The Noodle Stall Owner Who Left with Nothing

The following day, Meng Shu and Xia Nianzhen had a brief discussion about the scene.

But it was less of an exploration and more of his one-man show.

Because he was the one doing all the talking, and Xia Nianzhen was the one listening.

What was originally just a simple communication exchange has been turned into a meeting-like event.

Xia Nianzhen was somewhat embarrassed by her own level of science fiction knowledge, and she frequently lowered her head during the conversation, appearing quite ashamed.

No matter what the boss said, she just kept nodding without saying a word or expressing her opinion.

Meng Shu was speechless.

After thinking about it, I could only offer her some verbal encouragement, telling her not to worry or feel embarrassed. After all, no one is omnipotent, and you just need to work hard on your weaker areas.

Then I explained to her that we would be hiring an art director so that she could carry out her work better.

Learning also requires time.

Xia Nianzhen nodded emphatically, indicating that she would do her best and cooperate fully with the art director.

After the conversation ended, Meng Shu crossed her legs and leaned back in her chair in the office.

On the computer screen in front of them were several exquisitely crafted original paintings.

Looking at these diverse art designs, he already had an idea in mind about how to recruit an art director.

According to the clues provided by Infinite Network Entertainment, the person he was looking for was in Baoshu District of the same city.

Shencheng, Baoshu District.

At 10:40 p. m., on a small street not far from the night market, a food cart Acheng Noodles was also preparing to close up shop.

Acheng, the owner and chef, was cleaning the food cart, kitchen counter, and general hygiene, because there weren't many customers on the street anymore, and the number of people was gradually decreasing as night fell.

He usually sets up his stall around 4 p. m. and doesn't close until around 11 p. m.

Because he has a daughter at home who needs to be taken care of, he doesn't work all night and therefore doesn't choose to set up a stall in the crowded night market.

For him, when faced with the choice between making money and having a daughter, he chose his daughter.

Because he only has one daughter left.

"Dad, time to pay the bill!"

A little girl, about four or five years old, ran into the food cart with her notebook and pencil, calling softly to her father. She looked sleepy and seemed to want to go to sleep.

"Okay, coming right up."

Acheng put down the mop, wiped his hands on his apron, and stepped out of the food cart.

Outside, there were several low tables and stools set up on the ground, the kind that could be moved away at any time.

Since it was late and this street wasn't a night market with few people, all the tables were empty.

At one of the tables sat a guest wearing a hat and sunglasses, quietly drinking water.

He had clearly finished eating.

"Hello, guest. A bowl of Saozi Noodles with minced meat sauce and two fried eggs will cost ten yuan in total."

Acheng smiled as he quoted the price, thinking that this was the last customer. After he left, he could clean up and take his daughter home to rest.

"Boss, your noodles are a bit cheaper than other places."

The customer took out his phone, scanned the QR code, and paid for the noodles.

Hearing the notification that the money had arrived, Acheng smiled helplessly.

"If it's too expensive, people won't eat it. Besides, the night market isn't far from here, so we'll make it cheaper."

"So, will you be able to make a profit?"

Acheng glanced at his daughter sharpening a pencil at another table and a smile appeared on his face.

"I just need enough to feed her. I don't know how to do anything else, just make sure she has enough to eat and wear."

"Your daughter must be very proud to have a father who loves her like you."

Acheng sighed and shook his head.

"She doesn't understand any of this now, she's always making a fuss. I'm already busy, and here I have to keep an eye on her to make sure she doesn't get kidnapped. Life is tough."

"It's alright, she'll understand your good intentions when she's older. After all..."

The guest looked up slightly and glanced at the little girl behind a few tables opposite.

"Not everyone can leave with nothing after bankruptcy."

These words immediately changed Acheng's expression.

After a few seconds of hesitation, his tone became slightly impatient.

"Sir, if you don't need anything else, we're closing up shop now!"

As he was speaking, he reached out to pick up the bowl of noodles that was now just soup, but the customer suddenly grabbed his hand.

"Guest? You are...?"

The man wearing sunglasses, however, spoke calmly and without haste.

In 2011, the well-known Chinese CRPG space opera game "Star Trek" underwent a reboot. The latest installment, while retaining turn-based gameplay, won over many players with its stunning and imaginative science fiction style, even surpassing the foreign science fiction game "Starship 2011" that year.

Acheng's pupils suddenly contracted sharply, and he was somewhat at a loss, not even reacting when his hand was released.

"Afterwards, the developer capitalized on the hype by releasing a large number of game concept art images online, and then announced the reboot of the sequel to Star Trek at the Haicheng Game Carnival, completing the hype. The main team members behind the scenes also made their appearances one by one. In addition to the producer who received much attention, another one was the art director who sparked discussion because of the wonderful art style. After all, it was surpassing foreign games, and everyone believed that this was the pride of domestic games."

