Chapter 549

Looking at the system information appearing before him, Tang Song was stunned for a moment.

Good heavens! All 5 of the game characters he had already unlocked were going to attend the birthday party?!

Then, he suddenly remembered.

Wu Kezhi had indeed sent him a message some time ago, wanting to have an in-depth communication with him regarding the upcoming layout of Jingwu Capital, and had agreed to arrive in Yancheng this weekend.

Zheng Qiudong had also mentioned that the preliminary integration of Deju Renhe's acquisition of SCG was complete, and there were many results he wanted to report to him.

Mo Xiangwan had mentioned a long time ago that some of Tang Zong Entertainment's event warm-ups would be launched here in Yancheng.

It was just that he never expected that even Annie would secretly run off to Yancheng!

Given the personality of that "tall foreign mare," the fact that she didn't come looking for him immediately was in itself abnormal.

She must have been preparing some tricks behind his back.

"Hoo—" Tang Song let out a long breath, feeling his scalp tingle.

If it weren't for the blessing of this [Tang Song's Reflection] dungeon, he might really not be able to handle it.

Because in the eyes of these people, he was always mysterious, powerful, and seemingly incapable of making mistakes.

It would be fine to deal with one or two of them individually, but facing five at once, each with different thoughts and different goals, was another matter.

Plus, with the increasing number of permissions he had unlocked, he could no longer pretend to be profound or vague about many topics as he had in the past; he had to provide clear responses and decisions.

Mo Xiangwan and Luo Bin were fine; after all, they were early characters, and the fields and businesses involved were things he could fully handle at present.

But the other three, especially Annie and Zheng Qiudong, would definitely notice something wrong.

If he wasn't careful, his "persona would collapse" on the spot.

Fortunately, he had obtained the item [Tang Song's Reflection] just before starting.

Originally, he thought this was just an ordinary birthday party for Xiao Jing, and at most, he would just face Xiao Jing's parents and friends and show off their affection.

He didn't expect that, by some twist of fate, it would evolve into an informal internal gathering.

However, this could also be considered a great surprise born from a twist of fate.

The item was triggered directly, and clearing the dungeon would provide a [Charisma] boost reward.

Tang Song took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

He clicked on the chat box with Xiao Jing and replied: "Don't worry, I definitely won't be late. I've also prepared a birthday surprise for you, waiting for you to open it yourself."

After replying to the message, he casually opened Xiaohongshu.

The first thing that caught his eye was the striking follower count on his personal profile—100,000.

He clicked on his profile to check the recent note data; the most popular one was the celebration note for the [HEYISTUDIO] brand's debut.

Now, the likes had reached nearly 20,000.

Thinking about it, it wasn't actually strange.

An "ordinary person" who listened to advice and transformed on Xiaohongshu suddenly said he wanted to do "brand cultivation" after completing his transformation.

Everyone initially watched it for fun and participated enthusiastically, choosing the logo and the packaging, effectively becoming "cloud shareholders" of the project.

Although the process was very interesting, most people didn't actually think this seemingly grassroots brand could really succeed.

But the "hacked" Tang Song led this large group of "cloud shareholders" first with the appearance of the big influencer "He Yiyi," and then the windbreaker series became an overnight hit—from "cultivation style" to "witnessing a miracle."

This move truly shocked everyone who had been following him.

Next, Tang Song opened Douyin; follower count: 531,000.

Recently, his updates had been quite diligent, and his follower growth had been much faster than before.

That Vlog recording his trip to Xiangjiang was considered his most popular video recently, with over 80,000 likes and over 6 million views.

Since the [Charisma Manifestation] task could reward him with [Charisma +1], Tang Song was still very attentive to it.

Now that the 100,000-follower goal on Xiaohongshu had been achieved, the 1-million-follower goal on Douyin was also within reach.

Next, it was time to operate the accounts with care and appropriately add some new, more personally charismatic elements.

He planned out his upcoming video content before putting down his phone.

He turned and went to the balcony of his study, picking up the drawing board and pencil next to him.

"Shh, shh, shh—"

The sound of charcoal rubbing softly against the drawing paper arose.

Soon, a pure and cute face gradually emerged on the paper.

An oval face, a high ponytail, straight bangs, a clean school uniform...

