Qi Yanfeng thought, he even suspected that Qi Yanzhe was “making friends out of thin air.” Given his personality, if he really had such a powerful figure behind him, he would have long since been boasting about it at home.

Yet, among Qi Yanzhe’s few reliable friends, Chen Dan remained tight-lipped, only saying something like, “You’ll know after July this year.”

Qi Yanfeng retorted irritably, “Why wait until July? Could that big shot possibly be taking the college entrance exam and waiting for the results?”

Chen Dan actually nodded and said, “Yes, nothing is bigger than the college entrance exam.”

Qi Yanfeng could only reply, “I’ll believe you when pigs fly!”

Since Zheng Huasheng called today to proactively offer cooperation, Qi Yanfeng had to know who the other party was!

“Since Mr. Zheng wants to connect me for cooperation, shouldn’t he also be more transparent and let me meet your boss? If he, or they, keep hiding in the shadows, watching us move money around, and then secretly mocking us like fools, that would be truly unkind.”

Zheng Huasheng could only convey Qi Yanfeng’s message to Jiang Ruotang.

Jiang Ruotang smiled nonchalantly, “Qi Yanfeng’s idea isn’t wrong. For cooperation, of course, both sides hope to be open. He doesn’t want me to leverage his connections and resources while also observing and evaluating him from the shadows, or even using other forces to strike him. This is a normal way of thinking. Let’s arrange it for Tuesday noon. Choose a place closer to my school… Hey, there’s a dim sum place that’s quite good.”

Crispy char siu bao, Jiang Ruotang’s favorite.

Mr. Zheng nodded, “I also hope you can win over the Qi family as soon as possible. Qi Yanfeng is a very capable person. You should completely break away from the Huanyu Film & Television circle and gain your own resources and connections.”

---

Tuesday’s physical education class was the only time the third-year high school students could catch a breather.

But Jiang Ruotang took a leave of absence, which made Jian Sha complain.

“You’re taking a leave again! Originally, I, Cai Cai, you, and the class monitor could play doubles badminton. If you run off, who will fill in?”

“Find Zhao Changfeng then.”

Zhao Changfeng immediately shook his head: “I can’t play badminton. I’ve arranged with others for a bloody battle with the next class…”

“You’ve been scouted by several universities in the capital, and you’re still going to play basketball with people. Aren’t you using your professional skill to bully others’ hobbies?” Jian Sha retorted.

Zhao Changfeng chuckled, “I just like crushing weaker opponents.”

Unexpectedly, Xie Liang walked over, “I’ll play badminton with you guys.”

“Huh? Aren’t you playing tennis with Geng Yu?” Jiang Ruotang asked.

“I don’t actually like tennis that much,” Xie Liang said with a smile. “Besides, Geng Yu sprained his ankle and is in the classroom playing on his phone, so I thought I’d play badminton with you all.”

When Little Sweet Fruit was raising funds before, Xie Liang’s mother also helped a lot to secure the bank loan for Sweet Fruit.

If he was willing to play with them, Jiang Ruotang was naturally happy too.

Jian Sha and Cai Ji both looked at Lu Guifan. Lu Guifan reached out and gently pinched the back of Jiang Ruotang’s neck: “Go take care of your business. The four of us are all here.”

Lu Guifan’s palm was warm, even a little hot. His fingers were long, and the web of his hand against Jiang Ruotang’s skin wasn’t actually pressing hard; it was even a little ticklish, making Jiang Ruotang shrug his shoulders and giggle.

Xie Liang stood by, a hint of envy on his face.

Jiang Ruotang left the classroom, hailed a taxi, and headed to their meeting place.

---

At this time, Qi Yanfeng and Qi Yanzhe had already arrived.

Qi Yanzhe held the menu, looking at it, and said to the waiter, “Bring a crispy char siu bao; the crust must be crispy. If it’s not crispy, I’ll tear down your restaurant!”

Qi Yanfeng frowned, “Watch your behavior in public. Tearing things down for a crispy char siu bao, who do you think you are?”

“Bro, you don’t understand. My buddy loves the crispy crust on the crispy char siu bao. If the crust isn’t crispy, it loses its soul.”

Qi Yanfeng chuckled and waved his hand.

