Mr. Shen escorted Ziyu to the 28th floor, where the board meeting was being held. In the time since he'd stormed out, He Qinglu had ordered the room cleaned, the files reordered, and Mr. Wu taken to the ER—under "supervision."
The meeting space now looked pristine again. Polished, orderly. But the people? Still on edge. The tension had not been scrubbed away from the earlier incident.
Shareholders sat upright, alert, heads low. Their eyes darted to the door as the father-daughter duo entered. Behind them followed Mr. Lu, He Qinglu, and Lin Rui—walking slower, more cautiously.
As they approached the board table, Lin Rui leaned over and whispered to Mr. Lu, "Is that really the same Mr. Shen from earlier?"
Mr. Lu didn't respond immediately. Instead, he tapped Lin Rui's shoulder, and pointed toward the presentation spot at the other end of the table.
"Get your work done so we can leave," he said flatly.
Mr. Shen pulled out his own seat for Ziyu. She paused.
"Dad, you're doing too much," she said with a soft frown, standing beside the now empty spot. "Qinglu, could you get me a chair?"
She gently set the lunchbox on the table, but as she did, she caught a faint, unmistakable scent.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
'Blood?'
Though the room appeared polished, Ziyu knew how her father operated. Everything on the surface might be pristine—but even crime scenes always left evidence.
Her eyes flicked around the room. Everything looked in place, but her father's watch lay on the table. His sleeves were still rolled up, and his files were closed. One shareholder's seat was empty, though his documents remained.
'His files are here. So he attended. Then where is he now?'
She caught her father's eye. He smiled, faintly.
"I didn't do anything," he murmured under his breath.
'So he definitely did something', she thought, her palms hitting her forehead. Judging by the signs, the missing shareholder had probably left in one piece—but not unharmed.
He Qinglu returned with a new swivel chair. Mr. Shen immediately began rambling.
"You know, Yu'er, those chairs aren't comfortable. I had one specially ordered for you, but it broke. Just use mine."
He nudged his chair toward her, again.
She calmly pushed it back and took the new one from He Qinglu. Mr. Shen sighed, defeated. He wouldn't dare argue with her—he never did. Everyone in the room was quietly stunned. The great Mr. Shen—intimidating, relentless—was now reduced to a nervous parent in front of his daughter.
"Good afternoon, distinguished guests and shareholders of Shenlong Group," Ziyu greeted, her voice clear and elegant. "My name is Shen Ziyu. I look forward to today's meeting."
Polite applause followed as she took her seat. Mr. Shen followed, finally opening the day's agenda again
The meeting, which had been scheduled for two hours, had just finally began. It was past noon now—and nowhere near finished not even started.
Lin Rui stepped forward, adjusting his collar nervously. He pulled up the slides for his presentation.
"Thank you, everyone. Today, I'll be presenting on behalf of Luchen Tech about our upcoming product: IR Drones—short for Interactive Reality Drones."
He clicked to the next slide.
"These drones are the next phase in the evolution of interactive entertainment. While drones were originally created for military reconnaissance and dangerous fieldwork, we're repurposing the core tech into something safer, smarter, and more user-friendly."
He paced slowly as he explained.
"The problem with drones in entertainment today is control. Users must keep visual contact with the drone in the sky, causing neck strain and disorientation. It's awkward—and limits performance."
Another slide appeared: a sleek headset design.
"Our solution is a visual headset. Users will be able to pilot drones directly from a first-person view—like they're flying. The headset offers real-time visual feedback, eliminating the need to constantly look up."
He clicked again.
"We're also developing dual-vision capabilities. One vision from the drone's camera, and another that gives a wide-area perspective. This means better navigation, improved video recording, and a dramatically enhanced user experience."
He turned back to the table.
"We're seeking Shenlong Group's support in manufacturing, while we secure beta testers from top entertainment brands."
He bowed slightly. "Thank you."
More applause followed.
"Any questions?" Lin Rui asked.
Ziyu raised her hand.
"I do," she said, sitting back slightly in her chair. "I think the idea is fascinating, and it got me thinking. Couldn't these drones also be used for security purposes?"
The room quieted a little.
Ziyu continued, "Let's say there's a suspect in a crowd. From the ground, facial recognition becomes difficult. Angles are blocked. Heads are everywhere. But from above… the situation changes. Facial ID, movement tracking—it's all cleaner."
She looked directly at Mr. Lu with a half-smile.
"I assume you're not planning to sell these to the government, right?"
Mr. Lu chuckled and nodded. "Correct."
"Good," she said, then turned her eyes to Mr. Shen. "In that case, Shenlong Group has no problem supporting such an interesting project. Right, Dad?"
Mr. Shen didn't even glance at the shareholders. "Right."
"Perfect," Ziyu said with a satisfied nod. "Then I suppose the meeting is over. Thank you for your time everyone. Until our next meeting."
She didn't wait for consensus. She stood, smoothing her dress. The shareholders blinked, startled—but quickly began collecting their files and rising.
"Mrs. Lu, stay behind," Mr. Shen said casually. "Qinglu, sort out Meiling."
As the shareholders exited, many paused to greet Ziyu.
"Young Mistress, welcome back."
"You carried the meeting so gracefully."
Though she looked like a pampered daughter, Ziyu carried herself like a quiet storm. She wasn't loud, and she didn't demand attention—but it came to her all the same.
Respect came naturally. Fear, too, when necessary.
She circled to the other side of the table and offered her hand to Mr. Lu.
"It's good to finally meet you."
Mr. Lu smiled as they shook hands.
She turned to Lin Rui. "Great presentation.
He looked stunned but pleased. "Thank you."
Ziyu reached for the document in front of Mr. Shen, scanning its contents quickly. Mr. Shen began discussing plans with Mrs. Li, so she didn't hesitate to take over.
She spoke as she read.
"Since we're not a tech company, I trust you'll provide your own team to guide the manufacturing process. As with our past collaborations, Shenlong will handle full investment and support. We expect a sixty-forty split on profits—forty to us, of course."
She handed the document and a pen to Mr. Lu. "Please sign once you've reviewed everything."
Mr. Shen leaned back. "You're really in a hurry today". He asked after he finished his discussion with Mrs. Li.
Ziyu looked up from the papers and turned to him. "Didn't you say the meeting was scheduled for 9:15?"
She looked at Lin Rui, who nodded nervously.
"And yet, you left the house at 8:50. You got here nearly at 9:30. The meeting could've progressed normally from there—but something happened. The room was anxious, a person was missing, and judging by that atmosphere, you possibly lashed out at someone. Now look, the food I brought is now cold."
Mr. Shen rolled his chair backward, avoiding her gaze like a scolded student.
Lin Rui tried to stifle a laugh. 'A powerful CEO but always folds under his daughter'.
Mr. Lu couldn't hold his amusement. "I wish my son could talk to me like that."
He signed the contract and passed it back to Ziyu. She took it and, with a practiced motion, handed it to her father alongside the lunchbox she held.
"Thank you for the meeting," she said, shaking Mr. Lu's hand.
"See you at next month's meeting", Mr. Lu said politely.
Ziyu smiled knowingly. "Oh, we'll be seeing each other much sooner than that."
Mr. Lu paused, confused. But he didn't ask. He nodded and exited with Lin Rui.
As they disappeared down the hallway, Ziyu turned back to her father.
"Let's eat in your office," she said, her tone light again.
Mr. Shen nodded, grateful for the change of subject—and possibly, for being spared.