Chapter 111.1: K Corp Invests in Immortal Path
When he saw Qin Mo walking straight toward him with a clear purpose, Shen Xiu knew—it was too late.
The assistant jogged behind Qin Mo, asking in a low, confused voice, “Mr. Qin, where are you suddenly going?”
Qin Mo’s abrupt movement left the assistant completely baffled.
Qin Mo’s eyes locked onto Shen Xiu in the distance, and he only said two words: “Shen Xiu.”
Assistant: “Huh?”
Qin Mo asked with a frown, “Didn’t you see Mr. Shen looking at me?”
The assistant mentally typed out a slow, confused ?
Qin Mo’s tone was firm: “Mr. Shen never does anything unnecessary. For him to look at me with such determined eyes, there must be something he needs me for—or some deeper meaning I haven’t grasped yet.”
Assistant: “……”
Thanks. He had just one question mark in his head before, now it had multiplied into a full head of question marks.
The closer Qin Mo got to Shen Xiu, the less he cared about the assistant.
He stopped one step away from Shen Xiu. Remembering that Shen Xiu might not like shaking hands, he didn’t extend his hand. Instead, he simply said, “Mr. Shen, we meet again.”
Shen Xiu recalled the time at the mall when he was buying cat supplies and got completely steamrolled by Qin Mo’s eloquence, while he himself could only respond with awkward grunts. The memory made him want to disappear.
If Qin Mo weren’t standing right in front of them right now, Shen Xiu would’ve liked to answer Xuan Ji’s earlier question: No, I don’t want to meet him.
The assistant standing behind Qin Mo: “……”
Calling someone younger than yourself Mr. Shen—does Mr. Qin not find that weird?
The assistant just couldn’t understand why Qin Mo always started acting strangely every time he saw Shen Xiu.
Xuan Ji watched in stunned silence as Qin Mo strode over to him and Shen Xiu. Then he saw Qin Mo standing respectfully before Shen Xiu, calling him “Mr. Shen” with such a polite tone—and his brain short-circuited.
Shen Xiu looked at the man before him—mature, composed, exuding the confident aura of a successful person—and stiffly said, “Mr. Qin, we meet again.”
What could be worse in this world than awkward small talk with someone you barely know—a 0.5 acquaintance?
Xuan Ji: “?”
Ah. Enlightenment. The fool… was me all along!
Of course! How could Shen Xiu possibly not know Qin Mo? Just a moment ago, he’d asked Shen Xiu if he wanted to get to know Qin Mo—how ridiculously dumb of him!
Seeing Shen Xiu wearing gold-rimmed glasses, Qin Mo was quietly impressed. “Mr. Shen, your look today is truly refreshing.”
Shen Xiu: “…Thank you. You as well, Mr. Qin.”
Help—have we already skipped straight to the awkward mutual compliments phase?
This was completely outside Shen Xiu’s comfort zone. To avoid saying something wrong, he opted for the safest move: copy the other person’s answer.
“Ahem…” Xuan Ji gave an awkward little cough.
Shen Xiu heard the cough and suddenly remembered—as someone who knew both Qin Mo and Xuan Ji, he was supposed to be the one introducing them to each other in this social setting.
That sudden cough from Xuan Ji had to be a reminder!
But then came the dilemma: both of them were only 0.5 acquainted with him. Who should he introduce to whom first?
When in doubt, go by age—Shen Xiu made the snap decision.
Qin Mo was older than both himself and Xuan Ji. Rounded up, that made him basically an elder.
Having reached a conclusion in his mind, Shen Xiu spoke nervously: “Mr. Qin, this is Xuan Ji.”
Then he turned to Xuan Ji and added, “Xuan Ji, this is Mr. Qin—Qin Mo.”
Qin Mo: “?”
Why the sudden serious, formal introduction of this kid to me? There must be some deeper significance behind it!
Qin Mo looked at Xuan Ji—someone personally introduced by Shen Xiu himself. He extended a hand and said, “Hello, Xuan Ji. I’m Qin Mo.”
Xuan Ji: “!”
So sudden?!
Caught off guard by Shen Xiu suddenly introducing him to a big shot, Xuan Ji nervously reached out his hand. “Hello, Mr. Qin! I’m Xuan Ji—pleased to meet you!”
Qin Mo said warmly, “You’re Mr. Shen’s friend—no need for formalities. We’re all friends from now on.”
Xuan Ji: “!”
This big shot is willing to be friends with me… all because of Shen Xiu—no, because of Big Boss Shen!
The surprise hit Xuan Ji like a wave, leaving him a little dazed. His gaze instinctively drifted to Shen Xiu.
Shen Xiu: “……”
Haven’t the introductions already been made? Why are you suddenly looking at me?
