Don't get married if you're reborn.

Chapter 485 The Penguin's God of Wealth (5K)

The entire company was in a state of high excitement.

After all, "Beauty" is a small production that cost less than 200,000 yuan, yet it sold well and may break one million copies this year, and it also has a good reputation.

Therefore, everyone has been eagerly anticipating Hollow Knight since its announcement.

This game is the culmination of everyone's hard work. The two planners, Hidetaka Miyazaki and Feng Ji, have been particularly meticulous, perfecting everything from the game's world view to the smallest details.

Since the game was completed, the team has spent a lot of time testing it every day.

Zheng Shouyun smiled at Zeng Wenjie and said, "Since its release, 150,000 sets have been sold. There will be another peak in sales tonight, and we should be able to sell more than 200,000 sets a day."

"The positive review rate is not high, less than 80%, and most people are complaining that it is too difficult."

"There are also some checkpoints where it's easy to get lost."

Zeng Wenjie said calmly, "Players are used to the hack-and-slash gameplay of games like Dynasty Warriors, but these kinds of games are also the easiest to get tired of. After a while, they will get used to the difficulty, and the positive review rate will naturally increase."

Hidetaka Miyazaki said, "I think this is an excellent game. As long as players calm down and find the tricks and ways to beat the game, they will quickly experience the fun. Every battle with the BOSS will help them grow. After dying and beating the game multiple times, they will thank the game science for bringing them an epic and exhilarating battle..."

Zeng Wenjie's lips twitched involuntarily upon hearing Miyazaki's words.

Good grief, so this is why you put a big boss in the starting village of Dark Souls 3, and why you put a big tree guard at the start of Elden Ring?

However, it must be said that this is the characteristic of Soul Game: every time you play it to the point of wanting to smash the controller, you still persist in challenging it.

He had never tried it, and angrily cursed Miyazaki Hidetaka's ancestors for eighteen generations.
Defeat the BOSS! Ah, thank you Hidetaka Miyazaki for bringing me such an exhilarating, epic battle!
Players have been spoiled by endless hack-and-slash games; it's time for them to experience a game with some difficulty. The joy of overcoming challenges far surpasses the pleasure of endlessly mowing down enemies.

Zeng Wenjie said, "Difficulty and getting lost are not problems. There will naturally be expert players who upload their walkthrough tips. Players are not stupid and will look up guides."

Zheng Shouyun then said, "Overall, it's pretty good. The refund rate is relatively low, and the average playtime is high! Players can give a positive review rate of about 80% even when they are not yet used to this level of difficulty. It will be no problem to raise it to 90% later."

A 90% positive review rate is definitely good enough to be considered an excellent game; if it's above 95%, then it's an exceptionally good game.

"We've made a good start, and we hope Hollow Knight will soon surpass one million copies sold."

After he finished speaking, he switched to English mode, looked at Hidetaka Miyazaki, and said, "Starting tomorrow, you and Feng Ji should shift your focus entirely to the development of Dark Souls."

Hidetaka Miyazaki smiled and said, "Yes, Mr. Zeng!"

Feng Ji was also very interested in the grand background of Dark Souls, and said: "Western worldview is my weakness, but I will assist Miyazaki in level design and basic design."

Zeng Wenjie said, "I have faith in the abilities of both of you, as well as the art director Yang Qi. You should also do your best to assist the two planners in completing the game's art design. In this regard, listen to the suggestions of planner Miyazaki."

Yang Qi, a young but highly talented artist, nodded and said, "Don't worry, boss. I'm also very interested in completing a game with a Western world background and will cooperate fully with Mr. Miyazaki."

Zeng Wenjie glanced at Zeng Mi and said, "Sister Zeng Mi, you should also assist Chief Artist Yang Qi in completing the art design. The art department should also spend more time studying the architectural style, armor, and weapons of classical Europe."

He coughed lightly and concluded, "Next year is the Beijing Olympics, and the whole world will be paying attention to China. This is the best time to promote WG to the world! If Hollow Knight is a stepping stone for us to enter the overseas market, then Dark Souls will be a monument for us to make a name for ourselves."

Having already produced two low-budget games, Dark Souls is bound to be a big production, with a significant investment of funds and manpower in its development.

Zeng Wenjie believes that Hidetaka Miyazaki will be able to ignite a global soul-searching craze ahead of time!

