23: Chapter 23 Let Me Be Your Bride for Half a Day

The next morning.

Zhao Yang arrived at the Lianzhong headquarters as scheduled.

It was the same receptionist girl from yesterday. Without Zhao Yang having to say a word, she proactively invited him to the entrance of the conference room and even secretly slipped him a business card.

Zhao Yang glanced at her, and the young girl fled with a blushing face.

...

Bao Yueqiao and Jian Jing were already waiting in the conference room. Seeing him enter, they proactively stood up to offer him a seat.

Zhao Yang noticed that Jian Jing's eyes were bloodshot and couldn't help but tease, "Director Jian, didn't sleep well last night?"

Jian Jing was taken aback at first, then sighed frankly and gave a thumbs up. "Heroes emerge from the youth. Little Zhao, can you teach your big brother—what kind of technology are you guys using exactly?"

"Which feature are you referring to?"

"Both of them."

Zhao Yang gave a mysterious smile. "Once your side gets the complete code, you'll naturally understand."

Jian Jing opened his mouth to speak, then closed it, giving Bao Yueqiao a helpless look.

The person in front of them was no newcomer to society; he was a complete little fox.

Bao Yueqiao sighed inwardly and stopped beating around the bush. "Little Zhao, we are very sincere and recognize the value of this game. But a price of one million US dollars is difficult for us to accept. Can you lower it a bit?"

Zhao Yang's index finger lightly tapped the tabletop. "Mr. Bao should be able to see that once this game goes online, the online gaming market for the next five years will belong to the legend of mir 2."

"I don't deny that. That's why we are very sincere. Have you considered..."

Zhao Yang shook his head. "I only accept a buyout. Cash on delivery. After that, this game will have nothing to do with me."

Bao Yueqiao was silent for a few seconds. "A million dollars is still too high. Are you really not considering a share of the profits? That would be far more than a million dollars."

"I know. But I have my reasons," Zhao Yang said. "Please understand, Mr. Bao."

"Could it be..." Bao Yueqiao frowned, "there's an issue with the source of your code?"

Zhao Yang smiled confidently. "Absolutely no problem. The legality of the code's source can be written into the contract. Mr. Bao, I only accept a buyout. If it's truly difficult, I'll go try elsewhere."

After saying that, he made a move to stand up.

"Wait." Bao Yueqiao stood up. "Nine hundred and fifty thousand US dollars."

Zhao Yang smiled slightly. "I can feel Mr. Bao's sincerity. How about this: I'll still take one million dollars, and in exchange, I'll give Mr. Bao a mini-game as a gift. Originally, I planned to sell this game to someone else."

He pulled out another disc and installed bejeweled on the computer in the conference room.

"Mr. Bao, try this first. It's a casual mini-game with very simple rules. Someone over in the US will probably make something similar next month, but I've already finished it here."

Colorful gem blocks appeared on the screen.

Connecting three in a line would eliminate them. The crisp sound effects accompanied by the rhythm of the falling blocks had an addictive magic to them.

Bao Yueqiao picked up the mouse and played a round. Still wanting more, he clicked "Restart."

Jian Jing stared at the screen, lost in thought.

After watching for just a moment, he understood—this was another game destined to be a hit, especially suited for a mature platform like Lianzhong. He couldn't help but ask, "Little Zhao, the game you wanted to sell us most was this one, right?"

"No." Zhao Yang shook his head. "This game is more suitable for Penguin. They have instant messaging software. After integrating this, they can expand into rich social functions, like friend rankings, competitions, and the like."

Jian Jing's pupils constricted.

He thought of a terrifying possibility—if Penguin made a gaming platform, would it threaten Lianzhong?

The more he thought about it, the more panicked he became.

The current Penguin hadn't developed in this direction yet, or rather, they hadn't seen the light. But once they got this game...

Jian Jing didn't dare think further.

He tugged on Bao Yueqiao's sleeve. "Mr. Bao, let's discuss this."

The two walked out of the conference room.

The corner of Zhao Yang's mouth quirked up.

It was done.

After a short while, the two returned.

