"So I basically don't have a choice?" Ren Kurogane joked. "Whatever, I'm not picky. As long as there's a room to sleep in, it's fine."
"Oh? Is that so? What a massive shame~" Hu Yifei said, adopting a playfully seductive posture.
Once the leasing parameters were locked in, Hu Yifei dialed another number to run a diagnostic on the logistical status of the wedding motorcade.
"What?! They've been caught in a traffic jam on the highway for ten uninterrupted hours? And they're still gridlocked?!"
In the original timeline, Zhanbo and Wanyu had managed to charter a police cruiser to reach the perimeter, enabling a traffic officer to clear a corridor so the bride and groom could navigate the bottleneck. This time, the squad didn't possess that specific stroke of good luck.
Ren felt a twinge of pity for the couple. Pudong is barely a stone's throw away; why the hell did they route the venue so far out?
His memory systems were a bit fuzzy regarding the exact structural details of this wedding. He only recalled that the names of the two protagonists carried immense comedic weight—Wang Tiezhu and Tian Erniu!
As chronological vectors advanced minute by minute, Ren and Lu Zhanbo moved to set up his quarters. Along the way, they crossed paths with Zeng Xiaoxian.
He was, structurally speaking, the most bureaucratically secure man in the entire complex. He possessed a dual master's degree from a top-tier institution and had locked down a permanent public sector position at an early age. Even though his broadcasting numbers consistently bottomed out across the network arrays, his profile faced zero risk of unemployment. His future displacement to the deep desert sector was a bit tragic, though.
"Hello! We're official roommates from here on out! If your system encounters any operational anomalies, just route the ticket to me! I also happen to function as the Vice President of our residential committee!" Zeng Xiaoxian laughed.
"Understood! I'm certain there will be infinite instances where I'll need to utilize your administrative clearance!" Ren nodded politely.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, painting half the sky in a dark gradient, the main protagonists of the ceremony finally cleared the perimeter. Following a brief bout of noise complaints from the neighbors due to the traditional celebratory drumming, the official wedding sequence for Wang Tiezhu and Tian Erniu kicked off.
Lu Ziqiao stepped onto the main stage, running a quick perimeter check before utilizing his fragmented English to host the ceremony. Down in the audience, Ren could barely suppress his amusement, his lips curling. Zhanbo's eye was twitching violently, though his capacity to absorb surreal events was remarkably high; he quickly integrated into the crowd and began clapping.
Finally, the peak operational moment arrived! Hu Yifei marched onto the stage, drawing the legendary letter from the landlord.
"From this day forward, any active romantic couple that secures a lease within our complex will receive a fifty percent reduction in rent, and their utility bills will be completely waved!"
"YEAH!!! Long live the landlord!"
Amid the roaring cheers of the crowd, Hu Yifei turned back to the bride and groom. "By the way, the landlord stated that to commemorate your union clearing the terminal, he will personally grant you one customized administrative request. Do you have any specific parameters you wish to execute?"
The groom, Wang Tiezhu, accepted the microphone with a grin. "Since the landlord has opened up this operational window, I won't be polite!"
The bride and groom exchanged a knowing look before projecting their voices into the microphone simultaneously: "Our primary request is that this complex be officially designated as the iPartment (Apartment of Love)!"
With that decree, the curtain on the legendary iPartment universe officially rose!
Following that, Ziqiao and Meijia initiated their internal dramatic sequences, but Ren had completely withdrawn his attention from their tracking vectors.
Back inside his bedroom, while the rest of the occupants were distracted by the comedic duo, Ren reached into the secret compartment of his hiking pack, extracting five high-capacity hard drives. He meticulously secured them inside a reinforced iron container, slotting the chest into the depths of his wardrobe and concealing it beneath multiple layers of clothing. Only after the perimeter was locked did he let out a sigh of relief.
"These data assets were harvested via a physical network isolation matrix. Though they register a baseline value of zero today, their market valuation will explode exponentially around 2013 or 2014. Once the valuation hits the one-thousand-dollar threshold, I'll initiate a structured liquidation protocol, ensuring my entire portfolio is dumped before 2017!"
He didn't possess any naïve psychological delusions about trying to time the absolute peak of the market. He was merely a standard transmigrator; attempting to out-maneuver macro-scale venture capital conglomerates was an operational impossibility. Taking a clean profit margin and breaking orbit was the only correct strategic path.
