Don't get married if you're reborn.

Chapter 482 The Age of Passing on the Flame (5K)

Actually, Hollow Knight was almost finished in production. It was a low-budget game with simple art and no major challenges.

However, Zeng Wenjie insisted on continuous testing to ensure that no bugs would appear when the game was officially launched, thus affecting the players' gaming experience. After all, this was a game that Game Science was truly going to use to make a name for itself.

Once Hollow Knight is released, Zeng Wenjie plans to have Miyazaki start the "Age of Fire" early to torment players.

After the meeting, Zeng Wenjie went to the art department, where Zeng Mi was flipping through a thick European book. This was a task assigned by Miyazaki, to help her familiarize herself with the scenes of ancient Europe, which would be useful in the next game.

"You're here?" Zeng Mi smiled and said when she saw Zeng Wenjie.

"Yes, I've made all the arrangements at the villa. Shall we go see it today?" Zeng Wenjie asked.

Zeng Mi nodded and said, "Of course I'll go. You can't go back on your promise to me."

Zeng Wenjie reached out and stroked her cheek, saying, "Are you getting used to your life now? Running back and forth between the two places must be quite busy."

Zeng Mi said, "I spend most of my time studying, which is quite fulfilling. Moreover, there are many experts in the company, and I can ask them for advice at any time."

Feeling the unruly guy teasing her lips with his finger, she couldn't help but open her mouth and gently bite it, then glared at him defiantly.

Zeng Wenjie withdrew his fingers, then pinched her chin to make her look up, and looked down at her aggressively.

Zeng Mi closed her eyes, raised her arms to hug his neck, and responded gently and passionately.

He hasn't had time to go to Xiaopin Teahouse to drink and chat with Zeng Mi lately, which makes him seem a bit neglected. However, this lilac-like beauty has been neglected for so long, and she is still unforgettable.

"Don't go too far!" Zeng Mi suddenly opened her eyes and warned.

Zeng Wenjie agreed, but his hands were not very honest. He only stopped after he had satisfied his urge to touch them, and he was full of anticipation for the night.

It's been a while since I've seen Zeng Mi in a cheongsam, I really miss her!

After letting Zeng Mi go, Zeng Wenjie asked, "Are you satisfied with the copyright revenue sharing for this issue?"

Zeng Mi smiled after hearing this and said, "Although it's not much, it's still pretty good."

Zeng Wenjie was speechless. Women who had seen a lot of money were not easy to fool. Wasn't a share of more than two million yuan a lot? Moreover, this income would continue for a long time as the game operated. Even if the popularity dropped later, her monthly share would still not be low.

Moreover, the most profitable skins are not just released once or twice, but several for each character. Once ranked matches are popular, a new skin can be released every season to make money.

In short, Zeng Mi could be quite wealthy simply by earning a share of the copyright revenue from "Hero Kill".

She used to handle eight-figure sums of money, so of course she didn't think this was much, but she also felt very proud. She was quite happy to earn money with her own hands!

“I’ll be going back to the teahouse after get off work. Remember to pick me up,” Zeng Mi said.

Everyone assumed she was Zeng Wenjie's blood-related older sister, so there was no need for any avoidance in this regard.

“Okay.” Zeng Wenjie nodded in agreement.

She had promised Zeng Mi that she would be the first to stay in the villa for one night after they got their hands on it. Of course, she couldn't break her promise, otherwise it would be too hurtful.

Moreover, this was not an unreasonable request; she simply wanted to fulfill some small wishes or emotions within herself.

Zeng Wenjie returned to his office and dealt with the work of Snack Panic. New stores had been opened in provincial capitals such as Hangzhou, Shajun, and Luocheng, and franchising had been opened.

The franchise fee is not high, only 60,000.

After the financial reports of all the stores of "Snack Panic" were released and collaborations with various celebrities were launched, those who were waiting on the sidelines couldn't sit still anymore. They felt that opening this kind of business could be very profitable, so they applied for franchises one after another.

Zeng Wenjie has made a lot of money from franchise fees recently. If this trend continues, the supply chain will need to be restructured again, otherwise the supply will definitely not be able to keep up.

