Thinking this, the smile on Chen Yan's face involuntarily diminished quite a bit.

He looked at He Ruifeng and then asked, "Uncle He, I don't quite understand what you mean..."

He Ruifeng glanced at Chen Yan.

The old fox seemed to see right through Chen Yan's thoughts and intentions.

He pointed at Chen Yan and said, "You, you sometimes overthink things."

"I don't mean anything else. I just want to tell you that the struggle between Zhao Xuan and Zhao Qingtian is an internal struggle of the Zhao Family."

"It has nothing to do with you, an outsider."

"If you get involved like this, you're likely to work hard and gain no appreciation. You might even stir up trouble for yourself."

He paused, then added, "Although I don't really like Zhao Qingtian as a person. But to be honest, I'm more optimistic about his choices for the future of the Zhao Family. Zhao Xuan's choices..."

He shook his head and didn't finish his sentence.

Chen Yan wasn't so easily trusting of others.

So even though He Ruifeng had explained a bit, Chen Yan secretly turned on his "Inner Headphones" to eavesdrop on He Ruifeng's inner thoughts.

The sounds from the outside world gradually faded away, leaving only the sound of He Ruifeng's aged heartbeat slowly throbbing.

With the sound of the heartbeat, the inner voice of He Ruifeng began to echo in Chen Yan's ears.

"Ah...the Zhao Family has been fighting so fiercely recently. I always feel like something is going to happen."

"Chen Yan is getting too involved, doesn't seem like a good thing."

"Xiao Xue has recently become infatuated with this little brat. Out of affection and reason, I have to help him out."

"Moreover, around him, only that girl from the Zhao Family can compare to Xiao Xue."

"Two birds with one stone, all good things, right..."

After listening to He Ruifeng's inner thoughts, Chen Yan finally had a rough understanding of He Ruifeng's thoughts and intentions.

Although there were some personal schemes of He Ruifeng's own, He Ruifeng genuinely had his best interests at heart.

Thinking this, Chen Yan sincerely thanked him.

Seeing that Chen Yan took the advice on board, He Ruifeng also nodded with satisfaction.

Even though he didn't understand why Chen Yan was wary of him one minute and suddenly understanding the next, he took it as Chen Yan being naturally astute, having understood these important points.

After talking about the Zhao Family, He Ruifeng took Chen Yan to the dining room.

By this time, the dining room was already set for dinner.

Dinner was not elaborate, just four dishes and a soup. For families like Chen Yan and He Ruifeng, this was considered rather simple.

Once both were seated, He Ruifeng said, "I don't regard you as an outsider, so I didn't prepare anything too lavish. After all... eating too much at night isn't good for your health."

He gave Chen Yan a glance and said, "When you're young, you feel like you have endless energy, and then you start to squander it recklessly. Only when you get old do you realize that it's just a gift from time."

Having said this, he picked up some greens himself and said with emphasis, "Exercise more, eat more vegetables. Take some responsibility for your own health."

Listening to He Ruifeng's words, Chen Yan actually felt a little moved inside.

After all, the human heart is made of flesh. It's comforting when someone cares about you.

But then... recalling He Mengxue's smoking and drinking habits, Chen Yan suddenly realized that the old man didn't even manage his own daughter well, so what good would he do managing him...

While internally criticizing, Chen Yan continued to eat this simple meal.

During the meal, He Ruifeng's conversation inevitably turned to He Mengxue.

He asked in a rather roundabout way.

"When are you planning to marry Xiao Xue?"

Chen Yan: ??

At that moment, Chen Yan nearly spit out his food.

What the hell?

What kind of question is that?

He coughed twice to swallow the food, then explained, "Uncle He, Xiao Xue and I are not the kind of relationship you're imagining."

There was no change in He Ruifeng's face. He simply responded "oh," then said, "The establishment of a family isn't just about money."

"You need resources, connections. Relationships with local authorities, and a large enough industrial chain."

"When I was young, I strove for strength and was particularly concerned about the continuation of the family."

"But, as I got older, I saw it all in a different light."

"The fortune of children is their own to make. If we can preserve some shares to ensure future generations have security, that's enough."

"As for who manages the He family after I retire, who takes over the He family's industries. Actually, I don't care."

"Choosing a professional manager like Zhao Qingtian is an option. Or, choosing a son-in-law who is good to my daughter can work too."

With that, he lowered his head to eat and stopped talking.

