Zhang Yichen dialed the number, quickly explained the situation to Chen Xiaoxi, then handed the phone to Li Yue.
"Hello?" Her fingers trembled as she held the phone, her breathing shallow and uneven.
She pressed it to her ear, but her throat tightened as if something were blocking her words. For a long moment, she couldn't speak.
On the other end, there was a faint silence before a familiar, gentle voice finally came through:
"Yue?"
That single word was like a key, unlocking memories buried for far too long.
Tears welled up in Li Yue's eyes, spilling uncontrollably. Her lips quivered, and her voice came out hoarse, choked with emotion.
"Xixi… is it really you?"
"It's me." Chen Xiaoxi's voice was soft, calm, carrying a trace of fatigue yet also relief. "It's been a long time."
"Where are you?" Li Yue's voice shot up, urgent and desperate. "Why did you disappear for so long? Why didn't you contact me? Do you know how hard I've been searching for you?"
"I'm sorry." Another pause. Then Chen Xiaoxi's voice lowered. "Yue, there were things I had to face alone. I didn't want you to worry."
"Worry?" Li Yue's voice trembled with both anger and heartbreak. "You knew I'd worry, and you still vanished? Do you know how terrified I was?"
"I know I was wrong," Chen Xiaoxi admitted with a sigh. "But I'm doing better now. I'm preparing for my comeback. Things are slowly improving."
Li Yue's emotions eased slightly, though her tone was still thick with suppressed excitement.
"Where are you? I want to see you right now."
"Yue…" Chen Xiaoxi hesitated. "First, help Zhang Yichen with his situation. After that, let him bring you to me. Then we can truly catch up."
Unwilling but resigned, Li Yue hung up and turned back to Zhang Yichen.
"Other than the gym, what else do you want?"
"Teacher, I want to apply for entrepreneurial support. So, first—can the gym be free? And second, can I borrow the school's servers for six months? In return, I'll recruit one hundred students at the grand opening, three hundred a month later, and at least five hundred every year after that."
He laid out his requests swiftly.
"You're unbelievable! Do you think you can scam the school like this?" Li Yue shot him a sharp smile.
The school produced over two thousand graduates every year. His proposal would only absorb about a fifth of that number. To others, the deal might sound generous. But Li Yue saw the hidden traps immediately.
He wasn't promising real jobs. Why would he need so many random graduates? Of course—it was for his internet celebrity training project. And with influencers, whether it was five hundred or fifty thousand, there was always room for more.
"Heh…" Zhang Yichen laughed awkwardly. He knew she had seen through him, but he still tried to argue. "Teacher, you're overthinking this."
"How about this—I'll invest hundred million ron and take thirty percent of your company. All your requests? I'll cover them."
"Thirty percent? In broad daylight, are you dreaming?" His respectful-student act shattered instantly.
And it wasn't without reason. His company's future valuation was at least a hundred billion. Thirty percent for just hundred million? Ridiculous.
"Twenty-eight percent!"
"No!"
"Twenty-six!"
"No!"
"Twenty-four!"
"No!"
The two locked into a fierce tug-of-war.
"This won't do, that won't do. Then what will?"
"Nothing will!"
"Oh come on, Boss Zhang, just say yes!"
"Teacher, please don't do this!"
"Yi~chen~~~"
"Stop, stop, stop! For Chen Xiaoxi's sake—and because you donated land to the orphanage—I'll give you one percent. Any more and it's off the table!"
Zhang Yichen's head spun from her relentless nagging.
"One percent? Are you saying your company's worth ten billion?"
"A ten billion? You underestimate me. My company's worth a hundred billion!"
"Impossible! Once your app launches, capital will be lining up within a month."
"Beauty filters, AR tech, karaoke—all patented by me. Without my authorization, no one can touch it."
"Capital is ruthless. You're not afraid they'll target you once you go public?"
"Go public? I don't need funds—why would I list?"
"For money, they'll stop at nothing. Aren't you afraid?"
"Afraid? Of what? If they kill me, they gain nothing."
"And antitrust? You're not afraid of the law?"
"I'll never break the law. In three years, I'll release the patents for public use."
"And after three years? You're not afraid of competition then?""I'm confident I'll make my trillion by then. At that point, the market will dance to my tune."
"You… you're impossible!"
"Because I'm confident!"
"You—ugh! You'll drive me insane!"
Their arguments clashed like blades, but in the end, Zhang Yichen stood his ground.
Li Yue, frustrated and breathless, finally conceded.
"Fine. Ten percent. That's my bottom line."
"Hundred million for ten percent of a hundred's of billion-ron company? Keep dreaming." He didn't spare her any face.
"Boss Zhang, Saint Zhang, Supreme Leader, please take pity and give me a little more." She clung to his arm shamelessly, like a beggar.
"Cough, cough…" Zhang Yichen nearly choked. He couldn't take her persistence anymore. "Teacher, I can give you ten percent… but—"
"But what?" Her eyes lit up instantly. Her fingers clutched his sleeve like a drowning person grabbing a lifeline.
"But you have to agree to one condition." His gaze deepened, helplessness and amusement flickering within.
"Fine! As long as I get ten percent, I'll accept any condition—even ten!" she blurted out, her eyes burning straight through him.
"It's simple." He gently pushed her hand away, his voice steady. "You'll be the CEO of my company."
"What?" She froze, staring at him in disbelief. "You want me to be CEO? You're not joking?"
"Do I look like I'm joking?" His tone was serious. "You were born for this. Your instinct for investment is unmatched. That's why I want you as CEO."
Her shock slowly shifted into contemplation. She lowered her hand, frowning, clearly weighing the idea.
After a long silence, she lifted her head, her gaze steady. "Fine. I'll do it. But…"
"But what?" He cut in smoothly. "State your terms now."
"From now on, every investment you make, I want in." Her voice was firm, uncompromising.
Zhang Yichen chuckled, low and amused. "So you've decided to milk just one sheep dry?"
"Not allowed?" she shot back, crossing her arms, stubborn as ever.
"Allowed. I give up—you win." He agreed helplessly.
After all, Li Yue was a reliable partner. Letting her earn a little more was nothing.
Besides, it was his way of repaying her for donating that orphanage land.