Before Chen Cheng could say anything else, Zhong Xiaoqin had already grown impatient, insisting on linking her arm with his in an intimate display.

This damn competitive streak.

Oh wait, how could I call it "damn"?

This wonderful competitive streak.

"What's weird about it?" Chen Cheng asked with a smile.

Zhong Xiaoqin frowned. "Hmm... I feel like he acted as if he didn't know me."

"And... his vibe is a bit different from Chen Yu's."

Chen Cheng suppressed a smile. "He's on a date with a girl; maybe he's pretending not to know you on purpose?"

"You didn't greet him either."

Zhong Xiaoqin thought about it. "True."

"Forget it, never mind him."

"Um... well..."

"What?" Chen Cheng was a bit confused.

Zhong Xiaoqin was a little embarrassed. "Are you going home?"

"Going home?" A mischievous smirk appeared on Chen Cheng's lips. "It's only past seven. Isn't it a bit early to go home?"

"Ah~" Zhong Xiaoqin's face instantly flushed crimson. "What are you thinking?"

"I mean... *gulp*... I mean you going back to your own home."

Chen Cheng raised an eyebrow and stared into Zhong Xiaoqin's eyes with a cheeky look. "Exactly, I'm talking about going back to my home."

"Ah~" Zhong Xiaoqin was left speechless. "I'm ignoring you!"

Holding back a smile, she walked ahead.

The apartment she was currently living in did indeed belong to Chen Cheng, so saying they were going back to his home was technically correct.

Flirting as they went, the two of them walked to the parking area.

Chen Cheng straddled the bike and handed the helmet to Zhong Xiaoqin, who was acting like a bashful young girl.

This time, Zhong Xiaoqin skillfully put on the helmet herself and climbed onto the back seat.

Just like before, she rested her hands on Chen Cheng's shoulders.

A wicked grin appeared on Chen Cheng's face. While squeezing the clutch, he gently twisted the throttle, revving up the engine.

Then he suddenly released the clutch, only to immediately squeeze it again along with the brakes.

"Ah!"

Startled, Zhong Xiaoqin let out a cry. Losing her balance, her entire body slammed into Chen Cheng's back.

Boing~

Oh wait, Zhong Xiaoqin was such an excellent student that she got Double A's; she couldn't exactly "boing."

With a mischievous grin, Chen Cheng repeated the trick twice more.

Zhong Xiaoqin finally realized he was doing it on purpose. A blush crept up her fair cheeks as she slapped his shoulder and pouted, "You're so mean~"

Chen Cheng kept smiling as he grabbed her hands and wrapped them around his waist.

"Hold on tight. It wouldn't be good if you fell on your butt."

"It would hurt quite a bit~"

Zhong Xiaoqin bit her lip, her face red with shyness.

She glanced around like a thief.

Ultimately, she tightly hugged Scum Cheng's sturdy waist, leaning her whole body against his back.

Feeling Chen Cheng's powerful heartbeat, Zhong Xiaoqin felt as if the whole world had gone still, leaving only their two hearts beating strongly against each other.

Chen Cheng took Zhong Xiaoqin for a ride by the seaside, and it was already Eleven o'clock by the time they returned.

Although the sea in Magic City wasn't particularly beautiful, it was pitch black anyway, so it didn't matter. It didn't dampen their mood at all.

By the time they returned, Chen Cheng had almost coaxed Zhong Xiaoqin into being complete putty in his hands.

When they arrived at Junyue Mansion, neither mentioned where they would stay for the night; they just went straight upstairs together.

Zhong Xiaoqin acted like a thief, not even taking off her helmet and keeping her mask tightly on.

...

The next day, Zhong Xiaoqin still couldn't get out of bed. She called her boss, lying that she was unwell, and took half a day off, only going to the office in the afternoon.

After Zhong Xiaoqin left, Chen Cheng checked the time and didn't feel like going to the office. He grabbed a laptop from the study and sat on a lounge chair in the living room to review some summarized information.

Yu Tu had sent the documents he requested yesterday along with a message.

Chen Cheng thought for a moment and called him directly.

"I haven't looked at that matter regarding your alumnus yet. Just tell me about it directly," Chen Cheng said, expressing his intent concisely.

While sending the requested data, Yu Tu also mentioned a team from Huaqing University that was planning to start a business together.

They were involved in nuclear technology research.

As soon as Chen Cheng asked for a report on Nuclear Fusion yesterday, Yu Tu immediately had some ideas.

Yu Tu didn't stand on ceremony. "The team is the fusion group from the Institute of Nuclear Energy in the Department of Engineering Physics. There are seven core members: two associate professors, and the remaining five are PhD candidates."

"Their technical route is very clear; they want to continue their research on Spherical Tokamak devices."

"..."

Yu Tu unhurriedly introduced the team members' backgrounds and their technical roadmap.

Chen Cheng pondered. "Money isn't the issue. The issue is ownership."

"Will they resign from Huaqing after starting the business? Or will they keep it ambiguous and work both sides?"

"I don't want to see a farce in the future where the founding team and the university fight over control."

Yu Tu considered Chen Cheng's point. Realizing what the big boss was thinking, he said, "Completely detaching from Huaqing might not be feasible either. Without the university's endorsement, getting approval for nuclear physics experiments would be a huge headache."

"In the early stages, they might get things done through personal connections, but if they truly achieve some major breakthroughs, then..."

Yu Tu didn't continue.

Chen Cheng clicked his tongue. This field was still too sensitive; he wondered if it was something a purely private enterprise could handle.

After thinking it over, he said, "Money isn't the issue, but I need to at least see their determination."

On the other end of the line, Yu Tu raised an eyebrow helplessly. "Alright, I'll let them know."

Chen Cheng smiled. "Investing is like raising a child; you can't spoil them too much."

Yu Tu laughed as well. "You're right. I'll think carefully about how to manage them."

The corners of Chen Cheng's mouth curled up. He was quick on the uptake.

Those words just now were meant to nudge Yu Tu.

It was true he was a Huaqing alumnus, but he needed to realize that he was now an investor for Zhencheng. He couldn't be too biased, as it would cloud his judgment.

Chen Cheng continued, "As for Blue Aerospace's Series C+... don't get involved. Let Zhao Hui arrange for people from the High-end Manufacturing Group to follow up."

"You just act as the middleman."

Blue Aerospace was also something Yu Tu had mentioned earlier.

In the domestic aerospace industry, everyone basically came from the same roots, which is how they found their way to Chen Cheng through Yu Tu's connections.

Blue Aerospace was considered a relatively mature startup; having already completed Series C, they weren't actually short on investors.

They came to him just to have more potential buyers so they could shop around for the best valuation.

Fundraising is essentially like 'Wang Po selling melons—praising one's own goods.' If you can get people interested, then the price—the valuation—becomes negotiable.

More importantly, it didn't align much with his industrial layout, and since it was a late-stage round, there wouldn't be much room for profit even if they went public. Chen Cheng couldn't be bothered to chase after it.

If they actually made it to their IPO and he truly felt optimistic about the company...

Whether acting as a cornerstone investor or buying directly from the secondary market, there would be plenty of opportunities.

The two talked for a while longer before hanging up.

Chen Cheng didn't let Yu Tu handle the aerospace investments.

Firstly, he didn't want too much nepotism involved in the business.

Secondly, he had to give others a chance; the cake was only so big, and if Yu Tu ate it all, what would be left for the others?