Chapter 100: The Arrival of Blissful WPS

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Yang Wei spoke excitedly at last. Jiangxi Wen was called a fool, but Jiangxi Wen was not angry; on the contrary, he was somewhat touched by his friend’s sincerity.

However, Jiangxi Wen was not as careless as Yang Wei imagined. How could he recklessly hand all the money to Yang Wei?

Jiangxi Wen had only said that he would transfer the money after returning to Yangjiang. His plan was to carefully calculate the funds needed for running the KTV once back in Yangjiang, then consult a lawyer about the contract terms before deciding how to allocate the money. From renting the venue to renovations and hiring staff, after signing the contracts, the money would be disbursed in installments according to the accounts.

Unexpectedly, Yang Wei misunderstood this as Jiangxi Wen being so straightforward it was foolish. Misunderstandings are misunderstandings, and explaining them would be troublesome. It was better to just let Yang Wei think of him as a simple-minded fool—it wasn’t a bad thing.

After Yang Wei finished speaking, Jiangxi Wen took the opportunity to raise some contract matters, saying they would discuss the details thoroughly once back in Yangjiang. Naturally, Yang Wei agreed wholeheartedly.

Just as Yang Wei was about to leave, Jiangxi Wen called after him, asking him to remind Hu Pao that as their business grew bigger, he should stop engaging in petty theft or shady dealings.

“Don’t worry, Xiwen. With what Xiaomao said today, I’ll definitely give him a key role. If he’s trusted, how could my brother Yang Wei go back to stealing?” Yang Wei laughed. “You rest well, I’ll be off.”

Watching Yang Wei’s retreating figure, Jiangxi Wen shook his head and smiled wryly. When he asked Yang Wei to remind Hu Pao, Yang Wei only understood part of the meaning. The other part was also a subtle warning: apart from necessary contacts, keep a distance from those ruffians and focus all your energy on the business.

When talking to Yang Wei, one had to always be mindful of giving him face. Even among friends, the way you speak matters. No one dislikes hearing praise, and no one wishes to be constantly criticized.

But that guy just couldn’t pick up on it.

That night, Jiangxi Wen slept soundly. Although in the hospital, fate had finally brought Su Lai before him. Whether it was a hero saving a beauty or a beauty saving a hero, it no longer mattered.

Early the next morning, Jiangxi Wen completed the discharge procedures. The doctors were amazed to see his fractured bones had improved significantly since the previous day. But compared to his miraculous survival from near drowning, this was nothing.

His nearly healed broken arm could be attributed to some miraculous medicine from Old Su, but coming back from drowning was something even Jiangxi Wen couldn’t explain. These questions might puzzle doctors, but not Jiangxi Wen, who held little interest in such things.

What he needed to focus on now was how to allocate the 1.6 million yuan in funds. The school term was about to start, and he needed to meet Wang Xunfei. The initial expenses for the QQ software, setting up the game studio, and getting the KTV off the ground—all required money. He had long anticipated the hardships of becoming a boss, but hadn’t expected them to come so soon.

The biggest headache was that internet access was unlikely to be widespread in China within two years. To launch QQ, the wisest choice was to rent servers in the United States.

In that case, he might as well fund Wang Xunfei to go to Silicon Valley, register a small company there, learn from experience, and feel the pulse of internet development. Although Jiangxi Wen understood the future of the internet better than anyone else, no amount of eloquence could replace firsthand experience for Wang Xunfei.

There was still no news from the Taiwanese manga publisher; he wasn’t sure if the deal had gone through. There were indeed many things to think about, but Jiangxi Wen wasn’t annoyed. Instead, he felt exhilarated. Such challenges came only to someone like him who had been reborn.

Walking along the misty lakeside, Jiangxi Wen breathed in the fresh air as his scattered thoughts gradually cleared.

He divided the funds into three parts: the largest portion would go to the development of QQ software. In the early days of the internet, continuous investment was necessary, and returns were hard to come by, so funds from other sources had to sustain it.

The second portion would be for operating the KTV.

The third portion would be reserved as working capital for emergencies.

As for the game studio, it would require almost no money for the time being—just him and Qi Huan Chang working on developing a simple game to build a reputation. This game would of course include all the playable elements available in this era, which was easy for Jiangxi Wen, the visionary.

Having made these plans, Jiangxi Wen had no time to admire the scenery. He immediately took a bus to Modu City’s commercial district to look for a suitable KTV venue.

