The two locked eyes in a tense standoff, neither willing to back down. The air grew thick with tension, like a spark waiting to ignite.

After a long silence, Yang Xun finally broke into a smile. “They say President Meng is a capable and strong-willed person. Today, I can confirm that—if not for your skills, then at least for your temper.”

“President Yang flatters me,” Meng Suihuan replied coldly, without yielding an inch. “My little temper is nothing compared to yours.”

Yang Xun stepped back half a pace, put his sunglasses back on, and nonchalantly pulled over a chair. Sitting down with one leg crossed over the other, he said, “I’m here today to discuss cooperation, not to exchange pointless barbs.”

Since he had extended an olive branch, Meng Suihuan decided not to keep him hanging. Raising an eyebrow, she replied, “Cooperation? I wonder what kind of business President Yang is proposing for a partnership with Xuyu?”

She thought of his recent aggressive moves: snatching up the land she had her eyes on and even mimicking her strategy of acquiring several small and medium-sized companies. Hearing him mention cooperation, she couldn’t help but be curious about his intentions.

“President Meng, you’ve likely heard the rumors. Shoucheng has been seeking potential partners lately. I’ve heard your company recently developed a smartphone chip. I’m here today to discuss that.”

“Oh?” So he was after the smartphone chip.

Since she had used the company’s IPO momentum to announce her plans for smart devices, countless people had been trying to probe for information or join in for a share of the profits. She hadn’t expected Shoucheng to also make a move.

“And how does President Yang propose we discuss this deal?”

“Your company’s main business is real estate development. Smartphone research is just a fluke—you’ve stumbled into something new. Even if you manage to develop a phone, the market response won’t be significant. Shoucheng, however, is different. With our nationwide reach, if we acquire this technology, we can create a sensation across the country.”

Meng Suihuan replied calmly, “So?”

“So why not sell the technology to me? The price is negotiable.”

“Sell the technology to Shoucheng?” Meng Suihuan’s lips curled into a smile. “So that’s what President Yang is after. Unfortunately, I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed.”

With a soft chuckle, she continued, “You want to buy my smartphone chip?” She paused for a few seconds before slowly uttering three words: “I won’t sell.”

Yang Xun didn’t seem angry. He gestured to his assistant, who placed a contract on Meng Suihuan’s desk.

“President Meng, why not take a look at Shoucheng’s offer? Perhaps you’ll reconsider.”

His confidence intrigued her. Picking up the contract, she read through it carefully and soon realized where his confidence stemmed from.

The deal proposed a 40-60 split of the chip technology’s shares, with her holding 40% and Shoucheng taking 60%. Additionally, they would provide her with a cash payout equivalent to half the value of Xuyu.

“This is a win-win deal,” Yang Xun said. “A smart woman like you should know what choice is best.”

If she were someone without a broader vision, living only for the present, she might have agreed to such a tempting offer. As he said, it appeared to be a mutually beneficial arrangement, with more advantages than disadvantages for her.

But she wasn’t that kind of person.

Why trade long-term benefits for short-term gains?

“President Yang’s offer is indeed tempting, but my answer remains the same as before,” Meng Suihuan said with a faint smile. “I won’t sell.”

Yang Xun raised an eyebrow. “I thought you were a smart person, but now it seems otherwise.”

Meng Suihuan remained unfazed.

“If President Meng isn’t interested in this cooperation, I’ll have no choice but to find someone else who is. After all, you’re not the only one with access to this technology. I’m sure others won’t be as foolish as you.”

Meng Suihuan simply smiled and responded lightly, “Then I wish President Yang the best of luck.”

She had just sent off the Shoucheng representatives when she received a call from President Chen.

“President Meng, I heard that Shoucheng came to discuss a collaboration with you?”

“President Chen, your information is impressively timely.” It seemed the Shoucheng team hadn’t even made it two kilometers away before he already knew. Considering Shoucheng’s recent moves—snatching land from her and some projects from Feiyun—it wasn’t entirely surprising.

With this thought in mind, Meng Suihuan decided not to beat around the bush. “Yes, they came to discuss a collaboration on the chip.”

Although President Chen had caught wind of rumors, they hadn’t been confirmed until now. Panicked, he quickly said, “President Meng, don’t forget we’ve signed a contract!”

“Yes, yes, don’t worry. I remember everything! Even though young President Yang offered to pay the termination fee and give me 50% of the shares, I didn’t agree immediately. I thought I’d give it more consideration…”

President Chen became even more anxious. “Xiao Huan, Shoucheng’s headquarters may be in Jiangcheng, but working with them will never be as convenient as partnering with us! As for the matter you brought up yesterday, I’ve already discussed it with the other shareholders, and they’re all on board! To show our sincerity, I’ll even cover half of the profit you promised to give to Mr. Lu!”

Her earlier comment was deliberate, meant to pressure President Chen into urgency and further solidify Lu Linshen’s involvement in the project. She hadn’t expected her strategy to work even better than anticipated—Chen was willing to let go of an additional half-percent of the profits.

Tsk. It seemed young President Yang’s confidence wasn’t entirely unfounded; he did exert some pressure.