After Xiao Jing's birthday party ended, it would soon be Bai Yueguang's birthday.

He wanted to prepare a special gift for her.

3:00 PM.

Lanfeng International Hotel, 29th floor, Executive Lounge.

The afternoon sunlight passed through the huge glass curtain wall, casting bright and warm light spots on the carpet.

In the private lounge area at the end of the corridor, Wu Kezhi leaned against the comfortable sofa armrest, his gaze fixed on the city skyline outside the window, which had been dyed gold by the autumn sun, wondering what he was thinking about.

"Tap, tap, tap—"

Footsteps approached from afar.

"Brother Wu."

"Mr. Wu."

Two figures walked over, one after the other.

Zheng Qiudong was not in his usual suit and leather shoes; instead, he had changed into a high-quality cashmere casual outfit, restraining the sharpness he usually displayed in the business world.

He appeared exceptionally relaxed and refined.

Mo Xiangwan was wearing an elegant and capable evening suit.

A black high-waisted, slit, hip-hugging skirt outlined her long, straight legs as she walked.

Her makeup was elegant yet exquisite, and her deep, spirited eyes were shining.

"Qiu, Xiangwan, sit." Wu Kezhi stood up and nodded to them.

The three of them sat down in the lounge area in turn.

Zheng Qiudong steadily poured a cup of Pu'er tea for each of them and spoke first.

His tone carried a hint of teasing: "I wonder what our dear Mr. Tang is doing right now? What kind of expression will he have when he sees us 'uninvited guests' at the banquet later?"

Mo Xiangwan elegantly sipped her tea, the corners of her lips curling into an arc, "Perhaps he's accompanying some confidante; he's a very busy man now."

Zheng Qiudong couldn't help but chuckle, "Indeed very busy: Xiangjiang, Yangcheng, live streaming, birthday party."

Hearing their conversation, Wu Kezhi frowned slightly, "It's better not to discuss Mr. Tang's private life too much; that's not what we should be doing."

Although he had heard that Tang Song had undergone great changes and was now more humane,

as a confidant cultivated by Tang Song himself, that awe deeply ingrained in his bones had long since left its mark.

In his view, every decision Tang Song made must have its profound meaning.

After all, he never made mistakes.

Zheng Qiudong and Mo Xiangwan exchanged glances, shrugged, and tacitly stopped the topic.

Mo Xiangwan opened her bag, took out a beautifully crafted card, placed it on the coffee table, and pushed it over.

"This is the final schedule for Tian Jing's birthday party."

Wu Kezhi picked it up casually, his eyes scanning it quickly, and he understood everything in his heart instantly.

Because of the complexity of the guests' attributes, the birthday party was cleverly divided into two parts.

The first part was a "party" belonging to Xiao Jing and her group of young friends, used to create a warm and romantic birthday atmosphere.

There were even warm-up segments like interactions with close friends, photo-taking, and light shows.

As for the "elders," including those important business partners, they would first be arranged in the VIP hall on the east side, personally hosted by Tian Chengye.

Only when the first part of the activities ended and the birthday ceremony officially began would the guests from both sides converge.

Wu Kezhi pondered for a moment and said slowly: "I personally think it's better for us not to be too high-profile. Otherwise, I'm afraid Director Jin might have objections. You should know that she values Mr. Tang's safety more than anything."

"I agree with this point." Mo Xiangwan nodded seriously, "I spoke with Ms. Ouyang on the phone before I came. The representatives from Tang Yi Precision and Luo Bin will arrive later to represent the company in celebrating Tian Jing's birthday."

Zheng Qiudong smiled lightly: "It doesn't matter to me, as long as I can have some contact with Tian Jing tonight and chat with Mr. Tang about Deju Renhe's international strategy, that's enough."

Tang Song was the core and soul of the entire Tang Jin system, along with the expansion of their business territory.

Once his true identity and wealth were fully exposed to the public eye, it would inevitably attract countless prying eyes and hidden dangers.

Especially in the international capital market, every move by institutions like Jingwu Capital and the Tang Jin family office would inevitably touch the cake of certain vested interest groups.

That pack of wolves never played by the rules, which was also the main reason they approved of and supported Tang Song in hiding behind the scenes, or even disappearing for a whole year to "start from scratch."

