Chapter 38: Who Goes to the Cinema to Actually Watch a Movie?

A few minutes later, Mobei Swordsman sent a reply.

"They agreed."

"Master, I think he was intimidated by your hacking skills. He's worried you might team up with the owner of Domain Network."

Chen Fan didn't respond, simply sending over a bank account number. To ensure his identity couldn't be traced or investigated, this account was a foreign one he had opened online, using credentials that were not his own.

Mobei Swordsman: "OK! I'll tell him right away."

Chen Fan didn't waste any more words and decisively logged off.

The response from the other side was faster than Chen Fan had anticipated. Less than half an hour after his chat with Mobei Swordsman, the transfer of fifty thousand yuan arrived. It was clear the opponent was desperate.

Once he confirmed the fifty thousand had been deposited, Chen Fan immediately withdrew his attack and wiped away all traces.

By noon, Yiyu Network had returned to normal. However, after the interference from paid internet trolls and the website hack, the promotional efforts Yiyu Network had spent a fortune on had all gone to waste. Instead, Domain Network had taken this opportunity to become incredibly famous. Its traffic had far surpassed that of its competitor, with the number of registered members alone exceeding two thousand. Following this, news of several high-priced domain transactions further solidified its position.

At this point, the mission for Domain Network was accomplished, leaving its competitor far behind. Even if both sides were to stop playing dirty and compete fairly, Chen Fan no longer feared Yiyu Network as a threat.

...

There were only a few days left before the start of the university semester.

The number of registered members on Chen Fan’s Domain Network finally surpassed five thousand, with daily active users exceeding ten thousand and over one hundred fifty thousand posts made. These statistics were several times higher than those of its peer, Yiyu Network. The traffic levels of the two sites were no longer in the same league.

Yiyu Network had spent more money on promotions over the past few days, but the results were minimal; they were essentially providing endorsement for Domain Network because its reputation was now firmly established.

Only then did Chen Fan finally heave a sigh of relief. He knew his opponent was past the point of recovery. Now, it was just a matter of waiting to see when capital would come knocking.

In his past life, he only remembered that Yiyu Network was acquired by Wanwang sometime in September. But back then, Yiyu Network had been the sole dominant player with no rivals. In this life, although his own Domain Network had significant traffic, Yiyu Network still existed. It would be late August in a few days. If the people at Wanwang were truly interested in an acquisition, they must be watching both sites and weighing their options right now.

"I can't let my guard down yet."

"I must persist until the end of September, and even be prepared to hold out until the end of the year."

Chen Fan set a goal for himself. Domain Network was his chance to earn his first pot of gold in this life. It was the foundation and the source of capital for his future business ventures. He had to seize this opportunity and could not afford a single mistake.

...

Although he was busy every day, Chen Fan still made a point to ask Su Ruochu out during the final two days of the holiday before university began.

The two of them strolled, dined, and spent time together like a couple deeply in love. After lunch, Chen Fan accompanied Su Ruochu to the cinema. The theater was empty, with almost no other audience members.

Su Ruochu had chosen the film, titled "A Sigh." It was directed by Feng Kuzi, and the cast included Zhang Guoli, Liu Bei, and Xu Fan. This movie would become quite famous later on, serving as one of Feng Kuzi’s representative works. But in the year 2000, no one knew that Feng Kuzi would become one of the representative directors of Chinese New Year comedies.

Chen Fan had seen the plot before and was familiar with it. It mainly told the story of Liang Yazhou, a screenwriter played by Zhang Guoli, who fails to control himself and enters an extramarital affair with his assistant, Li Xiaodan, while trying to play the roles of a good husband and father back home. The emotional entanglements of the three characters in the second half of the film were particularly memorable, especially Zhang Guoli’s portrayal of the middle-aged man’s desire to have his cake and eat it too.

It was a classic film, but Chen Fan felt a bit depressed. Choosing such a movie for a first date seemed somewhat unlucky. Including them, there were only six people in the entire theater.

Sitting in the back row, Chen Fan wasn't in the mood to watch the movie. His gaze kept wandering to Su Ruochu beside him. He didn't know if it was his imagination, but the girl seemed to have put on makeup today, looking significantly more beautiful than usual.

Su Ruochu was engrossed in the plot when she suddenly felt movement on her hand. Looking down, she saw that someone was being restless, quietly holding her hand. Su Ruochu felt shy, but she didn't pull away, letting him hold it.

*There’s a chance.*

Chen Fan gloated inwardly and wanted to push his luck further. He quietly moved his hand downward, resting it on Su Ruochu’s thigh. As if electrocuted, the girl immediately reached out and slapped the back of his hand.

Chen Fan looked instantly dejected.

"Watch the movie properly," Su Ruochu shot him a glance.

Chen Fan put on an innocent expression. *What couple goes to the movies to actually watch the movie?* This girl was still too innocent. It seemed he would need to find a chance to give her some lessons later.

Chen Fan was unwilling to give up and tried to reach out again.

The result was a fierce glare from Su Ruochu.

"If you don't behave, I'm leaving."

Chen Fan quickly sat up straight, looking utterly crestfallen.

Seeming to realize that her words might have been a bit hurtful, Su Ruochu hesitated for a moment, then whispered with a flushed face, "I... I’m not that kind of girl."

"Don't... don't be angry. What’s yours will be yours sooner or later."

*Sooner or later, it will be yours.*

Hearing this, Chen Fan’s body gave a sudden jolt. He wanted to slap himself hard.

*Damn it! What is wrong with me? When did I become such a jerk?* He knew that Ruochu was different from other women. Why was he being so impatient? It seemed he had been blinded by the excitement of his rebirth.

Chen Fan quickly reflected on his actions, swearing to himself that he would never be so reckless again. In his eyes, Su Ruochu was completely unique, one in a million. He would not allow himself to make even the slightest mistake with her.

When the movie ended, the two walked out of the theater together. Seeing Chen Fan with his head bowed, Su Ruochu took the initiative to reach out and hook her arm through his.

"You... you aren't angry, are you?"

Chen Fan was startled, then smiled. "Why would I be angry?"

Su Ruochu’s pretty face turned red. "I didn't let you... in the theater earlier. Anyway, you aren't allowed to be angry."

Chen Fan smiled and took her small hand in his. "You were right. I was the one being impetuous. I shouldn't have disregarded your feelings."

"Don't worry. Without your permission, I will never do anything like that again."

Su Ruochu stared at him, her expression strange. "Actually... if you had insisted earlier, I wouldn't have been able to stop you. After all, I'm just a weak girl, and I'm not as strong as you."

After saying this, Su Ruochu let go of him and walked ahead quickly with a blushing face.

Chen Fan: "..."