The top-floor conference room of Yuanlong Technologies was steeped in solemnity.
Only four people were seated in the room today: Lu Chenyuan, Lin Yuan, Ren Qian, and Zhang Qi. This was the innermost decision-making circle of Yuanlong Technologies.
Lu Chenyuan’s fingers tapped lightly on the table.
"Li Jinchuan is just the beginning."
His opening words sent a chill through the other three.
"He represents an outdated way of thinking—one that relies on information asymmetry, personal connections, and ruthless tactics."
"That model is being phased out."
Lu Chenyuan’s gaze swept across the room.
"The battles of the future will be fought with technology, with standards, with entire industrial chains."
His eyes finally settled on Ren Qian.
"Ren Qian."
"Here, Chairman Lu." She straightened immediately.
"I’m establishing a new company—Hanqing Technologies."
"You will serve as its CEO."
"At the same time, you’ll be promoted to co-CEO of Yuanlong Technologies, working alongside Lin Yuan to oversee daily operations."
Ren Qian was stunned.
"Chairman Lu, I—"
"I believe in your capabilities," Lu Chenyuan cut her off.
"Hanqing Technologies’ goal isn’t profit."
"Its sole purpose is fundamental scientific research—recruiting and nurturing talent."
"I want you to spend the next decade, or longer, sparing no expense, tackling the toughest challenges."
"Chip design, lithography technology, foundational algorithms..."
"There’s only one condition." His voice turned grave.
"Hanqing must be prepared, at any moment, to sever all ties with Yuanlong—structurally, financially, and in terms of intellectual property."
"It is an ark. A safeguard against the worst possible future."
Silence filled the room.
Lin Yuan and Ren Qian both understood the gravity of Lu Chenyuan’s words.
This wasn’t just about business competition—it was a deep, unshakable foreboding.
A grim prediction of the global landscape to come.
"I understand, Chairman Lu." Ren Qian took a deep breath, her resolve hardening.
"I won’t fail."
Lu Chenyuan nodded, then turned to Lin Yuan.
"Lin Yuan, you’ll also be founding a new company—Lianshan Technologies."
"Lianshan’s mission is the opposite of Hanqing’s."
"I want you to do everything possible to integrate, adapt, and entrench yourself within the existing global supply chain."
"We must become the most indispensable link in the worldwide industrial network."
Lin Yuan grasped the strategy instantly.
Hanqing was the hidden card, the contingency plan.
Lianshan was the weapon, the fortress.
One prepared for the worst, while the other thrived in the best of times.
"Understood. A dual approach—strengthening within and expanding outward," Lin Yuan said.
"Good." Lu Chenyuan was pleased.
Finally, his eyes shifted to Zhang Qi.
"Zhang Qi."
"Chairman Lu."
"You’re no longer my special assistant."
"I need you on the front lines."
"Yuanlong will establish a Strategic and Public Affairs Division, under your leadership."
"You’ll liaise with government bodies, analyze policies, and handle the group’s highest-level legal and compliance matters."
"Hanqing and Lianshan need a solid foundation. You will be its anchor."
Zhang Qi was silent for a moment.
He knew what this role entailed.
He would step out of Lu Chenyuan’s shadow and become Yuanlong’s shield.
"You can count on me," he said firmly. "I’ll hold the line."
Lu Chenyuan stood.
"The plan begins today."
"Remember—move quietly, but with absolute conviction."
"Get to work."
The three rose, nodded to him, and left the room.
---
Mo Group, CEO’s Office.
Mo Qingli hung up the phone, her expression a mix of solemnity and calm.
The call had been from Lu Chenyuan. Yuanlong had begun its preparations—which meant Mo Group could now do the same.
She walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the city’s relentless flow below.
After a moment, she pressed the intercom.
"Notify all core executives—a top-level strategy meeting in thirty minutes."
Half an hour later, the atmosphere in Mo Group’s conference room was equally tense.
Mo Qingli sat at the head of the table, her demeanor unreadable.
"There’s only one agenda today."
"Drafting the group’s contingency plan for ‘deglobalization.’"
The room erupted in murmurs.
A senior vice president couldn’t hold back. "CEO Mo, global trade is at its peak. Isn’t this... premature?"
"Premature?" Mo Qingli smiled faintly.
"It’s never too early to prepare for rain."
"Effective immediately, all critical operations must establish backup supply chains."
"All overseas core assets require risk assessments and exit strategies."
"A dedicated fund will be created to invest in domestic alternatives for key technologies and suppliers."
Her directives were sharp, decisive, and brooked no argument.
Though Mo Qingli had always held absolute authority in Mo Group, today’s decisions were beyond anything the executives had anticipated.
Unlike previous meetings where her proposals were met with immediate compliance, this time, dissent filled the air.
"CEO Mo, the costs are prohibitive. This will devastate this year’s profits."
"This is pure paranoia. There’s no sign of globalization reversing."
Even those who stayed silent wore skepticism in their eyes.
Then, the conference room door opened.
