him, Bao Yu’s attitude was always entertaining. Having no siblings of his own, her presence seemed to fill the void of a younger sister in his life.
Meanwhile, in another part of the building, Bastian stepped out of Calvin’s office and immediately met Nathan in a private room. Nathan, his personal secretary, greeted him instantly with a face full of curiosity.
"How was it, Sir? Did he agree? Was he suspicious?" Nathan asked in rapid succession.
Bastian let out a sigh of relief while wiping the cold sweat from his brow. "Thank God, he accepted it. He isn't suspicious at all because he only knows me as Bastian. Heavens, I was so nervous back there!"
"But, Mr. Stuard..."
"Don’t call me Stuard! Here, I am Bastian! Remember that," he asserted with a sharp gaze.
Nathan nodded obediently. "Understood, Mr. Bastian."
Bastian gazed toward the corridor where Calvin’s office was located, his eyes softening yet filled with apprehension. "Calvin cannot know my true identity yet. He will hate me before I even get the chance to explain everything. I must approach him slowly—as a mentor, not as a father who abandoned him for over a decade."
"I understand, Sir," Nathan replied.
"Eventually, I will bequeath my entire fortune to Calvin. But first, I want him to learn from the ground up so he becomes resilient!" Bastian declared.

That afternoon, Bao Yu hurried toward Building F in the grand Stuard Corporation complex. Every now and then, she glanced left and right, feeling out of place in the silent and exclusive atmosphere of the building. Unlike the bustling main lobby, this floor did not look like a busy office; it was almost vacant.
At a reception desk, Bao Yu spotted a staff secretary who initially seemed preoccupied with her phone—likely because there was no pressing workload on such a quiet floor. However, upon noticing Bao Yu’s arrival, the woman immediately set her phone aside and offered a professional smile.
"May I help you, Miss?" she asked politely.
"I have an appointment with my friend in this building. He’s one of the winners of the student proposal competition," Bao Yu answered, trying to catch her breath.
"What is your colleague's name?"
"Calvin Dale."
The secretary's face instantly lit up with recognition. "Are you Miss Bao Yu?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Mr. Calvin is expecting you inside," the woman said, gesturing toward a set of sturdy, luxurious office doors.
Bao Yu stepped forward, a lingering trace of doubt still tugging at her heart. As the doors swung open, she found Calvin sitting alone before a laptop in the center of a vast, sprawling room.
"Calvin! What on earth is this? What are you doing in a place like this?" Bao Yu asked, her eyes widening as she scanned the surroundings.
At the sound of the familiar voice, Calvin’s face instantly brightened. He rose from his leather chair with overflowing enthusiasm.
"Bao Yu! Get over here! Read this, now!"
Without wasting a second, Calvin thrust the updated business proposal toward Bao Yu. He waited for his best friend’s reaction, his eyes gleaming with a sense of triumph.
"This is your proposal, right? Yeah, it’s good! I already read it the other day," Bao Yu said, her voice laced with confusion, still unable to grasp why Calvin seemed so electrified.
"Open the financial section!" Calvin urged.
Bao Yu quickly flipped through the pages until she found an additional sheet, freshly stamped with a wet signature. There, a figure was written—a nominal amount so fantastic it felt as though her heart had skipped a beat.
"What... what is this, Calvin? Ten million dollars?" Bao Yu shrieked, her eyes bulging in disbelief. "Am I seeing things? These zeros... they aren't a typo, are they?"
"No! That is the seed capital for our startup, Bao Yu!" Calvin answered firmly.
"Impossible! This simply can't be real!" Bao Yu shook her head violently, feeling as if her entire world had just been turned upside down.
"It’s the reality. And this place? This is our very first office!" Calvin explained. His words sent Bao Yu sinking into a nearby chair, utterly speechless, her mouth agape as she stared at the opulence surrounding them.
"Am I dreaming?" Bao Yu whispered, her eyes fixed on the figures on the paper as if they might vanish at any moment.
"No, this is real," Calvin replied, his voice ringing with newfound authority. "I’ve officially appointed you as the Head of Development. Now, your task is to find a team of geniuses to bring this project to life!"
"Don’t you worry, Boss! I’ve already got a plan!" Bao Yu chirped. She flashed a wide, toothy grin—a sure sign that her brilliant mind was already spinning into high gear.
"Use that phone! Starting today, we do whatever it takes!" Calvin commanded, pointing to the landline on the mahogany desk as if giving the signal to launch a massive recruitment drive.
"On it, Boss!" Bao Yu responded instantly.