"And 'The Masked Singer' should be launching soon. Fortunately, I only need to come up with the planning proposals for the shows from now on, instead of participating in the recording. Otherwise, I would be exhausted in the office." Zeng Wenjie looked at the data he had compiled for a while and felt dizzy.

He also took a look at the data for the Fengzhou Hospital Road store. Fu Qianzhu was still serving as the store manager even after joining the management team.

Zeng Wenjie didn't want her to be so busy, but she said she had an attachment to the snack shop and wanted to keep an eye on it every day.

Come to think of it, it's been quite a while since I've seen Fu Qianzhu. When I have some free time, I'll find an opportunity to have a meal at her shared apartment with Liu Qi, Liu Xu, and the others.

After finishing his business, Miyazaki Hidetaka, who had been waiting for quite some time, immediately stopped Zeng Wenjie to have a good talk with him about the "passing on of the fire".

Miyazaki himself is very interested in ancient European culture, and Zeng Wenjie's several conversations about creating a high-difficulty game with a Western background really piqued his interest, as he felt that it coincided with some of his own immature ideas.

Hidetaka Miyazaki felt that his boss, Wen-Chieh Tseng, inspired him—lots and lots of inspiration, even his childhood fantasies.

A dark dungeon, a wide poisonous swamp, a narrow plank road, a road full of traps...

He was almost impatient for the new project. He not only wrote a lot of drafts himself, but also often communicated with Feng Ji. The two were the same kind of people, and when they got together, they came up with a lot of ideas to torment the players.

Therefore, Zeng Wenjie seriously negotiated with Miyazaki Hidetaka for more than two hours and reached an agreement.

Most of the time, he would just throw out a spark to inspire others, and then Miyazaki Hidetaka would expand on it. If he felt something was wrong, he would immediately correct it.

Hidetaka Miyazaki already had a vast worldview in his mind: in an ancient era shrouded in darkness, humans were the lowest of creatures, and powerful ancient dragons ruled everything, until humans discovered the existence of "fire".

Then, a human leader stepped forward, and the firelight illuminated the darkness, giving humanity courage and strength, and declaring war on the ancient dragons.

Decades later, the power of the fire weakened, so the leader threw his own soul into the fire as kindling, becoming the first Lord of Cinder.

From then on, humankind began to have the mission of "passing on the fire".

As the general outline gradually became clear, Hidetaka Miyazaki, trembling with excitement, explained it.

Zeng Wenjie listened attentively and couldn't help but nod. Awesome! Young Miyazaki Hidetaka was still Miyazaki Hidetaka. The game backgrounds he envisioned were all magnificent and vast, like an epic.

"As expected of you, Mr. Miyazaki," Zeng Wenjie exclaimed.

Miyazaki Hidetaka said excitedly, "You gave me this inspiration, and I should thank you even more! If we can really create such a game based on these ideas, it will be very magnificent and very shocking."

Zeng Wenjie thought to himself, "It might not be shocking, but players will definitely curse your ancestors from time to time."

Soulslike games are a genre pioneered by Hidetaka Miyazaki, known for their extremely high difficulty and simple controls. It wasn't until the release of Sekiro that this genre began to gain wider popularity, and the name Hidetaka Miyazaki became known to Chinese gamers.

Needless to say, the subsequent Elden Ring is a masterpiece that will leave every first-time player in awe of its grand background and art design.

Actually, this kind of challenging game isn't exactly niche; after all, it's a truly excellent game.

With Zeng Wenjie now possessing the WG platform with a user base of tens of millions, these types of games don't need to wait so many years to quickly gain popularity.

"Once Hollow Knight is finished, Dark Souls should be put into development," Zeng Wenjie said.

"Okay, I'll tell Yuka the good news in a bit." Miyazaki Hidetaka rubbed his hands together excitedly.

"Yes, you can start planning now," Zeng Wenjie said with a smile.

Hidetaka Miyazaki said, "Yes, Hollow Knight is currently in internal testing, just debugging various mechanisms and bugs. So, I'll talk to Yuka, and we'll start planning the entire framework for Dark Souls tomorrow."

After saying this, Miyazaki Hidetaka left with a confident air.

After getting off work, Zeng Wenjie went to Century City. It was a critical time for them. Once the work was completed and the odor was removed, they could open for business immediately.

