Months after launching their short-video platform across app stores, user growth stagnated. Only her core team had installed the app initially. Angel investors showed scant interest; Jaylene often returned fuming from pitch meetings after facing cold dismissals.

Without funding, their startup was suffocating. Jaylene, Nie Guanyu, and the team neared despair. Alarieka even caught two members browsing job sites during work hours.

She responded by emptying her personal accounts and slamming every asset onto the conference table.

“Don’t worry about money, I’ll handle it.”

The dazzling balance in Alarieka’s bank account nearly blinded her partners.

Morale instantly soared.

Just weeks after launch, the short video app kept crashing. During that period, she and her team practically lived at the office, debugging day and night until dark circles shadowed their eyes. Even Alarieka skipped several classes, nearly getting caught by campus authorities had her roommate not covered for her.

Fortunately, as Alarieka had foreseen in her past life, the app exploded in popularity. Millions downloaded it, birthing the platform’s first viral creators, spawning trending memes and drawing even more users. Downloads skyrocketed past 500 million.

Heeding Shi Yao’s advice, Alarieka rapidly expanded her company, scaling departments to capture key platform features. She consolidated resources, negotiated partnerships with influencers and e-commerce platforms, accelerating wealth accumulation until her app dominated nationwide.

After conquering short videos, Alarieka launched gaming apps without pause.

This gaming software marked her third release.

Alarieka’s Harmony Tech surged forward, transforming into an internet giant overnight.

Everything unfolded exactly as Alarieka envisioned.

Seated by the window, she gazed down at the flowing traffic below.

This year was merely her first after graduation. Yet four years prior, she’d already moved with Tamika out of their rental apartment into a luxury penthouse near headquarters.

Harmony Tech now occupied the commercial district’s core – a prime location unthinkable to her past self.

Today, she reigned as the tower’s undisputed owner.

Alarieka mused distractedly – if her past life self could see her current position, she’d be overjoyed.

If her daughter from that life still existed, with her current wealth, she’d ensure the child wanted for nothing.

She’d raise her one-of-a-kind daughter in safety and prosperity, then bequeath everything to her.

No more starving till skin and bones showed, no more being too poor for baby formula.

Just then, office knuckles rapped against wood.

“Enter.”

Alarieka reined in her thoughts, tucking away the faint confusion and pain in her eyes as she settled into her executive chair.

Secretary Liu entered in a tailored pencil skirt, her demeanor calm and measured. “Ms. Huston, Keyuan has responded.”

Alarieka prompted, “Go on.”

“General Manager Zeng claims this decision isn’t his to make. We must contact Mr. Argent of Kierose Group in Shanghai.”

“He mentioned approaching Mr. Argent multiple times, but he’s been too occupied…”

Over these entrepreneurial years, Alarieka had caught industry whispers about Kieran.

How Kieran and Rose welcomed a son.

How they’d held a wedding of the century in Shanghai during her freshman year – grand, magnificent, leaving every guest awestruck.

How Kieran and Rose shared enviable marital harmony.

How Kieran’s empire now spanned continents, unstoppable.

How he’d established a charity foundation in Rose and their child’s name.

How he’d hosted an extravagant piano competition solely for Rose…

She’d deliberately ignored it all, avoided dwelling, steered clear of crossing paths with Kieran.

Even when funding fell through, she’d never considered seeking him out.

She, Kieran, and Rose existed like parallel lines – same industry, never intersecting.

Now, realizing how long it’d been since Kieran crossed her mind… since his name last reached her ears…

Lately, Alarieka had been consumed by securing rights for a critical resource in her new game: the Black and White Rabbit IP.