“You don’t have that much influence at this stage. But after this drama airs, I hope you won’t be swayed by fame and fortune and can maintain your true self,” Jiang Ruotang said with a smile.

“Swayed by fame and fortune…” Ling Song seemed to not believe he would ever reach that point.

“The current situation is just a power struggle between major platforms and film companies over various interests. You don’t need to overthink it. Some platforms are simply short on money, and whether or not you’re the lead actor doesn’t stop them from being stingy.”

The word “stingy” coming from Jiang Ruotang’s mouth had a strangely comical effect, making Ling Song chuckle.

With the boss so calm, Ling Song’s tense heart relaxed. He continued looking at the character roles and scripts sent to him. What interested him most was West Window Ghost Stories. However, the role he favored would likely have many contenders, and he didn’t have time to get caught up in online disputes. He had to carefully study this aloof scholar character and strive to win the role in the audition. That would be repayment for Jiang Ruotang’s appreciation and trust in him.

---

For the next few days, Jiang Huaiyuan moped alone in his study.

Away from the set, he lost his usual drive. His sighing and lamenting resembled a primary school student holding a 30-point report card, afraid to go home.

It wasn’t until Little Sweet Fruit officially approved the project that Zhao Yunshu received a call directly from Gao Cheng, learning that Little Sweet Fruit was considering purchasing the exclusive online streaming rights for Drunken Immortal Platform.

At that moment, she felt a pleasant surprise, like a light appearing at the end of a tunnel, a true godsend.

But Zhao Yunshu couldn’t help but ask, “CEO Gao, I still want to confirm, is Little Sweet Fruit buying Drunken Immortal Platform because of our Ruotang? If so, there’s no need. The main station is currently evaluating it; the approval process is just very long and will likely miss the winter holiday slot, but that’s not a big deal.”

Gao Cheng smiled and said, “CEO Zhao, you’re overthinking it. Director Jiang always handles business professionally. We need the theme of Drunken Immortal Platform to try and transition. So, we’ll launch the comics and merchandise first to build a reputation and accumulate an audience for this IP. We also know Director Jiang’s influence is significant in television. Even with policy impacts, as long as the work is excellent, audiences will still be drawn to a good production, even without the winter or summer slots. So, we only need exclusive online streaming; it won’t prevent your drama from airing on TV. Please give us your quote, CEO Zhao.”

Zhao Yunshu listened, and suddenly recalled how Jiang Ruotang had come to her, suggesting she buy the copyright for Drunken Immortal Platform and have them produce it themselves. Could it be… that Jiang Ruotang had anticipated this day long ago?

He had already taken a liking to this anti-trope Xianxia theme, hoping to pave the way for Little Sweet Fruit’s future transformation. However, this drama needed to be produced with quality and grand scale, and who better than his father’s team?

When hanging up the phone, Gao Cheng’s remark, “Fathers and sons fight best together,” corroborated Zhao Yunshu’s guess, sweeping away the confusion in her heart and leaving her feeling light.

Lowering her eyes, Zhao Yunshu helplessly shook her head. “This kid, he plans hundreds of steps ahead. Does he have precognition?”

She walked to the study door and knocked. “Huaiyuan, I have something to tell you.”

Jiang Huaiyuan looked up. The desolation in his eyes was quite heartbreaking, but to Zhao Yunshu at that moment, it was somehow a tiny bit amusing.

“What’s wrong? Did the main station fall through too?”

“Fall through what? It’s about online platforms—although Qilin Video and Yunfeng Video’s attitudes are ambiguous, another platform plans to buy the online streaming rights for our drama. The terms are very generous; all they need is our quote.”

“Another online platform? Which one? Not Lexin, is it? That’s a live-streaming platform… it’s either selling goods or dancing; our drama won’t earn tips there!”

Zhao Yunshu smiled helplessly, secretly teasing in her mind: You old man, you haven’t been secretly tipping someone, have you?

“It’s Little Sweet Fruit.”

“Huh?” Jiang Huaiyuan’s mouth half-opened, taking several seconds to recover. “Don’t they just broadcast cartoons?”

“They also have a celebrity section, with half the entertainment industry artists having columns there, displaying updates and doing promotions. So they already have a group of users interested in film and television, which actually gives them a natural advantage for broadcasting dramas. They are now looking to transform, breaking the two-dimensional barrier and embracing the three-dimensional. Our drama perfectly fits their needs.”

Hearing this, Jiang Huaiyuan calmed down. “Let me learn more about this platform first.”

“Alright, take your time.”

After all, Little Sweet Fruit is an industry invested in by your son, and you, the director father, still only know it as a “cartoon-broadcasting” platform.

That evening, Jiang Huaiyuan did nothing but immerse himself in the world of Little Sweet Fruit, actively exploring its channels, various interactive communities, and functions. He even searched for Drunken Immortal Platform within the site, finding a wealth of information. It was no longer the simple animation platform Jiang Huaiyuan remembered.

Moreover, Chen Qian, as the manager, was highly efficient. She applied for a personal domain for Ling Song on Little Sweet Fruit and posted stills from Drunken Immortal Platform. Many casual viewers followed after clicking on them, saying the stills looked ethereal and hoping it wasn’t just misleading photos, expressing anticipation for the drama.

