After not seeing each other for several months, Li Xuan almost failed to recognize Song Wen when he saw him again at first.
He has become several shades darker. He was not white to begin with, but now he is not much different from charcoal. His short stubble almost reveals his shiny scalp. Noticing Li Xuan's gaze, Song Wen laughed and turned to show him the scar on the back of his head that was more than two inches long. "I hit my head, so I shaved all my hair off. After a few months, only this much has grown back."
His personality is the same as before, impetuous and warm, yet naturally familiar.
The original appointment was at 2:30 pm, but he arrived almost an hour earlier. The update meeting lasted a long time in the morning. When he arrived, Li Xuan had just come out of the meeting room and was discussing the next work arrangements with Chu Tianheng in the office, and preparing to eat.
Li Xuan introduced him to Chu Tianheng, and then heard Song Wen ask: "I heard that Xiao Qi resigned?"
"Mr. Song is well-informed." Li Xuan smiled.
"No way." Song Wen waved his hands. "He was the one who always contacted my secretary. He sent a message some time ago saying that he would no longer work here and asked me to contact you directly if I had any questions. What's going on? Why did Xiao Qi resign? This is impossible, right?"
"Why not?" Li Xuan asked back calmly.
"Anyway, he doesn't look like he would break up with you." Song Wen pointed his finger at his eyes, "I may not be strong in other skills, but I am good at judging people."
Li Xuan smiled. This topic was inevitably a little awkward. Chu Tianheng stood up and changed the subject: "Mr. Song, have you eaten yet? Do you want to eat something together? We haven't moved yet."
He was just being polite and it wasn't a formal dinner. Song Wen came to discuss cooperation, and it was a bit inappropriate for him to have a working lunch with them before the business was discussed.
But Song Wen obviously didn't have an ordinary brain circuit: "Don't tell me, there really isn't one... My home is closer to yours, I didn't go to the company halfway, so I came here first."
He sat down directly after saying this: "Then I won't be polite?"
Chu Tianheng and Li Xuan looked at each other. The latter was not surprised. He handed the extra pair of disposable bowls and chopsticks to Song Wen and said to Chu Tianheng, "Senior, please ask the administration to order two more dishes and have them sent up from downstairs. Does Mr. Song have any dietary restrictions?"
"No, I eat everything. But I have a wound on my head and the scab hasn't fallen off yet, so the doctor recently told me to eat a lighter diet."
Chu Tianheng nodded, ordered the dishes and came back soon. Song Wen had probably been sick for too long and was feeling very depressed. He finally caught someone and had to tell them everything. He was talking about the twists and turns of his experience in the past few months.
It was said that he took the wrong road during a mountain climbing competition. He was unlucky and stayed on the mountain for a few more days before encountering extreme weather. Before he could find a way out, his communication equipment fell into a ravine. It was a series of twists and turns, and he was out of luck. He was trapped for half a month before the rescue team found him. He was sent to the hospital as soon as he got down the mountain. He was unconscious, waking up and sleeping for a while. In total, he lay in bed for three months. When he heard the foreign doctor say that he could be discharged from the hospital, he felt like he had been released from prison.
"When I was the hungriest, I could smell the aroma of meat on my arms," Song Wen said, and he took out his phone and flipped through an English report to show them, "This one, 'A Chinese man went missing while climbing a mountain, and multiple rounds of searches have still not found any trace of him.'"
Then he pointed at himself with his backhand, looking quite proud: "It's me."
Chu Tianheng's eyes couldn't help but twitch.
"These rescue operations abroad all cost money. After searching twice, they didn't want to search anymore. Fortunately, my brother came, otherwise I would have died on the mountain... I'm thirsty, do you have any water?"
Li Xuan handed him a bottle and said, "Will Mr. Song go again next time?"
"Go ahead." Song Wen gulped down a few sips and answered without thinking, "You don't know, when I was trapped on the mountain, I couldn't find the way down the mountain. I was really depressed. As a result, I woke up one night because I was hungry. I looked up and saw the sky. It was a deep blue that I could touch with my hand. It was so shocking. Suddenly, I felt that if I could see such a scenery, it wouldn't be a big deal to die on the mountain."
