Jiang Shuiyun suggested that since she and Yi Jinbai were completely clueless about these things, what was the point of sitting here anxiously?
Yi Jinbai hesitated for a moment, "But isn't this too early? It seems like only celebrities do these things after they become famous, right?"
"So what? Even celebrities sign with companies, and you haven't. Don't look at others, just look at yourself." Jiang Shuiyun settled the matter and prepared to put it on the agenda.
While Jiang Shuiyun and Yi Jinbai were discussing Yi Jinbai's future, there was a knock on the door, followed by Shen Yunyi's voice, "Shuiyun, are you free now? He's staying here and won't leave; he has something to say."
"I'm fine," Jiang Shuiyun got up and opened the door. Only Shen Yunyi was there. "Is your older brother still downstairs?"
Shen Yunyi nodded and led Jiang Shuiyun downstairs. However, this time the three of them were not in the living room, but in a relatively secluded tea room, as if they were going to talk about something important.
Shen Fu stood up as Jiang Shuiyun and the other person entered. "I have a collaboration idea. I wonder if Miss Jiang would be interested?"
"Please have a seat, Mr. Shen," Jiang Shuiyun said. Upon hearing this, she could roughly guess what it was about. She couldn't think of anything else besides holography.
The three sat down. Shen Yunyi stood to the side with his head down and remained silent, while Shen Fu told Jiang Shuiyun about the main purpose of his visit.
“Miss Jiang should also know that the scope of holography is too broad for Jianghe Group to handle completely. After comprehensive consideration, the involvement of Shen Group can bring many benefits. At least in China, there is no one more suitable than Shen Group.”
Shen Fu got straight to the point, discussing business with decisiveness and efficiency, and then waited for Jiang Shuiyun's reply.
Jiang Shuiyun was well aware of the strength of the Shen Group, which was comparable to that of the Jianghe Group. However, their core businesses were different. Both were comprehensive and diversified groups, so there was bound to be some overlap and competition. But the overlap was only a small part. Apart from that, the two were more complementary. Together, the two groups could basically encompass everything needed to build a holographic world.
"I think so too, but this matter is of great importance, and it's not something I can decide on my own, but we will consider it carefully."
Jiang Shuiyun replied to Shen Fu's words after a short while. This was indeed a good partner, but what she said was also true. This was no longer a time when she could easily decide who to cooperate with, because the involvement of Jianghe Group and the higher-ups meant that things were bound to be very complicated.
Shen Fu had only come to say this, and it was enough that Jiang Shuiyun was willing to consider it. Having said what needed to be said, after exchanging a few more pleasantries, Shen Fu got up and left. Shen Yunyi, who had kept his head down the whole time, seemed not to have noticed anything. It was Jiang Shuiyun who got up and saw him to the door.
Turning back, Jiang Shuiyun looked at Shen Yunyi, who was still in the same position, and patted him on the shoulder. "I will respect your opinion. If you feel forced, I can refuse."
Shen Yunyi then raised his head and shook his head. "Shuiyun, you don't need to think so much about me. This matter has no impact on me. Besides, he is right. Shen Group is the most suitable in China. Even if we don't cooperate with them now, we will inevitably have to cooperate later. If we use foreign alternatives, it will greatly increase unnecessary costs. No business does business like that."
Shen Yunyi always saw things more carefully and comprehensively than Jiang Shuiyun, and he was not the kind of person who would act on emotion, so naturally everything he did was based on self-interest.
Jiang Shuiyun pressed on Shen Yunyi's shoulder; Shen Yunyi was truly wonderful to her.
"Shuiyun, sit down first," Shen Yunyi seemed a little tired. He pulled Jiang Shuiyun's arm and made her sit on the chair next to him. He let out a long sigh. "From childhood to adulthood, you are the only person who is willing to choose me between my brother and me. I am also someone who seems to have some use and ability in your eyes, but in other people's eyes, I have always been a loser."
"How is that possible? You're already good enough."
Jiang Shuiyun looked at Shen Yunyi's dejected appearance and was somewhat puzzled. The things Shen Yunyi did were completely beyond her capabilities. Let alone the cooperation between several groups, she couldn't even get Jianghu Company up and running; it was all handled by Shen Yunyi.
