Rebirth and Conquest

"Enchanted" is a small bar in B City. Since it was only five or six in the afternoon, there were only a few people scattered inside. On a sofa at the back, a man was sitting, holding a glass of wine in his hand, leisurely sipping it. He must have been waiting for someone, who had been there for quite a while.

When Chen Yan entered, she glanced around and then walked towards the sofa set.

"Mr. He, what brings you here?" Chen Yan greeted He Yichen politely and sat down next to him.

"Nothing much, I've been busy for so long, so I wanted to invite you out for a break, boss." He Yichen sat up straight, a somewhat nonchalant smile on his face, then snapped his fingers, "r".

The waiter came over: "Sir, what would you like to order?"

He Yichen gestured with his chin towards Chen Yan, "Is this the gentleman?"

The waiter then turned to look at Chen Yan.

"A drink will do, please," Chen Yan said to the waiter, then looked at He Yichen with a smile and said, "It's good to take a break. How are things going at the company?"

"Don't worry, boss, everything is proceeding smoothly, and Director Fu's film shooting is also going well." He paused for a moment, "Because we're using mostly newcomers, I'm thinking of waiting until the film is finished to see if we can pick out a few, sign them, and train them."

The waiter came over, placed the drink in front of Chen Yan, and then left.

"Signing artists is possible, but we're just starting out and lack experience in all aspects. Are you confident you can make the signed artists successful? And will they be able to generate revenue for the company in the future?"

“Well, everything has its risks, don’t you think?” He Yichen smiled and looked at Chen Yan. “However, I think Director Fu has a good eye for people. We can listen to his opinion when the time comes.”

“Yes, Mr. Fu has been in the entertainment industry for decades, so he must have a good eye for people.” Chen Yan nodded.

"Boss, I finally managed to get out of here. Can we put aside work for now? I've been with the company for a few months now, and I've never had a proper chat with you before."

"What would you like to talk about, Mr. He?"

He Yichen glanced around the bar and asked, "What does the owner think of this bar?"

"Not bad, quite stylish."

“I want to buy it. Since our company is located in City B, I can come here to relax when I’m busy and tired. Oh, by the way, boss, don’t worry, I bought it with my own savings.”

Chen Yan smiled and said nonchalantly, "This is Mr. He's own business, I have no objection."

He Yichen smiled, and after a while, he suddenly asked, "Boss, may I ask you a question?"

"Mr. He, please speak."

"Is the boss always this polite to everyone? Although you've always been a gentleman, I never thought you were that kind of person." He Yichen looked at Chen Yan and smiled in a somewhat ambiguous way. "Actually, my senior brother is a bit old-fashioned. He likes the boss's respectful treatment of him, but I'm different from him. The boss doesn't need to use the same tactics on me."

Chen Yan smiled and asked, "Then I'd also like to ask Mr. He a question. Why would someone as capable as Mr. He be willing to work for me in my company?"

"Me? I like to do things freely and don't want to be my own boss. That would mean having to consider everything and managing the whole situation, which is exhausting. I just want to play around in the business world as I please. But then I need a 'big tree' to rely on. Of course, you're not quite there yet, but I will help you become that towering tree."

"I didn't expect Mr. He to think so highly of me."

He Yichen's smile faded as he looked at Chen Yan. "Since I invited you out today, boss, I wanted to open up and express my stance. I can see that you are ambitious and have the courage. More importantly, you are very young. If you can personally help someone reach the pinnacle of their career and help them stand in a high position, that would be a very interesting thing, wouldn't it?"

“Alright.” Chen Yan also adopted a serious expression. “Since Mr. He has made his stance clear, I will certainly reciprocate in kind. However, Mr. He is right, but what can you do for me?”

"Well, the business world is like a battlefield. There are times when you have to resort to special means to achieve certain goals. When my senior brother was kicked out of Yan's Group, it wasn't because he lacked ability, but because his methods were inferior. However, I'm different. I prefer to be the bad guy. I can stop at nothing to achieve my goals. If there's anything that the boss can't do openly, and my senior brother and the others can't do it, I'm more than willing to do it for the boss."

After He Yichen finished speaking, he smiled at Chen Yan, but Chen Yan fell silent and did not speak, as if she was thinking about something.

"Oh, right, I also made an appointment with someone today. He should be here soon." He Yichen added with a smile, "This is kind of a welcome gift for the boss after I joined the company. Oh, he's here." He Yichen said, looking towards the door.

"Yi Chen, you're here so early." Following He Yi Chen's gaze, a man in his early twenties walked in through the door, calling out to He Yi Chen in a very intimate tone. However, when he reached Chen Yan and saw her, his smile vanished. "What are you doing here?"

"What, you two know each other?" He Yichen asked.