Qi Yanzhe continued to order: “And another steamed shrimp with garlic. Make sure you peel the shrimp and arrange them nicely before serving!”

Qi Yanfeng pinched his brow: “Don’t you usually just pick at the shells with your mouth because you find peeling troublesome?”

“It’s so ungraceful to pick at shrimp shells with your mouth! Besides, my buddy is an artist; his hands are precious. How can he peel shrimp? If his fingers get pricked, it’d be a loss to the art world.”

Qi Yanfeng: “…How come I never knew you could be so obsequious?”

Qi Yanzhe ordered a few more steamed dim sum dishes, making some outrageous demands, before the waiter finally left the private room.

“This ‘buddy’ of yours, do I know him?” Qi Yanfeng asked.

“You do. You even went to his house with me once.”

Qi Yanfeng stroked his chin. Sure enough, this behind-the-scenes big shot was an insider. He mentally reviewed everyone he knew with such financial power and foresight, but they were all seasoned veterans of a certain age. How could any of them be Qi Yanzhe’s “buddy”?

“They’re here! They’re here!”

“Where are they?”

The door didn’t move.

“I heard their footsteps!”

“Are you a dog?”

Qi Yanzhe pulled his brother up, saying proudly, “When you see him, I guarantee your titanium alloy dog eyes will pop out!”

Qi Yanfeng sighed: If I have dog eyes, what breed of dog are you?

The private room door slowly opened. Qi Yanfeng had already put on his standard business smile, making himself appear mature, steady, and reliable.

The first person to walk in was Mr. Zheng, and following behind Mr. Zheng was a handsome and refined high school student.

Qi Yanfeng’s smile froze on his face. The person looked familiar… Wasn’t this Director Jiang Huaiyuan’s son, who Qi Yanzhe had made bleed from the nose last year?

“Jiang… Jiang…” Qi Yanfeng struggled for a long time but couldn’t recall the person’s name.

Jiang Ruotang smiled gracefully. While pulling out a chair for Mr. Zheng and helping him sit down, he said, “Hello, General Manager Qi, I am Jiang Ruotang.”

Next came Dai Ming, who smiled kindly at Jiang Ruotang and then sat on his other side.

Qi Yanzhe teased: “Xiaotang, my brother and I are treating you to a meal, why do you have to bring your left and right guardians?”

Jiang Ruotang bumped fists with Qi Yanzhe, seemingly very close, then looked at Qi Yanfeng and said, “After all, General Manager Qi is a very important business partner, so of course, I have to bring my most trusted people to show respect.”

It took a while for Qi Yanfeng’s mind to process and confirm that the person was indeed Jiang Ruotang.

“Uh, big brother…” Qi Yanzhe nudged him with his elbow, “Xiaotang hasn’t taken his college entrance exam yet; it’s a critical stage in his life. Don’t be a blabbermouth and spread his business around. In this day and age, wherever there’s money, people swarm like flies, let alone Xiaotang being super rich! It’s good to be an invisible tycoon enjoying a peaceful life.”

Qi Yanfeng’s face bore a calm smile, but in his mind, ten thousand alpacas stampeded past.

You brat, you actually know the college entrance exam is a crucial stage in life, so what were you doing before yours?

If you had taken the college entrance exam seriously even a little, Mom and Dad would have far fewer gray hairs!

But the high school student before him spoke with such ease; could those impressive investments really be his own ideas?

Qi Yanfeng extended his hand towards Jiang Ruotang and said, “Pleasure to meet you, General Manager Jiang.”

His fingers subtly applied pressure, his gaze, like an eagle swooping for prey, fixed on Jiang Ruotang’s eyes. But Jiang Ruotang didn’t flinch in the slightest, calmly meeting his gaze.

“Investing in cloud technology, smartphones, video platforms, new energy… are these all your ideas? Or are they suggestions from Mr. Zheng or your think tank behind you?”

Jiang Ruotang smiled, but it was Zheng Huasheng, who was slowly sipping his tea, who spoke: “Ah, I don’t understand any of these things; I certainly couldn’t give him advice.”

Dai Ming also raised his teacup and clinked it with Zheng Huasheng’s: “This kid has a lot of ideas; no think tank can control him.”

