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“Not exactly,” Lin Xian replied calmly. “I’m considering starting my own venture.”

“Have you thought this through?”

“Not completely,” Lin Xian admitted, shaking his head. “I’m a bit confused right now. A lot has happened recently. I’ve gained some capital, but… I’m unsure what to do next or how to proceed.”

“I admire your achievements in the business world at such a young age. I aspire to do something similar, so I’m thinking of taking this chance while I’m young and have the resources to start my own business. Of course, I’m not saying I’m quitting MX Company right away.”

Realizing he had piqued Zhao Ying Jun’s interest, Lin Xian continued cautiously, “I still feel I lack experience. I don’t know much about business or management. Rushing into starting a business now wouldn’t be wise.”

“I still want to learn more from you, acquire more skills. There’s no rush to start a business, but having a plan and direction beforehand is crucial.”

“That’s actually why I wanted to have dinner with you. If you don’t mind… I’d like to discuss this with you tonight, to hear your opinions and advice.”

Lin Xian used the possibility of leaving MX Company as leverage against Zhao Ying Jun. It was her major concern. He held half the copyrights of the Rhine Cat, and his departure might prompt a renegotiation of ownership.

Furthermore, Lin Xian’s innovative designs were the real value behind the Rhine Cat. Additionally, Professor Xu Yun’s authorization of a magical chemical substance was in Lin Xian’s possession. He could withdraw MX Company’s authorization at any time and grant it to other cosmetic companies. This posed a real danger to MX Company.

These issues were manageable as long as Lin Xian stayed with MX Company. However, if he ever left, the timing and impact of these potential problems would become critical.

Lin Xian had no intention of leaving MX Company; he hadn’t even received the Genius Club invitation yet. But without using this leverage, Zhao Ying Jun wouldn’t have agreed to dinner. If she accepted the dinner, her schedule would change, altering the course of events.

If the shooting happened tonight, Zhao Ying Jun could avoid it, thus changing the history that led to her premature death.

“Hmm…” Zhao Ying Jun nodded thoughtfully. “Your concerns are valid. If you have plans for a business or ideas for commercial development, I can certainly share some of my experiences—though they’re more lessons learned from failures.”

“But I’m sorry, Lin Xian,” Zhao Ying Jun leaned back in her chair. “Tonight isn’t possible. I already have an appointment.”

She pulled out some documents Lin Xian had prepared about the Rhine Cat. Zhao Ying Jun had mentioned showing them to other composers.

“Tonight, I’ve arranged a meeting with a top domestic music producer to discuss the Rhine Cat’s theme song. We scheduled it late because he has another dinner first. I need to wait for him to finish before we can meet.”

“We must be humble since we’re asking for a favor. This music producer is very skilled. Although I think the chances of him agreeing to compose for a cartoon character are slim, it’s still worth a try.”

“The Rhine Cat is our company’s mascot and your brainchild, so I must ensure its success. How about we meet tomorrow night instead?”

She smiled at Lin Xian. “I had plans for tomorrow night too, but as my capable right-hand man, your concerns are more important. We can have a detailed discussion then.”

Lin Xian fell silent. Zhao Ying Jun’s suggestion was reasonable and seemed natural. Normally, anyone would gladly accept rescheduling for the following night. After all, it was just a dinner to discuss future plans. Why rush? The fact that she was willing to meet was already a good sign.

But tomorrow could be too late.

Lin Xian didn’t know the exact date of Zhao Ying Jun’s death. If it was today, it would be too late to have regrets tomorrow. The book stated that Zhao Ying Jun would die “around midnight,” and she mentioned the music producer had another dinner before meeting her tonight…

This was too risky.

Lin Xian couldn’t take the chance. Reality didn’t allow for retries. Everything had to be perfect. But insisting on dinner tonight and asking Zhao Ying Jun to cancel her meeting would seem too deliberate and suspicious.

Zhao Ying Jun’s stance with the Genius Club was unclear, and Lin Xian couldn’t afford to take that risk. He needed a flawless solution, one that would prevent Zhao Ying Jun from meeting the music producer tonight and ensure they had dinner tomorrow night.

“Okay,” Lin Xian agreed cheerfully. “I’ll book the place and send the details to your driver.”

“Zhao, you mentioned the music producer wasn’t very interested in composing for the Rhine Cat?”

“Yes,” Zhao Ying Jun nodded. “In our initial contact, he wasn’t very enthusiastic. But I’ll do my best tonight.”

“Honestly, it bothers me that the Rhine Cat is looked down upon. As its designer, it’s frustrating,” Lin Xian said. “Why not bypass the composers? We could create something ourselves.”

Zhao Ying Jun regarded him. “Do you have a solution?”

“I’ll write the theme song for the Rhine Cat,” Lin Xian declared confidently.

Zhao Ying Jun squinted at him and then burst out laughing, covering her mouth. “Sorry, but I think that’s a bit far-fetched. It’s not that I don’t trust you, Lin Xian…”

She flipped her hair. “We must admit that composing music requires specific expertise. It’s a specialized field.”

“I appreciate your talent, but expertise is necessary. Don’t worry, I won’t let your creation down. I’ll find a top composer.”

Lin Xian coughed and said earnestly, “I’m not just talking. I taught myself guitar in college.”

“Self-taught?”

“I actually composed a song that I think suits the Rhine Cat. I even wrote the lyrics while designing the character, but never showed it because I didn’t think it was necessary,” Lin Xian lied convincingly.

“Really?” Zhao Ying Jun’s eyes widened. “You wrote the lyrics too?”

“Yes.”

“That sounds… interesting,” she smiled, still skeptical. “Why don’t you grab a guitar from the storeroom and perform it for me?”

“Sure, why not.”

Lin Xian had already prepared for this. Moments later, the staff brought him a guitar. Lin Xian tuned it and played a simple chord progression while Zhao Ying Jun watched, half-believing.

“I’ll start now.”

Lin Xian was not a composer, and his guitar skills were basic. But he could manage a simple chord progression. His confidence stemmed from the “mental pollution” of the first dream. He often visited a toy store in that dream and nearly memorized all the designs of the Rhine Cat.

The Rhine Cat was enormously popular in the future. Its merchandise filled store shelves, and a catchy theme song played repeatedly in the background. Lin Xian knew the song by heart due to its incessant repetition.

It was an earworm, permanently lodged in his mind.

Under Zhao Ying Jun’s attentive gaze, Lin Xian played and sang the catchy and memorable song.

After finishing, Lin Xian set the guitar down and looked at Zhao Ying Jun.

“How was it?”