As he spoke, the guest picked up the glass of water that was half full, swirled it, and took a small sip.

"Unfortunately, there has been no news of a reboot of ' Star Trek,' which was hailed as a shining example of domestic games. In 2013, it was also exposed for development chaos and employee departures, including the art director who attracted attention for his art style."

"Then in 2015, the developer of Star Trek sued a small, newly established studio for copyright infringement and won. Coincidentally, one of the studio's founders was that lead artist. I specifically looked up the judgment at the time, and guess what? The studio was sued into bankruptcy, the partner absconded with the funds, and the lead artist subsequently divorced and left with nothing, aiming to gain custody. Tsk tsk, I can hardly imagine such courage."

The guest raised his head slightly, and in the darkness, his sharp gaze pierced through his sunglasses, staring directly at the stunned Acheng.

Why is that?

Acheng stood there stunned, unsure how to answer, before finally uttering a dazed sound.

Who are you?

After hearing this, the guest took off his sunglasses and put down his water glass.

"Then let me introduce myself."

As he spoke, he extended his right hand, a slight smile playing on his lips in the dim light of the night.

"My surname is Meng, my name is Meng Shu, and I am a game entrepreneur. Hello, Mr. Fang Yuancheng."

Game entrepreneur?

Fang Yuancheng was stunned, somewhat surprised and suspicious.

He shook hands with the man surnamed Meng, looking surprised.

The person in front of me was excessively young, like a recent college graduate.

Yet his manner of speaking and behavior seemed quite sophisticated.

He has a rather unremarkable appearance.

Are you a game entrepreneur?

What do you want from me?

Meng Shu looked at the middle-aged man in front of her, who was about 35 years old. He seemed somewhat surprised that she was sitting down.

"If I said I was an entrepreneur, would you really believe me?"

"What else?"

Fang Yuancheng chuckled self-deprecatingly.

"It's past 11 p. m., there's hardly anyone here, and it's dimly lit. You're a young man, and you've been eating noodles and talking for ages. Are you here just for entertainment?"

He pointed to the end of the street and said.

"Go straight over there and turn left, and you'll find the night market. It's more lively there than here."

Meng Shu smiled when she heard this, she hadn't thought of so much.

I just think this person is quite smart.

"Someone from a game development company is contacting you, Mr. Fang. What do you think it could be about?"

Meng Shu threw the question back at him, but that was another kind of answer.

Fang Yuancheng was stunned, his expression one of disbelief.

"Could it be that I...?"

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning behind it was already quite clear.

Meng Shu shook her head, took out a business card, and handed it over.

Fang Yuancheng took it and examined it in the dim light.

"The Only Game?"

It turns out he really is a gaming entrepreneur! And the founder of this company?

"Games like * Dark Forest *, * 21 Points *, * Visage *, and * Skyhill *, which are currently on the market, were all developed by our company. Meanwhile, Infinite Network Entertainment is our main publishing partner. If you haven't heard of Only Game, you've probably heard of Infinite Network Entertainment, right?"

Meng Shu began to recount these historical achievements.

Fang Yuancheng was stunned again upon hearing this, staring at the young man in front of him in disbelief.

Leaving aside Infinite Network Entertainment, those four games are absolutely household names!

As someone who used to work in the game industry, I naturally know what these four games represent.

only

Unexpectedly, the founders of the developers of these four games personally contacted me.

This was truly a bit of an overwhelming honor for him at this moment!

but

Fang Yuancheng chuckled self-deprecatingly.

"Mr. Meng, you may have the wrong person. I don't know what you need me for, but I know I can't offer you anything."

After saying that, Fang Yuancheng turned around and went into the food cart, took out two bottles of beer from the freezer, picked up some peanuts and brought them up.

Meng Shu watched quietly as he put down the plate of peanuts, then took out two disposable paper cups and filled them himself. He pulled out a low stool, sat down, and downed his beer in one gulp.

Finally, he let out a sigh of relief.

"I have a daughter to raise, and I can't work for those companies because of her. As you know, working overtime is the norm in the gaming industry. I'm all she has left; her grandparents passed away early. If I work for a company, who will take care of her? A daycare? But she's already deprived of her mother's love; will she lose her father's love too?"

As he spoke, he tapped the low table in front of him, his face contorted in distress.

"I don't want to sell followers or noodles, but I have no choice. I have to do this to support her. During the day I take on commissioned articles, and at night I sell followers and noodles. But with more and more people taking on commissioned articles and the business becoming more fixed, it's hard for me to get the same prices as before. Sometimes, even after spending a lot of time and effort on an article, I don't earn as much as I do selling followers."

"So, Mr. Meng, I'm glad you could find me. I'd love to get back to my old ways, but I can't just ignore this girl. All I can say is I'm sorry you had to come all this way for nothing. This beer is on you!"

After saying that, he filled his glass again and toasted Meng Shu.

The latter simply picked up the paper cup and lightly touched it to his.

