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Su Daiwan couldn't save Li Mubai from his predicament.
Li Murong had made his intentions clear: he wasn't interested in investing in Lu Chen's crowdfunding website, but he wanted Li Mubai to partner with Lu Chen to keep him from idling away and damaging the Li family's reputation.
After all, it was Li Mubai who had come to Lu Chen seeking help; otherwise, Li Murong wouldn't have found this opportunity.
'Do you want to be loyal and help your friend? Fine, then put in some serious work!'
Li Murong was a man of strong convictions. Once he made up his mind, it was futile for Li Mubai to plead with anyone, especially since Su Daiwan supported her husband's decision.
This left Lu Chen feeling a bit guilty.
Li Mubai had essentially brought this on himself, but he also believed that Li Murong's approach was reasonable.
Li Mubai was a good person and didn't exhibit the typical extravagance of a wealthy kid, but spending too much time idling at home and squandering money would eventually lead to trouble.
As a friend, Lu Chen was more than happy to co-found the crowdfunding website with Li Mubai.
Since he had come up with this idea primarily for his own benefit, he had no intention or energy to grow it into a massive enterprise.
Li Mubai, on the other hand, had the potential to take it further. With his brother's backing, once they secured the creative protection certificate, he could become another success story like IDPhoto!
IDPhoto is a well-known image-sharing platform in the United States, founded by a tech enthusiast named Rodney. He launched the site from his home in 2010 and managed it independently.
By 2013, IDPhoto's user base had skyrocketed to 30 million, leading to its acquisition for $1 billion, making it a legend in the tech world!
Lu Chen was very familiar with the story of IDPhoto. The inspiration for his crowdfunding website was closely tied to this success. While he didn't aspire to be Rodney, making a fortune through crowdfunding was certainly appealing.
In addition to submitting a creative protection application to the Creative Protection Office, Lu Chen also had Lu Xi submit the same registration documents to the American FSK and the European Union's OKI, both of which were currently under review.
FSK is the American equivalent of the Business Creative Copyright Protection Office, covering Japan and South Korea as well.
Li Murong ignored his brother's protests and said to Lu Chen, "This matter is settled!"
"I still believe that the specifics of the shares should be discussed between you two. It would be best to establish a new company for operations and management, and I'll have Mushi assist you."
Li Murong elaborated, "Mushi is Mubai's sister, and she just graduated from Wharton Business School this year."
'Wharton Business School?'
Lu Chen couldn't help but think of Su Xuan's smile; wasn't she studying at Wharton too?
Li Murong continued, "As for the creative protection matters, I'll take care of them. You don't need to worry about anything. Just choose a time to launch the website. If I can't handle it..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but Lu Chen understood completely.
If even Li Murong couldn't manage it, then there was little hope of obtaining that crucial certificate.
And if he could secure the certificate, launching the crowdfunding website wouldn't be an issue— who would pay attention to a small site that just went live? Countless websites open and close every day on the internet!
Most importantly, Li Murong seemed very confident, estimating that the approval process wouldn't be too difficult.
Lu Chen sincerely said, "Thank you, Brother Li!"
Li Murong's solution was undoubtedly the best for Lu Chen. This way, he could take a hands-off approach and focus on his acting career without worrying about the crowdfunding website.
Li Murong smiled lightly and said, "I should be thanking you for giving my brother a meaningful project to work on."
Lu Chen was momentarily speechless.
At that moment, Su Daiwan gently asked, "Have you finished discussing your plans?"
Li Murong looked at his wife in surprise and nodded, "We're done."
Su Daiwan smiled sweetly and said, "Then I have a question for Lu Chen. You don't mind, do you?"
Lu Chen quickly replied, "Not at all, Sister-in-law. Please go ahead."
Su Daiwan blinked and asked, "Lu Chen, do you have a girlfriend right now?"
Li Murong was momentarily at a loss for words; he thought his wife had something important to ask Lu Chen.
But Su Daiwan clearly considered this question significant, and she was quite serious.
The question made Lu Chen feel a bit awkward, but he answered calmly, "Not at the moment."
Su Daiwan pressed on, "Why not? A handsome and talented guy like you must have many girls pursuing you, right? Is it because your standards are too high? Or is it because you're an artist?"
Her eyes sparkled with a hint of mischief.
Lu Chen felt a lot of pressure.
To be honest, he felt more pressure facing Su Daiwan than he had with Li Murong just moments ago!
After a moment of contemplation, Lu Chen spoke honestly, "Sister-in-law, I actually don't have any plans to date right now. My main focus is on my career, and I want to earn more money to help my family, so..."
