Chapter 250
The fragrance of tea curled through the air in the living room.
Gu Xiangcheng wore a gray knit sweater, a pair of reading glasses perched on the bridge of his nose.
He held a well-worn, lustrous purple clay teapot tightly in his hand.
Sitting upright in the main seat of the sofa, he frowned in deep thought at the News Daily spread open on the coffee table.
The midday news on the TV had been turned down to background noise.
Gu Ran walked out of the kitchen carrying a plate of sliced apples.
He walked over to the sofa and brazenly sat down right next to his old man.
"Dad, have some fruit."
The young man grinned, spearing a piece of apple with a toothpick and offering it to him.
The lingering effects of being "caught red-handed" in the kitchen last night were still present, leaving a subtle trace of awkwardness in the air.
At times like this, one had to fully embrace the spirit of having thick skin.
Gu Xiangcheng lifted his eyelids, peering over the top of his newspaper, his gaze resting on his son's face for two seconds.
He didn't take the apple. Instead, he slowly and methodically folded the newspaper and placed it on the edge of the coffee table.
Putting on his patriarchal airs, he cleared his throat.
"The first semester of your freshman year is almost half over. Are you keeping up with your major courses?"
Gu Xiangcheng's tone was flat, carrying the weight of a routine interrogation.
"Not bad, I haven't fallen behind."
With a flick of his wrist, Gu Ran popped the apple into his own mouth and answered indistinctly.
Gu Xiangcheng picked up his teacup, took a sip, and suddenly changed the subject.
"It's a good thing for young people to have abundant energy."
He looked past the boy, glancing at the bustling kitchen, and lowered his voice a fraction.
"But you need to put your mind to the right path. Don't let certain 'extracurricular activities' ruin your future."
The old detective's beating around the bush was pointing directly at what happened last night with every word.
Gu Ran continued to play dumb, reaching out to peel a grape, fully embracing a shameless, unfazed attitude.
Seeing his son acting like such a rascal, Gu Xiangcheng frowned slightly.
He remembered something Gu Ran had casually mentioned at the dinner table yesterday.
He had said he opened a "computer repair center" at school.
"I heard you say you're fixing computers for people at school?"
Gu Xiangcheng set down the purple clay teapot and spoke with earnest gravity.
"I don't object to college students experiencing life and earning some pocket money. But at the end of the day, that's just petty manual labor. It's not presentable."
He tapped his finger on the coffee table, making a thumping sound.
"It wasn't easy for you to get into Qinghua University. If you get your priorities backward and neglect your studies, how will you establish yourself in society later? By reinstalling operating systems for people?"
In the traditional mindset of the older generation, fixing computers was just a menial job.
And in Gu Xiangcheng's eyes, it was a dereliction of his proper duties.
Gu Ran tossed the peeled grape into his mouth and pulled a tissue to wipe his hands.
He didn't argue; instead, he nodded along with Gu Xiangcheng's words.
"Dad, you're right. Fixing computers really has no future. That thing was just a front."
"A front?"
Gu Xiangcheng was taken aback.
"Yeah, it was to accumulate initial capital and, at the same time, open up ground promotion channels in the university market."
Gu Ran's tone was casual, but the business jargon tumbling from his mouth was highly systematic.
Gu Xiangcheng sat up straighter. His professional sensitivity made him realize something was unusual.
His son's tone didn't sound like he was just messing around.
He had expected Gu Ran to stiffen his neck and argue that "all labor is noble," but he hadn't expected him to just admit it.
Moreover, the words popping out of his mouth—"initial capital," "ground promotion channels."
They carried the distinct logic of serious business operations.
Gu Xiangcheng's gaze burned like a torch as he scrutinized the young man before him.
"Since you've closed the repair business, what exactly have you been messing around with for the past half semester?"
The young man didn't waste words.
He pulled that black iPhone 4 out of his pants pocket.
He tapped the green "Weiliao" icon on the home screen.
The screen lit up, displaying a clean and refreshing interface.
He pushed the phone in front of his old man, his tone calm.
"This is a mobile social networking app that I led a team to develop. This is mainly what I'm working on right now."
Gu Xiangcheng adjusted his reading glasses and picked up the phone suspiciously.
His thumb swiped across the screen.
The interface was silky smooth, without the slightest lag.
The four function tabs at the bottom were clear and straightforward.
Gu Xiangcheng didn't understand the depths of internet technology.
But he had been a detective for twenty years and had seen all kinds of people and things.
The level of completion of this thing was simply too high.
The UI design, interaction logic, and closed-loop functionality were seamlessly integrated.
