Lin BaoCheng and Isabella went to New Century Software Company.
At present, New Century Software Company had only one female receptionist who also handled cleaning duties. All the other employees were software developers — eleven men in total, aged between twenty and thirty.
"Manager!" That was how they addressed Isabella.
"Everyone, pause your work for a moment. I'd like to introduce someone."
Isabella clapped her hands, signaling everyone to look over, then said: "This is our Boss, Mr. Lin BaoCheng, from Hong Kong in Asia. He is the owner of New Century Software Company, and in the coming period he will lead you in developing computer office software."
"Boss!" Among the eleven developers, only one had an Asian face; the rest were white. Yet all showed proper respect. No one displayed disdain or discrimination because Lin BaoCheng was Asian.
Lin BaoCheng had specifically instructed Isabella and Eric that the American companies must not hire racists. As an Asian himself, he had no reason to invite trouble. In truth, even without his instruction, Isabella and Eric would never have made such a mistake. With an Asian boss, hiring a racist would show terrible judgment and incompetence.
"Hello everyone, I'm glad to be working with you!" Lin BaoCheng smiled and nodded. "I have great confidence in the personal computer market. I believe it will soon spread across America and then the world. The office software we will develop is designed for computer use, to help office workers perform their jobs more efficiently. I believe this will be a huge market."
"My goal for New Century Software Company is to go public. You can consider yourselves the company's first batch of founding members. As long as you work diligently and show your abilities, I promise that when the company prepares to list, you will receive stock options. In the future, becoming millionaires is not impossible!"
This was not empty talk. Lin BaoCheng truly intended to take New Century Software public, and he would reward employees with stock options according to their contributions.
The company's target market was the U.S. and Western countries. Keeping it private and pocketing all profits was unrealistic. Once the company reached a certain scale, financing or listing would be inevitable — otherwise competitors and capital forces would crush it.
This was not paranoia. In America, any highly profitable company without strong connections that refused to go public and share wealth would face pressure from Wall Street. And for a foreigner running a company in the U.S., the risk was even greater.
If Lin BaoCheng only wanted small profits, there would be no problem. America's market was open, and capital didn't bother with small firms. But if he wanted to grow big and earn huge sums, compromise was necessary — listing and sharing wealth.
His words excited everyone. The phrase "millionaire" filled them with dreams. In 1970s America, a million dollars was enormous. With average monthly non‑farm income at 240 USD, one could see how vast that sum was.
Annual non‑farm income was under 3,000 USD. Without wage growth or inflation, it would take over three centuries to earn a million.
The developers here earned more than average — the lowest at 400 USD per month. But even so, a million dollars was far beyond what they could expect in a lifetime.
Salaries varied by ability, as in any company. Those with stronger skills earned more.
After a few more words, Lin BaoCheng went with Isabella to her office.
"Isabella, you usually manage this company, correct?"
"Yes, Boss!" Isabella nodded. "Eric manages the Galaxy Games branch. For Apple and Microsoft, I only visit every few days since we're just board members, not involved in daily operations. As for gold futures, I only need to check daily prices. So I have more free time, and mainly work here. If you think I'm unsuitable, you can appoint someone else."
"Unsuitable? Why would I think that?" Lin BaoCheng laughed. "It's good that you manage New Century Software. The company is just starting, so this is a chance for you to prove yourself. If you perform well, I'll entrust the company to you. If not, you know what I'll do."
"Yes, Boss, I won't let you down!" Isabella said immediately. Being Lin BaoCheng's assistant meant she could oversee all industries but not manage them directly. That was less satisfying than being a company head. Since New Century Software was a major focus, she had long sought the manager role. Now it seemed she had succeeded.
"How are the eleven developers? Any particularly strong talents?" Lin BaoCheng asked.
"Edan Sherlan and Peter Roslin are the strongest. Edan is especially capable, so I made him head of the software development department," Isabella replied.
"Good. I'll assess their abilities myself later," Lin BaoCheng said, nodding. With his knowledge, he was more than qualified. His skills were decades ahead of the current era.
"Once the software is developed, it must be sold. So start training sales staff in line with progress. Don't wait until the software is finished with no professionals to sell it."
He couldn't yet predict how long development would take, but with his full effort and some assistants, he believed two or three months should be enough.
"Yes, Boss!" Isabella nodded, keeping it in mind.
That afternoon, Lin BaoCheng invited all New Century Software employees to dine together, chatting with the developers to build familiarity.