Knock, knock, knock! There was a knock on the door. Qian Yuling didn't even change her posture. "Come in."
A young woman who bore a striking resemblance to Qian Yuling walked in, wearing eight-centimeter round-toed heels and delicate gold-rimmed glasses. She shared Qian Yuling's aloof demeanor, but compared to her assertive nature, she simply kept people at arm's length, a bit like someone so engrossed in scientific research that they'd forgotten how to interact with others.
What an iceberg! What an icy beauty! Her delicate oval face and fair skin concealed all flaws, and the fact that she was a stunning beauty added a lot of points.
"Xiaoyin, what's up?" Qian Yuling's voice remained calm, unmoved by her daughter's arrival. She remained composed. "How's your eldest brother?"
"He's fine, recuperating. He'll announce his withdrawal from the race tomorrow and rest fully." Tang Yin sat on the sofa, pulled a cigarette from her pocket, and lit it. Hiss! Her puffing was expertly done, though women who smoke aren't usually virgins, and her posture betrayed her virginity.
"Withdraw? Haha, he'll lose 80% of his assets, leaving only two bars." Qian Yuling smiled, a hint of disdain. She didn't care much for her two sons. Caring for them in their old age was their responsibility and obligation. Raising children was simply a way to provide for their old age. Family affection in large families is often weak, a result of their environment, not their upbringing.
"He's already reached a partnership with Zhao An. With the help of Future Group, he might be able to run again." Tang Yin blew out a smoke ring. "Also, I'm not here to discuss Tang Bing's affairs. I'm planning to develop new energy vehicles. Are you willing to invest?"
Qian Yuling shifted her posture, her voluptuous, stocking-clad legs shifting positions, her left leg folded over her right. "What's the budget?"
"Two billion. I have an idea. Two billion is enough to produce a prototype car, but the actual investment is expected to reach ten billion," Tang Yin said calmly. Scientific research is always expensive, and plagiarism is a quick fix. Whether or not to make money is still a question.
"It's too expensive. You can try a different approach." Qian Yuling shook her head. It wasn't that she didn't support it, but in her current position, she couldn't throw ten billion down the drain just to make her daughter happy. It was completely unnecessary, truly unnecessary.
"Besides, once your energy vehicle is developed, I'm guessing it'll be electric. Will it support long-distance driving? Will it be troublesome? Consumers won't want to wait. And electric vehicles are already being developed. Are you sure you can beat them on time?" Qian Yuling's vision was sharp, unblinded by family affection.
"We can team up with Future Group and develop it together. We can definitely have it within six months," Tang Yin said unabashedly, expressing her optimism for Zhao An. This was simply due to his talent; like her mother, she was indifferent to romantic relationships.
"There's no need. Our current businesses are in transportation and real estate, and headquarters has recently invested in the stock market. We need to cut back on funding in all areas. Forget 10 billion, we can't even come up with 10 billion," Qian Yuling explained. If she weren't her own daughter, she wouldn't even bother to bother.
"So, as the heir, you can spend as you please?" Tang Yin raised a brow, clearly dissatisfied.
"Yes, the heir can spend freely, as long as they can earn it back. Xiaoyin, you can try to do something that sells easily, instead of thinking about the Nobel Prize," Qian Yuling advised. They were businesspeople, and everything was about making money, not showing off.
"What if I partner with Future Group?" Tang Yin already knew the outcome, but she still had to go through the process. Only by going through it could she easily bring up this point without being rejected.
"The family will need dividends. I hope you understand that." Qian Yuling neither refused nor agreed; she didn't express any opinion.
"I know. I'll negotiate terms with him." Tang Yin stood up, as if about to say something, but her lips moved but remained silent, turning and leaving.
In reality, Tang Yin was saying not to imitate the Future Platform's tactics. If you can't learn them, if you don't grasp the essence, you'll never be able to follow its path.
"Think the core of the platform is to be obvious in the slums?" Yes, that's exactly what happened. But both Qian Yuling and Tang Wu overlooked one key point: Zhao An himself was a highly topical figure. Their PR department had practically recruited the most elite online influencers, creating hype and generating buzz.
One day, they'd expose Zhang Qige's past, and tomorrow, they'd post some photos of Feng Timo from her student days.
Or, they'd post a picture of Zhao An working out, revealing his signature shark muscles—a completely explosive topic. Most of the buzz revolved around Zhao An, showcasing his versatility. When the buzz cooled, they'd shift to other female streamers, or create other gossip.
The source of everything was Zhao An; he could bring the platform to life all by himself. As for the League of Legends matches and the dazzling female streamers, they were just icing on the cake, not the real driving force.
It was clear that Tang Wu didn't see through this, but Tang Yin, as an outsider, saw it clearly.
Tang Yin, however, didn't remind him. Tang Wu had once wanted to marry her off for his own benefit, but his plans were ruined by a series of twists and turns by Tang Bing. At that time, as the heir, Tang Bing wouldn't tolerate anyone challenging him, not even his own brother!
From that moment on, Tang Yin had no fondness for her brother, Tang Wu, and even loathed him. Wanting to marry her off for selfish gain, what good was a brother like him?
So, even though Tang Yin saw through the situation, she kept silent. Furthermore, her intuition told her that Zhao An must have a backup plan. Things seemed to be thriving now, but that wasn't certain. When the upward trend subsided and profits faltered, internal conflicts within the seemingly harmonious group would erupt, and that would be fatal.