Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen: Renting a House

Lu Zhixing knew that although Mr. Duan's words were somewhat exaggerated, they were mostly true.

The crisis in Xinglu Internet Cafe's operation was primarily due to a lack of funds, with the underlying issue being the decline in customer traffic.

For an internet cafe business model like theirs, the most significant threats came from improving hardware capabilities and changing gamer spending habits.

When most people could afford a decent computer, the traditional model of internet cafes with low profit margins was phased out in favor of cafes with better environments.

As hardware continued to advance, and portable devices became capable of running traditional AAA games, the significance of internet cafes further diminished.

Moreover, the advent of the fifth-generation VR technology wave had already dealt a massive blow to the traditional gaming industry, with various VR experience stores emerging. This further squeezed the survival space for traditional internet cafes.

In this overall environment, the only way for internet cafes to survive was through transformation. For instance, cooperating with gaming companies to secure exclusive offline perks for popular games, or organizing offline events in collaboration with popular games, pushing internet cafes toward the direction of experiential stores or physical entities.

This was also why Lu Mingyuan had been running around and having dinners with various gaming company operation heads lately.

However, the problem was that there were very few gaming companies with the ability to do this, while there were too many internet cafes. These gaming companies tended to prefer partnering with financially strong chain internet cafes.

So, despite Lu Mingyuan's efforts, he hadn't achieved much during these numerous meetings.

Clearly, Lu Mingyuan had also realized the current situation and decided to discuss with Mr. Duan, considering transferring ownership of Xinglu Internet Cafe. However, he hadn't made a final decision yet.

Duan Lin exhaled another puff of smoke and looked at Lu Zhixing. "So, Zhixing, have you thought it over?"

Duan Lin hoped that Lu Zhixing could persuade Lu Mingyuan. In his view, Lu Zhixing was a college student with little social experience, so he should be easier to convince than Lu Mingyuan.

Lu Zhixing smiled, handed the contract back, and replied, "Sorry, Mr. Duan, we don't intend to sell."

Duan Lin furrowed his brows slightly, showing a surprised expression on his face.

He couldn't figure out where the problem was.

"Young General Lu, are you sure about this? This isn't child's play. My time is precious too, and I can't keep accompanying you around town."

"I saw that you and your brother have been working hard, so I felt some sympathy. If you don't know what's good for you, I don't mind waiting until your internet cafe goes bankrupt and then negotiate with the landlord."

"By then, you won't get a single penny."

Lu Zhixing's face displayed a few more smiles, knowing that such words could only fool someone who didn't understand the situation. Trying to intimidate him wouldn't work.

"Mr. Duan, we didn't mean anything by it. We simply feel that there's still hope for Xinglu Internet Cafe to turn things around, so there's no need for Mr. Duan to trouble himself," Lu Zhixing replied.

Duan Lin's expression darkened. Although he didn't yet know precisely where the problem lay, he could tell that this deal was likely falling through. It seemed that his younger brother was even more resolute than his elder brother.

"Hmph," Duan Lin stood up, extinguished his cigarette on the coffee table. "Fine, Young General Lu, newbies are fearless, and young people are full of drive. Let me tell you one more thing.

"Last week, I reached an agreement with the person in charge at Changteng Entertainment. You're familiar with the popular variety show 'Campus Showcase,' right? Changteng Entertainment is planning to release a game with the same name, and I've secured exclusive offline cooperation for the entire Jinghai city.

"During that time, my several internet cafes will collaborate with the popularity of 'Campus Showcase' and organize numerous activities. I won't go into too much detail, but I'll definitely capture all the customer traffic around Jinghai University.

"Xinglu Internet Cafe is already running at a loss. I wonder how you'll manage to hold on then!

"Lu General, this is your last chance. Think it over carefully. No need to see me out."

After saying this, Duan Lin left the private room without looking back.

Lu Mingyuan was somewhat bewildered, standing up and calling out, "Mr. Duan..."

However, Lu Zhixing completely ignored it. He stood up, opened the window for ventilation, and commented, "Smoking indoors, no manners."

Lu Mingyuan stood there somewhat dazed. The conversation between Lu Zhixing and Duan Lin had been fast-paced, and he hadn't had a chance to interject. By the time he realized it, Duan Lin had already left.

"Zhixing! What are you doing? I haven't made up my mind about this matter yet, and you rejected Mr. Duan. If we ever want to transfer ownership, it might be impossible to sell this internet cafe in the future!

"Anyone can see that this business isn't doing well, and not many people are willing to take it over!"

Lu Zhixing glanced at his elder brother and calmly replied, "Brother, what's there to consider? The internet cafe represents your hard work and dedication; it's something we can't sell.

"Moreover, the changing industry landscape is both a crisis and an opportunity.

"It's true that some internet cafes will be phased out, but there will undoubtedly be others that can survive or even thrive by transforming into offline experiential stores, VR cafes, or other innovative formats.

"Since we've come this far, there's no reason to turn back."

Lu Mingyuan was anxious. "While that may be true in theory, how do we deal with the immediate challenge? We don't even have the funds to maintain our operations."

Lu Zhixing took out his phone and tapped a few times. "Brother, check your phone."