Chen Yan pondered the meaning behind his words and suddenly understood why He Ruifeng had mentioned Zhao Qingtian today.

Besides reminding himself, it was also to lay the groundwork for what he'd just said!

His meaning was clear: if Chen Yan treated He Mengxue well, then he was willing to retire and hand over the entire He family to Chen Yan to manage, providing him with a significant dowry to fill out his own background.

And he didn't even have any additional demands except for Chen Yan to keep a certain percentage of shares for the He family, so that they could have security and annual dividends.

It was a temptation, and a huge one at that.

Just as Chen Yan was contemplating this, perhaps afraid that Chen Yan didn't understand the magnitude of the temptation, He Ruifeng continued, "You might think that as long as you have money, you can quickly reach the level of the He family."

He shook his head and said, "You're thinking too simply."

Seeing that He Ruifeng was hinting at something deeper, Chen Yan couldn't help asking, "Please enlighten me, Uncle He."

While eating, He Ruifeng explained at a measured pace, "What do you think is the difference between our families and ordinary companies?"

Chen Yan began to consider He Ruifeng's question.

In his opinion, the difference wasn't big because these families are essentially large corporations. They're seen as families because they're managed by their own people over generations.

Seeing that Chen Yan had been pondering for half a minute without an answer, He Ruifeng once again took the initiative to speak.

"You must think there's no difference between us and other enterprises. Or, perhaps you think all we've done is expand the enterprise and passed it down through generations?"

Chen Yan nodded slightly.

He Ruifeng laughed and said, "That's why I say you're thinking too simply."

He put down his chopsticks and explained, "Let me tell you, the formation of these families isn't because of size or age."

"Rather it is because of the employment opportunities we provide in various localities, the radiating industries we bring about, the fiscal revenue we contribute, and the national brand influence we have."

"This embeds us deeply in the local areas, to the point of... holding the local lifelines. We can't be ignored."

Hearing He Ruifeng's words, Chen Yan's gaze slightly narrowed.

He Ruifeng, with a hint of emotion, continued, "Why do you think that so many national families didn't care about the rise of the internet in the early stages?"

"Because everyone knows that in our country, money isn't the most important."

He paused, then said, "Let me tell you about an industry reform that happened last year."

"At that time, for the sake of national wellbeing, the state wanted to centrally plan that industry, establish industry rules, and then build factories in each province for production and local sales."

"This way, the public could benefit, the state could manage easily, and the provinces could earn revenue."

"However, this was met with opposition from various localities."

"Because, if the state planned this way, it would mean that the local related industries would have to be completely revamped, with wide implications."

"And some provinces are leaders in that industry, with as much as ten percent of their fiscal revenue depending on that industry."

"If national planning took over, it would not only result in the loss of the province's industrial competitiveness and a significant portion of income, but also lead to a lot of employees being laid off."

"So, the forum was held over and over, and in the end, it came to nothing."

Chen Yan deeply furrowed his brows.

He Ruifeng sipped his tea while continuing, "All of this is just a microcosm."

"Because when localities plan new industries, we are always invited to discuss it."

"Simply because we already have such a large influence locally. Throughout our development, so many who cooperated and benefited from us have already risen in rank."

"Our every move has a significant local impact."

"Furthermore, because of this immense influence, the main figures of our families often have representatives in provincial and city governments. If anything happens, related departments cannot directly deal with us; they have to submit reports and seek instructions first."

"There are also other aspects of resources and relationships. These are the huge wealth accrued over decades of development."

With that, he looked at Chen Yan deeply, "Does it seem a bit hard to imagine?"

"But consider this. How could decades of accumulation by several generations be easily surpassed by one person?"

Chen Yan carefully weighed his words, "I don't find it hard to imagine. I'm just wondering... isn't that problematic?"

He Ruifeng first nodded, then shook his head, "It's both good and bad."

"Actually, it mainly depends on the intent of the family's helmsman. With bad intentions, they can wreak havoc. With good intentions, they can benefit the community."

"And also, don't think this is some sort of gray area,"

"Actually, it's not..."

"Because, once you reach a certain level in business, it inevitably becomes entangled with politics."

"If there's no local or national support, do you really think you can be treated fairly in other places, in other countries?"

"What I was talking about earlier was the conflict between the nation and the localities."

"But if you compare it to the global stage and our country, doesn't the perspective change entirely?"