"But compared to them, I am a worthless fellow, and I even disobey the family's arrangements, trying to challenge their brilliance with the light of a firefly."
Shen Yunyi was somewhat provoked when he saw Shen Fu today, and finally, the words he had been holding back for so long finally came out of his mouth.
The Shen family is a prominent family in City A with a long history and a large scale. Shen Yunyi's father is also the patriarch of the Shen family. He owns the Shen Group and is a well-known figure in City A. He has three Alpha sons.
Everyone knows about the eldest son, Shen Fu. He took over the Shen Group at a young age. He is outstanding, a young talent, and is basically the kind of child that everyone talks about. Among the younger generation in City A, he is unparalleled. He is perfect in every aspect, and his resume seems to shine with gold.
Shen Yunyi didn't want to elaborate on this, and went on to talk about his second brother, his father's second son, Shen Xian.
This artist is not only famous in City A, but also worldwide. The key is that he is a leader in many artistic fields. The honors he has received are so numerous that they cannot be contained in this large house. He is a big shot wherever he goes, respected by all. He also has his own business. Nobody knows exactly how much money he has, but everyone knows that he donates an astronomical amount of money every year. He shines with the brilliance of humanity.
With two mountains weighing on his head, what good is Shen Yunyi no matter how outstanding he is? When people talk about the third son of the Shen Group, they will only say, "Oh, he is destined to enjoy a life of wealth and leisure. As the most precious youngest son, he has two such outstanding older brothers. He has been blessed with good fortune all his life."
Having heard such comments since childhood, Shen Yunyi had been harboring a lot of resentment. He was determined to work hard, catch up with his two older brothers, and become as outstanding as them. He wanted to prove himself.
But every time Shen Yunyi happily brought home his high-scoring test paper, he would see which of his older brothers had brought back which international award and what honors they had won. Compared to that, his score was simply insignificant. At most, he would get a comment like, "Your score is almost as good as your brother's back then," which caused tons of damage to his young heart.
No one ever asked Shen Yunyi to be outstanding, as long as he didn't embarrass himself too much. No one ever asked him to suffer, and no one asked him to do anything. He was like a randomly given freebie, placed there as a mascot, and not needed to be of any great use.
Actually, Shen Fu and Shen Xian, the two older brothers, didn't treat Shen Yunyi badly. They also felt that their younger brother was enough with them. Especially the eldest brother, Shen Fu, felt that it would be best for Shen Yunyi to have an easy life. So when Shen Yunyi took the college entrance examination, he even directly told Shen Yunyi to change his application to art. Wouldn't it be better to be a leisurely artist and pursue his own spiritual enrichment?
When Shen Yunyi found out, he was almost in despair. In a fit of anger, he ran away from home and went to study his favorite major, finance. He thought that this would cut off his family's financial support, make him independent, and let him truly prove himself. However, his good second brother simply contacted his school and deposited a bunch of zeros into his account, completely severing his dream of independence.
Shen Yunyi's four years of university were meticulously planned out, and he had no way to resist. When he was twenty years old, he graduated from university. Although he studied his favorite major, finance, he did not feel happy. But what was even more unpleasant was yet to come. His older brother wanted to send him abroad to study art, a subject that he had no interest in and even somewhat disliked.
It has to be said that Shen Fu is still a bit stubborn. He wants to push his third younger brother, Shen Yunyi, towards a secluded and leisurely life like an immortal, but he forgets that what Shen Yunyi wants most is to wallow in money and be covered in the stench of wealth.
Unsurprisingly, Shen Yunyi ran away again. This time, he felt that running away from home quietly would no longer have any real impact on them, so he ran straight home from abroad, stood in front of his father, and loudly proclaimed that he wanted to make his own career and prove them wrong.
Upon hearing this, Shen's father and Shen Fu both looked at Shen Yunyi with incomprehension. After confirming several times, Shen's father seemed to be getting a little impatient with his nagging and asked him if he wanted to prove it to them independently.
Shen Yunyi answered loudly, "Yes."
So he was deprived of his inheritance rights. His father simply gave him the smallest Shengguang Group to manage, his tone as if he were giving a disobedient child a toy, saying, "Play with it however you like, just don't bother them."
