Chapter 21 The Evil Capitalist

Early weekend morning, outside the airport.

Jiang Le tightened his windbreaker. The weather started to warm up after the spring, but the morning wind was still a little bleak.

Guli also came to pick up Jiang Congyue. She always boasted about her strong body and preferred grace over warmth, but she said she was going to meet her elders, so she dressed particularly solemnly and charmingly today.

These two dazzling people standing there attracted the attention of many passers-by.

Guli trembled, obviously tired from standing. She looked at her watch and said, "Jiang Le, haven't they arrived yet?"

Jiang Le pursed his lips and looked at the door, then looked down at his phone which hadn't received any messages. He could only say soothingly, "Wait a little longer, he should be coming out soon. If you're cold, go back to the car."

Guli was unhappy when she heard this. "Hey, that won't do. We have to meet our benefactor."

Fortunately, after a while, a group of people poured out from the door one after another. Jiang Le immediately stood up and stretched his neck to look for people.

Jiang Congyue, who was surrounded and protected by several people, walked out. Perhaps he had overestimated the current weather in Taipei City and was wearing a big coat that didn't fit in with the weather.

Guli, with her sharp eyes, immediately recognized the person who often video chatted with Jiang Le. She smiled brightly and waved towards her, "Aunt Jiang, over here!"

Jiang Congyue looked up when he heard the voice and saw Jiang Le at a glance. He was so happy that he quickened his pace.

After they reunited, Guli enthusiastically took Jiang Congyue's arm and said coquettishly: "God knows, Aunt Jiang, you were so stylish just now. I saw you at first sight!"

Jiang Congyue, feeling the compliment, glanced at her with a smile and replied, "Really? I just saw you from a distance and thought you were some big star standing there. But you're actually a iconic beauty."

Guli was so delighted by the praise that she couldn't stop smiling all the way.

Jiang Le took Jiang Congyue around their small studio, and Jiang Congyue thoughtfully brought a small gift for everyone.

After they left, they quietly opened the box. It turned out to be an exquisite pen that didn't look cheap. Someone searched the price and everyone held the pen in their hands and fell into deep thought.

What evil capitalists!

In the evening, Jiang Congyue and his group came to Xinghua Hotel.

"The person you're meeting tonight is the second son of the Lin family in Taipei. You've been here for so long, you should have heard of him." Jiang Congyue whispered to her.

Jiang Le thought for a moment, "I've heard of it, but isn't the Lin family involved in politics? They don't have much in common with us in game development, so I don't know much."

Jiang Congyue was not surprised to hear this answer. He nodded and said with a smile, "Well, but haven't you been trying to attract investors recently? This Second Young Master Lin has nothing else but money and stupidity. If you can trick him and bring him on board, you won't have to worry about subsequent funding."

Now Jiang Le finally understood why Jiang Congyue insisted on her accompanying her tonight. It turned out that this was what she was thinking about.

She glanced at Jiang Congyue, who had regained her composure and looked like a cunning old fox who was secretly doing bad things.

During the conversation, the two walked into the box arm in arm. There were many people in suits sitting inside, all of them talking in low voices with their heads tilted to the side. The one sitting in the middle was the Second Young Master Lin that Jiang Congyue had mentioned.

【boring. 】

Jiang Le glanced at him when she heard the voice. He was not very old, about the same age as her. He was sitting there with a cigarette and a cold expression. The older man next to him whispered something in his ear. He frowned and made an impatient "tsk" sound. The surroundings suddenly became quiet.

He stood up irritably, put out his cigarette, and walked over casually, extending his hand to Jiang Congyue, "Mr. Jiang, nice to meet you."

Jiang Congyue smiled politely and shook hands with him, "Second Master Lin, nice to meet you."

After shaking hands, he sat back down with a cold expression. The older people beside him hurried over, fearing that they would neglect Jiang Congyue. "Mr. Jiang, please come this way. Thank you for coming all the way here. It must be very hard."

The older man attentively led Jiang Congyue and Jiang Le to their seats with a professional smile on his face.

Jiang Congyue sat down gracefully, her eyes glancing at Second Young Master Lin as he relit a cigarette. Her voice was gentle yet carried weight that could not be ignored: "Mr. Li, you're too polite. It's worth the distance to see Second Young Master Lin." She gently patted the back of Jiang Le's hand. "This is my daughter, Jiang Le. I currently run a game development studio in Taipei. I'm young and always want to make my own way."

The Second Young Master Lin—Lin Zhen—raised his eyelids upon hearing this, his gaze lazily falling on Jiang Le. His eyes, like those of an insignificant person, held a condescending, distant air. He blew out a puff of smoke, his voice a little hoarse from the smoke. "Games? Something for kids."

Although his words were blunt, he gave Jiang Le a few more glances. She wore a well-tailored windbreaker. Unlike the other people in the box, who were decked out in jewels, she wore only light makeup. Her eyes were clear yet revealed a calm strength. She didn't seem to be trying to get close to him, but rather to observe him.

Mr. Li glanced at Jiang Congyue, his face stiffening. He quickly tried to smooth things over, "Second Young Master, you're joking. The gaming industry has a bright future right now, and it's a good thing for young people to have ideas. Miss Jiang is obviously a young talent."

Jiang Le wasn't annoyed. Instead, she met Lin Zhen's gaze and curled her lips slightly: "What Young Master Lin said is true. Games are indeed often seen as playthings that lead to loss of ambition. However, if we can turn 'playing' into an industry, make people willingly pay for it, and even carry culture and emotions, then perhaps it's not just something for children." Her voice was calm, neither humble nor arrogant, as if she was stating a simple fact.

