Choking for Dreams

When Lu Chenyuan announced the establishment of Expedition, Lin Yuan fell silent.

He lowered his head, seemingly deep in thought.

Ren Qian nudged him gently.

Lin Yuan looked up at Lu Chenyuan, his eyes filled with unprecedented determination.

"Old Lu," he began,

"Lianshan no longer needs me."

"I've spent the last two years grooming my successor, and they're fully capable of taking over."

"From today onward, Lianshan Tech can completely shed the imprint of Yuanlong and stand as an entirely independent company."

He rose to his feet and addressed Lu Chenyuan directly,

"Expedition Tech needs a CEO."

"Let me take the role."

Lin Yuan's decision didn’t come as a surprise.

To Ren Qian and Lu Chenyuan, it was almost expected.

Lianshan was Lin Yuan’s legacy.

But Expedition was Lu Chenyuan’s dream—and soon, it would become the dream of everyone at Yuanlong.

No one was more suited for this role than Lin Yuan.

This junior, who had followed Lu Chenyuan since their university days, had started as a special assistant out of gratitude for his mentor’s guidance and trust.

Later, Lu Chenyuan appointed him as Yuanlong’s CEO.

Then, Lin Yuan led Lianshan Tech to independence, carving his own path through the worst of the deglobalization wave, overcoming countless obstacles to emerge as a leader in his own right.

The more he grew, the more Lin Yuan recognized the depth of Lu Chenyuan’s vision and the grandeur of his ideals.

Lu Chenyuan’s charisma had a way of inspiring unwavering loyalty.

Now, as Lu Chenyuan prepared to forge new frontiers, Lin Yuan found himself without hesitation—naturally stepping forward as the vanguard.

Perhaps this was what it meant to be "suffocated by dreams."

Even the usually composed Lin Yuan couldn’t help but let this phrase flicker through his mind.

Ren Qian watched her "little husband," noticing how he seemed taller, more solid.

Even more captivating.

Lu Chenyuan studied him but didn’t respond immediately.

After a long pause, he finally nodded.

"Alright."

A single word, yet it carried the weight of an immense trust.

The next day, Monday.

Lianshan Tech’s internal system circulated an all-staff email, personally signed by Lin Yuan.

It announced his resignation as CEO.

The new CEO would be Wang Hao, the internally promoted VP of Technology.

The news sent shockwaves through the industry.

Though Lin Yuan had led Lianshan to independence, the market still viewed him and Lianshan Tech as part of the Yuanlong ecosystem.

But Wang Hao? He was a true Lianshan native!

Yet, Lianshan’s stock price barely wavered at opening, quickly stabilized by a mysterious surge of large buy orders.

The market soon realized this wasn’t turmoil—it was a meticulously planned transition.

Lin Yuan had fulfilled his final duty with seamless precision.

He handed back to the market a Lianshan with solid foundations, a stable team, and the ability to stand on its own.

Then, he cleared his office of all personal belongings.

Just one cardboard box.

That afternoon, he drove to an inconspicuous new tech park on the outskirts of Jingzhou.

This was the starting point of "Expedition Tech."

No grand opening ceremony, no flashing cameras.

Just a handful of engineers transferred from Hanqing and Yuanlong, quietly setting up equipment.

Lin Yuan stepped into the bare-bones CEO office—furnished with nothing but a single desk.

He set down the cardboard box.

News of Expedition Tech’s founding was tightly controlled, limited to an extremely small circle.

But nothing stays hidden forever.

Especially when it involves Lu Chenyuan.

A week later.

Mo Group headquarters.

The atmosphere in the top-floor boardroom was tense.

Mo Qingli sat at the head of the table, her expression calm.

Before her lay a proposal for a new fund:

"The Muyu Strategic Investment Fund."

A seasoned director hesitated before cautiously voicing his concern,

"Chairman Mo, the group’s current strategy is clear, and our cash flow is precious."

"Launching a new fund with such... forward-looking investment directions carries excessive risk."

His use of "forward-looking" was diplomatic.

The proposal’s key investment areas were boldly listed as:

Commercial aerospace, deep-space communications, and space resource development.

Though Mo Group was deeply tied to Yuanlong and a titan in the tech world, these fields still stretched beyond the board’s comfort zone.

Others, emboldened by his lead, began murmuring dissent.

It mirrored the scene years ago, when Mo Qingli first proposed contingency plans for deglobalization.

She listened without interruption, her face unreadable.

Yet in her mind, a thought resurfaced: Perhaps I should follow A-Yuan’s example...

When the last voice faded, Mo Qingli finally spoke.

"Everyone," she began, and the room fell silent.

She paused, then continued,

"Your points are valid."

"From a pure ROI perspective, this is indeed a high-risk investment."

Her gaze swept across the room.

"But Mo Group didn’t reach this height by only playing safe bets."

"We got here by placing the right wager at every turning point of our era."

She stood and walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Beyond them stretched Jingzhou’s glittering skyline.

"Twenty years ago, we bet on global trade."

"Ten years ago, we bet on new energy and materials."

"Now, I’m placing another bet—for Mo Group’s next decade."

Her voice, clear and resolute, filled the chamber.

"I’m betting humanity’s future lies among the stars."

"And ‘Expedition’ is the vessel sailing toward that blue ocean."

She turned to face them all.

"This wager isn’t made as Mo Group’s CEO—it’s my personal guarantee."

"Should the fund incur losses, I’ll cover them from my own shares and dividends."

"Finally, as the leader in materials science, Mo Group will voluntarily allocate core experts to join Expedition Tech."

Dead silence.

Every director stared at her, stunned.

Before them, this poised figure seemed to grow towering—a sovereign willing to stake everything.

The motion passed unanimously.

A day later, Yuanlong Tech’s website posted a single low-key announcement:

"Expedition Tech has been established."

Yet even this muted notice sent the name "Expedition Tech" ricocheting through global finance and tech circles overnight.

Analysts and media scrambled to uncover the company’s backstory.

What they found left them even more astounded.

Its founder: Lu Chenyuan.

CEO: Lin Yuan, freshly departed from Lianshan Tech after cementing its success.

And its backers? Yuanlong Tech and Mo Group.

This combination was already the "ace up the sleeve" of Xia Country's tech circle.

In no time, speculation about Lu Chenyuan venturing into aerospace reached a fever pitch.

Yet the man himself remained unusually silent.

Lu Chenyuan gave no interviews.

Expedition Technology held no press conferences.

He was like someone who lit the fuse and walked away, leaving all the noise to the world.