Mo Zhenbang walked in.
The executives froze.
Though he still held the title of Mo Group’s chairman, Mo Zhenbang had ceded decision-making to his daughter years ago.
But everyone in this room had lived through his iron-fisted era.
As his gaze swept across them, an invisible pressure snuffed out all resistance.
He took the seat to Mo Qingli’s left and spoke mildly.
"Don’t mind me. I just came to stretch my legs—the house was getting musty."
His tone was casual, but the veterans remembered all too well how fiercely he had championed his daughter during her succession.
With the "emperor emeritus" suddenly reappearing, no one dared believe he was here to side with the executives.
The room fell deathly silent.
The meeting proceeded without further objection, concluding exactly as Mo Qingli had outlined.
Once the others had filed out, she finally spoke.
"Dad."
Her eyes, no longer those of an unyielding queen, softened with warmth.
Mo Zhenbang looked at her with pride and trust.
"Go all in."
"The Mo family can afford losses—but never shortsightedness."
And so, the colossal machinery of Mo Group began its quiet pivot toward a future that still seemed distant to most.
Qin Corporation.
Qin Ya frowned slightly as she reviewed the reports in her hands.
One detailed the ripple effects of the Li Jinchuan case.
Qin New Energy's stock had taken a minor hit but quickly stabilized.
Another was the quarterly report from the Distant Horizons Foundation.
Lu Qianqian had performed exceptionally well, expanding the project's influence steadily.
The last was a confidential market intelligence brief.
It outlined recent internal personnel shifts and capital movements at Abyss Dragon Tech and the Mo Group.
The changes were subtle, yet Qin Ya sensed something unusual brewing.
Her mind drifted back to the failure of the "Windrider" project.
That time, she had lost to Lu Chenyuan's "Polaris OS."
Lost to a technological ecosystem she couldn't comprehend.
Now, that familiar dread of being left behind by the times crept in again.
Lu Chenyuan and Mo Qingli—her two greatest rivals—seemed to be orchestrating another strategy beyond her grasp.
"What is he planning?" Qin Ya murmured to herself.
Unlike Mo Qingli, she lacked direct insights from Lu Chenyuan.
But as a top-tier strategist, she trusted her instincts.
She recalled her last meeting with Lu Qianqian.
The girl no longer spoke of designer bags or parties but of clean water and education in impoverished regions.
Then there was Huangfu Chengshi.
With code and models, he had stirred storms in the capital markets.
These individuals represented a new wave of influence.
Suddenly, Qin Ya understood.
She might not decipher Lu Chenyuan's exact playbook, but she recognized the trend.
Picking up the phone, she dialed her assistant.
"Connect me with the largest lithium mining company in Continent A—I need to speak to their CEO."
"Also, assemble a strategic research team. Their sole focus: global geopolitics and potential tech embargoes."
"Budget? Unlimited."
She wasn’t certain this was the right move.
But intuition told her that following Lu Chenyuan’s lead might not guarantee dominance, but it would at least keep her from drowning when the next wave hit.
Just like the Windrider project—even as a failure, its early alignment with Lu Chenyuan had secured a foothold.
uld barely embark on the path to immortality. Just as he was on the verge of death, his golden finger awakened. No matter whether it was poison, drained blood and vital energy, diminished lifespan, or any other physical debuff caused by paying a price—once midnight passed, everything would be refreshed. From then on, whenever someone asked what kind of person Chu Ran was, the answer was simple: Forbidden arts that other cultivators dared not learn? Chu Ran would learn them. Prices that even demonic cultivators dared not pay? Chu Ran would pay them. Lifespan that even righteous cultivators dared not burn? Chu Ran would burn it. All the blood essence in his body? Take it. Want both his hands and feet? He would cut them off and send them to you. You say he’s finished? He wasn’t built to sit idle. You think he’s gone mad? No—he was simply waiting for midnight. From that day onward, Chu Ran would respect neither Heaven nor Earth, bow to neither gods nor ghosts. He had only one wish: For midnight to arrive a little sooner.
close your eyes and open them again, only to find yourself transmigrated into the role of a villainous male supporting character. Readers familiar with urban wish-fulfillment novels know that it is only through the relentless antics of the villainous male supporting character that the plot between the male and female leads can progress. As the villainous male supporting character, Long Aotian not only has to bully the female lead, harass the second female lead, and flirt with the third female lead, but he also has to go all out to antagonize the male lead. In the end, when his body is discovered, he is still clutching half a moldy fried dough stick in his hand. Fully aware of the plot, Long Aotian is determined to change his fate, starting with the female lead! In the beginning, the female lead lacks confidence: "Big brother, I hope I didn't scare you?" In the middle, the female lead treads carefully: "Brother Long, please don't hit me, okay?" Later on, the female lead becomes coquettishly clingy: "Aotian, it's time to pay the 'public grain' tonight." Long Aotian's legs go weak, and he feels like crying: "I taught you to be thick-skinned, not shameless!"
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
