It wasn’t long before Lin Chendong had that gaming company create “Phantom Bubble.” After it was released, it genuinely attracted a lot of users. Riding on the coattails of Dream Bubble’s popularity, his knockoff game made hundreds of thousands on its first day.

At that time, public awareness of intellectual property rights wasn’t strong, and infringement was rampant, with games being a major victim. Only larger companies would invest in defending their rights. But for games like Dream Bubble, which had just launched and were focusing on market expansion, they generally wouldn’t expend energy on rights protection.

They might even see these knockoff games as a form of promotion. After all, these pirated games could only be played for free up to a dozen or so levels; once players got hooked, they’d still have to play the legitimate Dream Bubble for the final levels. Lin Chendong’s plan was to take the game offline as soon as Dream Bubble started making noises about infringement. This was practically the survival strategy for many knockoff game companies back then.

“If this can last a month, that’s several million!” Lin Chendong gloated.

However, Mu Xianqing’s legal team immediately targeted this knockoff game and directly filed an infringement lawsuit against his company. Lin Chendong sat in his office, watching the steadily climbing user numbers of his pirated game, and was stunned when he received the news. “How could it be so fast…?”

In Lin Chendong’s imagination, this little game would make tens of millions after going online, and he would take it down before Mu Xianqing’s side reacted… But it had only been a few days! Mu Xianqing’s legal team was incredibly efficient, weren’t they? And his wasn’t the only knockoff of Dream Bubble; how did they find him so quickly?

What Lin Chendong didn’t know was that Mu Xianqing had specifically picked out Lin Chendong’s company from a whole pile of infringement cases and put it at the front of the line. Mu Xianqing himself had no interest whatsoever in the internal shareholder struggles of Huanyu Film and Television, finding even “sitting on the mountain watching the tigers fight” to be beneath him. But since Jiang Ruotang was his ally and little boss, he certainly had to make an example of Lin Chendong as a deterrent.

On Lin Chendong’s side, he didn’t dare let this case go to court. If it became news, he would become a laughingstock in the industry, and it would be difficult for him to even get bank loans in the future. He could only request an out-of-court settlement with the other party’s legal team. Since it was an out-of-court settlement, he had to show sincerity.

Mu Xianqing wasn’t short on money; he didn’t care for Lin Chendong’s paltry sum. But that didn’t mean he would tolerate just anyone trying to profit from his business. He immediately set a compensation amount that would make Lin Chendong kneel. Fortunately, the Mu family was also a shareholder of Huanyu Film and Television. Lin Chendong asked an old shareholder who was close to the Mu family to mediate. He originally wanted to invite Mu Xianqing to dinner, but Mu Xianqing politely declined. Out of respect for the old shareholder, the compensation amount was finally reduced to a reasonable range.

This round, Lin Chendong lost both money and face. The old shareholder directly stated that this was the last time he would intervene for Lin Chendong, and also said that Lin Chendong had lost his original aspirations and was completely different from the diligent young man who had worked alongside old Mr. Jiang twenty years ago. Lin Chendong politely saw the old shareholder home with a sincere expression, but inwardly he was dismissive. He then went to a temple to pray, believing that his bad luck was the only reason for his stumble.

However, after this incident, his gaming company completely shut down. Not only did he have to pay Mu Xianqing the profits from those few days, but he also lost several million.

Mu Xianqing received the compensation, and according to the shareholding and profit-sharing contract, he transferred over two million to Jiang Ruotang, hundreds of thousands to Cai Ji, and even Lu Guifan inexplicably received tens of thousands in compensation.

They were in class at the time, and when the bank messages came through, all three of them were completely bewildered. Cai Ji and Lu Guifan simultaneously looked at Jiang Ruotang. Jiang Ruotang was also puzzled; it wasn’t even time for the game company’s quarterly dividend.

Just then, the chemistry teacher was calling on students to go to the blackboard to solve a problem. Lu Guifan looking in Jiang Ruotang’s direction gave the chemistry teacher a wrong impression, as if the class monitor was suggesting to call on Jiang Ruotang to get some practice.

