My capital is quite large.

Two days later, in Beijing.

Chen, the technical director of Haofeng Network, sat with his legal and investment teams in a slightly crowded conference room in an office building.

Opposite him were several members of the founding team of "Yoka Games", and the atmosphere seemed somewhat tense.

Old Chen originally thought that acquiring a card game startup with 20 million yuan in cash would be a piece of cake.

But when he arrived in Beijing to investigate, he realized he was too late.

"Mr. Chen, I'm so sorry."

Yoka's founder pushed up his glasses, looking troubled. "It's not that we look down on Haofeng Network's funds, but just last month, in June, Shanda Network's 'Bianfeng Games' beat us to the punch, investing in Yoka and taking away 30% of our shares."

"Currently, the PC version of 'Three Kingdoms Kill Online' is being technically supported by Shanda. We can't make that decision on your full acquisition; Shanda has to give their approval first."

Upon hearing the names "Shanda" and "Bianfeng," Old Chen's brows immediately furrowed.

Shanda is a long-established giant in the domestic PC game industry, and it's Chen Tianqiao's territory! Twenty million is definitely not enough to snatch any market share from them.

Old Chen didn't dare to make a decision on his own, so he immediately went outside the meeting room and dialed Li Feng's number.

"Mr. Li, something's gone wrong. In June, Shanda's subsidiary, Bianfeng, snatched the rights to 'Three Kingdoms Kill' and acquired a stake in it..." Old Chen reported the situation truthfully.

On the other end of the phone, Li Feng, who was far away in Shenzhen, only paused for a second before letting out a cold laugh.

"So what if it's Shanda? Bianfeng is just a pawn in Chen Tianqiao's hands right now. Their investment in Yoka is at most just a few million spent to cast a wide net and test the waters."

"In this world, there are no shares that can't be pried open, only offers that aren't aggressive enough!"

Li Feng's tone exuded absolute capitalist arrogance as he issued the order without hesitation:

"Old Chen, I'm raising your budget to fifty million!"

"Take 30 million to the person in charge of Bianfeng! Tell them that the few million they invested a month ago, I'm now taking over at several times the premium! Making over 10 million in quick cash a month—if their finance department isn't stupid, they'll definitely sign the contract!"

"I'll give you an extra 20 million to invest in Yoka's startup team! Not only will they get cashed out, but they'll also retain the operating rights of their independent studio and receive high year-end bonuses! As long as they agree to fully merge with Haofeng Network, they'll have unlimited access to the servers and marketing for 'Three Kingdoms Kill Online,' as well as their Weibo daily active users!"

That's the allure of overwhelming capital!

Faced with the irresistible allure of absolute premiums, any so-called business strategy appears pale and powerless.

Just 48 hours later, Lao Chen flew back to Shenzhen with a full acquisition contract in hand.

Faced with huge profits, the executives of Bianfeng Network did not hesitate to cash out and leave.

……

Inside the CEO's office.

"Mr. Li, Yoka's PC version of 'Three Kingdoms Kill Online' is basically complete. As long as it's integrated with our Weibo account system, we can launch the open beta next month," Old Chen reported.

"PC version alone is not enough."

Li Feng closed the file, his gaze fixed on the future. "Old Chen, have our mobile game department follow up immediately! I want you to develop iOS and Android mobile versions of 'Three Kingdoms Kill' simultaneously!"

"I want to achieve cross-platform data synchronization between PCs and mobile devices! So that college students can play on their computers at internet cafes, and then back in their dorms, lying in bed, they can still pull out their phones and continue playing!"

Interoperable between both platforms!

In 2009, this was a very forward-thinking concept, enough to squeeze every last drop of time from players.

"Understood! I'll get the mobile game department to approve the project right away!" Old Chen quickly wrote it down.

"Wait, there's something else." Li Feng called out to Old Chen, who was about to leave.

"Now that our overseas channels are open, let's send the overseas investment department to Stockholm, Sweden."

"Go find me an independent game developer named Marcus Persson."

Old Chen was taken aback: "Sweden? Independent developer? Mr. Li, does he have any major works in development?"

"A pixel sandbox game made up of individual mosaic blocks, called Minecraft."

Li Feng's eyes gleamed with a hunter's sharpness.

In the summer of 2009, this game, which was destined to become a global phenomenon, rake in hundreds of billions of dollars, and was eventually acquired by Microsoft for a staggering $25 billion, was still just an early beta version released on a niche forum!

That fat guy named Notch is probably still holed up in some run-down rented room, wrestling away at Java code.

"Bring five million dollars in cash when you meet him!"

"Tell him that Haofeng Network will not only acquire all the IP rights to 'Minecraft,' but also establish a dedicated independent studio for him, recruit a top-notch team, and grant him complete creative freedom!"

Five million dollars to buy a pixelated block game that's not even finished yet?

Although Old Chen couldn't understand his boss's thought process, he was used to obeying: "Yes! I'll send the overseas business team to Sweden right away!"

Watching Old Chen's departing figure, Li Feng leaned back comfortably in his chair.

The nail that "Three Kingdoms Kill" drove into the domestic PC social gaming market has been driven in, and the future gold mine "Minecraft" is about to be captured as well.

The territory of this business empire is becoming increasingly secure.

……

Meanwhile, in Yanjing (Beijing).

Inside a quiet, upscale members-only café.

