Rebirth 04: Starting from Taking an Unconventional Approach

Chapter 174 Plan

Han Fei rubbed his chin: "What time tomorrow afternoon?"

"It officially starts at 2:30. I need to be backstage before 2:00 to prepare." Wen Shuyan took out a folded A4 sheet of paper from her bag, unfolded it, and handed it to Han Fei. "This is the schedule. Take a look."

Han Fei and Zhang Ruiyi quickly browsed through it.

"Are you going to speak again?" Zhang Ruiyi asked.

"It'll only take about ten minutes, it's mainly a formality. The dean has already reviewed the draft, and there are no problems."

Wen Shuyan looked down at the table.

"It sounds pretty formal," Zhang Ruiyi said. "Where are we going to sit? We're not going to be seated in the front row, are we?"

"No, not at all. The audience seating is open, and teachers and partners can sit wherever they like. The main thing is that for this kind of school-enterprise cooperation event, besides the leaders from the Education Commission, there will probably be quite a few representatives from cultural companies as well. I thought that since you're all in the content creation field, it's always good to get to know more people. Besides... in such a formal setting, I'd be a little nervous standing there alone. Having you all in the audience makes me feel more at ease."

Wen Shuyan was filled with shame and still dared not raise her head. She waited, listening to the noise coming from Fuzhou Road outside the window.

She swallowed hard and continued to wait.

"Okay, Sister Shuyan, let's go. But..." Zhang Ruiyi paused, "Uh... for such a formal occasion, with people from Wangyi there, I... I probably won't be able to go."

Wen Shuyan looked up at her with a questioning look.

Zhang Ruiyi glanced at Han Fei, as if seeking help, opening her mouth and then closing it again. Han Fei nodded meaningfully.

"Someone in Ruiyi's family works for a mobile company," Han Fei said, "and their identity is rather sensitive. It's not appropriate for her to appear at a public event with so many people, to avoid being recognized or causing unnecessary speculation. Don't overthink it, it's not about your school or this event. I'll go alone this time."

Wen Shuyan continued to look at Zhang Ruiyi, a rising sense of unease and shame making her cheeks burn. She wondered if she had put Zhang Ruiyi in a difficult position. Was she deliberately taking advantage of their kindness? She was an adult; why did she need someone to bolster her courage even in a normal work setting? Was she utterly useless? A pang of conscience gripped Wen Shuyan, like a criminal involuntarily attacked by self-loathing. But she began to remind herself not to show any unnatural reaction.

"It's alright, Ruiyi, it was my oversight. It's already great that Han Fei could come." She glanced at Han Fei. "Then... I'll trouble you to make the trip. Actually, it's just sitting in the audience and listening. There might be a simple Q&A session afterward, where you can give your business card to the people from the Education Commission or the school leaders. They occasionally need some cultural resources, so there might be some opportunities for cooperation in the future."

Han Fei and Zhang Ruiyi looked at Wen Shuyan.

"Okay, I'll head over tomorrow." Han Fei paused for a moment, "If there's anything else you need our help with, feel free to let us know. Don't treat us like outsiders."

"That's all. Thank you."

They were still looking at her.

"Um...right, Ruiyi," Wen Shuyan said, "You can't come to the daytime launch meeting, but there's a welcome concert tonight, it's an event for our own school, no company representatives. Didn't you say you wanted to hear it? The actual performance is much more complete than the rehearsals. Why don't you come to the school and listen together after the launch meeting?"

"That's great!" Zhang Ruiyi said excitedly. "I've been wanting to hear your official performance for a long time. Han Fei will go first this afternoon to set the stage for you, and I'll go to present you with the bouquet tonight. We'll divide the tasks clearly. Don't be nervous when you go on stage. Just imagine that everyone sitting in the audience is a pumpkin."

Wen Shuyan smiled quietly: "Okay, then I'm relieved. I'll be waiting for you tonight."

Chen Zhengyuan looked at the crystal chandelier on the ceiling, the crystals reflecting the Lenovo brand logo outside the window. So quiet. So cold.

"You can go now," he said.

He didn't look at her, only heard the sound of the comforter being pulled back, and then the sunken bed rising again. Then he heard her getting dressed. She picked up the banknotes from the bedside table and left the room, satisfied.

Chen Zhengyuan swirled the wine glass in his hand and checked his watch again. Less than a minute had passed. Damn, was he really getting old?

