Number One Fan

Yang Jie understood immediately upon hearing this. Zhang Qian had mentioned several times before that her father had objections to "Shenxing Technology." Her older brother, Zhang Chu, had previously collaborated with "Shenxing Technology" without telling the family, and when the old man found out, he was immediately taken home. The company that Zhang Qian had built and was developing well was then handed over to Zhang Qian had just returned from abroad, to manage.

"So, will there be any problems with your company...? Will it be like your brother's situation?" Yang Jie asked with some concern.

"It's nothing," Zhang Qian said, not really bothered. "Zhang Chu knew perfectly well what Grandpa hated, yet he still did it secretly, deliberately using a middleman to create an intermediary, thinking he was being clever. I'm different; I'm open and aboveboard, everything's out in the open. Hehe, besides, 'Shenxing Technology's' partner is 'Universe Technology,' Xiang Kun and Nana. We're just helping out; our main partner is 'Universe Technology.' If my grandpa says he won't cooperate with 'Universe Technology' because of this, then I'll accept it, hehe."

"Look at that sly grin on your face. Your old man definitely won't cancel the cooperation. It seems he's not too concerned about this matter?" Yang Jie asked with a smile. "So, your old man didn't come here this time because of 'Shenxing Technology'?"

"My father went to Yang City, and I took the initiative to tell him about my contact with 'Shenxing Technology.' He said he wanted to come and take a look, since it's very close. So he brought some people from the group over and met with the person in charge at 'Shenxing Technology.' We suspended the cooperation and did some review, hehe." Zhang Qian said with a smile, seemingly not worried at all about the suspension of cooperation.

Yang Jie seemed thoughtful. "Could it be... that you also don't want to cooperate with 'Shenxing Technology' and deliberately sent your grandfather to ruin things?"

Sitting in the back, Yang Zhuo wondered, "Why don't you want to cooperate with Shenxing Technology? Their technology is awesome! Especially VR and AR technology, which has many patents. Sister Qianqian, I heard from my sister that you and Brother Xiang's company seem to be planning to develop in this area? Then cooperation with Shenxing Technology is a must!"

Yang Zhuo has always had a particular fondness for companies like "Shenxing Technology," which boasts various cutting-edge technological achievements and is dedicated to research and development. Recently, he's been thinking about working part-time to save money, then asking his older sister for "sponsorship" so that he can buy a basic drone from "Shenxing Technology" during the winter break.

As Zhang Qian drove the car out of the parking lot, she laughed and said, "Cooperation? Of course we'll cooperate! With 'Shenxing Technology' providing hardware support, we can focus on developing virtual reality and augmented reality applications, saving a lot of time and allowing us to seize the window of opportunity. I actually suggested trying to cooperate with 'Shenxing Technology' before, but Xiang Kun insisted on taking a new technological route. I didn't expect that he would quietly secure the cooperation again. I don't know how he did it."

"I spoke with the people sent by 'Shenxing Technology', and they didn't seem to know much about the inside story either. They hadn't even met Xiang Kun, Nana, or Zhen'er. The cooperation was the idea of their higher-ups, and they didn't even go into detail about the specific cooperation plan or the extent of the cooperation. Everything has to be discussed from scratch."

"Although Nana and Zhen'er gave me authorization to talk to them, 'Shenxing Technology' probably didn't understand our relationship with 'Universe Technology,' so it was very difficult to talk to them. I had to confirm everything and explain things to them, doing repetitive things. The game had just been updated with a new version, and there were new communities and platforms launched. I was already so busy that I was going bald. On top of that, I had to deal with those people. It was too annoying."

"What's the most crucial thing? The most crucial thing is that these guys seem to think they're professionals and we're amateurs. They always act superior and look down on us, which is infuriating."

"It's good that my old man came to interrupt this time. With his status, he would confront Lu Cheng'an to his face. For the person in charge from 'Shenxing Technology', it's like a complete rip-off. This pause will allow them to go back and coordinate with the higher-ups, find out how to proceed, Zhengyi School their attitude. It will be much easier to continue the cooperation, and at least I can catch my breath."

Yang Jie laughed and said, "Oh dear, it's really not easy for our CEO Zhang to put up with so much anger. But aren't you afraid that 'Shenxing Technology' or your father might take it seriously and call off the cooperation?"

"Although I don't know how Xiang Kun negotiated the cooperation with 'Shenxing Technology,' based on my conversations with those people, the intention to cooperate was top-down. The people who came to make the liaison had no real say in whether or not to cooperate. As for my grandfather... no matter how much subjective prejudice he has against 'Shenxing Technology,' he's an old capitalist at heart, and the latter's attributes definitely outweigh the former. What we're doing with 'Universe Technology' now, and the business we're building, is the biggest opportunity for the Zhang Group's transformation, and he's not going to give it up. Xiang Kun isn't a member of the Zhang family, and he's always had an extremely assertive style in cooperation; he can't be manipulated at all. Don't worry, my grandfather will at most try to sow discord with 'Shenxing Technology,' but in the end, he'll definitely compromise."

