Chapter 151: A Convenient Meeting?
“Alright, I’ll wait for you at Tomson Riviera.” Lu Jingyao’s tone was filled with helplessness.
Xu Youyou hung up the phone, still feeling a bit puzzled. Lu Jingyao had always been concise and to the point, so why did he sound so awkward now—like someone forcing a conversation despite having nothing to say?
That thought only lingered in her mind for a moment before she brushed it aside, immersing herself once again in the manuscript reviews of Old Master Zhang.
Xu Youyou took a private jet for her return trip as usual. However, this time, she had a lot more luggage. She had arranged for all of Old Master Zhang’s manuscripts to be carefully packed and transported back to Shanghai with her.
Shortly after the plane took off, someone discovered the old shantytown alley.
“What did you say? Your father is gone? Then what about all the books in his house?” The speaker was a man of the same generation as Old Master Zhang. However, due to his years of living in comfort, he looked much younger than the late Zhang.
Whether it was his neatly combed-back hair, his well-tailored custom coat, or the expensive watch on his wrist, everything about him seemed out of place in the filthy, chaotic alley.
The middle-aged man who had previously tried to extort Xu Youyou glanced enviously at the elderly man’s watch. Shrinking his neck, he explained, “Uncle Wang, I sold everything my dad left behind.”
“Sold? Were you really that desperate for money?” Wang Qianshu’s voice suddenly rose in anger.
The middle-aged man muttered, “I thought the price was fair…”
Wang Qianshu was so furious he almost passed out. He had only gone abroad for an academic exchange for a week, yet not only was Old Zhang gone, but everything he left behind had also vanished. Unable to contain his rage, he snapped, “Do you even know what you just sold? You useless fool!”
The middle-aged man felt wronged. The moment this old man showed up, he started yelling without even offering condolences. Watching Wang Qianshu storm off angrily, he spat in his direction. “Stingy old man! Dream on if you think you can profit off my dad!”
—
The car pulled up at Tomson Riviera. The housekeepers had already prepared a warm bath, even lighting some incense.
Someone was already waiting at home.
Xu Youyou organized her personal belongings while leaving the rest to the maids. The professional document photocopier she had ordered had also arrived. She didn’t let anyone else handle it—personally making a copy of the manuscript before handing it to Lu Jingyao.
Lu Jingyao accepted it as if it were a priceless treasure.
After a refreshing bath, Xu Youyou felt completely rejuvenated. Yet, Lu Jingyao was still sitting in her small lounge, staring intently at the manuscript copy.
Suddenly, he asked, “Has Peter contacted you recently?”
Xu Youyou paused for a moment, trying to recall who that was. Back when she was overseas, she had invested in a gaming company and had even borrowed Lu Jingyao’s negotiation team to acquire some shares.
After returning to China, Peter would occasionally contact her, but it was always for one reason—asking for money, like a college student constantly calling their parents for an allowance.
She had wired money several times, increasing her investment from an initial $20 million to $50 million. Though her stake grew accordingly, she hadn’t seen any concrete results yet. If she didn’t already know that Peter had been successful in her past life, she might’ve thought she had fallen into an investment scam.
“Peter’s game launched three days ago,” Lu Jingyao informed her.
Xu Youyou glanced at her phone and found an email from Peter from about five days ago, mentioning the game’s upcoming release.
“Even though it just launched, the user retention rate is extremely high. The game is going viral on overseas social media. The last game to achieve such success was Island Survival three years ago.”
Xu Youyou had vaguely heard of Island Survival. At the time, she had been busy with part-time jobs, but her classmates had been obsessed with it.
Lu Jingyao explained further, “Island Survival peaked at $160 million in monthly revenue.”
Xu Youyou: !!!
Lu Jingyao continued, “My company is planning to secure exclusive distribution rights for this game in China.”
Xu Youyou immediately asked, “Do you need me to introduce you?”
Lu Jingyao nodded slightly. “It would be ideal if you’re willing.”
Back when they were abroad, he had considered investing as well, but since Xu Youyou had taken the initiative first, he refrained from making a move to avoid giving Peter too much leverage.
Just then, Xu Youyou’s phone chimed.
She had received another email—this time from Peter.
“You don’t have to introduce me to Peter. He just emailed me, asking me to handle the Chinese distributor negotiations.”
Lu Jingyao hadn’t expected things to align so perfectly.
“I don’t know much about gaming. Just make an offer that makes sense,” Xu Youyou said casually.
Lu Jingyao immediately turned serious. “Business is business. Personal relationships are personal. They shouldn’t be mixed.”
Xu Youyou felt a headache coming on. She had never been a gamer and didn’t know the market. Finding an industry expert on short notice wouldn’t be easy either.
Although she was willing to give Lu Jingyao an advantage, she trusted him not to offer her an unfairly low price.
Lu Jingyao suggested, “Why don’t I discuss this with Xie Ran?”
Xu Youyou’s eyes lit up. To her, Xie Ran was a six-dimensional powerhouse—capable of handling anything.
Since he had returned to Shanghai before her and lived nearby, he arrived within twenty minutes.
True to expectations, Xie Ran was well-versed in the gaming industry. Keeping his tone as objective as possible, he explained:
“There are two major gaming distributors in China: Qihang Games, under the Lu Corporation, and Xingyao Games, under the Star Diamond Group. While smaller agencies exist, none have the promotional power of these two giants.”
Xu Youyou frowned the moment she heard Star Diamond. “Star Diamond is not an option.”
Just as she finished speaking, her phone rang.
“Hello, Miss Xu. This is Li Huairen, director of overseas games at Xingyao Games. I’d like to discuss the distribution rights for Pinnacle Battle in China. Are you in Shanghai? Would you be available for a meeting at our headquarters tomorrow at 10 AM? The meeting is scheduled for the 15th-floor conference room. We hope to see you there.”
Xu Youyou frowned slightly. His tone seemed polite, yet it carried an air of authority, as if refusing was not an option.
“Not interested,” she replied flatly.
“Miss Xu, perhaps you didn’t hear me clearly. We are Xingyao Games, backed by the Star Diamond Group. No one in China will offer a higher price than us—”
Before he could finish, Xu Youyou hung up and turned to Xie Ran. “I’ve rejected Xingyao. You and Mr. Lu can negotiate the deal.”
Xie Ran’s voice was hoarse. “You didn’t even ask for their offer?”
Xu Youyou replied matter-of-factly, “There’s nothing to ask. I’d rather lose money than sell to them.”
Xie Ran felt as if a wet cotton ball was stuck in his throat. As one of China’s biggest gaming giants, Xingyao would have been the best financial choice—if not for his history with its parent company, Star Diamond.
He barely managed to choke out a thank you.
Xu Youyou clapped him on the shoulder. “No need for thanks. Your enemies are my enemies! Even if I lose money, I won’t sell to them!”