Qi Yanzhe chuckled, “If you want to praise Xiaotang for having ideas, just praise him directly. If you two are putting on a show here, my brother will think you’re performing a ghost story!”

Laughter immediately filled the private room.

Qi Yanfeng’s eyes still hadn’t left Jiang Ruotang. Although he was not yet thirty-five, being able to hold onto the family business in the fiercely competitive Hongtian Borui meant his methods and foresight were extraordinary.

“General Manager Qi, because I’m too young and lack social experience and expertise, do you find me unsuitable for cooperation and are you disappointed in me?”

Jiang Ruotang flashed a toothy smile, jolting Qi Yanfeng out of his deep-seated doubts.

This kid’s demeanor and aura were nothing like a high school student’s.

Zheng Huasheng was one thing, but Dai Ming had no reason to play along with a child.

Moreover, if they genuinely wanted to deceive someone, they could have chosen a more “presentable” candidate, such as Jiang Huaiyuan himself or his wife, Zhao Yunshu.

“The younger generation is truly formidable,” Qi Yanfeng released Jiang Ruotang’s hand and sat down. “I’m just surprised that our Yanzhe doesn’t have a mind like General Manager Jiang’s at all.”

“I’m just interested in new media and new technology. And Qi Yanzhe, in his areas of interest, would definitely be very impressive too.” Jiang Ruotang looked at Qi Yanzhe and smiled slightly.

Qi Yanzhe, flattered by the compliment, beamed with pride and enthusiastically pushed the crispy char siu bao in front of Jiang Ruotang.

With his cheap-looking expression, it seemed he would happily count the money for Jiang Ruotang even if he were to be sold out by him.

“General Manager Qi, you are the first person, besides Aze and Chen Dan, to know about my investment identity. Even my father, Jiang Huaiyuan, I plan to tell him after the college entrance examination.”

Qi Yanfeng paused, “Why?”

Jiang Ruotang candidly replied, “Before, it was because my father was easily influenced by Lin Chengdong. If he told Lin Chengdong about my affairs, what do you think? Wouldn’t Lin Chengdong constantly scrutinize all my investments?”

Qi Yanfeng nodded knowingly. Lin Chengdong was known for being omnipresent. If he knew Jiang Ruotang was so capable and young, he would probably cling to him like superglue, infiltrating Jiang Ruotang’s investment projects relentlessly, which would be disastrous.

“And now… it’s because Old Master Qin has become the chairman. He’s an honest man; after all, he’s protected my father for over thirty years, so we have nothing to say about him being in that position. But the key is his descendants? Are they as honest as he is? So I still decided to stay in an inconspicuous place and observe carefully.”

Qi Yanfeng lowered his head and smiled, “I see you’re secretly building up strength, expanding Sweet Fruit. When the Qin family’s descendants try to harm the Jiang family, you’ll teach them a lesson.”

Jiang Ruotang didn’t deny it, smiling as he retorted, “Will General Manager Qi help me achieve that?”

Qi Yanfeng smiled: “Now that my brother is tied to you, helping you is helping our Qi family.”

Upon hearing this, Qi Yanzhe couldn’t help but boast about Jiang Ruotang’s virtues again.

“Brother, it’s a good thing all my money was invested in serious ventures with Xiaotang. You wouldn’t believe Lin Chengdong’s son even messaged me. If I hadn’t been broke, I definitely would have been tricked.”

---

As an elder brother, Qi Yanfeng was even more pleased with Jiang Ruotang as a friend.

“General Manager Jiang, you probably have to go back to class this afternoon, right? So let’s make a long story short.” Qi Yanfeng cut straight to the point, “You want our Hongtian Borui to invest in your father’s project? That’s a bit hard to believe. Even if your father is no longer the chairman of Huanyu Film, he’s still a major shareholder. It’s not like a project would be short on funds and Huanyu Film would refuse to allocate them, right?”

“Chairman Qi, you should have some connections within Huanyu Film & Television, right? You should know that the Qin family took over Lin Chengdong’s shares, basically using our family as a pawn while they reap the benefits. However, my father isn’t really a manager anyway, so it’s a good thing for him to step down early and avoid being roasted over the fire. It’s also because of this that the Qin family has the idea of controlling him. They want my dad and other shareholders to see that as long as the Qin family isn’t happy, no matter how big a director my dad is, the project won’t get off the ground.”

