HPDBC Chapter 468 1% Green Lights
Chapter 468 1% Green Lights
The meeting was scheduled for Thursday afternoon.
That morning, for the first time ever, Lu Ran pulled a white shirt and a dark gray casual suit jacket out of the closet. He turned up the collar in front of the mirror and buttoned up the cuffs.
He stood in front of the mirror for a moment, then turned to Shen Yuege and asked, "Is this okay? Or should I wear that dark blue one from last time?"
Shen Yuege was leaning against the headboard scrolling through her phone when she looked up at him and sized him up. To be honest, this outfit makes him look smart, but it would look better if he tucked the shirt hem into his pants.
Lu Ran glanced down at the hem of his shirt, which wasn't tucked into his pants, and replied with a "Okay," before tucking it in.
Shen Yuege added, "The collar is turned up flat, and the left corner is a little upturned." He adjusted it in front of the mirror again, and only walked out of the bedroom after confirming that there was no problem.
The meeting place was a teahouse near Jing'an Temple, arranged by Wang Jianguo.
The teahouse is small but quiet. Several Chinese-style wooden tea tables are placed in the lobby on the first floor, and a very faint sandalwood fragrance wafts from the incense burner in the corner.
Lu Ran arrived ten minutes earlier than the agreed time, and the waiter led him to a private room by the window on the second floor.
The private room wasn't large, but it was well-lit. The afternoon sun shone through the wooden lattice windows, casting soft patches of light on the dark wooden floor.
He sat down and ordered a pot of Longjing tea. He poured himself a cup, took a sip, and found the tea to be sweet and delicious – truly a fine tea.
Seven or eight minutes later, there was a knock on the door of the private room, and a man in his fifties pushed the door open and came in.
He was wearing a dark gray jacket over a light blue shirt, without a tie, and looked simple yet capable.
He wasn't tall, but his shoulders and back were straight. He walked with small but steady steps, and when his gaze fell on Lu Ran's face, it was with a calm scrutiny, without the kind of scrutiny commonly seen in official circles.
He smiled as he entered and extended his hand: "You must be Mr. Lu? Zhao Mingyuan. Sorry to keep you waiting."
Lu Ran stood up and shook his hand; his palm was dry and warm. "Hello, Director Zhao. I just arrived recently. Please have a seat."
Zhao Mingyuan sat down opposite him, and the waiter came in and brought another cup.
Zhao Mingyuan took the tea Lu Ran offered, took a sip, and then, without beating around the bush, spoke directly: "President Lu, Director Wang told me about your ideas. I came here today to hear your specific plans. Let's skip the formalities and get straight to the point."
Lu Ran put down his teacup, sat up straighter, and said that TUTU Technology's current development momentum is quite good, but he felt that the company needed a more solid backing at this size.
He is willing to relinquish some of his shares to the government, on the condition that the government will not interfere with daily operations and product direction, and will only have advisory rights when it comes to matters involving foreign cultural exchanges and major policy risks.
After he finished speaking, he paused and waited for Zhao Mingyuan's reaction, but the other party did not speak immediately. Instead, he picked up his teacup and took another sip, as if he was slowly digesting what he had just said.
After about ten seconds, Zhao Mingyuan put the teacup back on the table: "President Lu, Director Wang discussed these conditions with me beforehand. To be honest, they're not demanding; in fact, they're quite negotiable. Your willingness to accept government shareholding is a rare and commendable attitude. Many companies, after growing large, immediately seek foreign investment, believing it can bring technology, market access, and brand premium. You, on the other hand, actively gravitate towards government support. From our perspective, the more the merrier."
Lu Ran breathed a sigh of relief, but didn't show it on his face.
He picked up his teacup and took a sip, using this gesture to soften his tone: "I believe that for a company to succeed in the end, while technology, products, and marketing are certainly important, official recognition and endorsement can make many things much smoother. For example, the approval of game licenses, cooperation in external publicity, and even when facing a public relations crisis, having an official coordination mechanism is much more efficient than us trying to handle it on our own."
When Zhao Mingyuan heard the words "approval of publishing license," he nodded slightly, as if he had expected this to be the case.
He then leaned forward slightly, placing his palms flat on the table: "We can indeed help coordinate what you've mentioned. In the cultural industry, issues like publishing licenses, publicity, and international cultural exchange all fall within the scope of our management office's coordination. I can tell you definitively that after the investment, TUTU Technology will receive smoother support in terms of policy compliance and approval processes than it does now. As long as it doesn't involve any bottom-line issues, it'll be a green light all the way."