He took a large gulp, letting the whiskey swirl in his mouth, its strong yet mellow aroma filling his nostrils. He looked around. This luxury suite in the hotel near his residence was far inferior to the presidential suite at the Bund Source Hotel. But this kind of woman certainly wasn't worth him wasting too much money on a room. This kind of woman. Yes, this kind of woman. It was unbelievable that he had fallen so low as to need this kind of woman.

He poured some more wine.

Tomorrow will be different. Tomorrow will be his day. Since private invitations won't work, he'll use his power and connections to create a public occasion he can control, one that Wen Shuyan can't refuse to attend. Tomorrow, he can reappear before Wen Shuyan as a successful entrepreneur and a refined sponsor, leaving her with a completely different, professional impression.

The exchanges, photos, and even polite greetings at the launch meeting will all be cloaked in a work-related guise. To outsiders, this contact might seem perfectly acceptable, but for Wen Shuyan, it's an unspeakable form of psychological pressure. He knows Wen Shuyan is introverted and dislikes conflict; this slow, insidious approach will undoubtedly make her extremely uncomfortable. Chen Zhengyuan only needs to wait, wait for Wen Shuyan's defenses to crumble step by step, wait for her spirit to gradually collapse. In the end, there are only two possible outcomes.

One possibility is that Wen Shuyan takes the initiative to admit defeat and throws herself into his arms; the other is that Wen Shuyan finds it difficult to bear the situation alone and seeks help from others.

Either way, it's a first victory worth celebrating for Chen Zhengyuan. Because his victory isn't just for Wen Shuyan, but also for Qingniao.

As a publishing house, Chen Zhengyuan had no doubt about Qingniao's content production capabilities, but at the same time, he was very clear that technology was Qingniao's biggest weakness, and also the most irreplaceable and easily compromised corner of Qingniao's entire industrial empire. If Wen Shuyan was the leverage, then Wen Jie was the fulcrum.

Wen Jie is the technical lead at Qingniao, a key figure in building the entire SP business system. He has an encyclopedic understanding of the system's code, architecture, and even emergency handling. He is pure-hearted, focused on technology, and seems extremely loyal to Han Fei. However, his greatest emotional weakness is his older sister, Wen Shuyan.

If Chen Zhengyuan successfully approaches and wins over Wen Shuyan—whether through deception, coercion, or creating a fake romantic relationship—it will be a bombshell. As her younger brother, Wen Jie's inner world will instantly crumble upon discovering his sister is with a man with ulterior motives and who is also his boss's arch-enemy. He will be consumed by immense self-blame, anger, and pain; a technician in such a state is utterly unable to concentrate on work. Even if Wen Shuyan ultimately refuses to compromise, the same effect will be achieved when Wen Jie discovers what his sister is enduring alone.

When Wen Jie's mental state and family relationships are destroyed to a certain extent, that will be the best time for him to make his move. He will persuade Wen Jie to leave Qingniao under the pretense of doing what's best for Wen Shuyan, or he will force Wen Jie to leave Qingniao by making it a condition that Wen Jie stay away from Wen Shuyan.

At that point, Wen Jie will face a difficult choice: on one side are Han Fei and Qingniao, who treat him like brothers and have given him trust and a platform; on the other side is his beloved older sister, who may be manipulated or deceived by his emotions. This sense of being torn apart will be overwhelming for him. Even if Wen Jie doesn't come to join NetEase, if he takes leave due to personal issues, experiences a decline in performance, or even resigns, it will be a fatal blow to Qingniao.

Without Wen Jie, the core technical expert, Qingniao's SP business will face enormous risks. System maintenance, iterative updates, and handling technical glitches will all be impossible to manage. Business stagnation will directly lead to a sharp decline in revenue, user churn, and a loss of author confidence, subsequently triggering panic within the editorial team and the market. The collapse of this one corner of Qingniao's industrial empire will trigger a domino effect, ultimately causing its complete disintegration. If Chen Zhengyuan seizes this opportunity, he can reap the rewards effortlessly, incorporating the Qingniao team into the Wangyi Group in one fell swoop, fulfilling Ding Lei's pledge.

Chen Zhengyuan stood up and mixed himself another drink. Janssen whiskey with water—the perfect combination. He slowly sipped the whiskey, then lay back down.