Lu Chen wasn't naive; he could tell that Su Daiwan was hinting at matchmaking.
But he truly wasn't in the mood for that right now.
Li Murong chimed in, "Well, a man should prioritize his career. Once you succeed, you won't have to worry about finding a girlfriend."
Su Daiwan shot him a disapproving look and continued, "From what you're saying, it sounds like your family situation isn't great?"
After winning the championship in "Singing China," Lu Chen's family background had already been exposed online, so he had nothing to hide. He briefly explained his situation to Su Daiwan.
Su Daiwan was moved and sighed, "Your mother is really strong. If I have the chance, I'd like to visit her."
Li Murong nodded, "Keeping promises and being resilient— those virtues can make many people feel ashamed!"
After her husband passed away and the family fell on hard times, she still managed to repay a huge debt while struggling to make ends meet. Such commitment and responsibility are not something just anyone can achieve.
Su Daiwan's gaze softened, "You and your sister must have had a tough time, right?"
Lu Chen replied, "The past few years were quite challenging, but this year has been much better. I've earned quite a bit of money."
He looked at Li Mubai, "This is all thanks to Mubai's help."
Li Mubai chuckled and puffed out his chest proudly.
Su Daiwan smiled, "I know you two have a good relationship. I also heard you wrote a song for him called 'Li Bai' so he could impress girls, right?"
Li Mubai was instantly struck dumb, exclaiming, "Sister-in-law, how did you know?"
He thought only he and Lu Chen were aware of this.
Su Daiwan shot him a look— don't underestimate everyone's intelligence, okay?
Li Mubai wilted again.
Su Daiwan playfully hit Li Mubai and then turned to Lu Chen, "I really like your song. Is 'My Old Classmate' written about your first love?"
Her eyes sparkled with curiosity.
Lu Chen smiled wryly, "You could say that."
First love is unforgettable; it's pure and innocent.
Some people will fight for their first love to the end, while others must say goodbye, but everyone remembers their first love because it's the most genuine feeling, free of distractions!
When Lu Chen sang "My Old Classmate," he often thought of his first love.
Su Daiwan smiled, "She's my fan! Do you still keep in touch with her?"
Lu Chen shook his head, "Not for a long time. She moved to Hong Kong with her family in the second year of high school."
At this point, Lu Chen couldn't help but add, "Actually, she preferred Taiwan and often said she wanted to live in Taipei."
"Taipei."
Su Daiwan softly repeated the word, her eyes revealing a hint of nostalgia, "I haven't been back in many years, but I often think of the rain in Taipei and the snow on Yangming Mountain."
Lu Chen felt a stir in his heart and said, "Sister-in-law, since I came to visit, I didn't bring any gifts. How about I give you a song?"
Su Daiwan's eyes lit up, "Great! Great!"
The joy that blossomed on her face was dazzling enough to leave Li Murong, Li Mubai, and Lu Chen momentarily stunned.
Li Murong reacted quickly, immediately holding Su Daiwan's hand and shooting a warning glance at Li Mubai and Lu Chen.
This is your sister-in-law; don't think too much!
Su Daiwan cheerfully stood up and said, "I haven't sung in a long time."
"Lu Chen, I accept this gift! Let's go to the piano room and listen to you sing it first, okay? You can play the piano, right?"
Lu Chen had originally planned to write the score and lyrics after returning home and then have Li Mubai deliver it, but he didn't expect Su Daiwan to be so eager to hear it right now.
He certainly didn't want to dampen her enthusiasm, so he nodded.
After all, being from a wealthy family, the villa where Li Mubai lived not only had a separate tea room but also a large piano room.
The piano room was right next to the tea room, and it was very clean and tidy. On the cherry wood floor stood an impressive black grand piano.
Lu Chen easily recognized the golden harp logo imprinted on the grand lid—it was a Steinway.
Steinway is one of the most prestigious piano brands in the world, and its price is astonishingly high. Such a Steinway usually appears in top orchestras and music conservatories.
Each one costs several hundred thousand, and even at the best of times, Lu Chen's family couldn't afford one!
Su Daiwan smiled at Lu Chen and said, "When I lived here with your brother, I often played the piano for him. I haven't touched this piano in a long time."
She walked to the piano, extending her delicate fingers to glide over the keys.
The beautiful sound flowed out like a gentle stream.
Su Daiwan's face lit up with memories and joy, as if she was recalling many wonderful moments from the past.
Watching his wife, Li Murong's resolute expression softened.
After a moment, Su Daiwan said, "Lu Chen, it's your turn now!"
Lu Chen nodded and sat down on the piano bench.
He took a deep breath. ——
(End of this chapter)