Don't get married if you're reborn.

Chapter 405 Investment Arrangements Reached (4K)

Zeng Wenjie invited Zheng Shouyun to a banquet at Shanshui Pavilion.

Zheng Shouyun is, after all, a capable lieutenant under Tencent's CEO, and must have connections with capital.

He took Zheng Shouyun to accept Xue Lu's investment. Zheng Shouyun would definitely spread the news, and when everyone heard it, they'd be like, "Wow, this college student got such a big investment!" After that, they wouldn't have much to worry about investing.

"President Zeng, you really are multi-talented! You dabble in everything and are good at everything!" Zheng Shouyun said in surprise.

"Not at all, I'm a jack of all trades, master of none. It's just that people haven't discovered this track yet, so I'm in the lead," Zeng Wenjie said with a smile.

"Being prescient is a great thing! Take our major shareholder, Mr. Tang, for example; he has almost never had a failed investment since he started investing," Zheng Shouyun said.

Zeng Wenjie thought he should find an opportunity to meet this mysterious big shot.

Soon, the two arrived at the Mountain and Water Pavilion.

Xue Lu did not recognize Zheng Shouyun, so he politely asked, "And who is this?"

Zeng Wenjie said, "This is Mr. Zheng Shouyun, who was sent by Mr. Ma from Tencent to serve as the project director of our Game Science Studio. Mr. Zheng, this is Mr. Xue Lu, a well-known wealthy businessman in Fengzhou."

Zheng Shouyun extended his right hand to Xue Lu and said, "President Xue, it's a pleasure to meet you!"

After shaking hands with him, Xue Lu laughed and said, "So you're from Tencent's camp, impressive!"

Seemingly to ease the tension, Xue Lu also called Xue Xiangyao over. This aloof beauty with incredibly long legs was wearing a trench coat with a short skirt, black stockings, and ankle boots, looking absolutely stunning.

"Wow, you look great today!" Zeng Wenjie asked.

"When isn't it beautiful?" Xue Xiangyao asked with a smile.

Zeng Wenjie clicked his tongue. Indeed, Xue Xiangyao was highly talented and had great taste in clothes; he always looked quite stylish.

In addition, she is also a wealthy woman, which makes her even more attractive to men who want to take shortcuts.

If you manage to seduce her, it's like getting both a beautiful woman and a free meal.

However, given Xue Xiangyao's temperament, which is a carbon copy of Ye Yixuan, she's probably a woman who prefers quality over quantity, and most gigolos wouldn't be able to latch onto her.

"Mr. Xue's daughter is really beautiful. Is she also studying at Fengyuan?" Zheng Shouyun said with a smile.

“They’re students from a top-tier university, don’t insult them by comparing them to students from second-tier universities,” Zeng Wenjie said.

Zheng Shouyun gave an awkward smile, but Xue Lu said, "You can't say that. The school only provides the learning space and knowledge; it doesn't represent everything. Fengyuan may be small, but it still produced a Zhuang Aimin, didn't it? Now, it's your turn, President Zeng."

Xue Xiangyao also rolled her eyes at Zeng Wenjie, who was making a witty remark. She used to have some of the arrogance of Yuan Xiuqin, but now she had none of it.

At the same time, she also had some feelings.

People of her generation were all obsequious when they met her father, Xue Lu, but Zeng Wenjie was the one whose father had to beg for help.

This stark contrast sometimes left Xue Xiangyao feeling dazed.

"Hello, Mr. Zheng, I've contributed quite a bit to your company's performance," Xue Xiangyao said to Zheng Shouyun with a smile.

While others struggle with the decision to purchase red or yellow diamonds, Xue Xiangyao not only acquires all sorts of diamonds but also spends a fortune on in-game purchases.

After exchanging pleasantries, we sat down at the dinner table.

Xue Lu naturally treated him with the highest honors, preparing a table full of dishes.

Zeng Wenjie felt that this was a bit wasteful, so he thought he would pack a few dishes to go with Ye Yixuan for drinks later, so that he wouldn't have to make any snacks to go with the drinks.

Xue Lu said to Zeng Wenjie, "I've thought it through what you told me last time, Mr. Zeng! If we don't do it, the 80 million will be a complete loss, and we'll also have to pay the merchants' breach of contract penalties... Rather than that, we should put some more money in and take a gamble."

"Moreover, I trust both Mr. Zeng's abilities and character."

"However, it will be quite difficult for me to scrape together these investments, so please be cautious, Mr. Zeng!"

Upon hearing this, Zheng Shouyun was somewhat surprised. What kind of business was this, with an amount of 80 million?

Xue Lu's investment in Century City has been implicated and is currently under seizure, but he has no connections to get people to show leniency.

There is no other way but to cooperate with Zeng Wenjie; otherwise, we can only wait for the mall to remain closed, or even for it to be easily taken away by someone else.

