It didn't exist before, but it does now.

Chen Zhi leaned against the kitchen doorframe, silent for a long moment.

He wanted to joke, "Is my family status already this low?" but watching Li Zhiyi chop green onions with her head down, he swallowed the words.

"Then what I say counts?"

Li Zhiyi scattered the scallions into the bowl.

"Taking your medicine counts."

Chen Zhi: "..."

This girl was getting better and better at shutting him up with one sentence.

Just as Chen Zhi was about to head back to his room, the bedroom door opened.

Zhang Guifang came out draped in a jacket. Seeing Li Zhiyi in an apron in the kitchen, and then Chen Zhi leaning on crutches at the door, her expression immediately soured.

"Why are you out of bed again?"

Chen Zhi immediately pointed toward the kitchen.

"Mom, I have a report: Comrade Li Zhiyi illegally occupied my kitchen at 5:40 AM."

Li Zhiyi looked up. "Auntie, I wanted to cook some porridge."

Zhang Guifang shot Chen Zhi a glare.

"She's making breakfast, and you're just in the way here?"

Chen Zhi pointed at his leg in a cast.

"With this setup, even being in the way takes real dedication."

"Get back to bed."

"Yes, ma'am."

As Chen Zhi turned, his phone rang.

It was Dai Dali.

Calling at this hour—definitely not to wish him a good morning.

Chen Zhi answered.

"What's up?"

Dai Dali's voice was very low.

"Boss Chen, we've got trouble."

Chen Zhi stopped in his tracks.

Zhang Guifang was about to snap at him, but fell silent at those words.

"Meizu just reported that Samsung suddenly notified them that next month's batch of 2K AMOLED screens will be delayed, citing capacity schedule adjustments."

Chen Zhi narrowed his eyes.

"Delayed how long?"

"Three months."

Chen Zhi laughed coldly.

"Why don't they just say 'wait until my son starts elementary school'?"

Dai Dali continued.

"Mr. Huang (J. Wong) can't hold on anymore. The first batch of 300,000 units has just shipped, and the next 500,000 are waiting for screens. With the screens cut off, the entire production line is stopped, and inventory is piling up."

Chen Zhi leaned on the doorframe, his tone flat.

"Who did this?"

"Haven't tracked it down yet, but Mr. Huang says someone from Samsung China let it slip—a domestic manufacturer made a last-minute bulk order that bumped our slot."

"A phone company?"

"Eighty percent sure."

Chen Zhi glanced toward the kitchen.

Li Zhiyi had stopped what she was doing. Zhang Guifang was busy in the living room.

He moved to the dining table and sat down.

"Pull J. Wong into the call. Let's have a meeting."

Dai Dali hesitated.

"Right now?"

"Yeah, right now."

"Brother Zhi, is that convenient for you?"

Chen Zhi looked down at his pajamas and plastered leg.

"I've already met my mother-in-law in a wheelchair—what's more convenient than this?"

Dai Dali: "..."

Two minutes later, J. Wong's voice joined the call.

"Boss Chen, these Samsung jerks are disgusting."

J. Wong sounded like he hadn't slept all night, his voice hoarse.

"We've already paid the deposit, laid out the material plan, and now they pull 'capacity adjustment' to kick us to the back of the line."

"What do the breach clauses say in the contract?"

"They'll pay penalties, but the amount is small. For a company Samsung's size, paying a fine doesn't even sting."

"So they dare to jerk us around."

"Right."

Dai Dali chimed in.

"The online buzz is still hot, and pre-sale users are pushing for delivery every day. If we go three months without stock, people will start accusing us of being a 'PPT phone' company."

Chen Zhi set down his cup.

"Lao Huang, how many screens does Meizu have left in its warehouse?"

"At most 120,000 units."

"Other suppliers?"

"BOE can do it, but our original plan was Samsung-exclusive. The system tuning, color curve, power management—it's all built around that Samsung panel. Switching screens isn't impossible, but the schedule is tight."

"How long?"

"At least twenty days."

Chen Zhi looked at Li Zhiyi.

