Chapter 260

#### Chapter 260: Penguin’s Money is Really Fragrant (4000 words)

Since launching C Station, Mei Fang has been receiving various financing intentions, including from the rapidly rising super e-commerce company Alipay.

However, Mei Fang had no intention of sitting down and discussing with other companies; he was only waiting for Penguin to extend its financing invitation.

Mei Fang’s understanding of the capital world was very limited. He could only rely on his shallow experience from his previous life to determine his intentions. Penguin was known for having lots of money and fewer hassles, so he had a better impression of Penguin.

The usual person in charge of Lin Xi Technology was Mei Yue. Although he did big things by helping his older brother, he was still just a part-time capitalist, with his main job being a high school student. Most non-work-related decisions needed Mei Yue to handle them.

To keep her 20,000 yuan monthly salary job, she worked day and night, preparing financial reports and handling various financial information. To prepare for the financing materials, she worked continuously at the company for several days.

Despite all her hard work, on the day of the financing meeting, the three leaders of C Station almost arrived late. This made Mei Yue furious. When Mei Fang, Xia Yuan, and Lin You Xi arrived, she dragged her younger cousin into the office and scolded him harshly.

“You Xiao Fangzi, do you know how important today’s financing meeting is? Other capital offers are barely acknowledged, and you’ve pinned all your hopes on Penguin, yet you’re not taking it seriously. What should I say to you?”

“Sorry… Sister Yueyue, this isn’t Fang’s fault. It’s mainly because I spent time finding suitable clothes.”

Xia Yuan spoke up for Mei Fang, and Mei Yue didn’t push further. “Alright, alright… Let’s get ready. I’ll go to the meeting room to adjust the PPT and related materials. You guys take a rest; Penguin’s people should be here soon.”

Mei Fang, Lin You Xi, and Xia Yuan rested in their boss’s office. Xia Yuan adjusted her appearance in front of the wall mirror, while Mei Fang poured two glasses of water, giving one to Xia Yuan and Lin You Xi each. After drinking a small sip himself, he excitedly went to tour the employees’ office area.

Since the general assembly, Mei Fang had kept a record of coming to Lin Xi Technology every two weeks to clock in. One reason was to hold meetings with everyone to understand the progress of the “Cloud Journey” project, and another was to confirm the company’s current operations.

However, since it was a team formed by enthusiasts, they often engaged in quirky behaviors.

An employee stood up and saluted when Mei Fang passed by: “Good morning, Station Manager!”

“Sit down… Why are you standing up? Don’t mind me.”

The female employees who liked anime showed even more interest in Mei Fang:

“Oh wow, it’s the real Fangbao! It’s rare to see you in the company. Can I have your autograph? I’m a huge fan of yours, I’m your number one supporter!”

“…My signature isn’t that good.”

“It doesn’t matter, as long as it’s written by Fangbao, I like it!”

“I want one too!”

“Give me an autograph too!”

“Cough, cough!”

Seeing Mei Fang being popular among female employees, Xia Yuan intentionally coughed loudly, causing the female employees to back off immediately.

“The boss is jealous.”

“Yes, Yuanbao is jealous.”

“I heard that!”

Xia Yuan pouted and grumbled, provoking a series of teasing laughter.

In the early stages of entrepreneurship, there were inevitably some overtime and competition, but Mei Fang, who had experienced hardships, always thought about helping others. He ensured that everyone received proper benefits during overtime, making the company’s atmosphere harmonious and diligent.

Soon, the three executives from Penguin—two men and one woman—arrived at Lin Xi Technology. Mei Yue, who was proficient and experienced, immediately went forward to shake hands and welcome them. After a brief introduction, Mei Fang also shook hands with the three of them.

“Hello, it’s nice to meet you, seniors from Penguin.”

When Mei Fang extended his hand, the leading woman paused slightly before smiling.

“I didn’t expect the actual controller of C Station to be such a young boy. You’re truly remarkable… I’m Wen Qi from Penguin’s CVC Strategic Department, you can call me Carly.”

“Hello, seniors!”

Xia Yuan bowed to greet everyone, and they found it quite intriguing. “Wow… Looks like you’re really the real deal, Yuanbao. I’ve heard your songs, they’re really good.”

“Um… Thank you for your compliments, I still need to work harder.”

“Speaking of which, with your high popularity, don’t you think about becoming an idol?”

Xia Yuan shook her head vigorously. “No, no. Writing songs is just a hobby. There’s still much I need to learn.”

Compared to Mei Fang’s power and Xia Yuan’s influence, Lin You Xi seemed less prominent. However, when shaking hands and introducing themselves, everyone quickly identified her identity.

“If I’m not mistaken, this should be Miss Lin herself, right? She’s a very elegant lady.”

“Hello.”

Unlike Mei Fang’s worldly manner and Xia Yuan’s energetic demeanor, Lin You Xi was quiet, simply smiling briefly before not continuing the small talk.

Mei Yue led the three on a brief tour of Lin Xi Technology’s current office situation, then they all went to the conference room. The pressure and presence of the executives were impressive, but Mei Fang wasn’t intimidated, which surprised the visitors.

During their background checks, they hadn’t discovered much more about Mei Fang’s family background. Even founding C Station and Ximolu Games, he had done mostly in secret, without informing his family. His communication skills seemed mature beyond his years.

Could it be due to exceptional talent?

“Now that we’ve all gotten to know each other, let me briefly introduce the current business status of Lin Xi Technology…”

Mei Yue introduced the company’s situation earnestly on stage, while the three from Penguin watched her PPT presentation attentively, occasionally taking beautiful notes. They didn’t interrupt her at any point. Once Mei Yue finished, they started asking questions.

