Chapter 138: Strapped For Cash, Lu Qiqi
For Wang Heng, designing an electronic questionnaire targeted at student players was not a difficult task at all. In just one evening, he summarized all the mobile game types that would later become popular and put them on the questionnaire as options. Of course, besides expected game types, there were also game time, mobile phone hardware, social needs, and the like, covering all kinds of issues that Wu Zhucai had mentioned in the meeting room.
Early the next morning, he sent this questionnaire to Han Yixuan and casually mentioned in the chat window: 【You can take a look first and see if there are any issues. If there are, we can discuss online and see if we need to make any changes.】
Then, after two hours passed with no reply from Han Yixuan, Wang Heng couldn’t help but feel a bit strange.
Near lunchtime, Han Yixuan finally replied: 【Sorry, I didn’t see the message you sent in the morning. I’m already at your school gate!】
Sitting at the desk looking at the computer screen and the chat window with Han Yixuan, Wang Heng fell into contemplation.
Why did it take two hours to reply?
Getting up, washing up, getting dressed, and then taking the subway from her school—it probably only takes about two hours, right?
After contemplating for a moment, Wang Heng extended his slightly trembling hand and typed two words and a long string of ellipses on the keyboard:
【Okay…………】
————
Wang Heng hadn’t expected that this solo meeting with Han Yixuan would be as fleeting as a dragonfly skimming water, with hardly any ripples.
Han Yixuan carefully reviewed the questions and answer options he had set, offered a few minor suggestions that didn’t really matter, then said the rest was up to him, and the young girl went off to go shopping and have fun.
“Things like distributing electronic questionnaires, I don’t know how to do them. I can only help you with statistics and data processing. If there’s nothing else, I’ll head out. I’ve been in Rongdu for half a year and haven’t even seen a giant panda!”
Leaving such words behind, Han Yixuan, with her backpack, said goodbye. It was as if her purpose in coming today had nothing to do with Wang Heng at all, and seeing him was just incidental.
This put Wang Heng slightly at ease, but he didn’t know that Han Yixuan entered the subway station but didn’t board a train.
The young girl went into the restroom in the subway station, tied up her long hair, put on a hat, and added a pair of sunglasses. She also took out another jacket from her schoolbag and changed out of the one she was wearing. This way, even if she returned in front of Wang Heng, he might not immediately recognize her.
Then Han Yixuan quickly walked out of the subway station and found a milk tea shop across from the Wu Bo Combat martial arts hall, sat down, and ordered a mildly sweet milk tea.
Now that the final exam was over and the pressure of studies was gone, she could finally indulge in spending time freely, doing things she wanted to do…
For example, doing a bit of stalking.
Earlier during the meeting with Wang Heng, the young girl had noticed him answering a phone call, in which he mentioned heading to the martial arts hall for training soon. So where to wait was a no-brainer.
Han Yixuan put on her headphones, played her favorite music, connected her mobile phone to a power bank, and prepared for a long stakeout.
Back then, Pei Ningle had been able to tail him for two hours like this—she felt she definitely wouldn’t lose to that scatterbrained girl.
“Love’s Thirty-Six Stratagems, just like a game,
I want to hold the remote control myself,
Love’s Thirty-Six Stratagems, always stay beautiful,
To score without being ruled out…”
Following the music in her headphones, Han Yixuan hummed softly along, occasionally sipping her milk tea. Compared to the tense reviewing and exams, this time was truly relaxing and pleasant.
However, in less than an hour, Wang Heng came out of the martial arts hall, and his expression seemed somewhat grave.
He stood roadside and soon a brand-new bright blue sedan arrived. He opened the passenger door and was then taken out of Han Yixuan’s sight by the car.
Han Yixuan knew little about cars, but that blue-and-white logo was too iconic—she certainly knew it.
“BMW…” The young girl’s leisurely mindset instantly shattered, and she murmured in a daze, “Who on earth is driving?”
Moments later, Han Yixuan suddenly reacted, opened the built-in notebook app on her mobile phone, and recorded the license plate number of that BMW.
“I don’t know if there’s anywhere to check it… Even if not, better to record it first!”
————
Wang Heng sat in the passenger seat of Lu Qi’s new car, eyeing the interior, and seemingly casually asked: “Sister Lu, how much did this car cost you?”
Lu Qi gripped the steering wheel with both hands: “Not much, just three or four hundred thousand.”
Wang Heng: “BMWs are this cheap?”
Lu Qi: “The 3 Series isn’t priced high.”
Wang Heng nodded but couldn’t help saying: “To be honest, Sister Lu, cars aren’t great for holding value, let alone appreciating. Compared to that, buying a house is more worthwhile.”
Lu Qi’s mouth curved slightly: “I bought a house too, not far from here.”
Wang Heng was immediately startled: “Not far from here? Doesn’t that mean it’s far from your workplace?”
“Not really that far,” Lu Qi glanced at him and smiled, “Besides, the area near the key university has good appreciation potential, right?”
Wang Heng: “…”
Lu Qi added: “Last time I told you to keep being my investment and wealth management consultant, right? Sorry, I can’t give you any chips to manage for now. My money’s all gone on the car and house; I’m a bit strapped.”
Wang Heng: “Did you buy the car and house outright?”
Lu Qi: “I don’t like debt.”
Wang Heng: “If I may be frank, Sister Lu, ‘strapped’ isn’t a term you’d use…”
Lu Qi smiled: “Anyway, I have no chips for you to manage in the short term. How about that—are you a bit disappointed?”
“Not really,” Wang Heng said carefully, “In the past six months, I haven’t found any really good investment opportunities, so even if you gave me chips, I wouldn’t know what to do with them. By the way, are you looking for me today just to show off the new car?”
Lu Qi slowly shook her head: “No, mainly to ask if you’re interested in Sakura Island. Our project team recently has an opportunity to go on a business trip to Sakura Island Country, and we can bring you along.”
Wang Heng: “Sakura Island?”
Lu Qi: “Yeah, mainly to discuss copyright and such with SN Company. Maybe when our game project launches, players can use famous characters like Orange Right Capital and Iori Yagami.”
Wang Heng suddenly understood. He remembered that the blockbuster mobile game that later swept the nation did indeed feature characters from Sakura Island Country. He just hadn’t expected them to start negotiating copyright so early.
So the question was, should he go to Sakura Island Country?
For negotiating character copyrights, Lu Qi as technical director certainly wouldn’t be the main player; there would likely be plenty of free time…
“If we go to Sakura Island,” Lu Qi tempted softly, “maybe we can soak in hot springs, see Mount Fuji, and such.”
Sensing danger, Wang Heng quickly said: “No soaking, not really interested. I won’t go.”
————
Requesting recommendation tickets, and next chapter preview—delicate and soft Xiao Xun.
