496: We are all adults

“Alright!” Dou Shan responded almost without thinking, as if she had rehearsed this answer countless times in her mind, finally waiting for the right moment to blurt it out.

Compared to Mr. Xu’s romantic experience, Old Ma’s was like comparing Aoyou Tianxia to his own Penguin platform.

Even if Old Ma was a bit unconvinced, the reality before his eyes was—the gap wasn't just a little bit big.

Therefore, as soon as he saw the subtle relationship between Dou Shan and Mr. Xu, he immediately understood and decisively prepared to make himself scarce.

“Oh, right, Mr. Xu, I just remembered I have a few clients over there I need to meet. After the overseas version of legend of the celestial master launches, many people want to use our Penguin platform to get a piece of the pie, but we can also benefit from it.

So I’d like to go over there and chat first.”

“I’ll come back to find you later, Mr. Xu, Miss Dou, please excuse me.”

With that, Old Ma left with a meaningful smile and strode away, turning to disappear into the crowd before Mr. Xu could even call him back.

He thought to himself, Old Ma is so old, yet he can still be so energetic, even more so than those young people just entering society.

Everyone here is an adult, so such matters are naturally understood without words.

So when Mr. Xu looked at Dou Shan at this moment, he felt a slight awkwardness in his heart.

Dou Shan, however, appeared graceful; although her expression initially carried a hint of shyness, her curiosity about Mr. Xu, who at such a young age far surpassed her in all aspects, gradually overcame her reservations.

Just then, an announcement came over the venue's loudspeaker:

“Registration for the China Internet Summit has been completed. All guests, please take your seats.

Next, the organizers will arrange the participants. Guests who wish to participate, please take your seats promptly. The conference is about to begin.”

This year was already the sixteenth summit, and after so many years of development and accumulation, except for the new companies that had emerged in the past year or two, other attendees were already well-versed in the procedures.

Although Mr. Xu had initially received the agenda, he wasn't particularly clear about the specific arrangements.

Old Ma, who was originally responsible for leading the way, had misinterpreted the relationship between Mr. Xu and Dou Shan and simply left, leaving Mr. Xu feeling a bit lost for a moment, unsure how to proceed.

Dou Shan, always observant, immediately noticed Mr. Xu’s awkward situation but didn't directly point it out. Instead, she expressed it in a different way:

“Mr. Xu, my father and I often attended these types of summits, so we are quite familiar with the entire conference process.

If you don't have any special arrangements today, would you like to walk around and see it together?”

Upon hearing this, Mr. Xu looked deeply at Dou Shan.

Indeed, those who can reach this position, whether or not they have family support, are highly capable in terms of ability, conversation, and emotional intelligence.

What could have been an awkward situation, when spoken by Dou Shan, sounded more like a friendly invitation.

Since Dou Shan had already extended such a warm invitation, Mr. Xu, being a grown man, naturally stopped being polite and responded with a smiling nod:

“That would be great, of course. Walking around the venue with a beauty like Miss Dou, I’m afraid many people will be envious of me.

But honestly, I’m quite nervous myself.

After all, with such a beautiful girl standing next to me, I imagine many men’s eyes would be like daggers—if looks could kill, I’d probably have reincarnated several times already.”

“Hahaha, Mr. Xu, you’re so good with words.

Clearly, I’m the one benefiting from your presence. Who doesn’t know Aoyou Tianxia now? Only those without internet access might not have heard of it.

Being too modest is a bit tsundere, and Mr. Xu isn't that kind of person, is he?”

“Naturally, I am very confident in my company's technical strength.

I believe no one present can easily compare.”

When it came to the company's technology, Mr. Xu felt completely confident.

What he possessed was a system that was at least three centuries ahead of current technology, so he naturally didn't pay much attention to ordinary internet technology.

Mr. Xu didn't notice that when he spoke, the powerful confidence he naturally exuded, combined with the enthusiasm of youth and the composure of a mature entrepreneur, subtly elevated his demeanor by several levels.

Dou Shan, standing beside him, gazed at the man whom she considered almost omnipotent, watching his kingly presence in his professional field. A momentary trance came over her, and she even seemed lost in thought.

After Mr. Xu finished speaking, an indescribable surge of excitement suddenly rose in his heart. Looking back at the ups and downs of the past year, his heart was filled with determination and passion.

When he turned his head, he saw Dou Shan looking at him with gentle eyes, and he involuntarily paused.

Her clear eyes, slightly moving lips, and the subtle aura emanating from her, intertwined with Mr. Xu's own confidence and charisma, wove a delicate sentiment between them.

The atmosphere in that instant was like a taut string, tender yet tense.

Dou Shan’s heart involuntarily quickened, and a strange anticipation rose deep within her. She wished for time to stop at that moment, not moving forward even an inch.

Fortunately, no one disturbed this rare moment of tranquility.

The two quietly savored the feeling of closeness until the host announced that the conference was about to begin again, and as guests started to enter, they smiled softly, talking as they walked into the venue and took their seats... However, Mr. Xu didn't notice that a figure in a corner of the venue had witnessed their brief but affectionate moment.

“See? Accurate intelligence, right?”

“Don’t worry, Boss, I exchanged a lot of favors for this piece of information, it's absolutely true! I can vouch for it.”

“Good, I trust your judgment.

The reason you've been able to stay by my side for so many years is because your abilities make me trust you.” The boss nodded slowly, “Now the company needs to break through and develop. Our real formidable enemy isn't Old Ma's Penguin platform, nor Ma Yun's gaming company, nor old-brand enterprises like Ding Sanshi.”

“Our enemy is Aoyou Tianxia, which has risen suddenly this year.”

“If we want to climb higher, the first step is to restrict their movements.

You understand what to do, right?”

“Clear, Boss! I've already gathered some useful information, enough to significantly diminish the help that Mr. Xu brings to Aoyou Tianxia.”

“Very good, then go ahead and do it. Remember our principle of operation.”

“I know, never expose our identity. I’ve always remembered that bottom line!”

“Go.”

...