Chapter 75

Chapter 75

The final two days of the summit were just as packed.

Luo Hanfeng, true to his word, showed continued interest in Lingjing Era and sent a formal invitation for a business meeting through official channels.

After the summit concluded, the meeting took place in a private room at a quiet business club.

Luo Hanfeng brought only one assistant, while Lingjing Era was represented by Wen Jueqian and Qi Yi.

Without much small talk, Luo Hanfeng got straight to the point, his tone steady and direct: "Lingjing Era's technical strength and the current market performance of Floating Life Realm speak for themselves. There's no question about that."

His gaze was calm and focused. "Holographic gaming is unlike anything we've seen before—it's pushing the boundaries of entertainment. There aren't many strong competitors in the market currently, and Floating Life Realm is the undisputed leader. I'm optimistic about its growth potential."

He paused briefly before continuing, "Beyond providing financial support, Huanying can open the door to a much broader platform for Lingjing Era. Based on that, we'd like to obtain a higher equity stake."

"Above 12%," he stated his terms.

Lingjing Era's current equity structure was fairly straightforward: Wen Jueqian, as founder and core producer, held 32%. Wen Yanxu, who initially invested heavily as an angel investor and once held the largest stake, later insisted on transferring most of his shares to Wen Jueqian under the pretext of "birthday gifts" and similar gestures—ultimately retaining 10% while Wen Jueqian's stake increased to 32%. CEO Qi Yi held 19%; Ruijia Capital, an early investor, held 15%; and the remaining early employees and partners collectively held approximately 24%.

Bringing in a new investor would inevitably require issuing additional shares.

After the share increase, 12% would make them the third-largest shareholder, tied with Ruijia Capital and second only to Wen Jueqian and Qi Yi—nearly matching Wen Yanxu's stake.

This was a stake that couldn't be ignored, one that would inevitably impact Lingjing Era's existing power structure.

Wen Jueqian and Qi Yi exchanged a glance—this was a scenario they had anticipated and planned for.

Qi Yi's tone was calm but firm. "President Luo, the percentage of shares is negotiable. Lingjing Era needs a partner like Huanying, and we appreciate the platform value you mentioned."

He changed tack, his gaze sharpening. "But correspondingly, there are two core principles we must spell out in the investment agreement. These are the foundation of our cooperation, and they're non-negotiable."

"First, the complete intellectual property rights and absolute control over core technology must remain entirely in the hands of Lingjing Era's founding team."

"Second, we're willing to offer board seats proportional to the shares we grant Huanying. However, for key decisions involving the company's long-term strategy, our founding team must retain final decision-making authority, or hold veto power."

This was the consensus Wen Jueqian and Qi Yi had reached before arriving—hard-earned lessons from the painful experiences of countless startups.

Too many promising startups, when bringing in investors, gave ground step by step on equity and decision-making power in exchange for quick capital. The outcomes were rarely good.

Floating Life Realm was something they had built from the ground up.

From a dozen or so people to a team of over a thousand today, Floating Life Realm was more than just a profitable project—it embodied their ideals.

Bringing in capital was a necessary step for the company's growth, but the company's core identity and future must remain in the hands of those who created it.

The partial decision-making rights attached to Ruijia Capital's 15% stake were a compromise made out of necessity in the early days—a legacy issue.

New investors couldn't be allowed to repeat that mistake.

Luo Hanfeng listened quietly, with a thoughtful expression, as if weighing Qi Yi's conditions.

In the end, he neither agreed nor refused, offering a response that left the door open for negotiation: "The two points President Qi raised—I understand and respect them. We can discuss them further down the line. Huanying is looking for a win-win outcome."

That evening, Qi Yi hosted a dinner at a restaurant in Cangguo City known for its creative fusion cuisine. The setting was elegant and private.

Besides Luo Hanfeng, several friends from the summit were invited—around a dozen people in total. The atmosphere was far more relaxed than the summit sessions and business meetings earlier that day.

During the meal, everyone chatted casually about industry developments.

