Chapter Thirty-Six: Investment and Intrigue (Please Bookmark)

“I can’t accept this ten million. I didn’t save Brother Jiang for the money.” After some thought, Zhou Xuan decided he couldn’t take the money outright, but he could accept it as an investment in the internet café management system company he was about to start, in exchange for a share of the company. Starting a business would require some capital, and bringing them in to earn money together would only strengthen their relationship.

“I need some funds to start a company soon. How about this—let’s treat the ten million as an investment from the three of you.”

Hearing Zhou Xuan refuse, Deng Cheng looked at him in disbelief—he had never met someone who wasn’t interested in money. Wang Ximing and Jiang Yun’s eyes, however, lit up as they seemed to consider Zhou Xuan’s proposal.

From what they knew, Zhou Xuan was a top student and a rare genius. He had great potential, which was why the three of them were eager to befriend him. If Zhou Xuan had been an ordinary person, they might have just given him some money and lent a helping hand now and then. Their interest in Zhou Xuan wasn’t just because he had saved Jiang Yun; Jiang Yun also believed Zhou Xuan had a bright future, and befriending him was an investment in itself.

Still, they only knew him as a genius so far, and now, hearing that he was starting a company and declined a ten million reward in favor of equity, they were surprised. If Zhou Xuan had planned this from the start, his calculation was impressive—and the reasoning left them no room to refuse.

Jiang Yun smiled. “I didn’t expect you to be not only a talented novelist but also a budding entrepreneur. What kind of company are you starting? I majored in International Economics and Trade in university. Could you tell us more about it?”

“Of course.”

Zhou Xuan then briefly explained the promotion of the internet café management system and the explosive growth of internet cafés anticipated in the coming years. If their system could cover half the cafés in the country, it would be incredibly valuable. The sale of prepaid game cards, offline e-sports, and advertising would all rely on the tens of thousands of internet cafés connected by their system.

“If we can promote this to ten thousand cafés, that’s a profit of twenty to thirty million! But the country is vast—there are three to four thousand county-level districts, and even if each has only ten cafés, that’s a market of tens of thousands.”

The three of them were stunned by the size of this opportunity—a cake soon to be ready in a year or two, yet no one had their eye on the café management system.

Even Deng Cheng, whose father was worth a billion, was taken aback. They were not only amazed by Zhou Xuan’s self-taught programming skills but also by his remarkable insight into the internet—everything he said just made sense.

They discussed the investment and finally settled on the three of them contributing ten million in exchange for thirty percent of the company. The shares would be in Deng Cheng’s name, as it wasn’t suitable for Wang Ximing or Jiang Yun. Zhou Xuan would hold seventy percent with his technology and the management system, and be responsible for running the company.

Seeing the three agree, Zhou Xuan was delighted. Though this café management system was just a small business, it was crucial—a key channel for game promotion during the gaming boom after 2000.

That evening, the group enjoyed hotpot and drinks together, savoring the flavors of Rongzhou. Everyone praised the meal.

During dinner, Deng Cheng asked about fun places in Rongzhou, hoping to relax the next day. Zhou Xuan thought for a moment and mentioned an ancient town upstream of the county known for its famous pork dishes, as well as Ningcheng’s bamboo sea and Xingwen’s Stone Forest, both renowned scenic spots.

The group immediately pointed out that the bamboo sea was best for escaping the summer heat, so the Stone Forest was a better choice, especially with its caves. They all agreed to visit Xingwen’s Stone Forest the next day. Zhou Xuan thought it was a good idea and decided to bring his little sister along—she hadn’t traveled much before.

That night, Zhou Xuan rode his bike home and picked up his sister. She was thrilled at the news. They returned to the county before nine-thirty, and Zhou Xuan headed straight to the clothing store.

“Weren’t you out discussing business today? Why did you bring your sister?” asked their father when he saw Zhou Xuan holding her hand.

“Mom, Dad—some friends are driving to the Stone Forest tomorrow and invited me along. I brought my sister so she could come too. She’s never traveled before,” Zhou Xuan said, patting his sister’s head with a smile.

“Mom, my brother is the best!” his sister grinned, happily munching on a lollipop.

“Be careful out there and come back early,” their father reminded them as he tidied up the clothes.

“Don’t worry, we’ll be home in a day,” Zhou Xuan replied.

The next morning at half past seven, Jiang Yun and the others arrived by car. After breakfast, they set off for Xingwen.

The Stone Forest was indeed stunning, with jagged peaks, unique rocks, and many caves filled with beautiful stalactites.

His sister was lively and chirping like a little sparrow the whole way, utterly adorable. The others all took a liking to the little girl, buying her plenty of treats. She made new friends, ate delicious food, saw all kinds of novelties, and was overjoyed.

In the afternoon, as they continued their tour, Zhou Xuan received a call from Wei Xiyue. He’d thought the Xiling Publishing House had agreed to his terms, but instead, he was met with news that made him furious.

“Hello, Chief Editor Wei, have you come to a decision so quickly?” Zhou Xuan assumed this call meant Xiling had finalized their offer for The Love of Hawthorn Tree.

“Zhou Xuan, I’m sorry, you might be disappointed. The team rejected your terms—they think fifteen percent royalties are too high. Without film and TV rights, they can only offer up to ten percent. And you may not know, but things have changed dramatically today. Zhongzhou Publishing has gone mad and, like Northern Publishing, has joined the campaign to discredit Ming Dynasty Stories. Our advantage from a few days ago is gone. Now, some in the publishing house are questioning our support for Ming Dynasty Stories and want to cancel all promotion. Even the bet agreement we signed with you is being scrutinized—some suspect inside dealing,” Wei Xiyue said, clearly frustrated. “I’m overwhelmed. Even the early royalty payment we promised you is now delayed.”

“What? How could this happen?” The situation had flipped overnight, and Zhou Xuan was suddenly uneasy.

He recalled rejecting Zhongzhou’s offer yesterday and then Xiling’s. Now Xiling was in turmoil, and Zhongzhou had shifted from neutrality to siding with the North. The speed of this change was incredible—almost beyond belief. Zhou Xuan sensed a deep conspiracy at play. Wei Xiyue’s words also sounded threatening, alluding to “others’ opposition.”

But Wei was the chief editor, and the director was in charge—who else could object? The bet agreement had been made on Wei’s sole authority. Now this story, as if he could be so easily convinced.

Seeing Zhou Xuan’s furrowed brow after the call, deep in thought, Deng Cheng couldn’t help but ask, “Zhou Xuan, did something happen?”