Grace Li was tapping her fingers, carefully calculating her schedule. They were in the early stages of their startup, and various tasks were flooding in like a tidal wave—there was hardly any time to spare.
"Hey, you know what? How about we toss a treadmill in the office? We can talk shop while we're walking. It's like killing two birds with one stone, right?"
"Sounds good to me. The office is pretty spacious, and we've got plenty of room to spare."
When they first rented the office, they figured it could fit around twelve or thirteen people working together. Now, there was still some empty space, so it made sense to add some fitness equipment.
After getting home, Grace dove into the internet, carefully picking out two treadmills she liked. Then, like she'd struck gold, she pulled Aiden Thompson onto the couch, her eyes lighting up as she said, "Check this out! Which one of these two do you think is the better pick? They both look awesome!"
Aiden Thompson glanced at the pictures on her phone and shrugged indifferently. "I'm good with either. Just go with the one that floats your boat, babe."
"But I'm crazy about both! It's like choosing between chocolate and vanilla ice cream. It's torture!"
"Then let's just splurge and get both. One for each of us. Problem solved in a jiffy!"
Grace playfully tapped his arm, pretending to be serious. "Remember, we're trying to save money here. We can only afford one."
"Let me dig a little deeper." Aiden Thompson took her phone and started comparing the specs of the two treadmills. Just as he was about to give his final verdict, a new message popped up at the top of the screen. It was from Daniel Chou.
"It's from Daniel Chou," Aiden said, handing her back the phone.
Grace instinctively glanced at him before opening the message and replying in front of him: Yes.
Daniel Chou: "Grace Li, I heard you left Nova Capital."
Aiden Thompson raised an eyebrow and looked over at her.
Grace Li: "Yeah."
Daniel Chou: "That's awesome! If you need any help, don't hesitate to reach out. I'll do whatever I can to help you."
Grace Li: "Thanks."
After the conversation with Daniel Chou wrapped up, Grace Li glanced over at Aiden Thompson. He was absorbed in his own phone.
She showed him the chat history. "Wanna take a look?"
Aiden Thompson casually shrugged. "I'm not sweating it."
So Aiden Thompson didn't care at all. It seemed like Grace was just overthinking things.
Grace Li put her phone away. "Oh."
Aiden Thompson then asked, "You know why I'm not worried?"
"Why?"
"Because you've seen his true colors. With your strength and determination, there's no way you'd still have any soft spot for a guy like that. So, no need to worry."
Grace Li nodded. "That's a spot-on analysis."
**
Grace Li and Aiden Thompson had a crazy-busy schedule during the startup phase. They were always on the move, shuttling around the city, meeting clients in trendy Manhattan coffee shops, and networking at various business events. In the evenings, they'd hunker down in their Brooklyn office, poring over spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations or brainstorming their next big move.
When they were boss and employee, Aiden Thompson had already gotten a good handle on Grace Li's work style, and he'd always been a huge fan. Now that they were business partners, they clicked even better. Their ideas often came together seamlessly, making them a dynamic duo.
At first, Grace Li worried that being a couple on top of being business partners might lead to some fireworks during the startup grind. But to her surprise, they worked together as smoothly as a well-tuned symphony. Even when Aiden Thompson disagreed with her, he'd always voice his opinions in a laid-back, respectful way with a bit of humor thrown in.
The only time they had a bit of a spat was when Grace Li had been out pounding the pavement all day in the sweltering New York summer heat. She came back to the office completely wiped out and had a heatstroke. The next day, she still wanted to meet with a potential investor she'd been chasing for weeks. Aiden Thompson put his foot down, insisting that she stay home and recover. Grace Li was dead-set on going because she knew how crucial this meeting was. They had a short-lived argument, but in the end, Grace Li caved.
That day, Aiden Thompson stayed home with her, doting on her like a pro. He whipped up some refreshing homemade smoothies, applied cold aloe vera gel to her sunburned skin, and even streamed some of her favorite Netflix shows to help her unwind.
While scouting for new projects, Aiden Thompson and Grace Li also dedicated a ton of time and energy to Everjoy Technology. With the aging population becoming a hot-button issue in the United States, the number of elderly people was skyrocketing, and there was a growing shortage of young labor. Smart wheelchairs that could bring convenience to the elderly and those with mobility issues had huge untapped potential in the American market.
Aiden Thompson and Grace Li conducted in-depth market research and industry analysis. They dug deep into every corner of Everjoy Technology, from its state-of-the-art R&D facilities to its streamlined production processes. After careful deliberation, they decided to invest.
