As the sole holders of this miniature surveillance technology across interstellar society, they saw the military competition held every three years as a prime opportunity to make a fortune.
They had begun preparing stock for this competition a full year in advance.
If the organizing committee decided not to use their cameras, they would lose hundreds of millions of star credits in revenue and be left with warehouses full of unsold goods.
“Mr. Qin, we’ve worked together for so many years. Surely you can’t simply kick us aside,” Mr. Bai said with a dry laugh.
Qin Si was growing impatient. Before he could respond, Mr. Bai turned his attack on Ji Shileng, giving him a sidelong look with eyes that showed too much white.
“Besides, Joker’s owner is so young. Can he really be relied upon?”
Ji Shileng tightened the cap on his water bottle and accepted the microphone passed to him.
“First, regarding being kicked aside, I don’t think that’s an accurate description, Mr. Bai. Aren’t we holding a vote right here?”
If only removing them were as simple as a kick.
Ji Shileng looked exquisitely refined. The “Silver Moonlight” brooch on his suit glittered beneath the lights, and nothing about his appearance seemed threatening.
“Thank you for calling me young. But sometimes you have to admit that you simply can’t keep up with our generation anymore, don’t you?”
Chu Wan drew a sharp breath.
Courtesy first, attack second. The damage was devastating.
Even at his most commanding, Ji Shileng’s voice remained gentle. His words, however, cut straight to the bone.
Mr. Bai’s smile stiffened. He clearly had not expected the young man to speak so boldly.
Ji Shileng gave him no chance to respond.
“Besides, the times keep moving forward. Even if your company holds exclusive control over miniature surveillance camera technology, surely you can’t remain unchanged forever?”
Mr. Bai’s features tightened, displeasure radiating from him.
Ji Shifeng joined the fray with a hearty laugh.
“My apologies, Mr. Bai. My brother can be rather blunt. Please don’t take it personally”
Taking the opening his brother offered, Ji Shileng replied obediently, “I’m sorry. Perhaps I spoke too strongly”
The performance was thoroughly affected.
He apologized with his words, but not a trace of remorse appeared on his face.
And Mr. Bai could do nothing about either of them.
The voting countdown ended. Approval for the new competition format reached an astonishing ninety percent.
Qin Si then stepped in, smiling pleasantly as he brought the farce to a close.
“Mr. Bai, technology is constantly evolving. All we can say is that miniature surveillance cameras are no longer particularly suitable for our latest plan”
Then he changed tack.
“If you’re still having difficulties, perhaps you could consult General Shang. As a pillar of Imperial industry, I’m sure your company may have something to offer the Empire’s defense sector”
Unexpectedly drawn into the conversation, Shang Jianli raised his head without any change in expression.
“The Empire has already introduced policies to support businesses”
In other words: don’t come to him.
Their exchange was so seamless it seemed rehearsed, leaving Mr. Bai trembling with anger.
He flung out a hand and said through clenched teeth, “In that case, allow me to congratulate you in advance, Mr. Ji”
A wise man knew when to yield.
With the new proposal approved, Ji Shileng had to take the stage as Joker Studio’s owner and introduce its product in detail.
Forcing himself up there, he silently cursed Ji Shifeng.
No one had warned him about this part. Now he was expected to give a detailed presentation with his mind completely blank.
Qin Si seemed to notice his predicament. The presentation changed, revealing the opening title: The Untold Story of JOKER’s Beginnings.
Ji Shileng gave him a discreet wink.
The broadcast director promptly put that moment on the big screens.
The temperature around Shang Jianli kept dropping. Chu Wan rubbed her arms involuntarily.
She sighed inwardly. If only he had known it would come to this.
Unfortunately, some realizations took time.
Without the kidnapping at the thirtieth-anniversary reception celebrating relations between the Empire and Shaye, Shang Jianli might still have been blind to his own heart.
And Ji Shileng would have continued enduring slander, fabricated reports, and abuse.
At least he was alive now. While he lived, there might still be a sliver of hope of making amends.
If he had truly died, there would not even have been a handful of ashes to recover—only lifelong regret.
Thanks to Qin Si’s help, Ji Shileng found being onstage far less daunting than he had expected.
Every eye in the hall was on him.
Shang Jianli pressed his lips together, watching the young man without blinking.
At that moment, he was no different from the thousands of guests below the stage: merely an attentive member of the speaker’s audience.
As Ji Shileng moved from the studio’s founding story to its achievements and patents, Shang Jianli understood that material things could never hold him.
Ji Shileng already had a flourishing career, a loving family, and sincere, wholehearted friends.
If Shang Jianli had not accepted his confession back then, Ji Shileng would never have stayed in the Empire.
After all, the Empire had offered him nothing but contempt.
After more than ten minutes of “showing off,” Ji Shileng decided it was time to stop. Any more would sound like boasting.
The real reason was that his mouth had gone completely dry.
“From Mr. Ji’s introduction, we can see that Joker Studio is a game studio with expertise spanning several fields”
Qin Si handed him a bottle of water and smoothly took over.
Their coordination was flawless.
Below the stage, Su Ke was astonished. His eyes stayed fixed on the big screens while his hands, concealed behind the desk, typed rapidly.
Ji Shifeng clicked his tongue softly. Everything about Qin Si was beginning to irritate him.
His communicator vibrated several times, drawing his attention.
[Little Grass Is Helpless]: Hold on, Shifeng. There’s something suspicious about Qin Si. Why is he so practiced at all this?
[Little Grass Is Helpless]: Something feels off. We should tell Shi to keep his distance.
[Little Grass Is Helpless]: Though honestly, Qin Si seems like a pretty good match for him in every way. Romance is such a headache…
[Little Grass Is Helpless]: Never mind. Let’s see how things develop.
Ji Shifeng selected a sticker and sent it. Unlike Su Ke, he made no attempt to hide what he was doing.
Su Ke had assumed his barrage of messages would go unanswered. Seeing a notification appear, he froze for a moment.
To him, Ji Shifeng had always been a smiling tiger. He never dared act up in front of him.
He had only worked up the courage to send those messages because he was so shocked.
[Shifeng]: 【Good boy】
Su Ke calmly switched off his communicator.
Ji Shifeng must have tapped the wrong thing. Why else would he send such a cute sticker?
On the big screens, the two men stood shoulder to shoulder, effortlessly picking up each other’s words. Even their smiles matched.
Jealousy reddened the corners of Shang Jianli’s eyes. It felt as though something were tearing at his blood vessels and his heart.
As though his blood could no longer flow, he struggled to breathe.
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