Chapter 24 : Vast Horizons In Revision (2/2)

Unfortunately, she couldn’t figure out the situation in the Meng family, but she trusted that the key plot points would be hard to change.

Some small details wouldn’t shake the overall direction of the story.

After the Spring Festival, everyone resumed their usual routines. Those who worked went back to work, and school hadn’t started yet.

During the entire winter break, Meng Xici didn’t spend the holiday like a typical student, seizing the opportunity to rest and have fun.

Most of the time, he stayed at home, playing with the younger kids in the family, but otherwise, he stayed in his room.

Sang Miao thought to herself that Meng Xici wasn’t the type to get addicted to games.

Surely, he wasn’t just holed up in his room studying.

One day, during a meal, Sang Miao remembered something and curiously asked, “Have you been staying in your room doing homework all this time?”

Meng Xici looked at her, “The homework’s already done.”

Sang Miao: “…”
No wonder he was the type who never settled for second place; he was a top student, after all.

Compared to before the New Year, the work pace at the start of the year wasn’t that busy.

Meng Peisheng still managed to return a few days a week for a normal dinner.

Sang Miao’s first task was to get the materials needed for the company ready and then go for registration.

Starting a company required two people, so in the end, she asked her cousin to join her.

After all, her cousin was more familiar with company affairs.

Running a large corporation wasn’t a problem for him, and handling the matters of a small startup company was nothing, as many tasks could be managed by his assistant.

Speaking of assistants, Sang Miao had come to understand the importance of having reliable ones.
Meng Peisheng didn’t just have one trustworthy assistant; even the butler Shao Ying and Uncle Zhou were incredibly capable.

Her cousin’s assistant was also very efficient.

Sang Miao thought, “I need to hire a small assistant too, someday.”

She named her company “Xueyu Technology.”

There wasn’t any deep meaning behind it.

She had just thought of the post-apocalyptic scenes she experienced before returning.

Her first game, which she would be involved in, would likely feature the scenes she had gone through.

The first image that came to mind was a vast stretch of snow-capped mountains, extending all the way to the glaciers on the horizon.

After the Lantern Festival, Meng Xici went back to school.

On ordinary days, she ate alone. Sang Miao felt the villa become quieter.

Though Meng Xici usually didn’t talk much, eating alone felt different than when two people were eating together.

There were also a few extra dishes.

Unlike the father and son, Sang Miao had nothing important to do, so she arranged to meet with Shen Xingxia and visit the studio.

The first time they met, it was Shen Xingxia’s sister, Shen Shu He, because she had also invested in the project.

To Sang Miao, she was one of the partners.

She had heard that Shen Shu He was a celebrity, but since Sang Miao didn’t follow shows or the entertainment industry, she wasn’t familiar with her.

So, before going, Sang Miao had searched for her resume and work, just to have some background information.

The office of Star Core Games was located in an office building not far from the coffee shop.

Shen Shu He was sitting on the office sofa, looking bored.

“It’s Valentine’s Day today. Everyone else is going on dates, but you’re here, arranging business meetings.”

Shen Xingxia gave her a frustrated look.

Shen Shu He suddenly leaned towards him, gossiping,

“Six million is just like that, huh? What’s the background of this young lady?”

Shen Xingxia didn’t respond.

She slapped his arm.

“You don’t even know anything about her background, and you’re working with her?”

“It’s still in the negotiation phase, just negotiating!” Shen Xingxia said helplessly.

Shen Shu He snorted twice, “Look at you, you look like a pretty boy…”

“Hey, don’t tell me the rich lady has taken a fancy to you, and that’s why she’s willing to invest?” She suddenly had a thought.

“…Sis, stop making nonsense.

Being in the entertainment industry has really messed up your thinking,” Shen Xingxia said, awkwardly.

“Don’t act shy now,” Shen Shu He picked up a cushion and threw it at him. “You’re talking about my thinking being messed up?

If I didn’t stay in the entertainment industry, where would your first development funds come from, little brat?”

“I didn’t mean it that way,” Shen Xingxia said while dodging, “I’m making money from games now, so you don’t have to stay in the entertainment industry anymore.

Why not do something you enjoy?”

Shen Shu He stopped moving and sat back down on the sofa, holding the cushion on her lap.

