Chapter 77: I Gave It a Try

After spending a fulfilling weekend with the two women—most of which was devoted to shopping—Qin Xiaomian, who planned to return home for the National Day holiday, carefully picked out several gifts for her parents. She insisted on paying for them herself, but Lu Yu overruled her decisively. His reasoning was perfectly sound: he had promised to take care of her, and naturally, all her living expenses, including gifts, were his responsibility. Qin Xiaomian feigned a pouty, aggrieved expression, but inside she was delighted. That night, after they returned home, she made sure to express her gratitude to Lu Yu in her own way. She did so again and again, until Lu Yu began to suspect that she was repaying kindness with mischief.

Ever since Shi Zixuan learned that both Lu Yu and Qin Xiaomian would be leaving for home, her spirits had been low. Even the excitement of shopping no longer lifted her mood. Lu Yu noticed, but chose not to mention it. After all, surprises are often more delightful when they arrive unannounced.

When the weekend ended, the two women returned to the University of Finance and Economics for classes, and Lu Yu resumed his monotonous routine—shuttling back and forth between home and the office. Amidst his busy schedule, Zhou Jing called to inform him that one of the two special effects companies he'd chosen had declined the acquisition offer. It wasn’t a matter of price; the entire special effects team owned shares in the company and had originally banded together to avoid working for others. They had no desire to return to that path. Lu Yu didn’t dwell on it. Zhou Jing had recommended four suitable companies for acquisition, so he told her to simply select another.

That day, while Lu Yu was coding in his office, he received a message from Chen Xiaofei on WeChat, along with several photos of cars. Lu Yu scrolled through them: the Aston Martin was too flashy, even if it was undeniably attractive. The Phideon and the A8L were more understated, but came off as a bit old-fashioned and too formal. The rest were uninspiring. In the end, he settled on the Maserati Quattroporte, though he hesitated between denim blue and pure black. After a moment’s thought, he told Chen Xiaofei to go with pure black.

A little later, Chen Xiaofei replied that there happened to be one in stock. The final price was just over two million, not quite the top model but well-equipped nonetheless. Lu Yu didn’t care much; he doubted he’d have much time to drive it anyway. He asked for Chen Xiaofei’s bank account number to transfer the money directly, then sent over the necessary documents to complete the transaction. Once it was done, he returned to his code.

Two days later, Chen Xiaofei drove Lu Yu’s new car to the company and called him downstairs. Though it was still some time before the end of the workday, things were quiet at the office, so Lu Yu packed up his laptop and headed down. He found the new car in the parking lot; the license plate was unremarkable, nothing special, not a repeating number. Lu Yu never cared for such things. Value is only added to objects by people; no matter how luxurious or expensive your possessions, they cannot alter the truth of an ordinary life. Lu Yu walked around the car, pleased with his choice. Its lines were sleek and lively, yet retained a dignified elegance.

Chen Xiaofei climbed out from the driver’s seat and slipped into the passenger’s side. “Your wife’s here,” he joked, gesturing at the car. “She’s quite a beauty. I took her for a spin—she’s pretty good.” Lu Yu rolled his eyes and flipped him off.

“Well, I really ought to thank you,” Lu Yu replied dryly. He tossed his laptop bag into the back seat and buckled up. “Where to?”

Chen Xiaofei checked his phone. “It’s a bit early for dinner. How about a spin around the Third Ring Road?” Lu Yu ignored him and started the car.

Chen Xiaofei was a nut. Once they were on the Third Ring, he cranked the stereo and blasted the “Song of the Fifth Ring.” Lu Yu was sorely tempted to dump him by the roadside and let him walk home. After a while, he left the ring road and drove back into the city for dinner at “Six Ladies Skewers,” a hotpot place they’d frequented as students. The feeling of bamboo skewers swirling in spicy oil—numbing and fiery—was as exhilarating as ever.

Because Lu Yu still had to drive, they didn’t drink. He asked Chen Xiaofei about his plans for the National Day holiday. Chen Xiaofei scoffed; it wasn’t up to him anyway—his mother already had everything arranged. Lu Yu mentioned he’d be heading home in a couple of days, and asked if he wanted him to check in on the plantation. Chen Xiaofei shrugged; the management team was already sending him reports by email. Still, he brought up the idea of expanding the operation and asked Lu Yu’s opinion.

Lu Yu had no objections; after all, it didn’t matter where they sourced raw materials. He briefly outlined Fen Bai Dai Hei’s plan to expand overseas next year, and said they’d need all the raw materials they could get. Chen Xiaofei was reassured and said he’d bring his parents to visit after the holiday before deciding how much to expand. Judging from his attitude, he was far more committed than before—no longer a wayward youth, but someone focused on his career. Lu Yu found it amusing and teased him a little. Chen Xiaofei admitted that after Zhang Kexin left, he’d tried dating again, but nothing brought him the happiness he once felt. He’d thought it was just the wrong person, but after a couple more attempts and some deep reflection, he realized he was truly “past his prime.” In the end, he found more satisfaction in work.