When Lu Ran heard the words "all green lights," the last weight was lifted from his heart.
He knew that since the other party had said that, they were fully confident in fulfilling their promise and there would be no exaggeration.
But he repeated the last condition: "You really won't interfere with operations and product direction?"
"No interference," Zhao Mingyuan said decisively. "We're here to endorse, not to supervise. You understand the market and users better than we do; we won't interfere in fundamental aspects."
He paused after speaking, then said something that surprised Lu Ran: "President Lu, in my personal opinion, your proactive approach is a very good example. Many established companies these days are eager to expand overseas, transferring assets and moving their headquarters abroad, thinking everything is better overseas than in China. You're different; you've rooted your company in China, and you've even offered us a seat with the authorities. If this gets out, it will have a significant guiding effect on the industry."
Lu Ran was momentarily speechless after hearing those words.
He did indeed approach the government proactively to invest, but when making this decision, he considered practical benefits and convenience more.
When Zhao Mingyuan interpreted the matter from a higher perspective, he felt somewhat uneasy.
He thought for a moment and said, "I'm not good at giving grand theories, but I just feel that this approach is good for both sides. We'll handle the technological innovation, and you can help with the policy coordination. We'll each do our own thing and not interfere with each other."
Zhao Mingyuan chuckled after hearing this and said, "Let's settle on that."
He stood up and shook hands with Lu Ran again: "The specific percentage and price will be discussed with your legal department by a professional later. The shareholding percentage is not high; it's more symbolic than practical. Don't worry about the price; it will be fair and you won't lose out. We're here to join forces, not to get a bargain."
Lu Ran grasped his hand and said, "Thank you, Director Zhao." Zhao Mingyuan let go, picked up his jacket from the back of the chair, and said, "I'll arrange for someone to contact you as soon as we get back," before leaving.
The private room fell silent.
Lu Ran sat in his seat, staring at the empty cup of Longjing tea in front of him for a while, then picked up his phone and sent a message to Wang Jianguo: "Director Wang, the talks are over. Director Zhao was very agreeable; all the terms were agreed upon. Now it's just a matter of going through the formalities. Thank you for helping me make this connection."
Wang Jianguo replied quickly: "That's good. Your future will be much smoother. Contact me if you need anything."
Lu Ran replied with an "okay," put his phone in his pocket, and stood up.
As I stepped out of the teahouse, the afternoon sun shone brightly on the steps at the entrance. The autumn sun in Shanghai was warm and not at all harsh.
He stood on the steps, squinting at the construction site across the street for a while, where tower cranes slowly rotated against the light blue sky.
He envisioned a future where he would no longer need to search the world for channels and people to expedite the approval process for game licenses, and where there would be a platform for external communication that could be discussed. He also imagined that when faced with public opinion storms, the company would no longer have to fight alone.
He mentally reviewed the specific conveniences and benefits, then turned and walked towards the subway station.
When she got home, Shen Yuege was on the balcony collecting laundry.
She heard the door open and poked half her body in: "How did the talk go?"
Lu Ran changed into slippers, walked into the living room, sat down on the sofa, and tilted his head back, saying, "It's done. They were very agreeable on the other end, agreeing to all the conditions. The price is fair, they won't interfere with the business, and the approval process for game licenses will be much smoother in the future. In short, everything went smoothly."
Shen Yuege came in from the balcony carrying stacks of clothes, placed them on the sofa armrest, and sat down next to him. "Well, today deserves a proper celebration. I'll make steamed fish and a couple of stir-fried dishes tonight. How about some beer?"
Lu Ran agreed. He turned his head and watched Shen Yuege pick up her clothes and walk towards the bedroom. Suddenly, he felt that everything was moving in the right direction under the afternoon sun.
Company, competition, official investment, home—piece by piece, the puzzle pieces are quietly falling into their rightful places. He leaned back against the sofa cushions, closed his eyes, and recalled Zhao Mingyuan's words, "You're setting a good example of spending a fortune to buy a horse's bones."
He opened his eyes, smiled, took out his phone from his pocket, and sent a message to Zhou Mingzhe.
After sending the message, he tossed his phone onto the coffee table, stood up, walked to the kitchen, turned on the tap, washed his hands, and planned to help Shen Yuege.
The wind from the balcony seeped in through the gaps in the slightly ajar window, causing the hem of the living room curtains to flutter gently in the late autumn afternoon sunlight.
Lu Ran opened the notes app again and looked at the game name in the notes.
"Honor of Kings needs to be put on the agenda as soon as possible."
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