Lin Zhen paused as he pinched out his cigarette, seemingly unprepared for her to respond directly, with a gentle rebuttal. He snorted and didn't continue the conversation, turning to Jiang Congyue: "Boss Jiang, tell me straight, what project are you here for this time?"

The banquet unfolded in a delicate atmosphere. Lin Zhen clearly had little patience for polite conversation; for the most part, it was Mr. Li and the others dealing with Jiang Congyue. He occasionally interjected a remark or two, which was precise and sharp, often getting to the heart of the matter in an instant, completely different from his usual frivolous and impetuous demeanor.

Jiang Le ate quietly, occasionally responding to questions from others, but most of the time he was observing.

She noticed that although Lin Zhen's posture was lazy, his eyes flashed with an extremely sharp light when Jiang Congyue introduced a recent overseas cooperation project. He was not like the second-generation rich kid who was "only rich but stupid" as Jiang Congyue said.

In the middle of the conversation, Lin Zhen stood up to answer a phone call. Jiang Congyue took the opportunity to wink at Jiang Le and lowered his voice: "How is it? Doesn't it look easy to fool?"

Jiang Le picked up a tissue and wiped the corner of his mouth, shook his head slightly, and lowered his voice: "Mr. Jiang, you may have made a mistake this time. This second young master is very smart." His impatience and arrogance on the surface were more like a protective color, or in other words, an extreme rejection of ineffective social interaction.

Jiang Congyue raised his eyebrows and smiled meaningfully.

After a while, Jiang Le also got up and went to the bathroom. As soon as she came out of the bathroom, she saw Lin Zhen at the corner of the corridor. He was leaning against the wall, as if waiting for her, with a half-burned cigarette between his fingers.

"Miss Jiang," he said. In the wisps of smoke, his eyes were much more direct, less indifferent than they had been in the private room. "What's the main focus of your studio?"

Jiang Le paused, knowing the main topic was coming. She briefly introduced an immersive narrative puzzle game the studio was developing, emphasizing its unique art style and the emotional core it sought to convey.

Lin Zhen listened quietly without interrupting. He flicked the ash from his cigarette until she finished speaking. "It doesn't sound like it's very profitable."

"In the short term, it's true that the returns aren't as fast as those from pay-to-win mobile games. But we want to make something that can leave a mark, not just something for quick consumption," Jiang Le said frankly.

"Idealism," Lin Zhen commented, his tone unclear. He was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly asked, "Have you seen 'The Wasteland'?"

Jiang Le was stunned for a moment, then nodded: "TS Elliott? Have you seen it?"

"The poem says, 'We are hollow people...with our heads stuffed with straw.'" He took a drag on his cigarette and exhaled slowly. "Do you think the game you make is about stuffing more straw in there, or about encouraging people to try to fill it with something else?"

This question completely caught Jiang Le off guard. It was pointed and profound, not at all something someone "only rich and stupid" would ask. She thought for a moment and replied, "I can't say we can fill it with anything substantial, but at least we want to try to tap into that hollowness and hear the response. Perhaps it will help someone realize that perhaps they might not be completely hollow."

Lin Zhen stared at her for a long time. His eyes, always filled with impatience, now held something complex and difficult to discern. He finally stubbed out his cigarette in the trash can beside him.

"Tell your assistant to send me the project plan and demo later." After he said that, he turned around and walked back, as if the conversation just now was just a casual conversation.

Jiang Le looked at his back, slightly distracted.

After returning to the box, Lin Zhen seemed to have returned to his bored look, but until the end of the banquet, he did not make any disparaging remarks about the gaming industry.

When saying goodbye, Mr. Li and the others warmly escorted Jiang Congyue and her daughter to the hotel entrance. Lin Zhen walked last, and the driver had already driven the car over.

Before getting in the car, he paused, looked back at Jiang Le, and said in a flat tone, "Don't be too slow in sending the plan. I have a bad memory."

The car merged into the traffic flow and its taillights quickly disappeared into the night.

Jiang Congyue gathered her shawl and asked Jiang Le with a smile, "How is it?"

Jiang Le looked in the direction the car left, exhaled slowly, and a subtle arc curved the corners of his mouth: "Boss Jiang, are you kidding me? Did you already know that he was not simple?"

Jiang Congyue just smiled without saying a word, his eyes showing the calmness that everything was under control.

The evening breeze blew by, bringing with it the unique coolness and bustle of Taipei's nighttime. Jiang Le suddenly felt that this "trick" might turn out to be quite interesting. The seemingly frivolous Lin Second Young Master was no ordinary man.

If it was a competitor, it might be really difficult to deal with, but fortunately she was just trying to attract investment. Success would be icing on the cake, and failure would not be a big loss.

When she was lost in thought, Jiang Congyue's few small coughs brought her back to her senses.

"Why are you coughing again?" Jiang Le frowned. They had only met for one day, but even though Jiang Congyue tried his best to hide it, she still heard it so many times.

At this moment, they were still waiting for the car to arrive in the windy vent. She simply took off her windbreaker and wrapped Jiang Congyue tightly. Only after ensuring that it was airtight did her face look better.

Jiang Congyue was amused by her actions. "You are wearing so little yourself, and you are giving it to me. You are almost wrapping me up like a dumpling. It's so ugly."

"Stop talking so much nonsense, just keep it warm." Jiang Le muttered softly.

——

Jiang Congyue:32