“Jiang Ruotang, come up and do this problem,” the chemistry teacher said with a smile.

Jiang Ruotang was stunned. He had just been wondering about that bank message and hadn’t thought about the chemistry teacher’s problem-solving approach at all. Who am I? Where am I? Jiang Ruotang bit the bullet and stood up. To his surprise, Zhao Changfeng whispered behind him, “I know this problem, Cai Cai taught me…”

What? A problem Zhao Changfeng knows, and I can’t solve it? So, Jiang Ruotang walked to the podium with his chin held high, calmed down, and read the problem. Hmm, I know this one too, Lu Guifan taught me!

Under the watchful eyes of the entire class, Jiang Ruotang, with one hand in his school pants pocket, like a boss, wrote line by line, finally arriving at the answer. The chemistry teacher nodded and said, “Student Jiang Ruotang’s approach is very clear, everyone take a look.” Jiang Ruotang turned and walked down, secretly letting out a sigh of relief. Thank goodness I got it right; I didn’t lose face.

Jian Sha raised her chin, amused, “With that posture, I thought you were the chemistry class representative!” Anyway, regardless of the reason, Jiang Ruotang got the problem right, giving him reason to be proud.

As soon as chemistry class ended, Cai Ji said he was hungry and dragged Jiang Ruotang out to buy something. Jiang Ruotang knew Lu Guifan had also received that money and was probably just as confused. As he passed Lu Guifan, he casually grabbed Lu Guifan’s wrist and dragged him out.

“Class monitor, come with us!”

Lu Guifan lost his balance, half his body pulled out. He instinctively pulled back, inadvertently pulling Jiang Ruotang back. Jiang Ruotang stumbled backward, about to sit on the ground, when Lu Guifan instinctively extended his leg to catch him. Jiang Ruotang ended up sitting on Lu Guifan’s right knee. Although it was awkward, Jiang Ruotang immediately realized what had happened.

The surrounding classmates started to tease. Jiang Ruotang turned his face and met Lu Guifan’s eyes. Before he could fully grasp the emotion in the other’s eyes, Lu Guifan turned his face away and said with a poker face, “Young master, how long do you plan to sit on my human sofa?”

Jiang Ruotang quickly stood up, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to!”

Lu Guifan stood up, left his seat, and gently pushed Jiang Ruotang’s head forward with one hand: “Let’s go, let’s buy something to eat.” Jiang Ruotang quickly walked forward, acting as if nothing had happened, but secretly feeling happy. He didn’t see Lu Guifan’s other hand, which was clenched at the edge of his pants pocket, only relaxing once they were out of the classroom.

Leaving the teaching building, Jiang Ruotang immediately called Mu Xianqing, asking him what those sums of money were about. “What? Infringement compensation? So it’s not a quarterly dividend?” Jiang Ruotang was a little surprised.

Mu Xianqing, while sipping coffee, told him, “Yes, this compensation is from Lin Chendong.” With that tone of seeking credit, Jiang Ruotang could almost see a Doberman lazily wagging its tail.

“Then I’ll spend this money as much as I want. Don’t come asking for it back in a couple of days.”

“How could I? But little Koi, you have to keep me informed about how you plan to spend the money.” Although Mu Xianqing didn’t believe an eighteen-year-old high school student would have very far-sighted investment acumen, he believed in metaphysics. It seemed that just by being associated with Jiang Ruotang, he could make money, so of course he wanted to hear his thoughts.

Jiang Ruotang chuckled, “Got it,” then hung up and told Cai Ji and Lu Guifan the news. Lu Guifan’s expression was calm; he wasn’t very ambitious about money, but he liked to see Jiang Ruotang happy from earning it. As for Cai Ji, he was completely stunned. “With the game copyright fees and this infringement compensation, I already have over 500,000… I never even imagined I’d have so much money.”

Jiang Ruotang smiled, “You’ll have even more money in the future. Just be careful not to let your uncles and aunts find out, or they’ll come asking you for money again.”

