Return to 1958 and build a century-old giant

Chapter 851 New Opportunities in the Mainland Market
After listening to Yang Wendong's description, Wang Zhiqun said, "Mr. Yang, your game is much more complicated than the games we played before."

“Yes, the gameplay and the fun are also much better,” Yang Wendong agreed.

Side-scrolling games offer endless creative possibilities; as long as you have a big enough imagination and the hardware is up to par, the games can become incredibly complex.
It was the emergence of this type of game that brought video games to their true peak. Many people looked down on single-screen games before, or found them boring after playing for a while. However, horizontal scrolling games could get many people addicted, and they might even play them all night.
Of course, this is not a good thing either, but it is an inevitable trend of social development. Entertainment is also a major driving force for technological development, including future smartphones. In fact, the chips will be sufficient for daily use once they reach a certain level. The so-called advanced chips will essentially serve more of the gaming needs.

Wang Zhiqun said, "Then let's set up this project team immediately, first to do the preliminary chip computing requirements, and then see how to select chips."

“Okay, if we can’t handle it, we’ll leave it to the US. I know this game is quite difficult,” Yang Wendong said.

Developing a game is very complex. Relatively speaking, if you decide on the game settings yourself, you've already saved a lot of effort.
After the game is set up, the hardware and software settings need to be determined, and in the mid-game, the two need to be carried out together and cooperate with each other.

Therefore, to create a classic game, in addition to your own creativity, you also need a strong team; otherwise, it's all for nothing if you can't make it or don't do it well.

"Yes, Mr. Yang," Wang Zhiqun replied.
He Guoyuan said, "Mr. Yang, should we make this game for arcades first, and then transfer it to the Famicom?"

"Yes, absolutely. We need to secure our interests in the arcade market first. And this kind of complex game definitely needs to be made into an arcade game first. As for the Famicom cartridges, it's still uncertain whether we can even make them," Yang Wendong nodded.

Arcade machines are large enough and easy to cool down, so they can have dedicated fans, or even a small air conditioner or liquid cooling equipment. Therefore, large-scale games are naturally developed on arcade machines first.

Furthermore, once the profits from arcade games are exhausted, turning to the Famicom and handheld consoles is also a way for the group to maximize profits.
Of course, with current technology, it's questionable whether Mario can even be included on the Famicom, let alone a handheld console.

But no matter what, as long as the arcade machine is built first and the copyright is in your hands, then all the related benefits will be yours.

He Guoyuan said, "Okay, let's initiate the project internally first. Once we've finalized the general development plan for this game, we'll discuss it with you again."

“Okay, there’s no need to rush. I’m planning a trip to the mainland, which will take some time. By the time I get back, your plans should be taking shape,” Yang Wendong said.

During my trip to the mainland, I will have to negotiate many projects with them, which will probably take some time.

The game Mario was originally released in 84, and it's now in 80. Developing it would be quite difficult, but technically it should be achievable. Even if the pixel quality is a bit poor, it would require a lot of resources and time.

Compared to the returns, these are nothing;
Both projects are progressing simultaneously, and there is basically no risk; the only problem is that the timing is a little unpredictable.
June 11th arrived quickly, which was also the agreed-upon date for the trip to the mainland.
Besides Yang Wendong, Bao Yugang also came. In addition, Zhang Guangdou also accompanied the two wealthy men back to Yanjing, and naturally they all traveled on Yang Wendong's private plane.

"Mr. Yang, this plane of yours is really extravagant. How much did it cost?" Bao Yugang asked after looking it over.

Yang Wendong thought for a moment and said, "The plane cost less than $5000 million, and the renovation cost a little over $1000 million, so it probably cost $6000 million in total."

The actual figures are indeed close, but the expenses in the United States can still avoid taxes, so more than $1000 million in taxes were saved from other places, which is equivalent to less than $5000 million, but there is no need to talk about this.

"Haha, impressive, it's more expensive than one of my 20-ton oil tankers," Bao Yugang exclaimed.

Yang Wendong said, "That's now. If it were before, a 20-ton oil tanker would be much more expensive."

The winds of ship disasters have begun to blow, with freight rates plummeting and ship costs following suit. In the past year, shipyards in Taiwan and Japan have repeatedly approached Chang Hsing Shipping to inquire about purchasing ships, but Yang Wen-tung has refused them all.

