Chen Yan had long learned a great deal about the Xu brothers from Yang Rou.

He knew that although the two brothers had partnered up to start a company,

their abilities were vastly different.

In the industry, they were jokingly referred to as one dragon and one worm.

Eldest brother Xu Zhaorong was the dragon soaring high in the sky, able to call the wind and summon the rain, omnipotent. The success the Xu brothers enjoyed today was mostly thanks to his efforts.

During the establishment and subsequent development phases of the Xu brothers' company, he played a key role.

Whether it was recruiting talent, selecting filming themes, assembling a crew, or managing financing, investments, and discovering actors, he involved himself deeply, single-handedly building the empire of the film and television industry that was the Xu brothers'.

As for the younger brother, Xu Zhaoqing, he was the worm burrowing in the earth. Compared to his brother, he was like mud that couldn't support a wall.

However, he wasn't entirely devoid of merit.

Compared to his brother, he had a more streetwise temperament, easily mixing with those he wanted to know.

Therefore, within the group, he usually played the role of a mediator and maintained relationships with collaborators.

It was just that, obviously, Chen Yan and Lu Man weren't important enough in his heart to warrant making their acquaintance, which is why, at that time, he had unhesitatingly chosen to side with Director Zhang.

This led to a gradual souring of relations with Chen Yan and Lu Man.

And now, he hadn't shown up, but his brother Xu Zhaorong had made the call. Chen Yan was very curious about what this "dragon" wanted to discuss with him.

So, he adjusted to a comfortable sitting position and said, "With such a reputation in the industry, how could I possibly not know Xu Zhaorong?"

"I wonder what Mr. Xu wants with me?"

Upon hearing Chen Yan's words, Xu Zhaorong on the other end of the phone chuckled heartily and said, "Actually, it's nothing much. I just wanted to talk business with you, wondering if you have the time."

Chen Yan said indifferently, "Talk business, huh? What business?"

Xu Zhaorong replied, "This may require a face-to-face conversation."

After hearing Xu Zhaorong's words, Chen Yan laughed twice lightly and said, "I'm sorry, but I'm a bit too busy at the moment to discuss any business with you."

Saying this, Chen Yan didn't hesitate to hang up the phone.

He liked smart people, but he didn't like those who were too clever for their own good.

Chenlu Film Company was on the rise, while the Xu brothers were starting to decline. The scales of initiative had long since tipped.

It was the Xu brothers who were seeking Chen Yan now, not the other way around.

Moreover, don't forget, Chenlu Film Company was just one of the many industries that Chen Yan owned. As the helmsman of Chen Group, Xu Zhaorong wasn't even qualified to negotiate with Chen Yan.

Therefore, Chen Yan was curious and willing to take a call.

If he wasn't curious, he'd simply ignore it.

So, after hanging up, Chen Yan threw his phone onto the desk, yawned, and picked up some documents to start working on.

But just as his pen touched the paper, his phone began to buzz again.

Chen Yan glanced at it—it was the same number.

Chen Yan immediately hung up the call.

A moment later, Xu Zhaorong called again.

Chen Yan continued to hang up and went as far as to block the number.

He intended to find out who had leaked his personal number—how was it that any Tom, Dick, or Harry could call him?

After being blocked, Xu Zhaorong seemed to give up and didn't call again using a different number.

Chen Yan focused on handling official business.

The afternoon passed quickly. In the evening, Chen Yan tidied his desk and then left the office.

Because he had a date with Lu Man in the evening, Chen Yan planned to buy some food first.

Otherwise, given his and Lu Man's lazy nature, they might go hungry all night.

Exiting the building, Chen Yan walked out of the tower, ready to head over to Twin Towers to pack some dishes.

Just then, a man dressed in a suit and leather shoes, wearing gold-framed glasses, and looking quite presentable approached him.

With a Constitution +9 and having undergone various training by He Mengxue, Chen Yan didn't worry about a man of this stature harboring malicious intentions toward him—practically every one of them would be no match for a single punch.

So, seeing the man heading straight for him, Chen Yan stopped in his tracks and watched, curious to see what he was up to.

Approaching Chen Yan, the suited man halted and, with a smile brimming across his face, said, "Mr. Chen. I've been calling you all afternoon, finally, I have the chance to meet you."

