Chapter 37: Expanding the Team and Investment Opportunities

Zhang Qianjun stepped out of the teahouse, sauntered over to his Q7, and drove away with composure.

Inside the car, hidden from the public eye, he dialed Kan Qingzi’s number while heading toward his residence.

The phone connected after a few rings.

"Honey, what's up?"

"Lock the door immediately. Pack all your identification documents and valuables, then throw two changes of undergarments into my black backpack. Keep the bag with you and wait for me. Do not open the door for anyone but me."

"Honey, what happened? You’re scaring me."

"It’s nothing illegal, just a matter of offending the wrong people. Listen to me! Pack your things quickly; I’ll be there in a moment."

After hanging up, he called Master Zhou.

"Brother Zhou, it’s an emergency. Bring your documents and get to my place to stand guard at the door immediately. I’m on my way back."

Without further explanation, he sped home. Upon arrival, he found Master Zhou wearing a 3D backpack and a thick, dark-gray hooded jacket. In his hand, he held a half-meter-long... flashlight?

Master Zhou, who usually wore a cheerful smile, was now standing in the stairwell by the elevator, looking like a hitman straight out of a movie.

"Master Zhou, what is this?"

Master Zhou replied with a calm expression, "A stab-proof vest and a tactical extended flashlight." He added, "It’s not illegal."

Zhang Qianjun sighed in admiration. "That’s good stuff. I’ll keep a jacket and two flashlights in every one of my cars from now on. I’ll have the finance department buy them soon."

Zhang walked up to the door. "Qingbao, open up."

With a click, the door swung open. Kan Qingzi, eyes tear-streaked, threw herself into his arms. "You scared me to death! What on earth happened?"

Zhang Qianjun patted her comfortingly. "It should be fine. I’m likely overreacting, but I can’t bet on your safety. The collaboration with Huayi fell through."

Kan Qingzi looked bewildered. "Is that really worth all this? I saw Master Zhou on the monitor and was terrified, wondering who he was."

Master Zhou offered a polite but slightly embarrassed smile in the background.

"Let’s not talk about it now. Let’s head down."

The three of them got into the car. Master Zhou asked, "Where to?"

"Capital Airport."

Zhang Qianjun immediately pulled out his phone. "Xiaoyu, pack your documents and get to the Capital Airport immediately. We’re going on an emergency business trip."

Kan Qingzi, watching from the side, asked anxiously, "Where are we going?"

"Qiantang. Home," Zhang replied calmly.

Meanwhile, the assistant, who had been playing dead on the floor, noticed the silence and cautiously lifted his head to observe the situation.

"Get up. They’re gone. Look at the state of you!" the young boss said, clearly annoyed.

"Boss, I really did pass out just now. I just came to."

"Forget it, just get up!"

"Boss, I saw him grab—" The assistant noticed the young boss’s darkening expression and quickly changed his tune. "I saw him touch your face, and I thought that was so disrespectful. If you’re here to talk business, talk business; why get handsy? My anger just flared up—if anyone dares to touch my boss, I’ll give them a piece of my mind even if it costs me my life. Who would have thought that guy could kick so high? He knocked me flat on the ground. Boss, we absolutely cannot let the fact that he touched your face slide!"

The young boss looked impatient. He wanted to scold the assistant, but realized that while the guy was useless, he was at least loyal. He told him to shut up. "Enough. No one will think you’re mute if you don’t talk."

"Boss, we have to respond to this. As soon as I get back, I’ll issue a notice requiring all companies associated with Huayi to blacklist him."

The young boss sneered. "Blacklist him across all companies? Do you think you can command China Film Group or Enlight Media? Or do you think you can make Wanda pull his films from theaters?"

The assistant argued, "Well, we can at least block him from advertising endorsements."

The young boss looked at his assistant, sometimes unable to tell if the man was playing dumb or was genuinely stupid. "Who wrote the research report on Zhang Qianjun and Solar System Film? What did it say at the top? Recite it for me."

"Boss, I..."

"Recite it!"

The assistant sighed. "Zhang Qianjun has been active for one year. His two films are expected to gross 80 million. No endorsements, no variety shows. If we bring him into the company, with the support of our advertising and variety resources, his good image and unique, straightforward persona will surely become a new growth point for the company. In a few years, he might even become Huayi’s flagship star."

The young boss sneered. "Isn’t this the very person you proposed in your market research? Weren’t you the one raving about how capable Zhang Qianjun was every day?"

The assistant felt aggrieved. "I just didn’t expect him to fight so dishonorably."

The young boss pondered for a moment and sighed. "Sigh, what a stroke of bad luck. Ran into a stubborn fool. Keep following the news on Zhang Qianjun and Solar System Film. Maintain communication and report any changes to me immediately."

The assistant looked confused. "Boss, I understand everything else, but what do you mean by 'maintain communication'?"

The young boss looked impatient. "It means communicating with him about investing in Solar System Film."

"Huh? So, today’s incident is just... over?"

"Is it a lie that he can make money?"

"No."

"Then there you have it." The young boss smiled with hidden meaning. "Besides, only when someone is in your palm can you crush them at will."

