Stay This Tough All the Way

"Alright," Lei Hui nodded.

This time, he wasn’t as agitated as before.

"Ne Zha Part One" was still in production and would be released this year, while "Ne Zha Part Two" had already been put on the agenda.

The boss seemed to place great importance on the "Ne Zha" film series.

It wasn’t that Lei Hui looked down on "Ne Zha"—it was just that it was an animated film, and domestic audiences still held quite a bit of bias toward animation.

They tended to view it as a movie for children.

Moreover, the box office performance of previous animated films had been relatively low, with most earning only a few hundred million, and the highest barely scraping past a billion.

Lei Hui wasn’t particularly optimistic about the "Ne Zha" series.

After Lin Xuan finished delegating tasks, he left Starlight Group.

Come to think of it, it had been a long time since he last cooked for Hua.

Lin Xuan decided to stop by a nearby mall to buy some groceries.

Meanwhile, Lin Chang walked while scrolling through his phone, a satisfied smile on his face as he reviewed the performance data of "King's Glory."

He occasionally browsed through comments about the game on Weibo.

[Ahhhh! "King's Legend" is so much fun! I never expected our country to produce such an amazing game!]

[Everyone, go play it! This is the best mobile game I’ve ever played!]

[Starlight Group really outdid themselves with this one.]

At the same time, the game’s release had investors convinced it would be a massive hit, leading them to buy up Starlight Group’s stocks in droves.

The company’s shares, which had previously hit rock bottom, were now soaring—hitting the daily limit up.

Lin Chang observed all this with immense satisfaction.

Before the game’s launch, he had already increased his holdings in Starlight Group.

Just from the stock surge alone, he stood to make a fortune.

With this game, Starlight Group was truly making a comeback.

"Chairman," his secretary, Wang Wei, suddenly pointed ahead. "Isn’t that your son, Lin Xuan?"

Hearing this, Lin Chang looked up and indeed saw Lin Xuan stepping out of a car.

It really was him!

Lin Xuan!

Lin Chang let out a cold laugh.

It had been a long time since he last ran into Lin Xuan. Who would’ve thought they’d cross paths now?

But this was perfect. Lin Xuan must already know about "King's Legend." Lin Chang was eager to see his reaction.

Straightening his suit, Lin Chang strode toward Lin Xuan.

"Lin Xuan, it’s been a while, son."

Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow at him.

What a coincidence—he rarely went out, yet here he was, running into Lin Chang.

Judging by the smug look on Lin Chang’s face, he was clearly here to gloat.

"It has been a while," Lin Xuan replied calmly. "But let me remind you again, Chairman Lin—we’ve severed ties. We’re no longer father and son."

Lin Chang frowned.

What was going on?

Lin Xuan’s expression was completely unruffled, as if the game’s success hadn’t affected him at all.

Was he pretending?

Yes.

That had to be it!

Starlight Group had poured over a year’s worth of effort into this game, only for it to go up in smoke. Lin Xuan had planned to dominate the gaming market with "King's Glory," squeezing Starlight Group out of the industry.

But now, Starlight Group had launched their version first.

All of Lin Xuan’s schemes had fallen apart. There was no way he could remain so composed!

"So, Lin Xuan," Lin Chang said, his voice dripping with triumph, "I told you—a son can never outplay his father."

Lin Xuan smirked. "Are you referring to the game, Chairman Lin?"

"Exactly," Lin Chang said, tilting his chin up. "Lin Xuan, how does it feel to have a whole year’s work go to waste?"

Lin Xuan chuckled. "The game has only just begun. Who’s really wasting their efforts remains to be seen."

Lin Chang scoffed, convinced Lin Xuan was just putting on a brave face.

"Lin Xuan, wake up and face reality. 'King's Legend' and 'King's Glory' are nearly identical. Our version launched first, with full-channel promotions. We already have a solid player base, and word-of-mouth is spreading fast."

"We seized the first-mover advantage. Meanwhile, your 'King's Glory' will be seen as a cheap knockoff. No one will bother playing it."

Lin Chang was brimming with confidence.

Lin Xuan arched a brow. "Lin Chang, you don’t actually think I’m unaware that you stole our game’s development plans, do you?"

Lin Chang’s heart skipped a beat.

The way Lin Xuan spoke made it sound like he’d known all along.

If that were true, Lin Xuan wouldn’t have just sat back and done nothing. Had he set a trap?

No—that couldn’t be.

Wan'er had been extremely careful. Besides, the operation had been kept under wraps. There was no way Lin Xuan could’ve found out.

Moreover, the game was already complete. The developers and tech experts had thoroughly checked it and confirmed there were no issues.

Lin Xuan was just bluffing to rattle him.

With that thought, Lin Chang steadied himself and sneered.

"Lin Xuan, spare me the empty threats. You’ll soon see how Starlight Group profits from this game."

Lin Xuan didn’t respond, merely watching him with amusement, as if observing a clown.

"Lin Xuan," Lin Chang said condescendingly, "even if we’ve cut ties, blood still connects us. Without my sperm, you wouldn’t even exist."

"There’s no grudge between father and son that can’t be resolved. If you return and merge your company with Starlight Group, I’ll hand the company over to you once I retire."

"Coming back is your best option. You won’t have to kowtow to that woman who’s been keeping you anymore."

Lin Chang lifted his chin, certain any sensible person would choose his offer.

"Oh, I see," Lin Xuan replied dismissively.

"Lin Xuan!" Lin Chang snapped, furious. "What kind of attitude is that?"

Lin Xuan let out a low laugh. "Lin Chang, you steal our game, then expect me to crawl back and be your obedient dog? You’ve got quite the imagination."

"My stance remains unchanged—since I left the Lin family, I’m never going back."

"You—!" Lin Chang’s chest heaved with rage.

Ever since cutting ties with the family and attaching himself to that woman, Lin Xuan had shown him nothing but disrespect.

If it weren’t for Li'er becoming incapable of inheriting Starlight Group, he would never have considered letting this ungrateful brat return!

"Fine. Very well," Lin Chang spat through gritted teeth. "Lin Xuan, I hope you stay this bold forever."