The tea was clear and lightly fragrant.
Lu Xingye looked at the cup placed in front of him, then at He Chendong, whose attitude had clearly changed from routine administration to cautious respect.
A business plan?
He almost laughed.
If he were to write down his real plan—breaking dimensional barriers, extracting black technology from movie worlds, and building a technological civilization—he would be sent straight to the psychology department.
But business was about packaging truth in a form others could accept.
"I do have one," Lu Xingye said after a brief pause.
He didn't take out a thick document. Instead, he opened his laptop and turned the screen slightly.
"There are three stages."
He Chendong straightened unconsciously.
"Please go on."
Stage One: Survival and Positioning
"Cybersecurity," Lu Xingye said calmly.
"System-level protection, enterprise security solutions, and emergency response to new malware."
"This market will only grow larger. As long as computers exist, security will never disappear."
He didn't mention the arc reactor on the desk in the rented office.
He didn't mention J.A.R.V.I.S.
He didn't mention the future technologies already within reach.
Only what could be believed.
He Chendong nodded repeatedly.
"This aligns with national policy. Information security is a strategic direction."
Stage Two: Expansion and Platformization
"Once we establish technical authority," Lu Xingye continued,
"Suihuo Technology will expand from tools to platforms—security ecosystems, developer interfaces, enterprise customization."
"Not competing purely on price," he added,
"but on irreplaceability."
He paused, then said something that made He Chendong's fingers tighten slightly.
"Like how operating systems trap users—not maliciously, but structurally."
He Chendong took a deep breath.
This student wasn't just technically capable.
He understood power structures.
Stage Three: Technological Leap
Lu Xingye closed the laptop.
"For the third stage, I haven't written it down yet."
"Why?" He Chendong asked instinctively.
"Because the timing isn't right," Lu Xingye replied.
"When Suihuo reaches that stage, the technology itself will speak."
He smiled faintly.
Some fires couldn't be written.
They had to be lit.
Silence filled the service hall for several seconds.
Then—
He Chendong laughed.
A genuine, relieved laugh.
"Student Lu," he said slowly,
"I can now say this with confidence."
"You are the most promising student entrepreneur I've seen in the past ten years."
He stood up.
"I will personally recommend Suihuo Technology to the university's Key Entrepreneurship Support Program."
"Office rent subsidies, policy priority, government docking resources, and—most importantly—protection."
Protection.
That word carried weight.
Lu Xingye nodded.
"Thank you, Teacher He."
"No," He Chendong waved his hand.
"Yan University should be thanking you."
That evening.
Heaven on Earth's private kitchen.
Crystal chandeliers reflected warm light onto the polished table. Zhao Dawei, Chen Rui, and Wang Hao sat stiffly in their chairs, afraid to even touch the utensils.
"Xiao Ye," Wang Hao whispered,
"Are we… allowed to breathe here?"
"Relax," Lu Xingye said, pouring tea.
"It's just food."
Just food?
A single dish cost more than their monthly living expenses.
When the private room door closed, Zhao Dawei finally exploded.
"Be honest," he said.
"Are you secretly the illegitimate son of some tycoon?"
"No," Lu Xingye replied calmly.
"I'm just faster than everyone else."
He raised his glass.
"To Suihuo Technology."
The others hesitated for less than a second, then followed.
"To Suihuo Technology!"
Glasses clinked.
In that moment, none of them fully understood what this name would one day represent.
They only knew—
A cone-shaped empire was forming quietly.
At the top: Lu Xingye.
At the base: technology.
At the core: fire that would never go out.
Outside the restaurant, the city lights flickered on one by one.
And somewhere far beyond human sight—
The future had already begun to accelerate.