Jiang Ruotang said this while eating a crispy char siu bao.

Qi Yanfeng sneered. He disapproved of the Qin family’s behavior.

They had been acting like Duke Zhou for so long, and the industry even said the Qin family was righteous in assisting Jiang Huaiyuan. Now that they’d accumulated enough connections and the opportunity arose, their ambition wasn’t even bothering to hide.

“You see, isn’t this a good time for you and our Jiang family to join forces? My father’s commercial value as a director is evident to all. If the Qin family wants to put on airs, let them. We can have a good time together. My brother and I are partners, and if you and my father also become partners, it would be a pleasant story in the industry, mutually beneficial.”

His words sounded lighthearted, but they struck a chord with Qi Yanfeng.

No matter who was who, making money was the top priority.

And connections were like staking out territory.

Qi Yanfeng was very willing to cooperate with such a thoughtful yet practical young man.

“I will send someone to contact Director Jiang. As for whether a deal can be reached, that depends on whether there’s a connection between both parties.”

Jiang Ruotang smiled, “Then, Chairman Qi, I won’t be polite. I have class at 1:30, so I’ll eat now.”

Qi Yanfeng smiled, “We’ve been chatting for so long, everyone must be hungry. Since we’ve laid our cards on the table, there’s no need to be strangers!”

He thought to himself, If only my precious younger brother could grow a brain like Jiang Ruotang’s.

Finally, Qi Yanfeng didn’t forget to advise Jiang Ruotang: “General Manager Jiang, if you have any investment ideas, don’t just tell Aze. In the Qi family, I’m the one who can truly mobilize large sums of money.”

Qi Yanzhe directly rolled his eyes at his brother: Big brother, even if you’re poaching, can you be a bit more subtle?

---

About ten minutes later, Jiang Ruotang returned to the classroom. There were still over ten minutes before afternoon classes, but for some reason, the classroom, which should have been mostly napping, was wide awake when he entered. Everyone looked at Jiang Ruotang with strange expressions.

Hm? What’s going on?

Jiang Ruotang subconsciously looked in Lu Guifan’s direction. The other was wide awake, calmly reading a journal.

Cai Ji rubbed the tip of his nose and lowered his head.

Okay, at least Zhao Changfeng was normal, sleeping soundly with his head on the desk.

Jiang Ruotang sat down and poked Lu Guifan’s arm: “What’s wrong? Was the cafeteria food bad for lunch?”

“It was alright,” Lu Guifan’s reply was calm.

Jiang Ruotang turned his face and looked at Jian Sha, raising his chin towards her.

He believed that with Jian Sha’s writing skills, she would definitely be able to accurately, or rather, vividly describe what had happened and why everyone was acting so strange.

Jian Sha, receiving the eye signal, indeed lowered her head and diligently typed on her phone. Seeing her press keys so fast they were almost blurring, Jiang Ruotang genuinely admired her.

Finally, before class began, Jiang Ruotang received that super long message.

It turned out that during PE class, the badminton match was originally Lu Guifan and Jian Sha versus Xie Liang and Cai Ji. The battle was intense.

Although Jian Sha kept making mistakes, Lu Guifan’s god-like saves, coupled with Cai Ji being a super black hole on the other side, frequently giving away points, meant both sides had a back-and-forth game.

Normally, when Lu Guifan played with Jiang Ruotang, he was a god-tier sparring partner. As long as Jiang Ruotang had fun, Lu Guifan could keep the shuttlecock from ever hitting the ground. So Jian Sha always thought Lu Guifan wasn’t very competitive.

But this time, facing Xie Liang, who seemed to have no presence behind Geng Yu, he actually played badminton very well.

When experts faced off, it was a clash of heaven and earth, a silent, simmering battle. The extensive running and sudden stops nearly took Jian Sha and Cai Ji’s lives.

To survive the college entrance exam and to live to see the copyright infringement case trial conclude, Jian Sha proactively offered to withdraw, letting Lu Guifan and Xie Liang settle the match.

Cai Ji immediately put down his racket and exited the battle. He was drenched in sweat. The “duel at the Forbidden City” was for Ximen Chuixue and Ye Gucheng; side characters like them just needed to watch from below the city walls.

