Age of Legends

Chapter 317 Turning point
Do you think I'm useless... or am I holding you back?

Under the lights of the Western restaurant, Wu Yue's eyes were red, and her voice was full of grievance.

Liu Qi fiddled with the steak in front of him. When he saw her suddenly burst into tears, his knife and fork froze in mid-air. He shook his head helplessly and said, "What are you talking about now? When have I ever complained that you're useless?"

Wu Yue sniffed and said, "Didn't you say... you had faith in me, that you'd help me develop my career in Hong Kong and invest in media when the time was right? But now, I haven't even settled into my position at the provincial TV station, my program has failed... You've planned everything, but I..."

Liu Qi looked at the woman before him, whose features were undeniably beautiful and petite. Today, she was especially striking, dressed in a gown adorned with various gemstones and sequins, her movements as graceful as a peacock's, revealing her deliberate efforts to please him. Liu Qi smiled, a cold glint in his eyes: "Yue'er, you know me. I don't condemn someone to death for a single mistake. Back in the 90s, one of my subordinates made a grave error, almost ruining a crucial project for Yipin. The industry and commerce bureau came knocking, the police investigated, and the man was so frightened he wanted to resign, apologizing to me and saying he wouldn't tarnish my reputation. I didn't let him go. I wiped his record clean, gave him three months to clean up the mess, and what happened? He turned things around, secured the project's approval, and now he's my vice president and project director."

Wu Yue was stunned for a moment, looking at the man in front of her. His personal charm was undoubtedly very flamboyant.

Liu Qi placed the napkin on the table, his tone slow and firm: "The people I value will not be abandoned just because you stumble. But you must also understand that if you dare to betray me, I will show no mercy and will never forgive you!"

Wu Yue held his breath, his heart clenching suddenly, then filled with an intense sense of happiness and awe. He knew the ambition and shrewdness of the man before him, and firmly believed that one day, the world would know Liu Qi, and that he would be a legendary man.

Liu Qi didn't immediately banish Wu Yue to the sidelines. Even now, despite her serious mistake and the fact that many people outside Rongcheng disliked her as a host, Liu Qi's lack of resentment wasn't solely because she was his lover. He had a close friend a few years older than him when they were young. They worked odd jobs together, selling popsicles and pushing carts. Later, his friend was arrested for "stealing coal" and got into trouble. The factory didn't care, and Liu Qi watched helplessly as his friend died on a tattered stretcher.

On his deathbed, his brother told him, "You must live well and make something of yourself. Never be abandoned like I was."

The shock of that scene taught Liu Qi a valuable lesson: one must rely on oneself; without a way out, one will truly be devoured by society. Therefore, from then on, he always left a way out for those he considered his own people. This was also the reason he guaranteed Zhou Kaiping's debts back then.

As for Wu Yue's matter, he didn't think it was a big deal. With the overwhelming trend of the times, if he couldn't kill Zhao Tao this time, there would always be another chance.

Wu Yue looked at the man in front of her with adoration and longing, her heart filled with tenderness and affection. Then, the image of Jiang Rong's seductive face flashed through her mind, and suddenly, a wicked thought filled her. She remembered something and said, "There's something else, I think you should know… It's nothing much, just a rumor at the station…"

Liu Qi took a sip of black tea: "Speak."

"Don't you find it strange? Jiang Rong, that girl, has very little experience. She's practically a fresh graduate from university, yet she participated in the production of 'Emotional Whirlpool' on the city TV station. That program reached unprecedented popularity on the city station, so the production team was poached by Ding Shunhua from the provincial TV station, and they subsequently produced 'Emotional Mediation Room,' which is the predecessor of my program, and it also ranked in the top three in terms of popularity. She was relegated to an unpopular time slot, and she shouldn't have been able to rise to prominence. But then suddenly another program, 'Seven-Day Agreement,' came out. These programs are so vulgar, and they nitpick over such petty details that it's rumored that they weren't produced by Jiang Rong. Even back when Wang Bowen was in charge, there was someone else who was the planner... And you wouldn't believe who that person is in the rumors..."

Liu Qi stared at Wu Yue for a long time before saying, "Is he Huang Huifen's son, Zhang Chen, a senior at Yude High School?"

Wu Yue was utterly shocked: "You, you knew all along?"

Liu Qi said, "I guessed it. I've dealt with this kid before. He represented his mother in negotiations with me, and we managed to get a commercial usage rights transfer for over 30 million yuan. At that time, I could tell that Huang Huifen's son was no ordinary person. I also know the general outline of what happened after that. Wang Bowen, Chen Xuran, and Huang Huifen form a close-knit trio, with countless connections between them. Chen Xuran's extremely cautious attitude towards Zhang Chen further illustrates that this young man cannot be judged by his age. Plus, you just asked me, saying I couldn't guess. So I probably have a clue."

Wu Yue expressed her utmost trust in Liu Qi, nodding repeatedly: "This is no secret within their team. Wang Bowen's comeback with 'Emotional Whirlpool' was said to have been scripted by Zhang Chen. Later, when 'Seven Days' became a hit, even more people were saying that Zhang Chen gave the script to Jiang Rong, and they even hired a CCTV director to edit the footage! That's why this program caused such a stir!"

Liu Qi nodded. "I've said before that the Huang Huifen family is no ordinary family. Just look at how they rose to prominence. They lived a simple, honest life, but they were fortunate enough to ride the wave of the new millennium, seizing various opportunities. They thrived like fish in water; they had incredible luck." Liu Qi tapped his fingers rhythmically on the table, finally stopping, as if he had made up his mind. He looked up, his eyes filled with certainty and composure: "In the end, Huang Huifen is still the biggest threat. She's our real opponent. Although I have the land king, the land she acquired isn't far away. I'm afraid she'll develop it first, causing a stir and stealing our thunder."

"Therefore, we need to be quick. We must strike while the iron is hot and get the project moving as soon as possible."

……

Rumors always spread incredibly fast at school.

However, the initial source of this rumor seems to be Han Zhouxuan, who used to be Shen Nuoyi's closest friend.

Han Zhouxuan seemed to have learned something about Shen Nuoyi's father's company, and then it spread among her close friends. Since there was some overlap in their friendships, it eventually reached Yude's circle.

Whispers could be heard in the hallway and among some people.

"Have you heard? Shen Nuoyi's dad's company is in trouble, it seems like it's about to go bankrupt."

"No way, Shen Nuoyi may be low-key, but you can tell that he comes from a well-off family."

"Even if you have money, you can lose it overnight. My cousin's company went bankrupt just like that last year!"

"Ha, then will she still be able to get into Tsinghua University?"

"Those are two different things."

"The college entrance exam is coming up soon, it could really affect my mood..."

In this atmosphere, during breaks and in crowded places after class, some people looked at the girl with more sympathy, while others had a desire to explore and investigate.

However, Shen Nuoyi, the person involved, seemed as if nothing had happened and remained the same as always. In everyone's eyes, such a family tragedy would be a bolt from the blue if it happened to them.

She remained the same aloof and serene figure, calmly and nonchalantly going to and from school, engrossed in her books and notes, her focused expression making the rumors around her seem particularly insignificant and powerless.

　Thank you to Boss Lin of Xinghe Bookstore, Uncle Yong, Teasing Ghost on the Grave, and Big Hammer Spring for your generous donations.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)