Exciting 1979!

Chapter 495 My cousin became my aunt, what a mess this is!
Wei Ming's money in Hong Kong was all in US dollars. After the start of the second phase of Sino-British negotiations, the cash flow of Langning, Holiland, and Minglong was also converted into US dollars, thus eliminating the impact of the Hong Kong dollar's plunge.

Jardine Matheson's departure was just the beginning. In order to gain the upper hand in the negotiations, Britain would definitely want to create chaos in Hong Kong for a while. Wei Hong, who had nearly HK$100 million in funds, could take advantage of the situation to fish in troubled waters and hone his skills.

However, something else soon caught her attention. That day, her aunt Wei Lingling brought a box to her grandfather's house and only opened it after she, her grandfather, and Xizi had all arrived.

"This is……"

Wei Lingling: "That's right, it's Nintendo's new family game console, Family Computer, or FC for short."

Because of its red and white color scheme, many people call it the "red and white machine," as it is very small and beautiful.

The first batch of Nintendo Famicom produced more than 40 units. Wei Lingling directly snatched 10 units and also got some of the accompanying game cartridges. She kept one for her own family, sent one to Wei Hong and her father, and planned to disassemble the rest.

In Wei Lingling's mind, handheld game consoles were just a temporary alternative when she was away from home and there was no home game console, so what she really cared about was the home game console market.

Wei Hong hurriedly connected the TV, only to find that "it's all in Japanese."

Old Ghost said, "This is easy, I'll do the translation."

In Japanese-occupied areas, you can't do underground work without knowing some Japanese.

Xizi's favorite thing is pretty girls, followed by video game consoles. He also plays with his sister and grandfather.

They casually plugged in a Donkey Kong game. Although it was a game ported from a handheld console, the handheld screen was so small. Playing it on the TV now felt completely different.

"Wow, so smooth!" Wei Hong is an expert at playing games. As soon as she started playing, she knew that she could beat the Atari 2600 in a second, and even the Atari 5200 was not quite up to par.

Both the Nintendo Famicom and the Atari 2600 are 8-bit game consoles, while Atari recently released the 16-bit Atari 5200, but it did not receive much market acceptance.

The Famicom was launched with a total of seven launch games, but Mario Bros., which Wei Ming was most concerned about, was not among them, probably because it was planned for a later release.

These are all developed by Nintendo and cannot be played on other game console platforms.

Besides the classic Donkey Kong (Donkey Kong), there's also Popeye, which was made by acquiring the rights from the United States. These two are the main games being promoted.

Other games include Mori Yoshimitsu's Math Learning, an educational game. Wei Hong tried it out and said, "Yoshimitsu, this game is perfect for you. You can play it more often in the future."

Xizi looked distressed: "If I have to study while playing games, then what's the point of playing games?"

Linni picked up a cassette tape: "Can you play mahjong on a game console?"

These initial launch games also include sports and leisure games such as mahjong, Gomoku, and baseball, which is quite targeted, aiming to capture all kinds of people.

They also tried the "Mahjong" game, and Lin Ni had a great time playing it. Because there was a single-player mode, she could play mahjong even when no one was home.

Back when she lived at the Wei Mansion in Taiwan, she often played mahjong with her sister and the two Mrs. Wei. She had honed her skills and could always lose convincingly.

Whenever I go back to Taiwan, the three of them say they miss me terribly and that they can never find such a good mahjong partner again.

While communicating with the testers and taking notes, Wei Lingling confirmed that the performance of this Nintendo Famicom far surpasses that of the Atari 2600, and the key is that the unit price can be reduced to such a low level.

Moreover, their games are incredibly fun to play. The best-selling games on the Atari console, Space Invaders and Pac-Man, were both made by Japanese companies. Their own E.T. is nothing compared to these Japanese games.

Spielberg probably regrets selling the game rights to Atari for just over $2000 million, as this terrible game has significantly impacted the reputation of the original, critically acclaimed film.