As they were talking, the new dishes were served.
The restaurant downstairs serves homely cuisine that is quite tasty. They added scrambled egg with shrimp, baby cabbage in soup, and a tomato fish.
Song Wen was probably really a little hungry. He ate half a bowl of rice before turning to business: "I don't need to tell you the purpose of my visit this time. I'm sure you, Li Xuan, know it. I still want to invest in Yuanyi. The last time we came to talk, Li Xuan, you felt that there was no need for investment for the time being. I wonder if the time is ripe now?"
At such a difficult time for the company, when others said this, they would inevitably suspect that there was some sarcasm in it, but when Chu Tianheng looked at Song Wen's expression, he saw it was very sincere.
Li Xuan knew his straightforward style and put down his chopsticks. "Although you just returned to China, Mr. Song, I think it is impossible that you didn't know anything about the situation before you came. To be honest, Yuanyi is not completely unable to survive now, but it is definitely an emergency for us to have some funds coming in. However, it may not be a good time for you."
"I know." Song Wen nodded. "Before I went abroad, I always told my secretary to keep a close eye on Yuanyi. However, my family members abroad were afraid that it would affect my recovery, so they never let the company contact me. Besides, my health did not allow it at the time. I was discharged from the hospital and returned to China last Wednesday. I took a few days off to recover from the jet lag, and I officially resumed work yesterday. The secretary told me about your situation."
He paused and took a sip of soup. "I have a few questions I want to confirm. I heard some rumors, but I don't know if they are true. It was said that Yi Yu was taken off the shelves some time ago because it was framed for plagiarism? Did the updated maps of the game Void Island also use the unreleased content of Yi Yu?"
Li Xuan glanced at Song Wen, then lowered his eyes again and slowly picked out a thin bone from the snow-white fish meat: "It's so detailed, it must be more than hearsay. It seems that before Mr. Song came to me, someone came to you first."
Song Wen did not hide the truth after being exposed: "They haven't found me yet, but they have contacted my secretary."
Li Xuan smiled: "It's true, so if there are any threats to Mr. Song, it is likely to be taken seriously."
Song Wen's focus didn't seem to be here. Instead, he asked in confusion, "So, 'Void Island' did plagiarize 'One Corner'? Didn't you file an appeal? I know it's difficult to collect evidence for games in China. It's been plagiarized, and the loss is certain, but..."
"We called the police regarding the original plan," Chu Tianheng said uncomfortably. "According to the violation of the labor law, a certain percentage of compensation was paid."
This argument obviously did not convince Song Wen: "What I mean is..."
"This is partly due to some personal reasons of mine, so I didn't pursue too much responsibility." Li Xuan said lightly.
Song Wen was stunned for a few seconds, then he said "Oh" twice: "It's okay, that's okay, I'm just asking." He smiled, "I thought there was some other reason, and the appeal was not processed. I was still wondering if I could come forward to coordinate. There are some ways in the system... If you don't pursue responsibility after considering it, it doesn't matter. You have your considerations, and I fully respect them."
After he finished speaking, he ate two more mouthfuls of rice. This man did not play by the rules. Chu Tianheng did not understand his style. He put down his chopsticks and filled a bowl of soup. He said to Li Xuan, "I don't have any other questions. Do you have anything else to ask? Xiao Qi has been the liaison in the early stage. I don't know how much you know about the situation here. I brought some information with me."
He took out a document from the bag he was carrying and handed it to Li Xuan, who only asked, "Mr. Song, have you made up your mind?"
Song Wenqi said: "Of course I came here after I thought about it carefully."
"If you invest in me, I will definitely not let you lose money." Li Xuan hesitated for two seconds before taking the document. "But I'm afraid there will be a period of fear during the process. I still have to explain this."
Song Wen waved his hand and said, "It doesn't matter. No one is scared. The greater the return, the greater the risk. I also have some investment friends who have come into contact with your project. To be honest, we talked about it these two days. They have concerns, but I don't. I don't have a boss waiting to see how my return on investment is realized."