As Zhang Qian spoke, she couldn't help but laugh, "I was thinking, if my grandfather can't let go of his pride in the end, he might try to make a superficial break between 'Soaring Dragon Interactive Entertainment' and the Zhang family. Anyway, no matter how they try to break it off, I definitely can't. My status will only rise, not fall. Without me, no matter who's in charge of the Zhang family or the group, I don't believe they can contact Xiang Kun."

Yang Jie laughed too, "You talk as if you can actually contact Xiang Kun."

Zhang Qian said, "It doesn't matter if we can't get in touch. I know how to cooperate with him, I know his style of doing things, and I have a good relationship with Nana, Zhen'er, and Lao Xia. If I need to send a message, it will always reach him immediately. Try sending someone else? Either you'll fall out with them, or you'll become Xiang Kun's puppet, with no say in anything. My grandfather knows what choice to make."

Xiao Min, sitting in the back seat, was dumbfounded and muttered, "Why do you have to be so scheming and manipulative when negotiating a deal? It's so complicated..."

"What's called intrigue? This is called action strategy, negotiation skills, strategic judgment, and leveraging others' strengths!" Zhang Qian laughed. "Sister-in-law, you're still too young. Even in school, in any collaborative project, this kind of thing is inevitable, just in different forms and to varying degrees. Each person and group represents different interests and pursues different goals, so disagreements are natural. The key is how to get things done amidst these disagreements; blindly rushing in won't work!"

Yang Zhuo smiled at his girlfriend and said, "The Observation Analysis Method that Brother Xiang taught us before—which involves identifying the purpose, clarifying the needs, and then formulating corresponding strategies and methods—is exactly this kind of application."

Xiao Min scratched her head. "I gave up a long time ago. Anyway, all I can do is draw. No matter where I work after graduation, it'll be drawing anyway. I'll just bury myself in my drawings."

"Come work for our company! We're hiring artists too, so we're taking a reservation! Yang Zhuo can come over after he graduates too. Your major is a good fit for our operations or branding departments," Zhang Qian said.

Yang Jie laughed and said, "You're recruiting him a little too early. This kid is only a freshman."

"It's okay, you can come for an internship during winter or summer vacation to get to know the work environment."

Yang Zhuo said somewhat embarrassedly, "Sister Qianqian, I've already arranged with Brother Xiang to intern at his company during the winter break. Xiao Min will be coming with me too."

"No way, it makes sense for Xiao Min to go, but what would you be doing at their company? They don't have any business that matches your major, do they?" Zhang Qian asked curiously.

"It's not 'Universe Technology,' it's a catering company that Brother Xiang and Brother Meng are going to set up, including 'Youlong Restaurant.' It will be packaged as a whole catering brand, promoted and operated externally, which is in line with my major. Moreover, I have watched 'Youlong Restaurant' grow from scratch, so I have some advantages and can really do something," Yang Zhuo said.

"That would be... not bad." Zhang Qian said with a smile, "But Xiang Kun either stays in Chongyun Village, burying himself in some research with Lao Xia, or he's completely out of contact. If this catering company is set up, ninety-nine percent of the work will still be done by others."

Yang Zhuo laughed and said, "Brother Xiang has paved the way; we just need to follow the direction he has chosen."

Sitting in the passenger seat, Yang Jie resisted the urge to roll her eyes and said helplessly to Zhang Qian, "Did you hear that? I told you, this kid completely idolizes Xiang Kun... no, he worships him like a god, he's completely blindly devoted to him."

"Sister, you're wrong. It's not about blindly believing or following. Every word Brother Xiang says makes sense and can withstand scrutiny," Yang Zhuo said.

"Alright, alright, I won't argue with you about this. I can't win against you," Yang Jie said with a helpless smile. "Stop talking about Xiang Kun. We talked about Xiang Kun for ages on the plane, and now that we've met Qianqian, the topic has already turned to Xiang Kun again after just a few words. It's never going to end." As she spoke, she said to Zhang Qian, "By the way, hasn't your brother always been at odds with you? Last time he even hired a private investigator to keep an eye on you. Will he try some underhanded tricks or sabotage this time?"

