The night deepened in Madrid, and Lu Chuan's apartment was brightly lit.
On the huge display screen, the faces of four people were clearly visible—this was the first official board meeting of "L & E Capital".
"Welcome everyone to our team." Lu Chuan sat in front of the camera, his voice steady and powerful.
Carlos was in the upper left corner of the screen, Esther in the upper right corner.
Below them were two newly recruited fund managers—Mark Schmidt from Goldman Sachs and Sarah Rodriguez, who previously worked at Morgan Stanley.
Mark pushed up his glasses and opened the documents in his hand: "Mr. Lu Chuan, according to your previous instructions, we screened more than thirty projects and finally locked down five targets that fit your investment philosophy."
"Artificial intelligence, renewable energy, biotechnology." Lu Chuan repeated these keywords,
"These fields represent the future. What we need to do is long-term value investment, not short-term speculation."
Sarah clicked the mouse, and a detailed project report appeared on the screen: "This Germany company is called BioAI Solutions, focusing on AI-assisted drug screening technology. Their algorithm can shorten the new drug development cycle by 40%."
"What about the team's background?" Esther suddenly spoke, her question hitting the core issue.
"The founder is the former chief scientist of Bayer Pharmaceuticals, and the core members of the team all have over ten years of industry experience."
Mark responded quickly, "More importantly, they have already signed letters of intent for cooperation with three Europe pharmaceutical giants."
Lu Chuan carefully studied the data on the screen, his brows slightly furrowed: "What's the valuation? What's our investment amount?"
"The company is currently valued at 5 million euros, and we recommend investing 500,000, for a 10% stake."
Sarah's voice exuded professional confidence, "This proportion allows us to gain sufficient say without putting too much dilution pressure on the company."
Esther's eyes suddenly lit up: "Wait, can this AI technology be applied to other fields? For example, the film and television industry?"
The meeting room fell into a brief silence, and the two fund managers exchanged glances.
"What do you mean?" Mark was a bit confused.
Esther excitedly explained: "Script analysis! If AI can screen drug molecules, why can't it analyze the commercial potential of scripts? Predict box office performance? Or even optimize promotion strategies?"
Sarah's eyes instantly brightened: "Oh my goodness, that's a fantastic idea! The film and television industry has a huge amount of data, but its analytical methods are relatively backward. If AI technology can revolutionize this field…"
"This is the value of cross-industry thinking." Lu Chuan nodded in satisfaction, "Esther, can you contact some friends in the film and television industry? We need to understand the specific needs of this market."
"Of course." Esther's face was beaming with excitement, "I know a few producers and distributors who are very interested in new technologies."
Carlos, on the other end of the screen, smiled and shook his head: "You two are truly natural partners. One has ideas, the other has resources."
"Then it's settled." Lu Chuan made the final decision,
"Invest in BioAI Solutions, and at the same time explore the potential application of the technology in the film and television industry. Mark, you are responsible for preparing the legal documents. Sarah, you follow up on the due diligence of the technical team."
After the meeting, Esther turned off her computer and walked over to Lu Chuan: "You know what? At that moment, I felt like we weren't just lovers, but comrades-in-arms."
Lu Chuan put his arm around her waist and whispered in her ear: "Exactly. I play on the field, and you help me strategize off the field. We're already a team."
"That sounds nice." Esther chuckled, "But what you need to conquer most now is tomorrow's match."
No sooner had she spoken than Lu Chuan's phone rang. The screen displayed "Dad".
"Dad? So late?" Lu Chuan pressed the answer button.
"Son!" His father's voice carried unconcealed excitement, "We just saw the news, it said you're going to break some record?"
Lu Chuan walked to the balcony, looking at the distant lights: "The consecutive goal-scoring record. I'm one game away from tying it, and three games away from setting a new record."
"Oh my goodness!" His mother's voice came through the phone, evidently on speakerphone, "Son, you're really amazing!"
"Mom, don't get too excited." Lu Chuan's voice softened, "It's just playing football."
"What do you mean 'just playing football'?"
His father's tone was filled with pride, "Do you know how many people called me today?
People from your company, from your mom's school, and those old classmates, all congratulating us on having a good son!"
His mother's voice suddenly became worried: "Son, don't push yourself too hard, take care of your body. Records and such aren't important, health is paramount."
