The study was empty. Aubree pushed open the door but didn’t see Bowen inside.
“Bowen?” Aubree called out tentatively as she stepped into the study for the first time. Her eyes swept across the room, but it appeared empty.
Moving deeper into the room, Aubree noticed several cigarettes scattered across the desk.
Aubree thought, “Bowen smokes! Who would have thought someone as refined and gentlemanly as Bowen would actually smoke?”
At first glance, Bowen gave the impression of a perfect gentleman, refined in manner, elegant in demeanor, and cultivated in temperament, all seamlessly blended into one.
She’d always pictured Bowen as the type to meditate in a room with burning incense, but this discovery completely caught her off guard.
Aubree picked up an unlit cigarette from the desk and sniffed it. The scent wasn’t unpleasant, more like the kind women would prefer.
“No smoking, young lady.” A large, well-manicured hand reached over her shoulder and plucked the cigarette from her fingers.
Aubree turned back. Towering over her, Bowen’s usually deep and tranquil eyes met hers, yet now, faint ripples of emotion shimmered within them.
With the desk behind her and Bowen standing closely in front, Aubree found herself completely trapped between him and the table.
Trapped in his arms, Aubree’s face flushed with panic and confusion.
The way he was pinning Aubree down from above made Bowen recall last night, her bare back exposed as she lay face down on the bed, cheeks flushed, eyes filled with shyness, completely under his control, just like now.
Bowen’s Adam’s apple bobbed as his gaze darkened, and he unconsciously leaned in closer. Aubree’s instincts screamed; she could sense danger in the air, warning her, “Something’s not right, he’s way too close.”
“Bowen,” Aubree stammered tentatively.
Bowen braced one hand against the desk, veins bulging on the back of his hand, restraining some powerful urge.
Bowen parted his lips, clamping the cigarette between them. With his free hand, he swept up the metal lighter from the desk and pressed it into Aubree’s palm. “Light it for me.”
Trapped in the tight space between him and the desk, all she could see was him, all she could breathe was his scent. For a moment, she felt utterly dazed, caught in a whirlwind named Bowen.
The cold metal in her palm snapped Aubree back to reality. Flustered, she hastily shoved the man looming over her away.
With an amused smirk, Bowen stepped back following her push. As he retreated, he deftly snatched the lighter from Aubree’s hand and lit his cigarette with practiced ease.
The crisp metallic click of the lighter snapped Bowen back to his senses, ruthlessly suppressing all the improper thoughts that had been swirling in his mind.
“Alright, what brings you here?” Bowen exhaled, the smoke slightly obscuring his features. He took just one drag before letting the cigarette rest between his fingers.
“Let’s get back to business,” Aubree said, composing herself with a serious expression. “I want to invest in an esports club.”
Bowen arched an eyebrow, unsurprised by her proposal. “Not exactly groundbreaking, is it?”
Chapter 40
She thought, “Indeed, in my previous life, aside from Alvin, the trust fund kid who bankrolled a club of God’s Fury and briefly let it compete with the established teams in the esports league, it was basically dominated by the same few teams. Right now, League of Legends is the hottest game, and if you want a slice of the esports pie, establishing a club for it is essential.”
“This is just the first step. There are rumors that in the coming years, League of Legends and several other games will become official Olympic events. If that really happens, esports will enter its golden age. Now is the perfect time to get in on this,” Aubree declared confidently.
Bowen’s gaze was full of approval. “I suspect you have more in mind, don’t you?”
He didn’t understand gaming, but capital was his domain. Bowen had already caught Aubree’s drift the moment she started speaking.
Using God’s Fury as a springboard to enter the League of Legends competition and establish an esports club was a promising strategy. With its current popularity and buzz, proper branding and management, plus a couple more championship wins, could make becoming the next powerhouse like Apor Squad entirely achievable.
“Exactly, Bowen, have you ever paid attention to any live streams or broadcasts of regular esports matches?”
“Bowen, what if there was an app that could connect fans directly with their idols for real-time, face-to-face interactions? Do you think people would pay for that? And what if this platform was open to everyone, so ordinary people could also showcase themselves and build their own brand?”
