On the other end of the phone, Lily Zhong brought up the matter in a somewhat odd tone: "We haven’t actually received the money yet, and the contract isn’t signed. But judging by his attitude, it seems like he doesn’t care much about the contract anyway."
"One hundred million in funding for 0.1% equity—he’s basically valuing the company at ten billion right off the bat."
Lily Zhong sighed, "We’re just a brand-new company. Sure, the Youth-Preserving Beauty Pill works wonders and I have full confidence in it, but a ten-billion valuation..."
Ten billion!
In the market, any company that reaches a valuation of one billion US dollars soon after founding is considered a unicorn.
With this level of investment, Angel Epoch instantly stepped into the ranks of true unicorn companies.
And the way Sawyer Summer put up one hundred million in cash is something Lily Zhong still can’t forget.
A heavy-duty truck drove straight out of River City, rumbling all the way to Minghai. When it arrived, someone yanked open the cargo bay—and inside, piled up like a mountain, was nothing but cash.
A hundred million in cash—the sheer visual impact was way beyond anything you’d get from numbers on paper.
Because of this, Lily Zhong’s company—which hasn’t even officially launched its first product—has already drawn massive attention, landed on the front page of the news, and sparked endless buzz.
Most of what’s out there is just rumor and speculation, since no media outlet has gotten confirmation of a signed deal between Sawyer Summer and Angel Epoch.
Just the name Angel Epoch has people guessing what kind of products they’ll roll out.
"You have no idea—because of all this, it’s not just Minghai, the whole Haizhou is talking about us now."
Lily Zhong clicked her tongue in amazement.
She knew, of course, that Sawyer Summer was only willing to throw down a hundred million because of Evan Lin.
"Well, it’s great publicity."
Evan Lin thought for a moment. "Just take the hundred million. When you sign the contract, give him one percent equity."
"Before you launch any products, let me know what you’re thinking."
"The Youth-Preserving Beauty Pill speaks for itself—the only thing missing is publicity."
After Evan Lin wrapped up the call, Irene Xu started yelling from outside for him to come out and eat some fruit. From the sound of it, Stella Huang had just gotten home too.
"Sounds like there’s a girl there?"
Lily Zhong chuckled and asked quietly, "Is it one of the girls you used to live with in Minghai?"
There was a hint of envy in her voice.
"No."
Hearing Evan Lin’s answer, Lily Zhong felt a tangle of emotions—she wasn’t sure whether to be happy or disappointed.
"Alright, I won’t bother you guys. Have fun! I need to get back to some market research anyway."
Once Lily Zhong hung up, Evan Lin slipped his phone into his pocket, walked to the window, and gazed down at the city streets, a thoughtful look in his eyes.
"One hundred million for one percent equity—outsiders probably think the Summer family got totally ripped off."
Evan Lin shook his head.
No matter how you look at it, this deal is a huge win for the Summers.
In reality, Evan Lin didn’t actually need more funding at the moment, but he wasn’t about to turn down the Summer family’s hundred million.
They offered it with courtesy, so Evan Lin returned the gesture—a way of reciprocating the Summers’ support.
As for promoting the Youth-Preserving Beauty Pill, Evan Lin had already picked the perfect candidate.
When he left his room, Stella Huang was there slicing fruit and arranging it on a plate.
She greeted Evan Lin with a bright smile. "I got off work early today, so I picked up some fruit. I heard from Irene that you’re thinking about applying to Capitalview University?"
Stella handed Evan the fruit plate, then seriously shared her own thoughts on the college entrance exam and talked about the current job market.
Generally speaking, technical jobs have much better prospects than theoretical fields. Programmers are in high demand, while finance and biology are more niche.
Stella spoke seriously, and Evan Lin listened just as seriously.
Of course, for Evan Lin, none of this really mattered.
As she spoke, Stella sometimes felt a sense of absurdity—she knew her advice only applied to normal people. For someone like Evan Lin, no matter what major he chose, he was bound to succeed; he didn’t need to worry about jobs at all.
Still, seeing Evan Lin genuinely paying attention, Stella didn’t feel awkward at all.
Later that evening, turtle soup was served.
Irene Xu urged Evan Lin to try it, eager for him to taste her cooking. But since it was her first time making turtle soup, she’d added too much salt—the soup was a bit too salty and not flavorful enough. Irene was so disappointed, she promised that next time she’d get it right.
The next morning, around six, Evan Lin got up, grabbed his bag, and headed off to school.
The moment Evan Lin showed up at the gate of Capitalview First High School, he caused a stir—everyone’s eyes were on him, full of envy, admiration, and awe.
"Just a month ago, he flat-out rejected Clearwater University’s offer at the student rally, and the very next day he stopped coming to school. He’s a legend—seriously, he’s our role model!"
"The best part is, not even the teachers or the principal dare mess with him! And at the rally, he had Victor Su backing him up!"
Two younger boys spotted Evan Lin and started an animated discussion.
"It’s Evan Lin! He looks even cooler than before! Ahhh!" A girl in uniform was practically bouncing with excitement.
Now, stories about Evan Lin are spreading all over Capitalview First High.
Not only are people talking about the wild things Evan Lin has done at Capitalview First High, but plenty have even dug up stories from his old school days in Minghai.
When word got out that Evan Lin was once coldly rejected by a girl named Rachel Liu at Brightsea No. 2 High, lots of girls were indignant—some even planned to confront Rachel and demand an explanation.
The campus heartthrob, Jay Yu, who made waves when he first enrolled, has now been completely overshadowed by Evan Lin. He hasn’t shown up at school in a month—rumor has it the embarrassment was so bad, he needs therapy. He’s gone from star to washed-up meme.
Unlike the noisy chatter in other classes, Lynn Chen from Experimental Class Two has spent the past month working through fifteen sets of practice exams.
Sometimes, when Lynn thinks about Evan Lin, who hasn’t come to class in ages, she considers calling him. But his number never goes through—just endless beeps, like the leaves drifting past her window, aimless and out of reach, leaving her feeling hollow inside.
It’s like her youth, galloping by—just moments ago she was in Minghai, acting like a spoiled heiress, always bossing around the shy but gentle Evan Lin.
It feels like another lifetime.