For a moment, I get really excited.
A hundred thousand dollars?!
That's... that's a lot of money. That's more money than I've ever seen in one place. I could buy a car! A really nice car! Or fix up our house, maybe get furniture that doesn't creak ominously when we sit on it!
Hell, I could save it for a down payment on a mortgage!
…Wait.
My mental celebration screeches to a halt.
A hundred thousand dollars? For a stock market trading bot that promises thirty percent returns annually?
If someone invests, say, a million dollars through my bot (which, let's be real, is probably chump change for Mr. Inoue), that's three hundred thousand in returns in a single year. And he wants to buy the whole thing outright for a third of that?
Am I... am I getting ripped off?
I look at Mr. Inoue, trying to read his face for any hint of what he's thinking. But he gives me absolutely nothing. His expression is completely neutral, almost unnervingly so. Those sharp eyes just stare back at me, patient and assessing, waiting for my response.
Shoot. I feel so out of my element right now.
What the hell should I do?
I mean, on one hand, Mr. Inoue has always seemed like a fair guy. He has a good impression of me, right? I did help Luna when Jack was harassing her. He constantly jokes about how we should get married, which is both embarrassing and kind of sweet in a weird way. And when I asked if Eva could help with training, he agreed without hesitation.
So what is this situation? Should I just... agree? Take the money and run? A hundred thousand dollars is still life-changing money, even if it's potentially less than what the bot is worth.
But then I remember Mr. Vale's advice: Every interaction is an exchange. If you can understand what the other person wants, you'll be better prepared to navigate the conversation successfully.
So what does Mr. Inoue want here? To rip me off and buy my project for way less than it's worth? Maybe he doesn't actually believe in my work, but he's offering to buy it anyway out of kindness? Some weird rich-person pity purchase?
Or... is this some sort of test?
We continue staring at each other. The silence stretches on, getting progressively more awkward. Luna shifts uncomfortably beside me on the sofa, and I can feel the tension radiating off her.
Well... we can't just look at each other forever. I need to try to get more information out of Mr. Inoue here. Figure out what's actually happening.
"That's… That's a lot of money." I say, my voice coming out steadier than I feel. " But I think it's low. For what this is."
Mr. Inoue's expression doesn't change as Daichi translates.
Then Mr. Inoue speaks, his voice measured and calm. Daichi waits for him to finish before translating.
"Adam," Daichi says, and somehow he makes it sound both friendly and pointed, "I've looked at hundreds of trading algorithms. Thousands, maybe. Everyone promises incredible returns. They all say their system is different, that they've cracked the code." He pauses. "Why should I believe yours actually works?"
Ah. So that's what it is.
You know what? Fair. I'd be skeptical too if some eighteen-year-old kid showed up claiming he'd built a money-printing machine in his bedroom between homework assignments.
But you know what? I really do believe in it. I've spent over a year on this project. I've tested it obsessively. I've thrown every scenario I could think of at it, every market crash, every volatility spike, every edge case my paranoid brain could conjure. I know it works.
"Because mine actually does what it promises," I say simply. "Look, I get it, everyone says that. But I can show you the testing data, the decision logs, everything. The algorithm explains its reasoning in real-time. You can watch it think." I lean forward slightly. "Most bots are black boxes. Mine isn't. If it makes a decision you don't understand, you can literally read why it did what it did."
Mr. Inoue's eyes narrow slightly in focus, and he says something brief.
"You're confident. That's good." Daichi translates. "So what do you want, Adam? Name your price."
Shit. Okay. He's putting the ball back in my court.
"Well..." I shift in my seat, aware that everyone's watching me. "I get why you're skeptical. So... what if instead of buying it outright, we do commissions? You only pay based on what it actually makes you."
It makes sense, right? That way he's not risking a ton upfront, and I get compensated based on actual results. Win-win.
Mr. Inoue nods slowly as Daichi translates, like he's considering it. Then he leans forward slightly, and even though his expression hasn't changed much, something about his posture makes me feel like I'm being examined under a microscope.
He speaks, and Daichi's translation comes smoothly: "That's reasonable. But you're missing something. All the risk is on me. You're not putting in any money. Just a bot you say will work."
I open my mouth to respond, then close it. Because... yeah. He's got a point.
