Seeing his speechless expression, Shen Shuhe chuckled and suddenly leaned in closer, asking mysteriously and gossiping, “Sixty million—she just offered it like that.
Have you asked that young lady about her background?”
Shen Xingxia lazily glanced at her but didn’t respond.
He and Sang Miao had only met once.
Although they had a good conversation and shared a strong intention to collaborate, they hadn’t reached the stage of truly understanding each other.
This second meeting was, in part, to gain a clearer picture of each other’s situation.
He understood that Shen Shuhe was concerned about the source of the funds.
After all, having been in the entertainment industry, she had heard plenty of things about capital and had her own reservations it was only natural.
However, from what he could tell, Sang Miao was likely from a wealthy family.
Sixty million might not be a big deal to them, so he wasn’t too worried.
Seeing his indifferent attitude, Shen Shuhe became frustrated.
She suddenly smacked his arm hard.
“Seriously? You don’t even know her background, and you’re already working with her?”
“We’re just in the discussion phase.
Discussion!” Shen Xingxia covered his arm and sighed helplessly.
Shen Shuhe thought of something and snorted twice.
“Look at you, with that pretty-boy face…”
“Hey, tell me could it be that the rich lady took a liking to you, which is why she’s so willing to invest?”
She suddenly had a wild thought and blurted it out.
“…Sis, stop talking nonsense.
You think this is the entertainment industry or something?” Shen Xingxia was speechless.
Shen Shuhe keenly noticed something off in his reaction.
“Huh? Seems like something is going on here.”
“You’ve been in the entertainment industry too long; your thoughts are getting ridiculous.”
Shen Xingxia’s expression stiffened for a moment.
He really wanted to shut her up before she kept spouting nonsense.
“Oh? Are you embarrassed now?” Shen Shuhe teased, then grabbed a throw pillow and threw it at him.
“Calling my thoughts ridiculous if I hadn’t been in the entertainment industry, where would you have gotten your first bit of funding, you little punk?”
“Hiss… I didn’t mean it like that!
Didn’t you always complain about how tough and unfair it is in the industry?”
Shen Xingxia dodged while explaining, “Now that I’m making money from game development, you won’t have to stay in the industry anymore.
Wouldn’t it be better to do something you actually enjoy…”
He had said this more than once.
Back when his sister entered the entertainment industry, he hadn’t been very supportive.
But since it was her choice, he couldn’t interfere.
These past few years, she had made some money, but she had also endured a lot.
Just recently, she lost a role out of nowhere, and there was nothing she could do about it.
Hearing this, Shen Shuhe paused, sat back on the sofa, hugged the throw pillow to her lap, and after a few seconds, sighed, “What’s so bad about the entertainment industry?
I actually enjoy acting now.”
Although she hadn’t initially entered the industry for any deep reason, after these years, she had truly come to love acting.
She wanted to make a name for herself in the industry.
She had also realized early on that temporary popularity wasn’t the ultimate goal it was just a stepping stone.
Achievements and awards were what truly mattered, and she still had a long way to go.
Shen Xingxia took the opportunity to adjust his clothes and smooth his slightly messy hair.
He snorted and said nonchalantly, “Oh, sure, the entertainment industry is great.
And who was it that got all mad when their role was stolen?”
“Well, what could I do?
The other person had strong backing.”
Shen Shuhe got annoyed just thinking about it.
She had been so close to signing the contract, but then someone swooped in out of nowhere.
It was truly unfair and unprofessional.
But she wasn’t one to take things lying down.
Even though she lost the role, she made sure the issue wasn’t simply brushed aside.
At least during the media frenzy, the other party didn’t seem to have any protection, very different from what she had expected.
Or maybe, the power of capital just couldn’t silence public opinion this time, and she, being in the right, had the upper hand.
Regardless, the matter was settled, and Shen Shuhe didn’t want to dwell on it any longer.
Now, she had to figure out what to do next.
Her entire work schedule had been disrupted, and her team was scrambling to fix things.
It was really frustrating.
To survive in the entertainment industry, one needed a strong heart.
Shen Shuhe quickly adjusted her mindset, then blinked at Shen Xingxia.
“Dear brother, you’d better make lots of money and invest more.
If you become a major player in the industry, I won’t have to suffer anymore.”
Easier said than done.
Shen Xingxia was silent for a moment, then smirked.
“Sure, sure, make money, right?
Just don’t blabber nonsense when she gets here.”
Shen Shuhe immediately made a zipping motion over her mouth, pretending to be obedient.
A few days ago, Sang Miao received the project analysis report.
Today, she was coming over to finalize the collaboration intent between both parties.
She sent a message saying she had arrived.
Shen Xingxia received the message, told her to wait a moment, and ran downstairs to meet her.
“Welcome.”
The man before her was dressed in a black suit.
His slightly flamboyant and casual demeanor made him look nothing like the head of a gaming company.
Instead, he had the air of a celebrity.
Sang Miao thought he would probably do well in the entertainment industry too.