Bao Yueqiao proactively extended his hand. "Little Zhao, one million US dollars, two games, full source code. Deal."

Zhao Yang shook his hand. "It also includes the full set of development documents, architectural specifications, and secondary development guides. With these, given Lianzhong's technical capabilities, you'll be able to fully digest it within half a year."

Bao Yueqiao gripped tighter. "Little Zhao, I really wish I could work with you."

"Little Zhao, come to Lianzhong!" Jian Jing said seriously. "If you come, I'll give my position to you."

Zhao Yang shook his head. "Thank you both for your kindness. Actually, I want to go back to my hometown and be a criminal police officer."

Bao Yueqiao was stunned. "With a million dollars in hand, you're going to be a cop?"

"Yes. I like playing with guns."

Bao Yueqiao: "..."

Jian Jing: "..."

...

It was already afternoon when he left Lianzhong. Zhao Yang squeezed the bank card in his pocket, the corner of his mouth curving slightly.

Bao Yueqiao handled things very properly, helping him maximize legal tax avoidance procedures. This saved him several hundred thousand in taxes, leaving him with 7.3 million RMB in the end.

It was getting late. Zhao Yang didn't go to the sales office. Instead, he found a park and started practicing Military Boxing in a spacious area.

Each move and stance was powerful and fierce. They looked ordinary, but every strike was a killing move.

The spring air was chilly, but Zhao Yang was soon drenched in sweat.

[Ding! Unarmed Combat Technique has leveled up to Level 7.]

[Physical Body attribute +1.]

Zhao Yang finished his stance, the corner of his mouth quirked up.

Finally leveled up.

According to the System prompts, Unarmed Combat Technique could continue to level up even after reaching the max level.

He already felt very strong now. What about after more upgrades?

Would it unlock Internal Qi?

...

The next morning, Zhao Yang went to the sales center and paid the full amount cleanly and efficiently.

Two duplex apartments, door-to-door. However, they were both unfinished shells. Zhao Yang wasn't in a hurry to move in, so he just left them for now.

The sales manager gave a 10% discount, bringing the total for both to 6.05 million.

Zhao Yang walked out of the sales office with a stack of business cards from the salesgirls. Behind him, several pretty girls watched longingly as he got into a taxi without looking back, all sighing in unison.

Why didn't he take them with him?

At least he kept their contact information...

Sold the game, bought the apartments—his business in the Imperial Capital was basically finished.

In the taxi, Zhao Yang pulled out his phone.

Chen Yan had sent several messages asking if he had arrived in the Imperial Capital yet.

Zhao Yang replied: Arrived on Monday. Was busy with business and didn't have time to get back to you. Business is done now, want to grab a meal together?

A few minutes later, Chen Yan's message arrived: Where are you staying?

Zhao Yang was stunned for a moment. He sent the hotel and room number, then added: I'm outside, will be at the hotel in ten minutes.

Chen Yan's reply was simple: Understood.

Back at the hotel, Zhao Yang took a shower. Just as he finished dressing, the doorbell rang.

Chen Yan stood at the door, wrapped up tightly, wearing a mask and carrying a backpack.

Zhao Yang smiled. "Why did you bring so much stuff?"

Chen Yan exhaled and took off her outer coat, revealing the jeans and cashmere sweater underneath, which perfectly accentuated her curves.

After locking eyes for a moment, Chen Yan gave him a light peck on the lips. "I'm going to shower first. Wait for me, I have a gift for you."

She took her backpack into the bathroom and locked the door behind her.

Hearing the sound of water, Zhao Yang shrugged.

It wasn't like they hadn't showered together before.

A woman's heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea. Better wait patiently and see what she's up to.

More than half an hour later, the bathroom door opened.

Chen Yan walked out gracefully.

A pure white wedding dress cinched her waist, and her snowy neck was flawless. Her arms were encased in lace gloves, slender and long. The large skirt spread across the floor, with the tips of white high heels peeking out.

"Zhao Yang, let me be your bride. Even if it's only for half a day, okay?"

Chen Yan's gaze was like water, and her hand holding the skirt trembled slightly.