Between siphoning Bitcoin data and constructing short-video platforms, there's infinite wealth to harvest. Oh, by the way, the Dungeon & Fighter franchise officially cleared licensing with Tencent last year; that's another massive gold mine to exploit...
Suddenly, the comedic images of old internet icons like Lao Ba and Giao Ge flashed through his mind... No, no, no! My baseline dignity won't permit my profile to degrade to that caliber of content creation. He quickly purged the dangerous thoughts from his cognitive processors.
Just then, his smartphone buzzed. "Hey Zhanbo, specify your objective."
"The bar downstairs? Is that venue fully licensed and regulated?"
"Understood. I'm mobilizing to your coordinates immediately."
Ren locked his door and walked at a leisurely pace into the bar. It was a clean, sophisticated lounge—zero high-intensity DJs, zero flashing laser grids. The moment he cleared the entryway, his tracking sensors localized Hu Yifei and the core group sitting around a plush sofa.
Approaching the perimeter, Ren smiled. "This lounge boasts an excellent aesthetic layout!"
Lu Zhanbo immediately shifted over to clear a seat for him. "Ren! Today marks the official integration dinner for our suite! Master Zeng suggests we head out to execute a total raid on a high-tier restaurant! What are your parameters?"
"Dining out? What premium culinary options does Shanghai's current directory feature? Hairy crabs?" Ren asked casually.
"H-Hairy crabs?" Zeng Xiaoxian's vocal processors literally stuttered. Though he commanded a respectable social standing and had secured an early media placement, premium hairy crabs were an asset class he only historical accessed on rare occasions!
Hu Yifei offered a strained chuckle. "Crabs don't align with our current digestive parameters! Let's target a high-quality domestic stir-fry restaurant instead! My mapping system has a highly rated location locked down!"
Ren nodded in affirmation. "True. Crab meat yields a generic taste profile and lacks core nutritional metrics. Stir-fry it is! By the way... we're executing an AA split format on the bill!"
"Relax, we aren't running a protocol to siphon a free meal out of your pocket! Our squad doesn't operate on those degraded baselines, okay?!" Yifei said, her eyes executing a dramatic roll.
The location Yifei selected was the legendary Xiao Nan Guo—a highly diversified, multi-tiered restaurant featuring both domestic and Western menus.
"Give me an order of Twice-Cooked Pork, a spicy Mao Xue Wang, and a Hunan-style Farmhouse Stir-Fried Pork!" Ren rattled off his technical selections with lightning speed without even glancing at the menu layout, leaving the other three staring at him in absolute shock.
Though Yifei had recommended the venue, a premium establishment of this caliber was outside her standard operational budget, so she was cautiously cross-referencing parameters with Zhanbo before logging an order. As for Zeng Xiaoxian, though his monthly salary package was solid, it didn't permit reckless financial expenditure; his system had barely logged any visits to this restaurant.
Lu Zhanbo didn't hold any strong biases. Hearing that Ren's selections sat strictly within the spicy spectrum, he raised a hand. "I'll log an order of Di San Xian (Stir-Fried Earth Three Treasures)!"
"Understood! Please wait while we process your order!" The attendant logged the data and turned toward the kitchen.
Yifei observed Ren across the table before glancing at her brother. "Are you two... omitting a premium steak selection from your protocol?"
"Omitting!" the two responded in absolute, synchronized harmony.
"Fine. Log a single steak order for my profile," Yifei told the server before turning to her companions. "Though, what the hell do these different doneness tiers actually mean?"
Zhanbo answered nonchalantly, "Just select anything scaling above medium."
Ren interjected, "My personal optimization model recommends medium-well. At that parameter, the proteins are fully cooked, eliminating any blood signatures from your visual field while preserving structural tenderness!" Yifei nodded, logging the data.
Sitting right next to Ren, Zeng Xiaoxian opened his mouth. "Ren, does your profile possess an advanced database on steak metrics?"
At that prompt, a wave of profound, historical fatigue briefly washed over Ren's features. "During my month-long deployment overseas, my entire biological survival was sustained exclusively by a non-stop loop of steak and fried chicken..."
"Huh?!" Zeng Xiaoxian's facial features contorted in absolute comedic distortion.
"It is a dark, tragic data log. I shall detail the parameters for your systems when a larger window opens," Ren said, shaking his head slightly. "Right now... Attendant! Deliver a full wooden bucket of rice to my coordinates!"
