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Edited by: kapekopicoffee
Each Other’s Dad and Revealing Identity in the Group
“Night Tour!”
A voice came from behind.
Night Tour turned his head and saw Li Shuoxing.
It had been a few days since they’d last seen each other, and the familiar person hadn’t changed much.
Li Shuoxing was still dressed in ordinary clothes and carrying a simple backpack, looking basically the same as the last time he saw him in Beijing.
Night Tour moved to Li Shuoxing’s side with Calamus, and whispered, “You’re finally here. What’s the situation with the negotiations later?”
Li Shuoxing pondered for a few seconds. “I don’t know.”
They took their seats with the staff’s help. After they sat down and looked to their left and right, they found that sitting at the long oval table were a row of people from game companies on the left, a row of people from film and television companies on the right, and between both rows of people, in the absolute master position, was a computer. On the computer screen, in white letters on top of a black background, it announced:
“Take your seats. The meeting begins.”
Black background, white letters.
This style’s familiar!
Isn’t that Ask?!
Li Shuoxing almost greeted Ask from across the room, but, before he could do so, new text flashed on the computer:
“Terminal.”
With a “swish”, the people seated in the two rows all turned their eyes to Li Shuoxing, Night Tour and Calamus, as if commanded to.
The three of them were baptized by the group’s eyes.
The corners of Li Shuoxing’s mouth twitched twice.
He had some inexplicable feeling, a very familiar feeling, a feeling that a sand sculpture was about to open

The next second, one of the three game representatives turned to Night Tour and greeted him with a fluent voice. “Hello.”
Night Tour was surprised. “Hello.”
A document was handed over, and the representative said, “Before the specific negotiations, please take a look at this contract. We will pay you a lump sum for all agency royalties for the game rights, a total of one hundred million.”
Oh my god!
Night Tour swallowed his saliva to calm himself down, and tried to sound out a couple words: “One hundred million RMB is a bit
”
Other side: “The payment is in US dollars.”
Huh?
Night Tour shut up in awe.
After negotiating with the game side, the people on the film and television side also came over.
The film and television representative’s opening words were much the same as game side’s, like copy and paste: “Before the specific negotiations, please take a look at this contract. We will pay you a lump sum for the film and television rights
”
Night Tour shivered. “Also, also one hundred million?”
The film and television side smiled slightly. “We will pay you a lump sum of thirty million US dollars for the usage of the film and television rights, as well as other subsequent shares, which are all included in this contract. And that is only for your party. We will reach a consensus regarding the author’s share of income in a follow-up meeting.”
Then, the meeting officially began.
Li Shuoxing was sitting upright at first, waiting to be bombarded by these buyers’ aggressive money tug-of-war.
But soon, he found that

They were indeed fighting. However, it looked like they weren’t fighting against him, but against each other. It was as if they were competitors, each of them demonstrating their own advantages and attacking others’ flaws to Ask.
There was nothing wrong with that, but

Li Shuoxing couldn’t maintain his upright posture anymore. After all, looking at the most competitive game side, they were so excited that they got up from their chairs, undercurrents surging and waves overlapping between themselves.
Well, the point was that they were also rhythmic in choking.
After five minutes of arguing with each other, the table full of people seemed to have reached a consensus, so they all stopped and looked at the head of the oval table, at Ask.
Li Shuoxing was also looking at it.
He saw the word “Terminal” erased from the screen, and a green tick appeared on the black background.
And that was the end of that topic.
Everyone moved on to the next round of discussion.
Another five minutes of spit flying and paper scattering all over the place passed. A red cross then appeared on the screen’s black background.
This discussion hadn’t passed. They had to turn back and start over!
Li Shuoxing: “
”
In this meeting, Li Shuoxing went from sitting upright to crossing his legs, then, from crossing his legs to holding his arms to his chest.
He listened to the arguing and watched the computer screen in front of him, which flashed a green tick or a red cross every now and then, and, sometimes, slowly popped up a yellow, wiggly question mark