Bao Yugang nodded and said, "That's right, ship prices have indeed plummeted. Luckily, you and I left early, otherwise we would be losing a fortune now."

Yang Wendong said, "Not necessarily. Isn't Dong Haoyun expanding like crazy? If you or I were to sell some ships, he might still want them."

As in the past, Tung Chao-yung continued to expand. In fact, he also saw that the ship disaster was bound to happen, but he judged that it would end soon. So he wanted to buy at the bottom, but he did not expect that if his two sons were not so capable, the Tung family would be bankrupted by his bottom-fishing.
“Well, everyone has a different opinion, but I still think the risk is too great,” Bao Yugang said. “However, I will still ensure a certain scale.”

“Now that Mr. Bao has CLP Power, he doesn’t need to worry. No matter what kind of crisis occurs, the electricity will always be available,” Yang Wendong said. “Moreover, Hong Kong’s population is increasing, and the economy will indeed shift to the Kowloon Peninsula and the New Territories.”

Bao Yugang said, "I know, but if we do that, Mr. Yang, your Hong Kong Electric will earn less. Although we are in different territories, we are still competitors."

"Haha, Hong Kong Island's future development won't be bad either. Industrial relocation will occur, but commerce will remain on Hong Kong Island," Yang Wendong said nonchalantly. "Besides, I'm planning to expand overseas."

Bao Yugang asked, "Mr. Yang, are you referring to the mainland?"

"It's possible, but it depends on the specific situation." Yang Wendong didn't elaborate, adding that whether it would succeed depended on future policies.

“Yes, if the domestic market develops normally, it will indeed be a huge market. Many cities will be just like Hong Kong in the 50s,” Bao Yugang nodded.

"Yes," Yang Wendong said. "Let's not talk about business anymore. Bao Sheng, how's the matter in England?"

“It’s a success! I’m about to have twin sons,” Bao Yugang nodded.

Yang Wendong said, "Congratulations, Mr. Bao, the Bao family has an heir."

Bao Yugang sighed, "It was a success, but it was very exhausting. I'm fine with it, but my wife has suffered terribly. She's probably lost a lot of her energy. She can no longer get pregnant, so we have to use surrogacy. It's really unfair to her to have children."

“This kind of thing is indeed quite difficult,” Yang Wendong nodded helplessly.

Bao Yugang is a 60-year-old man, so it wouldn't be difficult for him to have children through IVF. However, his wife, although a few years younger than him, is naturally at a disadvantage in this regard.
Fortunately, it's not impossible. There was a 68-year-old pregnant woman in my previous life. With modern technology, there are some special methods, but they would definitely be very harmful to the body.
Bao Yugang laughed and said, "I won't say anymore. When the child is 100 days old, I will throw a big banquet. Mr. Yang, you must come."

"Haha, no problem, I'll definitely give my two nephews a big red envelope," Yang Wendong said with a smile.

After the two finished their conversation, they came downstairs and ran into Zhang Guangdou, who was also looking around. Zhang Guangdou smiled and said, "Mr. Yang, I've really had an eye-opening experience this time, all thanks to you."

"You're welcome. I have some fine red wine over there. Would you like some?" Yang Wendong asked.

"No, no, no, no," Zhang Guangdou quickly refused. "I'll just have some cola, no need for alcohol."

The amount of alcohol Yang Wendong brought on the plane ranged from several thousand to tens of thousands of Hong Kong dollars. As a mainland official, how could he dare to touch such things? A single bottle could be worth several years' salary, and that was only because he received extra subsidies when he traveled to Hong Kong on business.

Yang Wendong understood Zhang Guangdou's concerns and said, "Alright, then let's have some tea or juice."

He doesn't actually like drinking much, but the plane has a wine cabinet, so he keeps some top-quality foreign red wines and other wines there.

After a flight of more than three hours, the plane arrived at Yanjing International Airport;
This time, it wasn't a public visit by a Hong Kong tycoon to Beijing, so there wasn't much of a welcoming ceremony. However, there were some arrangements at the scene, with many plainclothes officers waiting at the airport early on, and others coming to greet them.

The Boeing 747 also shocked many officials in mainland China.

