186: Gambling or Investing?

Early Sunday morning, the air in Jiangcheng was thick with humid heat.

Before the cicadas could even start their chorus, the tranquility of Xisheng Mansion neighborhood was broken.

A black commercial vehicle with a special license plate was quietly parked at the entrance of the neighborhood.

The car body was black and shiny, and the Red Flag emblem on the hood was particularly striking in the morning light.

A man and a woman, both dressed in formal attire, were already waiting by the car,

their posture remaining straight even though fine sweat was beginning to bead on their foreheads.

"Whose car is that?"

"It looks like the kind only leaders on TV ride in."

"I wonder which leader lives here too."

...Neighbors returning from morning exercise, carrying soy milk and fried dough sticks, pointed from afar, their eyes filled with envy.

The Lin Family of three had just stepped out the main door.

Lin Jianguo deliberately slowed his pace, walking with his head held high and chest puffed out,

wishing he could engrave the words "My son is going to The Capital" on his forehead.

Wang Xiulian tightly gripped Lin Que's arm, while her other hand occasionally straightened his collar, which wasn't even messy.

Her gaze swept over the envious faces of the surrounding neighbors, and her back was straighter than when she usually did square dancing.

"Student Lin, please hand your luggage to me."

Seeing Lin Que emerge, the male functionary immediately stepped forward, his attitude excessively polite.

This was the "sole prodigy" designated by the higher-ups for key protection, the genius who was one of the province's two stars.

"Thank you for the trouble."

Lin Que gave a slight nod, his expression calm.

Lin Jianguo watched the two functionaries carefully place the luggage into the trunk,

his vanity was greatly satisfied, but when he turned to look at his son, his paternal authority started to waver.

"When you get to The Capital, don't be afraid to spend money."

Lin Jianguo patted Lin Que's shoulder, his palm rough and strong.

"You're going for an exam, not to suffer. We're not short on money now."

"I know, Dad."

"And also, that..."

Wang Xiulian held Lin Que's hand, her fingernails lightly pinching the back of his hand.

"Drink plenty of water, and don't be nervous. Don't put too much pressure on yourself; just treat it like a trip."

"Mom, I'm not going to the execution ground."

Lin Que smiled helplessly, turning his hand to squeeze his mother's.

"Don't worry."

He bent down and slipped into the car.

The heavy car door closed with a 'bang,' isolating the outside heat and the proud yet worried gaze of his parents.

Through the dark, one-way glass, the outside world seemed to be covered by a filter.

Lin Jianguo was still gesturing to an old neighbor passing by, probably showing off the car's origins,

but the fingers of the hand behind his back were unconsciously clenched tight.

Wang Xiulian handed the half-empty bottle of water Lin Que had just drunk from to her husband,

but her eyes were glued to the slowly starting wheels, as if she wanted to engrave the tire treads into her memory.

Lin Que withdrew his gaze, leaned back on the leather seat, and gently let out a breath of stale air.

The more pomp and circumstance there was, the heavier the invisible burden... Jiangcheng Airport, VIP Lounge.

Shen Qingqiu had traded her usual serious teacher's professional attire for a set of casual travel clothes today.

"You're here."

Shen Qingqiu put down her coffee, her gaze lingering on Lin Que's dark blue custom suit,

then she nodded slightly, her expression relaxing somewhat.

"This outfit is good; you look a bit like a Top Scholar now."

"You flatter me, Teacher." Lin Que sat down across from her.

Shen Qingqiu didn't waste words. She took a thick brown paper envelope from her bag and slid it across the table toward Lin Que.

"What is this?"

Lin Que raised an eyebrow.

"A small token of goodwill from the entire school."

Shen Qingqiu adjusted her glasses.

"It's the 'Exam Assistance Fund' specially approved by the Principal, totaling five thousand yuan."

Lin Que rested his fingers on the envelope, feeling the thickness of the stack of banknotes.

Five thousand yuan.

For a public high school constantly struggling with tight budgets, this money was squeezed out from between their teeth.

"The Principal said,"

Shen Qingqiu looked into Lin Que's eyes and repeated the message word for word.

"This money isn't for you to buy books; it's for you to eat well and live comfortably in The Capital.

Take taxis instead of squeezing onto the subway, and don't eat at roadside stalls.

Although our Jiangcheng No. 1 High School isn't a noble school, we can't let our only seed contestant suffer materially."

Lin Que was silent for a moment, then tucked the envelope into his inner pocket and patted it lightly.

"Please thank the Principal for me."

Lin Que smiled, his eyes clear.

"This is quite a big bet. It looks like if I don't come back with a good ranking, I won't be able to pay this money back."

"You don't need to pay back the money."

Shen Qingqiu stood up, picking up her bag.

"Just return with the Top Scholar title."

...Ten thousand meters up, the clouds spread out like a snowfield.

In the spacious first-class seat, Shen Qingqiu turned her head,

and looked at the young man beside her who had just fastened his seatbelt and put on an eye mask, ready to sleep. She felt a little distracted.