"If your system works, we both benefit," Mr. Inoue says. "But if it fails, only I suffer the consequences. That's not a balanced arrangement."
And that's when Luna speaks up.
I turn to look at her, surprised. She's got a frown on her face, and she's speaking to her father in rapid Japanese. Her voice is less fragmented than usual, more direct. There's an edge to it I've never heard before, she sounds almost... defensive?
Mr. Inoue responds, his tone shifting to something gentler. Luna's frown doesn't completely disappear, but she seems somewhat mollified by whatever he said.
When she notices me looking, she gives me a small, encouraging smile and pats my leg.
Huh. What was that about?
I'll ask later. Right now, I need to focus on not completely fumbling this negotiation.
Mr. Inoue is right, he is taking all the risk. And it's not like my product is entirely original. Trading bots exist. Lots of them. Almost all of them are garbage, but they exist.
I go quiet for a few moments, my brain churning through possibilities. There has to be a solution here that works for both of us.
"What if..." I say slowly, working through it as I speak. "What if we do a trial period first? For, let's say, two weeks? You test it with a small amount of capital, see if it actually performs the way I'm saying it does. Then if it works, we talk about a real contract. If it doesn't..." I shrug. "Then you've only lost two weeks and whatever small amount you put in to test it."
It's not perfect, but it's something. Two weeks isn't enough time to see massive returns, but it should be enough to verify that the bot isn't completely insane, that it makes logical decisions, that it doesn't immediately crash and burn.
Mr. Inoue goes quiet. But his previously unreadable expression slowly, gradually, shifts into a smile.
From behind him, Daichi's entire demeanor changes. The professional translator mode melts away, and he's suddenly grinning.
Eva... yeah, Eva's still the same as usual.
Mr. Inoue says something, and Daichi actually laughs before translating.
"He says he's impressed. You did better than he expected."
Ah.
So it was a test.
Called it.
"Thanks," I say carefully, still not entirely sure if the test is actually over or if this is, like, the second phase of testing.
Mr. Inoue and Daichi both chuckle at my response.
"Sorry," Daichi says, waving a hand. "He wanted to see how you'd handle a negotiation. And you did well. You didn't just take the lowball offer, you asked good questions, came up with solutions." He grins. "Not bad for a first-timer."
Okay, that feels good to hear. My ego, which has been cowering in a corner this entire conversation, peeks its head out tentatively.
Then Mr. Inoue turns to Luna with this absolutely shit-eating grin on his face and says something in Japanese.
Luna's eyes go wide. "No..." she says quietly, her face flushing pink.
"Oh come on," Daichi says, clearly enjoying this. "Adam should know."
"Know what?" I ask, looking between them.
"She told her dad to stop bullying you," Daichi says with a laugh. "Said your project was worth way more than what he offered."
I turn to Luna, and I feel this weird mix of gratitude and affection wash over me. She was defending me. From her father.
"Luna..." I can't help the smile that breaks across my face. "Thank you."
"It... it was nothing..." She's completely flustered now, and I'm pretty sure if she could disappear into the sofa cushions, she would. "I just... you worked so hard... and he was..."
"You little bastard!" Mr. Inoue barks out, and the translation is barely necessary because I can hear the mock outrage in his voice. He's grinning widely now, all pretense of stern businessman gone. "My own daughter, taking your side already!"
I laugh, I can't help it, and Luna hides her face behind her hands.
Mr. Inoue says something else, his tone becoming more serious, and Daichi translates: "But really, it was good work, Adam. Even if the bot doesn't end up being perfect, you've got potential. I'd like to invest in that."
"Thank you, Mr. Inoue. Really."
"So here's my proposal," Mr. Inoue continues through Daichi. "I'll do an extensive test of your system. If it performs as you claim, we'll discuss compensation and a long-term arrangement. If it doesn't meet expectations, I expect you to continue developing it until it does. Are you willing to commit to that?"
"Yes, definitely," I say immediately, nodding. "I'm confident it'll work, but if there are issues, I'll fix them."
"Good." Mr. Inoue pauses, then says something else. "And that hundred thousand we talked about? I'm still going to give it to you."
I blink. "Wait, what?"
"Call it a... relationship fee," Daichi translates. "To make sure you don't take this project to someone else."