"I'll drink it, you can do as you please!"

Fang Yuancheng tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp.

Meng Shu watched calmly from the side.

The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, but the smile quickly disappeared.

There was a small detail when we clinked glasses.

Fang Yuancheng lowered his head, holding his cup.

In drinking culture, this reflects respect, but also distinguishes between primary and secondary roles.

This is Fang Yuancheng.

They treated Meng Shu as an honored guest.

Meng Shu chuckled softly, brought the paper cup closer, and took a small sip. Then she picked up a peanut, popped it into her mouth, and smiled.

"Mr. Fang Yuancheng, do you think this is a problem?"

Fang Yuancheng was taken aback and suddenly looked at Meng Shu.

His expression spoke volumes.

Meng Shu picked up another peanut and popped it into her mouth, chewing as she took out her phone.

Upon lighting up the screen, a rather spectacular sci-fi building appears.

Towering skyscrapers stretch endlessly.

Light pollution from the bright lights and bustling nightlife lingers within.

It looks exactly like a futuristic, high-tech city.

But to put it another way, it's just like cyberpunk!

Meng Shu placed her phone on the low table, not caring whether it was greasy or not.

Then, pointing to the original painting in front of him, he spoke calmly.

"You have that ability."

Then, he took out a 100-yuan bill and placed it next to his phone.

"But I have that money."

Meng Shu dragged the banknotes onto her phone, covering the cyberpunk-style city image. She looked up at Fang Yuancheng and smiled.

"I'll use this money to hire your skills."

"As long as your ability exceeds this amount of money, then the problems you're worried about are not problems for me."

Fang Yuancheng froze on the spot.

He felt a slight wavering when he saw the young entrepreneur in front of him.

It's impossible not to want to go back to my old ways.

With his abilities, he could easily find a company and earn around 8,000 a month, if not 10,000.

But now, because of his little girl, he can't leave her alone at home or at school.

She's only five years old, and this will further alienate her from her father's love, especially since she already lacks maternal love. This is a bad thing for her as she grows up.

Moreover, what if something goes wrong?

He would never forgive himself.

"President Meng, what should we do if possible?"

Unbeknownst to him, Fang Yuancheng changed his address for Meng Shu from "Mr. Meng" to "President Meng".

The latter nodded slightly and spoke slowly.

"With your abilities, I can offer you 10,000 yuan for the first three months. Once you feel it's suitable, we can sign a ten-year contract with a monthly salary of around 35,000 yuan, paid annually. Other benefits are all in the Labor Contract, which I won't go into detail about here."

"Also, you can work remotely from home for now. Because the company is relatively small right now, there isn't much space available. Once the new company is renovated, you'll need to come to the office. The new company is in Jichuang Industrial Park, not far from here, about a 40-minute drive. I'll provide meals and accommodation, and I can rent a room for you. You can also bring your daughter to work; I'll provide you with a private office."

"But the premise is..."

Meng Shu removed the hundred-yuan bill from her phone and pointed to the cyberpunk city on the screen.

"You're still got it."

Fang Yuancheng pursed his lips, staring blankly at his past work on his phone.

I don't know if it was because the scene evoked memories, or because of what President Meng.

Even now, when he sees this picture, he can still recall every detail of how he created it.

The entrepreneur in front of him had it laid out before him, and he was confident he could still make it!

After all, this used to be his livelihood; it was a professional skill ingrained in his bones.

However, he didn't know how to answer.

Is it to boast and say it's okay? Or to humbly and modestly say it should be fine?

He wasn't sure.

For a moment, he was at a loss.

car?

He didn't.

When the studio went bankrupt, it had already been sold.

Now, all that's left is a commercial apartment, which is his and his daughter's last haven.

They'll keep selling noodles and rice noodles, but I don't know how much longer they can keep it up.

As my daughter grows up, the expenses will increase.

If I continue like this, what kind of good life can I provide for my daughter?

As Fang Yuancheng hesitated, he subconsciously looked at Meng Shu, only to find that the young man's gaze was fixed elsewhere.

He followed his gaze and saw his daughter sleeping on her stomach not far away.

The little girl seemed to have fallen asleep because it was so late.

The pencil was still inside the pencil sharpener.

At that moment, Fang Yuancheng made up his mind.

He wanted to pave a path for his daughter so that she could grow up well.

Looking at myself now, compared to how I used to be, what kind of person am I?

What kind of good life can this provide for my daughter?

So he looked at Meng Shu again.

He opened his mouth, but hesitated to speak.

With a flicker in his eyes, he poured himself a glass of wine and drank it all in one gulp.

Fueled by the alcohol, he looked at Meng Shu sincerely and spoke his true feelings.

"If you don't mind, I'm willing! I can do it!"

I deleted the entire chapter I wrote yesterday because it wasn't well-written. I'm truly sorry; you're welcome to join the group and give the author a piece of your mind.