She sighed, “What’s wrong with the entertainment industry? I still like acting.”

Shen Xingxia took the opportunity to straighten his clothes and fix his slightly messy hair. “I don’t know about that, but I remember someone complaining that their roles were stolen.”

“Well, what can I do? Their background is powerful,” Shen Shu said with a grin, “Dear brother, hurry up and make money, become the capital, and then I won’t have to suffer anymore.”

Shen Xingxia was silent for a while, then smiled, “Okay, okay. But when she comes, don’t say anything weird.”

Shen Shu He obediently made a “zip your mouth” gesture.

Sang Miao had received the project analysis report a few days ago, and today she was there to finalize the cooperation intentions.

When she arrived, Shen Xingxia personally came to greet her on the first floor.

“Welcome,” he said, wearing a suit that made him look more like a celebrity than the head of a game company.

He led Sang Miao upstairs, “My sister is in the office. Let’s go over there first.”

Sang Miao nodded, “Okay.”

The studio wasn’t very large, but the atmosphere was clearly different from an ordinary company, giving off a casual yet tech-savvy vibe.

As they walked, Shen Xingxia briefly introduced her to a few departments.

When Shen Shu He saw the person Shen Xingxia brought, her eyes went wide.

In the entertainment industry, she had seen almost every female celebrity who had gained fame for their looks, and she was always confident about her appearance.

Walking the red carpet and competing for attention was a regular thing for her.

But this woman in front of her… she stood out.

“Please come in,” Shen Xingxia invited as he led Sang Miao into the office.

While Shen Xingxia was guiding Sang Miao to the sofa, Shen Shu He raised her eyebrows at her younger brother, silently asking: “Where did you find this rich lady?”

Shen Xingxia didn’t have time to answer, personally preparing the tea. He then introduced Sang Miao: “This is my sister, Shen Shu He.”

“Miss Shen, hello. I’m Sang Miao.”

Shen Shu He flashed a charming and sincere smile, “Hello~”

Sang Miao? The name sounded somewhat familiar.

After some small talk, Shen Xingxia discussed the studio’s situation and also mentioned some of the new projects they were preparing.

Sang Miao asked a few relevant questions before smoothly getting to the main topic. She set her teacup down and, smiling faintly, asked, “I’m curious, what do you both think about the cooperation?”

“Miss Sang must already have an answer in mind,” Shen Xingxia said with a smile.

His previously relaxed tone became a bit more serious: “My sister and I have discussed it.”

“We would be very happy to have Miss Sang join us.”

Sang Miao remained calm on the surface, but inwardly, she relaxed.

In fact, the project was quite sought after, and there were many people trying to get in.

If she didn’t have her advantages, it would have been hard to say.

But she truly was interested in it.

“But there’s something I want to clarify first. Miss Sang, your company is”

Sang Miao smiled graciously, “Oh, the company? It’s newly registered.

If you’re asking about the source of the funds…”

Shen Shu He, who had been listening nearby, was deep in thought… Sang Miao’s name seemed vaguely familiar to her.

After a while, she couldn’t help but pick up her phone and search it.

The first search result was an official announcement on the Meng family’s website about the marriage of the current executive director and actual power holder, Meng Peisheng.

His marital status was important company information and needed to be disclosed, and his wife’s name wasn’t a secret.

The fact that Meng Peisheng, the power holder of the Meng family, had gotten married…

Wasn’t his wife Sang Rui’s sister??

“Sang Rui is your sister?”

The conversation was abruptly interrupted.

Sang Miao looked up at the sound, only to see that the previously warm and friendly Shen Shu He had turned serious, her tone now unfriendly.

Sang Miao didn’t understand why her expression changed, but she remained calm and asked, “Miss Shen, do you know Sang Rui?”

Shen Shu He snorted coldly, “Not only do I know her, but I’ve also been ‘taken care of’ by your sister.”

She practically snarled the word “taken care of.”

Sang Miao quickly realized that there had probably been some significant conflict between them in the entertainment industry.

What a coincidence…

The atmosphere, which had been calm, suddenly became tense.

Shen Xingxia glanced at Sang Miao, his face changing slightly.

He quickly processed their relationship in his mind, realizing that Sang Rui was the person his sister had been ranting about recently.

