Wei Hanyan frowned disapprovingly, unable to forget Shen Beibei’s earlier act of feigning a faint. She had little respect for such opportunistic behavior. "Auntie, she’s clearly scheming and loves cutting corners. She’s not suitable for angel investment."
Zhong Ziyan thought for a moment, then replied with certainty, "She’ll do."
Shen Beibei’s business acumen had been praised even by Wei Hanyun in the "plot." Coupled with her uncanny luck—always seizing the most critical opportunities at the right moments—she had quickly built a leading enterprise.
And her luck was indeed remarkable. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have repeatedly found ways to cross paths with Zhong Ziyan.
Meanwhile, Shen Beibei had been stunned ever since Zhong Ziyan said, "That’s not bad either." Her earlier mix of embarrassment and frustration froze in place, then gradually cooled and settled.
When Zhong Ziyan decisively declared, "She’ll do," Shen Beibei’s heart trembled violently, her expression momentarily slipping beyond control.
Someone who had seen through her flaws and the truth… still chose to trust her like this—
"I… I’ll work hard!" Shen Beibei clenched her fists, cutting off whatever Wei Hanyan was about to say. "I’ll earn so, so much money. I’ve saved most of what I made from part-time jobs over the years, all for starting my own business after graduation next year."
"You’re still a student?" Wei Hanyan smiled, though her eyes held no warmth. "Then you should focus on your studies."
"My grades are excellent. I finished all my credits last year," Shen Beibei instinctively put on her most determined face, enunciating each word clearly. "As long as Miss Zhong believes in me, I can… no, I will absolutely achieve something worthy of her trust."
"Good." Zhong Ziyan swiftly cut through the tension between Shen Beibei and Wei Hanyan with a gesture. "Then it’s settled. Stop working here and go back to draft a business proposal for me."
Of course, Zhong Ziyan had no intention of scrutinizing the details herself—she planned to dump it all on Fang Nan.
Far away, Fang Nan, enjoying a rare free evening watching variety shows, suddenly sneezed loudly. "…?" Some troublemaker must be plotting against me!
He immediately checked his phone, relieved to find no missed calls. Good, today wasn’t shaping up to be another "homeroom teacher" kind of day.
—It was Zhong Ziyan’s second day on the island, and he didn’t miss her at all.
No sooner had Fang Nan thought this than his phone rang as if possessed, Zhong Ziyan’s name flashing on the screen. His hand jerked so hard he nearly dropped it.
But Assistant Fang quickly steadied himself, answering with the resignation of a man facing the inevitable. "Madam? Is something wrong on the island?"
"Shen Beibei happened to come here. I’m sending her back to see you," Zhong Ziyan said.
Fang Nan: "…" Thoroughly managed by this husband-and-wife duo. "What happened? Did she follow you to Cloud Island?"
"She didn’t know I’d be here. Just got lucky."
"…Understood," Fang Nan adjusted his glasses, his tone icy. "How would you like me to handle this?"
Having already reviewed Shen Beibei’s file, Fang Nan’s agile mind had already drafted a dozen contingency plans.
Zhong Ziyan: "I’m going to invest in her."
Fang Nan’s meticulously crafted plans evaporated instantly. "…?"
"She’ll probably make a lot of money in the future," Zhong Ziyan added. "So help me secure this future cash cow."
After hanging up, Fang Nan was left in a daze. Sure, many wealthy people dabbled in quirky investments for fun, often losing fortunes in the process, but… Shen Beibei? What even was she?
Zhong Ziyan couldn’t care less about Fang Nan’s thoughts. After briskly delegating Shen Beibei’s affairs, the butler summoned by Wei Hanyan arrived promptly.
So Zhong Ziyan simply instructed him to have Shen Beibei change clothes before escorting her back to H City.
The sooner the money-making began, the better.
Having spent barely an hour on Cloud Island, Shen Beibei found her entire future mapped out in the span of minutes, leaving her disoriented.