What Jiang Huaiyuan never expected was that he himself had a personal domain on Little Sweet Fruit?

And it seemed to be professionally managed. Many clips of him directing actors on lines and performances during the filming of Drunken Immortal Platform were posted, showing him as mature, steady, and charming. He hadn’t realized he had gained over two hundred thousand followers, more than many actors.

The energy and trending topics on Little Sweet Fruit were no less than on Weibo.

Some people even left comments like “most handsome director,” “the artisan of the entertainment industry,” and “ultimate mentor for award-winning actors.”

As he read, Jiang Huaiyuan couldn’t help but let his lips curl into a smile.

He couldn’t resist carrying his laptop to find Zhao Yunshu. “Yunshu! Yunshu! Who’s managing my personal domain on Little Sweet Fruit?”

“Who else? Our own company’s team, of course. You signed the authorization agreement, don’t you remember?” Zhao Yunshu said with a laugh.

After all, it’s a platform built by her own son; shouldn’t the father go on and create a column to show support?

“I don’t remember; I always sign whatever you tell me to sign.”

“So, what do you think? Cooperate with Little Sweet Fruit, or keep waiting for Qilin Video and Yunfeng Video to make their decision?”

“I’ll cooperate with Little Sweet Fruit! I think our drama will definitely find a market on Little Sweet Fruit! The theme of our drama itself is non-realistic and full of imagination, plus Little Sweet Fruit has been attracting celebrities to open columns, so it already has a large number of users interested in film and television dramas!” Jiang Huaiyuan took a deep breath. “Instead of being chosen, it’s better to take the initiative! I choose Little Sweet Fruit!”

“What about the price?”

Jiang Huaiyuan thought for a moment and quoted a relatively low price. He felt that since the other party was sincere, it wouldn’t hurt to offer a little concession.

Zhao Yunshu smiled, “Think again, this quote is too low. You don’t know how powerful Little Sweet Fruit’s business development is, and they’ve invested in many games. Their profitability far exceeds your imagination.

Outsiders speculate that their actual income is no less than Qilin Video. You don’t need to lower your quote; it wouldn’t be good if they misunderstood that you look down on them.”

Jiang Huaiyuan pondered for a moment, then quoted a more reasonable price.

“Alright, I’ll quote that price.”

“The chairman of Little Sweet Fruit seems to be your senior brother, right? Shouldn’t we invite him and their CEO Gao for a meal as a token of gratitude?” Jiang Huaiyuan asked.

Zhao Yunshu was momentarily stunned. She thought, Since Lin Chendong is already in jail, there’s no need to worry about Jiang Ruotang accidentally revealing his business empire and being targeted and exploited by Lin Chendong anymore.

Later, the Qin family acquired Lin Chendong’s shares at a high price, becoming the chairman. So Jiang Ruotang wanted to continue observing the Qin family discreetly and didn’t discuss this with Jiang Huaiyuan, as Jiang Huaiyuan couldn’t keep secrets from Old Master Qin.

Now that the father and son were working together, it was time to be open and honest.

Zhao Yunshu sent a message to Jiang Ruotang: [Little CEO Jiang, shouldn’t I show off your business empire to your dad now?]

Jiang Ruotang looked at the message. He was already a bit shy; telling his dad about his investments and companies felt like bragging and was hard to say.

Now that Zhao Yunshu was willing to speak for him, Jiang Ruotang couldn’t be more pleased. If Jiang Huaiyuan felt unhappy about being kept in the dark, Zhao Yunshu could first calm his emotions, and then he would go back and beg for forgiveness.

Jiang Ruotang: [Okay, thank you.]

Zhao Yunshu glanced at Jiang Ruotang’s reply and said to Jiang Huaiyuan with a smile, “My senior brother, Zheng Huasheng, isn’t the real chairman; he’s just holding shares on behalf of someone.”

“Ah… I see… so it might not be convenient then, right…”

“Actually, you know that child. You watched him grow up,” Zhao Yunshu thought, giving a hint to see if Jiang Huaiyuan could figure it out himself.

“Watched by me since childhood? Who?” Jiang Huaiyuan wondered if any of the younger generation he knew had such investment acumen.

Could it be Qin Zhanchao from the old Qin family? No, no, that child went abroad to study a long time ago. He only saw him a couple of times during holidays; that didn’t count as “watching him grow up.”

Among other people’s children, the most familiar was Lin Lu… but that child had been led astray by Lin Chendong’s couple; his thoughts were somewhat narrow, incapable of big things.

Seeing Jiang Huaiyuan’s bewildered expression, Zhao Yunshu continued to hint, “This child’s maternal grandfather was a Nanyang Chinese businessman. After he passed away, he left him an inheritance. With that inheritance, and his own vision and courage, he invested in many impressive projects.”

“A Nanyang Chinese businessman…” Jiang Huaiyuan mused.

He recalled that Ruotang’s maternal grandfather was indeed a Nanyang Chinese businessman.

