1novels Chapter 63, Negotiation
Chapter 63, Negotiation
Yan Xi followed Cheng Chen nervously into the depths of the attic.
The further you go in, the more cat-related elements you'll find.
Wood carvings, dolls, photos, murals, scattered cat toys, and catnip planted on both sides of the flower bed... it's simply a cat paradise.
However, the proportions of these objects were somewhat distorted. Yan Xi paused in front of a lifelike calico cat specimen, having to crane her neck to look up, her vision filled only with a vast expanse of snow-white fur and black spots.
A cat the size of a mountain, yet its head is only the size of a fingernail; the two are disproportionately connected.
What is this?
She stared blankly at the barbecue, her mouth slightly open.
"?"
The sculpture suddenly moved, its head and body proportions reversed, and the enormous cat head seemed to float in mid-air, looking down at her strangely.
Yan Xi felt a jolt run through her body, her scalp tingling instantly. She quickly jogged to catch up with Cheng Chen, who had already walked some distance away.
She instinctively reached for his sleeve, but stopped herself halfway through raising her hand.
They had now reached the deepest part of the attic.
The room before them was adorned with painted beams and carved pillars. The magical girl, Yuanxi, who had been leading the way, stopped and stood outside the sliding door, which slid open to the sides. Yuanxi bowed slightly, gestured for them to step aside, and gracefully stepped aside.
Cheng Chen strolled in leisurely, and Yan Xi quickly followed.
The previously dim view was completely illuminated the moment the two stepped in. A deep blue light burst forth from the center of the room, meandering and cutting the ceiling and wooden floor into neat squares.
A detailed projection of the attic floats in mid-air, serving as the source of all light.
With the attic projection as the center point, skyscrapers, crisscrossing roads, trees swaying in the wind, and even pedestrians moving like ants... everything within the entire barrier floats and slowly unfolds.
"Heavenly Net".
A gentle and refined male voice came from behind the projector.
"The large-scale urban monitoring and backtracking system, built with magic as its core and combined with modern programming algorithms—an order from the municipal government—is currently undergoing testing and optimization, using this barrier beneath our feet as its base. It is expected to be officially delivered by the end of the year."
As he spoke, he calmly walked through the illusory light and shadow, came to Cheng Chen, and introduced himself: "Yan Nian."
"Cheng Chen".
Cheng Chen shook hands with him briefly.
"I've always wanted to see you." Yan Nian's gaze lingered on Yan Xi for only a second before he looked away and led them deeper into the room. "Ever since the rumors of your return spread in Yincheng, everyone has been talking about you."
"To be honest, many people don't think this is necessarily a good thing, especially after they learned that you had joined Yinfu Entertainment. Most people started to feel uneasy."
Cheng Chen followed behind. The room was surprisingly simply furnished, with two brown single sofas and a mahogany coffee table in between.
On the table was an overturned teapot and a cat with its rear end sticking up, lying next to it.
Meow~
Hearing footsteps, the cat turned around, let out a feeble meow, jumped off the coffee table, and ran away.
Yan Nian was left with only helplessness in his eyes. He said to the two of them, "I'm really sorry. I specially brewed green tea from Dream Island. It's a floating island in the Rainbow Sea that only randomly lands on the sea surface once a year. If the local fishermen are lucky enough to encounter it, they can climb onto the island, pick some tea leaves or cocoa, and sell them at a high price back at the port."
"I only have a small amount of tea cakes in my collection, and I've always reserved them only for my most distinguished guests."
Cheng Chen has no habit of drinking tea, nor is he interested in listening to stories.
"Let's skip the formalities. You went to all that trouble to invite me here; I'm sure it wasn't just for this nonsense." He walked straight to a sofa, sat down, crossed his legs, and clasped his hands together. "What does Boss Yan want?"
"Mr. Cheng is joking."
Yan Nian smiled and sat down on another sofa on the right. Yan Xi looked around and found there were no extra seats, so she quietly moved to Cheng Chen's side, trying her best to look like a personal bodyguard.
"Before today, we had a small private meeting where many people hinted to me, both openly and subtly, that I should go out and test your attitude."
Cheng Chen raised an eyebrow: "Everyone?"
Yan Nian patiently explained: "Those of us in business inevitably create small groups to chat in... It's called a meeting, but it's really just a short online chat, not a formal one."