With Xizi's intelligence, his favorite game among these games is "Gomoku". The traditional Gomoku is to connect five characters in a line. It is very simple and fun. Moreover, it can only be played with Grandma Ni. It is absolutely forbidden to play with Sister Hong.

Lao Gui, Xi Zi, Wei Hong, and Lin Ni were in complete chaos as they fought over control of the game console. Wei Lingling regretted not bringing an extra game console.

While they were playing, Zhou's mother came to the door. Seeing the family gathered around the TV, she asked, "Haven't Amin and Aming come back yet?"

Everyone shook their heads. Lin Ni was about to say not to worry or rush when she looked at the time and realized it was already 10 o'clock, and they hadn't eaten yet.

"Afen, do you have any leftovers?" Lin Ni asked shamelessly. "I'm hungry."

Xizi: "Me too!"

Zhou Ma shook her head and went straight into the kitchen to prepare a simple meal for them. Wei Lingling also went over to help.

As for Wei Ming and Amin, they were recording the song "Do You Know" today. After finishing the recording, Wei Ming and Amin treated Zhang Guorong to a meal outside. Anita Mui was also there, and Wei Ming took the opportunity to hand over the song he had promised to write for her.

The song is called "Like Flowing Water," which is the theme song of the movie starring Xue Jie. The original version was composed by Kitaro and the lyrics were written by Zheng Guojiang.

Looking out at the sea
Full of weariness, without tears or words.
Looking at the sky
I only feel that my emotions are in turmoil.
My heart is like a small wooden boat...

This song perfectly captures the feelings of the female protagonist in the movie.

Wei Ming gave the song to Anita Mui, but on the condition that it be used as the theme song for Bluebird's film "Paper Butterfly". Although the film was shot in mainland China, which would definitely make Ziyou Zong unhappy, Anita Mui did not hesitate and readily agreed.

She also sang the song "Original Time and Space," which is one of her representative works.

Wei Ming was very pleased with himself. He helped Amin and Xue Jie at the same time, getting two benefits at once. Oh yeah!
He turned his head and saw Zhang Guorong looking at him expectantly. Wei Ming said, "No rush, you'll get a share too."

Amin's album requires Zhang Guorong to sing two songs as a duet. Although he was willing to help for free, including making a cameo appearance in "Little Ghosts Are Coming," Wei Ming still promised to write a song for him.

After receiving Wei Ming's promise, Zhang Guorong asked with a smile, "Then can I make some additional requests?"

"please say."

"Mandarin Song".

"Oh?"

Seeing that Tam Yung-lun had already released two Mandarin albums to conquer the Taiwan market, Capital Artists couldn't sit still any longer and prepared to produce Cheung Kwok-yung's first Mandarin album, co-produced by Lai Siu-tin and Taiwan's Chyi Yu.

Although Chyi Yu is very talented, she is clearly still some distance from Wei Ming. If Zhang Guorong could get Wei Ming's help, he would have more confidence in this album.

“Mandarin songs are great! Writing Mandarin songs is much easier for me than writing Cantonese songs,” Wei Ming readily agreed.

After finishing their meal, it was already quite late, so Wei Ming and Amin went for a drive before taking her home.

Unexpectedly, when they took Wei Ming home, they found that Zhou's mother was not home, so Amin invited Wei Ming to sit in her room.

"Do it."

"Come on, let me show you the photos I took for 'YES!'"

The magazine hired Hong Kong's most professional photographers to capture Ah Min's pure and energetic side. One photo of her dribbling a basketball in a basketball uniform made Wei Ming hallucinate Akame Haruko. Those legs were straight, long, and white, and Wei Ming couldn't help but start touching them again.

As they touched each other, they fell onto the bed and kissed. Amin took Wei Ming's hand and led him up the hillside.

Just as the two were getting into the swing of things, Zhou Ma's voice came from outside: "Amin, you're back?"

She remembered turning off the lights when she left.

"Mom, yes, I just got back," Zhou Huimin replied while tidying her clothes.

Wei Ming said, "Auntie, I'm relieved to see you back. I'll be going now."

