Chapter 26: The Halo Explodes
“My concept is to create a smart community with ‘Ultra-Sensing’…”
Fu Yue’s design drew inspiration from the ideas of a certain top-tier company in the real world that had once changed the entire internet landscape and “redefined the industry.” Those present might not understand the technology, but they understood people, trade-offs, and value. What they were scrutinizing wasn’t limited to Fu Yue’s proposal, but also the man himself—this young man who had suddenly appeared beside Ji Hanmo and was highly praised by him.
Fu Yue’s voice was clear and steady. With logical clarity, he explained a vast and avant-garde system concept in the simplest language. Initially, those tycoons still held a trace of pickiness. But gradually, their expressions changed.
In the meeting room, Fu Yue’s voice continued to flow. He stood before the giant projection screen, with slides switching behind him. The lights outlined his refined and tall figure, and his overly beautiful face was full of professionalism and focus. What he didn’t know was that at this moment, the minds of the room full of men were far beyond the data on the screen.
Shen Junnian was looking at him. For the first time, he realized that Fu Yue wasn’t just a young master who caused trouble every day; he could also shine in a certain field. This realization made his possessiveness burn even brighter.
Pei Luomian was looking at him. After that high fever, this youth had become a bit different. What was it that had completely stripped away and reshaped the playboy attitude he once had?
The president of Hammers Capital, sitting below Shen Junnian, was also looking at Fu Yue, his heart inexplicably skipping a beat.
As for Ji Hanmo, his brow furrowed. He had already noticed that the gazes of everyone in the room were exploring Fu Yue. Fu Yue was completely oblivious, still confidently explaining his charming theories. It was as if a little white rabbit was in a wolf’s den, constantly showing off its coat of lovely white fur, that cute soft tail, ears twitching, and discharging electricity everywhere.
Ji Hanmo regretted inviting Fu Yue to join the project. No, to be precise, he regretted letting him attend this meeting.
Finally, as the last PPT slide stayed on the screen, Fu Yue’s presentation concluded. He bowed slightly: “My presentation is over. Thank you, everyone.”
After a brief silence, the room erupted in applause much warmer than at the start.
“Exceptional! Mr. Fu.” The speaker was the president of Hammers Capital, a German man known for his sharp eye. His English carried an accent, but his praise was unstinting: “Your concept has shown me the future. This land will be worth a fortune because of your design.”
An investment tycoon from North City looked at Fu Yue with an undisguised gaze: “Xiao Fu, if this system of yours could be spun off as a product, its market prospects would be immeasurable. Have you considered independent financing? We at Dingsheng Capital are very interested in you.”
Once these words were out, the atmosphere in the meeting room changed instantly. Scouting someone in public and phrasing it so grandly—it was truly shameless.
Fu Yue had returned to his seat. Beside him, Shen Junnian patted his shoulder with a friendly tone: “Fu Yue, ignore that Dingsheng. If you want to go solo, the Shen Group will be the first to invest.”
Ji Hanmo was close to him and naturally heard this sentence. But he didn’t speak, his face merely remaining as calm as water as he glanced at Fu Yue.
Fu Yue was a bit dazed by this sudden turn of events. He wasn’t good at handling this kind of commercial flattery, so he nodded and smiled casually, then calmly twirled the pen in his hand.
At this time, the representative from the Fudong Syndicate raised his hand. “Mr. Fu, your proposal is perfect, but the implementation cost must also be staggering. Regarding cost control and the subsequent commercialization model, do you have any preliminary plans?”
This question happened to hit Fu Yue’s weak spot. He understood technology, but he hadn’t yet grasped the subtleties of capital operation. Thus, he shook his head honestly: “Sorry, I haven’t considered that aspect yet. I am mainly responsible for the technical architecture.”
As soon as he said this, the Hammers president smiled slightly: “Mr. Fu is a top technical expert. Naturally, these trivial commercial matters are for us to worry about; why bother him with them?”
Hearing this, the Fudong representative’s expression changed, and he immediately tried to fix it: “It was my oversight!”
Shen Junnian spoke slowly: “An artist’s job is to create beauty. The job of us mundane people is to price that beauty. Fu Yue, you don’t need to distract yourself with those things; just focus on the system.”
[Host, today’s meeting has a very high “Lick-dog” value.] The system, which hadn’t been active for a long time, couldn’t resist chiming in.
And amidst this harmonious atmosphere, a cold voice rang out, breaking the warmth.
“I have some differing opinions.”
All gazes shifted to the source of this voice—it was Jiang Ying. There was no smile on his face, and his words held no warmth. He looked at Fu Yue with a sharp and direct gaze:
“Mr. Fu’s concept is indeed very imaginative. But if I may be blunt, this concept is more like an exquisite ivory tower—magnificent, but unrealistic.”
Seeing this, Fu Yue asked, “Mr. Jiang, please elaborate.”
Jiang Ying cleared his throat: “The ‘All-Domain Sensing System’ you mentioned has extremely high requirements for the electromagnetic environment within the building. Is your smartization at the cost of sacrificing architectural aesthetics and structural safety?” After saying this, Jiang Ying pointed out several controversial points in the PPT. “Mr. Fu’s proposal might work in a lab, but buildings in the real world cannot make way for your code.”
