Only After I Was Reborn Did I Realize That I Had Childhood Sweethearts

Under Mei Fang's advocacy for a free and open corporate culture, there weren't many toasts at CStation's dinner table. When a mid-level manager tried to propose a toast to Mei Lijun, the highest-ranking guest, Mei Fang stopped him.

"Dad doesn't drink much these days. No need to push him."

"Ah, I've worked hard all day—what's wrong with a little drink? Duck intestines taste best with alcohol…"

It wasn't unusual for Mei Lijun, as a father, to ignore his son's advice. But when he reached for the bottle, Lin Youxi's hand pressed down on it, making him withdraw.

Daughters-in-law are a different story.

Lin Youxi said sternly, "Uncle Mei, Mom specifically told me before we left—your liver isn't good, so no drinking. You need to follow orders."

Huh… Youxi, you're already calling her 'Mom,' but still calling me 'Uncle'…

Mei Lijun grumbled but obediently focused on his food. Seeing his father subdued, Mei Fang turned to Uncle Chen Rui to discuss the company's strategic plans.

At last month's management meeting, everyone had approved a restructuring plan—CStation (Linxi Tech) would spin off its game publishing division and merge it with Ximilu Games, which would establish its headquarters in Pengcheng.

The main CStation team remained in Jiangcheng for now, given its size, and would move only after the new building was ready.

Though Uncle had come to Pengcheng, his role wasn't limited to games—Mei Fang would eventually take over that sector. Instead, Mei Fang had assigned him the monumental task of building an ACG (anime, comics, games) IP incubation business—a fourth venture alongside Linxi Tech, Ximilu Games, and Yuanxia Music.

Of course, the entertainment industry couldn't be conquered overnight. Mei Fang wanted Uncle to start with domestic light novels, and tonight was his progress report.

"I've visited several major light novel platforms. They're all interested in investment but show little enthusiasm for acquisitions. One thing they have in common—their founders are all young, barely older than our Station Head. Money isn't their priority, especially Suzhou's 'Happy Bookworm.'"

"Happy Bookworm currently has the highest traffic among domestic light novel sites. I was confident about our offer, but their founder genuinely doesn't care—it's purely a passion project."

"I'd heard Happy Bookworm's owner was wealthy, but notthiswealthy…"

Mei Fang pondered. "In that case, we'll have to poach talent. First, assemble a team to build the site's demo and app. I'll allocate a generous budget to recruit editors and newcomers. User acquisition will be expensive, but CStation can help with some of the traffic."

Uncle nodded. "Even with CStation's internal promotion, the audience demographics differ. We'll need full-channel marketing for real impact."

Xia Yuan had been lost in the discussion until this point.

"So… it's about spending a lot on ads?"

The operations lead beside Uncle confirmed, "Based on our market research, we'd need at least 30 million in promotional spending for decent traction."

"30 million?"

Mei Fang frowned—he didn't have that kind of liquidity right now. "Break down the costs. Let's see where we can optimize."

"Mostly platform exposure and ad production. Professional 4A-level video ads range from 2 to 8 million each. Though CStation has its own creative team, we're far from professional standards. Poor-quality ads would waste exposure opportunities."

Mei Fang thought for a moment. "Cap the budget at 5 million for now."

"5 million? Boss, that's… extremely tight. Just the ad production alone would—"

"We can produce the videos ourselves. If the creativity is strong enough to go viral, we can save on promotion costs."

"But that requires exceptionally high-quality ads, or the money will be wasted…"

"Don't worry about that. Focus on securing platform partnerships. I'll lead the creative team."

The operations lead looked uncertain, glancing at Chen Rui for guidance. Uncle's stance was clear:

"The Station Head makes a good point. Our ads don't need to be ultra-polished. Something raw and youthful could resonate better."

"Plus, the Station Head, Young Miss, and Yuan Bao are already superstars in the ACG community. Their involvement alone will boost visibility. CStation grew this way—we know the playbook."

"Understood. I'll coordinate with platforms for exposure."

"Thanks for your hard work."

After the meeting, the group retired to their hotel rooms. Aside from personal belongings, Uncle had arranged for the rest of Mei Fang's move to be handled overnight, allowing them to move in directly the next day.

Exhausted from driving, Mei Lijun fell asleep immediately after showering. Mei Fang visited Lin Youxi and Xia Yuan's room for some intimacy—and to discuss the dinner conversation.

Freshly showered, Lin Youxi wore only a sheer lace nightgown as she sat in Mei Fang's lap, trimming his nails. His hand rested against her stomach, occasionally giving it a playful squeeze.

As he enjoyed his wife's pampering, breathing in her floral scent, Lin Youxi murmured:

"Since our company expanded, many probably see Uncle as the real boss now…"

Mei Fang stroked her hair. "We barely showed up all senior year—being treated as figureheads is expected. But Uncle's loyalty isn't in question. He just wants to deliver. Still, we should get more involved, especially with the Pengcheng team still settling in."

Lin Youxi nodded. "I'll take charge of the TabTab platform you mentioned. The lead developer, Robin, was part of CStation's core team—handovers will be smooth."

"Can you wrap it up in a month? If not, jumping in mid-development might disrupt progress."

Lin Youxi turned to bite his cheek in mock outrage.

"What kind of programmer do you take me for? Such a simple project needing amonth? With my coding standards, two weeks max. We can reuse CStation's existing game module code—easy."

"Alright, alright… My bad for doubting you."

"Apologies aren't enough. Tonight, you do the work—I'm not lifting a finger."

"Ah, after a whole day in the car, can't we just—mmph—"

Lin Youxi silenced him with a kiss.

"Your mouth says no… but your body seems eager, no?"

Xia Yuan emerged from the shower, hair still dripping, and bounded over. "What're you talking about? Let me in!"

Lin Youxi pulled back from Mei Fang with a smile. "Just coding stuff. Want to join?"

"Ugh… You always get to help Ah Fang… Why not me…"

Xia Yuan hugged Mei Fang from behind, nuzzling his neck.

"Ah Fang, since we're in Pengcheng early, find me something to do besides singing and writing songs…"

"Don't worry, there's plenty."

Mei Fang patted her hand.

"Let's film some viral ads—turn our startup story into a household legend."

"Ads? Like what you mentioned earlier?"

Mei Fang nodded, determination in his voice.

"They may underestimate our youth, but we'll prove—whose era this really is."

"Ah Fang, so cheesy… Haha!"

Xia Yuan giggled, kissing his ear before whispering:

"But also… really cool."

Lin Youxi cupped his face.

"Mmm… Hope tonight's performance matches that speech."

"Uh… I'm kinda tired, maybe we should just slee—"

"No can do."

"Absolutely not!"