Chapter 22 A string of zeros, happiness is that simple.

Li Jiajun looked at Hassan's eager reply on the screen and was speechless for a moment.

He had originally prepared a complete set of bargaining tactics regarding artistic value, intellectual property rights, and the hardships of creation.

But now, these carefully prepared bullets hadn't been used at all.

The other party had surrendered directly, even urging him to name his price.

'This... this feels like I prepared to fight Godzilla for three hundred rounds, only for Godzilla to kowtow to me the moment it showed up.'

Li Jiajun felt speechless and muttered to himself.

He scratched the back of his head, feeling that his understanding of the artist group had been refreshed once again.

'Rich, willful, and seemingly having no concept of money at all.'

Since the Top Supporter was so generous, if he wasn't bolder, it would be an insult to the Top Supporter's trust.

He thought for a moment, held up two fingers, and gestured at the screen.

'One skin, one tutorial... asking for two million, that's not too much, right?'

He went over this number in his mind and even he felt it was a bit unscrupulous. A dynamic effect that could be achieved by modifying some code, a video that could be recorded in half a day, and it totaled two million?

This wasn't just robbing people; it was blatantly putting a sickle to the neck of a leek.

But on second thought, the other party was an artist who could casually tip millions as a deposit; his vision and perspective were certainly not something he could compare to. In his eyes, two million might just be like two hundred yuan to an ordinary person.

Right, art is priceless!

Thinking of this, Li Jiajun didn't hesitate anymore and typed a line of text on the screen.

[Factory Director Li]: "Top Supporter, you really are my soulmate! Since you support my artistic creation so much, I can't let you suffer a loss. How about this, for the Golden Dragon Coiling Column skin and the 'VIP Beginner Tutorial', you pay me a total of... two million. This is mainly for our team's R&D and creative costs."

After sending it, he still felt a bit nervous, fearing the other party would realize and call him a profiteer.

However, Hassan's reply was still instantaneous.

[A White Cloth on the Head]: "No problem! The money will arrive immediately! Also, the total price of ten million we agreed upon earlier, I will transfer the remaining five million balance to you as well! My friend, please, you must! Immediately! Send me the Golden Dragon Coiling Column and the tutorial course! My people are already dying to learn and appreciate this great 'Art of War'!"

Art of War?

Li Jiajun was stunned when he saw these four words.

'Art is art, why bring war into it? Could it be that this artist's school is... Battlefield Abstract?'

He didn't understand, and he didn't care to think about it.

Because he had already been stunned by the number seven million in the other party's reply.

A balance of five million... value-added services of two million... a total of seven million...

He counted on his fingers, and after confirming it was correct, he felt like he was floating.

He resisted the urge to dance in the office, and instead replied in a very steady tone that befitted an art consultant.

[Factory Director Li]: "Alright, Top Supporter. It's not about the money; it's about making a friend. Please wait a moment, and as soon as the money arrives, I will send the things to your email."

Closing the chat software, Li Jiajun leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh of relief.

He felt like he was walking on clouds, light and airy, a bit unreal.

From a bankrupt factory director who could barely pay wages to a multi-millionaire, all of this had taken less than a week.

Indeed, choices are more important than hard work.

Ding-a-ling—

Just as he was feeling emotional, his phone notification rang crisply.

Li Jiajun sat up straight with a start; he knew the happiness had arrived.

He took a deep breath and pretended to be calm as he clicked on the text message.

[Eastern Country Construction Bank]: Your savings account ending in xxxx received an overseas remittance on October 23 at 21:17. Amount: 7,000,000.00 yuan. Current account balance: 8,050,000.08 yuan.

More than eight million!

Looking at the long string of glaring 0s on the phone screen, Li Jiajun was much calmer this time. After all, he had spent millions on equipment before, and now it seemed that his original approach was completely correct. If he hadn't bought the equipment, he wouldn't have this money now.

He didn't dance with joy like last time; he just excitedly rubbed his hands together, a sincere and extremely bright smile appearing on his face.

