Age of Legends

Chapter 295 Sigh
Shen Mingbo said, "How are his grades? I remember he and Wang Shuowei both didn't do very well."

Shen Nuo said, "That was before. He's a bit like me. One day he suddenly had an epiphany, and now his grades should be in the top 20 in the class. He should be able to get into a top university."

Shen Mingbo exclaimed, "Is this all thanks to you tutoring him?"

Shen Nuoyi said, "No, he's actually very smart. He just wasn't focused on his studies before. He can write excellent essays, has given speeches to the whole school, and has a lot of ideas. He's even working on computer games with graduates from the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China. And yet, his grades haven't suffered..."

"Making computer games?" Shen Mingbo looked at him with suspicion. "That's no simple feat. I've seen news reports about people making a lot of money from games. But the investment is huge, you know. Does he really have that kind of ability?"

"He just has a lot of novel ideas in his head. They make web games, which are different from those large-scale computer games, and they're low-budget. He often says that the most important thing about games is gameplay; graphics are secondary," Shen Nuo said.

"A game that can be published and make money? Even a low-budget game is amazing, especially since he's a high school student right now." Shen Mingbo revealed an "interesting" expression.

"I don't know if it makes money or not. It's probably just a hobby, something to do." Shen Nuoyi wasn't quite sure either. She didn't seem to have heard Zhang Chen mention how he planned to make money from this. He had only told her about the exchange and his ideas. As for setting up a studio or company, and his future plans, she didn't need to tell her father about those things. Saying too much would only make him think that it was unrealistic and impractical for a student to get involved in such things.

Shen Mingbo nodded, thinking that made sense. He would never believe that a high school student could create a popular computer game.

He wasn't exactly an old fogey; in fact, he had an engineering background and had been using computers for a long time. He was arguably one of the earliest internet users in China. The Shen family was among the first in Rongcheng to own computers. Back then, Shen Mingbo could design circuit boards and analog circuits on computers, and he was also adept at stock trading and playing games. During the Red Alert era, he was a regular at internet cafes. So he knew these things.

Shen Mingbo glanced at Shen Nuoyi and said, "I still remember that once when we were drying boiled peanuts on the rooftop balcony, Wang Shuowei invited Zhang Chen to come up to the rooftop and eat most of the peanuts that your mother had boiled for half a day. Was that the kid?"

Shen Nuo said, "He was a little mischievous when he was young... that was around the time."

"Wait a minute," Shen Mingbo said. "Last year, he was at our house, attending your birthday party, and he broke the crystal jewelry your mom bought for you while she was on a business trip. His mom even came to our house and paid over a thousand yuan in compensation! Your mom was so angry she didn't say a word all day. Is this kid going to ruin our family's finances...?"

Shen Nuo sat up straight, her voice slightly hurried, "Didn't we already lose money? My mom accepted it, so what's there to be angry about? He even got a beating."

After she finished speaking, she noticed that Shen Mingbo had been watching her reaction with a half-smile. Shen Nuoyi then came to her senses, coughed lightly, straightened her posture, looked away, and casually reached out to pick up the water glass on the table and took a sip.

After a brief silence between the two, Shen Mingbo turned around and said, "Sigh, no, can I say something bad about him?"

“Dad, you have a valid point, and no one is stopping you from saying it,” Shen Nuo said.

"Isn't my objective description accurate? Aren't the facts clear?"

“It’s clear and accurate, but to say it will cause our family to ‘lose money’ is going too far and is superstitious.” Shen Nuo’s voice was gentle, and when she mentioned the “losing money” thing, she gave him a slight sidelong glance, her tone subtly stubborn.

"Okay, okay, I only misspoke." Shen Mingbo looked around, then glared at his daughter. "If your mother hadn't been working overtime today, and was home, I doubt you'd be speaking this loudly."

Shen Nuoyi's long eyebrows furrowed slightly as she sat on the sofa in her slippers, pursing her lips without refuting or responding.

Shen Mingbo sighed, "Do you know what's going on with Zhang Chen's family right now? Her mother supposedly started a real estate company, and her father is now apparently the technical head of the joint venture factory with Nanguang. But it's hard to say. Nanguang has undergone several restructurings, and the market is very volatile right now. Maybe her father will be sidelined again next time. Besides, real estate companies may seem glamorous on the surface, but many of them are actually heavily indebted, with huge bank loans. If their cash flow is continuous, it's fine, but once it dries up, it's bankruptcy liquidation. It's like night and day..."

