Chapter 277: Meeting the Financier

On the second floor of the venue, several private rooms were set up. Each room had independent views of the ongoing competition and the big screen.

Han Xi originally sat in the VIP room, where she could see everything happening on stage. However, she chose to get Fang Zhou’s seating information from the organizers and quietly sat behind him and his sister, watching the entire match until the end before returning.

The assistant quietly closed the door and then whispered to Han Xi, “President Han, are you sure you want to talk to them through the screen?”

The room was decorated in a traditional Chinese style, complete with folding screens, bookshelves, vases, and tea tables.

Han Xi chose to sit behind the screen in a way that would pique Fang Zhou and his team’s curiosity, making them more eager to find out who their mysterious boss was.

The assistant thought it would be better to reveal her identity now since it was bound to come out eventually.

Han Xi, however, calmly sat down and began preparing tea, following her own tea-making steps.

“Hmm, let them sit over there.”

Although the assistant didn’t quite understand, he followed Han Xi’s instructions and guided the ‘Wind Breakers’ team to sit on the sofas and chairs near the entrance when they arrived.

“Thank you all for your hard work. Winning first place today was no easy feat. Please enjoy some snacks first!”

The VIP room was well-stocked with fruit plates and snacks, just right for the occasion.

Fang Zhou and Li Siming exchanged glances, engaging in a silent conversation.

‘Didn’t you say the boss was a woman? Why is it a man?’

‘I don’t know! The voice on the phone was definitely a woman’s!’

Fang Zhou’s eyes widened as he considered a possibility.

‘Could it be that our boss has some kind of secret hobby?’

Technically, calling this person ‘boss’ wasn’t accurate. Fang Zhou and Li Siming were the registered founders of the studio, and this financier was a sponsor who could pull out at any time.

As long as they won the national competition prize, they wouldn’t need the sponsor anymore since they’d have money and confidence!

Li Siming, catching Fang Zhou’s eye, also thought in a certain direction, his expression turning horrified.

‘Oh no, could it be they’re here for our boys?’

If Han Xi knew about their mental gymnastics, she would probably laugh out loud.

You guys really have wild imaginations.

Su Yang, on the other hand, sat down beside Han Xi’s assistant, shaking his hand with a big smile.

“Thank you for your generous support. Without your help, we wouldn’t have made it this far!”

This was true. Relying solely on the initial tens of thousands Fang Zhou had scraped together, they wouldn’t have managed rent, hiring, salaries, and registering the studio.

Without the boss’s substantial financial backing, they would have barely scraped by.

Realizing he was being mistaken for the boss, the assistant quickly waved his hands.

“No, no, no, I’m just an assistant. Our boss is at the back.”

He pointed towards the screen.

The team looked up and saw a silhouette behind the floral screen. They couldn’t see the face, but the figure seemed to be a slender woman.

Fang Zhou and Li Siming immediately realized they had almost made a huge blunder.

Fang Zhou quickly spoke up, “Thank you, Boss! We appreciate you making time to watch our match today. How did you find our team’s performance?”

Everyone held their breath, remembering the boss’s earlier threat that poor performance would mean no salary, though it was likely just a scare tactic.

Still, she was the boss; her satisfaction mattered.

“Not bad. Keep up the good work.”

A woman’s cool voice came through the screen, reminiscent of a bird singing in a valley.

All they could see was the silhouette of the woman behind the screen, elegantly pouring herself tea.

Her tone indicated satisfaction.

Relieved, everyone smiled. Thank goodness.

All their hard work—training day and night without even holding their girlfriends’ hands—had paid off with a ticket to the national competition and the boss’s praise.

Only Fang Zhou, after hearing the voice, frowned slightly.

Why did this woman’s voice sound familiar?

It was as cold and aloof as Han Xi’s but warmer.

Sitting on the sofa, he felt as if her gaze was lingering on him, but he couldn’t be sure.

He wanted to tell himself not to be self-indulgent. Someone of this caliber would surely have seen countless handsome men.

Yet, he couldn’t ignore the feeling that he was being watched.

Li Siming, who usually handled the communications, had brought all the necessary documents and began reporting to Han Xi through the screen.

Han Xi sipped her tea, listening intently, feeling as if she were back at work.

She patiently listened to the entire report and provided some feedback and requirements.

The most important was: “For the national competition, I’ll design your uniforms with some small advertisements. You don’t have any objections, do you?”

The team had no objections. They were only responsible for playing; everything else was out of their hands.

Fang Zhou, Li Siming, and Su Yang understood that there was no free lunch. The boss had invested for a reason, likely for this moment.

They agreed promptly, “No problem! It’s our honor to serve you!”

“Good. The previous promises still stand. I look forward to hearing good news from the national competition in a week.”

Both sides got what they wanted from the conversation.

“We’ll head back now. Boss, would you like to join our celebration dinner tonight?”

Li Siming enthusiastically invited Han Xi but was politely declined.

“No need. Enjoy yourselves. I’ll cover the expenses.”

The ‘Wind Breakers’ team members thanked her individually before leaving the VIP room, leaving Han Xi and her assistant alone.

Outside, Li Siming threw an arm around Fang Zhou’s shoulders, whispering, “I’m getting more curious. Who is this person, willing to spend so much money but not show their face?”

Fang Zhou was also puzzled and shook his head.

“I don’t know. Probably some heiress from a wealthy family having fun and happened to choose us.”

Li Siming laughed heartily, winking at Fang Zhou, “Could it be one of your ex-girlfriends?”

From what he knew, Fang Zhou’s ex-girlfriends were all wealthy. It could very well be one of them trying to win him back.

Li Siming was joking, but Fang Zhou took it seriously.

Suddenly stopping, he told Li Siming, “Take the team back to rest. I have something to do.”