"Zhiyi, get my laptop."

Li Zhiyi immediately went into the room and brought out his notebook.

Zhang Guifang stood nearby, watching her son on the phone with a cast on his leg. The curses she wanted to throw at him died on her lips.

This reckless man was a disaster in love.

But when it came to real business, he was completely different.

Chen Zhi opened the laptop with one hand.

"Dai Dali, notify the system team and the hardware adaptation team. Get online within half an hour."

Dai Dali: "Half an hour? They all worked until 2 AM last night."

Chen Zhi: "Then tell them to curse me while they log in. Triple overtime today."

"Got it."

"Lao Huang, contact BOE right now."

"Boss Chen, you really want to switch to a domestic screen?"

"Not switch."

Chen Zhi tapped the table.

"Set up a dual supply chain."

J. Wong caught on immediately.

"You mean, keep selling the Samsung version and launch a BOE version too?"

"Exactly."

Dai Dali was worried.

"But our marketing has always been about Samsung's custom 2K screen. If we switch to a domestic screen, won't the internet accuse us of cutting corners?"

"So we don't switch secretly."

Chen Zhi leaned back in his chair, jostling his ribs and wincing in pain.

Li Zhiyi immediately pressed her hand on his shoulder.

"Don't move."

Chen Zhi froze instantly.

On the other end, J. Wong heard it. One second of silence.

"Boss Chen, is someone there with you?"

Chen Zhi didn't blink.

"Medical supervision."

J. Wong: "..."

Dai Dali: "..."

Chen Zhi kept talking.

"We'll go public with what our 'friend' did. No more playing nice. It's not like my main business is selling phones anyway."

J. Wong: "..."

Your main business isn't selling phones, but mine is, man!

"Shenkong Meizu AI phones will launch a domestic-screen special edition. And we'll give users a free year of MossPRO as compensation."

"At the same time, host a tech livestream where users can compare the two screens themselves."

Dai Dali hesitated.

"But what if the domestic screen does have slightly worse specs?"

Chen Zhi smiled.

"Our phone's selling point is Moss, not a screen benchmark score."

"And now that someone's cut off our Samsung supply, we'll spin it as a story about China's domestic supply chain fighting back."

"Just shift the blame where it belongs."

"The users will do the name-calling for us."

J. Wong was getting excited.

"This could really work!"

Chen Zhi added,

"But BOE has to show some real commitment."

J. Wong jumped in,

"I'll contact them right now."

"Hold on."

Chen Zhi stared at his computer screen.

"First, have the legal team draft Samsung's breach of contract letter, but don't send it."

Dai Dali was confused.

"Don't send it?"

"If we send it, it's just a contractual dispute."

Chen Zhi's voice slowed down.

"Gather all the evidence—who bumped our slot, who's behind the money. Find out."

"Then, on the day of the official announcement, release it all together."

Dai Dali sucked in a breath.

"Brother Zhi, isn't that a bit too much? We're not big enough to afford pissing off other manufacturers."

"When someone steps on your face, you're supposed to bow and scrape?"

Chen Zhi picked up his cup.

"I'm a very civil person."

"I'll civilly send them trending."

Chen Zhi corrected himself.

"I'll ask the whole country's consumers to help supervise business ethics."

Dai Dali quickly said,

"Boss Chen, it's a waste that you're not in PR."

"If I do PR, what would you do?"

"I could be your troll."

"You already are."

Halfway through the meeting, the porridge in the kitchen started to bubble.

Li Zhiyi turned to turn off the stove.

Zhang Guifang watched her bustling about, then glanced at Chen Zhi sitting at the table with his laptop. Her heart was a mess of emotions.

Just last night, she had thought it was absurd for Li Zhiyi to stay at the house.

But now, this girl hadn't said a single unnecessary word—pouring water, getting medicine, watching the clock, cooking breakfast—as if she had been taking care of Chen Zhi for years.

Zhang Guifang felt even worse.

What kind of karma had her son built up over several lifetimes to make so many good women fall for him?

