ABSML Chapter 26: Wealth Rolls In

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For those who have reached the pinnacle of wealth, spiritual riches often hold more value than material wealth. However, most people are still preoccupied with ensuring they have enough to eat and drink.

For instance, in the quiet of the night, while Yin Ronglan was contemplating how to solidify his long-overdue friendship, Chen Zhan was leaning against the headboard, staring at the ceiling in deep thought—pondering ways to make a fortune.

Meanwhile, at the company, after the subordinate finished his break, he specifically reported on this month’s revenue for Yuanrui.

Originally, Yuanrui had been an insignificant acquisition, but it had previously been overshadowed by Xiangxi in marketing. Since he had come from the sales department, he saw this as an unacceptable setback. There was a faint determination to regain lost ground. “After securing the sponsorship slot, Xiangxi Beverage has fallen far behind us. It won’t be easy for them to make a comeback.”

Yin Ronglan merely responded with a calm “Mm,” and added, “Don’t let your guard down.”

The subordinate had been about to make an impassioned vow when he saw his boss suddenly leave his chair and walk to the window to take a phone call.

“…I happen to be free… Sure… See you tomorrow.”

A sense of foreboding rose in the subordinate’s heart, but he didn’t dare to ask who had called. He could only wait and see if the president would mention it.

“The monthly salary will be doubled,” Yin Ronglan announced, confirming the subordinate’s worst fears. “Tonight, you need to work overtime and organize everything.”

Overtime on top of overtime—didn’t that basically mean an all-nighter?

Yin Ronglan was meticulous but not an exploitative capitalist. Just as the subordinate was sinking into despair, Yin Ronglan added, “You’ll get two days off after this.”

The exhaustion immediately vanished. The subordinate looked at him as if he were a candle in the darkness. In his excitement, he blurted out, “Do you have something important tomorrow?”

The moment he finished speaking, he instantly regretted his audacity.

Yin Ronglan seemed to be in a good mood and nodded. “Helping a friend house-sit.”

Noting his expression, the subordinate was taken aback… What was so worthy of boasting about?

Not long ago, Chen Zhan had ordered an air conditioner, but there had been an issue with the installation, so a technician was scheduled to come today.

Unfortunately, he had already made plans for the morning, and the old man at home had a fixed routine of visiting the recycling station every day. After thinking it over, the only person he could ask for help was Yin Ronglan.

At sunrise, Yin Ronglan arrived at the door, carrying breakfast.

Chen Zhan invited him in and smiled apologetically. “Sorry to trouble you.”

He poured the steaming soy milk into a small bowl. Yin Ronglan shook his head. “You’re always too polite with me.”

Most people enter university at eighteen or nineteen, but due to family circumstances, Chen Zhan had started a year later. Based on their actual ages, there was a five-year gap between him and Yin Ronglan. Because of this, Chen Zhan often, unconsciously, regarded him with the respect one would show an elder.

He hadn’t noticed this before, but now that Yin Ronglan pointed it out, he realized it created a sense of distance. Both were maintaining their friendship in their own way. Chen Zhan extended his hand. “Let’s trouble each other from now on—no need to be so formal.”

Yin Ronglan chuckled and shook his hand. “Alright.”

After clearing the air, their relationship became more relaxed. As Chen Zhan ate breakfast, he occasionally checked the time.

The conversation flowed easily. Yin Ronglan asked casually, “A very important meeting?”

Chen Zhan thought for a moment. “Not really. It’s with Xiangxi, whom I’ve worked with before.”

Yin Ronglan raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you already reject them?”

“I won’t be considering livestreaming again anytime soon,” Chen Zhan said, turning to look out the window. A flock of birds chirped on schedule, as they did every morning. At first, he found them interesting, but after a while, they just became noise. “But there are other ways.”

Following his gaze for a moment, Yin Ronglan smiled. “Audiobook platforms generate stable revenue.”

Chen Zhan waved dismissively. “Keeping multiple options open will bring in the God of Wealth.”

Though he wasn’t sure what scheme Chen Zhan was up to, Yin Ronglan recalled his subordinate’s eager ambition to redeem himself and foresaw headaches for the sales department in the near future.

Chen Zhan left him the technician’s number. “If something urgent comes up, feel free to leave.”

As he was about to head out, a small notebook accidentally slipped from his pocket.

Yin Ronglan’s eyes darkened. He had seen this notebook on set before—it was where Chen Zhan recorded ideas for his stories, a true source of chaos.

At this moment, the notebook was open, revealing a list of unfamiliar names, contact details, and scheduled meeting times.

Picking it up, Yin Ronglan handed it back and glanced at the time. “Are all these people you’re meeting today?”

Chen Zhan nodded, tucked it back into his pocket, and waved as he ran downstairs—clearly in a hurry.

Thanks to a previous successful collaboration, Chen Zhan’s discussion with Xiangxi’s representative went smoothly.

The representative, a young man wearing rimless glasses, frequently adjusted them, resembling a character straight out of a manga. Every word he spoke carried a calculated sharpness.

“Game development is a high-cost investment. Thirty thousand yuan alone isn’t enough to sustain a game development team.” The representative leaned forward slightly. “How can I be sure this will achieve the expected promotional results?”