A prospective son-in-law is always afraid of his father-in-law. Amin grew up without a father, so Zhou Ma was like both mother-in-law and father-in-law, constantly radiating pressure.

Wei Ming had already reached the door when Zhou Ma said again, "Your aunt just came downstairs; she probably wants to talk to you."

"Oh, okay, I'll go down and find her now."

After going downstairs, Wei Lingling had already driven away. Wei Ming thought he might as well go to Langning Company to find her tomorrow.

When he returned to his home in Causeway Bay, Gong Xue was somewhat shyly entertaining Wei Lingling.

Wei Ming glanced at the time: "It's already past eleven. Can't we talk about it tomorrow?"

Wei Lingling chuckled: "Sorry, I think I've disturbed you. I came here to tell you that I've already gotten my hands on the Nintendo FC, and also that the block game has been developed. Do you want to come over and try it out tomorrow?"

"Oh, really? Okay, you could have just made a phone call. Why did you have to come all the way here? I'll see you off."

Wei Lingling thought to herself, "If I hadn't seen you keeping a mistress, I would definitely have had a long talk with you tonight. Nintendo has really shocked me."

The next day, Wei Ming arrived in Langning. Since his handheld console had not yet been completed, he tried it out on the computer.

The game design he provided was very detailed, exactly what he wanted. However, because it was called "Chinese Blocks," some Chinese elements were added to the artwork, with a giant dragon spitting out blocks at the top.

"Not bad, you did a great job, I'm very satisfied." Wei Ming said. Because of his experience, he didn't die for a full ten minutes. While he was playing, Wei Lingling seemed to feel the fun in it. It was a game that required calculation and adventure.

The engineer in charge of developing the game said, "I'm very satisfied. During the development process, I realized that this game has a high level of playability, and I believe it will definitely amaze the gaming world!"

For a long time, it was the best-selling game in the world, especially on handheld consoles, where it was incredibly popular.

Wei Lingling said, "Want to play FC again?"

"Okay."

Wei Ming glanced at the cartridges and realized that Mario Bros. wasn't available yet, so he chose Donkey Kong 2. Donkey Kong was a direct adaptation of a handheld game, while this "2" was specifically designed for home video game consoles.

Wei Ming played calmly. Having played many AAA games, he probably wouldn't be truly surprised until Super Mario Bros. came out. Wei Lingling said, "Sega's SG-1000 was also released at the same time as the Famicom. You should try it too."

After trying it, Wei Ming found that the graphics were slightly worse, the remote control with the joystick was not very user-friendly, and the variety of games was not as rich as Nintendo's, but it was still much better than the Atari 2600.

"I think Sega is going to lose to Nintendo this time."

After Wei Ming experienced the game and gave his objective evaluation, Wei Lingling pulled Wei Ming aside and said, "The FC is obviously stronger, so I want to go straight for a 16-bit game console. Atari happens to have the technology for this."

The 8-bit and 16-bit here refer to the CPU. An 8-bit CPU is definitely slower than a 16-bit CPU, so a 16-bit CPU can have higher resolution, richer colors, smoother motion, and can accommodate a larger world view.

However, better CPUs will definitely be more expensive, putting them at a disadvantage in commercial competition.

Wei Ming: "A 16-bit game console is definitely going to be made. Many game ideas are difficult to realize on an 8-bit game console. This is the trend. But I want to ask you how long it will take to develop a high-quality and affordable 16-bit game console. Where will you have a place in the market then?"

Wei Lingling sighed, "The company's engineers also said it's difficult, so it seems we can only use the alternative plan."

What are the alternative plans?

Wei Lingling said, "The cartridge-based handheld console was inspired by Xiao Hong. She had always wanted a handheld game console that could play a variety of games, and you only needed to change the cartridges."

Wei Ming immediately thought of another globally popular Nintendo product, the Game Boy, which was the successor to the Game & Watch and sold hundreds of millions of units worldwide.

The success of this game console is also inseparable from its bundled sales with Tetris.

