Yu Yan hesitated, then vaguely said, “A little.”

“Why?”

Yu Yan subconsciously glanced at Yu Chen but didn’t speak up.

Although he hadn’t met Shen Yu Ming, the latter was his brother’s friend and had been to their house. It didn’t seem appropriate to say too much in front of others.

Yu Chen picked up on the signal. “Let’s not talk about him. Isn’t the Bihui Bay project almost finished?”

Shen Yu Ming glanced back. “It’s a recent issue.”

Minghua mainly focuses on real estate projects, and the Bihui Bay project was in collaboration with Chaoxing for custom home solutions. After the hard decorations, Chaoxing’s smart home products would be installed.

Yu Yan wasn’t interested in Chaoxing’s projects, but he still listened in for a few sentences.

With Yu Chen’s lively presence, the atmosphere at the dinner table remained pleasant, and Yu Yan quickly became more familiar with Shen Yu Ming.

Shen Yu Ming didn’t talk much, only responding with a sentence or two when asked. If Yu Yan didn’t know that Shen Yu Ming was a cold exterior with a warm heart, he might have thought he had offended him in some way.

As soon as he opened the door, Yu Yan heard Jiang Mo’s voice.

“Baby, we have persimmon-flavored milk tea and longan-flavored. Which one would you like?”

“I’ll take the persimmon flavor.” Yu Yan changed his shoes and took the milk tea that had already been inserted with a straw.

Yu Chen across from him naturally took the other cup and took a symbolic sip.

“How’s work at the company?”

“Pretty good.” Yu Yan casually replied.

The reason why Mr. Li was so polite to him was partly due to Zhang Yuan’s past example, and partly because Shen Yu Ming had given a heads-up. Yu Yan knew it well.

Jiang Mo’s eyelids twitched. “What do you think of Shen Yu… Ming?”

“He’s pretty good.” Yu Yan took a bite of persimmon pulp.

“I remember you passed the first part of your driving test. How about picking a time to get your license? Didn’t Dad give you a new car?” Yu Chen observed him subtly.

Yu Yan paused for a moment, his tone slowing down. “That’s not urgent. I’ll deal with it once I settle into work.”

“Don’t overdo it at work. You know Dad’s got your back.” Yu Lin took off his glasses.

“Thanks, Dad.”

Although Yu Lin didn’t speak much, he was like the stabilizing force in the family, making everyone feel secure.

Aunt Sun, the housekeeper, brought the food to the table. Each person had a bowl of black chicken and ginkgo soup in front of them, which Jiang Mo had personally made.

“Xiao Yan, is Shen Mu Yang still looking for you?” Jiang Mo casually asked.

Yu Yan nodded. “Brother, can you do me a favor?”

“What’s that?”

“Shen Mu Yang said he opened a securities company under a friend’s name and wants me to invest. Can you help me check if this company is reliable?” Yu Yan blinked and, to please his “money tree,” he picked up a piece of ribs and placed it on his brother’s plate.

Yu Chen looked puzzled. “Shen Mu Yang opened a securities company?”

“Yeah, he wants me to invest several million.” Yu Yan nodded eagerly.

To gain his trust, Shen Mu Yang’s shell company had been well-packaged with all the necessary documentation.

Once he told Yu Chen, Yu Chen would definitely inform Shen Yu Ming, the “death god,” who would immediately squash Shen Mu Yang’s plan in its cradle. Then, Yu Yan could sit back and reap the rewards from behind the scenes!

Perfect!

“I’ll have someone look into it.” Yu Chen nonchalantly ate the piece of rib.

“Thanks, big brother.”

Yu Lin asked, “Does Xiao Yan want to invest? Dad can help you find a professional investment advisor.”

“No need. I just think Shen Mu Yang is trying to scam me, so I asked my brother to check it out.” Yu Yan immediately made his stance clear.

The first step in preventing the Yu family from going bankrupt—Yu Yan stays away from the company!

“Starting tomorrow, let the driver pick you up and drop you off at work,” Jiang Mo suggested.

Yu Yan didn’t refuse; having a driver was much better than struggling to find a ride and waiting at the company entrance for Yu Chen to pick him up.

After dinner, Yu Yan returned to his room, lay on the bed, and played on his phone, scrolling through his Moments.