Cai Ji nodded, “Actually, I want to give this money to my mom. Her and my stepfather’s factory contracted a product line for the sports brand ‘Nifeng,’ so they’re expanding and allowing employees to invest.”

Jiang Ruotang’s eyes lit up, “That’s a good investment too. Nifeng’s brand development is very stable. The fact that your mom and stepfather’s factory can cooperate with Nifeng means their production quality is excellent.” Hearing Jiang Ruotang’s affirmation, Cai Ji beamed.

Lu Guifan said to Jiang Ruotang, “I’m not used to having so much money in my account; why don’t I give it all to you? You can manage it; otherwise, it’ll just sit in the bank.”

Jiang Ruotang almost grabbed Lu Guifan’s shoulders and shook him: “Class monitor, wise up! If I lose all your money, you’ll have nothing.”

“Is that so?” Lu Guifan looked at Jiang Ruotang, a faint smile in his eyes, as if to say, it’s fine if it’s lost.

Jiang Ruotang blinked, “Shouldn’t you save the money, preferably for a three to five-year fixed deposit, and then buy a house in the city you decide to settle in later?”

“Is that so? I just suddenly realized that I don’t necessarily have to live the life my parents expected me to live since childhood.”

“Huh?” Jiang Ruotang looked at him in confusion.

“Struggling to get into a good university, entering a stable research institute, repeating research that may not generate economic benefits but pleases the leaders, year after year, collecting retirement money, and then dying peacefully.”

Jiang Ruotang thought, isn’t that Lu Guifan’s life in his previous life? Stable, but boring. Talented, yet content with mediocrity. Jiang Ruotang just didn’t know if Lu Guifan had accepted the opportunity to study abroad after his death.

“Then what kind of life do you want to live?” Jiang Ruotang asked curiously. Although they hadn’t even gotten into college yet and were talking about life here, it was truly naive and amusing. But sometimes, imagining the future also means seeing clearly one’s inner desires.

“Perhaps after being with you for a long time, I also see my abilities from different angles. Physics, chemistry, and math are no longer just problems printed on paper; turning them into something useful makes me feel more interesting. For example, the code I learned from Cai Cai, when it turns into levels in a game, you and I have a lot of fun playing.” Jiang Ruotang immediately understood what Lu Guifan meant.

Jiang Ruotang tilted his head, looking at Lu Guifan, and blurted out, “Class monitor, you’re so handsome.” Lu Guifan pressed the top of Jiang Ruotang’s head, softly thinking to himself, the truly handsome one is clearly you. You make the people around you better.

---

In the second week of the new year, the acquisition of Little Sweet Fruit entered its final, intense phase. Jiang Ruotang had thought his wealth was enough for an easy win, but unexpectedly, a wild card appeared. Mr. Zheng’s meaning was that the other party was very wealthy. Once the other party acquired the share they wanted, even if Jiang Ruotang got the rest, he wouldn’t have a say in management, and many of his previous plans couldn’t be realized.

“Uncle Zheng, can you find out who the other party is?” Jiang Ruotang asked curiously.

“Qi Yanzhe.”

“Huh? Sounds familiar?” Jiang Ruotang couldn’t recall for a moment.

“He’s the youngest brother of Qi Yanfeng, the current chairman of Hongtian Borui Film and Television Company.”

“Pfft—” Jiang Ruotang almost choked on his milk tea. It was that Qi Yanzhe! What was this? Not enemies, not meeting?

“What, judging by your reaction, it doesn’t sound like you can get along peacefully with this Qi Yanzhe?” Mr. Zheng was indeed very perceptive. Hongtian Borui’s scale in the industry was at least one-third larger than Jiang Ruotang’s father’s film and television company. In the industry, the two companies occasionally cooperated, but there were also times when their data clashed and they competed. However, Jiang Ruotang and Qi Yanzhe had a history of throwing punches… No, it was Jiang Ruotang unilaterally being beaten until his nose bled.

