The trade association established by Liu Yutong was named Bright Pearl Chamber of Commerce.
Naturally, the private equity fund set up under this name would be called Bright Pearl Capital.
The core purposes of establishing this private equity fund were twofold: first, to invest and profit using others' money, and second, to deepen ties with the chamber members.
After all, if members joined the chamber without gaining any benefits, why would they remain loyal?
Moreover, limited partners in a private equity fund had no management rights—they could only contribute capital and receive proportional profit shares.
This meant the actual operation and decision-making power of the fund remained firmly in Liu Yutong’s hands.
It was a relatively secure control measure to prevent disputes during joint investments and avoid troublesome mediation later.
Lin Muyang was bound to become one of the general partners, allowing him to leverage his strengths and persuade wealthy business owners in Bright Pearl City to join.
As for Yu Mo, he secured a partnership solely because he was obedient and his conglomerate had substantial assets.
Other chamber members who joined later could only participate as limited partners (LPs), investing capital and sharing profits without involvement in management.
Whether they could eventually rise from LPs to GPs and enter the core decision-making circle would depend on their performance and compliance.
Beyond this, after Bright Pearl Capital’s establishment, Liu Yutong could use it as an independent entity to prioritize investments in Wanlong Group’s future projects.
When no other investors stepped forward, she could deploy Bright Pearl Capital’s funds first to provide seed money.
Additionally, during Series A and B financing rounds, Bright Pearl Capital could continue to follow up with investments ahead of others.
Combined with the shares controlled by Wanlong Group’s own investment division, this created a dual safeguard of internal and external capital.
With both forces aligned, it became nearly impossible for outsiders to seize project equity.
Time flew by amid the flurry of activity.
Wanlong Group’s recent moves were so significant that they made local headlines—subsidiaries were established one after another, and the investment signing ceremonies for the group-buying project with AEG Capital and Qiming Capital even made the front page.
Once the funds were secured, Wanlong’s group-buying project immediately began large-scale recruitment.
Almost simultaneously, ground promotions were launched in over a dozen cities across the province, creating a massive buzz.
As for the internet café business—
Imperial Power Internet Café was officially rebranded as Imperial Power Esports.
At this time, esports-themed internet cafés were virtually unheard of in the country. But if the goal was nationwide expansion, adopting an esports theme was undoubtedly the best strategy, as it would allow the cafés to invest in esports development later.
Some games had already begun hosting esports tournaments, though the industry was still in its infancy, far from mature.
Especially the concept of playing games professionally—to most parents, it was practically a menace, something they instinctively disapproved of.
Only when major capital entered the scene and esports gradually became standardized would this perception begin to shift.
Eventually, it would evolve into a socially recognized legitimate profession.
After the rebranding—
Liu Yutong’s next step was to have Li Xiaohui scout locations for new Imperial Power Esports branches.
This wasn’t difficult at all.
Wherever Wanlong Supermarkets opened, Imperial Power Esports would follow.
So far, nearly every Wanlong Supermarket had a Yuyuefang Restaurant next to it.
Adding an internet café nearby would tightly integrate dining, entertainment, and shopping—maximizing foot traffic and conversion.
"Yutong-jie, aren’t you being too confident? Picking locations in advance like this—doesn’t it mean we’re already sure we’ll win?"
"What’s wrong, Xiaohui? Don’t you have faith?"
"Uh… I’m actually a little unsure…" Li Xiaohui poked her fingers together and lowered her head.
"What’s bothering you?" Liu Yutong asked with a smile.
Li Xiaohui fretted, "Yutong-jie, didn’t you ask me to investigate the revenue of our competitor, Yanwang Internet Café? I checked—last month, their revenue was nearly 400,000 yuan. Of course, internet fees alone couldn’t account for that. They’ve set up a drink bar inside their café, which is pretty innovative and contributes a lot to sales…"
"For us to double that, we’d need to hit at least 800,000 yuan. That’s way too hard!"
"If they have a drink bar, we’ll have one too—and we’ll do it better. Didn’t I tell you to ask Yu Xin to have the chefs develop milk tea recipes? And to consult with pharmacists from the provincial traditional Chinese medicine hospital? With so many chefs and TCM experts, I refuse to believe we can’t create a delicious and healthy milk tea. Ours will outsell their powdered drinks—just wait and see."
"But—but the recipes aren’t ready yet! We only have a month left! Even if we finalize the recipe now, there’s no time to produce and sell it!"
Liu Yutong thought for a moment, then made a call.
Soon, a Wanlong Group member delivered several bottles of jasmine tea and cans of Wangzai Milk.
Li Xiaohui stared at the drinks laid out on the table, baffled. "Yutong-jie, are you treating me to afternoon tea?"
Without explaining, Liu Yutong picked up an empty cup, mixed Wangzai Milk and jasmine tea in a specific ratio, and gave it a gentle shake. In seconds, a surprisingly well-blended drink appeared in her hand.
She handed it to Li Xiaohui. "Try it."
This was the first time Li Xiaohui had seen anyone combine two such unrelated beverages. Skeptical, she took a sip.
Instantly, an indescribable fusion of flavors bloomed on her tongue.
The fresh floral aroma of jasmine tea melded perfectly with the rich creaminess of Wangzai Milk, striking a delightful balance—smooth, just the right sweetness, and not cloying at all. Even after swallowing, a subtle jasmine fragrance lingered.
Li Xiaohui’s eyes widened in amazement. "Wow! This is incredible! Yutong-jie, how did you come up with this?"
"The jasmine tea’s fragrance and Wangzai’s milky sweetness—who knew they’d pair so well? It’s aromatic, silky, perfectly sweet without being heavy, and leaves a lovely aftertaste!"
Liu Yutong chuckled at her exaggerated reaction. "What if we temporarily use this as our internet café’s signature milk tea?"
Li Xiaohui gasped. "Oh! So this jasmine tea and Wangzai combo will be our new specialty drink? I’m all for it!"
"But what should we call it? We can’t just name it ‘Wangzai Milk Tea’—that’d give away our secret recipe."
"This is just the first draft. We’ll refine and standardize it later. As for the name…"
"Let’s call it ‘Boya’s Broken String.’"
"‘Boya’s Broken String’?"
Li Xiaohui savored the name, finding it more and more brilliant. "It sounds elegant! With this secret weapon, our café’s drink sales will crush the competition! Hahaha…"
As the two continued discussing plans for the internet café, the office door suddenly swung open.
A young man dressed in black hurriedly stepped inside.
"Boss, Sister Hui—bad news! Someone’s causing trouble at the net café!"
Li Xiaohui’s expression darkened instantly.
She had a bet riding on this, not to mention she’d been eager to prove herself to her colleagues. And now, someone dared to stir up chaos on her turf?
Did they have a death wish?
"What are we waiting for? Round up the team!"
"Yes, ma’am!" The underling acknowledged and rushed off to gather the others.
Li Xiaohui then turned to Liu Yutong. "Sister Yutong, I’ll handle this?"
Liu Yutong watched her fiery, ready-to-fight demeanor and waved a hand resignedly. "Go ahead. Just don’t go overboard."
Li Xiaohui thumped her chest confidently. "Don’t worry, Sister Yutong. I know the drill!"
With that, she stormed out of the office in a whirlwind.
Just before the door closed, Liu Yutong clearly heard her furious voice echoing down the hallway.
"Listen up! Not a single troublemaker gets away. Drag every last one of them back here—I’ll personally give them a warm welcome, complete with eighteen flavors of pain!"