Shen Xingxia led Sang Miao upstairs.
“My sister is in the office right now.
Let’s go see her first.”
The studio was on the eighteenth floor, occupying most of the space.
At this time of day, there weren’t too many employees present, and some desks were still empty.
The atmosphere exuded a professional yet relaxed vibe.
As they walked, Shen Xingxia introduced the place.
“That’s the planning department.”
“These are our current art team members.”
When they reached a certain area, Shen Xingxia paused deliberately.
Sang Miao paid close attention to what he was saying.
The art team wasn’t large.
The previous game wasn’t known for its art style; the gameplay was the focus, so it wasn’t surprising that there weren’t many people in this department.
However, this new project was completely different.
On top of that, a previous business partner had left.
Finding someone to take charge of the art direction was now an urgent and crucial matter for Shen Xingxia.
His expectations were high, and rightly so.
The more urgent his need, the more advantageous it was for her.
The employees were curious about Sang Miao’s arrival.
She didn’t look like a new employee.
And considering how respectful the boss was being while personally introducing her, she had to have an impressive background.
Maybe she was a high-level expert they had poached from another company?
Everyone pretended to focus on work, but their group chat was already buzzing with speculation.
**[Boss is being super polite.
Who is this beautiful woman?
A programming expert?
A new department head?
Senior management?
[I almost thought she was a celebrity hired as a brand ambassador, but I checked—no celebrity looks like that.]
**[Definitely not a celebrity.
If there were someone this gorgeous in showbiz, I would’ve heard of her.
Some employees who weren’t in the office immediately felt like they were missing out on major gossip.
[Wait, what? Who’s this beauty?]
[?Anyone got a photo? Let me see! Let me see!]
[Boss just welcomed an absolute stunner.]
[Ah… could it be a personal connection?]
[Doesn’t seem like it…]
In the office, Shen Shuhe craned her neck, waiting eagerly.
Shen Xingxia’s unusual reaction earlier had made her incredibly curious about their guest.
Even though he never admitted it and had never been in a relationship, she knew her brother had a thing for good looks.
Although, strangely, this preference didn’t seem to extend to the aesthetics of his games.
The character designs in his games always looked bizarre to her.
The moment Shen Xingxia brought their guest in, Shen Shuhe’s eyes widened.
In the entertainment industry, she had seen every actress who had risen to fame because of their looks.
She was also very confident in her own appearance.
Red carpet rivalries were routine for her, and she never feared being overshadowed, even if she wasn’t wearing a designer gown.
But the woman in front of her, Shen Shuhe, felt like she belonged to a whole different league.
Sang Miao had deliberately dressed in a professional style today to give off a competent and polished impression.
She wore a black overcoat over a French-style blouse and a pencil skirt.
The sophisticated, vintage-inspired cut of her outfit exuded elegance and added a touch of cool aloofness to her demeanor.
Her makeup was flawless, and her accessories were minimal just a pair of diamond earrings, but they served as the perfect finishing touch.
She wore high heels, which she didn’t usually opt for, making her seem even more poised and commanding.
Sang Miao noticed Shen Shuhe’s slightly eager gaze but didn’t react to it.
“Miss Sang, please come in.”
Under Shen Shuhe’s awestruck and almost starry-eyed gaze, Shen Xingxia led her into the office.
As he guided her to the couch, Shen Shuhe exaggeratedly waggled her eyebrows at her brother behind their guest’s back.
Her expression screamed: Where did you find this rich and stunning fairy?
She’s not investing because she likes you, right?
You’d be the one chasing after her, and she might not even care.
Shen Xingxia ignored her antics, completely unaware of the ridiculous assumptions running through her mind.
Instead, he shot her a warning look before personally pouring tea for Sang Miao.
Then, he introduced her properly.
“This is my sister, Shen Shuhe.”
“Miss Shen, nice to meet you.
I’m Sang Miao.”
Sang Miao spoke politely.
Shen Shuhe immediately put on a charming and sincere smile.
“Hello~”
Sang Miao?
The name sounded familiar.
After some brief small talk, Shen Xingxia got down to business.
He discussed the studio’s current situation and the upcoming game project.
Sang Miao asked a few key questions.
Then, she got straight to the point.
Setting her teacup down with a slight smile, she asked,
“What are your thoughts on the collaboration, Mr. Shen and Miss Shen?”
“Miss Sang, you seem confident, so you probably already have an answer in mind,” Shen Xingxia smiled.
His previously casual tone became more serious.
“My sister and I have discussed the collaboration”
“We certainly welcome Miss Sang to join us.”
Sang Miao remained composed on the surface but couldn’t help feeling relieved inside.
This project was quite competitive, and many people wanted a share of it.
If she didn’t have other advantages, she might not have secured it.
Of course, she was genuinely interested as well.
Since this opportunity had landed in her hands, she naturally wouldn’t miss it.
The next second, she heard Shen Xingxia ask seriously, “However, there’s something we’d like to clarify in advance.
I hope you don’t mind.