"Mom, I know my limits." Lu Chuan leaned against the railing, "How are you and Dad doing?"
"We're both doing great!" His father's voice rang out again,
"Don't worry about home, just focus on playing football. But I need to remind you, let go of the burden, just play it like an ordinary match."
"You're right." Lu Chuan nodded.
His father was silent for a moment on the other end of the phone before slowly saying: "Playing football is like being a person; if you want something too much, you'll lose your composure. Just pretend it's nothing and let nature take its course."
"I understand, Dad."
"And also," his mother spoke again, "How's that Esther girl? You two…"
"Mom!" Lu Chuan quickly interrupted, "We're doing great. I'll bring her back to meet you after the season ends."
"Really?" His mother's voice instantly went up an octave, "Then I need to get ready, buy some good things…"
"Mom, don't bother." Lu Chuan said, half-laughing, half-crying, "She doesn't care about those things."
After hanging up the phone, Lu Chuan returned to the living room. Esther was sitting on the sofa, holding a glass of red wine.
"Your parents sound lovely." She smiled and handed Lu Chuan another glass of wine, "I'm a little nervous about meeting them."
"Don't be nervous, they'll like you." Lu Chuan took the wine glass, "Just like I like you."
They clinked glasses, and the red wine shimmered invitingly under the lights.
Lu Chuan put down his wine glass and habitually summoned the system panel in his mind. The translucent blue interface appeared in his thoughts:
[Host]: Lu Chuan
[Current LP Balance]: 970
[Activated Skills]: [Full Field Vision] (Permanent), [Big Heart] (Permanent), [Direction Change Acceleration Master] (Beginner)
[Mission Progress]: [Return of the Storm!] (9 / 12)
Looking at the LP value approaching 1000, Lu Chuan began to think about his next plan.
[Penalty Box Finisher] requires 2200 LP, still quite a bit short. But as his fame grew, opponents' defense would inevitably become rougher.
Perhaps [Iron Body] should be put on the agenda.
"What are you thinking about?" Esther noticed his contemplation.
"Tomorrow's match." Lu Chuan closed the system panel, "Fuenlabrada won't be easy to deal with; their head coach Sandoval is very experienced."
"Are you worried?"
"Not worried, just preparing." Lu Chuan stood up, "Let's go, we'll watch a movie to relax."
Esther chose a light comedy, and they snuggled on the sofa, temporarily forgetting the external pressure and expectations.
Halfway through the movie, Lu Chuan's phone vibrated. It was a text message, the sender was Juan Iribas.
"Hey, Lu, see you on the field tomorrow. I won't go easy on you, brother."
Looking at the text message, Lu Chuan smiled silently and tossed his phone back onto the sofa.
Iribas was his teammate during his RCD Espanyol youth training days; they had a good relationship, but there would be absolutely no leniency on the football field.
"Who sent it?" Esther asked curiously.
"An old friend." Lu Chuan put away his phone, "Tomorrow's opponent."
"Is he provoking you?"
"No, he's reminding me." A hint of fighting spirit flashed in Lu Chuan's eyes, "Reminding me that tomorrow will be a tough battle."
The movie ended, and they prepared for bed. Esther was removing her makeup in the bathroom, while Lu Chuan stood by the window, gazing at the night sky.
The night in Madrid was still bustling, but his heart had already flown to tomorrow's match. Fuenlabrada, another opponent to conquer.
The first investment of "L & E Capital" had been finalized, and the outline of a business empire was beginning to appear. But for him now, the most important thing was still the football at his feet.
Only by proving himself on the green field could he lay the foundation for everything in the future.
Esther came out of the bathroom and saw Lu Chuan still standing by the window.
"Still thinking about the match?"
"Yes." Lu Chuan turned, "But not anymore."
He walked towards Esther and lightly kissed her forehead: "Thank you for your performance today; your ideas were great."
"We're partners, aren't we?" Esther responded with a smile, "Now go to sleep, you still have history to make tomorrow."
Lying in bed, Lu Chuan closed his eyes, and images of tomorrow's match appeared in his mind.
Fuenlabrada's defense, Iribas's marking, and the record waiting to be broken.
Everything was waiting for him.
And he was ready.