After Yang Wendong and his entourage disembarked from the plane, Zhang Guangdou quickly introduced them: "Mr. Yang, Mr. Bao, this is Director Zhao of the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations and Trade, this is Director Chen of the Economic Planning Commission, and this is Director Lin of the Ministry of Education."

"Director Zhao, Director Chen, hello." Yang Wendong shook hands with each of them one by one.

The General Administration of Foreign Economic Relations, along with the State Planning Commission and the State Economic and Trade Commission, were the three major departments in China responsible for the national economy. In 2003, these three departments were merged to form the Ministry of Commerce.

These people are involved in business and trade. As for the people from the Ministry of Education, they are probably here because of their investment in the university.

After shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries, the group quickly boarded a bus. The bus was quite comfortable. It was only from Zhang Guangdou that they learned it was an imported bus, donated by Huo Yingdong to Yanjing City, specifically for receiving foreign guests or high-ranking leaders.

"Is there a shortage of buses in China right now?" Yang Wendong asked.

Zhang Guangdou nodded and said, "Yes, there's a severe shortage, as are trucks."

Yang Wendong didn't reply, seemingly lost in thought.
He forgot that point;
Historically, the most successful domestic automobile company was SAIC Volkswagen, because there was a severe shortage of passenger cars in China in the 80s.
But now that he's asked, he realizes that the most scarce items in the 80s and 90s were buses and trucks. The former was the most common mode of transportation for most people besides the green-skinned trains, while the latter was a means of production, which is still needed even after 2020.
Historically, no foreign giants have emerged in this market because there haven't been any bus or truck companies like Volkswagen that were willing to invest. However, this market is still enormous.
Of course, relatively speaking, the technology required for trucks and buses is not as advanced as that for cars. The larger the vehicle, the less demanding the requirements are on many parts, so it is not difficult to manufacture them. However, achieving comfort, fuel efficiency, and stable quality is not easy.

He then took out a small notebook from his chest and wrote it down on a piece of paper;

This is something he carries with him at all times, because he often recalls good ideas from his past life or stumbles upon a good opportunity, and he writes them down.

The bus and truck industries are also good options now. He was busy acquiring Mini and forgot about this market, but it's not too late to realize it now. He can acquire an overseas company like that when the opportunity arises. Anyway, he still has money left over from the profits he made from gold futures.

He wasn't entirely confident about his future success in the automotive industry, but the truck and bus sector offered a much higher chance. At least once he had access to overseas technology, he wouldn't face any formidable competitors when investing domestically.
Of course, domestic truck technology will not be bad in the future, such as FAW Jiefang, but it is still inferior to this era.
As far as he knew, for many years after China's reform and opening up, the country had been importing heavy trucks, fire trucks, buses, and the like from overseas.
Instead of letting the country waste so much foreign exchange, it would be better to establish a joint venture factory in China to produce these equipment. This would achieve multiple benefits and even allow for reverse exports by leveraging the mainland's industrial system. This would prevent some internet intellectuals from using the low demand for special vehicles to mock the mainland's manufacturing industry in the future.

But all we need to do today is write it down. We need to take things one step at a time and deal with it in the future.

Soon, the group arrived at a guesthouse for guests inside Yanjing.

The idea from the mainland side is to let the VIPs rest for one night and discuss the specifics tomorrow.
Yang Wendong and Bao Yugang naturally had no objections. The two even took their subordinates and the bodyguards arranged from the mainland to take a tour of the area, treating it as a sightseeing trip.

Beijing in the 80s had a unique charm, with some places still retaining ancient architecture.

The group played until after 8 o'clock, when there were hardly any people on the streets, so they went home.

The next morning, Bao Yugang arrived at the breakfast room looking a little tired. Yang Wendong asked in surprise, "What's wrong? Mr. Bao, didn't you sleep well last night?"

"I'm not used to it," Bao Yugang shook his head and said, "Maybe it's because the places I've lived in these past few years have been too nice."

Yang Wendong laughed and said, "Haha, Yanjing is already pretty good. If you go to Guangzhou or Shenhai, the accommodations will be even worse."

"Mr. Yang, I couldn't sleep last night, and something came to mind," Bao Yugang suddenly said. "What do you think about me donating a five-star hotel in Yanjing?"

PS: Please give me a monthly ticket
(End of this chapter)