Moments later, Ren was happily executing a total offensive against a miniature wooden barrel of rice, while the other three sat rigidly with their tiny porcelain bowls.
"Engage! If your systems don't accelerate their consumption rates, I'm going to wipe out the entire spread!" Ren warned.
Zeng Xiaoxian set his bowl down awkwardly. "Well... our current appetite metrics are performing at a low baseline. Today's primary directive is to run a welcome-home protocol for you and Zhanbo. As long as your systems hit maximum satisfaction, it's fine, haha..."
"Pff! I comprehend your internal calculations. I can only state that the culinary standards of those overseas savages don't even scale to the food I feed my hounds back home! Had my hotel suite featured a functional kitchen array, I wouldn't have been forced to chew through raw beef structures for an entire month!"
The hand Yifei was using to slice her steak hit a sudden vibration. Beside her, Lu Zhanbo instantly dropped into a high-alert defensive posture! However, Yifei's focus had been completely snagged by Ren's data. She turned to her brother. "Zhanbo, your debrief logs didn't mention the international food metrics performing that poorly?"
"Me? My systems adapted to the baseline," Zhanbo said blankly. "My daily intake was confined strictly to bread, salad arrays, or generic roasted meat and fried chicken. This single order of Di San Xian right here possesses enough flavor data to completely wipe out every single meal I've consumed abroad over the last few years!"
Yifei nodded slowly, gaining a clearer understanding of the grim realities of overseas survival. Her gaze drifted back to the high-sodium, heavy-flavor dishes Ren had logged, her eyes softening with a hint of genuine sympathy for his structural hardships.
Once the dining sequence concluded, Ren stepped up to settle the entire balance independently. Given that the combined consumption of the other three didn't equal half his own intake metrics, forcing an AA split would be a severe violation of his personal code.
Along the return path, Hu Yifei looked slightly embarrassed. "Um, our suite was supposed to sponsor your welcome dinner, yet your account ended up bearing the financial cost..."
Ren waved it off carelessly. "A minor ledger entry! Besides, my profile executed ninety percent of the consumption; forcing your accounts to split that would be illogical."
"By the way, Zhanbo, has your profile cleared a path toward a permanent corporate placement yet?" Ren asked as they settled into the iPartment sofa, while Yifei and Zeng Xiaoxian departed to distribute hot water bottles to the newest tenants. He and Zhanbo were currently tracking a broadcast of Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf.
"A placement? Not yet. I intend to run a macro-scale observation on the domestic market architecture before anchoring myself to a corporate entity," Zhanbo explained his strategy. Suddenly, he locked his optics onto Ren. "Ren! Do you have any optimized tracking recommendations? Your profile operates at an elite capability level, and your understanding of the domestic landscape is vastly superior to mine!"
Ren settled comfortably into the cushions, opening his data banks. "I do possess a few specific strategic roadmaps. However, my deployment is currently facing a critical bottleneck—I am missing an absolute titan in software architecture to anchor the code!"
"Software? The internet framework? My advanced curriculum covered those exact system structures!" Zhanbo's interest spiked to maximum parameter instantly, his eyes locked on Ren as he waited for the technical breakdown.
Just as Ren was about to open the file, the front door was thrown open. Hu Yifei and Zeng Xiaoxian dragged themselves into the room, radiating total logistical exhaustion.
"Yo? Your assignment is already complete?" Ren asked, raising an eyebrow. They had been out of the unit for less than two minutes.
"Sigh! Don't mention it! During our dining window, the neighborhood committee arrays overrode our vector, distributing the equipment directly to the units. Our deployment was a complete waste of operational energy!" Yifei sighed, throwing her hands up helplessly.
Zeng Xiaoxian collapsed back onto the cushions, his cognitive functions seemingly shutting down. "How could they completely bypass my authority as the Vice President..."
Yifei took a swig from a water glass, asking, "Anyway, what parameters were you two calculating?"
Ren pointed a finger at the glass in her hand, then at himself. "That specific fluid container belongs to my profile..."
Absolute silence.
Even given her status as an untouchable titan among women, Hu Yifei's facial features hit a rare moment of sheer social awkwardness.
"Relax, Sister. Ren's system hadn't initiated a consumption loop from that glass yet!" Zhanbo laughed cheerfully.
Hearing that, Yifei's tense structural framework instantly relaxed. She glared at Ren. "It's just a single glass of water! I'll manually cycle another one to your coordinates right now!" Operating with lightning-fast execution, she refilled a fresh glass and set it squarely before him.
