After its establishment, Expedition Technology vanished from public view like a giant whale diving into the depths of the ocean.
No press releases.
No product launches.
Not even recruitment ads—only quietly posted through a few highly specialized internal channels.
Yet, in that unassuming tech park on the outskirts of Jingzhou, a silent transformation was underway.
Just months ago, it had been nothing more than a dusty, empty construction site.
Now, sleek silver-white modern factories rose from the ground.
When night fell, the place didn’t quiet down—instead, it blazed with lights as bright as day.
Expedition Technology, Assembly Workshop No. 1.
The atmosphere today was unusually tense.
At the center of the workshop, a massive holographic projection displayed an incredibly complex mechanical schematic.
A heated dispute had erupted over the technical approach for the core component—the "Shadow-Bearing" main valve.
The team led by Professor Zhou Mingyuan, representing traditional craftsmanship and experience, clashed fiercely with Dr. Li Mo’s team, which championed cutting-edge algorithms and new materials. Neither side would yield, and the project had reached a standstill.
Lin Yuan, the CEO, was at his wit’s end.
He could handle administration. He could approve budgets. But he couldn’t dictate the thoughts of these top-tier experts.
In the end, the meeting concluded without resolution, leaving everyone frustrated.
Late at night, in the CEO’s office.
The light was still on.
Lin Yuan stared at the massive project timeline on the wall, his brow furrowed at the red warning markers.
Without a finalized valve design, the entire engine production plan would grind to a halt.
Every day wasted meant millions in losses.
Even worse was the toll on the team’s morale.
Just as Lin Yuan was drowning in frustration, a soft knock sounded at the door.
"Who is it?" he snapped impatiently.
The door opened, revealing Lu Chenyuan.
Dressed in casual clothes, he carried a few insulated food containers.
"Old Lu?"
Lin Yuan shot up from his chair, surprised and relieved.
"Just passing by," Lu Chenyuan said, placing the containers on the desk and opening them.
The rich aroma instantly cut through the office’s stifling air.
A steaming box of stir-fried rice noodles, a refreshing side of cold vegetables, and a warm bowl of pork stomach and chicken soup.
"Eat first," Lu Chenyuan said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
A wave of warmth washed over Lin Yuan. All his anxiety and frustration suddenly found an outlet.
Without hesitation, he grabbed the chopsticks and dug in ravenously.
Lu Chenyuan didn’t bring up work. He simply sat across from him in silence, pouring a cup of soup.
"Slow down. Don’t choke."
Only after Lin Yuan had devoured everything and let out a satisfied sigh did Lu Chenyuan speak again.
"Feeling better?"
"Alive again," Lin Yuan admitted sheepishly.
"Good." Lu Chenyuan nodded.
"Now, take me to meet the two stars of this drama."
Lin Yuan blinked. "Now?"
"Yes. Now."
...
Lu Chenyuan didn’t go to the conference room or an office.
Instead, he had Lin Yuan summon Professor Zhou Mingyuan and Dr. Li Mo to a 24-hour lounge in the tech park.
The space was quiet, save for the occasional hum of vending machines.
When Zhou and Li arrived, traces of their earlier tension still lingered.
Rather than diving into the dispute, Lu Chenyuan prepared their preferred drinks and casually steered the conversation toward their proudest technical achievements.
He didn’t judge. He listened, asked thoughtful questions, and within minutes, the hostility in the room dissipated.
Seizing the moment, Lu Chenyuan finally addressed the issue.
"Professor Zhou, Dr. Li," he said earnestly, "I didn’t ask you here to declare a winner or loser."
"There’s just one thing I want to say."
He picked up a paper cup from the table and spoke calmly.
"In Expedition’s dictionary, there’s no such word as ‘failure.’ Only ‘data.’"
"Professor Zhou’s approach is built on decades of experimental data—proven, reliable, and stable."
He lifted another cup.
"Dr. Li’s approach is driven by cutting-edge algorithms and simulations—forward-thinking, efficient, and revolutionary."
His gaze was steady, unwavering.
"Both are data. Both are Expedition’s most valuable assets."
"So here’s my proposal." Lu Chenyuan smiled.
"We pursue both paths."
"Form two separate task forces, each with equal resources, personnel, and equipment."
"In the end, we won’t listen to opinions, experience, or theories."
"We’ll listen only to the final test results."
"Whichever performs better, we adopt. The other becomes archived technical reserves."
The lounge fell silent.
Both Zhou and Li were stunned.
They had anticipated several outcomes—but not this. Lu Chenyuan had given them both the ultimate respect and stage.
...
Weekend. The rooftop terrace of Penthouse One at Cloud Peak Residences.
Charcoal burned steadily, emitting faint crackles.
Another family barbecue.
Mo Qingli sat nearby, patiently feeding her son homemade fruit puree with a small spoon.
Across from her, Lin Yuan and Ren Qian picked at freshly grilled chicken wings, their minds clearly elsewhere.
Lin Yuan, in particular, still hadn’t fully shaken off his worries.
"Still hung up on the valve issue?" Lu Chenyuan asked casually, without turning around.
Lin Yuan paused, then sighed.
"Old Lu, nothing gets past you. The problem’s resolved, but this solution feels... extravagant."
Running parallel R&D lines meant burning through cash.
As CEO, the thought pained him.
Ren Qian shot her husband a concerned glance before looking to Lu Chenyuan.
