Brother Chen's death was ruled an accident. Given the circumstances, it would have been difficult to stage, and there were no suspicious elements at the scene, so the case was quickly closed.
He had a bad reputation in the industry, and his artists weren't particularly loyal to him, mainly because he was opportunistic and would do anything to achieve his goals. Zhu Chongyan had been grateful to him before, but after the incident where he was drugged, he had wished him dead. Now, he was just going through the motions.
After watching his ashes being claimed by his family, the two left the police station.
Zhu Lin's friend was a renowned "tycoon" in the entertainment industry, a second-generation heir with business acumen who had made a fortune through his shrewd dealings.
That person had initially looked down on Gu Zhu Lin. But now that Gu Ying Rong was crippled, and knowing that the Gu family's fortune would inevitably go to her within the same circle, he naturally seized the opportunity to curry favor.
As for why Zhu Lin chose him, it was because this man excelled in business but was clueless in other areas. He was one of the backers of the woman who caused Zhu Chongyan's sister's death.
If not for the concept of collective karma, and if this world had descended into an apocalypse, then that woman would likely be considered the protagonist of this world.
She was a transmigration soul.
Sheng Jiang Chen, CEO of Sheng Wei Entertainment, greeted them with a smile, "Miss Gu, long time no see. You look well. Is there some good news?"
Zhu Lin smiled, "Mr. Sheng, long time no see. There is indeed good news. I didn't bring wedding candy today, so I'm informing you in advance. Mr. Sheng, you can prepare your congratulatory gift early."
Sheng Jiang Chen: "..."
The good news he was referring to was Gu Ying Rong's crippling injury, meaning the Gu family's inheritance would be within Gu Zhu Lin's grasp.
How did it turn into a discussion about congratulatory gifts?
"Look at me, I forgot to introduce. This is my fiancé, Zhu Chongyan. Ah Yan, this is Mr. Sheng from Sheng Wei."
Both men looked utterly bewildered.
After a moment, they managed to offer awkward yet polite smiles and shook hands.
"Hello, Mr. Sheng."
"Hello, Mr. Zhu. Please, have a seat."
Sheng Wei's secretary served tea. Sheng Jiang Chen wanted to discuss future cooperation with Zhu Lin, but with Zhu Chongyan present, he didn't know how to start.
Zhu Lin also wanted to cooperate with him to cut off one of the transmigration protagonist's paths, so she proactively said, "Ah Yan is here for an audition. Could you have someone take him? I'd like to have a discussion with Mr. Sheng about a deal."
Sheng Jiang Chen, who was already looking for an excuse, quickly called his secretary and asked her to take Zhu Chongyan to the audition.
After the young man left, Sheng Jiang Chen asked, "Are you serious? Didn't you have an engagement with that person surnamed Qin? Could he be the one in that video?"
"Yes."
Sheng Jiang Chen was speechless with surprise. "Miss Gu, we've been old friends for so many years, and I never knew you had this inclination. If you truly like him, you can keep him. Why go through all this trouble? Besides, even if you marry the Qin fellow, he wouldn't dare to control you."
"Are you saying you don't want to give a congratulatory gift?" Zhu Lin directly dispelled all his unrealistic speculations. "I have no interest in the Qin fellow. If you think it's for some other reason, that's even more absurd. Do I look like someone who needs to sell her marriage to survive?"
Sheng Jiang Chen didn't know what to say.
The former Gu Zhu Lin was somewhat gloomy and didn't openly express her emotions. Her usual style of handling affairs made her difficult to read. Although she wasn't particularly intelligent, she gave the impression of being formidable.
Unfortunately, she hadn't done anything truly earth-shattering so far. Compared to ordinary socialites, she was merely more aloof and mysterious.
This was precisely what Zhu Lin could exploit.
"That's not it," Sheng Jiang Chen chuckled. "What's there to sell or not sell? Isn't it all the same? But if you like it, I have nothing to say. I heard Gu Ying Rong's legs won't recover?"
"I don't know. I haven't seen her."
Sheng Jiang Chen: "...You really don't care."
This was a matter of inheritance rights.
"Why should I care? Mr. Sheng, I'm here today to discuss business with you. Let's not bring up those annoying things. I have a proposition, would you be interested?"
"Oh, you want to discuss business with me? Not the Gu family?"
"Certainly not."
Sheng Jiang Chen's eyes shifted. "I'm all ears."
Zhu Lin painted a picture for him, as if describing a grand vision, of the future world of artificial intelligence that the system had described. The concept of near-fully automated social services and facilities was something anyone would yearn for.
Sheng Jiang Chen was no exception.
But he felt there were too many loopholes. "Miss Gu, what you're describing is indeed very attractive. If I had a son, I would definitely encourage him to pursue it. But where is artificial intelligence now? Do you think it can reach the level you're talking about in just a few years?"
Zhu Lin smiled, "Mr. Sheng, people of the Qing Dynasty riding horses two hundred years ago wouldn't have imagined that automobiles powered by engines already existed thousands of miles away."
Sheng Jiang Chen: "..." Was she mocking him for being stuck in his ways?
"Don't worry, if I weren't confident, I wouldn't be here painting you such a picture. I already have some data. If you don't believe me, you can try it out first. You don't have to invest if you're afraid of losses. You can just help me manage the people."
Sheng Jiang Chen: "...You want to hire me to work for you?"
"It's not wrong to think of it that way."
Sheng Jiang Chen was almost amused to death. Wasn't it more comfortable being his own boss? Why would he work for someone else?
However...
Fully automated, even sentient, robots that could be cleaners, chefs, or even soldiers... it was too tempting to resist!
"Before I agree, can I see the materials you have?"
"Of course."
Zhu Lin left him with a document of several dozen pages. These were meticulously selected by her. Everything was based on the current development of artificial intelligence, yet reached a level that they wouldn't attain for decades. As long as Sheng Jiang Chen read it, he would surely agree.
She went downstairs; Zhu Chongyan had already finished his audition.
Zhu Lin didn't ask how he felt. Seeing his slightly pleased expression was enough to tell her that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, he would likely get the role.
With both talent and background, if there were still any mishaps, she would have to deal with whoever caused them.
Getting into the car, Zhu Chongyan asked, "Why didn't you ask me anything?"
"I believe in you."
Zhu Chongyan smiled triumphantly.
—
"Sir, her blood is very special. It contains an energy that can rapidly heal wounds. We've analyzed her blood, and it matches Miss Cheng's. Moreover, Miss Cheng now has that magical heart, and her body will be very healthy in the future."
The man seemed surprised that the person he had casually picked up brought such unexpected joy. At the time, he had only thought she resembled his beloved to some extent, never imagining their hearts would be a match.
"Really!"
"It's true. Here are the test results."
"Excellent, that's wonderful!" The man, who usually maintained a cold demeanor, couldn't help but smile. "Then prepare to condition Miss Cheng's body, and when she is ready, proceed with the surgery."
The doctor felt nothing unusual about this. "Yes, sir. We will begin preparations immediately."
No one noticed the woman standing behind the marble pillar.
No one noticed her ecstatic expression.