This was absolutely not some "mom-and-pop" product that a few college students eating instant noodles in their dorm room could code up.
A flash of astonishment crossed Gu Xiangcheng's eyes.
He put down the phone and tapped his fingers on his knee.
Subconsciously, his mind compared this thing with Feiqiu, the software they used for office work at the police station.
"The thing looks pretty good."
Gu Xiangcheng frowned, raising the most fatal question.
"But I've heard the young officers at the station say that domestic social networking has long been monopolized by the Penguin Group. QQ dominates the entire market."
He stared into Gu Ran's eyes, his tone stern.
"You make a new app, but how many people will actually use it? What do you have to clash head-on with those deep-pocketed giants?"
"Doing business isn't playing house. Don't end up losing everything in the end!"
Gu Ran put away his usual casual demeanor.
He leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees, and looked directly into his father's eyes.
"Dad, times have changed. The Penguin hasn't secured its ticket to the mobile internet era yet."
Gu Ran's tone was calm, yet he powerfully threw out a series of data points.
"Last month, led by Sequoia Capital, we completed our Series A financing. Five million US dollars, giving up ten percent of the shares."
Gu Xiangcheng's pupils suddenly shrank.
Five million... US dollars?!
His brain instinctively converted it according to the current exchange rate.
Over thirty million RMB!
He had worked in public security his whole life; he had only seen sums like this in criminal syndicates!
Before Gu Xiangcheng could recover from his extreme shock, Gu Ran continued speaking.
"Currently, Weiliao has five million real, active registered users in the national university market. We rank first in market share."
"Half a month ago, the Penguin headquarters stepped into the ring. Their Guangzhou R&D center did a pixel-for-pixel copy of all of Weiliao's features and launched a product called 'WeChat,' attempting to force it on the market using the traffic from their 800 million QQ users."
Gu Ran didn't care in the slightest that in his past life, WeChat was the original. He paused, preparing to act incredibly smug.
He crossed his arms, gave a haughty toss of his head, and continued.
"And then, they were completely crushed by us in a head-on clash. WeChat's retention rate was less than five percent. The director of Penguin's Strategic Investment Department personally flew to Qinglin University to negotiate with me, and I turned him down."
The living room fell silent for a moment.
Only the perfectly enunciated voice of the news anchor on the TV echoed in the room.
Gu Xiangcheng completely lost his composure.
His brain crashed for a good ten seconds.
Five million US dollars, five million users, crushing the Penguin giant head-on...
These words were like a series of heavy bombs, blowing his decades of established common sense and understanding to smithereens.
His wrist trembled.
The purple clay teapot resting on the edge of the coffee table was knocked over.
With a soft clack, the lid rolled off.
Scalding tea splashed all over the News Daily resting on his legs.
Gu Xiangcheng was completely oblivious to it.
Eyes wide, he stared at his unhurried and composed son, his mind reeling in turmoil.
Without him realizing it, that scrawny young boy...
It had quietly grown into a towering tree capable of stirring up storms in the business world and arm-wrestling with the country's top internet giants.
Gu Ran was quick on the draw, grabbing half a box of tissues.
He crouched down, wiping the spilled water off his old man's legs while tossing the ruined newspaper into the trash can.
"Dad, you didn't get burned, did you?"
"N-no... I'm fine."
Gu Xiangcheng snapped back to reality like he was waking from a dream.
He hurriedly helped wipe the table, desperately trying to suppress his wildly racing heart and heavy breathing.
Gu Ran sat back down on the sofa, dropping a teaser in a relaxed tone.
"As soon as the National Day holiday is over, MicroChat will officially step out of the university circles and launch fully to the national mass market."
Gu Xiangcheng took a deep breath.
He tried his best to keep a straight face, attempting to claw back his fatherly authority.
"Ahem... Having a bit of success is a good thing."
His voice still trembling slightly, Gu Xiangcheng pointed a finger at Gu Ran and issued a stern warning.
"But don't let it go to your head just because you've achieved a little something! The business world is a battlefield, and massive corporations like Penguin won't just take this lying down. You need to keep your wits about you and play it safe and steady!"
That was what he said, anyway.
But the wildly upturned corners of his eyes, his flushed face, and his faintly trembling hands completely betrayed the unparalleled pride and absolute boastfulness swelling in his heart.
The Gu family had produced a true dragon!
"I know, Dad. Don't worry."
Gu Ran obediently lowered his head, accepting the lecture.
Amidst the morning light and the fragrance of tea, the father and son completed the deepest level of heart-to-heart a man could have with another.
The way Gu Xiangcheng looked at his son had completely changed.
