Chapter 40: A Thousand-Mile Journey

**Chapter 40: A Thousand-Mile Journey**

Gu Qianli slipped on her slippers and walked out of her room. Her home was a standalone villa, and as the young lady of the house, the sheer size of the villa was something that anyone would understand.

Her room was on the second floor, and it didn't take her long to reach the dining room.

Although she was a young lady, Gu Qianli's home was not as rigid or old-fashioned as depicted in TV dramas. For example, the way Aunt Wu, the maid, addressed her just now. Although the Gu family employed many servants and gardeners, there were not many strict rules or formalities. After all, it's the 21st century. It's not as if they would still be calling people by titles like "master," "madam," "young master," or "young miss."

This was something Gu Qianli's father had specifically requested. The servants were not allowed to call Gu Qianli "miss" or "young lady," but simply by her name. Her parents were to be addressed as "boss" and "madam boss."

When Gu Qianli arrived at the dining room, she saw her father, Gu Hongxiao, already seated and waiting for her.

Her father, Gu Hongxiao, didn't look particularly old. In fact, he appeared somewhat youthful, tall and slim, with gold-rimmed glasses, slicked-back hair, and an air of a shrewd businessman. Despite his refined demeanor, it was clear from his high-bridged nose and cheekbones that he was undoubtedly Gu Qianli's biological father.

In fact, many of Gu Qianli's classmates at school, including her three roommates, often speculated about her family background. However, no matter how much they guessed, they would never imagine that Gu Qianli's father was none other than Gu Hongxiao!

Gu Hongxiao was one of the leading figures in the Republic's internet companies, and in recent years, he had become the undisputed leader in the industry.

If Lin Qingshan were to describe him, he might say that Gu Hongxiao was like a combination of "Pony Ma" and "Water Drop Brother" from his previous life.

Unlike Pony Ma, Gu Hongxiao's company, Qiandu, was the leading search engine company in the Republic. Over the years, through strategic investments and acquisitions of small companies with great potential, and with the backing of Qiandu Group's substantial financial resources, the company had rapidly expanded its influence.

The key to Qiandu's rise as the Republic's top internet company was Gu Hongxiao's precise eye for investment and acquisition opportunities. This success had made him increasingly busy in recent years, as everyone trusted his vision and decisions. As a result, it was rare for Gu Qianli to see her father.

Even calling him was difficult, as it was hard to reach her father Gu Hongxiao or her mother, Weng Shengxue. It was usually them who contacted her first.

Gu Qianli casually sat down next to her father and asked, "Dad, how come you're home lately?"

"I heard from Uncle Chen that you were home for the holidays," Gu Hongxiao replied with a smile.

Uncle Chen was the family chauffeur.

"Coincidentally, the Republic's Internet Summit is coming up in a few days, so I'll be staying here for a while," Gu Hongxiao continued.

"And what about Mom?" Gu Qianli asked.

Gu Qianli's parents were both key figures in the management of Qiandu, and it was no secret that without her mother's support, Gu Hongxiao wouldn't have reached his current success. It was a very realistic situation—no matter how talented a genius is, without some backing, they can't smoothly navigate the path to success.

"She's busy in the U.S. dealing with the company's listing, so she doesn't have time to come back," Gu Hongxiao explained. "But at the summit, you can take your mom's place and attend with me. It'll be a good opportunity to introduce you to some people. How about that?"

Gu Qianli shook her head. "No, I'm not really interested in meeting them right now. Besides... if I meet them now, it would only be as your daughter."

"I want to meet them with my own identity in the future."

Gu Hongxiao paused, then chuckled. "You really are something... So, you've decided to strike out on your own?"

"Yes, that's right. Actually, when I chose to major in computer science, I had this in mind," Gu Qianli replied with a grin. "I don't want to rely on your name to get a job at Qiandu after graduation and just coast through life. How about you and Mom give me some money so I can start my own business?"

"Well... that's fine. But I thought you wouldn't want any help from us and would just go out and do it all on your own," Gu Hongxiao said with a fond smile, ruffling her hair.

"How could I? I have some self-awareness. It would take forever to achieve results if I tried to make money and start a business on my own. 'A thousand years is too long; seize the day,' right?" Gu Qianli said earnestly.

"So, have you decided what you want to do?" Gu Hongxiao asked, still smiling.

"I've been observing for a while now. In the Republic's online space, Qiandu is the leader in search engines, and I wouldn't want to compete with you, right?"

"Smart girl."

[Translator: sauron]

"But in terms of chat and communication, there's Penguin; for music software, there's Netcloud; for online shopping, there's Aili; for comics, there's Manjie; and for community forums, there are various options. It seems like everything is covered, but I think there are still some gaps."

"Tell me more."

"I think there's a lack of leading companies in the entertainment sector, especially in online novels and video anime."

Gu Hongxiao shook his head. "Online novels and video sites aren't without major players. In fact, Qiandu's top management has already decided to target these two areas next. We're planning to acquire two companies and help them grow."

"There are two companies in these sectors that I think have great potential."

"But what about anime video sites? Sure, there's Youdou for general video, but what about anime-specific video sites?" Gu Qianli asked, flashing a sly smile.

Hong Xiao was momentarily taken aback. "Qianli, are you suggesting... a video site focused on anime?"

"Yes, exactly! I mean a site that centers around anime... or rather, ACG (Anime, Comics, and Games) culture. Dad, do you really think ACG culture is just a niche interest?"

"I've done my research. Since the turn of the millennium, the number of ACG culture enthusiasts in the Republic has been steadily increasing. Based on my observations of major ACG forums, anime forums, and the Manjie comic forum's statistics over the past two years..."

"At the end of the year before last, the three major ACG forums had over 2.23 million active participants. By the end of last year, that number had grown to over 2.8 million! That's an increase of nearly 26%!"

Gu Qianli's eyes sparkled with determination.