Chapter 129: An Open Conspiracy, Giving Chen Rui the Choice

"Mr. Chen, please speak."

Chen Rui narrowed his eyes, pulled a document from his bag, and placed it before Chen Luo.

"This is a preliminary letter of intent for our video collaboration and subsequent venue partnerships with your milk tea shop. Your company’s brand aligns perfectly with our website’s culture. We hope to pursue further projects, such as anime conventions and themed restaurant chains."

"This is just the initial draft. I hope that after you have reviewed it, we can proceed with further negotiations."

Chen Luo exchanged a glance with Wen Wan as he observed these actions. It was clear that Chen Rui’s approach revealed his professional maturity; he did not look down on Chen Luo for being a college student, but instead treated him with the respect of an equal partner. Had it been someone else, they likely would have shoved a contract forward, eager to force a signature. Of course, it was also possible that Chen Rui’s attitude was influenced by the presence of Wen Wan.

"Very well, I will take a look," Chen Luo said, accepting the letter and reading it line by line. After all, this was a significant step, and many details would require careful deliberation.

At that moment, the waiter arrived with the dishes. Wen Wan smiled and gestured toward Chen Rui. "Mr. Chen, please, help yourself."

"You are too kind, Ms. Wen. Please, you as well."

Seeing such a gentle and courteous Wen Wan, Chen Rui briefly wondered if she was an impostor—she looked exactly like the person in his dossiers, yet the documents described her as a fierce, formidable woman known for crushing her competition with overwhelming force. He had expected a cold, decisive leader, not someone so mild-mannered. In truth, if Chen Luo were not present, Chen Rui might not have received such a pleasant reception; people with ten times his capital had failed to earn a kind look from her.

Wen Wan personally rotated the table to place a bowl of chicken soup in front of him. "Mr. Chen, please have some soup."

"You are far too kind, Ms. Wen. I can do it myself, truly." Chen Rui felt flattered, but a silent alarm bell went off in his head. *This isn't right. I shouldn't be worth such attention from her. Could there be a trap waiting for me?*

"Mr. Chen, don't overthink it. We mean no harm; I am simply playing the hostess for my man’s esteemed guest." Wen Wan smiled brightly, her eyes clear and sharp, as if she could see through everything.

"Of course, of course. You are absolutely right, Ms. Wen." In reality, Chen Rui realized his concerns were redundant. If she truly wanted to deal with him, she wouldn't need such roundabout tactics; she could dismantle his company without breaking a sweat.

"Alright, Mr. Chen, I have finished reading," Chen Luo said, closing the document. The terms were fair and devoid of traps. "I agree to all the projects listed here."

"Excellent! Then let us drink to our upcoming collaboration," Chen Rui said, smiling as he prepared to raise his glass.

"Not so fast. I have another project proposal and a gift for you. I wonder if you might be interested in hearing about them?"

"A project? And a gift?" Chen Rui found the pairing strange, but his intuition told him it was likely a good thing, so he nodded.

"Very well, I won't hold back." Chen Luo produced another document, the cover labeled *Online Educational Courses*. "Our company is currently focusing on online education, and we hope to collaborate with your platform for large-scale distribution. These courses will be free for public welfare initially, moving to a paid model later. We will cover the promotional and advertising costs, and we are looking for a long-term partnership."

"The courses include, but are not limited to, primary and secondary school subjects, university self-study materials, civil service exam preparation, and postgraduate entrance exam courses."

As Chen Rui opened the document and skimmed it, he immediately realized the sheer scope of Chen Luo’s vision. This was an attempt to cover all types of learning resources and shatter the information gap. It was not just a bold experiment; it was a massive gamble. Their website currently hosted some user-uploaded content, but the quality was inconsistent, and only a few creators were recognized by the community. If these courses were to land on their site, it would revolutionize their learning sector and attract a massive influx of new users. More importantly, it would help them gain favor with mainstream media—it was all reward with no risk.

"Whew!" Chen Rui took a deep breath to steady himself. "Mr. Chen, this project is incredibly tempting, but I have a concern, and I will be blunt. Your online education project conflicts with the interests of the Ye Group. It is likely that a conflict between your two parties will erupt soon. By inviting me into this, are you just trying to drag me into the water as an enemy of the Ye family?"

"I will be honest: I cannot afford to offend Ms. Wen, but by the same token, I cannot afford to offend the Ye Group either." As one of the top ten giants in the country, the Ye Group was well beyond his reach.

"Mr. Chen, we have no intention of coercing you. The choice is yours," Chen Luo said, looking at him with steady, transparent eyes. "I am not trying to scheme against you; I am simply giving you a choice. Do you lose this opportunity and continue spinning your wheels, or do you partner with me? Yes, there is the danger of the Ye family, but with the Wen family as your backing, you have a very real chance to advance to the next level."

Chen Rui hesitated, falling into silence. Chen Luo did not rush him; he simply served Wen Wan some shrimp, ladled her a bowl of soup, and waited quietly.

"Fine!" Chen Rui gritted his teeth and stood up. "I agree to the collaboration! I'm going all in—I'll take the gamble!"

Chen Luo smiled. The feeling of using strategy to keep the upper hand while allowing the other party to feel they were making a choice was quite satisfying. He gestured for Chen Rui to sit. "No need to rush, Mr. Chen. Please, sit. I haven't given you that gift yet."

Chen Luo reached into a bag nearby and pulled out a single sheet of paper with only a few lines of text on it. He slid it across the table.

Chen Rui’s eyes widened in shock. "This... this... how did you get this list?"