He was no longer looking at a child who needed discipline, but at an equal, grown man.
Gu Ran shoved a peeled orange into his old man's hand and chuckled.
"Dad, I'm your son, after all. You've got to believe in your own genes! Like father, like son, right?"
It was the perfect dose of flattery.
With that said, Gu Ran stood up and headed toward the kitchen.
"I'm going to see what delicious food Aunt Ye is making. I'm starving."
As soon as he stepped into the kitchen, the vibe completely changed.
"Aunt Ye, what are you cooking? It smells amazing!"
Ye Shulian looked at Gu Ran, her eyes full of maternal affection, grinning from ear to ear.
"Sweet and sour pork ribs. I know you have a sweet tooth, so I added a little extra sugar."
Gu Ran leaned in close to Ye Zhenzhen, who was busy chopping vegetables.
Taking advantage of the moment Ye Shulian turned around to grab some seasoning, he sneakily extended his pinky finger and tickled the palm of the young girl's hand.
"I can tell just by looking at it that it's going to be delicious. As expected of Aunt Ye, I'm already hungry."
Ye Shulian was absolutely delighted by the praise, wielding her spatula with extra vigor.
Meanwhile, the ambushed young girl's cheeks instantly flushed crimson.
Not daring to turn her head, she could only mutter under her breath.
"Flatterer!"
Back in the living room.
Looking at his son's tall, upright figure, Gu Xiangcheng leaned back against the sofa and let out a long, heavy exhale.
He picked up the empty clay teapot, gently stroking its smooth, warm surface.
Finally unable to hold it back anymore, the corners of his mouth stretched into a grin from ear to ear.
"Brat..."
Gu Xiangcheng muttered with a soft chuckle.
The tea today was so damn sweet.
......
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
. As long as he maintains the villain image and follows the plot to the grand finale, he can obtain generous rewards and return to the real world. So Gu Chen'an entered the role and began to act as a scumbag villain, but who would have expected that the female leads could hear his inner thoughts. Miss Su from the Su family was shocked: "I originally thought Gu Chen'an was a scumbag, but I didn't expect he turned out to be a gentleman! What? You said I have to call off the engagement? I definitely won't, I'll piss you off!" Bai Yuan Tian was dumbfounded: "Young Master Gu is usually unreasonable and a complete brat, but he actually calls me little sweetie in his heart? What, Young Master Gu even said he likes me?" As the female leads' images collapsed more and more, the plot also collapsed with it. Gu Chen'an looked at all this chaos. "Ladies, don't aggro me, if you keep this up the male lead really will stab me, I still need to survive to the grand finale!"
s the Eldest Princess, renowned for her cold and aloof detachment, became the most docile of lambs, obeying his every command without question. But when the final move was played on the chessboard, as Gu Chenghan seized everything and ascended on the verge of apotheosis, that very Princess suddenly embraced him from behind, her tone carrying a dependence never heard before: "Wait... you haven't yet... commanded me to love you forever." Gu Chenghan froze abruptly. She... hadn't been hypnotized?! ... [The Eldest Princess's Diary] [When my soul was extracted, becoming the sole spectator outside my own shell] [At first, there was overwhelming fury, until I saw] [How he used my sword to effortlessly shatter my inescapable doom] [How he wielded my authority to eradicate fatal conspiracies I had never even detected] [Like a deity, he rescued me from the deep mire I was trapped in] [If not for those annoying vixens, he and I would be a match made in heaven] [I think I am ill, gravely ill] [My deity should belong to me alone] ... "Hypnosis? Oh, it succeeded, my dear Master." "Only this time, it's my turn to hypnotize you."
he colors of other people’s emotions. Light red meant anxiety. Gray meant exhaustion. Orange meant excitement. Yellow... meant repression. At the same time, he could gain unlimited control over one of those colors. Pale cyan: relaxation. Using this ability, he started offering “two-yuan hugs,” spending an afternoon exchanging emotional-color experiences with others. Then came his final female customer of the day— a girl whose emotional color was pure black... —— A week later, Xu Chuan had become skilled at using pale cyan—Relaxation—treating it like a bottle of menthol balm whenever he needed it. That was when he discovered he had unlocked another unlimited emotional color: Purple, the color of fear. So these emotional colors refresh every week? Fine, I take it back—I’ll never call you useless again... —— Much later, after Xu Chuan had accumulated countless emotional abilities, one night, he suddenly found himself inside someone else’s dream. There, he could use the emotional colors he possessed to paint. And in her dream, he painted her a shower of pink shooting stars, spreading across the depths of the night sky...
