As the year drew to a close and final exams concluded, the trio prepared to execute their ambitious three-person plan, beginning with their customary stay at Mei Fang’s family home in Baizhou City.

On the bus ride back, Mei Fang suddenly turned to Lin Youxi and Xia Yuan beside him.

“Speaking of which, Yuan Yuan, Youxi—do you believe in past lives and future incarnations?”

“Why bring up such profound topics out of nowhere…”

Lin Youxi yawned before resting her head on Mei Fang’s shoulder. “I prefer focusing on the present, seizing the moment.”

Xia Yuan, distracted by watching Youxi being affectionate with Mei Fang, wasn’t paying attention to the philosophical question. “What’s this about? If something’s bothering you, you can talk to your big sisters about it, little Ah Fang.”

“It’s not that anything’s wrong.”

Mei Fang pondered for a moment. “I was just thinking… what kind of cosmic fortune must I have accumulated to be blessed with knowing you two since childhood and staying together like this?”

“As long as you appreciate it.”

Xia Yuan patted Mei Fang’s head earnestly. “But don’t act like this was all your doing. Back then, if it weren’t for me and Youxi insisting, you’d have been sent off to study in Baizhou long ago.”

“But if we’d reunited later, we would have been childhood friends who met by fate,” Lin Youxi mused. “Wouldn’t that have made our bond even stronger?”

“That’s hard to say. If we weren’t together in elementary school, we wouldn’t have attended the same middle school, let alone Jiangcheng No. 1 High…” Xia Yuan shook her head vigorously. “Ah, no way! I much prefer how things are—being together all the time is so comfortable, never gets old!”

“Oh? Actually, I’m starting to feel a bit tired of it.”

Lin Youxi’s murmur against Mei Fang’s shoulder made both him and Xia Yuan startle. They turned to her in shock. “Wait, seriously?!”

“Being tired of it doesn’t mean I don’t like it,” Lin Youxi clarified, her voice low and intimate near Mei Fang’s ear, sending shivers down his spine and rendering him speechless. Xia Yuan, meanwhile, flushed crimson and covered her face, mumbling, “I-I think we should wait until after graduation! I’m not mentally prepared yet… Let’s not rush into that sort of thing—”

Lin Youxi frowned at their reactions in clear disdain.

“What are you two imagining? I meant that once we all turn eighteen, we can start considering things like buying property and driving cars. Why does everyone assume I’m always thinking about indecent things? Have I really become that kind of pervert in your minds?”

“Not ‘most of the time’—more like ‘every single moment.’”

Xia Yuan nodded sagely. “You say you’re ‘tired of it,’ yet your hands never stop moving. And it’s not just Ah Fang—you’re just as handsy with me. How dare you claim to be bored?”

Lin Youxi, displeased by this, crossed her arms and adopted the imposing demeanor of a domineering CEO, icily declaring, “We’ll discuss this further at home.”

“Wait, you’re not sharing a bed with Ah Fang tonight?” Xia Yuan muttered. “I haven’t gotten to cuddle our little Ya in so long—I want to sleep with her!”

“If you’re already trying to ditch me now, what will you do later? You will come to our bed tonight. Understood?”

As Youxi pinched her cheeks, Xia Yuan put on a pitiful expression. “Fine, fine! Let’s talk about buying houses and cars first!”

Mei Fang interjected, “I’ve been looking into this. We could start by purchasing a luxury flat near Pengcheng University, then scout for sea-view properties around Pengcheng Bay. Beyond that, we need to carefully consider the location for our new company headquarters.”

“Ah Fang, you’re not planning to keep leasing office space? Renting seems much more affordable. Where would we even get the funds to construct a building?”

“Let’s research it first. Although our current cash flow is tight—just over a hundred million—we can secure loans, and investors will support us. Later, we can recoup costs by leasing out office spaces.”

Lin Youxi tilted her head. “But our expansion isn’t that urgent yet. Why rush into building?”

“Because property values will double in a few years. We don’t need to break ground immediately, but we should finalize the location this year and get the project underway.”

Xia Yuan shook her head in disbelief. “Lanshan District in Pengcheng is already priced at 50,000 per square meter! You think it’ll hit 100,000? I find that hard to believe…”

As the trio debated their plans for Pengcheng’s development, the middle-aged man sitting in front of them listened with utter bewilderment.

Since when did high schoolers daydream on such an extravagant scale?

---

Behind the Scenes

Over the past year, under the leadership of “Uncle” (a senior executive), Linxi Technology’s workforce had expanded from 50 to 200 employees.

With C-Site’s livestreaming feature entering its first round of internal testing and performing remarkably well, it had attracted significant attention from investors. Meanwhile, their competitor, A-Site, was embroiled in internal conflicts—particularly after Chen Shaojie, a key figure from Bianfeng, departed with the “Sheng Fang Song” team, leaving A-Site in a precarious state.

In this shifting landscape, C-Site was now poised to overtake A-Site as the premier hub for anime and secondary culture content.

Truthfully, the current growth rate of Mei Fang’s C-Site paled in comparison to what “Uncle” had achieved in his original timeline. Mei Fang’s conservative strategy—prioritizing controlled growth over aggressive fundraising—meant slower progress, but it allowed them to maintain the platform’s community integrity while reserving capital for the impending “copyright wars.”

The most significant departure from the original timeline was Mei Fang’s willingness to incorporate ad-supported revenue streams. Unlike the rigid “no ads ever” stance of the past, C-Site would introduce a premium membership system alongside carefully curated advertisements.

Rumors suggested that “Uncle” had once promised long-term members free premium subscriptions—whether true or not, Mei Fang was prepared to offer similar perks initially.

Given their current scale, continuing without ads was unsustainable. Forum users were already expressing concern that “Site Head Mei’s family fortune” might not be enough to keep C-Site afloat, urging him to adopt ads to ensure the platform’s survival.

The public’s perception of Mei Fang, Lin Youxi, and Xia Yuan as high school prodigies worked heavily in their favor. To preserve this image, Mei Fang planned to delegate the announcement of ad integrations and premium memberships to “Uncle,” solidifying his role as C-Site’s public-facing executive.

“To maintain purity, we must monetize. Let Uncle bear the brunt of user complaints—sacrifices must be made.”

Having reached this stage, Mei Fang fully grasped just how financially draining video platforms could be. The revenue from his gaming ventures barely covered the deficit, and without Xia Yuan’s singing career bolstering their income, further expansion would have been nearly impossible. Purchasing property outright would be foolish, but even mortgages represented substantial expenses.

At this rate, Ximilu Games would need to produce at least one or two titles on par with BGO’s success to maintain their lifestyle…

---

As the trio disembarked, Mei Fang’s father, Mei Lijun, waited nearby with the family car.

Before boarding, Lin Youxi stopped Xia Yuan and Mei Fang, tilting her head with a knowing smile.

“About those ‘mature things’—aside from cars and property, there are indeed other matters to consider… After all, Ah Fang’s eighteenth birthday is next week, isn’t it?”

“I knew Youxi was still thinking about that!” Xia Yuan gloated, delighted at having seen through her.