Originally, Chen Yan had listened to He Ruifeng's account and always felt that these families were a scourge, but with a nudge from He Ruifeng, he suddenly realized that everything really wasn't the same.

Some provinces are developed, some are weak. But the weak ones don't want to sit idle either; they also want to develop their core industries and lead their locals out of poverty to wealth.

Our country is the same. Although it was weak back then, it still hoped to gradually develop its own goods and products.

And when it grew strong enough to venture out, it was the same.

When faced with unfair treatment elsewhere, in addition to figuring it out on your own, you still need to rely on your own locality for support.

When wronged in another country, you also need your own nation's backing.

The world is not that kind. Sometimes, you do nothing wrong, but you are still treated differently.

In times like these, the support that always stands behind you is your locality and your country.

Seeing that Chen Yan was taking it in,

He Ruifeng spoke slowly, "So, there's nothing wrong with this model. What's important is whether the person following this model does right or wrong."

"We strive to develop and make ourselves indispensable to the localities and the nation, but we must also think of serving the nation and the people, not just satisfying our own selfish desires."

On that note, He Ruifeng's tone shifted, "And achieving all of this isn't something you can do in a short time."

"You lack real industry; you're doomed to lack such influence."

"You don't have decades of accumulation, you're doomed to lack the resources and connections."

"So, you might want to think about it."

"As long as you're truly willing to be good to Xiao Xue, I can hand over everything of the He family to you."

After hearing He Ruifeng's words, Chen Yan fell into deep contemplation.

Previously, he had only thought about making money, and for the sake of earning, he ventured into industries that brought money fastest and were the "lightest."

For example, finance, such as entertainment.

Now, he realized that being "light" alone was not enough. One also had to be "substantial."

After all, finance and entertainment don't bring much benefit or help to the locality or the nation.

Maybe it was time for him to develop new industries...

Seeing that Chen Yan was seriously considering, He Ruifeng did not disturb him.

He bowed his head and resumed eating.

After an indeterminate amount of time, it was the butler's reminder that brought Chen Yan back to reality.

"The master is back. The young lady has returned."

Chen Yan looked up.

He saw that at some point, the butler had approached He Ruifeng's side, bending his back, whispering his report.

He Ruifeng nodded slightly, then looked at Chen Yan and said, "It seems you don't have much of an appetite for this simple meal of mine."

"How about letting Xiao Xue accompany you to eat something young people enjoy?"

After speaking, He Ruifeng slowly stood up, gesturing towards Chen Yan, and then walked toward the doorway.

Chen Yan also stood up and followed him out.

Arriving at the door, the nanny opened it, and in the hallway outside, indeed He Mengxue was waiting there.

She wore a white strap T-shirt.

The straps were thin, revealing her sexy collarbone and pale skin.

She was draped in a thin red blazer, which made her complexion even whiter and added a sharp edge to her appearance.

At that moment, she leaned against the wall, a slim cigarette in her mouth, smoking away.

The cigarette, her sharply defined jaw, her pale swan neck, a collarbone that could hold coins, and the sensuous whiteness made her seem like she had walked out of a comic book.

However, just as Chen Yan loathed her smoking, He Ruifeng clearly detested it too.

So, seeing her standing outside smoking, He Ruifeng immediately glared at her, exclaiming, "Smoking again!"

"How many times have I told you! Cigarettes are no good! They're harmful to your health!"

"You, a young girl from a good family, didn't learn anything good, just these bad habits!"

Hearing her father's words, He Mengxue turned her head toward them and said nonchalantly, "Ah, well. I'm under a lot of pressure, Dad. You know that."

She paused mid-sentence when she caught sight of Chen Yan.

The moment she saw him, she froze, quickly tossing away her cigarette, awkwardly straightening up, and with flushed cheeks, she stammered, "Chen, Chen Yan. What are you doing here?"

"I... I actually quit recently. Just had one today."

Seeing her like this, He Ruifeng: ......

Chen Yan glanced cautiously at He Ruifeng.

He Ruifeng's face had turned the color of a pig's liver.

It was clear that his own daughter was not afraid of him, but of another man, which was a blow to his pride.

Chen Yan felt a bit awkward.

But... he feared the silence would make things even more awkward, so clearing his throat, he said, "Uncle He invited me over for dinner."

Hearing Chen Yan speak, He Ruifeng huffed coldly and said to He Mengxue, "Now you really put on airs!"

"I wanted to entertain Chen Yan with you. Instead, when I told you to come home early, you only just now came back!"