He paused for a moment, "Since the implementation of the Southern Federation's urban development plan, Yincheng has expanded like a balloon, and the size of the urban area is more than ten times that of fifteen years ago. With a large urban concentration comes more people and money, and the local demons of Yincheng have spent a lot of effort to divide up the territory and the pie, so naturally they don't want a sudden dragon crossing the river to disrupt everything."
Cheng Chen laughed, leaned forward slightly, and joked, "Boss Yan, I'm a local."
Yan Nian shook his head: "President Cheng is a smart man, he understands what I'm saying. Demons and magical girls are not like those immortals in fictional works who have severed all worldly ties. We are deeply involved in the secular world, and we also need to obtain more realistic benefits from it."
"Six years ago, President Cheng rose to prominence like a comet, without establishing an organization or getting involved in this circle. He was like a castle floating in the air, high above and untouched by worldly affairs. But today, six years later, President Cheng has truly returned to the secular world, and the secular world will naturally make way for him."
Cheng Chen leaned back on the sofa.
When he was doing whatever he wanted in Yincheng, he was indeed as Yan Nian said, not caring about things like money or power.
He had a system that allowed him to reach the limits of conventional magic systems in just a few years. At that time, he always looked up at the sky and never looked down at the scenery at his feet.
But not all demons can compare to him.
Each advancement is accompanied by countless battles and bloodshed, making more enemies, encountering schemes and conspiracies, getting caught in bloody storms, and having to be constantly on guard against magical girls, sometimes fighting them to the death.
Promotion is just a pipe dream; being alive is already something to celebrate.
Therefore, it is better to focus on the present and rely on magic to amass wealth, seize power, and gain status.
Six years ago, the two sides were on two different levels with no overlapping interests, so they naturally kept to themselves.
But now he has "landed" and joined Yinfu Entertainment, a commercial company, teaming up with "Sakura," the magical girl most feared by the demons of Yincheng.
What if he wants to expand his business empire someday? What if the Demons' company has a business conflict with Yinfu Entertainment someday?
Who can guarantee that the infamous "Evil Lord" won't try to physically eliminate his competitors?
After figuring out the root of Yan Nian's, or rather, the concerns of those behind him, Cheng Chen felt somewhat bored and shook his head: "Useless people to worry unnecessarily. It's disappointing that Boss Yan is actually acting as a mouthpiece for those people."
"These are the kinds of troubles that ordinary people have. I hope you'll forgive my embarrassment, Mr. Cheng."
"Even if their fears come true one day, what can they do? Get rid of me?"
"Demons aren't magical girls; the power they gain won't just disappear when they wake up one day," Yan Nian said with a smile. "There are far more demons lurking in the shadows in Yincheng than President Cheng imagines. Among them are monsters who have lived for hundreds of years, hiding behind intricate networks of interests and controlling everything."
He paused briefly before frankly revealing, "It's not as tense as Mr. Cheng imagines. We're all business people, and nobody wants to fight. Therefore, they want to negotiate with you first."
"Tell me more about it."
"Yinfu Entertainment can regain its previous position in the industry, and we will provide full support, but it must not expand into other business areas. Your company can be an absolute giant in Yincheng's entertainment industry, or even become the number one entertainment company in the entire Southern Federation, but you cannot extend your reach into industries such as film and television dramas."
Cheng Chen listened quietly, then asked in return, "What if I say no?"
"As Mr. Cheng just said, they will get rid of you."
After those words were spoken, the room fell silent for two seconds.
Then Yan Nian and Cheng Chen laughed together.
"That's not how you set a price." Cheng Chen shifted to a more comfortable position, leaning back on the sofa. "Words are the most hollow threat. If you want to get rid of me, then Boss Yan, the people behind you will have to prove their strength first. How about starting with Boss Yan?"
"Mr. Cheng is joking. I just couldn't refuse their request and had to pass on their message."
Yan Nian gently stroked the coffee table with his palm, and the purple clay teapot and teacups that the cat had knocked over, along with the water stains on the table, disappeared without a trace, as if wiped away.
Having done all this, Yan Nian put his hands down and changed the subject, "Now that the message has been conveyed, I have fulfilled my duty. The business I want to discuss with President Cheng is something else."
"Oh? Tell me about it."
"Magical Girl: Scarlet Cherry".
Yan Nian stopped beating around the bush and went straight to the point.
……