Lu Yu, hearing his resolve, asked if he had any concrete plans. Chen Xiaofei said he wanted to do something of his own but hadn’t decided what yet. The plantation didn’t really need him, and he couldn’t exactly spend every day watching medicinal herbs grow. Yet he hadn’t settled on a new direction.

Lu Yu hesitated, then said, “I’m thinking of investing in a movie or TV series someday—something really high-concept and sci-fi. Domestic special effects can’t pull it off, so I’ve set up a company to develop a powerful visual effects software. But software alone isn’t enough; we need a talented VFX team. I’m in the process of acquiring two small VFX companies with steady, experienced teams. How about it—interested in joining the fun? Movie and TV visual effects, the entertainment industry!”

Chen Xiaofei was intrigued. “So you’re getting into showbiz?” Lu Yu rolled his eyes. “Not interested. I just want to invest in one film, that’s all. That scene doesn’t appeal to me.” Chen Xiaofei grinned, “You make it sound like I’m obsessed, but this is more interesting than the plantation. Any formal plan?” Lu Yu shook his head. “If you want in, you can buy shares in the restructured VFX company, but don’t try to boss the team around—listen to the professionals.” He paused. “Ultimately, they know what works best. You just handle the business side.”

Chen Xiaofei laughed. “I’m not dumb enough to meddle in the tech. Business is more my thing.” Lu Yu continued, “If you’re interested, talk to Liu Shichang—he’s our general manager—about how you want to invest in the VFX company. It’s just a side project for me anyway, and I set it up mainly to support programming needs. I’m not sure what to do with it in the long run.” Chen Xiaofei paused mid-bite. “This feels off. I test-drive your ‘wife’ this afternoon, and now you want me to take her off your hands?” Lu Yu ignored his nonsense and kept eating.

Chen Xiaofei dropped the jokes. “If you’re investing in a film, shouldn’t you set up a production company?” Lu Yu rolled his eyes. “Are you crazy? Why would I need a production company just to invest in a movie? If you want one, set it up yourself—what, planning to raise a stable of stars? Careful Zhang Kexin doesn’t come after you.” Chen Xiaofei shot back, “Don’t start rumors, Lu. I just want to invest in a few good films or shows, not sign any talent.” Lu Yu clearly didn’t believe him. “That industry is a shark tank. Be careful you don’t pay expensive tuition.” Chen Xiaofei waved it off. “No worries, I have a friend whose family’s in the business—I can get the lay of the land. I’ll start small and test the waters. And with our killer VFX company, what film outfit wouldn’t need us? I’ve got a lot of faith in you.”

Lu Yu shook his head. “I plan to open-source the software—maybe also develop a renderer for the company. I once wrote a compression algorithm that I’ll add to the renderer, so it’ll process much faster. Whether the VFX company succeeds depends on the team. The best software and hardware mean nothing without talent.” Chen Xiaofei frowned. “Why open-source it?” Lu Yu replied, “There’s not much money in selling software—it doesn’t even cover my development costs. I’m just using this as a way for the team to build chemistry. Call it my contribution to humanity’s visual enjoyment.” Chen Xiaofei stared at him. “Is this how people who read too many books end up thinking?” Lu Yu chuckled, “Once my software’s released, the overall quality of domestic VFX will improve considerably. Of course, it’s like PowerPoint—same software, but results can still vary widely. That’s not my concern, though.” Chen Xiaofei nodded thoughtfully, finally understanding the importance of the VFX team.

After their meal, Chen Xiaofei called himself a cab home. Lu Yu drove back alone. He changed, went for a run, and while resting, saw a message from Qin Xiaomian saying she’d be heading home early. He figured he should also go back a couple of days ahead of schedule—just in case his parents wanted to travel, he’d need time to plan. With the Golden Week rush, every scenic spot would be packed; leaving early and booking hotels in advance was essential. With his mind made up, Lu Yu showered and went to bed.

The next day, he stopped by the company to arrange work and told Ge Yuncong to let the programmers off a day early for the holiday, so their travel plans wouldn’t be disrupted. There was no need for overtime—everyone could relax and enjoy themselves. The early break would help them avoid the holiday rush; otherwise, just getting home would mean sitting in traffic for ages. Ge Yuncong was surprised—he’d never heard of programmers getting time off without having to code, but he liked the idea and readily agreed.

After sorting out things at Yunhan Technology, Lu Yu went downstairs to Nebula Beyond and spoke with Liu Shichang, giving him the same instruction. As for Fen Bai Dai Hei, which was too far away, he simply called Deng Qiang to give the message. Once everything was in order, Lu Yu finally left the office and drove away.