Fu Yue was stunned and then explained, “Mr. Jiang, what I presented today is just a preliminary concept. Regarding the impact on architectural design, we can…”
“No need.” Jiang Ying interrupted him directly. “Please provide technical documentation that meets industry standards. Don’t waste my time with conceptual things.”
The atmosphere in the meeting room took a sharp turn for the worse. Many of those who had just praised Fu Yue frowned, looking at Jiang Ying with displeasure. But those who knew Jiang Ying’s fame began to re-evaluate the level of Fu Yue’s proposal. Discussions began at the table, forming two different viewpoints.
“Mr. Jiang,” Shen Junnian leaned slightly toward Fu Yue, “Fu Yue and I grew up together; he has always pursued perfection in everything he does.” At this point, Shen Junnian reached out his left hand and pressed his palm against Fu Yue’s right forearm on the table, an intimate gesture. “The engineering team at our Shen Group can first coordinate with Fu Yue to create a feasible rough model and give it to you.”
After he said this, Jiang Ying remained cold and didn’t respond. At this moment, Ji Hanmo sitting in the head seat was still calm, not saying a word. No one could tell what he was thinking. Was he dissatisfied with the atmosphere or angry that the Ji Group had presented an imperfect proposal?
At this moment, Pei Luomian adjusted his glasses. His gaze landed on Fu Yue’s face, then he looked around and spoke: “Mr. Fu, you don’t look well. Your body probably hasn’t fully recovered; how about we take a break?” His volume was just loud enough for everyone at the table to hear.
“Ah, yes, yes.” People began to agree. “Why don’t we have a tea break first?”
All eyes turned to the head seat. Ji Hanmo’s fingertip tapped the table once, and he agreed.
The tea break area was in a semi-open space outside the meeting room. Long tables were covered with red-and-white checkered cloths, and two-tier snack racks were full of various fruits and desserts. Nearby, a barista was making drinks on the spot.
Fu Yue opened a can of Coke and was drinking it. Several tycoons carrying coffee cups gathered around him. They were elegant, their questions centered on the technology itself, expressing professional respect for Fu Yue, though the admiration and interest in their eyes were hard to hide.
“Mr. Fu, the algorithm you mentioned just now is truly brilliant!”
“I wonder if Mr. Fu has studied brain-computer interface technology? I believe it would be a perfect match for your system.”
Shen Junnian was like a lion guarding its food, never leaving Fu Yue’s side. He occasionally blocked one or two overly eager questions, his intimate posture making the declaration of ownership unmistakable.
Pei Luomian stood quietly not far away, holding a cup of plain water. He wasn’t in a hurry to approach like the others, yet he kept Fu Yue within his line of sight.
In another corner of the tea break area, several participants were talking in low voices.
“If I’m not mistaken, this Mr. Fu should be from Haicheng’s Fu family, right?”
“He’s the Fu family’s youngest son,” an executive from the Shen Group replied.
“But why didn’t the Fu Group join this project?”
As soon as the question was asked, someone nearby lightly tapped his arm, signaling him to be quiet and wordlessly mouthed a few words. Another person with sharp ears couldn’t resist chiming in: “Haven’t you heard? This Fu family young master was kicked out by his family.”
“What?” The questioner was shocked. “The Fu family doesn’t want a son with this kind of talent? Is their family some Jade Emperor’s Celestial Palace?”
“Keep it down!” the Vice President of the Ji Group suppressed the talk. “The way of survival in those grand, wealthy families isn’t something we can understand.”
Although their voices were light, they inevitably drifted into certain people’s ears. Ji Hanmo walked past expressionlessly, his eyes flashing. These discussions drew more gazes toward Fu Yue at the center of the vortex. He might not have noticed it himself, but the men who saw him as prey heard everything clearly.
A talented, incredibly beautiful… prey who had been abandoned by his family. It was practically tailored for them. Without the Fu family’s protection, perhaps obtaining him would be easier. For a moment, the atmosphere of admiration, covetousness, and determination grew even stronger in the air.
In the tea break area, Fu Yue held his cup, his gaze instinctively drifting toward Jiang Ying, who was standing alone by the window. Regardless of the past, they were partners now. With the thought of easing the relationship, he took the initiative to walk over.
“Mr. Jiang.” Fu Yue nodded to him. Then, he picked up an exquisite bone china teapot from the table, wanting to pour water into Jiang Ying’s empty cup.
However, the moment he approached, Jiang Ying didn’t even turn his head to look at him; he merely moved his cup half an inch to the side. Fu Yue’s outstretched hand froze in mid-air, the teapot spout suspended there, but the cup had been moved away by Jiang Ying.
Translator’s Note:
Terms used:
- Jade Emperor’s Celestial Palace (玉皇仙宮): A hyperbolic way to say the Fu family thinks they are too high and mighty.
- Brain-computer interface (腦機接口): Real-world tech being discussed in the “Smart Medical” context.
- Lick-dog (舔狗): A slang term for someone who is overly subservient to someone they like (essentially a simp).
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