The original owner had a bad temper. Relying on being the biological son of the Yu family, he often bullied others, which led to poor relationships. Even his WeChat friends were few, mostly employees from Chaoxing.

After taking over, he added Shen Yu Ming and Song Yun Jing on WeChat. Shen Yu Ming’s WeChat was added by Yu Chen, in case Yu Yan needed help at the company.

As he was scrolling through his phone, he came across a familiar post.

[Song Yun Jing: I was once a general who rode the battlefield, but was betrayed by villains, leading to continuous defeats. Now, I am alone. V50, help me recruit soldiers and horses, and I will make you the top general when I return to my peak.]

It was already Thursday, and the weekend was approaching!

Yu Yan casually flipped through his own Moments and his eyes suddenly felt a little sore.

What is this!!!

The latest post was from a charity event held by Chaoxing last month, where Yu Yan had cut the ribbon.

Among a group of well-dressed and dignified people, Yu Yan stood right in the center, holding the scissors with his right hand extended long, showing off his Patek Philippe watch on his wrist. His posture was deliberately exaggerated.

His stance was also different from others, as he stood sideways, slightly on tiptoe, increasing his height while conveniently showing the Balenciaga logo on his shoes.

Dozens of posts were either showing off clothes, shoes, luxury cars, watches, or upper-class banquets. Sometimes, he posted more than ten a day, comparable to a micro-business.

He couldn’t stand it anymore!

Delete, delete, delete everything!

Looking at the empty Moments, Yu Yan finally smiled.

After a brief hesitation, he posted another update.

[Safe and Healthy: I was once the eternal emperor, Qin Shi Huang, but unfortunately trapped in the underground palace. V50, help me revive 100,000 terracotta soldiers, and when I unite the world, I will make you the only king of a different surname.]

When Shen Yu Ming saw this post, he had just arrived home and stared at the screen for quite a while.

When did he add this kind of person to his Moments?

What’s the difference between this username and “AAA Chaoxing Intelligent Technology, CEO Yu”?

Just as his thumb was about to press the delete button, a message popped up at the top of his phone.

[Yu Chen: Did you do something to my brother? Why do I feel like he’s so hostile toward you?]

Oh, he had just added Yu Chen, that silly younger brother.

His thumb moved away from the delete button, and Shen Yu Ming changed the note for “Safe and Healthy” before replying.

[Shen Yu Ming: He doesn’t even know me. What can I do?]

[Yu Chen: Makes sense. I heard your illegitimate brother wants to work at Minghua?]

[Shen Yu Ming: He can’t get in.]

[Yu Chen: I thought so. My brother said he opened a securities company under a friend’s name. Be cautious.]

[Shen Yu Ming: 1]

Shen Mu Yang was an illegitimate son of the Shen family, and that identity would forever prevent him from entering Minghua.

Minghua was founded by Shen Yu Ming’s maternal grandparents, originally called S·Y, a foreign-invested enterprise. Later, when his grandparents’ health deteriorated, his father, Shen Ze, took over S·Y, chased away a few foreign shareholders for government subsidies, and renamed it Minghua.

Shen Yu Ming immediately instructed someone to look into Shen Mu Yang’s situation. As long as Shen Mu Yang didn’t cause trouble, he wouldn’t bother with that small company.

The next day, Yu Yan went to the office just before working hours and met his second artist under his wing—Jian Ran.

Jian Ran looked even younger than in his photos—definitely a tall guy. If Yu Yan hadn’t seen the pictures, he would have thought he was underage.

“Yu… Yu young… young master… you… hello, I am… Jian Ran.”

“Hello, just call me Xiao Yan,” Yu Yan said patiently.

Jian Ran’s assistant immediately explained, “Mr. Yu, Jian Ran gets a little nervous when meeting strangers for the first time, so he speaks slowly. It’s not meant to be directed at you.”

“I understand.” Yu Yan nodded, showing extra patience toward Jian Ran.

Most of the children in the orphanage had physical disabilities, and those who were healthy had already been adopted. Yu Yan had seen many stuttering children, so he didn’t find it strange.

When Yu Yan was younger, he had also been adopted, spending some time with a grandmother doing acrobatics. But after his grandmother passed away, the circus didn’t want him anymore, and he was sent back to the orphanage.

By the time he returned to the orphanage, he was almost ten years old and already had memories. Adoptive families worried he wouldn’t adapt, so no one took him in.