Lu Chenyuan handed Lin Yuan a skewer of golden grilled squid, then reached for the spice jar.
"Cooking and engineering aren’t so different," he remarked, sprinkling cumin.
"Take this barbecue. Old-school grill masters never use thermometers. They judge by the meat’s color, the sizzle of fat, the scent of char. That’s experience. Instinct. Craftsmanship."
He gestured to a sleek oven nearby.
"But modern kitchens have precision ovens. Set the temperature, time, humidity—pop in the steak, and it’s perfect every time. That’s data. Standardization. Efficiency."
Lin Yuan listened intently, forgetting the squid in his hand.
"Which method is better?" Lu Chenyuan asked.
Lin Yuan opened his mouth to answer, then hesitated.
Lu Chenyuan smiled and answered for him.
"Neither is better. When I’m alone, I enjoy grilling—the process matters. But if I’m hosting a hundred guests? I’d use the oven. It’s consistent, replicable, efficient."
He distributed the freshly grilled skewers of meat onto each person's plate, then wiped his hands with a napkin.
"Yuan, what we're about to undertake is something unprecedented. It requires both Professor Zhou's hands, capable of sensing the finest details, and Li Mo's data system that ensures scalable production."
His gaze settled on Lin Yuan, calm yet profound.
"So, your task isn't to judge who's right or wrong. It's to create an environment where they can see each other, understand each other, and ultimately, merge together."
After speaking, Lu Chenyuan picked up a bottle of soda and poured a glass for Lin Yuan.
"Don't treat them as contradictions. Think of them as Expedition's two hands—left and right, both indispensable."
Lin Yuan lifted the glass, staring blankly at the bubbles rising in the drink.
After a long pause, he finally exhaled deeply, as if a weight had been lifted from his chest.
He downed the drink in one gulp.
"Old Lu, I get it now."
Just then, Mo Qingli's phone vibrated softly.
She glanced at it before looking up at Lu Chenyuan.
"Stellar just announced their next-generation 'Smaug' engine has completed a 300-second long-duration ignition test."
The atmosphere in the room grew tense.
A flicker of gravity crossed Ren Qian and Lin Yuan's faces.
Three hundred seconds.
It was the critical threshold determining whether an engine could be used in an actual launch.
This meant that in the most pivotal field—engine technology—their biggest competitor had already made the leap from theory to practice.
Meanwhile, they were still arguing over a tiny valve.
A crushing sense of pressure descended instantly.
Yet Lu Chenyuan acted as if he hadn't heard, simply picking up a slice of watermelon and holding it to Mo Qingli's lips.
"Try this. It's really sweet today."
Mo Qingli met his eyes, then took a bite.
The crisp, cool juice washed over her, refreshing and soothing.
Only then did Lu Chenyuan turn back to Lin Yuan.
"Did you hear that?"
"Our rivals won't stop and wait for us."
"So, no more infighting."
His voice was quiet, yet carried more weight than any grand declaration.
"Our journey is toward the stars and the sea."
"Not a tiny valve."
reezy rom-com) Good news: Jiang Liu is quite the ladies' man. Bad news: He’s lost his memory. Lying in a hospital bed, Jiang Liu listens to a parade of goddesses spouting "absurd claims," feeling like the world is one giant game of Werewolf. "Jiang Liu, I’m your first love." "Jiang Liu, you’re my boyfriend—she’s your ex." "Jiang Liu, we’re close friends who’ve shared a bed, remember?" "Jiang Liu, I want to have your baby." The now-lucid Jiang Liu is convinced this must be some elaborate scam... until someone drops the bombshell: "The day before you lost your memory, you confessed your feelings—and got into a relationship." Jiang Liu is utterly baffled. So... who the hell is his actual girlfriend?! ... Before recovering his memories, Jiang Liu must navigate this minefield of lies and sincerity, fighting to protect himself from these women’s schemes. But things spiral even further out of control as more people show up at his doorstep—each with increasingly unhinged antics. On the bright side, the memories he lost due to overwhelming trauma seem to be resurfacing. Great news, right? So why are they all panicking now?
+【Epic Battles!】 "Your Highness, they say Linxi Temple is miraculous. Won’t you make a wish?" "A wish? It should be making wishes to me." "That may be so, but since you’re already here..." "..." "Fine. Then grant this princess a consort to play with." "He must be obedient, devoted, and utterly infatuated with my body—so much so that he’d kneel and kiss my feet." "Your Highness, that’s not a consort. That’s a dog." "Then add clever, witty, heroic, ambitious yet pragmatic..." "Hmm, that’s enough for now. I’ll add more later." After tossing out these words half in jest, Princess Anle departed the temple—only to catch a fleeting glimpse of the Bodhisattva statue smiling at her. Meanwhile, Yang An, fresh out of university, was having a very bad day. Good news: He’d transmigrated into another world with a cheat granting tenfold combat power. Bad news: He’d immediately fallen into the clutches of a certain villainess. Good news: Said villainess possessed peerless beauty and royal status. Bad news: She was absolutely monstrous!!! In the frozen wilderness, Yang An knelt beneath Qin Guo’er’s feet, drenched in sweat despite the cold. Desperately clutching her porcelain-perfect foot—the very one poised to crush his throat—he could only think: How do I survive this?! Need answers NOW!
Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"
. 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!"
