Quick Travel to the Clouds

Chapter 676 My Sister 11

The interrogation and subsequent judicial proceedings at the Linhai branch of the Public Security Bureau proceeded smoothly.

Shen Bai's agent and the "production company" he colluded with received the legal punishment they deserved. Thanks to the deliberate low-key handling of the incident by the police and Yun Chu, it did not cause a major uproar in society.

But for Shen Bai, that night's experience was like a brand, profoundly changing the trajectory of his life.

After his physical and mental state stabilized, Shen Bai immediately terminated his contract with his former agency.

That ordeal made him see through the filth and vanity behind the glitz and glamour, and he completely lost his passion for being a "traffic idol".

He handled the termination of the contract discreetly, paid the penalty (using up most of his previous savings), and then disappeared from the public eye for a long time.

Fans expressed their regret and speculation, while he only posted a brief farewell message: "Thank you for the past, explore the future. Farewell forever, don't miss me."

The first thing Shen Bai did after being discharged from the hospital was to try to contact Yun Chu.

He carefully transferred all his savings to an account his secretary had left in the police records for handling follow-up matters—although the secretary quickly and clearly informed him that Yun Chu would not accept the money and would return it to him.

The rejection of this small, clumsy attempt to reciprocate made him acutely aware of the enormous chasm between himself and the woman who had pulled him out of the abyss.

At this stage, Shen Bai felt an almost divine reverence and gratitude towards Yun Chu. She was a cold, powerful, distant, and inviolable deity.

He treasured the temporary signature sheet from the hospital that had the words "Yun Chu" written on it.

He secretly collected snippets of information about Yun Chu and the Yun family—every announcement from Yunduan Technology and the few financial reports about the Yun family.

He knew she was the president of Cloud Technology, the head of a top-tier wealthy family, and someone he could never reach in his entire life.

That night's offense (the forced kiss) became his deepest shame and regret, and at the same time planted a hidden seed: he wanted to become strong, to be worthy of standing in front of her, even if it was just to say a genuine, guilt-free "thank you".

Shen Bai rejected all offers from new talent agencies. He used his existing connections and accumulated resources, as well as some of the funds he received when he terminated his contract, to calmly analyze his own strengths.

Acting used to be his means of making a living, but now he has discovered that what he is good at is "understanding people's hearts" and "imitation", which stems from his ability to read people's expressions when he struggled at the bottom of the entertainment industry in his early years.

He keenly grasped the new trend in online content creation.

He anonymously founded a paid content studio targeting high-end users. He no longer sings and dances, but focuses on in-depth interviews, documentaries, and cultural and aesthetic interpretations.

Leveraging his past fame and the unique perspective and aesthetically pleasing content he created with genuine dedication, he gradually built a reputation among a niche elite circle, gaining a new and more stable source of wealth.

This process was lonely and arduous, but he regarded it as a form of self-cultivation, a clumsy effort to get closer to her.

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The gears of fate began to turn again after four years of silence.

A new gaming sub-brand under Cloud Technology hopes to plan a series of in-depth interview documentaries on the theme of "Life in the Virtual and Real Worlds" as part of its high-end brand culture output.

The project bidding was fierce, and among the three finalists was a young studio called "Guanzhi Culture," whose founder was none other than Shen Bai.

This is no coincidence.

Shen Bai closely followed the developments of Yunduan Technology, especially the company's strategic direction that Yun Chu occasionally mentioned in public.

He seized this opportunity that aligned with his studio's positioning and poured extraordinary effort into preparing his proposal. He was gambling that he would see her at the final decision-making meeting.

In Yun Chu's spacious and austere office, when Shen Bai, as the person in charge of "Guanzhi Culture," stood in front of her to explain the plan, his heart was still pounding like a drum, but it was no longer filled with fear.

Years of quiet development and management have given him a new aura: humble and polite, with calm and sharp eyes, clear and logical speech, precise and accurate grasp of project details, and even a unique interpretation of the art design of an unreleased expansion pack under Cloud Gaming.