"Dad, can't you say something nice?" Shen Nuoyi said irritably.

After being scolded by his daughter, Shen Mingbo scratched his head and said, "I've just seen a lot of things in society."

Shen Nuo glanced at him and said, "Zhang Chen's parents' affairs are their own business. I think highly of Zhang Chen only because of him as a person, and it has little to do with his family."

Shen Mingbo nodded. He did think of Pei Yan's matter and felt a little emotional. As expected of his daughter, seeing Shen Nuoyi's confidence and clarity now, Shen Mingbo felt a sense of relief, but also some indescribable emotions.

He could only say, "I'm just asking today. You're all grown up now, you have your own judgment, and you've always been self-disciplined and sensible. If you think it's reliable, then it's fine."

Shen Nuoyi's eyes widened slightly, somewhat surprised by Shen Mingbo's statement. However, she felt a warmth and reassurance in her heart, and finally breathed a sigh of relief. She then said, "Dad, he... isn't someone who would make me back down. I have my goals, and I know Zhang Chen has his goals too. We will only encourage each other, not interfere with each other." Shen Mingbo rarely felt the warmth of seeing his children grow up and truly begin to spread their wings. Shen Nuoyi's words made him both gratified and ashamed.

He was gratified by her frankness and clarity, but also ashamed of himself as a father. It seemed that due to various constraints of reality, he had previously thought that if Shen Nuoyi and Pei Yan had not had problems, his future cooperation with Taixun Group could have continued smoothly for a long time without any further trouble.

The father and daughter heated up their food and ate, and did not discuss such topics again.

On a night before Ning Wenjing returned, Shen Mingbo stayed in his study, turned on a desk lamp. It was already dark outside, the curtains were half-drawn, and the room seemed to be shrouded in a light mist.

Last year's financial statements were spread out on his desk. Profits were shrinking, material costs were rising, and quota allocation was still uncertain. But he already knew in his heart that whether or not he could obtain a stable export quota never depended solely on technology and quality, but on who had the final say.

The person who "has the final say" is now called Liu Yan.

She is Pei Yan's mother.

If the art of cultivating personal relationships is crucial in such corporate collaborations, then the most important aspect of this collaboration lies in the relationship between Shen Nuoyi and Pei Yan and their future expectations.

At one point, Shen Mingbo also thought that as long as the children were in love and things naturally progressed, it would be a wonderful thing.

Pei Yan's family background, upbringing, outstanding academic performance, and unlimited potential... there's really nothing to criticize.

Although Liu Yan is ruthless, Taixun Group has thrived over the years, which shows that she has a good grasp of the business.

If Pei Yan takes the helm in the future, even if he doesn't rise to great heights, he will at least have a connection that will protect his family's small factory.

Therefore, even with the encouragement and subtle hints from relatives and friends, he tacitly accepted that this path might be the optimal solution of "going with the flow".

But today, in his conversation with his daughter, he could no longer see any trace of lingering affection for Pei Yan.

That was her independent and clear-headed judgment and choice.

She never wanted to rely on anyone's help, nor did she want to be "arranged" by anyone.

Shen Mingbo pushed the report aside, leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and unconsciously tapped his fingers on the table. He suddenly thought of the early days of his business, when there were no export quotas, the equipment was pieced together from various sources, and he relied on building relationships with a few old friends, pressuring for advanced technology, and betting on the market.

While running around the factory revising blueprints, he and his wife would calculate accounts and borrow interest late at night on the balcony. Back then, life felt like walking a tightrope.

No one can truly rely on anyone else for their entire life.

Shen Mingbo understands his daughter well. He can hear her evaluation of Zhang Chen: smart, not frivolous, responsible, and able to put his daughter at ease, saying, "He's not the kind of person who would make me back down." Her clarity, independence, and self-reliance make Shen Mingbo very proud.

If he were to interfere with his daughter's choices because of short-term gains and losses in reality—then what difference would he, Shen Mingbo, be from those who use their children to do favors and exchange resources?
He doesn't want to.

All he needs is the confidence to say "I support you" from behind after his daughter makes her decision.

Therefore, deep down he was unwilling to live under someone else's roof and rely on Taixun Group for a long time.

However, since the current relationship between the two parties depends on the established path, they are now like a small boat hanging beside the large ship of Taixun Group. If they really want to break away, where should they go?

...Shen Mingbo felt rather helpless and frustrated.

(End of this chapter)