Then, he picked up his phone, snapped a screenshot of the balance.

Next, he reopened his streaming software.

...

At this moment, Li Jiajun's live stream room was still as popular as ever.

Although the main person had gone offline, tens of thousands of Netizens who were still unsatisfied were gathered here, frantically discussing the shocking swarm performance just now.

The war between the special effects camp and the reality camp had reached a white-hot stage. Both sides were citing sources, from physics to computer graphics, almost digging up each other's ancestral graves, but neither could convince the other.

Just then, the blacked-out live stream screen suddenly lit up.

"Holy crap! The Main Streamer is back online!"

"Look, look! Is he going to reveal the secret!"

"Special effects camp, get ready to die! The Main Streamer is definitely here to slap your faces!"

Everyone thought Li Jiajun was here to announce the truth, but the scene on the screen made everyone drop their jaws.

In the live stream, Li Jiajun didn't speak; he just pointed the camera at the production line behind him, which had just completed its mission and was full of cold, sci-fi vibes.

Then, he slowly lit a cigarette, leaned back in his boss chair, put his feet back on the table, and assumed a comfortable posture.

His relaxed demeanor made it seem as if that performance that shocked the entire internet was just a post-meal digestive activity for him.

The Netizens were confused.

What's going on? What is the Main Streamer doing? Showing us the scenery?

This production line... the more I look, the more awesome it is! Full of power!

Don't be noisy, the Main Streamer is brewing emotions, there must be something big to announce!

Just as everyone was holding their breath, waiting for him to speak, Li Jiajun took a puff of his cigarette, exhaled slowly, and then his iconic, reverb-like narration mode rang out in the quiet live stream room once again.

He looked at the ceiling and muttered in a slightly desolate and emotional tone:

"Hmm... another sum of funds has arrived. Seven million. Not much, just enough for me to renovate our factory's toilets from inside to out."

As soon as these words were said, the live stream room was silent for two seconds.

Then, the bullet comments erupted like a volcanic eruption!

"Holy crap! Seven million?! The balance has arrived?!"

"Seven million... only enough to renovate the toilets once? Are the toilets in your factory made of gold?!"

"Murder! He's doing it again! He's doing it again!"

Li Jiajun completely ignored the wailing in the bullet comments. He seemed completely immersed in his own world, continuing to mutter in that Versailles tone:

"Many people say that the happiness of the rich is something we ordinary people cannot imagine. Actually, that's not the case."

He flicked the ash off his cigarette, a look of enlightenment on his face.

"Today, I realized it. The happiness of the rich is actually just that; it's very simple and very plain. It's nothing more than looking at the long string of zeros in the text message on the phone that keep increasing."

He paused, seemingly to give the audience some time to digest and understand, then added the most fatal blow.

"You see, happiness is just that simple. Unlike some people who have to be woken up by an alarm clock at seven tomorrow morning, struggle to squeeze onto the subway for an hour and a half, and punch in for a day only to be unable to afford this cigarette of mine."

"Sigh, life."

This narration, like the autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves, ruthlessly crushed the heart of every worker in the live stream room.

"I'm broken!"

"Completely broken!"

"Damn! Please be a human being! Main Streamer! I really have to squeeze onto the subway tomorrow!"

"I report! The Streamer is making personal attacks here! He AOE'd all of us!"

"Wuwuwu... I'm jealous, I'm really jealous! Today I am the Dragon King of the East Sea, and with the tears I shed, I can fill the entire Pacific Ocean! I am the reincarnation of a lemon spirit!"

"He's too lazy to even talk to us directly! He used narration! Using the narration method to despise all of us! Too cruel!"

"I'm crying, I'm faking it. No, wait, I'm actually crying! Why am I not the Top Supporter! Why!"

Li Jiajun looked at the sea of wailing bullet comments on the screen, pretended not to see them, just slowly turned the phone camera towards himself, and revealed a melancholic and lonely expression, looking up at the sky at forty-five degrees.

"Hmm, the life of a rich person is just this plain and boring."