After finishing their overtime work, Zeng Wenjie treated everyone to a late-night snack and drank a lot of beer, and they parted in high spirits.

The following day, Zeng Wenjie asked Zeng Mi to take him to the airport, and then flew to Shenzhen to go to Tencent's headquarters to discuss some matters and supplement some contracts.

Yuan Xiuqin picked up Zeng Wenjie at the airport. She was dressed in a business suit, but not the overly formal kind; it was more casual, which perfectly highlighted her youthful and beautiful appearance.

"Boss!" Yuan Xiuqin rushed up excitedly after Zeng Wenjie arrived and gave him a bear hug.

Zeng Wenjie didn't expect that Senior Sister Yuan would be so enthusiastic after not seeing her for a while. He bumped her breast hard and immediately felt a little dizzy.

Yuan Xiuqin said, "Boss, it's been so long since I've seen you, I've missed you so much!"

Zeng Wenjie laughed and said, "You've been working hard lately. Since you miss me, give me a hug."

Senior Sister Da Yuan's figure is somewhat sinful. After not seeing her for a while, this hug made him unable to help but have some impure thoughts.

Upon arriving at the parking lot, Yuan Xiuqin took out her car keys, and a BMW 5 Series turned on its headlights.

As a representative of Game Science stationed in Shenzhen, she had to deal with penguins every day, so she couldn't be without some prestige. Therefore, this 5 Series was arranged for her by Zeng Wenjie and registered under the company's name.

“Let’s go, let’s go straight to Tencent’s headquarters,” Zeng Wenjie said.

Having received continuous financial support from Tencent for so long, the company has built up a large user base. Now that it has achieved results, it naturally needs to report back to its financial backer.

Zeng Wenjie went straight to the back seat. A boss should act like a boss. Normally, sitting in the front passenger seat wouldn't be a problem.

Yuan Xiuqin couldn't help but exclaim, "The boss is really amazing! Both games have sold very well, especially Hollow Knight, which will probably break the million-copy mark soon! Tencent is quite excited lately, especially after reading the article written by the host from Yanda University."

Zeng Wenjie has the ambition and the ability to make WG go global. Penguin believes that relying on WG to break through bottlenecks and open up overseas markets is just around the corner.

"This is all thanks to everyone, don't attribute it all to me alone!" Zeng Wenjie shook his head with a smile.

"Only a strong leader can lead everyone to success," Yuan Xiuqin pouted, looking rather cute with her "I don't care" attitude.

"Are you getting used to living in Shenzhen?" Zeng Wenjie asked.

Yuan Xiuqin said, "Everything is fine. I spend most of my time at Tencent headquarters. Mr. Ma has taken good care of me and arranged an office for me. As you know, I spend the rest of my time flying around to negotiate copyrights. More importantly, I've learned a lot and feel like I've improved a lot!"

In Shenzhen, Yuan Xiuqin met many talented people, but she couldn't help but compare them to Zeng Wenjie.

After comparing them, they felt like ants seeing the blue sky; Zeng Wenjie had become an insurmountable mountain for these people.

Although Zeng Wenjie wasn't that rich yet, in her eyes he was already a top figure on par with Little Ma.

Upon arriving at Tencent's headquarters, Zeng Wenjie was still given a high-level reception.

He was Tencent's cash cow. Whether it was providing the inspiration for Happy Beans or the later collaboration on "Heroes of the Three Kingdoms," Tencent made a fortune. More importantly, the WG platform, which they collaborated on, was successfully promoted, and the two low-budget games released by Game Science both achieved amazing profits.

"Mr. Zeng, welcome, welcome! We welcome you to visit our Penguin headquarters again to guide our work!" Wang Xingzhi greeted Zeng Wenjie with great enthusiasm, shaking hands and hugging him.

"Hello, Mr. Wang!" Zeng Wenjie said with a smile.

Wearing glasses and with a refined and approachable demeanor, Brother Ma also came up and said, "President Zeng, welcome to Penguin. Come, let's go straight to the conference room!"

The main content of the meeting revolved around WG, with a focus on overseas promotion strategies.

During this period, Yuan Xiuqin, along with people from Tencent, negotiated and secured numerous game copyrights. By leveraging Tencent's reputation as a top-tier company, she persuaded those manufacturers to agree to release their games on WG for open purchase and revenue sharing.

