Chapter 158: Time-Limited Mall, The Miraculous Effect of the Bestie Card

Xia Shiqi's endorsement shoot finally concluded successfully at five o'clock in the afternoon.

Once it was over, fatigue was clearly visible on her face.

The same went for Zheng Yuechan. That was just how shooting endorsement commercials went, but compared to other jobs, wasn't this basically making money while lying down?

One had to know that the endorsement fee was hundreds of thousands.

By earning that in just a single day, she made what ordinary people would earn from carrying bricks for their entire lives. Even if there were complaints, they had to be swallowed right back down.

Clench your teeth, lean against the wall, being a celebrity is still better than working for others!

How many people could even earn a fraction of a cent of enjoyment in a day?

Wang Yiming asked, "Do we need to host a celebration banquet tonight?"

"The company employees can organize it; they need a rest. You send them back to Crape Myrtle Manor, and also, go buy an Alphard tomorrow. That vehicle is convenient for pick-ups and drops-offs, and comfortable too."

"Understood, I'll have the finance department handle the purchase."

Speaking of finance, Wang Yuting would also be starting work soon.

In the evening, the employees of Midsummer Interactive and Midsummer Technology jointly hosted a celebration party, booking out a seafood buffet restaurant at nine o'clock.

All the employees went wild with revelry, shouting that President Cheng was generous.

Of course, Cheng Yao couldn't hear any of it because he didn't attend. By that time, he had already finished showering and was resting at Crape Myrtle Manor.

On the sofa, Lu Mengyao helped massage his temples, while Lin Ketong helped massage his legs.

Lin Ketong rolled her eyes, thinking he was acting as if it were all so serious—yet he hadn't seemed this tired when they were in bed.

Lu Mengyao asked, "Now that you're practically famous, won't people recognize you instantly when you go outside from now on?"

"You're overthinking it."

Cheng Yao scoffed, "More often than not, people would forget you the second they looked away. Take those extremely popular celebrities of the past walking down the street, for instance; most people don't even recognize them unless they have very distinctive features."

"Features?"

"Exactly."

Both Lu Mengyao and Lin Ketong were curious. Weren't being this handsome and this wealthy considered distinctive features?

Cheng Yao explained, "People's attention isn't focused there. Take that internet personality often referred to as the 'Pervading Ghost' online, for example. His fame on the internet is hardly low, but how many people on the street actually recognize him?"

Everyone had their own lives to live and couldn't constantly pay attention to him, though naturally, some people had plenty of idle time.

"Speaking of which, don't you live next door?"

"I'll go back later. Mainly because I missed you both so much, I can't bear to leave..."

As he spoke, Cheng Yao's hands started wandering restlessly over Lin Ketong's legs.

Lu Mengyao asked with a cheeky smile, "You're heading to Modu tomorrow, right?"

"What am I going to Modu for?"

Lin Ketong didn't bother stopping his hands, seemingly already used to it.

Lu Mengyao said, "Your girlfriend's birthday. Speaking of birthdays, my birthday is in March next year. How do you plan to help me celebrate?"

Cheng Yao rolled over to sit up and teased, "I'll round up your besties and give you all an unforgettable birthday party together at night!"

"...="

The fatigue from the day faded away at this moment, and Cheng Yao transformed once more into an unstoppable battle god.

[Congratulations! Your intimacy with your nurturing girlfriend has reached ninety, rewarding you with Old Yue's Red Thread * 1.]

When it was over, Lu Mengyao and Lin Ketong began attending to their own routines.

Although their faces were flushed, they still didn't forget to apply facial masks and so on...

This reminded him of a saying: If upon meeting again we cannot look at each other with tear-reddened eyes, could we perhaps still do so with blushing cheeks...

Cheng Yao sat on the sofa, crossed his legs, and asked with a smile, "Tell me, what are the signs that a person has bad kidneys?"

"Probably asking about it everywhere they go," Lin Ketong said with a peculiar expression.

Lu Mengyao almost burst out laughing. She was entirely certain that Cheng Yao's kidneys were made of iron.

Cheng Yao looked thoughtful, feeling that made sense.

"Tell me, our country practices monogamy. After I marry Zhang Ya, I should let her find a wife too; after all, we shouldn't wrong her."

"Oh wow, then your girlfriend really needs to thank your ancestors down to the eighteenth generation."

"Haha..."

The corners of Cheng Yao's mouth curved upward slightly.

Zhang Ya: Mosquitoes are biting me even while eating a meal. I got a bug bite, and the competition is tomorrow, ugh!

Cheng Yao: I arranged the mosquitoes so they could kiss you for me.

Zhang Ya: Such a smooth talker, did you learn that from the internet?

Cheng Yao: You're never too old to learn; I'll definitely keep moving in a better direction. The company held a press conference today, endorsed by Xia Shiqi.

Zhang Ya: I've been following you, I already saw it. Keep it up!

Cheng Yao: I'll make money and support you!

Lin Ketong chatted with Lu Mengyao about daily matters: "Why don't you usually drive to school?"

"If someone like me who didn't have a car suddenly ended up with one out of nowhere after only a month, my reputation at school would spread like wildfire."

"True, the campus culture is like that anyway. But you can't expect me to drive you every day either; I don't want to wake up early, just hail a taxi yourself."

"Oh, come on, we're like sisters."

"Get lost..."

Host: Cheng Yao
Appearance: 85
Skills: Folding
Wealth: 1.715 billion
Items: Blocking Capsule * 1, Old Yue's Red Thread * 4, Bestie Card (Silver) * 1, Junior Skill Card, Senior Skill Card

With 1.7 billion funds still on hand, Cheng Yao looked at Lu Mengyao and Lin Ketong and said, "Shall we go on a trip after I get back from Modu?"