Just a few months ago, this kid was writing chilling ghost stories like "back to back" in his essays, and she considered him a "problem student" needing major correction.

Who would have thought that in less than a year, he would become a "prodigy" carrying the hopes of the entire province to take the exam in The Capital?

"Lin Que."

Shen Qingqiu couldn't help but speak.

"Did you not sleep well last night? Are you too nervous?"

"Not nervous, no."

Lin Que's voice came out muffled from beneath the eye mask, carrying a heavy sense of exhaustion.

"I just talked too much last night; it was a bit exhausting mentally."

Shen Qingqiu chuckled silently and didn't ask further, assuming he must have been preparing late into the night.

Lin Que pulled the eye mask down to block the light, pulled the blanket up, and said nothing more,

leaving Shen Qingqiu with the profile of someone peacefully falling asleep.

The monotonous, hypnotic roar of the engine filled his ears. Lin Que pulled down his eye mask, plunging his vision into darkness.

But this didn't make him fall asleep immediately; instead, it reminded him of the four-hour phone call from last night.

That night, Director Guo Changhe's voice was even more excited than the plane's engine... "And the visual impact of red and white in *peerless elegance*, that sense of destiny... this is exactly what I want!"

"Especially the part where Zhao Li sells his soul for the zither—I've already drawn the storyboards in my head! If we can shoot this, it will definitely be the ceiling for Chinese Web Dramas!"

The call duration had already reached four hours.

Lin Que held his phone, his fingertips tapping rhythmically on the table.

As expected of Director Guo Changhe, even in this timeline, his sense for the camera was terrifyingly sharp.

"Director Guo."

Lin Que interrupted his endless stream of words, his voice having been processed by a voice changer.

"Since you've said so much, and I understand your intentions, it's time we discuss the Copyright Fee."

The other end of the phone instantly fell silent.

After several seconds, Director Guo Changhe finally spoke hesitantly,

the confidence in his tone deflating like a punctured balloon.

"Well... Teacher, to be honest. Although Perfect Jianxin still has a name, its cash flow has been a bit tight recently."

"We can only offer two million..."

Director Guo Changhe felt his face flush as he said these words.

"I know this price doesn't do your work justice."

Director Guo Changhe quickly added.

"But I can guarantee that I will spend every single penny on production! I absolutely won't let this divine work be tarnished!"

Lin Que chuckled softly.

The laughter sounded somewhat meaningful in the quiet night.

"Director Guo, two million yuan isn't even enough to hire a second-tier Celebrity, is it?"

"I won't hire celebrities!"

Director Guo Changhe grew anxious.

"I'll find acting talent! I'll find newcomers! As long as the script is good, it can be a hit even without celebrities!"

"Fine."

Lin Que suddenly changed the subject.

"Since you have this confidence, why don't we make a bet?"

"A bet... on what?"

"I won't charge a Copyright Fee."

Lin Que's voice was calm.

"In fact, I can even provide investment as the Startup Capital for the film adaptation of *soul ferry*."

Silence fell in the receiver; even the previously rapid breathing seemed to be cut off.

After a full five seconds, Director Guo Changhe's voice, dry as if he had swallowed sand, finally came through:

"Teacher, isn't this joke... going too far?"

"I'm not joking."

Lin Que's voice, processed by the voice changer, carried a distorted coldness, yet every word was weighty.

"But I have a condition, or rather, a Wagering Agreement.

I want 40% of the net profit from all channels after the series launches, plus Permanent Dividend Rights for all subsequent derivative development."

Director Guo Changhe was completely dumbfounded.

Give up the guaranteed Copyright Fee, even pay money out of pocket, just to gamble on an unknown future?

In this circle driven by instant success, authors selling copyrights is always a one-time transaction. Who would be willing to share the risk with the production team?

Unless... this madman was absolutely certain the series would be a massive hit!

"Teacher, you are... making a High-Stakes Gamble."

Director Guo Changhe swallowed, his voice dry.

"It's not a High-Stakes Gamble; it's an investment."

Lin Que leaned back in his chair, his gaze passing through the floor-to-ceiling window,

as if he saw the billions of views of *soul ferry* in his previous life, and the countless fervent fans who binged the show late into the night.

"I'm not interested in that small Buyout Fee; I want *soul ferry* to become a phenomenon."

Lin Que's voice was deep and powerful, carrying a hint of seduction.

"Director Guo, I dare to stake my wealth on you. Do you dare to take this challenge?"

A long silence fell in the receiver, with only the static of the current spreading.

Director Guo Changhe on the other end seemed to be desperately trying to digest this insane proposal.

After a long while, Director Guo Changhe's voice came through,

no longer hesitant, but instead carrying a reckless determination.

"Since Teacher dares to stake his wealth on me, if I back down now, I might as well quit being a director! I accept this challenge!"

"It's a pleasure working with you."

...