NOVEL NEXT Chapter 354: I Need My Share Too
After the car shenanigans, Mei Fang finally got to meet his dormmates. When he arrived in the afternoon, the floor was packed with guys playingThree Kingdoms Kill—the social game that had become ubiquitous among young men. The match was so intense no one noticed Mei Fang's entrance until—
"You're here too?"
Mei Fang spotted a familiar face among the players—Zhang Ming, who looked equally surprised. "You're actually dorming?"
"Holy shit, it's the Stationmaster!"
Li Guidong, the Cantonese guy from registration, clapped Mei Fang's shoulder. Unlike the girls' chatter, the guys grew awkwardly silent around real celebrities. Li Guidong, ever the extrovert, broke the ice:
"Talk about fate—same registration line, same dorm! I'm your bunkmate!"
"And my bestie's here too? Wild."
All eyes turned to Zhang Ming, who'd been dominating the game. The unassuming guy squirmed under attention until Xia Yuan and Lin Youxi greeted him from behind Mei Fang:
"Long time no see, Zhang Ming!"
Their acknowledgment cemented Zhang Ming's connection to the C Station trio, earning him awed stares.
Following C Station's tradition of mutual support, after Mei Fang's performance for the girls' dorm, it was Lin Youxi and Xia Yuan's turn. One made Mei Fang's bed while the other cleaned his desk, leaving him free to chat.
"Relax, guys. Ask me anything—I might not dorm much."
His "nervousness" was pure acting. At 19, Mei Fang had 14 years of coding experience, performed for thousands, and rubbed shoulders with elites—far beyond his timid past self.
The mood lightened, and one bold soul ventured:
"Stationmaster, your mom—"
"Hmm?"
Mei Fang's sudden glare made the guy backtrack: "I mean—you handled everything alone? No parents? That's impressive."
"Not alone. We three help each other."
"Couldn't you just hire assistants?"
"I don't have personal staff."
"No secretary?! You're a CEO!"
"A-Fang doesn't need one."
Lin Youxi climbed down from the bunk, draping over Mei Fang: "YuanYuan and I handle secretary duties. Why waste money?"
"Y-Yeah!"
Xia Yuan, startled by Lin Youxi's rare inclusion of her, added: "We've supported each other since kindergarten. Running a company's no different."
"Legendary childhood friends…"
"My childhood friend was ugly—no wonder I forgot her."
"LMAO!"
Though the conversation flowed, it revolved entirely around C Station, essentially becoming a user feedback session. Mei Fang soon excused himself, promising to treat everyone later.
"Being famous makes real friendships hard."
"Really? You seemed fine with the girls," Lin Youxi mused.
Xia Yuan sighed: "Surface-level. I asked them to call me Xia Yuan, but it's all 'Yuanbao.' I hate being the centerpiece."
"Celebrity tax," Mei Fang shrugged while driving.
Truthfully, integrating into university life was nearly impossible for someone of his stature. While Zhang Ming bridged the gap from middle school, others either idolized or resented the disruption to their college experience. Worse, any misstep could become blackmail material—especially for image-conscious Xia Yuan.
Guilt gnawed at Mei Fang. He'd shaped Xia Yuan's career, but this wasn't her original dream.
"YuanYuan, if you ever hate this life, tell me—"
"I'm just venting! I love singing, fans, and helping you."
"But if you could redo it—would you chase your first dream? Being a teacher?"
That memory—of borrowing 10 yuan to buy lottery tickets with a young Xia Yuan, sharing dreams under sunset—was etched in Mei Fang's mind. But would she remember?
"That… was ages ago!"
"I remember," Lin Youxi interjected. "Though your dreams kept shrinking: being A-Fang's wife at 10, girlfriend at 15, dating at 17—"
"STOP! Why do they all revolve around him?!" Xia Yuan flushed.
"Reality shrinks dreams," Lin Youxi said. "Except A-Fang's—always just wanted money."
"Youdoremember!"
Mei Fang had blurted that out post-rebirth at age five.
"It was shocking then!"
Xia Yuan turned to Lin Youxi: "What wasyourchildhood dream?"
"Didn't have one until A-Fang taught me coding. Helping him felt cool—something even YuanYuan couldn't do."
"Wait—were you scheming to steal him even back then?!"
Lin Youxi smirked: "Why couldyoucling to him but not me?"
As she whispered teasingly into Xia Yuan's ear, Mei Fang groaned:
"I'm the real victim here! Serving you two vamps daily—my stamina's not infinite!"
"Says the man who 'can't go on' yet revs up nightly," Lin Youxi purred.
"Pot meet kettle! You're just as bad!" Xia Yuan pouted. "I'm the one struggling to keep up!"
"Oh please—you demand fairness but never lift a finger! At least Youxi helps. You just lie there!"
"I'm exhausted! Look at these dark circles!"
"We should cool it this month," Mei Fang conceded. "The Fandomverse launch can't wait."
"Fine," Lin Youxi agreed. "But I'll still collect 'taxes'—routine maintenance."
"Thrice weekly?"
"Twice!" Xia Yuan interjected. "I need my share too!"
"Ugh, always copying like a kid," Lin Youxi sighed.
"She's stuck in elementary school—if you get something, she must too."
Seeing Xia Yuan's puppy eyes, Mei Fang relented: "Fine, twice. Butyouput in effort this time!"
"Yes! Don't worry—I'm great at simple collections!"
Beneath the banter, unease simmered. Fandomverse's success was far from guaranteed.
August's million-dollar marketing blitz would culminate in September's launch—a make-or-break moment. Mei Fang had plunged into the internet's capital bloodbath, exhausting years of savings and accruing nearly 100 million in loans.
While normal for startups, he needed to dazzle investors fast. His final trump card—Bitcoin—wasn't ripe yet; cashing out before its 2017 peak would be wasteful.
In the conference room, the trio reviewed launch plans. Key staff, including cousin Mei Yue, had arrived from Jiangcheng. This all-in gamble demanded perfection.
During a break, Mei Yue finally cornered her cousin:
"You've lost weight. Don't overwork."
"I'm energized! Ready for launch."
Mei Yue sighed inwardly.
Love really does wonders for a man's vigor.
…Kind of jealous.