"Just the three of us?"

"Aili and Zhenli will come too. Didn't Lin Ketong say she hasn't met them yet? You can all get acquainted..."

Lin Ketong found it hard to believe: "Are you seriously planning to make the few of us play mahjong together?"

"Sounds... not bad?"

"Idiot."

"Why are you cursing?"

Hearing that, Cheng Yao leaned in close, startling Lin Ketong and turning her face pale.

Cheng Yao was just trying to scare her; he wasn't that desperate.

Taking these four gold-digging women out on a trip was naturally to farm crazy rebates. Playing and making money at the same time—who could resist that?

A single trip would easily net him tens of thousands of... well, hundreds of millions!

Who would ever complain about having too much money?

Anyway, he wouldn't.

[Dear host, you have grown skillfully accustomed to the game's mechanics. As a new month is about to arrive, the golden finger mall will open once more. The items in this mall will be even richer, so look forward to it!]

As the notification voice faded, joy surged in Cheng Yao's heart.

He had almost forgotten that tomorrow would be the first of November, meaning his once-a-month shopping time had arrived.

Once the two women had settled down to rest, Cheng Yao left and returned to his own room next door.

Opening his computer, he played games for a while until the clock quietly struck midnight.

[Ding! The golden finger mall is now open.]
[Time: 23:59:55.]

Cheng Yao immediately opened the information panel, and the mall popped up right away:

Items available:
1: Intermediate Genetic Capsule: Can only be used after consuming a Junior Genetic Capsule. Deepens human genetic development, repairs...
Value: 100 million.
2: Martial Arts Grandmaster: Your talent and comprehension in martial arts reach the grandmaster level.
Value: 50 million.
3: Silky Smooth Soap: A black-technology soap developed in the field of future medicine. Long-term use yields whitening and silky smoothing effects on the skin.
Value: 50 million.
4: Black Technology Item Fragment: Three black technology item fragments can be fused into a future technology.
Value: 10 million.
5: Intermediate Appearance Capsule: Increases appearance by +2 upon use.
Value: 200 million.

The opening of this mall left Cheng Yao completely dumbfounded.

Immediately afterward, his heart began to race furiously, pounding with a long-absent intensity.

Holy crap!

[Congratulations on acquiring the 'Intermediate Genetic Capsule', 'Martial Arts Grandmaster', 'Silky Smooth Soap', 'Black Technology Item Fragment', and 'Intermediate Appearance Capsule'.]

In just a few breaths, 230 million had been squandered away like that.

Without a second thought, Cheng Yao consumed the genetic capsule and appearance capsule. A certain sudden enlightenment bloomed in his mind, granting him a much deeper understanding of mixed martial arts.

The silky smooth soap could be launched as Midsummer Technology's second product.

It was a soap developed using medicinal herbs and botanical extracts. Long-term use would not only make the skin silky smooth and fair, but would even produce a natural fragrance—the so-called body scent.

In reality, it was like being marinated to perfection.

However, this body scent would remain for a long time and mask various odors...

Of course, long-term use was required to achieve such effects, and once started, one couldn't stop. Presumably, no one would want to stop anyway.

Cheng Yao thought to himself that this was simply a massive fortune.

What... was even the point of beauty salons anymore?

The black-technology item fragments could be saved. Once he gathered two more fragments in the future, he could conjure up another piece of black technology...

Whether toothbrushes or soap, neither were particularly high-profile items, merely daily necessities, yet they were things humanity could never do without.

Moreover, coupled with these magical effects, it would undoubtedly spark a massive craze.

Cheng Yao could already foresee the prosperity of Midsummer Technology.

...

That night, Cheng Yao was too excited to sleep, tossing and turning.

Hearing movement upstairs, Cheng Yao asked out of curiosity, "You still haven't gone to sleep, Aunt Zheng?"

"Had a cup of coffee, couldn't sleep. Might as well organize the schedule; filming starts as soon as we return to Modu tomorrow."

"Don't push yourself too hard."

"Thanks, you get some rest."

"I can't sleep either."

Zheng Yuechan teased, "Did you drink coffee too?"

"Yeah, practically buzzing."

"I understand, being young and successful makes it normal."

Zheng Yuechan completely understood Cheng Yao's mood. Both companies held promising prospects, much like those celebrities in the entertainment industry who rose to fame and had their lives turned upside down overnight.

In a single day, they could earn what others couldn't make in a lifetime, or even ten lifetimes.

Perhaps it wasn't a matter of money; the satisfaction brought by his own enterprises might be spiritual, seeing as he certainly wasn't short on cash...

Thinking along those lines, Zheng Yuechan lost the urge to work and started chatting with Cheng Yao.

"When are we trying our hand at the entertainment industry?"

"I took things a bit too simply. These two companies gave me plenty of inspiration. Let them develop for a while first until I have more capital before we jump in—next spring, perhaps."

In fact, now that he had the soap, Cheng Yao intended to focus on researching and developing that first.

The production formulas for the soap were all there, and it could be developed very quickly.

The entertainment industry could wait.

First, he would let Midsummer Interactive break into the e-sports circle and conquer it step by step.

Right,

[Ding! You used a 'Bestie Card' on Zheng Yuechan. Zheng Yuechan's favorability toward you +10. Current favorability is as follows:]

Name: Zheng Yuechan
Appearance: 88
Figure: 100
Special: 94
Favorability: 79

Cheng Yao's eyes lit up. So Zheng Yuechan's previous favorability toward him had been sixty-nine, which was actually quite high.

At sixty-nine, setting aside gender differences, it certainly counted as the stage of being good friends. But using a Bestie Card changed everything.