Aubree outlined her vision to Bowen, describing a short video livestreaming platform model that would go viral nationwide in the coming years, just as she remembered from her previous life.
“That’s highly visionary,” Bowen remarked. Just from hearing Aubree’s proposals, he could already envision the substantial commercial returns if these ideas were put into practice.
Not only that, this model could spawn numerous spin-off ventures, and every single one would be a cash cow.
Aubree’s eyes lit up. Jackpot, she thought to herself, barely able to contain her excitement.
Seeing that Bowen was hooked, Aubree continued, “With God’s Fury’s championship, they’re at peak popularity. If we launch the club together with the app, we can have the team kick off livestreaming on our platform, starting with gaming streams. Once traffic builds, more creators will want to join. That traffic becomes both our product and our customer base, creating a virtuous cycle that fuels its own growth.”
“And as the platform’s operator, all we’d need to do is maintain order."
Aubree thought to herself, “Back then, this platform wasn’t just a nationwide phenomenon. Even government agencies joined in to promote themselves.”
Bowen hadn’t planned to refuse her anyway. If it failed, he’d just treat it as a learning experience.
The fact that she came up with such an idea truly caught him off guard. But from a business standpoint, if this proposal had landed on his desk, he would have invested without hesitation.
Bowen stubbed out the cigarette in his hand and asked directly, “So, what do you want me to do?”
Aubree was straightforward, “Money. I need money," she declared, "Even the over 3 million in prize money from the tournament is barely enough to keep God’s Fury’s team running for a year. Just setting up a club and buying a League of Legends franchise spot is already a huge investment. From what I know, a slot usually goes for anywhere between 20 to 25 million dollars. And I’m broke.”
Bowen couldn’t help but smile at her bluntness. He’d had plenty of people come to him for investment before, but this was the first time someone had been so bold and unapologetic about it.
He agreed without hesitation. “Done. Name your price, I’ll cover it all. But in return, I want a 30% equity stake from the very start, in both your new esports club and the software you’ll be developing.”
Chapter 40
Aubree thought, “Thirty percent is no small stake, but it’s still within my acceptable range.”
Aubree bit her lip, weighing the offer for a brief moment before giving a firm nod.
Aubree thought, “Trading thirty percent of the shares for unlimited financial backing from the Turner Group, and the prestige of their name backing? Absolutely worth it, no matter how you look at it. After all, without this funding, even getting started would be impossible for me.”
Bowen said, “I’ll have the funds wired to your account by tomorrow.”
With the funds secured, all that was left was to set up the club. For that, she still needed to negotiate with Alvin, since he was now the owner of God’s Fury.
“I won’t keep you any longer, Bowen," Aubree obediently left, carefully closing the door behind her.
The moment she left, the study was plunged into a hollow silence.
Bowen hung his head, eyes narrowed in thought as his fingers flicked the lighter restlessly. The flame danced, mirroring the turmoil churning inside him.
Bowen clicked his tongue in frustration.
He thought, “Bowen, what the hell is wrong with you? Why am I feeling that for Bree…”
An irritated tut escaped through his clenched teeth once more, just as his phone rang.
Bowen answered curtly, “Talk.”
“Bowen, what’s with that tone? Feeling a little… pent-up?” Ollie Lane teased over the phone, clearly delighted to catch Bowen in a bad mood.
Bowen said impatiently, “Whatever, I’m hanging up.”
“Come on, man! Mark King’s out and wants to get the guys together. You wouldn’t bail on us, would you?”
He realized he really did need to blow off some steam. Tightening his grip on his phone, Bowen said, “Location.”
“Nightworld.”
“Got it,” Bowen replied, pausing awkwardly. Trying to sound casual, he added, “That book you mentioned last time… something like 360 Ways to Raise A Daughter... do you still have it? Mind sending me a copy?”
Ollie gasped. “Wait, did Bowen really take that random thing I said last time to heart?”
Ollie’s eyes sparkled with mischief as he chuckled slyly, “Absolutely, I’ll send it right over.”
As soon as the call ended, Ollie dug out a document titled “360 Ways to Love Your Wife” and renamed it “360 Ways to Raise A Daughter," and sent it to Bowen.