Chen Jun came out of the bedroom and froze when he saw the scene in the living room.

"Is this... a morning court session?"

"This is called ruling from behind the curtain."

Chen Jun glanced at his leg.

"With you like this right now, at best you're a paralyzed regent king."

Li Zhiyi came out with a bowl of congee and couldn't help but laugh.

Chen Zhi wasn't having it.

"Dad, I'm already in this state, and you're still attacking me?"

Chen Jun sat down on the sofa.

"If you'd messed around less with your love life, would this house be so lively?"

Chen Zhi immediately looked down at his computer.

"Hello? Agent Da? Bad signal, did you hear my dad scolding me just now?"

Agent Da played along perfectly.

"No, Boss Chen, I only heard Uncle Chen speaking with great insight."

Chen Jun: "This young man knows how to talk."

Chen Zhi: "He's on the payroll."

Chen Jun: "Then he knows how to talk even better."

Zhang Guifang set the bowl down heavily on the table.

"Eat!"

Chen Zhi immediately shut up.

The conference call was put on hold.

Li Zhiyi served the congee and laid out the medicine.

"Eat something first, then take your medicine in fifteen minutes."

Chen Zhi picked up his spoon.

"Lawyer Li, I think you should do this in court from now on. When the opposing lawyer objects, just tell him to take his medicine in fifteen minutes."

Li Zhiyi looked down as she peeled an egg.

"Keep running your mouth, and I'll make you take it right now."

Chen Jun laughed at that.

"Zhiyi's a good kid. She can handle him."

Zhang Guifang shot him a glare.

Chen Jun immediately picked up his bowl and drank his congee.

"I'm not expressing an opinion, just stating an objective fact."

As they were eating, someone knocked on the door.

The room went silent.

Chen Zhi's spoon stopped mid-air.

At this hour, no one would knock on the Chen family's door except the Lin family next door.

Zhang Guifang looked at Chen Zhi.

"Don't move."

She walked over and opened the door.

Standing outside was Lin Shuxian.

He was holding a document bag, still wearing the same shirt from yesterday, clearly not having slept well either.

"Guifang, sorry to bother you."

Zhang Guifang quickly stepped aside.

"Shuxian, come in and sit."

Lin Shuxian didn't enter. His gaze swept past her, landing on Chen Zhi at the table, and then on Li Zhiyi.

The atmosphere in the room turned awkward.

Li Zhiyi stood up.

"Hello, Uncle."

Lin Shuxian nodded but didn't ask her anything more.

He handed the document bag to Zhang Guifang.

"These are a few music scores Wanwan left at your place before. I was tidying up some things just now and found two more over here. I was afraid she might need them."

Zhang Guifang took them.

"Alright, I'll look for them later."

Lin Shuxian looked at Chen Zhi.

"Up pretty early."

Chen Zhi put down his spoon.

"Good morning, Uncle Lin."

"Is your leg still hurting?"

"It's okay."

Lin Shuxian didn't ask about the injury further.

He had overheard a few sentences from the phone call while standing at the door.

Something about Samsung, supply chain, domestic screens.

In the past, he would have thought Chen Zhi was truly impressive.

But now, impressive or not, that had nothing to do with his daughter being wronged.

"Working just now?"

"Yeah, some issues at the company."

"Need to go back to the capital?"

"Not for now."

Lin Shuxian nodded.

"That's good."

He was about to turn around when Chen Zhi suddenly spoke.

"Uncle Lin."

Lin Shuxian stopped.

Chen Zhi tried to stand up, bracing himself against the table edge.

Li Zhiyi immediately pressed him down.

"Don't stand."

Lin Shuxian also spoke.

"Say it sitting down."

Chen Zhi had no choice but to sit back down.

"How is Wanwan doing?"

Lin Shuxian looked at him for a few seconds.

"Got an hour of sleep."

Chen Zhi's fingers tightened.

"Then she—"

"Don't ask about these things."

Lin Shuxian cut him off.

"I agreed to keep a safe line of contact, but that doesn't mean you can circle around trying to find out about her."

Chen Zhi lowered his head.