"Young Master Yan, how could I not know him?" The newcomer's disdainful tone puzzled He Yichen. He looked at Chen Yan, but Chen Yan only had a calm expression, as if he had no intention of saying anything. He Yichen had no choice but to pull the newcomer's hand down and asked with a smile, "Alright, has the person you were going to introduce to me arrived?"

"Not yet, but I arrived first, and he will be here shortly after."

"Then go out and see if they've arrived yet."

"What, are you trying to get rid of me?" The newcomer sneered, asking in a sour tone, "You haven't gotten involved with him, have you?"

"Are you questioning me?" He Yichen's face immediately turned cold. "I'm discussing work matters. Are you going to start making a scene like this the moment you arrive?"

"I, I didn't." The man's momentum immediately deflated. "I just, I just... never mind, forget I said anything."

"Then go check the door for me, okay? I'll talk to him for a bit and then come find you." He Yichen said this perfunctorily, and the person left somewhat resentfully.

After the person left, He Yichen looked at Chen Yan and asked, "Do you know each other?"

"We've met a few times," Chen Yan said casually. This person's name was Hua Fengyu, one of the guys who often followed Yan Haobo. He had caused Chen Yan a lot of trouble back then. Hua Fengyu's family owned an entertainment company. Although it couldn't compare to a leading company like Xi Yichen's, it was still quite well-known.

"Are you trying to win him over and learn some experience from his family?" Chen Yan asked.

“That’s too much trouble.” He Yichen curled the corner of his mouth. “I’ve done my research. Although their company’s artists aren’t that great, their production and publicity teams are very professional. We’re lacking talent in that area right now, so I’m planning to poach them all?”

"This idea sounds great. Can you tell me how you know him? And how confident are you in poaching him?"

"We met in this bar. Don't you think this place is perfect for love at first sight? I've only slept with him a few times, but I never expected him to be so devoted to me. Maybe I'm just too good in bed, haha. Don't worry, boss, he'll help me."

Chen Yan didn't say anything, but simply asked, "Do you like men?"

"Don't say that. I only did it for the company. It was just for fun." He Yichen said in a carefree manner. "I heard that this Young Master Hua used to be a typical playboy. He used to mess around with innocent young men. Boss, what I did can be considered doing what is right."

Chen Yan didn't reply. It was clear that Hua Fengyu really cared about He Yichen. Hua Fengyu was usually a very arrogant and domineering person, but now that he saw He Yichen, he was actually tamed and obedient. Chen Yan shook her head in her heart and stood up from her seat: "Then Mr. He can talk to them. I'll go first. I estimate that they will arrive soon."

"Okay, I definitely won't let you down, boss."

It was already very late when Chen Yan returned to her dormitory.

Wen Mu was still awake, sitting on the bed with a coat on, waiting. When Chen Yan came in, he immediately stood up and asked her if she was hungry. He had bought food for her and was saving it.

Since returning to school, Wen Mu's wifely tendencies have become increasingly apparent. Chen Yan sometimes can't help but secretly think that if there were pots and pans in the dormitory, Wen Mu would definitely cook for himself.

"I'm not hungry. If I go out in the future, don't wait for me. Just go to sleep." Chen Yan ruffled Wen Mu's hair and gave him a gentle instruction. Since starting university, perhaps because she was learning kung fu, Chen Yan's height had increased rapidly. She had grown from being shorter than Wen Mu at the beginning to being taller than him now.

"Okay, I understand." Wen Mu nodded, his face involuntarily turning red.

One month later, Chen Yan was reading in the library when Wen Mu walked over. He put his hands behind his back, looking rather mysterious, and sat down next to Chen Yan.

"What's wrong?" Chen Yan turned her head. "What are you holding in your hand?"

Wen Mu looked at Chen Yan, suppressing a laugh, and then took out a magazine from behind him: "Let me show you something."

Chen Yan took the magazine and opened it. His eyes widened in surprise. It was a still from a movie, the very crime thriller Chen Yan had starred in. The movie had just been released yesterday, and unsurprisingly, it had achieved great success. The still was of Chen Yan being rescued by Liang Sijie. Liang Sijie was holding Chen Yan in his arms, his hands were handcuffed, his face looked miserable and frightened, and his eyes seemed to be filled with tears, clear and bright. He was looking up at Liang Sijie, his on-screen father, who was also his father in the movie.

"I really didn't expect you to make that kind of expression." Wen Mu couldn't help but laugh, saying mischievously, "You look so pitiful, it makes one feel so sorry for you."

"It's just a movie." Chen Yan put the magazine on the table and picked up the book to read again, not caring much.

"Hey, when did you start making a movie? I had no idea. You're not thinking of becoming a star, are you?"

"During my vacation, I filled in for someone else. Do you think I could become a star with this appearance?"

Wen Mu looked Chen Yan up and down, then nodded and commented, "I think it's good. You're so handsome, you'd definitely be famous if you became a star, haha."

...