This goes back to last year. A famous director was celebrating his 70th birthday and held a birthday party, attended by prominent figures in the entertainment industry. Jiang Ruotang went with Jiang Huaiyuan, and the Lin father and son also attended. Unexpectedly, they met Qi Yanzhe. He was a notorious troublemaker in the Qi family, pampered by his parents and protected by his elder brother, getting whatever he wanted. He never lacked celebrities and models throwing themselves at him. Who knew this guy, tired of rich food, would take a liking to Lin Lu, that little innocent flower? Lin Lu was so clever; he wanted to refuse but didn’t want to offend the other party directly, so he kept winking at Jiang Ruotang. Jiang Ruotang stayed by Lin Lu’s side, but Qi Yanzhe liked Lin Lu’s evasiveness. He found an opportunity to corner him, which annoyed Jiang Ruotang, who promptly poured a drink on his pants. Qi Yanzhe had never received such “hospitality” and immediately punched Jiang Ruotang, whose nose instantly bled. Lin Lu stood by, stunned, while Jiang Huaiyuan rushed over and took his son to the hospital.

Even though Qi Yanzhe’s parents later paid a visit to the Jiang family to apologize, Jiang Ruotang still remembered the guy’s smile as he looked up at him walking down the stairs, as if saying: So what if I hit you? Try hitting me back if you dare. Anyway, a grudge was formed, and Lin Lu perfectly disappeared from the incident.

“How much is Qi Yanzhe offering?” Jiang Ruotang asked.

“Over twenty million. I even doubt if he’s thought about how to proceed after acquiring Little Sweet Fruit”. Will he just leave it there without introducing other copyrights to attract users? He’ll still have to go the financing route later. Is he trying to buy an internet platform for Hongtian Borui? If Hongtian Borui makes a move, their funds are ample, their connections and partners are extensive. We might only be able to get a small share, but all your future plans for Little Sweet Fruit” won’t be implemented. It might be better to give up.”

“Uncle Zheng, let me think about it and I’ll get back to you.”

“Okay, you really should think about it carefully.”

Hanging up the phone, Jiang Ruotang leaned his arms on the corridor wall, recalling everything about Qi Yanzhe and Hongtian Borui. In his impression, Little Sweet Fruit did survive for a while after the lawsuit, following other video websites in introducing some film and television copyrights, but its content library wasn’t rich enough, it lacked a user recommendation algorithm, and it didn’t effectively utilize traffic from major bloggers. The final result was that it was merged by another platform and eventually disappeared into time, not even lasting long enough to launch a mobile application.

Since their content library wasn’t rich enough in the previous life, it indicated that the website operator had limited funds and didn’t successfully secure financing, and it didn’t seem to have a large film and television company like Hongtian Borui behind it. Therefore, buying Little Sweet Fruit was very likely Qi Yanzhe’s personal act.

Jiang Ruotang returned home and asked his father for Qi Yanzhe’s private contact information. “Ruotang, it couldn’t be that Qi Yanzhe hit you last time… and you want to get revenge, right?” Jiang Huaiyuan said with some concern.

“How could that be?” Jiang Ruotang laughed. “As a good young man who repays kindness with kindness, maybe I want to invite him to eat a big pancake?”

“Huh?” Jiang Huaiyuan looked bewildered.

“It’s nothing, but Dad, you can’t tell anyone that I asked you for Qi Yanzhe’s contact information.” Jiang Ruotang tilted his face and extended his pinky finger towards his dad.

“Are you really just inviting him to eat a pancake?” Jiang Huaiyuan asked worriedly.

“Yes! A super big pancake, bigger than my face.”

Although Jiang Huaiyuan didn’t know what his son was up to, Jiang Ruotang hadn’t done anything harmful all these years. Even when Qi Yanzhe punched him and made his nose bleed, he only felt embarrassed and locked himself in his room to sulk. If he really wanted to teach Qi Yanzhe a lesson, he wouldn’t have waited until now. “Okay, Dad will keep your secret.” Jiang Huaiyuan extended his pinky finger and hooked it with his son’s.