He is no longer the fragile and helpless idol he once was, but a shrewd businessman in the making.

He keenly noticed that when Yun Chu listened to his analysis of the metaphor of light and shadow in a certain scene on the character's portrayal, her eyes lingered for a moment—it was a kind of professional recognition of outstanding talent.

Yun Chu did not show any special attention to the proposer named Shen Bai, as if he were just a new face who was unfamiliar but had good business skills.

She asked questions professionally and made decisions decisively. For her, this was simply a successful project selection process, based on the professional value offered by the other party.

As for Shen Bai, he was just a nobody on the list of those whose "aftermath" had been dealt with, nothing more.

Her rescue of Shen Bai that night was both a system task and an impromptu act. Her world was filled with her company, her sister, her family, and an even more important goal.

Yun Chu's "forgetting" and "indifference" were like a fine needle piercing the softest and most stubborn place in Shen Bai's heart.

He wasn't expecting gratitude or recognition, but her "unmoved" attitude stung him.

He spent years shedding his former glory and striving to climb higher, hoping to erase the embarrassment of the past and stand before her with dignity.

But she ignored his very existence. This indifference ignited a flame within him: no longer was it admiration and gratitude, but a powerful yearning to be seen and remembered. He began to feel dissatisfied with merely a successful business partnership.

At a project celebration banquet, he held a wine glass and walked towards Yun Chu, who was surrounded by people in the center. He was elegant and spoke appropriately: "President Yun, thank you again for your trust. It is our honor to cooperate with Yun Chu."

"By the way, thank you for saving me back then. Otherwise, I wouldn't be standing here."

He controlled his tone precisely, without overstepping any boundaries.

Yun Chu was talking with a business partner when she heard this. Her gaze sharpened slightly, and for the first time, it truly focused on Shen Bai's face. Her eyes were briefly sharp. "No need to be polite. Mr. Shen is able to stand here because of his own abilities."

It was that moment of stillness that Shen Bai caught.

His heart pounded wildly at that moment, not from excitement, but from the thrill of a hunter finally noticing the scent of the trap's edge.

She still remembered! That tiny, almost non-existent ripple was a huge source of motivation for Shen Bai.

He was certain that he had the ability to drop a pebble into her meticulously crafted world and create ripples.

The nascent form of "possessiveness" was clearly revealed for the first time—he not only wanted to stand in front of her, but also wanted her to have "Shen Bai" in her eyes, and to leave an indelible mark that could not be easily erased.

He even morbidly enjoyed this game of flirting with danger, repeatedly rubbing his wounds with her forgetfulness.

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After confirming his target, Shen Bai's "attack" became more strategic and covert, no longer a simple act of repaying a debt of gratitude, but a scheme full of possessiveness.

He demonstrated remarkable professionalism, efficiency, and creativity in project execution, far exceeding the expectations of cloud technology.

Every meeting and every deliverable was flawless, earning Yun Chu's praise from his core team.

He positioned himself as an indispensable and unmissable strategic partner in cloud technology, leading to increasing business overlap.

Through observation and previous research (such as knowing that Yun Chu's assistant was used to a certain niche herbal tea brand), on one of the most stressful nights of the project, he had someone deliver that brand of herbal tea to the front desk of the president's office at the top of Yunduan Technology, with the signature "Thank you for the late-night care from our partner - Guanzhi Shen".

When Yun Chu needed data on the regulations of a very obscure country for a new business, Shen Bai "happened" to be conducting relevant overseas research and provided a report that was even more detailed and clear than that of professional institutions at the fastest speed. He casually said, "I had noticed it when I was working on related project materials before, and I just happened to have some on hand."

He used his deep understanding of Yun Chu's subtle habits (work hours, reading preferences) and the areas she was interested in to create the illusion of "coincidence" and "precognition".

Amidst her heavy workload, Yun Chu would occasionally reflect: This Shen Bai always seems to get to the heart of the matter/his efficiency is astonishing. This appreciation is the foundation of her trust.