Hearing her father, He Mengxue blurted out, "I didn't know Chen Yan would be here. I thought you just wanted me to come home."

He Ruifeng: .....

"Hmph!"

Realizing his daughter no longer had him in her eyes, He Ruifeng snorted in anger and without saying anything more, dropped a line "Then you entertain Chen Yan for me!" and left this heartbreaking scene.

He Mengxue seemed utterly unaware of having angered her father, and like a child, she dashed toward Chen Yan.

She opened her mouth to speak, then seemed to remember she had just smoked.

So, she stopped herself, opened her bag, took out a spray bottle, and spritzed it in her mouth.

Afterward, she blew into her hand, sniffed it to make sure there was no smell of smoke left, then happily said, "Chen Yan. You came to my house and didn't tell me."

"If I had known, I would have come back earlier."

Chen Yan looked at her and asked, "So why didn't you come back earlier? What were you doing?"

He Mengxue replied, "Working overtime at the company. There's a lot going on at the company right now. Qin Ming is primarily handling Headline Technology, so I have to deal with most of the other stuff."

Chen Yan nodded slightly.

Then he sized up He Mengxue and softly returned to the previous topic, "Why did you start smoking again?"

He Mengxue opened her mouth, as if to make up some excuse like before.

But in the end, she lowered her head and said with some self-reproach, "I never really quit."

She continued, "I know smoking is harmful to health. But... it's just these two hobbies. Each time quitting is incredibly hard."

"Plus, after leaving Wutong Group, the pressure has been huge. You know how I was before."

"So.... I always rely on cigarettes to relieve it."

Saying this, she feared Chen Yan might get angry, so she quickly added, "But I've cut down a lot from before."

"I've been trying to smoke less."

After speaking, she softly added an assurance, "I also drink much less than before."

Seeing her speak so pitifully and remembering her recent stress, Chen Yan felt a twinge of sympathy.

So, he reached out and gently patted He Mengxue's head.

However, while He Mengxue looked up at him with covert delight, he still frowned at her and said, "You still lack self-discipline."

"If I told you quitting would mean us being together..."

He hadn't finished speaking when He Mengxue immediately excitedly raised three fingers and said, "For the rest of my life, I swear off cigarettes and alcohol!"

"I absolutely won't smoke another or take another drink!!"

Chen Yan: ...

For a moment, Chen Yan felt helpless to retort.

Sister, aren't you changing too quickly?

Are you a chameleon or what?

Chen Yan held his forehead.

Seeing Chen Yan's helpless look, He Mengxue smiled somewhat triumphantly.

Chen Yan gently pinched her face, saying, "So you'll give up smoking and drinking like this?"

He Mengxue nodded emphatically, replying, "Actually, cigarettes and alcohol are not that important to me."

"I have so many joys in life. About a hundred, I'd say."

"Cigarettes and alcohol only account for two at most."

Curious, Chen Yan couldn't help but ask, "What about the remaining 98?"

He Mengxue looked at Chen Yan, seriously saying, "The other 98 are... all various thoughts of you."

"You're the one I can never quit, the one I can never leave."

Chen Yan: ....

Talk is talk, but why resort to sweet nothings at the drop of a hat?

However, he had to admit ... listening to He Mengxue's sweet nothings, his heart still felt warm.

Yet, outwardly, he didn't show it.

He simply glanced at He Mengxue and said, "You just moved your lips. Words are always the easiest to make sound nice."

This time, He Mengxue seemed serious. She took Chen Yan's hand and placed it over her chest, saying, "I'm not just talking."

"I'm serious. Very serious."

Chen Yan looked at her and was momentarily touched.

If it weren't for the soft feeling where his hand lay, perhaps he would have been moved for longer....

Coughing once, he withdrew his hand and changed the subject, "I barely touched my food tonight, and Uncle He insists that you take me out for another meal. Let's go eat."

Although she still hadn't gotten a clear response from Chen Yan, He Mengxue was still very happy at the chance to dine with him.

The two went out for a meal together.

It was prepared by the He family's chef.

An all-meat feast, appetizing in look, smell, and taste.

This made Chen Yan experience the depth of a major family once again.

He, although wealthy almost to the extent of He Ruifeng,

Still lived in a house of merely 200 square meters,

With no one to take care of him.

In fact, with his fortune, he could find caretakers. But... those hired from outside are never entirely trustworthy.