Without the hindrances of their dragging teammates, both sides naturally unleashed their full combat power.

Lu Guifan’s smashes were like a rainbow, Xie Liang’s high lobs from the backcourt, maneuvers like the ‘Divine Dragon Wags Tail’ and ‘Moon from the Bottom of the Sea’ — a continuous display of high-level moves that left spectators holding their breath.

Not only was the court surrounded by people, but even some classrooms directly facing the sports field had people leaning out to watch.

Everyone was discussing, Are these two the type to fight so desperately?

Lu Guifan’s stance made one suspect Xie Liang had stolen his top-of-the-grade rank and owed his family millions.

Xie Liang’s killing moves made it seem like Lu Guifan had cuckolded him, a deep-seated hatred.

The badminton shuttlecock must have been crying, its feathers all bent.

Lu Guifan usually seemed calm and collected, but who would have thought that once he got competitive, he would be so intimidating?

As for Xie Liang, he was just a supporting character when playing with Geng Yu and the others, but who would have thought he could play so fiercely with Lu Guifan?

According to Jian Sha’s description, it was like a top alpha about to mark his omega, when suddenly a wolf in sheep’s clothing, another highly capable alpha, burst onto the scene, leading to a fight to the death.

Jiang Ruotang sighed, “This is really insane. Aren’t they both perfectly fine?”

He looked up at the front row. Xie Liang had already changed into a dry school uniform, his collar neat, even his hair was completely dry. He was talking to his deskmate Geng Yu, his arms resting on the desk, showing no sign of having just played intense, sweaty badminton.

Wait, hold on…

Jiang Ruotang reached out his hand, slipping it under Lu Guifan’s school uniform from the back, pressing it directly against his back through his shirt.

Lu Guifan suddenly trembled as if electrified, grabbing Jiang Ruotang’s wrist and pulling his hand out.

“What are you doing?”

His voice was low, carrying a hint of pressure.

“I… I wanted to see if you changed your clothes after sweating in PE class… I was afraid you’d catch a cold…”

It was then that Jiang Ruotang realized he had overstepped. Lu Guifan wasn’t his own child, nor was he Lu Guifan’s parent. How could he reach in to check if he was sweating?

“S-sorry, I didn’t mean to.”

Jiang Ruotang hurriedly tried to pull his hand away, but unexpectedly, Lu Guifan held his wrist tightly, subtly applying more pressure to keep Jiang Ruotang’s palm against himself.

“I wore a T-shirt for PE class. I changed into a shirt when I came back.”

Lu Guifan’s voice softened.

But as Jiang Ruotang felt the warmth emanating from his palm, it was his own ears that began to turn red.

“Oh, good that you changed.”

The afternoon class bell successfully eased Jiang Ruotang’s embarrassment. Lu Guifan released his hand, and Jiang Ruotang was able to withdraw his own.

But the sensation of Lu Guifan’s grip still lingered on his wrist.

This guy looked thin and tall, but he was actually very strong, something he had known in his previous life.

The bell was still ringing, but Jiang Ruotang muttered softly, “You must have been moving bricks since you were little, otherwise how would you have such great strength?”

“Hmm?” Lu Guifan turned his face to look at him, not hearing what Jiang Ruotang said clearly.

The bell stopped, and Jiang Ruotang also gave Lu Guifan a bewildered expression, “Huh?”

I’m just not telling you.

---

That evening, returning home, a noticeably joyful atmosphere could be felt.

The renowned director Jiang Huaiyuan was actually playing a melodious and gentle tune in the living room, swaying and dancing with Zhao Yunshu in his arms.

This made Jiang Ruotang and Zhao Changfeng, who had just returned from evening self-study, feel too embarrassed to enter from the entryway.

“Ah, I came home to rest, not to watch some middle-aged love story…” Zhao Changfeng grumbled.

Jiang Ruotang scratched the back of his head.

Seeing the two children return, Jiang Huaiyuan excitedly came up to them: “Haha, Dad’s project finally found a very, very, very reliable investor!”

“Oh, who is it?”

Jiang Ruotang knew immediately that Qi Yanfeng had contacted Jiang Huaiyuan.