Li Xuan reminded him calmly: "It will be difficult for Yi Yu to return to its original high level in the short term. I'm afraid that for the time being, it won't be able to give you the return you want."
"In the past, when investing in other projects, it was the entrepreneurs who tried hard to promote themselves, and I, as an investor, came here to find faults and lower the price. Look, I was transferred here today. Li Xuan, I trust your ability. I am investing in you as a person, not in the project. With you here, there is no need to worry about the next "One Corner". "Song Wen smiled heartily, "It may not be appropriate to say this. I am lucky to have these troubles that Yuanyi is facing now. Otherwise, when I come back after all the troubles, I will not be able to pick up such a big pie."
Li Xuan did not comment on this. After thinking for a moment, he asked, "How much equity does Mr. Song want?"
Song Wen understood what he meant, his eyes lit up, and he said sincerely, "A hundred or so will be enough."
Li Xuan thought for a moment and said, "I'll give you 120."
"Okay." Song Wen was stunned, then clapped his hands, "You are sincere, and I will never hide it. In the first round, I will give you this amount."
He dipped his fingertips in water, wrote down a number on the table, and added several zeros to the end.
"Give me your card number, and I'll transfer the money to you when I get back to the company. If you need money later, feel free to contact me. As long as I have the money, I will definitely give it to you."
Chu Tianheng was stunned for a moment: "Don't we need to sign a contract first?"
Song Wen didn't seem to care much: "The contract is easy to deal with. I'll ask someone to draft it when I get back, or you can draft it. Now that the company needs funds, just transfer the money over first."
"Please draft the contract, Mr. Song. Once it's drafted, we'll contact a lawyer to take a look."
"Okay." Song Wen picked up the bowl on the table and clinked it with Li Xuan's. "Soup instead of wine. Happy cooperation."
Li Xuan finally smiled: "Happy cooperation."
After dinner, Song Wen left quickly, saying that he would go back to arrange the payment and contract.
Chu Tianheng didn't come to his senses for a long time. He asked the restaurant downstairs to take away the dishes. The tabletop was already spotless. He nervously wiped it back and forth several times with a napkin, and then threw the paper away: "Is this the end of the discussion?"
"What else?" Li Xuan smiled.
"A meal... no, half a meal." Chu Tianheng sighed, "I had prepared a PPT to brainwash him in the afternoon... When I was still at Yuanxin, I attended several meetings and met Yuanxin's investors. They were dressed in suits and ties, which was totally different from his style."
Li Xuan said disdainfully: "I don't like Yuanxin's behavior, from investors to companies."
Chu Tianheng nodded, but then became a little wary, "How many times have you discussed this before?... You're not trying to trick us, are you?" He raised his chin and pointed at the spot that had just been stained with water, "Before Yuanyi's accident, the price that Boyuan had negotiated with the investor was not as high as this."
"This is the second time today." Li Xuan smiled, looking at Chu Tianheng's eyes that suddenly became less trusting, and shrugged, "It's okay, it's not a big deal to cheat us, it's just a few dishes."
Chu Tianheng's worries did not come true. An hour later, the money arrived.
On the day of signing the contract, Song Wen came again and had a detailed chat with Li Xuan about the various situations of the company. As he said before, although he invested money, he did not actively interfere with the operation direction of the company. The first thing he dealt with for Yuanyi was the compensation letters from several software platforms and co-signed partners that had not yet been restored online.
Song Wen himself also comes from a gaming background and has been running the business for many years. He is a loyal person and has quite a few connections, so it is natural that he can handle many problems more smoothly than Chu Tianheng and Li Xuan.
Li Xuan was then able to turn more of his energy back to the game, and with the financial pressure eased, the progress was much faster.
After several meetings and in-depth discussions, they unanimously decided to preserve "A Corner" as much as possible.
The original framework was completely scrapped and they had to start all over again. For several weeks, he and Chu Tianheng led people to stay in the conference room from morning to night to model and write programs - but they did not stay up late. At the latest, at ten o'clock, Sheng Min would prepare a midnight snack at home and drive to the office to pick it up downstairs.