Hearing the man's words, Chen Yan looked at him with hesitation and probed, "Xu Zhaorong?"

The suited man nodded.

Compared to his brother Xu Zhaoqing, Xu Zhaorong was far more low-key, so there weren't many photos of him online. Even those that existed were from his early entrepreneurial days.

Hence, Chen Yan didn't recognize him at first glance.

But after recognizing him, Chen Yan's curiosity was piqued again: this guy is interesting. After calling him all afternoon, he even came here to wait for him.

What urgent matter did he have to seek out a rival like himself?

With that thought, Chen Yan looked at him and said, "You really are persistent."

"Then..."

Chen Yan glanced at his watch, "I'll give you five minutes. Tell me, what do you want from me?"

After being rejected for an entire afternoon, Xu Zhaorong also knew what Chen Yan was like, so he didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point, "I want to talk about a business deal with Mr. Chen."

"These past few days, I've thought it over thoroughly. Actually... there's no irreconcilable conflict between Chenlu Film Company and the Xu brothers."

"Initially, Lu Man disrupted Director Zhang's promotion plan, and in a fit of anger, he blacklisted her."

"That incident, to be honest, both sides had faults. At most, we can call it even."

"And the subsequent events like company staff poaching and the mutual headhunting are, after all, considered normal business practices."

"The only thing we did that was over the line was suppressing Chenlu Film Company in its early stages."

"So, I was thinking, might Mr. Chen be willing to suggest some conditions for us to fulfill as an apology to you and Miss Lu Man?"

"And then both sides can shake hands and make peace."

Hearing Xu Zhaorong's words, Chen Yan looked at him somewhat puzzled.

That's it...?

This is the capability of an industry dragon?

The idea seems far too naive.

To be honest, Xu Zhaorong made a fairly fair point.

But... after such a long-standing grudge between the two parties, suddenly proposing this kind of settlement, especially when one's own side is at a disadvantage, it seemed rather childish.

After all, when both sides were at fault, it comes down to interests and positions.

Lu Man was Chen Yan's woman and had offended Director Zhang on behalf of Chen Yan.

The blacklisting indeed put Lu Man in the wrong, but the subsequent attempts of the two to rise from the ashes were constantly suppressed. That's when the scores were settled.

Moreover, with the subsequent tit-for-tat moves, and Xu Zhaorong's attempts to poach Song Chuang and others,

hoping to resolve matters with a simple apology now seemed a little idealistic.

With these thoughts, Chen Yan looked at his watch again and said, "You have two minutes left."

Seeing Chen Yan's unapproachable demeanor, Xu Zhaorong smiled wryly.

He ran his fingers through his hair and said, "Indeed, it's not enough."

Then, he proceeded, "If that's the case, I won't keep it from Mr. Chen anymore."

"I guess Mr. Chen must be very displeased with the Xu brothers, right?"

Chen Yan watched him silently, neither confirming nor denying.

Xu Zhaorong continued, "Or perhaps it's not just the Xu brothers that you find disagreeable. It's the entire current order of the entertainment industry."

"From Mr. Chen's actions over the past year, I can tell that you have been wanting to destroy the entire industry and rebuild the order."

"However, the entertainment market, albeit not large, is actually quite intricate and intertwined with various other industries."

"Artists within the industry, in such a complex environment, must be able to navigate the nuances, and bringing them all down isn't easy."

"I can offer Mr. Chen an opportunity, even providing internal documents to help you accomplish all this."

"Of course, what I'm referring to includes the Xu brothers as well."

At Xu Zhaorong's words, Chen Yan's pupils contracted slightly, his heart taken aback.

He considered his and Yang Rou's operations to be very discreet, yet unexpectedly, the man before him saw through it?

But... Chen Yan didn't show any weakness.

With an unchanging expression, he continued, "You have one minute left."

Xu Zhaorong chuckled lightly, then said, "I know that Mr. Chen doesn't trust me. But no matter, Mr. Chen can go back and consider it properly. See if we can cooperate."

After speaking, he nodded slightly toward Chen Yan, then turned and left him.

Watching his retreating figure, Chen Yan's brows furrowed slightly.

Because he realized that he really couldn't understand the man before him.