“He has a soft-hearted father who made friends with someone not very reputable. This child dared not let his father know about his soaring investments, fearing that the bad uncle would find out and try to empty his pockets like he did his father’s, so he always kept it a secret.”

Jiang Huaiyuan suddenly remembered Lin Chendong. Although he would always say that he couldn’t let Lin Chendong go astray, whenever Lin Chendong begged, Jiang Huaiyuan seemed to have no recourse.

“Not only is he skilled in investment, but he’s also a talented painter. Because the young master of Deyitianxia appreciated his paintings and his investment philosophy, he gave his parents a quota to invest in Aoxiang Technology, earning a large sum of money.”

When Zhao Yunshu said this, a talented painter, the young master of Deyitianxia, and Aoxiang Technology—if Jiang Huaiyuan still couldn’t figure out who “this child” was with these three elements combined, he would truly be brainless.

He looked up blankly, his heart surging, filled with excitement and anticipation. This feeling was even more thrilling than accompanying his son to check exam results after the college entrance exam.

“Is it… is it Ruotang?” Jiang Huaiyuan’s tongue felt stiff.

Zhao Yunshu lowered her eyes, smiling, and nodded.

“My son is the chairman of Little Sweet Fruit?” Jiang Huaiyuan clutched his chest, wondering if he was dreaming.

Currently, weren’t the video websites Qilin, Yunfeng, and Little Sweet Fruit standing as a tripod?

In less than a year, he had turned the tide, allowing Little Sweet Fruit, a video website riddled with lawsuits and debt, to rise rapidly. Such a person was his own son?

“Yes, yes,” Zhao Yunshu nodded with a smile, giving Jiang Huaiyuan a definitive answer.

“Haha… hahaha…” Jiang Huaiyuan started giggling foolishly on the spot.

Zhao Yunshu decided to give him another shock.

“Your son is also a major shareholder in Xiaolan Mobile.”

“Ah? What?”

Xiaolan was a top-tier powerhouse among domestic mobile phone brands.

Jiang Huaiyuan’s mouth could fit an egg.

“Isn’t Chengjiang District planning to develop an economic zone? Your son bought a lot of fish ponds and factories at a low price. He’s partnering with Deyitianxia’s real estate company using these, and they expect to have a commercial building there in five years. If nothing goes wrong, Little Sweet Fruit will move in.”

“…”

Jiang Huaiyuan suddenly felt his own wealth was as light as a feather compared to his son’s.

“Oh, I almost forgot. Don’t the young people in our company like playing Dream Bubble?”

“Yes… yes…”

Jiang Huaiyuan was too embarrassed to say that he, too, often got addicted to playing this game in the bathroom and forgot to come out.

“The copyright for that game belongs to Cai Ji. The investors are your son and Mu Xianqing. This year, the estimated operating income is expected to exceed 45 million yuan,” Zhao Yunshu added.

“He… he… how could he do this!”

Jiang Huaiyuan belatedly got angry.

“What did he do?” Zhao Yunshu countered.

“Am I the last one in this family to know all this?”

“Okay, don’t be angry. Young people all want to prove themselves, they don’t want the restrictions and protection of their parents, and they also worry that you’ll criticize them for not focusing on their studies, so they secretly do big things behind your back and then give you a surprise,” Zhao Yunshu said, opening her arms and embracing Jiang Huaiyuan. “And you’re not the last one in this family to know, either. Changfeng, Xiao Gao, and Sister Juan, they all don’t know.”

Hearing this, Jiang Huaiyuan felt a little better.

Zhao Yunshu continued, “It’s a good thing for a child to be independent and capable. And what he’s doing, even if he told you, you don’t have the relevant experience to guide and help him. Look at his friends around him: Mu Xianqing, Dai Ming, Gao Cheng, all trustworthy people. He’ll learn more from them. Although we didn’t help with his success, our positive influence is definitely part of his growth, and that’s enough.”

Jiang Huaiyuan took a deep breath. He wasn’t actually angry, and in fact, he was glad Jiang Ruotang hadn’t told him about the inheritance left by Old Master He.

If he had known, Lin Chendong would most likely have found out. At that point, Lin Chendong would definitely pester him, saying that a child wouldn’t know how to make money and that it should be left to him to help invest. If he used Old Master He’s inheritance to make those unreliable investments, he could almost imagine the scenario of everything being lost. A shiver ran down Jiang Huaiyuan’s spine.

“As a father, I still lack boldness,” Jiang Huaiyuan sighed deeply.

“What’s there to it? We all grow, and we all have our strengths and weaknesses. No one is perfect. Perhaps, as Ruotang’s father, your very existence is the driving force behind his achievements today.”

Hearing this, Jiang Huaiyuan’s eyes welled up again.

“I suddenly feel full of drive! I want to make more and better works! The next one will be West Window Ghost Stories, written by Sasha, right?”

“Yes!””I’m going to make a masterpiece!” Jiang Huaiyuan looked at Zhao Yunshu determinedly. “Doesn’t Little Sweet Fruit want to transform and expand its market? If Drunken Immortal Platform doesn’t work, then West Window Ghost Stories will. I refuse to believe that if I, Jiang Huaiyuan, give my all, audiences and users won’t support Little Sweet Fruit!”