He had already returned to the theater for rehearsal. In fact, Yin Qianpin did not see Sheng Min report on the day he sent the message, so he brought Deng Jing to arrest him. He was photographed several times at the theater, and Yin Qianpin was tired of the reporters squatting, so he simply announced that Sheng Min would play the leading role in "Not on the Mountain".
There were all kinds of discussions for a while, and more people in the circle were still taking a wait-and-see attitude, but Sheng Min was not affected at all.
Get up early to rehearse at the theater, go home at 6 or 7 in the evening, prepare supper for Li Xuan, and then go to pick him up.
"Are you tired?" Li Xuan asked him, "My car has been repaired, so you don't have to drive every day."
"If I don't come, how will you know when to rest when you're working?" Sheng Min laughed, "Don't complain that life is too easy. Once the tour starts, I won't have that much time."
"That's okay. After this busy period, I'll pick you up."
It was a cold winter night, and Li Xuan didn't want Sheng Min to wait for long, so as soon as he received a call, he would quickly finish his work and go downstairs.
As time went by, almost everyone in the company knew that he had a stable partner, and they couldn't help but talk about it secretly.
Only Chu Tianheng remembered that Li Xuan said seriously that day that she was in love with a male star. Every time he heard his colleagues seriously discussing that Li Xuan's partner was probably a gentle and virtuous beauty, he felt embarrassed.
During this period, he and Chu Tianheng focused on the game business, and Song Wen, the investor, was forced to take on most of the company's daily management. He joked several times that he had lost a lot of money and had to do the work of a professional manager instead of just investing money.
"I haven't managed my own company like this for a long time." Song Wen pretended to complain, but then asked seriously, "What is Xiao Qi doing now? Can you bring him back? Let me have some relief."
Chu Tianheng naturally wanted it very much, but only Li Xuan didn't know what he was planning and pretended not to hear every time.
Li Mingge also took action. He contacted Song Wen again, using threats and inducements, and even made trouble for Song Wen's company. Song Wen did not hide these from Li Xuan, but he did not care.
"Don't worry about it." He said to Li Xuan, "These are all risks I need to take in order to get high returns. I accept them. If you make Yuanyi a success, I will make the money back."
So with such intensive and orderly progress, one month later, "Yi Yu" finally ushered in the first content update since the plagiarism incident broke out.
The update was on time at noon. A group of people in the company were staring at their phones and computers, motionless, almost catching up with the initial launch of "A Corner".
"No need to guard him, he won't run away." Li Xuan came out of the office, "Go do what you need to do."
"I don't have the mood to do anything else." Chu Tianheng kept drinking water from the cup, "I haven't been this nervous for a long time..."
As he was speaking, he heard cheers from the hall, and the updated version was online.
I spent the whole afternoon refreshing the backend data. No matter how confident I was before going online, I still had some doubts. It was not until I saw the steadily increasing flow of cash that I felt relieved.
"I did a preliminary data analysis." Chu Tianheng entered the office and reported to Li Xuan, "After the new version was launched, the activity of old users increased by 37 points. As of now, 563,000 users who have not been online for more than 30 days have re-logged into the game..."
"I'll take a look myself." Li Xuan reached out and took the tablet from him, slid his fingertips down and scrolled down. When he saw the running number, his eyebrows relaxed and he smiled: "Senior, you have worked hard during this period."
"No, there's no need for us to talk about this."
Li Xuan handed the tablet back and reminded, "Also, you need to pay extra attention these days. Is there any movement from the Island of Nothingness?"
"Not yet." Chu Tianheng's expression became more serious, "I will be careful."
Before going online, everyone including Song Wen was actually considering what tricks Li Mingge would come up with after "One Corner" was updated.
It was unanimously agreed that it shouldn't be too fast, and there would be at least a week of preparation and response time.
But the accident came more suddenly than expected. Before seven o'clock that evening, the police suddenly came to the company.
"Looking for me?"
"Li Xuan?" The young police officer showed his ID and said in a serious tone, "There is a murder case involving you. Please cooperate with the investigation. Please come with us."