Zeng Wenjie isn't stupid. If Xue Lu didn't offer him any benefits, would he have helped the other party ask Zhuang Aimin for help?
Xue Lu has a large investment and a high shareholding in Century City, and some of the shares in this mall have been seized by the government. Using two floors of it to build a supermarket would be very suitable.

Zeng Wenjie wasn't thinking about making big money when he started his supermarket business; he planned to go directly to Central China to investigate and replicate the Pang Donglai model.

The reason why Pang Donglai, a supermarket chain known for its integrity, is so popular is entirely due to the contrast with its competitors. Moreover, the owner is genuinely willing to pay and provide benefits to his employees, and the bonuses he gives out have been increasing year by year. However, instead of losing money, he has actually made more money!

Zeng Wenjie used to think that he could just sit back and relax after making tens of millions of yuan, but now he's not going to be so lazy.

After all, she kept her promise to Xie Jiu in mind, and this achievement was clearly not enough to slap Mu Qingyang's stepmother's face.

Furthermore, Zhuang Aimin had already planned to promote him as the face of Chongshan Province, so he certainly couldn't do anything underhanded.

Finally, since life is short, we should always contribute something to our hometown.

"Don't worry, Mr. Xue. I always think three steps ahead before acting. I've been thinking about opening a supermarket for quite some time now, and there's a supermarket in Zhongyuan Province whose business model and philosophy are very worth learning from. The speed at which we make money might be a bit slower, but our ability to build a good reputation is ridiculously strong," Zeng Wenjie said with a smile.

"To build a reputation?" Xue Lu's eyes lit up when he heard those three words.

He came from an unorthodox background and didn't have a good reputation. Now that he's involved in Luo Hui's affairs, his situation is even more difficult.

If he could do a business that both makes money and earns him a good reputation, he would be more than happy to do it!

Zeng Wenjie said, "In the early stages, Mr. Xue will take the lion's share, and then I will gradually take back the shares from you each year."

Xue Lu hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Is it based on the initial share price, or..."

Zeng Wenjie said, "I will definitely buy it back at the market price. I wouldn't be greedy for such a small profit."

Zheng Shouyun also smiled and said, "President Zeng is a man of great vision, President Xue, you can rest assured!"

Having spent time with Zeng Wenjie, Zheng Shouyun felt that the young man was quite a nice person.

Although he's a bit young, he's already quite worldly-wise, and some of the things he says in conversations show his magnanimity and breadth of vision. Sometimes he even gets me to join him in vehemently criticizing Tencent's pay-to-win games.

Zheng Shouyun was only thirty years old, an age when he had broadened his horizons and still had ideals and ambitions.

Zeng Wenjie felt that he was a perfect employee with Ye Qiansheng's qualities and had long harbored the idea of ​​poaching Xiao Ma's employees.

These days, whenever he comes to the game studio, he often chats with Zheng Shouyun, sharing his views on the future of the game market and his disgust for the current chaotic state of the domestic game industry... In his words, he seems to be subtly revealing his attitude of wanting to change the entire domestic game market.

Zheng Shouyun was itching to get his hands on it.

Hearing Zeng Wenjie's words, and with Zheng Shouyun present as a witness, Xue Lu breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Okay, then Mr. Zeng... you can draft the contract. After you've drafted it, I'll take a look at it. If there are no problems, we'll sign it."

Zeng Wenjie nodded and said, "President Xue is straightforward, I like that! Don't worry, President Xue, as long as we cooperate, I guarantee you'll make money."

Xue Lu laughed and said, "I believe that. Since his debut, President Zeng has never lost money! Moreover, the return on investment of 'The Voice of China' has far exceeded my expectations. I'm just waiting for the dividends!"

With the explosive popularity of "The Voice of China," the revenue from advertising, ringtone revenue sharing, performance income, and other sources has become quite substantial. Xue Lu's investment of ten million yuan will undoubtedly yield considerable returns.

However, since the naming rights belonged to Marleneia, the advertising revenue was equivalent to losing tens of millions of yuan, with Zeng Wenjie reaping all the benefits.

But there was nothing that could be done, since he was the founder of the show after all, and Zhuang Aimin had taken good care of him and helped him keep the naming rights.

“The second music variety show is also in the planning stages. When it opens for investment, I will invite President Xue first,” Zeng Wenjie said.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Xue Lu immediately agreed, raising his wine cup to offer a toast.

He also pulled Xue Xiangyao along, saying, "Yaoyao, you should also toast President Zeng!"

Xue Xiangyao picked up the juice and said to Zeng Wenjie, "I won't drink alcohol, I'll use a soft drink instead. Thank you for your help."

Zeng Wenjie said, "Cooperation is always mutually beneficial, there's no such thing as helping or not helping. Xiang Yao, you don't need to be so polite with me."

Zheng Shouyun then chimed in, "It's an honor to witness the collaboration between two big names. I'll have a drink with you!"

After finishing his drink, Xue Lu offered cigarettes and then personally lit them for Zeng Wenjie and Zheng Shouyun.

Zeng Wenjie felt that Xue Lu was still sensible; otherwise, this incident alone would have been enough to make him unable to recover.