---

So, Qi Yanzhe, who was playing billiards with a group of rich second-generation friends, received an unfamiliar call on his phone. He dismissed it without thinking, but the unknown number kept calling. Qi Yanzhe initially wanted to block the number, but then he thought about how persistent it was and felt annoyed. He answered and asked impolitely, “Who is it?! Are you in a hurry to be reborn?”

“Mr. Qi, I’d like to discuss the matter of Little Sweet Fruit with you.”

Qi Yanzhe showed an unrestrained smile: “Oh! I know who you are! You’re the one who offered money after me? The highest bidder wins, it’s only natural. If you don’t have money, stay in the back!”

The voice on the other end of the phone sounded like someone in their forties or fifties, and they remained calm despite Qi Yanzhe’s retort. “That’s fine too, Mr. Qi can save my number. When Little Sweet Fruit can’t survive in your hands, you can find me. After all, it’s probably not easy to find a buyer willing to pay more than me.”

Upon hearing this, Qi Yanzhe’s anger immediately flared up. He didn’t even bother playing with the others, propped his cue stick on the table, and started yelling, “I think you’re just a sour grape! You couldn’t buy Little Sweet Fruit yourself, so you’re cursing me to fail! What kind of clown dares to dance in front of me? I’m too lazy to bother with you!”

Despite saying that, Qi Yanzhe didn’t hang up immediately. He was a bit stubborn; if someone provoked him, he had to beat them down. This person just wanted to buy Little Sweet Fruit, so shouldn’t they be discussing it? Begging him? What kind of attitude was this, coming straight out with a sour tone?

“Oh, really?” The other party still wasn’t angry. “Or perhaps, little Mr. Qi, you could go back and ask your elder brother?”

Damn it! Mr. Qi is Mr. Qi, why add “little”? “I say, are you sick? That’s my brother, not my dad! Why should I ask for his opinion on my affairs?”

“But after you spend these twenty million, how will you secure subsequent financing to get Little Sweet Fruit on the right track? Will it be with these little friends you’re playing with? Why not ask them if their combined money is enough to buy a single ‘Peppa Pig’ when you need them to invest?”

After saying that, the call ended. Qi Yanzhe was so furious his brain was buzzing. This was the first time he had ever encountered someone who deliberately tried to annoy him! He hadn’t even finished cursing the other party to hell, so why, why did the other party hang up first? It was like arguing in kindergarten, feeling like you had the upper hand, and then the other person suddenly covered their ears and yelled “I can’t hear you” while sticking out their tongue.

On the other end of the phone, Mr. Zheng also let out a sigh of relief. He had completely followed Jiang Ruotang’s script to provoke Qi Yanzhe. He had expected the other party to immediately block him after the first sentence, but to his surprise, he actually managed to hang up first. It seemed Jiang Ruotang’s judgment of Qi Yanzhe’s personality was very accurate.

“Uncle Zheng, don’t worry, we’ll just wait for Qi Yanzhe to contact us.” This was what Jiang Ruotang said. Mr. Zheng Huasheng originally didn’t believe it, but now… he believed it by a third.

Qi Yanzhe called all his buddies over. “Hey, if I’m halfway through a business venture and I’m short on cash and need you guys to invest, how much can you put in?” Honestly, if Qi Yanzhe opened a bar or a KTV, these guys would rush to join. But what about that Little Sweet Fruit thing? It seemed like just a video-sharing website! What kind of money could it make?

“Um… I’ll put in 500,000!” Someone started, and others quickly followed suit. “I’ll also put in 500,000!” “500,000 is no problem, Brother Ze, don’t worry!”

Qi Yanzhe looked at these guys, so angry he almost crushed his cue stick. These guys could easily put in five million each if they really wanted to. Now, 500,000 each? Even wedding money wasn’t this stingy; it was peanuts!

It was really predicted by that sour grape; this combined amount wasn’t even enough to buy a children’s animated show! He completely lost interest in playing billiards, slammed the cue stick on the table, and drove his sports car to his brother’s office.