Thinking back on what He Ruifeng said today about the relationships between place, nation, enterprise, and family, Chen Yan for the first time seriously considered his relationship with He Mengxue...

.......

[Yu Qiao Qiao Affection: MAX] (Professional Line progressing....)

[Lu Man Affection: MAX] (Fourth mission unlocked, incomplete)

[Zhao Ying Affection: 161] (The confrontation with Chen Yan was thrilling +8)

[He Mengxue Affection: 188] (Liking Chen Yan a little more each day, Chen Yan really loves me, and other positive emotions +42)

[Wealth: 1,134,000] (Expenses of the Virtual Girlfriends in recent months +1,134,000)

[Professional Wealth: 310 million] (Investments in shares of Virtual Girlfriends' companies +310 million in the past two months)

[Fixed Asset Wealth: 0]

[Cash: 13.536 billion+] (Recent cashing out of wealth value +23.7186 million, remittances from the Mudman Intermediate Elimination Competition +1.52 billion, two cash transfers from professional funds to account +10.2 billion, business expenses -127 million, income from film companies +800 million)

[Fixed Assets: 1.145 billion+]

[Valuable Shares: 5.52 billion (valuation)] (Headline Technology shares [Value doubled])

[Total Assets: 20.201 billion]

Note: Companies that have not entered the capital market for financing are not included in the valuation calculation.

.......

A night without words.

In the morning, the sunshine poured over Chen Yan, the man worth twenty billion.

In fact, talking about a fortune of twenty billion, that's without counting any fluff.

Chen Yan's primary assets, Chen Group, had not entered the capital market, hence, were not included in the valuation.

If valued by the normal market, his fortune would be no problem at three or four hundred billion.

Moreover, as some of the companies develop rapidly, Chen Yan's fortune is set to soar continuously.

Getting out of bed, Chen Yan didn't stop having breakfast just because he was a billionaire.

Like always, he rose to freshen up, then made himself breakfast. While eating, he scrolled through the news.

Recently, the hottest topic was the release of "Medicine God."

With over a half-month at the box office, "Medicine God" had already surpassed 4 billion.

Though its box office began to sharply decline due to overexposure and new films, it seemed there was still significant growth ahead.

And more miraculously, despite such high box office returns, "Medicine God" still enjoyed superb word of mouth.

On audience websites, tens of millions maintained a high rating of 9.8.

While on professional sites, "Medicine God" even saw an increase of 0.1, reaching a score of 9.1.

Thus, recently, the internet was flooded with all things "Medicine God."

Analyses of its characters, roles, prototypes, and production company.

Every topic related to "Medicine God" was brought out, hyped up, and promoted.

Bear in mind, the previous record for a domestic movie was only 2.4 billion, now nearly doubled.

"Medicine God" had ascended to the throne.

People from the entertainment and film industries were also swarming to throw their support behind it.

Many celebrities and industry professionals showcased their "Medicine God" movie tickets on Weibo.

While privately, enthusiastic discussions about the success of "Medicine God" buzzed in various groups.

It was all as if the previous month, they weren't the same ones disparaging "Medicine God" and praising "Magic City Fortress."

Were it not for Chen Yan's light presence in some groups, one might think the past was all but a fantasy...

And besides the resounding success of "Medicine God,"

Another buzzy affair was the resurrection of Zhao Xuan.

No one knows what Zhao Xuan was thinking.

Instead of a low-key "back from the dead," he came back with a bang, proclaiming that he had survived a fire, escaped, and was recuperating elsewhere since he was injured.

At first, no one understood why he was being so high-profile. Later, when he, with some stubborn members of the secondary branches, barged into Zhao Group headquarters demanding Zhao Qingtian convene a board meeting to make him a director, his agenda became clearer.

He didn't only worry about his arrangement; he feared Zhao Qingtian would make a lethal move.

It was also a desperate bid to convince wavering secondary branches to side with him, in other words, to boost his prestige.

And Zhao Qingtian, whether caught off guard by this move or unconcerned, or perhaps having reached some private accord with Zhao Xuan,

Actually complied with his demands, re-elected the board, and indeed successfully added himself as a director of the company.

So, within two months of Zhao Xuan's "revival," he had reclaimed his rights, becoming an influential director in the Zhao family's main line.

This marked the first achievement in his and Chen Yan's objectives.

Recent news also highlighted his frequent representation of Zhao Group at events and negotiations.

There seemed to be media influence, given the praises lavishly bestowed upon him.