Truthfully, even she didn’t believe in herself as much as Zhong Ziyan seemed to—that she could earn so much, that she was worth such an investment.
As she boarded the yacht docked by the shore, Wei Hanyan suddenly asked, "Do you know how much it costs to operate this yacht for a single round trip just for you?"
Shen Beibei didn’t, but she refused to back down. "I’ll earn every cent back for Miss Zhong."
Wei Hanyan smirked coldly, adjusting her sunhat in the sticky sea breeze. "You’d better focus on making money for my auntie and keep any improper thoughts to yourself. Otherwise, I have countless ways to make you regret it."
Climbing the steps onto the yacht, Shen Beibei couldn’t resist glancing back at Zhong Ziyan.
Zhong Ziyan’s attitude toward the investment had been so casual it seemed offhand—had Wei Hanyan not insisted, she might not have even bothered seeing Shen Beibei off.
Now, Zhong Ziyan stood behind Wei Hanyan, engrossed in her phone, sunglasses perched on her nose, not sparing Shen Beibei a single glance.
"But I won’t let her down," Shen Beibei vowed solemnly before turning to step onto a path she’d never imagined taking.
Watching the yacht depart, Wei Hanyan scoffed and turned back. "Auntie."
Zhong Ziyan looked up from her phone. "I just thought of something we could do."
Wei Hanyan: "What?"
"Look at this," Zhong Ziyan tilted her screen toward her. "I think we should check it out."
Wei Hanyan saw a bold, modern poster with the most prominent text reading: University Student Entrepreneurship and Innovation Competition.
Well-traveled, she’d seen plenty of such contests. "There’s no shortage of these competitions. Many overseas companies use them to scout talent. Are you looking for projects to invest in for fun?"
"Mm, might spot some promising talent," Zhong Ziyan nodded.
Though she usually avoided overthinking, her genetically enhanced brain wasn’t just for show.
Moreover, in the Infinite Space, she’d witnessed countless technologies far beyond this era. Having seen the pig walk, she could at least recognize groundbreaking inventions and ideas when she saw them.
Wouldn’t that mean… she could spot cash cows with pinpoint accuracy?
And all using Wei Hanyun’s money for investments—maximum returns, minimal effort. Perfect.
Zhong Ziyan promptly forwarded the poster to Fang Nan.
Fang Nan replied with a question mark.
Zhong Ziyan responded: Get me a ticket.
On the other end, Fang Nan typed out an ellipsis, then deleted it, replying mechanically: Understood.
After the Shen Beibei incident, Wei Hanyan lost interest in swimming. The two switched vehicles to inspect the construction progress at the rear site.
The designer from the design studio greeted them: "This house on the island is over a decade old. Being by the sea, the original structure has aged rapidly, so the renovation will require significant effort. For the materials used in the remodeling, we have several backup options..."
"Renovation?" Zhong Ziyan glanced at the decrepit house that looked like it could spawn Kayako. "Why not tear it down and rebuild?"
"That would involve a much larger construction project. Since this is an island, transportation would pose considerable challenges," the designer explained, gesturing. "The cargo ships we’ve rented wouldn’t be able to transport all the construction waste back to the port within the scheduled timeframe."
Zhong Ziyan processed the logic. "The ships aren’t big enough?"
The designer shook her head. "Not exactly. If necessary, we could rent more ships. But at the same time, the new house would have to be built from scratch, which means the budget plan would likely exceed what we initially agreed upon."
She had met many wealthy clients—some who splurged without hesitation, others who pinched pennies despite their fortunes.
Zhong Ziyan was clearly the former.
So, as the designer finished speaking, she had already begun mentally recalculating the cost adjustments for the new plan, ready to provide the exact figure the moment Zhong Ziyan asked, "How much?"
But Zhong Ziyan simply said, "Then let’s buy a freight company—one with its own maritime logistics network. That should solve it, right?"
The designer, mid-calculation, froze. "...?" Was that really an option?