Mo Xiangwan seemed to have anticipated this and opened her handbag again.

She took out several exquisite half-face masks from inside and placed them on the table.

"Before the flash-mob activity begins, photos can be taken at will. To prevent accidents, I think you should also wear them; just consider it a little fun. Our Mr. Tang's girlfriend likes to play this kind of game very much, and this was also one of the procedures she actively formulated beforehand."

She had already arranged that before the Echo girl group's flash-mob performance,

the staff from Sheng Tang Security would politely ask all guests to temporarily store their phones and other recording equipment under the pretext of "protecting the privacy of distinguished guests."

This was mainly out of concern that someone with ulterior motives might post photos of them and Tang Song on the internet, causing unnecessary trouble.

Zheng Qiudong enthusiastically picked up a black Venetian half-face mask with gold patterns and tried it on his face.

He smiled and said: "Since it's the birthday party of my future 'partner,' I naturally have to respect her wishes. It's indeed very interesting."

Wu Kezhi looked at the masks on the table, and his eyebrows twitched imperceptibly.

He had never worn such a thing before and felt it was very out of place.

However, although he was rarely exposed to the domestic media, he still had to be careful.

He took a deep breath, picked up a relatively conservative leather-stitched mask, and put it into his handbag.

Mo Xiangwan put away the remaining masks and continued: "However, we can't guarantee anything regarding Ms. Annie. She doesn't even answer my calls now; she might cause some trouble at the birthday party. Mr. Wu, I think you should communicate with her first."

"Hmm, I'll try." Wu Kezhi nodded solemnly, feeling a bit troubled in his heart as well.

Although Annie Kate belonged to the same Jingwu Capital as him, she had always done things her own way.

Moreover, for this birthday party of Tian Jing's, she was representing Director Jin and coming privately; his words as CEO might not necessarily be effective.

This eldest daughter of the Kate family in America was never someone to be trifled with.

Yan Jing Huating, large flat apartment.

In the spacious walk-in closet, Tian Chengye changed into a custom-made dark gray suit.

Standing in front of the huge full-length mirror, he was tying his tie in a distracted manner.

The middle-aged man in the mirror still had handsome and deep features and a tall, straight posture, where one could faintly see the style of his youth.

In fact, it was precisely by relying on this outstanding appearance and extraordinary ability that he was able to break out from a small place, eventually marry a wife from a well-off family, and create such a large family business.

But now, a layer of lingering gloom and fatigue always hovered between his brows.

Chen Man walked up and naturally took the tie from his hands, skillfully and gently smoothing out the wrinkles for him.

Looking at the bloodshot eyes of her husband, her own eyes were full of heartache.

"Look at you, it's only been a few days, and you've lost a whole circle." Her voice was very soft, carrying a hint of reproach, "You are in your prime in your forties; even if you really fail, with your ability, you can completely start over. There's no need to put so much pressure on yourself."

"The times—are different, Manman." Tian Chengye's voice was full of bitterness, "When we were young, it was an era where gold was everywhere. As long as you had the guts and were willing to push forward, you could reap the dividends of the era. But what about now? Look at our Zhongcheng Group, such a large plate, isn't it also going downhill?"

He paused, his eyes dimmed, and his voice lowered even further:

"I've already sold that highest-quality asset of Jinxiu Trading. If—if Huineng Electronics fails completely, by that time,"

"our family—might really never be able to get back up."

New energy is a national strategy and also the biggest trend of this era.

As a businessman with ideals and ambitions, he chose to bet heavily on Huineng Electronics, hoping to use this tailwind to take his career to the next level.

To complete the ultimate leap from "wealthy" to "noble."

But one wrong step led to wrong steps everywhere; in the end, he overestimated himself and underestimated the tide of the era.

He was now standing on the edge of a cliff.

Chen Man's heart also tightened.

She was silent for a moment, and finally whispered: "After all, today is Jingjing's birthday; don't make things difficult for Tang Song at the banquet. I can tell that Jingjing really likes him."

Mentioning their daughter, Tian Chengye's face was also full of conflict.

"This is Jingjing's first time in love. She is still too idealistic and impulsive when it comes to feelings. As parents, we have a responsibility to provide her with more and different possibilities before she makes her final choice."