"My brother... just thinking about my brother makes me laugh." Zhang Qian shook her head and chuckled, "He's practically a health guru now. He gets up before dawn every day, takes a bath, changes clothes, and goes to the rooftop to meditate and greet the sunrise. His diet is super healthy too. He doesn't drink any bottled or canned drinks, only his own brewed tea. He doesn't eat any fried food, just porridge, vegetables, and fruit. He meditates, runs, climbs mountains, and reads all the time, mostly things like Zhuangzi, Mencius, Laozi's Commentary, and the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch. We all thought he could only stick to it for a month or two at most, but now it's been over half a year, and he's still doing it. And he doesn't seem to be in any pain; on the contrary, he seems to be enjoying it... It's amazing. Now, when my mom sometimes criticizes me for staying up late or not taking care of my health, she even says things like, 'You should learn from your brother's lifestyle.'"

Yang Jie was also somewhat surprised. "Your brother isn't really planning to become a monk or a Daoist priest, is he?"

Xiao Min recalled the man who had been pinned to the ground and crying after Zhang Qian's flying wrist lock and armbar, and couldn't help but say, "How could Qianqian's brother suddenly change so much?"

"It's said that Xiang Kun talked to him about 'health preservation,' but that's just Xiang Kun's version of events. My brother wouldn't go into details about what actually happened," Zhang Qian said, then couldn't help but laugh, "Ha, the topic has come back to Xiang Kun again."

Yang Zhuo said, "If it's Brother Xiang, then it's quite normal; he does indeed have the ability to turn the rotten into the miraculous."

Yang Jie sighed and said to her friend, "Look... here we go again."

"I'm not making this up, sis. The 'Observation Analysis Method,' 'Sensory Information Isolation Method,' 'Axis Memory Method,' and 'Nine-Stage Prediction Method' that Brother Xiang taught me are all really useful," Yang Zhuo said earnestly.

"Look, they're all set up one after another," Yang Jie said helplessly.

"Little brother, are all these spells and techniques named by Xiang Kun?" Zhang Qian asked curiously.

"No, Brother Xiang didn't name it. He just told me what to do and helped me summarize and categorize methodologies that suit me. I named it myself based on its purpose and characteristics," Yang Zhuo said. "My sister is always in the lab doing research, and her way of thinking has become fixed. She has to use her own cognitive system to explain and understand everything. If she can't explain or understand it, she thinks it's fake."

"This kid, I don't know where he learned some magic tricks, and he's trying to fool me, saying he relies on some kind of perception. It's ridiculous," Yang Jie said to her friend.

"It's definitely not magic. You can ask Xiao Min if you don't believe me," Yang Zhuo argued.

Xiao Min nodded repeatedly. "It's definitely not magic, sister. What Brother Xiang taught me is really useful. I tried to learn it for a while, but I didn't have Azhuo's talent, nor did I have that much patience to learn, so I didn't continue."

Zhang Qian became increasingly curious as she listened. "What kind of 'magic'?"

"He uses all sorts of things—playing cards, Coin, keys—he'll tinker with all sorts of things. Oh, right, remember when we first met Xiang Kun at that bar not far from my school? He did that 'magic trick' with that crumpled A4 paper, right? Something like that, but not as amazing Xiang Kun's." Yang Jie said, "Yang Zhuo, when we eat later, show it to your sister Qianqian and let her judge whether it's magic."

"Yes, yes, give me a performance." Zhang Qian nodded repeatedly, and then drove the car into the underground parking lot of a shopping mall. They had arrived at the place where they were going to have lunch.

After getting off the bus, Yang Jie said, "I'll go buy a deck of cards first, and then I'll have Yang Zhuo perform."

Yang Zhuo said, "I have it in my bag, it's in the car, I'll just grab it."

"No, I want to buy a new one."

"Then, sis, you can also buy a few ballpoint pens or gel pens while you're at it, and exchange them for some Coin, one yuan or fifty cents doesn't matter, exchange a lot, because I'm not sure which ones will be useful," Yang Zhuo said. "Since we're going to demonstrate, let's demonstrate everything."

Zhang Qian listened with increasing anticipation and asked curiously, "Coin? How do you perform with Coin? By the way, I saw Little Bell, Little Apple, and Lao Xia all flip Coin with their fingers, they're really good at it, can you do it too?"

"I'm not very good at that, I can't flip it smoothly, that's not what I'm going to perform," Yang Zhuo said somewhat embarrassedly. "My abilities are far, far inferior to Brother Xiang's. He's the real expert, I'm just a relatively inexperienced apprentice. What we do... isn't the kind of magic or illusion my sister talks about, it's definitely not magic. It's just a set of methods that rely on a combination of observation, sensory abilities, and analytical skills developed through practice. Actually, once you understand it, it's not a big deal. It's just that my sister never believes what I say, she thinks I'm just fooling her."