Wei Ming asked, "Are you confident that you can develop this portable game console by the end of the year?"

“There have been similar machines overseas before. What we need to do is optimize them as much as possible while ensuring cost-effectiveness,” Wei Lingling said.

Wei Ming: "Another thing is game development. You must have your own exclusive games. You mentioned before that you wanted to develop 'Dragon Ball.' Have you taken any action yet?"

Wei Lingling: "We have given up on Dragon Ball, it's too difficult right now. What I want to do now is Transformers and Millionaire."

Wei Ming could understand why foreigners loved Transformers; they adored these mechanical creatures. But the millionaire was something he truly hadn't expected.

Can a variety show be turned into a game?

"Of course, given the influence of this program, at least users in Hong Kong and Taiwan will watch it, and since the quiz game doesn't involve any physical action, it's much easier to produce."

“Alright then, I can grant permission,” Wei Ming suggested finally. “Nintendo’s plus sign-like directional pad is a good reference; it’s really useful.”

Tonight, Wei Ming will also participate in the final of the second New Talent Singer Competition, together with Amin.

The judges were all familiar faces, including Cheung Kwok-yung, Anita Mui, James Wong, Joseph Koo, and Lai Siu-tin.

With the success of the first edition, this edition naturally generated buzz. Unfortunately, there were no popular figures like Vivian Chow or Anita Mui among the contestants. In the end, Lui Fong won the championship with his rendition of "I Am Chinese".

It's a pity that she's not particularly good-looking. In this industry, it's not about being ugly, it's about not having any distinctive features. She'll probably have a hard time making a name for herself in the entertainment industry in the future.

He is also considered Zhou Huimin's junior, as they both studied vocal music under Teacher Dai Sicong, and Zhou Huimin still goes there for lessons every month.

After the show, Wei Ming immediately sent a song to Zhang Guorong, and also let Li Xiaotian watch it.

The song is called "Get Moving," a Mandarin dance track that fits Zhang Guorong's image at the time.

Although Leslie Cheung prefers Wei Ming's love songs, if Lai Siu-tin likes them, the company will definitely like them too. This song looks super energetic, and Leslie's fans will love it even more.

Lai Siu-tin joked, "I feel like it could compete with 'Friends' for the Hong Kong Celebrity Soccer Team's anthem."

Hearing this, Zhang Guorong smiled more: "At that time, Alan will probably be pestering Amin too."

After releasing this song, Wei Ming sent an English novel to Melinda in England. He also bought a computer for his home in Hong Kong. While juggling two girlfriends, he did not forget his mission to write, only at a much slower pace.

The Goosebumps series is currently a bestseller, and it just won't stop. This time, Wei Ming wrote a story called "The Sixth Sense".

Unexpectedly, Melinda called as well, telling Wei Ming, "Go to New York on August 1st, the Hugo Awards results are in."

Wei Ming's spirits lifted: "It's done!"

After hanging up the phone, he glanced at Gong Xue on the bed. Wei Ming hadn't been hiding it from his sister, so she had heard everything.

Gong Xue was naturally happy for Wei Ming, since he had won an award, even though she didn't know what kind of award it was or what its significance was.

At the same time, there is some regret. She will be returning to the mainland next month. She really doesn't want to be apart from him for even a day. She can't bear to part with the days when we were inseparable.

Wei Mingzhen wanted to take Xuejie abroad to see the world, but even if he wanted to go abroad, he would have to communicate with the authorities in Yanjing and obtain permission before he could go. Xuejie didn't even have a legitimate reason, so she was in even more trouble.

Seeing the look in his sister's eyes, Wei Ming suddenly had an idea: "Sister, do you think you might have a relative overseas who might invite you to visit?"

"what?"

“Yes, visiting relatives overseas!” Wei Ming jumped up excitedly at his own cleverness. “I even have people ready-made here!”

~
Gong Biyang was at work in San Francisco when he suddenly received a call from Wei Lingling.