However, the funds they had raised so far, including their own two-million-dollar investment and Anthony Miller's five-million-dollar contribution, were still light years away from the amount Grace Li wanted to invest.
Her plan was to catapult Everjoy's smart wheelchair into a household name not only in the United States but globally. To build a brand of such magnitude, a boatload of capital was needed for high-profile marketing campaigns, continuous R&D upgrades, and aggressive expansion of production capacity.
So, their next focus would be on raising the necessary funds for Everjoy Technology.
During her years at Nova Capital, Grace Li had built up an extensive network within the industry. She'd also invested in numerous companies, some of which had blossomed into successful enterprises, now invaluable resources for her.
There was a major venture-capital conference happening in New York today, and Grace Li and Aiden Thompson decided to attend. Many familiar faces were present, including reps from Grace Li's former employer, Nova Capital.
At the entrance check-in area, Grace Li bumped into James Shun.
James Shun greeted her with a megawatt smile. "Grace Li, long time no see! How's life treating you? Still living the dream?"
Grace Li returned the smile. "Long time no see. I'm doing great, thanks. Just chasing after new opportunities. How about you?"
Although James Shun was from a different team, they had interacted quite a bit as colleagues. He was pretty shocked when Grace Li left Nova Capital. "I thought you'd be at Nova Capital for the long haul. One day, you were there, and the next, poof! You were gone! What a mind-blower!"
Grace Li smiled faintly. "I had some new adventures on my mind, so I had to spread my wings."
James Shun's eyes flicked to Aiden Thompson. "I bet those adventures have something to do with Aiden, right? Let me tell you, after you two left, the office was like a rumor mill. Everyone was gossiping about you guys."
Grace Li had already heard from Olivia and the others that the reaction among their former colleagues had been off the charts, especially from the young girls who had a major crush on Aiden Thompson.
There were all sorts of wild rumors. Some said Grace Li had pulled some strings to get Aiden Thompson to date her. Others speculated that Aiden Thompson had unresolved mommy issues and was drawn to older women like a moth to a flame.
After chatting with James Shun for a bit, Grace Li and Aiden Thompson made their way to their seats. Since the event was full of industry bigwigs, the odds of running into more familiar faces were pretty high.
Olivia spotted Grace Li and her eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. She rushed over, practically bouncing with excitement. "Boss! Aiden! Oh my gosh, I was just thinking about how awesome it would be if we ran into you two today. And here you are! This is the best thing ever!"
Grace Li asked, "Are you here solo?"
"Nope!" Olivia replied with a grin.
Mike also walked over, giving them a friendly wave. "Hey, guys! Fancy seeing you here."
Grace Li looked at Mike and noticed that Scarlet Harris was right beside him. They had come together.
Olivia said, "The others had some urgent gigs today, so just the three of us made it."
Scarlet Harris took a quick glance at Aiden Thompson and Grace Li. A flash of something like annoyance or disappointment crossed her face. She turned to Mike and Olivia. "Guys, let's find our seats. The event's about to kick off."
Olivia sensed that Scarlet Harris was in a funk. As she walked away, she turned back and mouthed, "Let's grab some grub later."
Grace Li nodded and gave her a thumbs-up.
Today's venture-capital conference mainly featured several industry bigwigs sharing their latest technological breakthroughs and investment insights. There were also representatives from the venture-capital industry giving keynote speeches.
Surprisingly, the representative from the venture-capital industry turned out to be Daniel Chou.
While Daniel Chou was giving his speech, Grace Li looked down at her phone for a moment. At the same time, Aiden Thompson's phone started vibrating. He took it out and saw that the caller ID was "Vera Thompson."
It was his sister.
Aiden Thompson declined the call and instead sent a text message.
Aiden Thompson: I'm at the conference. Can't talk now. What's up?
Vera Thompson: I'm in New York. Let's catch up.
Aiden Thompson: When?
Vera Thompson: How about dinner? You free?
Aiden Thompson: Sure.
Vera Thompson: I'm not familiar with the joints here. You pick a place and send me the deets. I'll head over.
Aiden Thompson: Okay.
After the conversation, Aiden Thompson leaned over and whispered in Grace Li's ear, "I have a dinner thing tonight. After the conference, you can drive back first."
Grace Li showed him her phone, indicating the chat with Olivia. "Olivia asked me to dinner."
Aiden Thompson nodded. "Alright. Have fun, and text me when you get home."