Holding his breath, Shen Yunyi agreed, signed the document, and went to Shengguang Group. Of course, the reason for this was also widely rumored: Shen Yunyi was too incompetent, so his father kicked him out of the line of successors and finally gave him Shengguang Group as a way to get rid of him.
This was something he couldn't talk about. Shen Yunyi wanted to hold his breath and prove to them that even a small company like Shengguang Group could make him soar to great heights.
As it turns out, Shen Yunyi was still too young. Two years was just enough time for Shen Yunyi to clean up Shengguang Group from top to bottom. It was impossible for him to soar to great heights. Without that perfect opportunity with the right timing, location, and people, no one can understand what it feels like to be a pig riding the wind.
Just when Shen Yunyi was about to realize his mediocrity, his incompetence, and that he was destined to live only in the shadow of his two older brothers, Jiang Shuiyun appeared.
Shen Yunyi was somewhat surprised. Back then, the original owner looked down on him because he was someone else's child and always looked down on her. So when they became mortal enemies, Shen Yunyi was a little surprised, but he didn't take it to heart. There were too many spoiled brats. All he could see were the two great figures in front of him. As for those behind him, so be it. That's how the two of them became mortal enemies.
When Shen Yunyi saw Jiang Shuiyun again, he never expected it would be a turning point in his life, and he decided that he must seize this opportunity.
The initial fervor and renewed fighting spirit were shattered when Shen Fu appeared before him so easily. Yes, he was still the same person he was back then, without any change. Even though he was the first to discover the opportunity, Shen Fu could easily join in with his superior strength, and crush his own little bit of brilliance in the process.
After listening to Shen Yunyi say so much, Jiang Shuiyun felt a little numb and didn't know how to comfort him for a moment. "Your family... is full of hidden talents."
"They are dragons and tigers, but I am nothing."
Shen Yunyi lowered his head again. "No need to think about it. I will be the first to be squeezed out of this holographic cooperation. Jianghe Group is in front, Shen Group is behind, and Shuiyun, you are the most crucial point. It's perfect. I have no reason to exist at all."
Jiang Shuiyun saw Shen Yunyi looking so dejected for the first time, and patted him hard on the back. "Without you, none of these things would have appeared so soon. Why belittle yourself? What about our Jianghu? I can't fully trust either Jianghe Group or Shen's Group. Only Jianghu Company and you are the people I truly trust. So this cooperation would have been impossible without you."
Seeing Shen Yunyi raise his head in surprise, Jiang Shuiyun shrugged. "There's nothing I can do. Like you said, Jianghe Group isn't mine, so why should I let someone else benefit from it?"
Upon hearing Jiang Shuiyun's words, Shen Yunyi immediately burst into laughter through his tears, "They are all very filial sons."
Jiang Shuiyun smiled and said, "Cheer up! The affairs of Jianghu Company still depend on you. I'm too busy to do anything about it."
Don't worry!
Shen Yunyi felt as if the clouds had parted to reveal the clear sky; everything seemed to have found a breakthrough. At this breakthrough, Jiang Shuiyun reached out and pulled him up.
After the two finished speaking, Shen Yunyi regained his energy and went straight to the company. Now that Jianghu Company was developing rapidly, there could be no mistakes.
Now that everything was resolved, Jiang Shuiyun felt much better. At least Shen Yunyi wouldn't be carrying this burden in his heart any longer. However, her family was quite peculiar. Jiang Shuiyun stroked her chin and thought for a long time. She couldn't seem to say that other people's families were peculiar. If she had to say about her family, then her parents were even more peculiar.
Shaking her head to dismiss these strange thoughts, Jiang Shuiyun took advantage of the free time to call Fu Xian. She remembered that Jianghe Group, such a large corporation, seemed to have connections with the entertainment industry, and now she could entrust him with the project.
After Jiang Shuiyun finished explaining her meaning, Fu Xian readily agreed. They didn't need to handle such trivial matters themselves.
In addition, Fu Xian informed Jiang Shuiyun about the meeting the day after tomorrow, and Jiang Shuiyun also brought up the matter of the Shen Group. Fu Xian paused for a moment and said that he would give Jiang Shuiyun a reply.