A person does something for a reason.

But with this man's actions, Chen Yan couldn't fathom what he stood to gain.

If it was peace he sought, but he was willing to sell out even his own company.

If it was a probe...

But Chen Yan had just used the "Headphones," and discovered that everything he said was indeed his true inner thoughts.

He genuinely wanted to help Chen Yan create a new world, to overturn the entire entertainment industry.

Even... in his thoughts, his brother Xu Zhaoqing and Director Zhang were on the same list.

What was really going on with this man?

The sudden appearance of Xu Zhaorong raised Chen Yan's level of alertness to a new peak.

He felt that the plan originally discussed with Yang Rou, which was supposed to be almost foolproof, now seemed not entirely secure.

He thought he should have a serious talk with Yang Rou about the plan, and while he was at it... discuss this man, Xu Zhaorong, as well.

Well... why wait for another day when today is as good as any?

After fulfilling his duty to Lu Man, he would go see Yang Rou and talk it over.

With this in mind, Chen Yan went off to Twin Towers Hotel.

After packing up the food, Chen Yan drove to Lu Man's villa.

And on the way, he took out his phone and started looking up Xu Zhaorong's personal details.

To know your enemy, you must know yourself, and thus never face defeat in a hundred battles.

Facing such a dangerous enemy, Chen Yan maintained sufficient vigilance.

But as Chen Yan had mentioned before, Xu Zhaorong was very low-profile, and the information available online was sparse.

Apart from the history of the Xu brothers that mentioned him, the only other details were a list of movies and TV shows he produced and various awards. Beyond that, there was no other information.

After reviewing these details, Chen Yan felt even more uncertain about Xu Zhaorong.

He had no clear understanding of what the man was like, his character, or his intentions.

After checking the information, Chen Yan locked his phone, planning to put it away and wait until that evening to discuss with Yang Rou.

But before he could pocket his phone, it suddenly buzzed a few times—an alert popped up.

Chen Yan glanced at it, and the alert lit up the phone screen.

And that alert displayed: "New items have been added to your Game Store, welcome to purchase."

Watching his retreating figure, Chen Yan's brows furrowed slightly.

Because he realized that he really couldn't understand the man before him.

A person does something for a reason.

But with this man's actions, Chen Yan couldn't fathom what he stood to gain.

If it was peace he sought, he was willing to sell out even his own company.

If it was a probe...

But Chen Yan had just used the "Headphones," and discovered that everything he said was indeed his true inner thoughts.

He genuinely wanted to help Chen Yan create a new world, to overturn the entire entertainment industry.

Even... in his thoughts, his brother Xu Zhaoqing and Director Zhang were on the same list.

What was really going on with this man?

The sudden appearance of Xu Zhaorong raised Chen Yan's level of alertness to a new peak.

He felt that the plan originally discussed with Yang Rou, which was supposed to be almost foolproof, now seemed not entirely secure.

He thought he should have a serious talk with Yang Rou about the plan, and while he was at it... discuss this man, Xu Zhaorong, as well.

Well... why wait for another day when today is as good as any?

After fulfilling his duty to Lu Man, he would go see Yang Rou and talk it over.

With this in mind, Chen Yan went off to Twin Towers Hotel.

After packing up the food, Chen Yan drove to Lu Man's villa.

And on the way, he took out his phone and started looking up Xu Zhaorong's personal details.

To know your enemy, you must know yourself, and thus never face defeat in a hundred battles.

Facing such a dangerous enemy, Chen Yan maintained sufficient vigilance.

But as Chen Yan had mentioned before, Xu Zhaorong was very low-profile, and the information available online was sparse.

Apart from the history of the Xu brothers that mentioned him, the only other details were a list of movies and TV shows he produced and various awards. Beyond that, there was no other information.

After reviewing these details, Chen Yan felt even more uncertain about Xu Zhaorong.

He had no clear understanding of what the man was like, his character, or his intentions.

After checking the information, Chen Yan locked his phone, planning to put it away and wait until that evening to discuss with Yang Rou.

But before he could pocket his phone, it suddenly buzzed a few times—an alert popped up.

Chen Yan glanced at it, and the alert lit up the phone screen.

And that alert displayed: "New items have been added to your Game Store, welcome to purchase."

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