He returned empty-handed. The cinemas and large shopping malls all had no available space. It seemed he would have to ask Yang Wei to check the second commercial district, which was expected to develop in the next three years and was much cheaper to rent now.

Around seven in the evening, after dinner, Jiangxi Wen was heading to the Qinyuan Bar when he spotted someone familiar—Liu Dashan’s son, Liu Fan, accompanied by his mother. Both looked somewhat downcast. With the family’s pillar gone, perhaps Liu Fan would transfer schools.

Jiangxi Wen chose not to greet them, seeing no need. He hailed a taxi and arrived at Qinyuan Bar before eight.

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As soon as he entered, he saw Yang Wei holding a can of beer walking over.

“Xiwen, where have you been? I went to the hospital this morning but couldn’t find you or contact you, so I came here to wait.”

“I was just wandering around. So, how’s Xiaoyin? Has she arrived?” Jiangxi Wen asked.

“She’s here; they’re preparing!” Yang Wei gulped down the rest of his beer. “Want some?”

Jiangxi Wen never drank without necessity and declined. His eyes scanned the room, but there was no sign of Su Lai.

Could it be she really wasn’t coming? Jiangxi Wen felt a bit disappointed. Then the announcer on stage introduced the performers, and soon Luo Xiaoyin and her band took the stage. Their music might differ from the usual bar tunes, but Jiangxi Wen knew it would enchant many listeners.

“Jiangxi Wen…” A clear, crisp voice sounded as Su Lai’s small hand tapped Jiangxi Wen’s shoulder.

She seemed to appear out of nowhere, standing before him with a beaming smile. Jiangxi Wen had thought she wouldn’t come, so he was pleasantly surprised.

In fact, Su Lai had arrived early and waited quietly in a corner, planning to startle Jiangxi Wen by appearing suddenly and seeing his stunned expression. She found it amusing to tease someone so clever about everything.

Jiangxi Wen just looked at her silently. His hand instinctively reached into his pocket—still wearing the damp shirt from the day before at Misty Rain Lake, which had been washed and dried in the hospital.

“What are you looking at? Not welcome?” Su Lai laughed at his awkwardness. That guy always messed with her thoughts—he even blushed unconsciously the first time they shook hands in Yangjiang, and now again.

Jiangxi Wen’s feigned innocence worked; he just wanted to see her smile—so warm, comfortable, and beautiful.

“You’re really beautiful…” Jiangxi Wen said dreamily.

Damn it, now I’m the one blushing, thought Su Lai, quickly looking away toward the stage. “The show’s starting…”

Watching Su Lai’s adorable expression, Jiangxi Wen believed that after going through life and death with her, he would never lose her again.

Luo Xiaoyin’s performance began. As Jiangxi Wen had guessed, though the music was not typical bar fare, it captivated everyone present, with some listeners left speechless.

Jiangxi Wen’s hand fidgeted in his pocket and felt something. He pulled out a small slip of paper—it was a business card, though the writing had been blurred by water. Only the characters “Jinshan” at the start and “Lei Jun” in the middle were faintly visible.

Jinshan. Lei Jun? Lei Jun! Jiangxi Wen immediately recalled the young man he had helped at the train station. At that time, he hadn’t had the mind to engage with him. After sharing a taxi, that guy seemed to slip something into his pocket—this must be the card.

This was it: a phone number! Jiangxi Wen pressed the card close to his eyes, but unfortunately, the rest of the writing was illegible.

Beside him, Su Lai was also absorbed by Luo Xiaoyin’s music, unaware of what Jiangxi Wen was doing.

“Xiwen, what are you looking at?” Hu Pao ambled over. Earlier that afternoon, he had persuaded Luo Xiaoyin’s band to play twice, so he was somewhat immune to the song now.

Jiangxi Wen, still frustrated, grabbed Hu Pao and pulled him aside, handing over the card. “Is there any way to restore the writing?”

His excitement was due entirely to the name Lei Jun, which suggested a possible steady income source to fund QQ.

Lei Jun was the future CEO of Jinshan, a well-known Chinese software company, and now possibly serving as a manager in some division.

Knowing Lei Jun could connect him to Qiu Bojun, the current president of Jinshan, whom Jiangxi Wen greatly respected.

Qiu Bojun was a man who worked tirelessly for his ideals. His word processing software, PS, had long rivaled Microsoft’s Word internationally. However, in 1995, it failed to adapt quickly to Microsoft’s Windows 95 operating system, causing the new generation PS to only be officially released in 1997. If it had launched in 1995 alongside Windows 95, and then released an office suite similar to Microsoft Office, it could have potentially dominated the Chinese market.