Making WG a hit overseas and seizing the gaming market is not something that can be achieved overnight, so advance planning is very important.

Zeng Wenjie had a serious discussion with Tencent about many issues.

"For WG to grow and thrive overseas, high-quality and exclusive content is essential. Hollow Knight is certainly excellent, but it's still just a low-budget Metroidvania game..."

Zeng Wenjie spoke methodically at the meeting, bringing up his Dark Souls project, saying, "The real high-quality content that can allow us to significantly seize the overseas game market is this. Game Science has officially started production today. This is a big production, so it will need Tencent's support and assistance to a certain extent."

Tony Ma rested his chin on his hands and said, "No problem. We will seriously consider all reasonable requests made by your company. Helping WG go global is also our biggest strategic goal at present."

Earning foreign exchange is incredibly tempting, especially when it's done through games. This doesn't involve any cutting-edge technologies that could restrict access to foreign exchange, so you can essentially earn money without any financial burden.

Moreover, this opportunity can greatly enhance Tencent's influence overseas, allowing Tony Ma to develop QB into a hard-to-pass virtual currency.

Tang Xi arrived late, just as the meeting was ending. "Oh? I think I'm a little late?" Tang Xi asked.

"Sister Tang." Zeng Wenjie went up to her and greeted her with a smile.

Tony said, "Ms. Tang, you weren't here just now. Mr. Zeng's presentation was excellent, which makes me more and more confident about WG's overseas expansion."

Tang Xi smiled and said, "I have always had great confidence in President Zeng. Earning foreign exchange overseas is a piece of cake for him."

Zeng Wenjie quickly waved his hand and said, "Sister Tang, please don't flatter me too much! In front of Mr. Ma, a senior figure in the internet industry, I am just a primary school student."

Tang Xi asked, "When will Snack Panic launch its second round of financing? Are you almost out of money?"

Zeng Wenjie smiled after hearing this and said, "Sister Tang really has a keen eye... Well, the Series B financing will probably start next month, before our school's summer vacation."

The moment those words were spoken, the atmosphere at the scene instantly became strange.

Oh yeah, I forgot this guy is still a college student...

His reminder suddenly made me really angry!
Even Tony Marsh couldn't help but recall his college days and the incredibly difficult entrepreneurial era, and he felt a bit annoyed by him.

"How about I lead the Series B funding round?" Tang Xi asked.

“Of course it’s great that Sister Tang is interested!” Zeng Wenjie immediately replied.

Tang Xi recently withdrew a lot of investments following Zeng Wenjie's instructions, and now has more spare cash. In return, she should invest some money in Zeng Wenjie as well.

The key point is that Zeng Wenjie is genuinely good at making money.

Tony quickly said, "Ms. Tang, are you trying to steal the limelight from us penguins?"

Tang Xi said, "Mr. Ma, don't be too greedy. You led the Series A round, and you're currently co-operating with the WG gaming platform. Let me lead the Series B round."

Tony Ma laughed and said, "Since you've said that, let's do it your way, Ms. Tang."

Tang Xi said, "Then that's settled. Call me before the Series B funding round starts, and I'll lead the investment."

Tony asked, "Will Ms. Tang be attending tonight's dinner?"

Tang Xi shook her head and said, "I came back to pick up some things and also to meet with President Zeng. I'm leaving now, I have something to do."

After saying that, Tang Xi left.

“Ms. Tang is always like that, a very busy person, always flying all over the world! Everyone thinks I’m very rich, but compared to her, I’m practically destitute,” Tony Ma said to Zeng Wenjie.

"Yes, yes, you're destitute." Zeng Wenjie couldn't help but retort after hearing this extremely Versailles-esque remark.

The internet industry is currently one of the most profitable industries. What are the costs associated with topping up virtual currencies?

Tony Ma arranged a high-profile dinner to entertain Zeng Wenjie, attended by Tencent's bigwigs and shareholders.

Yuan Xiuqin sat next to Zeng Wenjie, acting as his secretary, serving him tea and water, and was very happy to be busy.

Tony, in high spirits, raised his wine glass to Zeng Wenjie and said, "I sent Zheng Shouyun over there, but it was like throwing a meat bun to a dog—he never came back! Mr. Zeng, you're something else..."

Zeng Wenjie said, "Mr. Ma is joking. This is Mr. Zheng's own idea. I didn't just wield a hoe randomly! However, Mr. Zheng is really capable. During the time I was busy, he managed Game Science very well for me."