"I'm sorry."

Lin Shuxian studied him.

"Chen Zhi, the way you're handling the company right now is different from last night at our place."

Chen Zhi said nothing.

"When the company runs into trouble, you can resolve it immediately. You know who to call, how to fight back."

"But when it comes to relationships, all you do is stall."

Lin Shuxian continued. "Don't treat Wanwan like one of your phone's background programs, only switching over to check on her when something goes wrong."

Chen Zhi had no retort and could only bow his head in acknowledgment.

"I'll remember that."

"Remembering isn't enough. You have to act on it."

With that, Lin Shuxian turned and went back next door.

After the door closed, Chen Zhi sat at the table, his breakfast untouched.

Zhang Guifang walked over and patted him on the shoulder.

"You heard that, didn't you?"

Chen Zhi nodded.

"I heard it."

"Don't just hear it."

"Yeah."

Li Zhiyi shoved the spoon back into his hand.

"Eat."

Chen Zhi looked up at her.

"Aren't you going to comfort me?"

Li Zhiyi ignored him.

"Uncle Lin was right."

Chen Zhi: "..."

Chen Jun added from the side.

"Unanimously approved."

Chen Zhi lowered his head to drink his congee.

"There's no place for me in this house anymore."

Zhang Guifang sneered.

"Your place right now is the sickbed."

After breakfast, just as Chen Zhi had downed his medicine, Agent Da's video call came in again.

He tapped to answer.

On the screen, Agent Da was standing in the Deep Space Technology conference room.

"Boss Chen, everyone's here."

Chen Zhi turned his laptop around.

In the conference room, the systems team, hardware team, legal department, and PR were all online.

J. Wong was also in another window.

"We've gotten in touch with BOE."

J. Wong got straight to the point. "Their deputy general manager can join a video call at ten o'clock, but the message from their side is clear: they can supply the screens, but they want a long-term partnership."

Chen Zhi nodded.

"That can be negotiated."

Agent Da dropped another piece of bad news.

"Also, a batch of new articles just popped up online claiming that the explosive sales of our first batch of phones were fake, that subsequent deliveries have already stalled, the supply chain is unstable, and advising users to cancel their orders and wait."

Chen Zhi laughed.

"They're quick off the mark."

The PR head was anxious.

"Boss Chen, should we suppress this now?"

"No."

"Not suppressing again?"

Agent Da's head hurt just hearing those words.

The last time they didn't suppress the smear articles, they had won in the end.

But pulling this stunt every time—who could handle it? After all, it was his people taking the heat.

Chen Zhi tapped the table.

"If they want our users to know about our supply chain problems, then let them know."

"Release an announcement at 10:30."

The PR head immediately grabbed a pen.

Chen Zhi thought for a few seconds.

"Call it—'Some people don't want you to get your hands on the Moss phone, but we're going to deliver no matter what.'"

Legal reminded him, "Boss Chen, won't that be too aggressive?"

Chen Zhi looked at the screen.

"We're not naming names, not cursing anyone out, just stating the facts."

"First: Samsung screen deliveries are delayed."

"Second: Deep Space-Meizu is launching a domestic screen special edition."

"Third: Users who have already pre-ordered can freely choose to wait for the Samsung screen version or switch to the domestic screen special edition at no extra cost, with an additional year of MossPro service free of charge."

When J. Wong heard this, he spoke up directly.

"I'll have Meizu coordinate."

Agent Da added one more line.

“What about the smear articles?”

Chen Zhi picked up his water glass.

“Let them keep posting them.”

“Wait for the sync with BOE, wait for Samsung’s reply, wait for the company behind the scenes to show up.”

He continued:

“Then we’ll hold a live stream.”

“We’ll lay out the contracts, the delay notices, the timeline of schedule changes, and the mastermind behind it all for them to see. We’ll play the victim and let the users understand how helpless we really are.”

Dai Dama hesitated.

“Boss Chen, won’t this be too aggressive? No domestic company has ever called out names in PR before.”

“It hasn’t been done before. From now on, it will be.”