Chapter 14
“There are many other scripts as well, we can take a look at more,” Wang Yi’s attitude matched his gentle appearance—calm and non-aggressive, favoring cautious and conservative investments.
Jiang Shangwan went with him to review several more scripts. Among them was a big IP with built-in popularity: a tragic romance fantasy involving a complicated entanglement between a master and disciple. The story’s logic was very clear, with obvious highlights. The main plot was divided into two lines: one where the master upholds justice but ends up saving a villainous young disciple, the other where the disciple is poisoned, has little time left, is killed by the master’s own hand, reincarnates, falls in love with the master, and then turns against him.
The plot was indeed impressive. It was clear the author put a lot of effort into character portrayal and designing conflicts, so this script actually had a solid base of popularity.
“But I’m not optimistic about it,” Jiang Shangwan said, showing little interest. “The fantasy martial arts genre has already struggled to maintain freshness for audiences. I don’t think it will capture much market share.”
“Indeed.” Wang Yi hesitated briefly and nodded. Actually, he was somewhat interested because of the big IP, he thought that having fans guaranteed at least some baseline return.
“Fans love the original screenplay’s story, not the adapted film or TV version,” Jiang Shangwan said. “If the actors are poorly chosen and the script is butchered in adaptation, fans will turn into a sharp sword aimed right back, mercilessly tearing it apart.”
“Makes sense.”
Someone nearby raised their voice slightly, surprised: “Who is that? They look so young, like a student, and unfamiliar. How did they get in here?”
Following their gaze and tone, Jiang Shangwan looked over and saw a slender figure wearing a thin black hooded sweatshirt, gray sports shorts, and sneakers.
…?
Isn’t that Shi Yu? How did he come all the way to Kuanshi? Isn’t he studying in Jiangcheng?
Jiang Shangwan almost thought she was mistaken, but the round back of the head was just too familiar. She walked over in heels and tapped his shoulder. He mechanically turned and said, “Hello, I’m Lin Chuan from XX Group, may I ask…”
Halfway through, the person in front smiled faintly and said softly, “Long time no see… Chuanchuan.”
Wang Yi beside them looked confused by the intimate nickname.
“Sorry, that’s my younger brother. I didn’t expect to meet him here and want to talk to him a bit more,” Jiang Shangwan explained gracefully. Although she sounded apologetic, the moment she saw Shi Yu, she already planned to switch companions, deciding to send the somewhat clingy richest son away.
Shi Yu only saw the new man standing conspicuously by her side and heard the two sharp words she said: “XXXXX little brother XXXXXXX.”
“Alright then, you two talk, goodbye.” Wang Yi raised his glass to her politely and wisely took his leave.
“What are you doing here? Hmm? Chuanchuan?” Jiang Shangwan teased him, “Since when did you become Lin’s kid? I heard that guy is a lazybones and nothing like you.”
Shi Yu didn’t expect to meet her here either. He noticed she seemed to have worn some perfume for the formal occasion—a magnolia scent, very pleasant but not overpowering.
He pulled out the invitation letter from his pocket and explained, “Lin Chuan is my roommate. He didn’t want to come socialize, so he asked me to come invest for him.”
“No wonder,” Jiang Shangwan nodded. “But why are you dressed like this? Why not wear a suit?” No wonder so many people here looked down on and gossiped about him—his outfit was way too childish.
Shi Yu sighed helplessly, “Because I’m standing in for him. He told me not to dress too maturely or else people would notice and catch me, then report it to his mother.”
Jiang Shangwan laughed, covering her lips with her champagne glass. “That makes sense. Most people only know that the Lin family has such a kid but have no idea what he actually looks like.”
“So, how’s it going? Any investment ideas? You’ve been here a while.”
“Yeah, I saw a period drama script that seemed really special.” Shi Yu had come early. Not used to this kind of occasion, he came early to get used to it. After experiencing it, he found it wasn’t that hard, just lots of people trying to start conversations. Lin Chuan was right—socializing like this is really exhausting.
“Do you know the backgrounds of these people? The director for this script is well-known, but the screenwriter is an unknown junior writer who hasn’t yet been tested by the market.”
“No, I don’t know much about these film and TV circles, but I think this story is very unique.” Shi Yu still held a proposal in his palm. “Not being tested by the market also means it’s a blank slate—fresh and full of untapped potential. Since a famous director chose this script, it must have some irreplaceable special points.”
Jiang Shangwan found his viewpoint interesting and asked, “Does the Lin family give you authority to invest?”
“No.” Shi Yu pointed to his sneakers. They were a pair Lin Chuan urgently bought in his size for disguise. “Lin Chuan lent me his family’s authority. The profit split is 70% for me, 30% for him.”
“Not bad.” Jiang Shangwan handed him a drink. “That guy is pretty generous. 70% is an impressive share. But the loss could be huge too. If you mess up, you might not even stay friends.”
Shi Yu quietly took a sip of his drink. He recalled that night they had stood outside the hospital, enjoying the evening breeze, casually chatting just like now, and her clear, resolute tone back then.