In Wei Lingling's office, Wei Ming answered the phone: "President Gong, I need your help with something."

"Is this Mr. Wei? What can I do for you?"

"I've arranged for you to be introduced to a cousin. What do you think?"

"what???"

Next, Wei Ming explained his idea. Although Gong Biyang found it somewhat funny, he was still willing to help.

"Is Ms. Gong Xue here with me? I'd like to rehearse my lines with her."

Next, a Shanghai native and an American with Shanghai origin began exchanging information.

They chatted amongst themselves, while Wei Ming continued to impart his advice on portable game consoles to Wei Lingling. This battle was crucial and could potentially determine the future landscape of the global gaming industry.

"Nintendo will definitely iterate its products immediately after seeing that BBK's portable game console threatens its handheld market, so we must do our best to prevent them from catching up in a short period of time..."

As the two of them were talking, and Gong Xue was also talking, she suddenly covered her mouth and let out an "Ah!"

Wei Ming looked over: "What's wrong?"

Gong Xue: "Xiao Wei, I might have to go back and ask my mom. This Mr. Gong seems to be a relative of ours."

Gong Biyang also stood up excitedly. When they were rehearsing their lines, he discovered that Gong Xue's family was from the same village as theirs, and that the middle character in Gong Xue's father's name was the same as his grandfather's, both belonging to the "Yuan" generation.

Now Gong Biyang also wants to call his father to ask.

However, this was ultimately a matter for the Gong family, and Gong Xue's mother didn't know much about it. So, they simply made a long-distance call to Gong Yuandong in Shanghai.

Finally, he made another phone call, and Gong Biyang said with great emotion, "Aunt, please come to the United States to visit relatives! I'll send you an invitation right away!"

I never expected that I would be assigned the role of a cousin, but I ended up being assigned the role of a nephew.

Gong Xue's grandfather and Gong Biyang's great-grandfather were brothers, exactly within five degrees of kinship.

Wei Ming squeezed Xue Jie's hand: "Now it's all good, we can go to America together."

Gong Xue found it all too unbelievable. It turned out that her family really did have overseas connections. When her family was raided because of this crime when she was a child, she felt wronged.

Good news kept coming in, first Wei Hong earned her first million dollars.

Then "Lucky Stars" surpassed 2000 million at the box office, leaving only "Project A" and "Aces Go Places 2" in its path this year.

Before leaving Hong Kong for the United States, the results of the "Crazy Man Comics" Hong Kong Youth Star selection event were also announced.

When Ah Long gave the results to Wei Ming, he was still somewhat surprised.

"The boys' group champion is Zheng Yijian, which saves us the trouble of rigging the results. But the girls' group champion isn't Li Jiaxin." Wei Ming looked at the photos.

Ah Long said, "Actually, some people in the company prefer Chingmy Yau, but more people like Michelle Reis."

Ultimately, judging from the vote results, Chingmy Yau won first place, and Michelle Reis came in second. Chingmy Yau can brag about this for the rest of her life.

Liang Jiahui chimed in, "It's not surprising, really. Qiu Shuzhen is cuter and pretty. She's not aggressive towards girls and is easy to like. As for Li Jiaxin, I think most girls wouldn't like her. Why is she so beautiful?"

That explanation makes some sense.

Wei Ming said, "Then let's contact the two champions. As for Li Jiaxin..."

After all, they had worked together before. Wei Ming said, "Brother Abin has a dream girl from his school, right? He secretly put her photo in his room and Abin found it. Let's choose Li Jiaxin's photo for this school beauty. Let's talk to her and see if she agrees. If she doesn't agree, let's find the second runner-up of Miss Asia, Veronica Yip."

Now that the exterior scenes are mostly filmed, it's time to film the interior scenes inside the villa. The real essence of Home Alone is about to begin.

Soon, Wei Ming and Gong Xue's requests to go abroad were approved, and they could pack their bags and leave.

Meanwhile, Lao Wei and Wei Ping'an are also preparing to depart for Hong Kong.
(End of this chapter)