Having entrusted this matter, Jiang Shuiyun was about to go upstairs when she heard a loud bang from the room. Startled, she quickly went upstairs and opened the door. There was Yi Jinbai holding a guitar with a broken string, clearly the source of the sound.
"You didn't hurt your hand, did you?"
Jiang Shuiyun held Yi Jinbai's hand, which was a little red, but it didn't look too bad. She blew on it and said, "That's good."
The warm breath caressed his palm, causing a tingling sensation that made Yi Jinbai involuntarily curl his fingers and awkwardly pull his hand back. "It's nothing, I was just a little distracted and didn't notice."
"That's good. Is your guitar still usable?"
Jiang Shuiyun really didn't know anything about musical instruments. She plucked the broken string, but it couldn't be put back together.
“Sure, we just need to change one string,” Yi Jinbai said, taking the opportunity to stand up. He clenched his still slightly itchy palms and went to the guitar case next to him to get a spare string, but after searching for a long time, he still couldn’t find it. “Strange, could it be lost?”
"Can I buy more?"
Jiang Shuiyun asked.
"Yes, but I don't know where to buy it."
Yi Jinbai was a little anxious; she shouldn't have been distracted just now.
"Don't worry, they sell it in City A. I'll search for it and have someone buy it for me if I find it."
Jiang Shuiyun took out her phone. There was no way that such a big city like City A couldn't even buy a guitar string.
The search results were dazzling, with many musical instrument stores offering them, and they looked pretty good.
Yi Jinbai looked through Jiang Shuiyun's phone one by one, and stopped when he saw one of them. "This one seems okay, but I'd better go and try to buy it, otherwise it might not be suitable. This guitar is a bit niche."
"Then I'll go with you."
Without saying a word, Jiang Shuiyun was about to set off.
"No need, it's too dangerous for you to go out," Yi Jinbai was still so anxious that he felt his heart stop when he was scared by Jiang Shuiyun earlier today, not to mention it was getting late. "I'll go by myself. I'll dress warmly and cover my face. I'll be fine."
Yi Jinbai is right; it might be more dangerous if they were by my side.
Jiang Shuiyun thought for a moment and decided to have the bodyguard discreetly escort Yi Jinbai over, buy a string, and come back. Yi Jinbai agreed.
Yi Jinbai was fine on this trip, but Jiang Shuiyun never expected that she would regret it so much. If she had the ability to predict the future, she would definitely have gone with Yi Jinbai.
After leaving the villa area, Yi Jinbai sat in the car looking at the navigation. The driver and bodyguard successfully took her into the music store.
This is a large musical instrument store, and any instrument you pick out will cost tens of thousands of yuan.
Yi Jinbai took the guitar out of its case. "Excuse me, is the owner here? I'd like to change a string."
As soon as she finished speaking, a person walked out from the small door at the back. She was tall with long, black hair that reached her waist. Her face was so beautiful that it was hard to tell if she was male or female, and her peach blossom eyes were particularly captivating.
Yi Jinbai slowly opened his eyes, looking at the person in front of him with such surprise and disbelief, "Excuse me, are you... are you... Byron!"
The boss looked at Yi Jinbai with a smile, "Still a little stutterer? We're in China now, just call me Shen Xian."
A note from the author:
Goodnight! Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2022-06-10 23:59:07 and 2022-06-11 23:57:35!
Thank you to the little angel who threw the landmine: 朕慕林 (1);
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: yuminous (8 bottles); 三九 (3 bottles); 为风 (1 bottle);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 67
Yi Jinbai never expected that it would be such a coincidence to see his idol in such an inconspicuous music store. This internationally renowned artist, who has won numerous awards, holds an unparalleled position in the art world, and is ranked among the ten greatest contemporary artists, and is also the youngest god.
Shen Xian is mostly active abroad, where he is more well-known than in China. His admirers usually call him Byron or Xian. When Yi Jinbai heard him introduce his real name, he was so excited that his hands were trembling and his face turned completely red.
"I don't stutter, I'm just so happy to see you here."
Yi Jinbai tried her best to calm herself down, but it was really too difficult. If the old dean was the guide who led her to choose the path of music, then Shen Xian was the guiding light she had admired and believed in all these years. She had never been overly enthusiastic about idol worship, but she had always been trying to get closer to him little by little. Although he was always out of reach, he was her motivation to move forward.