Clearly, this was also part of the plan for him by Chen Yan: to prepare him for successfully taking control of the Zhao family after bringing down Zhao Qingtian.

After flicking through the news and gossip, Chen Yan set down his phone, finished his breakfast, then tidied up before going to work.

Arriving at the company, in his office.

Chen Yan sat at his desk, then began to ponder last night's conversation with He Ruifeng.

He Ruifeng's words had provided Chen Yan with much food for thought.

It included plans for his own industries, and the relationships between businesses and local/national governments.

If he were just an ordinary person, shifting industries, say, from the internet to labor-intensive industrial development, would be extremely difficult.

But... he had the system, he had the "Xiao Ha's Instant Camera."

Coupled with the hundreds of billions in cash he currently held,

Entering a physical industry, creating jobs, and contributing to the local economy were not difficult at all.

But... what industry would be best?

Thinking it over, Chen Yan involuntarily remembered the special product of Qin Island: ...

Not the seafood. It's the water.

Qin Island boasts a mountain, known as Laoshan.

Here, the water sources are well-known throughout the country.

Qin Island Beer and Laoshan Mineral Water both draw their water from here.

And these two companies have indeed grown into the industrial pillars of Qin Island.

Chen Yan thought that, given such resources, could he perhaps try his hand at developing in this industry?

He could choose not to make beer or water. Then... how about producing beverages?

Pondering this, Chen Yan felt his idea was quite excellent.

However, he also knew the saying that two heads are better than one, so after some thought, he decided to call He Mengxue and Yang Rou respectively.

He wanted to hear the opinions of these two women who were closest to him and had made significant achievements in the business world.

Once the calls connected, Chen Yan first inquired whether they had any other work obligations.

After learning they were both free, Chen Yan invited them to come up to his office for a meeting, saying there was something he wanted to discuss.

Having hung up, Chen Yan tidied up his desk, left his office, and planned to wait in the office for the two of them.

As soon as he stepped out of his office door, a sweet call reached Chen Yan's ears from behind, "Chen Yan~ good morning."

Chen Yan turned around in surprise and then saw Yu Qiao Qiao standing behind him, looking at him with a shy expression...

------------------

[Yu Qiao Qiao's Favorability: MAX] (Professional Line progressing...)

[Lu Man's Favorability: MAX] (Fourth loop opened, incomplete)

[Zhao Ying's Favorability: 161] (The showdown with Chen Yan was so thrilling +8)

[He Mengxue's Favorability: 188] (Growing fonder of Chen Yan every day, Chen Yan loves me, among other positive emotions +42)

[Wealth Value: 1.134 million] (Routine expenses of several Virtual Girlfriends in recent months +1.134 million)

[Professional Wealth: 310 million] (Investment in shares of companies owned by various Virtual Girlfriends over the past two months +310 million)

[Fixed Asset Wealth Value: 0]

[Cash: 13.536 billion+] (Recent wealth value cashed out +237.186 million, "Mudman Intermediate Elimination Competition" returns +1.52 billion, two cashouts from professional wealth accounted for +10.2 billion, business expenses -127 million, film company income +800 million)

[Fixed Assets: 1.145 billion+]

[Valuable Shares: 5.52 billion (valuation)] (Headline Technology shares have doubled)

[Total Assets: 20.201 billion]

Note: Companies that have not entered the capital market for financing are not included in the valuation.

...

A night without words.

In the morning, the sunlight shines on the 20-billionaire Chen Yan.

In truth, being called a 20-billionaire is calculated after stripping away all the fluff.

Chen Yan's main wealth: Chen Group, has not entered the capital market, and therefore has not been included in the calculation.

Had it been estimated according to normal market valuation, his assets would easily amount to 30 or 40 billion without any question.

Moreover, as the companies he owns continue to develop rapidly, Chen Yan's wealth is set to skyrocket continuously.

Getting out of bed, Chen Yan did not skip breakfast, just because he was a billionaire.

Just like always, he got up, washed up, made breakfast for himself, and browsed the news while eating.

Lately, the hottest news has been the release of "Medicine God."

With over half a month of showings, "Medicine God" has already surpassed the 4-billion mark at the box office.

Although its revenue started to plummet due to overexposure and new films, it seemed there was still considerable progress to be made.

More astonishingly, despite such high box office revenue, "Medicine God" still maintained high ratings.

On audience websites, with thirty to forty million people rating, the score remained high at 9.8.