Mr. Yu provided Zeng Wenjie with a lot of help. Whenever Zeng had any questions, Mr. Yu would proactively call him to ask.

Sometimes, even General Manager Yu would call to inquire about the progress of Zeng Wenjie's supermarket construction and provide him with contact information for some high-quality suppliers.

DL and Hao You Lai are thousands of miles apart, so there is no competition between them. Moreover, the two bosses' business philosophies and corporate cultures are very compatible. Mr. Yu sincerely hopes that China's business culture will develop in a better direction, so that every worker can gain dignity, and while helping the company make money, they can also make money themselves and have time to enjoy life.

Zeng Wenjie had always respected entrepreneurs like Mr. Yu, and as his status rose and his perspective broadened, he began to share Mr. Yu's ideas.

It's rare for business people to become close friends, but Zeng Wenjie and President Yu have indeed become close friends despite their age difference.

Shi Jing was also well-liked by General Yu. The two enjoyed reading "Selected Works of Mao Zedong" and often gathered together to discuss them in their spare time. However, most of the time, Shi Jing learned from this senior.

"Zeng Wenjie, it's been so long since I've seen you!"

Xue Xiangyao, who has incredibly long legs, appeared in Century City. Upon seeing him, the cold expression on people's faces instantly melted.

Zeng Wenjie waved to Xue Xiangyao and said, "I've been busy lately, so I haven't been able to attend your gatherings. I'll treat you to a meal when I'm done with my work!"

Xue Xiangyao smiled and nodded, saying, "I know, you almost got into trouble a while ago and were condemned by the entire internet."

Zeng Wenjie said calmly, "A little hardship is nothing to worry about."

Upon hearing this, Xue Lu clicked his tongue, thinking it was very cultured and had a lot of charm.

Thinking about what I might encounter in the future, and how I would handle it, no matter how arduous or difficult the process, I could reply with this, which would surely make me look incredibly sophisticated.

Zeng Wenjie's secondhand pretentious act was quite enjoyable to watch.

"You've come to see your father?" Zeng Wenjie asked.

“Yes, I’ve been coming here a lot lately,” Xue Xiangyao said.

She was actually learning from Xue Lu how to build and operate a shopping mall. Zeng Wenjie's outstanding achievements made her, as a peer, feel like she was sitting on pins and needles.

Moreover, the most talked-about topic within Chongqing University is actually Zeng Wenjie from the School of Wind and Rain!
Principal Mo has mentioned Zeng Wenjie on more than one formal occasion, his tone full of sighs, as if to say, "Why can't Chongqing University produce a student like him?" It was quite distressing to see...

But thinking about it, you have to admit he's a true chosen one. He's not the kind of person who's been artificially promoted. He can produce data and demonstrate personal ability, making him a GOAT among college student entrepreneurs without any problem.

Xue Xiangyao may not be aiming to surpass Zeng Wenjie, but he certainly shouldn't just be able to look up to him.
Xiao Xue also has a very strong sense of self-esteem.

Zeng Wenjie nodded and then went to talk to Xue Lu, discussing the key points.

Xue Xiangyao listened attentively from the side. When he didn't understand something, he secretly wrote it down, thinking he would ask Baidu later.

"Let's officially open for business after the summer vacation ends," Zeng Wenjie sighed and said.

His plan was to get it done within three months, but in reality, it turned out to be much more complicated than he thought. There were so many intricacies involved, and if it weren't for Mr. Yu's generous guidance, it would probably have been delayed until the end of this year.

Xue Lu couldn't help but laugh and said, "I hope Hao Youlai can become the DL of our Chongshan Province."

Zeng Wenjie said, "You don't want Hao Youlai to become the DL of Chongshan Province, you want to become General Manager Yu of Chongshan Province."

Xue Lu's smile turned awkward. He had been in business for most of his life, but people generally didn't have a good opinion of him.

Whenever the city launches a special operation, they are the first to come and warn him not to cause trouble during this period.

Therefore, he now craves a good reputation, like Mr. Yu's, a reputation that can inspire citizens to donate money to him spontaneously!

"The Business Alliance is organizing a meeting in a couple of days to discuss where Brother Miao should fire his first shot outside the province," Zeng Wenjie said, taking out a cigarette and offering it to everyone.

