Rebirth: Starting from Lighting Up the Tech Tree

Chapter 12 The makeshift team needs to be officially recognized

Zuo Cheng read the competition rules sent by Fang Ze three times.

The Huaxia University Science and Technology Innovation Competition, officially named the "Huada·New Talent Cup," is held annually and is open to all undergraduate and graduate students of the university. Participants are teams of three to five who submit a complete science and technology innovation project. The competition involves three rounds of selection: preliminary review, semi-final defense, and final presentation. Ultimately, one first prize, three second prizes, and five third prizes are awarded.

The first prize caught Zuo Cheng's eye twice—a seed fund of 50,000 yuan, a one-year free stay at the BGI Science and Technology Startup Incubator, and a round of corporate investment roadshow opportunities arranged by the university.

Fifty thousand yuan isn't much, but the incubator and investment roadshow are the truly valuable things.

An incubator signifies formal office space, legal and financial support, and official endorsement from the "BGI Science and Technology Innovation Project." With this status, Studio 402 is no longer just a few students taking on freelance work in their dorm rooms, but a legally qualified technology service team.

Registration deadline: October 20th. Eighteen days left.

Zuo Cheng closed his phone and began to mentally plan his competition strategy.

The competition requires submissions of "complete technological innovation projects," not just papers or technical solutions. The judging criteria are fourfold: technological innovation, market application prospects, team execution, and commercial feasibility. Zuo Cheng wasn't worried about the first two; Lanwan Communications' project results alone demonstrated enough technological innovation to crush most of the participating teams.

However, the latter two require additional preparation.

A team's execution capabilities can be assessed by reviewing past achievements; the technical service projects completed by Studio 402 can be compiled into case studies. Commercial feasibility requires a well-structured business plan—market analysis, profit model, competitive barriers, and development plan are all essential.

In his previous life, Zuo Cheng worked for a company for over a decade and wrote no fewer than twenty business plans. But those were written as employees for their bosses; he never wrote one for his own projects.

This time is different.

On Friday night, dormitory 402 was once again turned into a meeting room.

Zuo Cheng explained the competition information and his initial ideas to his three brothers. Zhang Lei and Liu Wei's eyes widened when they heard about the "50,000 yuan seed fund," while Chen Hao was more concerned about the eligibility to join the incubator.

"If we can get an incubator, we can officially register a company." Chen Hao pushed up his glasses and unusually brought up a topic that wasn't technical.

"Yes, that's the goal," Zuo Cheng nodded, "but the competition won't be easy. The Rising Star Cup has over two hundred participating teams every year, but only nine make it to the finals. We're not afraid of technical skill, but we need to put a lot of effort into preparing our business plan and presentation."

"Brother Cheng, aren't you the best at making proposals?" Liu Wei said casually.

"Business plans and technical solutions are different," Zuo Cheng shook his head. "There are corporate investors among the judges. They're not looking at how amazing your technology is, but whether you can turn that technology into money. You have to change the logic."

He drew a frame on the paper:

Our core business is providing customized and optimized signal processing algorithms for small and medium-sized telecommunications enterprises and research institutions.

Technological barriers – Our independently developed adaptive channel estimation algorithm outperforms industry benchmarks by more than 30 percent and is currently patent-pending.

Profit model: Project-based fees plus revenue sharing from algorithm licensing.

Team strengths: Existing experience in collaborative research projects with Blue Bay Communications; core members cover three areas: algorithms, embedded systems, and numerical analysis.

Development plan: In the short term, focus on the communications field; in the medium term, expand to radar and the Internet of Things; and in the long term, build full-stack service capabilities for signal processing technology.

"Patent?" Chen Hao keenly grasped a key phrase. "We haven't applied for a patent yet."

"So this is the first thing we need to do," Zuo Cheng said. "The core algorithm in the Blue Bay Communications project, and the adaptive calibration solution we developed for the School of Materials Science and Engineering, both have the potential to be patented. Once a patent is filed, it becomes a valuable asset when included in a business plan."

Zhang Lei scratched his head: "Brother Cheng, what can I do in here? I can't code, and I can't write proposals either..."

"Your work is the most important," Zuo Cheng said earnestly, looking at him. "One round of the competition is the final roadshow, a fifteen-minute live presentation in front of the judges and investors. This segment requires someone who is eloquent and has a commanding presence. Neither Chen Hao nor I are that type."

Zhang Lei's eyes widened as he pointed at himself: "Me?"

