Chapter 51: Opening His Mouth to Give Away Ten Billion

The air in the Concert Hall seemed to freeze for a moment.

Qin Feng's remark, "It depends on my mood," carried an almost arrogant casualness that completely caught Ye Lingyun off guard. He had anticipated all manner of reactions from Qin Feng—caution, probing, even subtle hostility—but never this utter disregard, this dismissal as if Ye Lingyun were not even a worthy equal.

Xia Yunge held her breath; she knew the depth of Ye Lingyun's pride and feared the two would clash at any moment.

Yet Ye Lingyun was no fool like Han Minghao. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes, then he smiled—but the smile had lost its laziness and gained a measure of seriousness.

"Mr. Qin truly speaks plainly." He abandoned the topic of the concert, his tone shifting like a sword drawn from its sheath, "I hear Mr. Qin has encountered a minor setback in the Deep Sea exploration sector?"

Qin Feng raised an eyebrow, glancing at him, and remained silent, waiting for more.

"'Neptune Investment.'" Ye Lingyun uttered those four words, his gaze locked on Qin Feng, "They snatched 'Deep Blue Exploration' right out from under you."

"A clown," Qin Feng replied coldly.

"But even clowns may have strings pulling them." Ye Lingyun stepped forward, his posture no longer slouched but straight and imposing, "Mr. Qin, do you know the ultimate beneficiary of 'Neptune Investment' has ties to an old acquaintance of my father's—someone who parted ways with him years ago? That man now operates overseas, wielding considerable influence, especially regarding what lies beneath the Deep Sea."

His words carried immense weight: they revealed partial background on 'Neptune Investment,' subtly implying the obstruction against Qin Feng was not mere business rivalry, but tied to some secret beneath the Deep Sea—likely connected to 'Guan Zhou'! He also distanced his Ye Family from the opponent, explicitly calling the man a "former ally who broke ties," his intent deeply ambiguous.

Xia Yunge listened, bewildered, yet she sensed the conversation had entered a realm far beyond her reach.

"So?" Qin Feng finally spoke, still just two simple words.

Ye Lingyun leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice into a seductive, irresistible tone, laced with unshakable confidence: "Mr. Qin is a man of grand ambitions. Building your own fleet is indeed awe-inspiring, but time waits for no one, and variables abound. Why waste vast sums and years starting from scratch? Why not… collaborate?"

"Collaborate?" Qin Feng seemed to take a slight interest.

"Precisely." Ye Lingyun straightened, regaining his air of effortless control, "My Ye Family can mobilize all our resources to clear most obstacles for you—policy, resources, even technology. We possess the nation's finest ship design and manufacturing channels, some of which even Miss Tang Rou cannot access. We can get you not just one, but multiple world-class research vessels and deep-sea submersibles—in the shortest possible time!"

The terms he offered were enough to drive any entrepreneur desperate to enter the Deep Sea field into frenzy.

"Terms," Qin Feng said succinctly.

Ye Lingyun took a deep breath and revealed his true objective: "My Ye Family wants a ten percent stake in your Galaxy Technology. And for all Deep Sea discoveries, we demand first right of notification and joint development rights."

The mask fell away!

He wasn't interested in Deep Sea exploration itself—he wanted Qin Feng's most core asset: the Galaxy Chip! And the earth-shattering secrets beneath the Deep Sea, possibly linked to 'Guan Zhou'! He sought to trade resources and channels for a ticket into Qin Feng's inner circle—and a share of the spoils.

Xia Yunge covered her mouth, stunned by Ye Lingyun's sudden, high-stakes proposal—and tense for Qin Feng. The Ye Family's offer sounded generous, but what they demanded was one of the very lifelines of Qin Feng's empire.

The study fell silent, broken only by the faint wind outside the window.

Su Wenqian and Tang Rou, who had appeared at the door without notice, both held their breath, waiting for Qin Feng's decision.

Under everyone's gaze, Qin Feng slowly stood. He walked to the Steinway piano, idly pressed a key, and a clear, solitary note rang out, echoing through the silent Concert Hall.

Then he turned, his gaze calm as it settled on Ye Lingyun's face—filled with confidence and anticipation—and spoke slowly, his voice quiet yet exploding like thunder in every ear:

"Ten billion."

Ye Lingyun's smile froze: "... What?"

"In U. S. dollars." Qin Feng added, his tone as casual as if mentioning a thousand yuan, "Inject it into Qin Feng Venture Capital, and I'll give you the right to co-invest in certain non-core future projects. No dividends, no equity—only priority investment rights."

He paused, watching Ye Lingyun's pupils contract, then repeated the man's own words, but with an entirely different meaning:

"This… is the cooperation opportunity I offer you."

He was offering ten billion U. S. dollars in investment capacity—for nothing more than a "priority investment right"? And it didn't even touch the core of Galaxy Technology?

This wasn't collaboration. It was more like… a donation. Or a condescending pass to enter his circle.

Ye Lingyun's composure and confidence vanished, replaced by utter shock and disbelief. The Ye Family was powerful, yes—but ten billion U. S. dollars in cash flow? That was astronomical! And yet this man tossed it out so casually, merely to exclude him from the core gains?

He stared fixedly at Qin Feng, searching for any trace of jest or bluff—but saw only an unfathomable calm.

Xia Yunge was utterly stunned, her mind blank.

Su Wenqian and Tang Rou exchanged glances, both seeing the same awe—and a quiet, unspoken pride—in each other's eyes.

This was the man they followed! Treating ten billion in capital as nothing, casually crushing the pride and schemes of the elite scion before him!

Ye Lingyun's throat moved, but he found himself speechless. His carefully prepared bargaining chips, before Qin Feng's absolute power, seemed laughable and utterly worthless.

Qin Feng no longer looked at him. He turned to Su Wenqian and said, "Show him out."

Then he turned back, his fingers returning to the keys, and a vast, majestic melody flowed forth—as if painting the boundless starry sea and the deep-blue mysteries within his heart.

Ye Lingyun stood frozen, his expression shifting wildly. Finally, he cast one long, deep look at Qin Feng's back, said nothing, and turned to leave with long, heavy strides. But his silhouette, now, lacked the earlier ease—and carried instead a heavier burden… and a faint, almost invisible shame.

For the first time, he truly understood: this man named Qin Feng was unlike any opponent he had ever known.