Luo Hanfeng spoke little.

Wen Jueqian sat quietly beside Qi Yi, sipping the restaurant's house-brewed rice wine. It was mildly sweet and low in alcohol—well suited to someone like him who didn't hold his liquor well.

At some point, the conversation drifted from industry topics into more personal territory.

"President Wen." Luo Hanfeng suddenly turned the conversation toward Wen Jueqian, pulling him out of his slightly detached state. "I've seen you at various banquets before, but never found the right opportunity for a proper conversation. Today makes up for it."

Wen Jueqian looked up, met his gaze, and offered a polite smile, raising his glass in acknowledgment: "You're too kind, President Luo. There will be plenty more opportunities to talk in the future."

Luo Hanfeng raised his glass in return, took a sip, and set it down, speaking in a casual tone: "Speaking of which, the Luo and Wen families do have some history."

As two of the seven great families of the Federation, they'd had countless dealings—both cooperative and competitive—so "some history" was quite an understatement.

Luo Hanfeng seemed to be reminiscing, or perhaps casually bringing up an old matter: "A few years ago, when my father was chatting with the head of the Wen family, he half-jokingly suggested that Hanyu and the Young Master Wen were of similar age and complementary temperaments—why not join the two families through marriage? At the time, both parties thought it quite suitable—well-matched in status, and their Alpha-Omega compatibility was a good fit. But for some reason, the matter was never brought up again and simply faded away."

His tone was light, as if it were just an amusing anecdote from years past with no ulterior motive.

However, in this particular setting—in front of Wen Jueqian, the formally betrothed fiancé of Wen Yanxu—bringing this up felt like a veiled barb.

Wen Jueqian knew about this matter. It had even once led him to consider leaving Wen Yanxu.

But that was all in the past.

Years later, for Luo Hanfeng to publicly bring up that his Omega younger brother had once been considered a match for Wen Yanxu was, in effect, a slap in Wen Jueqian's face.

The atmosphere at the table instantly became tense and awkward.

Several friends exchanged uneasy glances, unsure how to respond.

Qi Yi frowned, looking at Luo Hanfeng with a hint of displeasure in his eyes.

Wen Jueqian's fingers tightened around his wine glass.

Luo Hanfeng's gaze behind his glasses was candid, as if he were truly just casually recalling old times with no intention of humiliating anyone.

But Wen Jueqian wasn't buying it.

With Luo Hanfeng's emotional intelligence, there was no way he didn't know how sensitive this topic was in this context.

Luo Hanfeng looked at Wen Jueqian and suddenly smiled: "I've always wondered why Young Master Wen made that choice."

His gaze settled on Wen Jueqian's striking face, his tone full of appreciation:

"As a fellow Beta, I understand better than most how much more effort we have to put in to accomplish anything in this world compared to Alphas. In every aspect of life."

"And President Wen, you're a few years younger than me." He spoke slowly. "So, to be honest, I genuinely admire you. Not only did you seize the moment when holographic gaming exploded, creating a product like Floating Life Realm that's both critically acclaimed and commercially successful—but more importantly, you've stayed true to your principles throughout. That's no small feat."

He raised his glass again toward Wen Jueqian: "Those baseless rumors going around shouldn't be taken at face value. You and the Young Master Wen are a perfect pair. Hanyu not being able to marry into the Wen family may not have been a bad thing—you can't force these things. You two are truly a match made in heaven."

This speech not only dissolved the earlier awkwardness but also put Wen Jueqian in a highly respected and recognized position.

The tense atmosphere at the table instantly relaxed, and the others looked relieved and nodded in agreement.

Wen Jueqian studied Luo Hanfeng in turn.

He didn't know how much of this was sincere and how much was just empty words.

But Luo Hanfeng had offered an olive branch.

A polite smile also appeared on his face as he lightly clinked glasses with Luo Hanfeng.

Wen Jueqian's attitude didn't change because of what was just said—still polite and measured. "You're too kind, President Luo. I really don't deserve that kind of praise. Lingjing Era is still in its early stages, and there's still a long way to go and a lot to learn. I'll need to learn from seasoned veterans like you going forward."