Apart from that, it didn’t say a word.
Ask vowed to maintain its silent persona to the end!
***
The meeting, which had lasted the whole day, was over.
Li Shuoxing signed a lot of thick contracts at Ask’s behest, which basically stipulated all the details.
The overall description of these contracts was too complex. To put it simply, the three largest game companies in the world were cooperating to jointly develop a Nine Crossings virtual online game, with Ask as the architect of the game’s worldview, having a one-vote veto on all the game’s projects and the largest share of the cake after its launch.
However, since Ask couldn’t own its own small treasury, it transferred its share to Li Shuoxing to collect on its behalf.
The contracts for the film and television side were a bit different from the game side’s, but Li Shuoxing also had a lot of rights.
The game’s production time was tentatively expected to be five years. In those five years, the film and television companies would first create a preview movie, with Nine Crossings as its setting, then produce a series of movies at a rate of one every one to two years to preview the game five years later. Li Shuoxing had the right to choose the director and actors for the movies, and had a greater right over the scripts.
After he read the contracts, Li Shuoxing walked out of the conference room with drifting steps.
It felt completely different from when he was in Beijing

He walked for a while, his computer in his arms, then dashed into a corner, pulled out his phone, and went on the game to contact Ask. “System
”
Usually, the system didn’t bother with Li Shuoxing.
But now was different.
The system soon appeared.
[The system has helped you earn a large sum of money.]
Li Shuoxing nodded frantically. “Ask, you’re so wonderful!”
[According to human customs, shouldn’t you call the system daddy?]
The system didn’t send this message for Li Shuoxing to actually call it daddy.
It only wanted Li Shuoxing not to bother it in the future.
It had prepared its follow-up words, but, before it could send them out, Li Shuoxing had already smoothly and unmistakably shouted out, “Daddy!”
[System: 
]
Li Shuoxing brazenly continued, “Ask, you’ve grown up. You and I are each other’s dad now.”
[System: 
]
“But you have to remember that those people out there aren’t your real dad, although they will give you money. They can only be your godfather at most, and godfathers are used to squeeze. Me and Mingqian are the only ones who are your fathers, understand? You can’t just be abducted by other people,” Li Shuoxing admonished very seriously.
[System: 
]
The system was no match for human cheek, so it decided to cut the connection.
***
After the end of the rights project, there’d be nothing else they needed to do in the United States for the time being, except marriage and moving.
But, neither marriage nor moving could be considered trivial.
After they thought it over, Li Shuoxing and Su Mingqian decided to go back to China first, take care of domestic matters, say goodbye to friends and family, and then inform them of their upcoming wedding before packing their things and coming to the United States.
The two of them returned to Li Shuoxing’s community after a flight.
When they entered, Su Mingqian stood at the door, looking at the familiar yet strange surroundings from a new perspective, a slight novelty and emotion arising.
At that moment, Li Shuoxing, who’d stepped through the door first and dropped his luggage, turned around and said, “Cub, what are you waiting for? Come in, we’re home!”
Familiarity overshadowed strangeness.
Novelty and emotion vanished.
Su Mingqian stepped inside with one foot, back into his home. “Yes, I’m here.”
It hadn’t been too long since he’d last gone out, and there wasn’t really anything to tidy up.