Feigning hesitation, she replied, “This is my responsibility, so how could I let you handle the aftermath…”

Although his heart was bleeding, President Chen maintained his composure and said firmly, “We’re partners, aren’t we? How could I let you bear the burden alone? As your older brother, it’s naturally half my responsibility!”

“Xiao Huan, stop hesitating. It’s settled! I’m heading to your office now to sign a supplementary contract!”

Seeing her goal achieved, Meng Suihuan relented, knowing that too much pushing could backfire. “Alright.”

—

“Shen Ge, big news! Big news!”

At this moment, Shen Jin was in the lab, working on the smartphone chip. He was replaying in his mind the details of Lu Linshen’s chip demonstration during Feiyun’s competition. He typed a series of characters into the computer, only to face another failure.

Although Feiyun now had a collaboration with Xuyu, granting him access to some basic chip data, the core components remained tightly guarded by Lu Linshen. Shen Jin had spent months secretly studying the code but still couldn’t crack it.

How could a mere novice like Lu Linshen—someone with no prior experience in chip research—have such luck in developing the latest smartphone chip on the market? Why was it that everything Shen Jin had to fight tooth and nail for came so easily to Lu Linshen?

It’s so unfair!

‘Lu Linshen! Why?!’

Shen Jin gripped his pen tightly and wrote Lu Linshen’s name on a piece of paper, pressing down harder and harder until he angrily scribbled it out. The sound of pen scratching against paper echoed through the empty lab—a sharp, eerie noise.

Just as his emotions were about to boil over, Zhou Fan’s sudden shout startled him. He barely managed to rein in his feelings, though some of his frustration remained visible.

Pretending not to hear, he quickly crumpled the paper into a ball and tossed it into the trash can by his feet. Using his foot, he discreetly pushed the trash can under the desk as Zhou Fan approached.

“Shen Ge, what are you doing? I’ve been calling you, and you didn’t respond!”

Seeing Zhou Fan glance in his direction, Shen Jin scolded him sharply. “How many times have I told you? This is a lab—stop shouting!”

Zhou Fan, used to such reprimands, obediently admitted fault. “Alright, I’ll be more mindful next time.”

“But this time, I really do have something important to tell you…” Under Shen Jin’s stern gaze, Zhou Fan lowered his voice, barely able to contain his excitement. “Okay, okay, I’ll whisper.”

Shen Jin: “…”

Having worked with Zhou Fan for so long, Shen Jin knew his personality well. If he didn’t let Zhou Fan speak, the man would pace around the lab all day. With a frown, he said, “Spit it out quickly and get out!”

“Got it!” Zhou Fan beamed.

“Shen Ge, I overheard some big news on my way back from the restroom. Our contract with Xuyu has been amended. Soon, the company will assign someone to co-lead the smartphone development project with Xuyu!”

“There aren’t many people in Feiyun capable of taking on such a role. Isn’t this position tailor-made for you?”

Shen Jin’s pupils contracted, and his breathing quickened. “Are you sure about this?”

“I heard it with my own ears! President Chen is already taking the relevant personnel to Xuyu to sign the contract.”

Shen Jin’s eyes darkened, a flicker of unidentifiable light sparking within them. “I see.”

“Keep this to yourself for now. Don’t go spreading it around.”

“Lu Ge, it went just as you predicted. I don’t know what methods Shen Jin used, but Feiyun Group has finalized their decision on the person in charge—it’s him.”

The position of project leader had been deliberately set up as bait for Shen Jin. However, to avoid raising suspicions, they hadn’t actively interfered in the matter. Qin Yu had been closely monitoring Feiyun Group’s developments, wanting to be the first to receive any updates so he could respond accordingly.

Still, before the news was confirmed, he had been on edge. After all, Feiyun Group had several skilled individuals in their ranks. Based purely on qualifications, there were at least two senior employees who were much more suitable than Shen Jin. Honestly, Shen Jin’s odds of securing the position weren’t great.

“Lu Ge, how were you so certain that Shen Jin would get the role?”

From the very beginning, Qin Yu had been anxious, while Lu Linshen had remained completely calm, as though everything was unfolding exactly as planned. He seemed utterly unconcerned about how things would turn out.

“I wasn’t certain.”

“Huh?” Qin Yu was momentarily stunned.

“I wasn’t certain he’d get the role,” Lu Linshen patiently explained. Seeing Qin Yu’s confused and inquisitive expression, he added, “Shen Jin is a deeply calculating person. Since we’ve already thrown out the bait, even if he didn’t get the position, it wouldn’t have significantly impacted our plan.”

“Of course, if he did secure the position, it would save us a lot of effort later and make things much less troublesome.”

Qin Yu still felt like he was in a fog, but he decided not to ask further. After all, given his own mental capacity, even if Lu Linshen explained, he might not fully understand.

“Heh heh. Either way, Shen Jin has already fallen into the trap. It won’t be long before he pays for what happened back then!”

“I’m really curious—what will he look like when the time comes?”

Lu Linshen nodded. “It’s coming soon. Before long, we’ll see it with our own eyes.”