Liu Yifei, wearing a low-key baseball cap and sunglasses, sat in a secluded corner by the window.

Sitting opposite her was Liu Shishi, who had just finished her figure class and was bare-faced but still exuded a beautiful charm.

Each of them had a delicately crafted latte art coffee and several slices of matcha mousse cake in front of them.

"Sister Yifei, what brings you here today? Why did you suddenly ask me out?"

Liu Shishi scooped a piece of cake with a small spoon and put it in her mouth, chewing it contentedly like a hamster, her eyes clear and bright. "Aren't you going to join the cast of Tsui Hark's movie soon? Have you finished reading the script?"

Liu Yifei took off his sunglasses and looked at the carefree girl in front of him. A trace of envy flashed through his heart, but more than that, he felt a complex mix of emotions that were hard to describe.

She picked up her coffee, took a sip, and took a deep breath, deciding to subtly probe the situation.

"I've almost finished reading the script, so I came out for some fresh air."

Liu Yifei stirred his coffee spoon without making a sound, casually bringing up the topic, "Shishi, have you been looking at Weibo lately? Mimi and Tangtang are really on fire lately, one became an ambassador for Dior, and the other became a Prada spokesperson, and they've even been on the covers of the five major women's magazines."

"Look! Honey and Sugar's photos are everywhere now, they're so cool!" Liu Shishi nodded repeatedly, her eyes full of innocent amazement.

"Then...aren't you curious?"

Liu Yifei leaned forward slightly, his clear, almond-shaped eyes filled with a hint of probing as he stared intently into Liu Shishi's eyes. "We all signed with Haofeng around the same time. In terms of fame and talent, you're no less than them. So why do all the top fashion endorsements and film opportunities go to those two?"

"Well……"

Liu Shishi paused for a moment, biting her spoon as she thought, and then answered matter-of-factly, "But... that was the boss's arrangement."

"Director Han said that the company has different career paths for each of us. Sister Mi and Tangtang are going for fashion and movies, while I'm going for leading lady roles in TV dramas. The boss has already cast me as the female lead in 'Scarlet Heart,' which I think is great. I'm very content."

Upon hearing this answer, Liu Yifei felt a lump in his throat, unable to swallow or breathe properly.

Route planning? Contentment?

Is this girl genuinely stupid or just pretending?

Liu Yifei bit his lower lip, deciding to be a little more explicit.

"Shishi, you've been in this industry for quite a while now."

Liu Yifei lowered his voice, leaning even closer to the table, "Do you really think that the boss is giving them those top-tier luxury brand endorsements that even A-list actresses can't get, simply because of the company's strategic planning?"

"Didn't you ever consider what other costs they might have paid to the boss behind the scenes?"

"Or rather..." Liu Yifei stared intently at Liu Shishi's changing expression, "Has the boss contacted you privately or hinted at anything during this time?"

Liu Shishi was a little confused by Liu Yifei's serious tone.

She blinked her large, clear eyes and shook her head blankly.

"No, Mr. Li is so busy, he doesn't even have time to visit the set, how could he possibly contact me privately?"

Liu Shishi seemed completely oblivious to the implication in Liu Yifei's words. Instead, she said with some admiration, "And I think the boss is a really upright and capable person! He gave us a 50/50 split contract and invested in big productions for us. He clearly values ​​our potential and wants to make money with us! Yifei, aren't you overthinking it?"

Looking into Liu Shishi's clear eyes, so clear that not a trace of gloom could be found.

Liu Yifei fell silent.

She got it.

The girl in front of me really doesn't understand.

She was too well protected, or rather, her inherent Buddhist-like indifference and dullness made her completely unaware of the dark web of desire and power surrounding her boss.

And the boss, Li Feng...

"So, he really didn't take the initiative to contact Shishi, nor did he take the initiative to contact me."

Liu Yifei smiled bitterly to himself, his last shred of hope completely shattered.

That man sat high above the clouds, holding resources in his hands that could drive anyone mad.

He doesn't force, hint, or take initiative.

He simply hung the bait high in the air, quietly waiting for those prey, driven mad by ambition, vanity, and a sense of crisis, to tear apart their dignity and willingly climb into his bed.

Yang Mi is like this, and so is Tang Yan.

And now, it's her turn.

She wanted to keep the "Fairy Sister" crown, wanted to hold the diamond-encrusted Weibo Queen trophy at the end of the year, and didn't want to be trampled underfoot by those daring women...

She has to take the initiative herself!

In this world of fame and fortune, aloofness is the cheapest form of burial.

"I see."

Liu Yifei suddenly stood up, put on sunglasses, and concealed all the struggle and cowardice in his eyes, leaving only a cold and resolute look.

"Sister Yifei, what's wrong? We haven't finished the cake yet..." Liu Shishi looked at Liu Yifei, who suddenly stood up, with a look of astonishment on her face.

"I have something to attend to, so I'll be going now."

Liu Yifei took out several hundred-yuan bills from his bag and placed them under his coffee cup. He then turned and walked out of the coffee shop with elegant and firm steps.

Watching that aloof figure disappear through the doorway, Liu Shishi bit her spoon, completely bewildered.

"Strange...why did he suddenly leave?"

She tilted her head blankly, completely unaware of what the conversation had meant, then lowered her head and continued eating the remaining matcha cake on her plate with a clear conscience.

"Mmm, this cake is really delicious."