Under Xuan Ji’s gaze, Shen Xiu stiffly said, “…Feel free to chat. Don’t mind me.”
Seriously—just pretend he wasn’t here!
Hearing Shen Xiu’s words, Xuan Ji understood—this was Shen Xiu’s approval!
Wait a minute…
Xuan Ji mentally replayed the entire sequence of Qin Mo’s approach.
He suddenly realized: right after he asked Shen Xiu whether he wanted to get to know Qin Mo, Shen Xiu had looked toward Qin Mo.
And that one glance was all it took—Qin Mo had dropped his conversation with a real estate mogul mid-sentence and walked straight over without a moment’s hesitation.
And after that, Shen Xiu had personally introduced the two of them.
What did this mean?
It clearly meant that Shen Xiu had picked up on his unspoken wish—his bold hope that Qin Mo would invest in Immortal Path—from just that single question!
Realizing this, Xuan Ji’s gaze toward Shen Xiu lit up with admiration.
As expected of Shen Xiu—he can read people’s hearts with just a few words!
Shen Xiu: “?”
‘Help—why is Xuan Ji looking at me again?! Am I supposed to say something else?!’
In that moment, Shen Xiu deeply realized just how hard it was to be the middleman. If heaven gave him another chance, he’d turn and run without a second thought.
Just as Shen Xiu was racking his brain for something to say, he heard Xuan Ji’s voice ring out.
“Shen Xiu, isn’t Immortal Path absolutely amazing?”
Xuan Ji shamelessly praised their project, then looked at Shen Xiu with hopeful eyes.
Big Boss Shen had already gone out of his way to build a bridge for him—if he didn’t seize the chance now and throw some heavy hints at Mr. Qin, he’d be wasting Shen Xiu’s efforts.
Shen Xiu: “!”
What a great guy Xuan Ji was! He had clearly noticed how lost Shen Xiu was trying to find a topic, and had taken the initiative to hand him one!
Hearing Xuan Ji’s words, a flicker of interest passed through Qin Mo’s eyes.
Here it was—this must be the real reason Mr. Shen looked at him and introduced Xuan Ji to him!
Qin Mo turned his gaze toward Shen Xiu, sharp and expectant, waiting for instructions.
Shen Xiu: “……”
‘Wait, is Qin Mo catching whatever Xuan Ji has? Why is he staring at me too?’
Ah, whatever. Since Xuan Ji had tossed him a lifeline, the least he could do was catch it.
Grateful for Xuan Ji’s support, Shen Xiu recalled the storyline of Immortal Path and gave his honest opinion: “Mm, Immortal Path is very good.”
Hearing Shen Xiu echo his words, Xuan Ji sighed in relief—he knew he hadn’t misread Shen Xiu’s intentions!
After speaking, Shen Xiu glanced awkwardly in Qin Mo’s direction—only to find Qin Mo still looking at him. His gaze seemed even more intense now, and Shen Xiu was full of question marks.
Why does this Qin Mo guy always stare at him like that? It made Shen Xiu feel nervous.
Qin Mo: “!”
Even though Shen Xiu’s tone was cool, after praising Immortal Path, he’d deliberately thrown a casual glance his way…
He got it—this was a signal for him to invest in Immortal Path!
So this was what Mr. Shen had called him over for, and why he’d introduced him to the director—it all made sense now!
Qin Mo immediately nodded in agreement. “Yes, it really is very good.”
Shen Xiu: “……”
How did things go from awkwardly complimenting each other… to complimenting Immortal Path together?!
The three of them had each taken a turn speaking—was it now time for round two?
Believing it was his turn again, Shen Xiu, utterly drained, replied with a weary, “…That’s right.”
Beyond that, his brain—fried from the awkward social tension—couldn’t come up with a single additional word.
‘That’s right?’ Qin Mo’s eyes lit up again—he understood.
Mr. Shen must be worried he wouldn’t catch the hint the first time, so he was doubling down, affirming it again just to make sure.
“Ah! Shen Xiu, so this is where you were!”
Just as Shen Xiu’s voice fell, Kaiser’s voice rang out.
All three of them turned instinctively toward him.
Kaiser looked at Shen Xiu and continued, “We need to take a few photos and get ready for some media interviews.”
Shen Xiu nodded. “Okay.”
Getting Shen Xiu’s confirmation, Kaiser then turned to Qin Mo. “Mr. Qin, sorry to interrupt your conversation—hope you don’t mind?”
Qin Mo’s mission had already been accomplished; he didn’t dare waste more of Shen Xiu’s time. He immediately replied, “You’re too polite. Of course not.”
Then he turned to Shen Xiu. “Mr. Shen, goodbye.”
Shen Xiu said aloud, “Goodbye.”
But inwardly: May we never meet again!
Another scene like this and he might not survive it.