"Sigh." Chen Man sighed, feeling a bit unbearable in her heart.

Tonight, besides some of their relatives and friends, her husband had specifically invited Lin Jingming and Meng Chuan.

Both of these people could be called heaven's favorites.

One founded the 500-million-dollar-valued Su Chong Power in his early thirties and was a hot new star in the tech circle.

The other was even more incredible: one of the heirs to Stellar Investments, responsible for investment affairs in the Asia-Pacific region.

Stellar Investments was a top-tier single-family office.

Relying on the massive business group founded by his father's generation, it had considerable influence in the capital markets across the entire Asia-Pacific region.

The appearance of such two people would naturally attract the attention and gaze of the entire audience; by comparison, their daughter's boyfriend would inevitably be relegated to a supporting role, or even an object of comparison.

In a sense, it was quite cruel.

After all, this was Tang Song's first time officially meeting them as Jingjing's boyfriend.

Seeming to see through his wife's thoughts,

Tian Chengye's tone softened: "Don't worry, no matter what, if she finally chooses Tang Song, I will absolutely not force her. I just want her to see that there are many other equally excellent boys in this world."

Ever since he broke in on their daughter and Tang Song's relationship at the Yan Province Bank private event last time, he had immediately had someone investigate Tang Song's background in detail.

Born into an ordinary family, yet able to enter Meigou Technology through his own technical ability and participate in core projects—this proved he was very smart and hardworking.

Because of project relationships, he gained the favor of Smile Capital and became the CTO of Jinxiu Trading—this proved he had luck and knew how to seize opportunities. Starting his own business to do live-streaming e-commerce and doing it quite well—this proved he had ambition and execution.

Not to mention his appearance, which was "on par" with his own when he was young.

No matter from which angle you looked at it, this was a very excellent young man.

This was also the main reason he could refrain from interfering and let his daughter date him.

If it were before, he would be very happy for his daughter to slowly develop feelings with the other party and enrich her life experience.

If he knew how to seize the opportunity and successfully walked into the marriage hall with his daughter in a few years,

then he wouldn't mind using all his connections and resources to support this son-in-law's rise.

But now, he himself was trapped in a quagmire and could barely save himself.

He had no extra energy, nor extra capital, to "cultivate" a potential stock anymore.

What he needed was a powerful "ally" who could immediately bring about a turning point.

He knew that if his daughter could really end up with Meng Chuan or Lin Jingming, then their family's business could receive the most direct and effective help.

Only then could this monstrous crisis be truly resolved.

As a businessman, this was an incomparably rational choice, but as a father, his heart was full of unspeakable contradiction and torment.

"Ding-a-ling—" A sharp cell phone ringtone broke the dull atmosphere in the walk-in closet.

Tian Chengye picked up his phone and looked at it; the fatigue on his face was swept away instantly, and he quickly perked up.

He cleared his throat, answered the phone, and his voice became steady and powerful: "Hello, Secretary Zhang, hello."

"Oh? Okay."

"No problem, no problem, Mr. Meng's business is more important. You don't need to rush; we have everything arranged here and are waiting for Mr. Meng's arrival at any time."

He exchanged a few more polite words with the other party before hanging up the phone.

"What's wrong?" Chen Man asked with concern. "Mr. Meng has an important meeting that hasn't shown signs of ending yet, so he will be late." As Tian Chengye spoke, he adjusted his cufflinks one last time, and the gloom in his eyes seemed to have dissipated quite a bit, replaced by a shrewd, businessman-like light.

He turned to his wife and said: "Let's go, Manman. Let's go to the hotel first; several out-of-town friends should be arriving soon, let's go over and host them first."

Although Meng Chuan would be late, this apologetic call made personally by the other party's secretary instead made him even more convinced of the other party's sincerity and importance.

In fact, besides introducing him to his daughter, he also hoped to have a more in-depth and private exchange with Meng Chuan.

After all, the other party was exactly the one who had taken a fancy to the vast domestic new energy market, held massive amounts of capital, and was looking everywhere for potential investment targets.

If Huineng Electronics could gain the favor of Stellar Investments, even if it were just a small strategic investment, it would alleviate his problems, and there might not be no chance for a comeback in the future.