Midnight was fast approaching. He closed his eyes, but sleep wouldn't come. He heard a couple busy in the next room. They sounded like they were doing something important, but the sounds weren't pleasant; they were just hoarse, monotonous cries, reminding him of the seagulls' calls on Jinshan City Beach. Then he heard police sirens piercing the night. Damn it! He tossed and turned. His back was stiff from sleeping on the soft bed. He definitely wouldn't sleep well here, and it wasn't just the bed. He'd never been to this hotel before; it was a completely unfamiliar place.

Wang Yu.

Wang Yu? He hadn't thought about her for days. Maybe it was because they hadn't been in contact for so long, maybe the relationship had ended too badly, or maybe he just didn't want to admit that her face had once stirred his heart. Wang Yu was probably sitting in her office at headquarters every day, writing a weekly report on Bluebird, and occasionally getting praised by Ding Lei in meetings, right? Damn it, she got all that by betraying him.

However, Chen Zhengyuan was thinking of Wang Yu at that moment. If those messy things hadn't happened, he should be lying with her at the Bund Source Hotel, with a warm, familiar body leaning against his back and an arm wrapped around him. Yes, after all this cold treatment, a little warmth would be welcome.

He checked his watch again and decided to drive home. He hated being alone in a strange house at night.

He lay in bed listening to the wild screams of the climax coming from the next room, then he got out of bed and quickly put on his clothes.

At 8:30 a.m., Han Fei, wearing a blue striped suit given to him by Zhang Ruiyi, walked into the office, covered in sweat.

.

"Wow," Zhang Ruiyi said, "Did the sun rise in the west today? Our President Han is wearing a suit without a tie, and he's sweating buckets."

Han Fei gave a wry smile: "Don't even mention it. I was thinking of saving myself some trouble by wearing a suit and going straight there this afternoon. Who knew it would be so hot in September? Looks like I'll have to go back and take a shower at noon."

Zhang Ruiyi chuckled and handed Han Fei a tissue: "Your shirt is soaked. Take off your jacket and wipe your sweat first, so you don't wrinkle your suit."

Han Fei took off his coat and felt sweat dripping down his back.

"Are you planning to have a chat with the Education Commission or school leaders at the launch meeting this afternoon?" Zhang Ruiyi asked.

"Hmm," Han Fei wiped away his sweat, "We'll definitely talk, but we won't talk too much."

"Why? Such a great opportunity, even people from the Education Commission are here."

"It's precisely because they're there that we can't be too deliberate. The main players in this kind of school-enterprise cooperation launch meeting are Wangyi and the school. If I, as the president of a publishing house who was invited as a friend to sit in, were to go up and hand out business cards and talk about cooperation, it would seem like I'm there to steal business."

Zhang Ruiyi nodded: "So what do you think you'll gain today?"

"What I've gained..." Han Fei frowned and said, "I mainly wanted to see how deep the cooperative relationship between NetEase and the school is, and what their attitude was today. Also, I wanted to hear the Education Commission's attitude towards cultural cooperation—whether they just want a superficial project or have genuine content needs. Finally... we can talk about something inconsequential, like whether our school's students have internship opportunities," or something like that, depending on the situation.

"I understand," Zhang Ruiyi said. "You think it's enough for the Education Commission to remember the name 'Qingniao' today, so that when they have cultural project bidding in the future, our name will come to mind. That's a good thing. As for the school, internship bases don't cost money and can help them improve their employment rate, so they can't be happier."

"That's right," Han Fei said with a smile, walking to his desk and sitting down in a chair. Zhang Ruiyi followed him, standing beside the desk and looking at Han Fei.

"Then...then you..." Zhang Ruiyi stammered.

Han Fei looked at her questioningly. "What's wrong?"

Zhang Ruiyi coughed hesitantly, "Um... after the launch meeting, you'll call me over as soon as possible, right?"

Han Fei was stunned; he had never seen Zhang Ruiyi speak so sweetly before.

"Of course." He chuckled a few times. "What are you thinking? Didn't we agree to go to the concert together tonight?"

Zhang Ruiyi smiled broadly. "Okay," she said softly, "Will you drive my car?"

Han Fei shook his head: "Driving your car, I do feel quite prestigious. But if I park your Alfa Romeo—one of the few you can find in all of Shanghai—at the school gate and happen to be seen by people from NetEase, or photographed by some media, what will they think?"

Zhang Ruiyi made a silent "oh" with her lips and nodded.

"So, your car is a strategic asset for us, and the license plate itself is a piece of information. It can't be revealed easily unless it's a critical moment. I'll go ask Lu Haiding how the draft is going and see if we can redeem my car this morning."