"You usually promote 402's business in various college groups, and your language skills and improvisation are quite good," Zuo Cheng said. "But a roadshow isn't casual conversation; it requires systematic training. From now on, I'll write the roadshow scripts, and you practice. Eighteen days should be enough."

Zhang Lei paused for three seconds, then patted his chest heavily: "Okay! Brother Cheng, trust me, I'll practice until my tongue cramps up and still get it off for you!"

Liu Wei grinned and raised his hand: "What about me?"

"You'll be responsible for two things—first, assisting me in conducting market research to thoroughly understand the products and pricing of similar competitors; second, providing logistical support during the competition, including printing materials and confirming venue procedures—these are trivial but crucial tasks that cannot be done incorrectly."

Liu Wei grinned: "Alright, I'm definitely the head of logistics."

With the division of labor finalized, the four of them got to work.

The next morning, Zuo Cheng found an empty classroom and invited Fang Ze out.

"Did Zhang Lei tell you about the competition?"

Fang Ze nodded. He was wearing a faded hoodie, leaning back in his chair with his long legs dangling under the table.

"What do you think?" Zuo Cheng asked.

"The project direction is fine, and the technical capabilities are sufficient." Fang Ze paused for a moment, "But you have a weakness—your business plan states 'short-term focus on the communications field,' but your technical team is currently entirely composed of people specializing in algorithms and signal processing. What if the judges ask about your embedded system implementation capabilities? You don't have any embedded system achievements to demonstrate."

Zuo Cheng nodded. This was exactly what he wanted to hear.

"So I'd like to invite you to join the team as a full member." He looked directly into Fang Ze's eyes. "Your microkernel project can be included in the proposal as part of the team's technical reserves in the embedded systems field. You don't need to do anything new, but your presence itself fills this gap."

Fang Ze remained silent for a few seconds.

"Do you know why I've never joined any team?" he suddenly said.

Tell me about it.

"I don't like being told what to do," Fang Ze said bluntly. "In most teams, technical staff are just cogs in a machine—they do whatever the leader tells them to do, with no choice and no technical decision-making power. I'd rather write code myself than be used as a tool."

Zuo Cheng was silent for two seconds, then smiled.

"When have I ever assigned you any roles?" he said. "During your time as an advisor, I sent you technical documents to review, and you judged for yourself what deserved attention. I responded seriously to all your questions and suggestions. What I need is a partner who can make independent judgments in embedded systems, not just an obedient programmer."

Fang Ze stared at him for a long time.

"Partner?"

"Yes. It's not an employment relationship, it's a partnership. After 402, if we officially register, the core members will all be partners. They'll each have their own say on technical direction, but major decisions will be decided by mutual voting." Zuo Cheng didn't offer empty platitudes, just practical advice. "If you think this rule is acceptable, then come. If not, I won't force you; we can still be friends."

Fang Ze remained silent for another ten seconds.

Then he sat up straight in the chair and reached out his hand.

"There are five spots available for each team in the competition. Have you decided who you'd like to recruit for the fifth spot?"

Zuo Cheng shook hands with him, smiling, and said, "I was just about to ask you if you had any recommendations."

"There is one," Fang Ze said. "She's a first-year graduate student in the Computer Science department, named Shen Yue, specializing in human-computer interaction and front-end visualization. She's not the most technically gifted, but she has a unique ability—she can translate the most complex technical solutions into language that laypeople can understand. If you want your pitch to truly resonate with investors, you need someone like her."

Zuo Cheng's eyes narrowed slightly.

Human-computer interaction. Front-end visualization. Translating technology into human language.

This is precisely the capability that Studio 402 currently lacks most—their technical skills are solid, but their ability to present and communicate effectively has always been a weakness. Zhang Lei can talk, but he can't delve into the in-depth technical aspects. If only someone could build a bridge between technical and non-technical audiences…

"Let her come and talk to us," Zuo Cheng said.

Fang Ze took out his phone and sent a message, then looked up at Zuo Cheng, a faint smile curving his lips.

"Zuo Cheng, you have a peculiar trait—you never waste anyone's strengths."

"Because I can't afford to waste it." Zuo Cheng stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the students coming and going downstairs. "We started too late and have too few resources. Only by using everyone's skills to their sharpest point can we have a chance to win."

The sun shines brightly outside the window, and the October breeze carries the sweet scent of osmanthus blossoms.

Eighteen days. Five people. One match.

This makeshift team needs to be officially recognized.