Chapter 35

The day after their meeting at the sheltered harbor, Brother Wen came to Dongsen University to find Bian Xuedao. The two found a cold drink hall and finalized the specific details of their cooperation.

Brother Wen would contribute 30,000 yuan and technical resources, while Bian Xuedao would put in 270,000 yuan. They would establish a studio, focusing on the development of cheats and private servers, with profits split 50-50. At the end, Bian Xuedao made a small request: to bundle a small green website he owned into the cheats they developed. He wanted to earn some traffic, and Brother Wen agreed without hesitation.

They then drafted a written contract, printed it, and each signed and fingerprinted it. It was then that Bian Xuedao learned Brother Wen's name was Wen Congqian. Bian Xuedao told Wen Congqian to come the next afternoon to pick up the money.

Back home, Bian Xuedao thought for a long time. He was well aware that guiding Wen Congqian down this path had both advantages and disadvantages.

The "advantage" was freeing himself up and having others earn money for him; the "disadvantage" was that Wen Congqian was not like Yu Jin, and how long they could maintain a close partnership was uncertain. Financially, he would definitely suffer some losses.

However, Bian Xuedao still felt it was necessary to do this.

The market for cheats was limited, and he could only handle so much. More than that, his technical and human resources would not keep up. Moreover, the industry was already showing signs of competition, with more and more cheats appearing on the market. With Bian Xuedao's skill level, he would find it increasingly difficult to keep up. As for private servers, they were even more troublesome.

For Bian Xuedao, as long as he could recoup the 270,000 yuan he invested, it wouldn't be a loss.

The reason Bian Xuedao broke his usual silence and spoke so much to Wen Congqian, sharing many insights, was to make Wen Congqian see him as a visionary partner and form a strategic dependence on him.

Even if Wen Congqian turned out to be unreliable, in a few months, "Miracle" would be launched, and the speed at which "Miracle" cheats could earn money would be no less than "Legend."

They had discussed 270,000 yuan, but Bian Xuedao decided to give Wen Congqian 300,000 yuan the next day. He wanted to show Wen Congqian his character and style through his actions. Since he was already giving 270,000 yuan, an additional 30,000 yuan wouldn't make much difference. If this extra 30,000 yuan could make Wen Congqian less calculating in financial matters, it would be worth it.

Considering that withdrawing 300,000 yuan from the campus bank would be too conspicuous, Bian Xuedao went to the nearest Industrial and Commercial Bank outside the campus and made a reservation to withdraw 300,000 yuan the next day. The hall manager confirmed this with him three times.

Bian Xuedao had considered transferring the money via bank, but he felt that handing 300,000 yuan directly to Wen Congqian would be more impactful. Money is power, and Bian Xuedao wanted to use every opportunity to convey a sense of his strength to Wen Congqian, making him see him as a significant figure and hoping that Wen Congqian's cautious attitude toward him would last longer.

When he arrived at the bank, the hall manager confirmed his intention to withdraw the money. Seeing that both windows had long queues, the manager took Bian Xuedao to the VIP area.

A pretty young woman greeted him, checked his ID, and began processing the paperwork for him.

After everything was done and Bian Xuedao had put the money into a paper bag, the woman asked, "Sir, are you interested in becoming a VIP customer of our bank?"

Bian Xuedao replied, "Maybe later."

The woman followed up, "Sir, could you leave your phone number?"

Bian Xuedao wrote down his phone number.

At a beef noodle restaurant on the main street, Bian Xuedao found a corner seat and called Wen Congqian to come and pick up the money.

When Wen Congqian arrived, Bian Xuedao handed him the paper bag and whispered, "Here's 300,000 yuan. Keep your 30,000 yuan for emergencies."

"Do you not fear I'll run off with the money?" Wen Congqian asked half-jokingly.

"Trust but verify," Bian Xuedao said.

Wen Congqian looked at Bian Xuedao and nodded slightly.

After finishing his noodles, Bian Xuedao asked Wen Congqian, "Does your school have regular English salons or something?"

Wen Congqian replied, "Yes. The Foreign Languages Department, international students, and some professional translators from the Business Hall and the Provincial Publishing Group have been organizing one for many years. They hold it in a fixed coffee shop every weekend, and it's usually larger on the first and third weekends of the month."

Bian Xuedao said, "I want to find a good salon to practice my spoken English. After you go back, ask how to join. In the future, we won't meet like this. Unless there's something special, we'll meet twice a month at the salon."

Wen Congqian nodded and said, "I'll ask as soon as I get back."

After finishing his noodles, Wen Congqian left first. Bian Xuedao sat for a while longer, then walked out of the restaurant, strolling aimlessly along the sidewalk.

He took out his phone, opened the contact list, and called home, telling them he was doing well.

Then he dialed Dong Xue's number, but the response was, "The number you dialed is powered off."

Li Yu had returned.

In his spare time from practicing driving, he pestered Bian Xuedao to rehearse guitar pieces. Bian Xuedao, unable to bear it, said, "Brother, how about I compose a tune for you?"

Li Yu immediately stopped playing and said, "I've been waiting for you to say that."

Bian Xuedao, recalling the melody from memory, hummed "I Will Get You" by Chopsticks & Tang.

Li Yu listened in a daze and asked, "What did you hum?"

"A tune."

"Can you play it on the guitar?"

"No."

"Then what's the point of humming it?"

"Stuck in a rut! Why does it have to be played on the guitar?"

"Should I bring a piano to school instead?"

Li Yu looked at Bian Xuedao with an unfriendly gaze.

"Have you heard 'Für Elise'?" Bian Xuedao asked.

"What's that got to do with anything?"

"You can call the tune I hummed 'For Li Xun.'"

"Will calling it 'For Li Xun' make it playable on the guitar?"

"Are you a guitar? Why do you keep talking about the guitar?"

"I'm a dog."

Bian Xuedao was thoroughly exasperated and wouldn't let Li Yu interrupt again: "You can take the tune I hummed to a music studio and have them produce it with the instruments I specify, then... " Seeing Li Yu about to interrupt, he took a deep breath and continued, "Then put the name 'For Li Xun' on it and post it online. When you want to show off to Li Xun, find a computer and play it for her."

Seeing Li Yu still thinking, Bian Xuedao said, "You'll spend money either way. Flowers will wither, clothes will fray, gold will wear, computers will become obsolete, and condoms will... Only music is eternal. As long as this song is recorded, it will be a testament to your love for Li Xun, assuming you live that long."

"Alright." With that, Li Yu went out to find a music studio.

When Bian Xuedao saw the music studio Li Yu had found, he almost collapsed. The equipment was on par with a college arts club, and he was very worried they would use a dual-cassette recorder to record the tune.

The studio was still introducing their musical credentials and professional level when Bian Xuedao said, "Sorry," and pulled Li Yu out. "Brother, are you joking?"

Li Yu said, "I looked, and this is the cheapest."

Bian Xuedao was speechless: "You spend money like water every day, and now you're thinking about saving? How much more expensive is the most expensive one compared to this?"

"Will it be deducted from my salary?" Li Yu immediately responded.

Bian Xuedao was so angry he saw stars, blinked for a long time, and said to Li Yu, "Take me to the most expensive one. Kid, I'm telling you, when I get married, you'll have to give a double gift!"

The most expensive always has a reason.

A professional recording studio, a professional post-production room, and even the female secretary who greeted them was very professional, rattling off a series of prices like a cat chased by a dog.

Bian Xuedao, sitting in the sofa like a second-generation rich kid, told the secretary, "Call the