"Old Yan is getting ready to leave the province?" Xue Lu couldn't help but click his tongue.

He felt that life was truly amazing!
Yan Peng had been frowning over the bottleneck issue and had long wanted to expand, but the lukewarm business made him afraid to take that step.

But after joining the Fengzhou Business Alliance and trying to heed Zeng Wenjie's advice, starting with reforms at one branch, the business has been booming, with each store turning over tables like crazy every day.

How long has it been? Yan Peng already has the confidence and ambition to expand his business beyond Chongqing Province.

Xue Lu asked, "Is Old Yan getting a little anxious?"

Zeng Wenjie said, "Strictly speaking, we need to let Brother Miao's approach be tested by the market before considering expanding it outside the province. However, I think it will definitely succeed, so I encourage it."

Zeng Wenjie was naturally full of confidence. Wasn't Haidilao expanding nationwide precisely because of this approach? In his eyes, this approach had long been tested by the market.

Upon hearing this, Xue Lu couldn't help but chuckle and said, "If President Zeng thinks it's possible, then it definitely is. I'm confident in it, and so are all the partners in the business alliance."

Since the establishment of the Fengzhou Business Alliance, Miao Laoge has grown stronger and bigger, and Zeng Wenjie has really changed the catering and food industry in Fengzhou.

Seeing Miao Laoge's success, everyone in the catering industry wanted him to give them advice.

However, Zeng Wenjie set a condition: food safety must be the top priority, and the matter must be handled perfectly before he would consider helping.

“Let’s go, Xiang Yao, let’s have a meal together,” Zeng Wenjie said.

Xue Xiangyao then laughed and said, "You're such a busy person, yet you still have time to have dinner with me today?"

Zeng Wenjie said, "With legs as long as yours, I can't help but eat two more bowls of rice when I eat with you!"

"Pooh!"

Xue Xiangyao scoffed, but was secretly pleased.

She's a huge fan of Marlene, and with her incredibly long and well-proportioned legs, she often wears black stockings.

After Qin Yixuan and Yuan Xiuqin stopped appearing on the campus of Chongqing University, Xue Xiangyao undeniably swept through the female students from freshmen to seniors and took the throne of campus beauty.

"I'll treat everyone today as an apology for missing so many gatherings," Zeng Wenjie said.

"Great, I can finally get a meal from President Zeng thanks to my daughter!" Xue Lu said happily.

Zeng Wenjie was a notorious freeloader, and Xue Lu was also a sucker for him, so Xue Lu always paid for every meal.

However, to be fair, Xue Lu felt that his strategy of currying favor with powerful figures was very successful, and he even had to give himself a thumbs up for his decisiveness back then.

Otherwise, even if he doesn't go bankrupt now, he certainly won't have an easy time. The authorities will cause him trouble every now and then and settle scores with him later.

Then, Zeng Wenjie chose an old Yanjing hot pot restaurant near Century City and treated the father and daughter to dinner.

"How's Senior Sister Xiuqin doing in Shenzhen? She seems really busy; she often doesn't reply to messages until late at night," Xue Xiangyao asked.

"She's quite busy. On one hand, she's in charge of our company's business with Tencent, and on the other hand, she's also dragging Tencent's people around to negotiate game copyrights," Zeng Wenjie said with a smile.

Xue Xiangyao said, "Senior Sister Xiuqin has found the right place to work with you. Back then, people from Chongqing University even said it was shameful for a Chongqing University student to work for a student from Fengyuan."

Zeng Wenjie said, "That's normal. It's impossible for everyone to be convinced by me."

Xue Lu smiled and said, "President Zeng is magnanimous! Hmm, these people will know their place once they enter society."

After finishing his meal, Zeng Wenjie paid the bill and then left.

He drove directly to Xiaopin Teahouse to pick up Zeng Mi, intending to take her to visit his newly purchased villa.

Zeng Mi was indeed wearing a cheongsam and waiting for him. She had also bought some small items in advance and placed them in the house, intending to give them to him on the day she went to his villa.

Zeng Mi bought a set of wine glasses, a set of teacups, several crystal ashtrays, a high-end pen holder, and other very ordinary items.

(End of this chapter)