Qiu Bojun was unfamiliar with Windows 95, but Jiangxi Wen was very familiar with it—perhaps no one besides Microsoft’s own software architects knew the system better.

Starting PS development required funds and connections he lacked; he couldn’t do it alone. He had to rely on Qiu Bojun’s help.

Realizing that the man he helped at the train station was Lei Jun made Jiangxi Wen momentarily forget to appreciate Luo Xiaoyin’s music.

Coincidentally, the two people he met in Modu would become pillars at Jinshan—one the general manager, the other the head of the digital entertainment division, leaders in Chinese game music. But Jiangxi Wen had no intention of letting Lei Jun stay at Jinshan; such talent had to be his own.

Had even fate been helping him since his rebirth? Jiangxi Wen felt exhilarated, though it wasn’t all smooth sailing—he’d suffered fractures, been beaten at the police station, and nearly drowned.

Hu Pao’s answer surprised Jiangxi Wen further—he actually knew someone who sold writing restoration potions. Jiangxi Wen’s blood surged; without hesitation, he dragged Hu Pao out of the bar.

A phone call later revealed the potion seller was not in Modu but celebrating the New Year in his hometown, three hours away. No matter the distance, they had to go.

Hu Pao didn’t know what Jiangxi Wen was up to, but he admired him greatly. The design for the KTV rooms had come from Hu Pao’s inspiration, and Jiangxi Wen’s improvements made it even better. This middle schooler was both talented and capable. Hu Pao subconsciously believed that following Jiangxi Wen would lead to a bright future.

Jiangxi Wen’s urgency came from wanting to meet Lei Jun while he was still in Modu; the longer he waited, the more likely Lei Jun would leave.

“Su Lai, come on, I’ll take you to meet Master Luo Xiaoyin,” Yang Wei said cheerfully as he approached. Though speaking to Su Lai, his eyes searched around. “Hey, where’s Xiwen? That guy slipped away again.”

Su Lai smiled brightly but then pursed her lips. “I don’t know. He was here just a moment ago, but now he’s gone. I looked around but couldn’t find him.”

Her smile hid the panic inside. This was the first time she’d agreed to a date with a boy and came to listen to music. Yet before the performance ended, Jiangxi Wen disappeared. When she saw him missing earlier, an inexplicable unease rose in her heart.

But now, talking to Yang Wei, she managed to suppress the anxiety. Jiangxi Wen was just the kind who got into fights, couldn’t swim, yet still tried to save others from drowning...

“That brat, who knows where he’s hiding now? Even Hu Pao’s gone,” Yang Wei shook his head, then suddenly felt he had said too much. He didn’t want Su Lai to blame Jiangxi Wen, so he quickly changed the subject. “Su Lai, wasn’t that song beautiful? Jiangxi Wen wrote it.”

“What? Jiangxi Wen can compose?” Su Lai’s eyes widened. That song was clearly no ordinary piece. She grew more curious about Jiangxi Wen. No wonder Zhang Ya spoke of him with such excitement. This seemingly plain boy was actually very impressive—he seemed to know everything.

When they reached the potion seller’s hometown, Hu Pao surprisingly took the lead, perhaps learning from Yang Wei. The potion seller endured many slaps from Hu Pao on the back of the head.

Especially the last one, which made him grimace in pain—it turned out his potion didn’t work at all. Hu Pao was about to hit again, muttering, “Xiaomao, you didn’t say it was for restoring laser-etched text. This stuff only works on pen ink.”

Jiangxi Wen could only shake his head helplessly. Not all good fortune should fall to him. After enduring so much, he had met Luo Xiaoyin, seen Su Lai, thought of the KTV business plan, and helped Lei Jun. That was enough. To continue forward, more trials awaited.

Jiangxi Wen quickly calmed down. He wasn’t upset; he realized he had been too excited earlier. As a reborn man, he could not afford to be so careless.

Suddenly, on the way back, he remembered he had left without saying goodbye to Su Lai. He had invited her out to listen to music but vanished without a trace. This was his first date in this life, and she wasn’t just any blind date—she was the girl he liked most.

Money made things easier. The driver sped toward Modu despite the New Year’s rush, costing nearly a thousand yuan round trip.

The car stopped in front of Qinyuan Bar just past midnight. Jiangxi Wen strode inside, but the miracle did not occur. The bar was empty except for a few staff tidying up.

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