When Ethan returned to Skyview Residence, the lights in the living room were still on, and Jason was sitting at the table surrounded by documents, his laptop open with a structured list of channels displayed on the screen, while a half-finished meal sat cold beside him, showing he had been waiting for quite some time.
The moment he heard the door, he stood up quickly, still carrying a hint of nervousness.
"I went through all the channels you mentioned and started talking to the ones I could, but a few of them are still unclear," he said, his words slightly uneven but sincere.
Ethan nodded and walked over to review the materials, noticing that while the formatting was rough, the logic was solid, with contacts, pricing, and resource ranges clearly listed, and several entries marked with intention.
"The direction is right," Ethan said as he pulled out one of the sheets and pointed to the top entry.
"But the key isn't how many."
Jason paused.
"Then what is it?"
Ethan circled the line.
"That."
It was a local distribution agency that controlled major commercial screens, short video placements, and shopping mall promotions across the city.
Jason had seen it but hadn't understood its importance.
"What's special about this one?"
Ethan did not answer immediately and instead pushed the document toward him.
"You're looking for channels, right?"
"Yes."
"And what do channels do?"
Jason thought for a moment.
"They help us push content out."
Ethan nodded.
"Then what if someone decides what gets pushed, who sees it, and how often?"
Jason froze.
Ethan looked at him calmly.
"This isn't just a channel."
"It's the entry point."
The weight of that statement settled into the room.
"Who gets onto it gets exposure, and who doesn't simply disappears."
Jason slowly understood.
"So we're not partnering with them?"
Ethan met his eyes.
"We're taking it."
At that moment, the doorbell rang.
Ethan walked over and opened the door to find her standing there, still in a simple white shirt, her expression composed.
"I don't like waiting for results," she said.
Ethan stepped aside.
"Then come in."
She entered, briefly scanning the room before stopping at the table and picking up the marked document.
Her gaze paused on the selected company.
"You've already chosen," she said.
Ethan did not deny it.
"And you should also see it won't be easy."
She looked up at him.
"It's not about difficulty."
"It's controlled."
Ethan smiled slightly.
"That's why it matters."
There was a brief silence.
She did not argue, because she understood exactly how tightly resources like that were held.
"How do you plan to do it?" she asked.
Ethan did not answer directly.
"You said you wanted a position."
She nodded.
"I'm giving you one."
Jason was stunned.
But Ethan continued.
"You take this."
She looked at him carefully.
"You're testing me?"
Ethan shook his head.
"I'm using you."
The bluntness of the words made the room go quiet, but she did not react negatively.
Instead, she asked the real question.
"What happens after we take it?"
Ethan answered without hesitation.
"We don't do single deals."
"We build distribution."
He pointed at the company name.
"All local traffic flows through here."
"Anyone who wants exposure comes to us."
"The money comes to us first, then gets distributed."
He paused briefly.
"We're not just making money."
"We decide who makes money."
Jason stood there, completely stunned, realizing that this was no longer about small deals but about control at a different level.
She looked at Ethan, and for the first time, her expression changed, not with doubt, but with recognition.
"You've already planned everything," she said.
Ethan nodded.
"I just needed you."
A faint smile appeared on her face.
"How long?"
"How fast can you do it?" Ethan asked.
She closed the file.
"Two days."
There was no hesitation.
She turned and walked toward the door, then paused briefly and looked back at him.
"I'll take it."
Then she left.
The room fell silent again as Jason stood there for several seconds before speaking.
"Can we really do this?"
Ethan looked at the space where she had been standing.
"You'll see soon."