Receiving Shen Xiu’s reply, Qin Mo politely bid farewell to both Kaiser and Xuan Ji, then left with his assistant, satisfied.
Kaiser looked at Xuan Ji. “That’s everything, right? If so, Shen Xiu and I will head off.”
Xuan Ji nodded. “All done~” Qin Mo’s expression as he left made it obvious he was swayed—most likely due to Shen Xiu’s influence—and over 90% inclined to invest.
Having successfully completed his mission under Big Boss Shen’s divine matchmaking, Xuan Ji departed in style after saying his goodbyes.
In just a few short minutes, everyone had been efficiently dealt with using only a handful of words.
Shen Xiu: As expected of someone cut from the same cloth as Xiang Yueting—an extrovert to the core. The moment he shows up, he talks so much that all the awkwardness gets completely wiped away.
Little did Kaiser know that, at this moment, his image in Shen Xiu’s eyes was towering and heroic.
Kaiser tilted his head toward Shen Xiu. “Let’s go.”
Shen Xiu responded, “Mm.”
Participating in photoshoots and making an appearance on stage were part of his job as the brand ambassador for VG’s summer collection.
Back when he’d received the event notice, Assistant Wen had sent him the interview script in advance—and Shen Xiu had memorized it word for word.
He wasn’t worried about the upcoming interviews and photos at all.
Compared to socializing with strangers, he preferred work!
…
As Shen Xiu and Kaiser’s silhouettes disappeared from view, Qin Mo’s assistant finally whispered, “Mr. Qin, every time you meet Mr. Shen, you… seem very happy.”
Qin Mo: “Be more confident—drop the ‘seem’.”
Assistant: “……”
Qin Mo had a strong feeling that his year-end bonus this year would be quite generous. He was in such a good mood that he casually asked, “How’s the weather?”
The assistant checked the forecast. “It’s raining.”
Qin Mo: “It’s raining. That means—it’s time to invest in Immortal Path!”
Assistant: “?”
He didn’t quite understand what rain had to do with investing in Immortal Path.
But one thing he could be sure of: every time Qin Mo met Shen Xiu, he started acting… oddly.
Qin Mo: “Get things ready. Contact the Immortal Path production team as soon as possible.”
Assistant: “Full investment, or…?”
Qin Mo answered without hesitation, “Full investment.”
A crew that had Mr. Shen involved? Of course it was going to be fully backed.
Assistant: “Understood, Mr. Qin. I’ll have someone reach out right away.”
Immortal Path’s assistant director, Zhao Heng, received the call from K Corp—and after hanging up, he sat there, completely stunned.
“Heaven dropped a meat pi—no… a golden pie?!”
The “golden pie” was just too unreal—Zhao Heng couldn’t believe it. He immediately called Xuan Ji.
Zhao Heng: “Director Xuan, this might sound crazy, but someone from Keta just called me. They said they’re interested in investing in Immortal Path. You don’t think it’s a scam call, do you?”
Ever since parting ways with Shen Xiu, Xuan Ji had known Keta would invest—but he definitely didn’t expect that while he was still at the event, Keta would already be contacting the production team. The speed was insane.
Xuan Ji was stunned: “That fast?!”
Zhao Heng: “…Director Xuan, so you mean… it’s real?”
Xuan Ji: “Of course it is! Don’t you trust me to get things done?”
Before Zhao Heng could respond, Xuan Ji added excitedly, “Have the PR team draft an announcement. We’ll go public with it tomorrow!”
Zhao Heng: “No problem!”
—
At 10 PM, the VG offline event ended.
By the time Shen Xiu got home, it was already 11 PM.
He hadn’t attended an acting class, just participated in an online event, so it wasn’t tiring at all for him. After washing up, Shen Xiu enthusiastically began previewing the classes he had for the next day.
While Shen Xiu was reviewing, a flurry of online speculation was sparked by Xuan Ji’s line, “Pleasure working with you.” There were so many discussions that it was no surprise when it made the trending topics.
#ImmortalPath
#ShenXiuXuanJiPleasureWorkingTogether
#LiYangShenXiu
— It’s real, right? It’s real? They even said “pleasure working with you”! Xiuologists, say something!
— I don’t dare say a word. Just waiting for a reply from Xiu-baby. But still, I have to scream — my vision was way too narrow.
— Heehee, I’m a prophet~
— I don’t care who gets the role, as long as it’s not Lin Jiashi. Seriously, what was he thinking, thinking he could land the role of Li Yang? Forget the face — just talk about height! Lin Jiashi’s courage is truly commendable. How did he even dare?
— Xiu-baby doesn’t seem to check Weibo often. I’ll just put a bench here. Feel free to kick it!
— If Boss Xiu doesn’t look at Weibo, we can all hang around the official Immortal Path account~