Because of that experience, Yu Yan was particularly patient with people who had imperfections.

Jian Ran is a good actor, with both solid physical features and acting skills. He is highly versatile, able to perform well in roles ranging from a righteous young man in youth dramas to an ambiguous, complex villain in fantasy dramas.

Unfortunately, his stutter is a major hindrance, preventing him from landing good roles.

Yu Yan had researched before, and learned that Jian Ran’s stutter wasn’t due to any pathological cause, but rather a result of trauma. His inability to get past certain emotional hurdles had led to this physical manifestation.

If he could overcome his stutter, his future would be much smoother.

It was precisely because of his stutter that Jian Ran avoided speaking, so maybe they could start from this angle.

“Any recent offers?”

Yu Yan looked at Jian Ran, but it was his assistant who replied, handing over the schedule. “There’s not much going on lately, just a few roles with limited screen time.”

These roles were more like special appearances, with only three to five scenes.

Not only was the pay low, but he also had to accommodate the lead actor’s schedule, wasting a lot of time and energy.

Yu Yan furrowed his brows, his tone a bit frustrated. “Don’t take those roles. Take a few days off.”

After thinking for a moment, Yu Yan lowered his voice and asked, “Do you have any aversion to roles with physical disabilities?”

For a regular actor, this type of role would be a challenge. But for Jian Ran, playing such a role would not only be a challenge but also a confrontation with his inner fears and the harsh judgments from others.

Given Jian Ran’s current situation, Yu Yan thought it would be best to choose a role he could portray well and had more screen time, like one involving a stutter.

Jian Ran understood what he meant and shook his head. “No… aversion.”

That made things much easier. Yu Yan breathed a sigh of relief.

Dealing with Jian Ran was more reserved compared to interacting with Song Yun Jing. Yu Yan carefully considered every word, afraid of saying something wrong.

He wasn’t very familiar with how the company operated, but after inquiring over the past few days, he learned that the three artists Zhang Yuan assigned to him were all essentially abandoned by the company.

Either the artists had to go out and find their own resources, or they would just waste time until their contracts expired. If they broke their contracts early, they’d have to pay a hefty penalty.

Among the three, only He Zhi Yu was from a rich family. The other two came from average backgrounds and couldn’t afford the penalty, so they had to continue in limbo.

He Zhi Yu didn’t break the contract purely because of his family’s situation—if he did, no other company would dare sign him.

Yu Yan had asked Mr. Li for some resources from Xinghai Investment, but all of them were leftovers from other people, with shows so bad they were comparable to something like “Reborn as a Zombie, Driving Mechs to Farm in Space and Becoming a War God.”

“For now, let’s leave it like this. In a few days, I’ll take you to an audition.”

“Thank you, Young Master Yu,” the assistant quickly agreed, tugging at Jian Ran’s sleeve.

Jian Ran received the signal and responded, “Thank you.”

After returning to the office, Yu Yan flipped through the resources Mr. Li had provided. No matter how he looked at them, he felt heartbroken.

He didn’t have many connections, so good resources weren’t available to him unless he invested himself.

It seemed he still had to turn to Shen Yu Chen. If he could send him some money to invest, wouldn’t all his problems be solved?

He had read the original work and knew which shows could be popular and which roles could get attention. With that kind of edge, would it be difficult to make a few good-looking actors famous?

Yu Yan was full of energy and immediately sent several nuisance messages to Shen Yu Chen.

After Jian Ran left Xinghai, he couldn’t wait to take out his phone, with the assistant’s chattering voice still ringing in his ears.

“This young master is a rich second generation, right? I thought he was going to invest in you, why hasn’t there been any follow-up?”

“He’s not still going to have you do those bad shows, is he?”

“Well, better than nothing, but…”

Jian Ran automatically tuned out the noise, opening the group chat for “Definitely Not Doing Small (3).”

[He Zhi Yu: Xiao Ran Ran, how are you?]

[He Zhi Yu: Where are you? Didn’t get kidnapped, right?]

[He Zhi Yu: Beep beep beep.]

[Jian Ran: I’m fine.]

[He Zhi Yu: Have you met the young master? Has he made any moves on you?]

[Jian Ran: Met him. No. Handsome.]

[He Zhi Yu: Handsome?]

[Jian Ran: Young master.]

[He Zhi Yu: …]