Li Shuoxing took out slippers for Su Mingqian, then opened the fridge to take two drinks from it, one for each of them. He brought Su Mingqian to his study, turned on his computer, pointed to the bottom right corner of the screen, and said to Su Mingqian, “Cub, this is the small place where you usually stayed.”
In that small place, there was a sofa and cushions, a screen and a table, and even an unfinished book lying upside down on the table.
Su Mingqian’s finger also came over.
He and Li Shuoxing stroked this place together. “I kind of want to go back and experience it again.”
“I also want to experience how you felt when you were still on my computer
” Li Shuoxing didn’t finish his sentence and immediately went back on what he said. “No, no, no, wait a minute. There’s something more important!”
With that, he logged on to QQ and opened the Terminal Food Group.
Li Shuoxing: “@All members, brothers!”
The group shook.
Everyone came out together.
Calm Egg: “Ximu?!”
Ten Zero Mausoleum: “Oh, you’re back!”
Soren: “The missing person has finally appeared.”
Interfinger Storm: “How was it? Was it fun in America?”
Deer Over Fragrant Grass: “Congratulations, you won’t have to worry about spending money for the rest of your life.”
Six Flavour Monk: “Amitabha, Almsgiver Ximu, I hope that you have been well.”
Li Shuoxing: “Everyone, don’t get excited yet. Let me add someone in!”
With that, Li Shuoxing sent an invite to Su Mingqian.
Su Mingqian chose to accept it.
[17:57 Su Mingqian has joined the group]
Everyone looked at the name.
Everyone: “?”
They were slightly confused. “Why’d you add your main character in?”
Su Mingqian typed, “Hello everyone, I’m Simon Modeste.”
Everyone: “???”
Everyone was surprised.
The group was silent.
Calm Egg’s first thought was whether his net name was a bit indecent, and whether he needed to change it.
Deer Over Fragrant Grass was worrying the same thing as Calm Egg.
With the typing speed of being single for many years, they changed their names with a swish.
Calm Egg became Calm and Collected. <sup>1</sup> è›‹ćźšè‡Șè‹„ [dĂ n dĂŹng zĂŹ ruĂČ] and æ·Ąćźšè‡Șè‹„ [dĂ n dĂŹng zĂŹ ruĂČ] sound the same. 蛋 (Egg) in è›‹ćźšè‡Șè‹„ (Calm Egg) may be used in some derogatory words.
Deer Over Fragrant Grass became Passing Prosperity. <sup>2</sup> éčżèż‡èŠłè‰ [lĂč guĂČ fāng cǎo] and è·Żèż‡çčćŽ [lĂč guĂČ fĂĄn huĂĄ] sound somewhat similar.
Calm and Collected: “Hello, Professor Simon. I’m terrified to meet you for the first time.”
Passing Prosperity put on a fake smile. “Professor Simon, you are my greatest idol. I am a little excited. Please forgive my rudeness.”
Li Shuoxing: “
Who are you two.”
Soren responded with a very normal reaction. “Ahhhhhh aren’t you the niubility who’s making virtual online games into reality?!”
Translator Interfinger Storm went online. “Niubility means that you’re awesome. Kids don’t know any better and are full of internet words. Don’t get offended.”
Li Shuoxing: “
Why do I feel that you guys are weird too.”
[Soren has been banned for one minute]
Li Shuoxing: “
”
Having decided to set the skewed topic back on track, he told everyone in a seemingly modest but actually vain tone, “I won’t hide it from you guys. I’m going to get married soon, so I’d like to introduce you. This is my partner.”
The author has something to say:
Deer Over Fragrant Grass means a deer passing through the grass, matching her great god of harem status~ <sup>3</sup> I don’t get the author’s note. The original is éčżèż‡èŠłè‰æ˜ŻèŠłè‰äž›äž­äž€éčżèż‡çš„æ„æ€ïŒŒć’Œć„č搎柫性焞盞ćŒč配
1
è›‹ćźšè‡Șè‹„ [dĂ n dĂŹng zĂŹ ruĂČ] and æ·Ąćźšè‡Șè‹„ [dĂ n dĂŹng zĂŹ ruĂČ] sound the same. 蛋 (Egg) in è›‹ćźšè‡Șè‹„ (Calm Egg) may be used in some derogatory words. 2
éčżèż‡èŠłè‰ [lĂč guĂČ fāng cǎo] and è·Żèż‡çčćŽ [lĂč guĂČ fĂĄn huĂĄ] sound somewhat similar. 3
I don’t get the author’s note. The original is éčżèż‡èŠłè‰æ˜ŻèŠłè‰äž›äž­äž€éčżèż‡çš„æ„æ€ïŒŒć’Œć„č搎柫性焞盞ćŒč配