Her sister?

Her real sister?

They didn’t look alike at all.

However, Shen Xingxia quickly realized this was getting out of hand.

Although Sang Miao’s role change in the production might not have anything to do with her, given his sister’s temper, there was no way she would be easygoing about this.

Shen Xingxia instinctively stepped in to smooth things over, saying, “Sis, calm down first.”

He knew his sister’s personality well and didn’t want the situation to escalate immediately.

“Miss Sang doesn’t look like she’s involved in anything,” he added.

He thought that Sang Miao wasn’t the type to help create trouble, but if they really had a personal connection…

Shen Shu He, however, couldn’t let it go.

“Do you think there’s no company in the entertainment industry backed by the Meng family?

If they swapped my role, it was all because of her husband’s word!”

Cough, cough. Sang Miao was stunned by the words “her husband,” but she quickly grasped the key information from the context.

So, her role had been swapped because of Sang Rui?

She thought the Meng family had something to do with it?

Shen Xingxia was also momentarily stunned.

He hadn’t even fully processed the fact that Sang Rui was married before he instinctively tried to pull Shen Shu He back.

He was truly speechless at her bluntness.

In other words, if what she said was true, and they offended Sang Miao now, it would only make things harder in the future.

Sang Miao quickly understood the situation and spoke calmly, “Miss Shen, you may have misunderstood.

Regarding the role change you mentioned, my husband and I aren’t aware of it.”

“As for Sang Rui’s matters in the entertainment industry, my family doesn’t get involved.”

Shen Shu He was too emotional to hear her out.

Sang Miao didn’t mind, but clearly, they weren’t going to get anywhere with this conversation.

She turned to Shen Xingxia, “I’ll look into it when I get back, and we can talk again later.”

Shen Xingxia nodded, “Okay, Miss Sang, take care.”

After she left, Shen Shu He calmed down a little.

“Sis…” Shen Xingxia sighed, looking at her.

To be honest, he also sympathized with her about the role change, but now, he didn’t know what to say to make her feel better.

“I know what you’re going to say. Even though we didn’t directly say that the role would be swapped, Sang Rui indeed has the Meng family backing her.”

“It’s not like the producer and director are eating for nothing.

Do you think they’d make this decision based on anyone else’s face?”

“I don’t agree with the cooperation,” Shen Shu He paused, then added, “Even if she looks like a fairy, that doesn’t work for me!”

Shen Xingxia: “…”
It was obvious she was throwing a tantrum, but he decided to let the issue go for now.

On the way home, Sang Miao received a message from Shen Xingxia.

[Sorry, my sister has been wronged in the crew, so she’s in a bad mood.]

I believe this matter has nothing to do with Miss Sang. We can discuss the cooperation again later.]

Sang Miao replied briefly, then began researching the matter online.

Shen Shu He had entered the industry before Sang Rui, was beautiful, and had some breakout roles.

For now, she was a rising star, but still far from being at the top.

The drama that had caused her dissatisfaction, based on the early production details, seemed pretty good, but it still didn’t seem like something that would make Sang Rui go out of her way to fight for it.

If Sang Rui truly wanted to use her relationship with the Meng family to gain resources, she had better options.

Why specifically fight for this role?

Sang Miao couldn’t help but chuckle after reading.

It seemed Shen Shu He had really gone all out, as there were countless black articles about Sang Rui online.

Her fan base was larger than Sang Rui’s, and they were still making snide comments.

Sang Miao didn’t think it would affect the cooperation in the end. She had little to do with this matter, and large-scale projects weren’t child’s play.

One couldn’t just abandon the project based on a whim without considering the progress or final product.

However, Shen Shu He hadn’t cooled down, and it was still having some influence.

After all, she was a future business partner and Shen Xingxia’s sister, so the underlying tension would indeed be troublesome.

As for Sang Rui, Meng Peisheng, and the Meng family, they wouldn’t publicly act as her allies.

She probably had only used her connections with them.

The Meng family was massive, with many sectors, and entertainment industry companies were simply a part of one of their many investments.

Such matters wouldn’t likely directly reach Meng Peisheng’s attention; the people involved made decisions based on their personal connections, taking the liberty to act.

No matter how things went, it wouldn’t be easy for her.