He casually shifted the conversation away from personal topics: "As for fate, like you said, you can't force it. Between Axu and me, we just happened to have a little extra of it."

Not wanting to dwell on it, he turned the question elsewhere: "Speaking of your little brother, Luo Hanyu, I saw recently that his new drama is on air. His period costume look is stunning."

When his beloved younger brother came up, Luo Hanfeng's face instantly showed pure affection and pride.

He smiled, his eyes lighting up. "Yeah, it's a period drama. He spent over half a year preparing for that role and went through a lot, but luckily, the final product turned out great."

"Then I'll definitely have to check it out sometime." Wen Jueqian responded politely.

Qi Yi smoothly picked up the conversation, smiling as he mentioned he'd caught a couple of episodes, praising Luo Hanyu's subtle acting and how well he nailed the character, bringing the mood back to something light and easy.

Luo Hanfeng was clearly glad to talk about his brother, and he followed Qi Yi's lead and shared a few more funny stories.

Wen Jueqian listened quietly, watching the gentle look that naturally came over Luo Hanfeng's face when he spoke of his brother, yet a faint, complicated feeling stirred in his chest.

It was exactly because of this wholehearted doting that, in the "future" storyline, Luo Hanfeng would keep siding with his brother, stick up for him, use his resources to crush Qiao Yuexun, and eventually sink step by step into the abyss, dragging himself down with him.

At that thought, a faint hint of self-mockery flickered through Wen Jueqian's mind.

At least the brothers had survived; even though the Luo family had pushed them aside, they hadn't completely cut them off.

And what about him? In that "future," he'd ended up with nothing and been desperate enough to take his own life.

Even though things seemed to be getting better now, and he'd already changed a good chunk of the predetermined plot.

But could he still change the "future" that involved more people and bigger players?

For the rest of the meal, Wen Jueqian ate a bit distractedly.

The next day, he headed back to Yinmian City with Qi Yi.

Wen Jueqian had just come out of the terminal when he spotted Chen Suye waiting outside.

A little surprised, Wen Jueqian slowed his steps slightly. Wen Yanxu hadn't told him ahead of time that he'd have Chen Suye pick him up.

Chen Suye spotted him too and quickly rushed over. "Mr. Wen, you must've had a long trip."

"Thanks for the trouble, Executive Assistant Chen." Wen Jueqian nodded, handing over his suitcase, but his eyes unconsciously scanned behind Chen Suye, not spotting the familiar tall figure.

The faint hope in his heart quietly faded, yet he felt it was to be expected—Wen Yanxu had already squeezed time out of his busy schedule to see him off before; how could he come pick him up in person now?

He said a quick goodbye to Qi Yi beside him, agreeing to meet at the office tomorrow, and followed Chen Suye toward where the aircraft was parked.

But as soon as he got on, he found that besides the driver and bodyguard, there was actually someone else sitting inside.

Wen Yanxu.

He was looking down at his light brain, looking focused.

As if he just happened to be sitting there doing work, not waiting on purpose.

Wen Jueqian was briefly stunned and blurted out, "Why are you here?"

Wen Yanxu looked up at the sound and said flatly, "I was passing by after work, so I came over."

Chen Suye in the front seat twitched the corner of his mouth, silently raising the partition, but couldn't help grumbling inwardly: Passing by? After work? Boss, I arranged your schedule today—who was it that asked me a day in advance to clear tonight's time? So it was all to "pass by" and pick up your fiancé...

The partition fully rose, dividing the space where the two were into a completely independent, private area.

With only the two of them left, Wen Jueqian suddenly didn't know what to say.

"Did the summit go smoothly?" Wen Yanxu broke the silence first, his gaze still on the light brain, as if merely asking casually.

"Mm." Wen Jueqian replied simply, which was indeed the case—aside from the unpleasantness brought by Meng Linwan on the first day, the remaining days had gone fairly smoothly.