When Zhang Qianjun saw his young assistant board the plane, he felt a twinge of regret, wondering if he had overreacted. However, out of a fear of the unknown, he decided to play it safe. After landing, he first visited "Uncle Zhao," expressing his unease about earning too much money and asking if there were any charity organizations for women or the disabled that needed donations. He made two small contributions and then asked if there were any reliable locals with clean backgrounds, tasking Master Zhou with scouting two men and three women to provide his girlfriend with the same security detail of one driver and two bodyguards.

Once finished, he thought since they were already in Qiantang, they might as well head home. But this suggestion was met with firm opposition from Kan Qingzi.

"I ran out this morning without even washing my hair. How could I meet people like this? Besides, I haven’t prepared anything—how can I show up empty-handed?"

Zhang Qianjun disagreed. "My parents won’t care about that. You’re so pretty, it’ll be fine."

Kan Qingzi shook her head repeatedly. "Absolutely not. First impressions are important."

Seeing his girlfriend’s firm refusal, Zhang Qianjun had to give up. "Brother Zhou, you should take this chance to go home and see your partner. You’re on break for a few days. Remember to finalize that backup security team and show it to me later."

Master Zhou looked concerned. "Is that wise? Things are so tense today."

Zhang Qianjun waved him off. "It’s fine. Back here, even if something happens, it can be resolved. Besides, I likely overreacted. Qingzi and I are going to check out Shanghai. You go home; I’ll call you when I’m heading back to the capital."

After settling Master Zhou, Zhang looked at his young assistant. "Isn’t your home in Tiantai? You should go back home too. I’ll call you when we return to the capital."

The assistant grumbled to herself that this was a hassle, but since the boss was giving her paid time off, she couldn’t refuse. The four of them parted ways outside the district government building.

As Zhang Qianjun and Kan Qingzi boarded the high-speed train, Kan Qingzi asked, "Why are we going to Shanghai?"

"To buy you some clothes and things. Plus, there’s a college student entrepreneurship competition organized by Jiaotong University tomorrow; I want to go take a look. I hear there are some interesting things there."

They didn't speak much during the trip. Upon arriving in Shanghai, they checked into a hotel. Kan Qingzi began her journey of taking photos, while Zhang Qianjun went online to research the next day’s competition.

"'Fly Me to the Moon,' Liu Wei... That name sounds so familiar. I feel like I've heard it somewhere."

The next day, at the competition site, as the representative for the third-place company took the stage, Zhang finally realized why the name felt familiar.

Liu Wei spoke eloquently on stage, trying his best to showcase their studio’s first game to the judges, but the judges at the table remained indifferent.

After he finished, a judge surnamed Li on the left side of the panel began his critique. Liu Wei’s heart leaped; this Mr. Li was his primary target, an investor known in the circle for having invested in 4399 and Meitu.

"Is your company’s philosophy for making games rooted in the two-dimensional subculture?"

Liu Wei quickly replied, "Mr. Li, hello. The two-dimensional style is just a form of expression for the game’s visuals. Our studio’s philosophy is to create games using an IP-centric mindset. We place more importance on excavating the cultural attributes of the game, including values, worldview, IP, customs, and geography, while focusing on core game quality and user experience. This is how we increase our competitiveness in the market, extend the game’s life cycle, and enhance its viral potential. At the same time, we incorporate traditional Chinese cultural elements, expressing them through a youthful, innovative language, and use cutting-edge technology to continuously optimize the experience, thereby promoting excellent Chinese culture globally."

Liu Wei’s response was brilliant; Zhang Qianjun, sitting in the audience, felt like applauding, but the Mr. Li on the judging panel remained visibly unimpressed.

"'Fly Me to the Moon' only has about 3,000 downloads a month. A hit game nowadays averages 1,000 downloads a day. You are quite far from that."

With that, Mr. Li stopped speaking, and the host began calling the next winner to the stage.

Liu Wei felt deeply worried. The speech he had prepared for so long failed to move the judges, and the competition he had pinned his hopes on hadn’t caused a ripple. The 100,000 yuan in startup funding supported by the school was running out. The weight of the future for the four people in his studio pressed down on him, causing the 24-year-old’s shoulders to slump.

Suddenly, a voice sounded in front of him.

"What’s your studio called? This game is quite interesting."

Liu Wei looked up and saw a tall, handsome young man holding hands with a beautiful girl, looking at him. The man’s clothes looked ordinary, but one look at his companion told him this person was very wealthy.

"Hello, the studio is called miHoYo."

"Miku? Hatsune Miku?"

A smile appeared on Liu Wei’s face. "Yes. Are you a fan as well?"

Zhang Qianjun smiled. "I’d just say I really like watching anime. Are you participating in this competition for the prize money?"

Liu Wei laughed at himself. "What prize money? We’re just here for the name, hoping to attract investors. The judges for these types of competitions are usually people from well-known investment firms or venture capitalists."

Zhang Qianjun laughed. "Actually, I’m an investor too, though in a different field. Have you eaten? Let’s grab a bite and have a chat."