Tony sighed, "I was planning to promote him further and give him more important responsibilities, but I didn't expect you to poach him. However, we at Penguin and Game Science are now on the same side, so it's good for both of us!"

Zeng Wenjie felt a chill run down his spine as he listened. Tony Ma said, "Would you like to attend the summit being held in Hangzhou this year, Mr. Zeng?"

Zeng Wenjie thought for a moment and said, "No, thank you. My achievements are nothing but grains of rice in other people's eyes. Besides, I have a lot of things to do this year, and I may not have time."

Tony Ma laughed and said, "Jack is hoping you can attend. He said he has a lot of questions he wants you to answer, but he doesn't want to bother you abruptly."

Zeng Wenjie said, "It's okay. I'm happy for him to discuss this with me."

The relationship between Tencent and Alibaba is still quite good. The time when the two sides were truly locked in a fierce battle was during the Alipay and WeChat era, when they engaged in a crazy money-burning war focused on mobile payments.

After a meal and drinks that lasted until around 9:30 pm, Zeng Wenjie declined the invitation to a second round.

So Tony raised his glass and said, "Let's drink this last one and wish our WG a speedy success overseas!"

After the dinner, Wang Xingzhi was responsible for taking Zeng Wenjie back to the hotel.

“Mr. Wang, there’s no need for that. I’ll take the boss home!” Yuan Xiuqin immediately stepped forward and offered to do the job.

"Mr. Wang, you should go back and rest too. We'll have to meet again tomorrow," Zeng Wenjie said with a smile.

Wang Xingzhi had no intention of disturbing their enjoyment, and after hearing Zeng Wenjie's suggestion, he immediately nodded in agreement.

Sitting in the passenger seat of Yuan Xiuqin's BMW 5 Series, Zeng Wenjie felt a little dizzy.

When Yuan Xiuqin saw that he hadn't moved to the back row, a happy smile clearly appeared on her face.

"Boss, is there anywhere you'd like to go? If not, I'll take you back to your hotel," Yuan Xiuqin said.

“There’s nothing I want to go anywhere. Just take me back to my hotel,” Zeng Wenjie said, shaking his head.

Yuan Xiuqin said, "Okay, then fasten your seatbelts, let's go!"

Zeng Wenjie said lazily, "I don't want to move. You can help me tie it."

Yuan Xiuqin pursed her lips, hunched over, and pulled at the seatbelt. It was as if a pair of water-filled balloons collided with Zeng Wenjie, making him feel a little suffocated.

Alcohol robbed him of at least 80% control over his body, so he couldn't resist grabbing a handful.

"Grasp" and "pinch" are two synonyms, but their presentation is completely different.

Yuan Xiuqin was struck dumb, her body went limp, and she half-collapsed on Zeng Wenjie, saying in a pitiful and ashamed voice, "Boss...you..."

Zeng Wenjie didn't expect that he would be controlled by alcohol. He apologized repeatedly but didn't let go. Instead, the girl held on even tighter.

"boss……"

Yuan Xiuqin's pretty face turned bright red, as if it were about to bleed, and her voice even sounded a little like she was crying.

Zeng Wenjie woke up with a start, coughed, and pushed her back, saying, "You didn't drink any alcohol, so how come you're drunk?"

As he spoke, he fastened the seatbelt.

Yuan Xiuqin looked at him with great resentment, gently biting her lip. Her clothes were wrinkled and sweaty. She never expected that she would be blamed by the person who did wrong.

"I...I'll take you home first." Yuan Xiuqin started the car, her face flushed, her chin tucked in her hand, feeling utterly ashamed.

Zeng Wenjie, feeling dizzy, leaned back in his seat and soon fell asleep peacefully.

Seeing that he acted as if nothing had happened, Yuan Xiuqin gave a bitter smile, feeling somewhat resentful, but thinking of what had just happened, she couldn't help but feel extremely ashamed.

No matter how amazing or outstanding Zeng Wenjie is now, he still has the same aesthetic sense and taste as a normal man.

No one could see Yuan Xiuqin, who was severely unbalanced in her studies, without some kind of imagination. Zeng Wenjie was no exception, and the two even had a rather ambiguous relationship.

It's hard to say whether the alcohol controlled his brain or whether he revealed his true nature after drinking too much.

(End of this chapter)