Lu Mingyuan, still puzzled, retrieved his phone, opened a social app, and found that Lu Zhixing had just transferred eighty thousand yuan to him.

Lu Mingyuan was taken aback for a moment, but his expression turned from nervousness to concern. "Zhixing, where did this money come from?"

In that instant, his mind flashed with terms like "online loan" and similar financial concerns.

Seeing his elder brother's anxious expression, Lu Zhixing couldn't help but chuckle. "Brother, what are you thinking? This money is from the games I've been developing myself. And it's just the beginning; I'll earn even more in the future."

"Look if you don't believe me."

Lu Zhixing casually opened a computer in the private room and logged in to his official platform account.

Lu Mingyuan was still surprised. "You made 'Zen'? This game is yours?"

Looking at his elder brother's astonished expression, Lu Zhixing felt a sense of satisfaction.

"Of course, who else would it be? Didn't you notice that the stone bridge in the game is the same as the one in the old city area?"

Lu Mingyuan was still puzzled. "But even if you're a genius and created this VR game, where did you get these art resources?"

Lu Zhixing cleared his throat. "You know I majored in game design, right? Our professor, Professor He Cheng, used to work in a game company and has excellent connections. I built a good relationship with him and got access to some unused assets from other games."

Lu Mingyuan's expression gradually relaxed. "Oh... I see."

This explanation was a story that Lu Zhixing had prepared in advance. It was plausible enough to deceive outsiders, and it seemed to have successfully fooled Lu Mingyuan.

"But I read online that the developer of the game dressed up as a tree in Longtan Park at night. Is that...?" Lu Mingyuan hesitated, then stopped himself.

Lu Zhixing quickly coughed twice. "Ahem! Brother, let's not bring that up again. That was me doing some research for the game."

"In any case, you don't need to worry about the internet cafe anymore. I'll continue to develop more games. Since those big game companies won't cooperate with us, we'll make our own games."

To avoid the awkward topic of his tree costume antics, Lu Zhixing swiftly changed the subject.

Lu Mingyuan finally relaxed, his face filled with relief. "Great! That's wonderful! I never expected my little brother to grow up like this... With our unity and determination, we'll surely turn Xinglu Internet Cafe around and make it shine again!"

During this period, Lu Mingyuan had been feeling quite hopeless. He had visited many game companies, but they either rejected Xinglu Internet Cafe for being too small or tried to impose unfavorable terms on them.

Lu Mingyuan had considered selling the internet cafe because he couldn't find another solution to their problems. Although it meant losing a significant portion of their invested effort, at least it would be a way to stop the losses.

However, he hadn't expected that his younger brother, whom he had supported through thick and thin to attend university, would come up with a solution like this. It made him even more certain that investing in his brother's education had been the right decision.

Studying game design and immediately creating a successful game to solve the internet cafe's crisis was a perfect example of how knowledge could change one's fate.

Of course, the income from "禅" wasn't just the initial 80,000 yuan. Lu Zhixing planned to continue channeling most of the game's earnings to Lu Mingyuan to maintain the operation of Xinglu Internet Cafe. However, this wouldn't address the core issue.

Lu Zhixing was well aware that the primary problem the internet cafe faced was the lack of customer traffic and the lack of a competitive edge compared to other cafes. Pouring more money into the business without addressing this issue would be like pouring money into a bottomless pit.

So, he needed to complete the role-play tasks as soon as possible and create influential large-scale games. Only then could he gradually revitalize the internet cafe and smoothly transition it.

...

...

The next day, after finishing his classes, Lu Zhixing began the process of renting a house. He contacted a local real estate agency and quickly inspected several suitable properties within a couple of blocks from Jinghai University.

He had saved up 100,000 yuan, of which he had given 80,000 yuan to Lu Mingyuan, leaving him with 20,000 yuan as his startup capital.

The reason for renting a house was that Lu Zhixing needed to play the roles of a "worker" and a "paralyzed patient," and he had to do so while avoiding the prying eyes of his roommates and his older brother.

It would be much easier to be spotted if a seemingly healthy young man played the role of a paralyzed patient, which would likely lead to social suicide.

He carefully considered the location of the house. It couldn't be too far from Jinghai University, as he still needed to attend classes and study occasionally. But it also couldn't be too close, as he didn't want his classmates to see him pretending to be a disabled person in a wheelchair.

Renting a house a couple of blocks away seemed to strike the right balance.

The rent in this area wasn't cheap, with a standard one-bedroom apartment costing over 3,000 yuan per month, and a deposit and three months' rent totaling 12,000 yuan.

However, there was no other way around it; this money couldn't be saved.

In addition to the rent, Lu Zhixing spent over 900 yuan to buy a wheelchair online. While an electric wheelchair would be more convenient, it was too expensive, typically costing several thousand yuan. Furthermore, Lu Zhixing couldn't determine how long he would need to play the role of a paralyzed patient, so he opted for a regular wheelchair for now.

Over the next two days, Lu Zhixing was busy setting up the rented house. He arranged bedding, toiletries, and some basic furniture. Once everything was in place, he took a moment to rest on the old sofa in the rental.

"All right, it's time to start writing the concept proposal for the game!" Lu Zhixing said as he sat up and prepared to work on his game design.