On professional sites, "Medicine God" even increased in rating by 0.1, reaching a score of 9.1.

For this reason, the internet was flooded with information about "Medicine God."

Discussions analyzed the characters, roles, prototypes, and production company of "Medicine God."

Essentially, any topic related to "Medicine God" was being hyped and promoted.

One should know that the previous highest box office earnings for a domestic film were only 2.4 billion, but now it had approached double that figure.

"Medicine God" had ascended to a legendary status.

People within the entertainment and movie circles were all effusively praising it.

Many celebrities and industry practitioners shared their "Medicine God" movie ticket stubs on microblogs.

Privately, in various small groups, everyone was excitedly discussing the keys to the success of "Medicine God."

All this chatter contrasted starkly against their behavior the previous month when they were belittling "Medicine God" while promoting "Magic City Fortress."

If not for Chen Yan's own shallow involvement in some groups, he might have thought all the previous events were just a dream...

Aside from the hot screenings of "Medicine God,"

another buzzing topic was Zhao Xuan's resurrection from the dead.

No one knew what Zhao Xuan was thinking.

He did not make a low-profile return from the dead but, on the contrary, came back with high visibility, claiming that he had survived a fire and escaped.

He said that he had been recuperating from his injuries in another place.

Initially, no one understood why he was being so public. Later, when he directly took some of the stubborn members of the collateral branches and stormed into the headquarters of Zhao Group demanding Zhao Qingtian to reconvene the board meeting to make him a director, everyone understood his purpose.

He first worried about his arrangements, fearing Zhao Qingtian might take ruthless actions.

Second, it was a last-ditch effort, to convince the swaying collateral branches to believe in him and gather around him—to gain prestige, as the saying goes.

And whether Zhao Qingtian was caught off guard by this move, really did not care, or had reached some private agreement with Zhao Xuan,

he actually agreed to his demands, re-elected the board, and successfully added him as a director of the company.

Thus, within two months from Zhao Xuan "coming back to life," he had regained his rightful power and became an influential director in the main branch of the Zhao family.

This also completed the first step of his and Chen Yan's plan.

The latest news showed him frequently representing Zhao Group at various events, or in negotiations.

Whether he had bribed the media, there was a lot of laudatory language in those reports.

Clearly, this was also part of Chen Yan and his plan: to prepare him to successfully take over control of the Zhao family after defeating Zhao Qingtian.

After finishing the news and gossip, Chen Yan put away his phone, completed his meal, cleaned up, and went off to work.

In the company, he arrived at his own office.

Sitting at his desk, Chen Yan began to reflect on the conversation he had with He Ruifeng last night.

What He Ruifeng said actually gave Chen Yan a lot of ideas.

It included his plans for his industries, and the relationship between enterprises and local or national governments.

If he were just an ordinary person, it would definitely be very difficult for him to transition from the internet industry to a labor-intensive industrial industry.

But... he had the system, he had "Xiao Ha's Instant Camera."

Add to that, he currently had billions in cash at his disposal.

It would be very easy for him to enter into a physical industry, to create jobs, to make contributions to the locality, to increase his influence.

But... which industry should he choose?

Thinking over it, Chen Yan couldn't help but think of the specialty of Qin Island:...

Not seafood. It was water.

Qin Island boasts a mountain, known as Laoshan.

Here, the water sources are well-known throughout the country.

Qin Island Beer and Laoshan Mineral Water both draw their water from here.

And these two companies have indeed grown into the industrial pillars of Qin Island.

Chen Yan thought that, given such resources, could he perhaps try his hand at developing in this industry?

He could choose not to make beer or water. Then... how about producing beverages?

Pondering this, Chen Yan felt his idea was quite excellent.

However, he also knew the saying that two heads are better than one, so after some thought, he decided to call He Mengxue and Yang Rou respectively.

He wanted to hear the opinions of these two women who were closest to him and had made significant achievements in the business world.

Once the calls connected, Chen Yan first inquired whether they had any other work obligations.

After learning they were both free, Chen Yan invited them to come up to his office for a meeting, saying there was something he wanted to discuss.

Having hung up, Chen Yan tidied up his desk, left his office, and planned to wait in the office for the two of them.

As soon as he stepped out of his office door, a sweet call reached Chen Yan's ears from behind, "Chen Yan~ good morning."

Chen Yan turned around in surprise and then saw Yu Qiao Qiao standing behind him, looking at him with a shy expression...

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