"It's not about developing a large-scale online game," Chen Zhan said unhurriedly. "Just a text-based interactive game."

The development cost of such games is not high. By using game-making tools provided by websites and integrating resources, some projects can even cost close to nothing.

Chen Zhan's academic performance in high school was not particularly outstanding. After multiple attempts to improve with little success, he began preparing for the college entrance exam while exploring alternative paths. For a time, female classmates in his class were very fond of playing this type of game and were even willing to pay to unlock different storylines. Out of curiosity, he started researching them.

However, he later found that it was too time-consuming and somewhat challenging for a beginner, so he had to give up.

"I haven’t formally studied game development," Chen Zhan said. "So I will hire two experienced professionals. Within a month, most of the work will be completed."

One advantage of text-based games is that they can be uploaded before they are fully completed. Updates and adjustments can be made based on player feedback.

In the age of smart technology, the person in charge quickly looked it up on their phone and raised a glass proactively. "Looking forward to working with you."

Chen Zhan clinked glasses but didn’t drink.

The person in charge licked his lips and wiped away excess wine from the corner of his mouth. "How much did you spend on hiring people to develop the game?"

Chen Zhan raised an eyebrow but did not answer.

The person in charge chuckled. "I'm just curious."

The company could also use games for promotional purposes, but what they valued more was the traffic that Chen Zhan could bring. Besides, seeing the drink reminded people of that live stream.

Just when the person in charge thought he wouldn’t get an answer, Chen Zhan suddenly spoke. "A hundred thousand."

That meant there were still two hundred thousand left.

"You didn’t make much profit," the person in charge remarked.

Chen Zhan spoke plainly. "There will be a lot of product placements in the game. Your company is just one of them."

The smile on the person in charge's face stiffened. After thinking it over, he slowly said, "So you used our money to hire people to develop a game and then used that game to attract other advertisers?"

Chen Zhan remained composed. "No middlemen, no extra fees."

To avoid any dissatisfaction from the client after seeing the final product, it was better to make everything clear upfront.

The person in charge took off his glasses. Without them, his vision was blurry, making it harder to see Chen Zhan’s sly expression. That gave him a slight sense of relief.

Calling it a “middleman” was a polite way of putting it. Subconsciously, the person in charge felt like the man in front of him was someone who used the main wife's money to support a mistress.

The negotiation took half the time Chen Zhan expected. The person in charge, worried that staying any longer would give him a heart attack, casually claimed he had other matters to attend to, left a check, and quickly packed up his things to leave.

Chen Zhan called after him. "I really like the drinks here. Can I get another one on you?"

With a dark expression, the person in charge walked to the bar, ordered another drink for him, paid, and then left in quick strides.

Chen Zhan signaled for the waiter to clean up the table and placed the newly served drink across from him. He checked the time and waited for the next guest.

Punctuality is a basic business etiquette.

The next person arrived ten minutes early. Seeing Chen Zhan already there, he quickly walked over and greeted him.

"Try it," Chen Zhan said with a flawless smile once the man was seated. "The taste is very pure."

Arriving early and even ordering a drink in advance—this small detail made the man instantly respect Chen Zhan more. When he first considered this partnership, he hesitated, as the online reputation of the other party wasn’t great.

But now, meeting him in person, Chen Zhan was nothing like the sharp-tongued, harsh personality that was rumored. Instead, he was courteous and generous.

"My younger brother prefers staying at home. We’ll handle the business discussions ourselves."

Chen Zhan nodded in understanding.

With a positive first impression, the conversation went smoothly, entirely different from the earlier negotiation.

"I'll provide the script," Chen Zhan said.

This delighted the man even more. For text-based games, the development itself was relatively easy.

In the following meetings, the discussions became increasingly commercialized. After going through all the advertisers one by one, Chen Zhan finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Not wanting to take up too much of Yin Ronglan’s time, he quickly grabbed two takeout meals and headed home.

By the time he got back, it was already four in the afternoon. Not only had the air conditioning been installed, but the floor was also spotless—almost pristine.

Chen Zhan paused at the doorway for a few seconds before stepping inside.

Placing the takeout on the table, he remarked with some surprise, "Thanks for the effort."

Yin Ronglan, sitting on the sofa sipping tea—looking more like the owner of the house—smiled faintly. "It was nothing."

With no way to spend money on Yin Ronglan directly, and with plenty of resources that couldn’t be utilized, the only thing left to do over time was cleaning.

Surprisingly, it suited him quite well.

During the meal, Yin Ronglan suddenly made an offhand remark, "Between me and Lin Chiang, who’s better at doing housework?"

Chen Zhan found the phrasing oddly familiar.

It reminded him of the ancient text he memorized in school: "When comparing myself to Xu Gong of Chengbei, who is more handsome?"

Shaking off the random thought, he answered straightforwardly, "Naturally, you."

Lin Chiang’s background ensured that he was a pampered young master who had never lifted a finger for housework.

Yin Ronglan’s smile deepened, seemingly pleased with the response.

To prevent any potential issues, he needed to make sure Chen Zhan saw Lin Chiang’s shortcomings—eliminating any chance of forming a “special” friendship from the very start.

However, unlike Yin Ronglan’s thoughts, Chen Zhan was entirely focused on his business.

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