Wen Jueqian added, "I had a preliminary discussion with Luo Hanfeng from Huanying. They're interested in investing, but their demands are quite high."

"Huanying's investment?" Wen Yanxu's tone was unreadable. "Does Lingjing Era urgently need investment right now?"

"Mm, mainly because the platform resources Huanying can bring would give Fusheng Realm better prospects for future development," Wen Jueqian nodded.

He expected Wen Yanxu to ask more details about the summit or the investment, but he didn't. The cabin fell quiet for a while, and just as Wen Jueqian thought the conversation had ended, Wen Yanxu suddenly shut down his light brain, looked at him calmly, and said, "If the conditions Luo Hanfeng offers are too harsh, I can increase the investment, and I'll also arrange the corresponding platform resources for you."

"As compensation, have dinner with me tonight. I've already booked the restaurant."

Wen Jueqian looked at him, somewhat puzzled, not understanding what Wen Yanxu meant by this.

99, still residing in Wen Jueqian's body, couldn't help but complain, "This compensation doesn't match his effort at all."

Wen Yanxu explained with a composed expression, "Recently, there have been some external remarks questioning the stability of our relationship. We need to appear together appropriately to dispel these baseless rumors."

In his words, it truly seemed like just another work item on the schedule.

As soon as he finished speaking, 99 immediately said, "Qianqian, I think he's lying to you. What dispelling rumors? That's just an excuse! He just wants to have dinner with you!"

Wen Jueqian's eyelashes trembled slightly. He didn't respond to 99, nor did he directly agree to Wen Yanxu. Instead, he asked softly in return, "Why do we need to deliberately dispel these rumors? Does the stability of our relationship directly affect Aegis's stock price, or relate to the Wen family's reputation?"

His question was blunt, even sharp. As 99 had said, if Wen Yanxu just wanted to have dinner with him, Wen Jueqian would have preferred a direct invitation.

Wen Yanxu seemed not to have expected such a question. He was silent for a few seconds.

Then, in a calm and rational tone, he replied, "Of course it has an impact. For me, a stable, harmonious, and publicly recognized family relationship and partner image are important components of my personal image and sense of social responsibility. This indirectly affects investors', partners', and even the public's confidence assessment of me and the industries I represent. A stable private relationship means fewer uncontrollable risks, more focused energy investment, and a better public image. This is by no means trivial."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the ring on Wen Jueqian's ring finger, and his tone grew more certain. "So, this is not a meaningless act. As my fiancé, maintaining the public image of stability in our relationship is one of your obligations."

Wen Jueqian listened quietly, his gaze fixed unwaveringly on him, as if trying to see into the truest thoughts in his heart.

"Is that so?" Wen Jueqian asked softly. "It sounds like the reasoning is quite thorough. For such high-sounding reasons, I really should fulfill my obligations as your fiancé."

As he said this, Wen Jueqian's tone remained a calm statement, even carrying a hint of obedient compliance.

A flicker of discomfort passed through Wen Yanxu's eyes, but he quickly concealed it and affirmed, "Mm, that's all."

Hearing his admission, Wen Jueqian could barely suppress his feelings and asked sarcastically, "Then should I treat this dinner as work? Don't we need to rehearse in advance?"

His emotions were too apparent, and Wen Yanxu understood—Wen Jueqian was... angry.

The aircraft slowly came to a stop. Wen Jueqian didn't wait for Wen Yanxu's reply and got off directly.

Wen Yanxu had booked a top-tier restaurant.

A waiter was already waiting respectfully outside the door. Seeing the two arrive, he immediately led them inside.

The restaurant's lighting was soft, and looking around, aside from the waiters, it was completely empty.

Wen Jueqian: "You booked out the whole place?"

"Mm." Wen Yanxu hummed in acknowledgment.

Wen Jueqian followed him to the reserved table and said, "Then there's no audience, is there? How is this performance to dispel rumors supposed to spread? CEO Wen, are you planning to livestream this dinner for everyone?"

His questions came rapid-fire, each one dripping with sarcasm.