"Fair enough. Thanks, Yifei!" Ren laughed.
Yifei waved it off, returning to the tactical log. "I intercepted Zhanbo pitching a query to your system earlier. What market parameters were you breaking down?"
"We were analyzing the evolutionary trajectory of the internet landscape," Ren explained. "I intend to independent-operate a dedicated video platform architecture, and I was currently running a recruitment protocol to draw Zhanbo into the cell!"
"A short-video platform? Something matching the Tudou structural matrix?" Yifei asked.
"Correct. However, my platform will completely omit long-form television files. It will focus strictly on crowdsourced daily life data streams. The duration of these video clips will be strictly regulated beneath the three-minute threshold. We are targeting the dawn of the Traffic Era!"
Hu Yifei, Zeng Xiaoxian, and Lu Zhanbo exchanged a sequence of deeply confused looks.
"We comprehend the basic media format, but what exact operational parameters define this 'Traffic Era'?"
"Breaking down the algorithmic variables for your systems today is highly complex," Ren stated. "Simply put: if your profiles are interested, integrate into my project and let's run a macro play. Any financial deficit or failure will be borne exclusively by my personal ledger!"
Yifei remained somewhat hesitant; her database lacked depth regarding digital market architecture. Zeng Xiaoxian flatly declared zero interest; he was firmly locked into his public sector career track, and his primary dream was scaling into television broadcasting, so ignoring high-risk investments was logical for his profile.
Lu Zhanbo asked, "Since my profile will be injecting the primary technical and architectural code into the project, am I authorized to claim an initial founder's equity slice?"
Ren looked at the prodigy in surprise. He hadn't expected the boy's systems to parse corporate equity metrics so cleanly. He nodded instantly. "Granted. I'll allocate a fifteen percent slice of the foundational founder's equity to your profile!"
"That massive of a parameter?" Zhanbo's face filled with absolute astonishment.
"Call it alignment of fate!" Ren laughed.
Suddenly, Hu Yifei interjected fiercely, "In that case, my profile is logging an entry! I demand a five percent foundational equity slice!"
Ren asked, "Your system no longer fears a financial deficit?"
Yifei shook her head. "I am entirely authorized to doubt Zhanbo's capability to execute basic manual bathroom navigation independently, but I am barred from doubting the calculated decisions of the absolute highest-capacity brain in the Hu family line! Besides, your system already specified that any financial deficit falls on your personal ledger. You won't execute a rollback on that clause, right?"
"Absolutely not! My capital reserves are untouchable!"
Staring at the absolute, radiating confidence on Ren's features, Yifei finally couldn't suppress her analytical curiosity any longer. "Ren, the macro play you executed in the overseas markets... what exact asset class were you manipulating?"
"I ran a high-intensity offensive across the stock markets. My entire net worth was converted into equity shares!"
Hearing his breakdown, Yifei felt an immediate wave of psychological relief. She didn't fear equity investment; she only feared a pathological gambler. A failed stock play merely meant a trip to the rooftop, whereas a degenerate gambler was a high-risk entity devoid of any baseline boundary conditions.
"Equity? What specific ticker did your profile target?" Zeng Xiaoxian asked, suddenly highly intrigued. "Don't say I didn't brief you—I, Master Xiaoxian, have run extensive technical analysis across the stock charts!"
Ren stated flatly, "I locked down ten million worth of Apple stock."
Absolute silence.
In that single millisecond, Zeng Xiaoxian's heart felt as if it had been struck by a crushing, high-mass objects. His entire cognitive system completely crashed into a frozen state.
"The 'ten million' parameter your system just cited refers to..." Yifei asked experimentally, her voice dropping.
"Dollars."
HISS—————!!!
The moment the word cleared Ren's lips, the eyes of everyone in the room underwent a total, permanent realignment.
"Don't look at me through those filters," Ren laughed, waving them off. "As it stands today, my liquid capital accounts are thoroughly depleted. I'm just a poor person."
"A 'poor person' whose liquid savings hover near a million yuan..." Zeng Xiaoxian muttered sideways, his ego suffering an absolute, unmitigated critical strike from the casual flex.
However, now that Ren had mapped out his absolute financial weight, the group no longer harbored a single shred of doubt regarding his operational viability. Even Zeng Xiaoxian instantly filed an application to inject capital into the project—even though the corporate entity hadn't even cleared registration on the city terminal yet.