“But at that time, you said you had confidence in me. Shouldn’t I have confidence in myself too?”
“Yes, you’re absolutely right.” Jiang Shangwan raised her glass to him and nodded. “Cheers—I’ll toast to your victory in advance.”
The crisp clink of glasses rang out, and Shi Yu drank it down in one gulp while meeting her sparkling, smiling eyes.
Soon, more people approached to talk to Jiang Shangwan. Normally she was very experienced at socializing, but today, having a good excuse right beside her, she wanted to slack off a bit and politely declined everyone.
“Sorry, my little brother is here, catching up.”
They really did look like siblings. Both tall and slender, Jiang Shangwan in heels was taller than many men there, but standing next to Shi Yu, who was a full 189 cm, she looked slightly delicate and dependent.
Their facial features were both deeply striking and captivating. After a year, Shi Yu’s features had become even more defined. The boyishness had faded, replaced by sharp, handsome angles. His demeanor grew steadier with experience, though today his outfit made him look like a student, revealing his identity.
If this weren’t an invitation-only investment meeting, he might have been mistaken for an actor rather than an investor.
“If the director doesn’t find a good actor, you could always take the role yourself,” Jiang Shangwan said seriously.
Shi Yu choked a bit, “Why?”
“That way, I could be your biggest investor, package you as a dazzling superstar, and even tailor a script just for you.” Jiang Shangwan’s tone grew more specific. She thought it was a great idea, but unfortunately, he was a top university graduate who had already transformed into the client side. Being an actor was too low for him now.
Jiang Shangwan felt a happy sense of playing a growth simulation game—from student days to workplace, she was helping a young person grow up.
“No.” Shi Yu’s eyes flickered slightly. He stared at the lips she had lightly touched while speaking, faintly seeing a blush hidden there.
He whispered, “I don’t want to kiss anyone else in a scene.”
Jiang Shangwan was momentarily stunned.
It seemed this answer caught her completely off guard, and she didn’t know how to respond.
Meanwhile, layers of men kept approaching one after another, trying to strike up conversations with Jiang Shangwan. Shi Yu found it quite headache-inducing—like a swarm of bees rushing to gather nectar, the buzzing noise disturbing his peace of mind.
Shi Yu knew about Jiang Shangwan’s allure. She only needed to quietly hold her wine glass and stand there without smiling or flattering anyone, and all the men in the room would be captivated, bowing before her flowing gown.
“Let’s go.” Shi Yu motioned to Chen Ji to step aside and blocked yet another man trying to get close. “Let’s see if there are any other scripts worth investing in.”
This was the first time the two truly worked together in a real sense. They were equals, sharing progress with each other. At this moment, Shi Yu truly felt involved in her life—not like before when he was just trailing behind as her little follower or enjoying her protection under her wings.
When they found suitable scripts, they shared their opinions together. Shi Yu didn’t know the detailed professional backgrounds, but he had a natural sharp sense for trends. He didn’t know who the famous directors or top screenwriters were, but he could tell which story was more gripping.
Their collaboration was very efficient. In the end, they jointly selected two modern scripts, one costume drama, and decided to invest the largest stake in that period piece, splitting the rest evenly.
“This is a big gamble,” Jiang Shangwan asked him. “Aren’t you afraid?”
Just as she had said before, if he failed, he and Lin Chuan might not even remain friends. If the loss came to light, revealing that he was investing on Lin Chuan’s behalf would be inevitable. The Lin family could indulge their youngest son’s reckless investments, paying for his mistakes as part of his growth, but they would never tolerate an ordinary college student with no background doing the same.
“No, I’m not afraid.” Shi Yu replied with just two words.
He wasn’t afraid when he was orphaned and living under relatives’ roofs. He wasn’t afraid when he walked alone at night to school at eight years old. He wasn’t afraid when he left his hometown for the city to rent a room and look for work. He wasn’t afraid when he refused offers from top universities and scholarships to earn money on his own. He wasn’t afraid when he moved far away to Jiangcheng.
And right now, he still felt no fear at all because he started with nothing. Having no chips to lose, he was unafraid to go all in, unafraid of risks. He always had the courage to start over.
“Okay.” Jiang Shangwan smiled with narrowed eyes and unconsciously flashed a charming look. “No wonder you’re the one I believe in.”
The two made their decision very quickly and promptly finalized the contract signing. Jiang Shangwan contacted Qiao Yuqing to arrange the onboarding of new members and to hurry the talks with Wang Jie.
At this moment, Shi Yu was looking at his phone in his palm. Lin Chuan’s reply came fast. His voice message was transcribed to text: “Alright, bro, this pace is great. As long as you’re confident, I trust you. Don’t worry about the money — I’ll handle that.”
Shi Yu clenched his phone tightly, thinking how strangely miraculous fate’s encounters could be.
Right now, the people close beside him and the people far away connected to him through the network were both giving him the same absolute trust.