“We have great interest and many questions about your company’s development, especially considering that the actual controller is still a minor. This itself is a significant traffic draw. But before we proceed, based on what we know, your company has received many financing invitations. I heard that you only arranged a meeting with us. May I ask if this is true?”

Mei Fang smiled and nodded. “After all, we are students. We have limited weekend time and need to do our homework, so we naturally choose the most valuable financing partners.”

“As a high school student, saying this doesn’t seem out of place… Still, thank you for your answer.”

Wen Qi pushed her glasses slightly and smiled. “You kids probably have played some of the games we distribute or develop, but understanding that might differ significantly from running a company. I hope you understand.”

“I certainly understand. So, let’s get straight to the point about financing. For example, after obtaining funding, how do you plan to expand the company to make C Station last longer?”

“Before answering, we must clarify what C Station means to Lin Xi Technology… From your perspective, what kind of website do you think we are?”

“In my opinion, C Station is a video site for anime culture enthusiasts.”

Wen Qi smiled. “Is that correct?”

“Indeed, as we say ‘anime,’ it essentially refers to the four areas of ACGN—animation, manga, games, and light novels,” Mei Fang explained. “These are the main topics discussed by our users.”

“Currently, the most discussed part is A—anime from Sakura Country. However, we are merely distributors. In the future, copyright disputes will involve substantial costs, not much less than bandwidth expenses. Furthermore, we face strong competitors like A Station, which has nearly ten times our membership. Additionally, companies like Youku, Tudou, and iQIYI are formidable rivals. Relying solely on A Series financing to turn a profit is impossible.”

“Although I mentioned many concerns about copyrights, these worries are necessary for C Station. I believe your company understands the risks involved in this funding.”

Mei Fang’s response surprised Wen Qi and the others.

“I didn’t expect you to already be thinking about anime copyrights… Indeed, we’ve received copyright-related messages. Without supporting legitimate anime, it would be difficult for C Station to go public. I was planning to help you understand this, but it seems you have deep connections….”

Regarding going public, Mei Fang actually had no plans, but he wasn’t in a rush to tell these potential investors.

“Considering our domestic situation and future predictions, from a monetization perspective, G in ACGN, which stands for GAME, is the most promising sector.”

“So that’s why there’s Ximolu Games?”

Wen Qi smiled. “But currently, the games your company makes are niche and not closely related to anime, creating a disconnect. While you’re using Yuanbao and C Station’s popularity to promote new works, the effectiveness seems limited.”

“That’s normal… We developed these games in our free time. We can only achieve this level.”

Another man from Penguin waved his hand. “Don’t say ‘this level.’ I’ve played your games, and they’re really good.”

The man gave Mei Fang a thumbs-up. Anyone who loves games would appreciate Mei Fang’s courage and passion as a pioneer.

“Thank you, Brother Zhang.”

Mei Fang continued, “We won’t limit ourselves to this single independent game. We will develop many games and publish many more. Some may not be profitable now, but in the global market, they could bring good returns in the future. Of course, I hope to build a good reputation… So, we truly hope to complete the development of a national AAA masterpiece someday.”

Before Black Myth was born, Penguin and Pig Farm were once the most anticipated sources for national AAA games, but they failed to produce results. Mei Fang, who had lived again, no longer expected anything from them.

If they couldn’t make the games, we’ll do it; if they couldn’t change the gaming market, we’ll do it. Even if we suffer, we’ll live beautifully! This was Mei Fang’s hope for Ximolu Games.

“Your strategy for C Station seems to prioritize maintaining a good reputation… Honestly, have you never considered accepting ads or loosening the requirements for official members? I spent three days figuring this out.”

“That’s unacceptable!”

Xia Yuan finally got a chance to support Mei Fang. “Fang often says, ‘C Station might close, but it will never lose its essence.’ If we compromise our principles for development, it wouldn’t be meaningful!”

Lin You Xi added, “The average user level will decrease as more casual users join, which is inevitable. We just want to slow down this process.”

“I roughly understand your company’s corporate culture now…”

Wen Qi nodded. “In summary, you want to maintain a pure anime community and develop world-renowned AAA games.”

“However, given this consideration, the financing funds we previously discussed might need some adjustments. Please wait a moment while I consult with my colleagues at CVC.”

While Wen Qi went out to make a call, Xia Yuan whispered to Lin You Xi, “Are they going to lower the price? Is Penguin doing this?”

“Don’t worry, let’s wait and see.”

Lin You Xi remained calm but gently stroked Mei Fang’s thigh.

“Sorry, I kept you waiting.”

Wen Qi and her two subordinates returned from their discussion and sat down hurriedly.

“For this A Series venture capital round, we plan to increase the financing amount for C Station by 2 million, bringing the total to 12 million. Additionally, we hope to provide angel investment starting at 5 million for Ximolu Games. Given the initial stage of your company, we can also offer external staff support and professional guidance. Of course, everything depends on your wishes.”

This was completely opposite to what was expected.

Do they really think we have a bright future?

Mei Fang hadn’t been sure if there were any hidden clauses in the financing contract, but after confirming there were no additional stringent conditions, he genuinely felt—

“Penguin’s money is indeed steady and fragrant.”

Alright, everyone! Those who dislike commercial plot segments, we’ll take a break here. Today is You Xi’s birthday, and I’ll post a special bonus chapter about You Xi in the afternoon. The keyword is [Reward]. See if anyone can guess which chapter it is!

(End of Chapter)