Then, he couldn't help but glance at Xue Xiangyao. It was fortunate that Xue Xiangyao had helped his father to mend the situation after the fact; otherwise, he wouldn't have given Xue Lu any face.

So what difference does it make who operates Century City? If the government takes it all over, it will actually be easier for them to manage.

"Xiangyao, our Marlenia is launching new products, you'll definitely look great in them," Zeng Wenjie teased Xue Xiangyao, who was standing next to him.

Xue Xiangyao seems to have a particular fondness for Marlene's black stockings with the letter and ruler designs, especially the ruler design, which he wears the most.

There's nothing I can do about it; my legs are really long, and I'm not afraid of people seeing their exact length.

Xue Xiangyao asked, "Really? It's not traditional stockings, is it?"

Zeng Wenjie shook his head and said, "It's definitely a product that will catch your eye. We focus on a sense of understated luxury and the young market, and traditional stockings would be too contrary to our brand philosophy."

"Give me a heads-up?" Xue Xiangyao asked.

“The Starlink version,” Zeng Wenjie said with a smile.

"Never heard of it! What kind of design is it?" Xue Xiangyao asked with great interest.

Zeng Wenjie gestured to his thigh and said, "It's roughly like cutting one side off here and then connecting the top and bottom with two silver chains. Then, our jewelry store will offer various styles of gold and silver chains specifically for stockings, which can be used as replacements."

Xue Xiangyao, a connoisseur of luxury goods, listened thoughtfully before saying, "This idea is so unique, so cleverly designed! Tell me when it's released, and I'll buy it immediately."

Zeng Wenjie said, "I can send you a few pairs first, you can try them on and give me feedback on how they look."

Xue Xiangyao said, "Okay!"

Zeng Wenjie thought to himself, "All the male students at Chongqing University should run up to me and kowtow to me, otherwise they'll be wasting the benefits I'm giving them!"

He could hardly imagine how alluring Xue Xiangyao would look in those seductive star-chain black stockings.

After a while of eating and drinking, Zheng Shouyun was quite tipsy, and his tongue felt a little numb.

He put his arm around Zeng Wenjie's shoulder and asked, "Mr. Zeng, when are you going to put that idea you mentioned to me before into practice? If it really works out, I'll jump over from Tencent and work with you!"

Zeng Wenjie grinned, patted Zheng Shouyun on the shoulder, and said, "Don't worry, Mr. Zheng, you're a capable person, and I need you too! Once our 'Hero Kill' is launched and becomes a huge hit, I'll immediately talk to Mr. Ma and see if he'd be willing to cooperate with me."

Zheng Shouyun said, "I'm afraid that even if he's happy, his team won't be. Those guys only care about money and will find ways to get you to spend more!"

Zeng Wenjie nodded and said, "If President Ma is unwilling to cooperate, then we'll have to do it ourselves."

Zheng Shouyun laughed and said, "In my humble opinion, 'Hero Kill' will definitely become a phenomenal game! We at Tencent have a very high opinion of it. It's simple, easy to learn, and fun. It can suit players of all ages across the country, and its audience will be very wide!"

Xue Xiangyao said to Zeng Wenjie, "I heard your cards are out? Can I have a set?"

Zeng Wenjie said, "It's not possible for now. If you want to play, you can go to room 208 of our Fengyuan Entrepreneurship Base after class. People organize games of 'Hero Kill' there every day. Senior Sister Yuan also plays there occasionally."

"Oh? Really? Then I'll go take a look later." Xue Xiangyao said with a smile, "When your game comes out, I will definitely support it and get all the skins."

"Thank you, boss!" Zeng Wenjie immediately expressed his gratitude.

After they had almost finished eating, Zeng Wenjie said to Xue Lu, "President Xue, I have something to attend to. Why don't you get to know President Zheng better?"

Xue Lu was naturally happy to have more contact with Zheng Shouyun, a senior executive at Tencent, and agreed, "Don't worry, President Zeng, I will definitely treat President Zheng well."

Zheng Shouyun said, "What, you think it's more fun to leave me behind and go play?"

Zeng Wenjie laughed and said, "How could that be? I'm going to discuss business with Mr. Zhuang's secretary!"

Xue Lu gave Zeng Wenjie a thumbs up and said, "President Zeng is really reliable!"

Zeng Wenjie thought to himself, "At least it's not Trump."

Xue Lu assumed Zeng Wenjie was going to discuss the Century City issue with Ye Yixuan, unaware that he was going to have drinks with someone.

Zeng Wenjie asked the waiter to pack up a few dishes, but Xue Lu said he would have the kitchen prepare new ones.

“Waste is shameful. As a child from a working-class background, I should still pay attention to saving food,” Zeng Wenjie said with a smile.

Xue Lurang was taken aback by what he said.

He came from an ordinary family, but after achieving success, he squandered his wealth...

Save food?

For a moment, those four words felt both familiar and distant to him.

(End of this chapter)