Wen Yanxu didn't pause his steps. He pulled out the chair for Wen Jueqian, then walked around to take his own seat across from him, showing no sign of being rattled by the questions: "Don't worry about spreading the word. I've already got it covered."

Seeing Wen Jueqian turn his face to the window to avoid his gaze, Wen Yanxu added, "No performance needed. Dispelling the rumors is just a bonus. All you need to do is just enjoy this dinner."

99: "So extra."

Only then did Wen Jueqian turn his head, locking eyes with Wen Yanxu: "Enjoy it how? Don't I still have a duty to perform?"

"No obligations." With that, he didn't let Wen Jueqian get another word in and directly called over the waiter.

But Wen Jueqian caught a flicker of awkwardness beneath his calm facade and decided to cut Wen Yanxu some slack for now.

After days on the road for business, he was genuinely exhausted.

Since Wen Yanxu had gone to all this trouble for dinner, whatever the reason, he decided to push those tangled thoughts aside and just savor the meal.

The waiter quietly came over and ran through the signature dishes.

Wen Jueqian didn't hold back and ordered what he wanted.

Only then did he take a moment to look around the restaurant.

The ceiling was made of special transparent glass with holographic projection tech, seamlessly blending the real night sky outside with the simulated star river above—like dining under the actual stars.

The food came fast, and it was absolutely stunning.

Throughout the meal, the two barely said a word to each other. Wen Jueqian ate in silence, savoring every bite, watching the man across from him look even more striking under the starlight. The resentment in his heart slowly melted away in the serene, beautiful atmosphere.

Fine, he'd chalk it up to Wen Yanxu's brain being scrambled by that seal and forgive him for now.

If he could ignore those awkward excuses from earlier, this dinner was truly flawless.

As dinner wound down, a robot wheeled over a fancy cart carrying a big, beautifully wrapped bouquet of baby's breath and blue roses.

The robot held the bouquet out to Wen Jueqian.

A little surprised, Wen Jueqian glanced at Wen Yanxu, who just gestured for him to take it.

Wen Jueqian took the fragrant bouquet.

Only then did he notice an elegant gift box nestled in the center of the flowers, tied with a ribbon.

"This is?" Wen Jueqian asked.

"A gift for you. Go ahead, open it." Wen Yanxu was brief.

Wen Jueqian carefully set the bouquet aside, picked up the little box, and untied the ribbon.

Inside wasn't jewelry—it was a USB drive.

"Aegis's neuroscience research institute just developed a new holographic neural interaction tech," Wen Yanxu explained. "I bought the full technical usage rights for the patent period. For the next 80 years, you're free to use and develop it."

Wen Jueqian couldn't hide the surprise he felt.

He'd heard of this tech—it was one of Aegis's core breakthroughs in holographic devices and interactive tech, designed to solve key pain points in the current holographic experience.

This was exactly what *Floating Life Realm* needed for its next tech upgrade and to boost the player experience.

He and Qi Yi had just been discussing how when Aegis sold the patent rights for this tech, the first batch of clients would definitely be the big corporations. Getting a tech license or collaborating on development would definitely be a huge hassle.

And now, Wen Yanxu had just handed it to him as a gift.

He had no idea how Wen Yanxu had found out about *Floating Life Realm* and his need for this tech.

But none of that mattered now.

No matter what excuse Wen Yanxu used to dress up tonight, this gift meant a hell of a lot to him.

Wen Jueqian opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but neither thanks nor questions were what he really wanted to say right now.

In the end, Wen Jueqian walked up to Wen Yanxu and kissed him before he could react.

It was just a quick peck, then he pulled back with a bright smile: "That's my thank-you gift."

Wen Yanxu's gaze lingered on his lips for two seconds before he let out an "Mm" and looked away, like nothing had happened.

==========Author's Note:==========

Spent days carefully planning a romantic dinner and surprise gift, then on the actual date told his beloved: This is just an obligation.

Guess if CEO Wen, with a mouth this stubborn, will end up in relationship hell trying to win him back?