"No, no, we don't have enough funds right now; it's just a plan at the moment. By the way, are you interested in investing?" Tang Ping asked.

Meng Yu said warily, "I don't have any money, but I can help you make some connections regarding the advertising you mentioned. I do know quite a few TV station executives in Kyoto, but advertising on CCTV isn't cheap."

"I know that. Help me get in touch with them first. Look at you, we're so close, and you're still wary of me. Do you think I'd cheat you out of money? Cheating money is no fun. If I were to cheat, I'd cheat you out of your body!"

Tang Ping deliberately looked at Meng Yu with a lecherous grin and said with a smile.

Meng Yu wasn't offended; instead, she playfully slapped Tang Ping and scolded, "Get lost! You're so annoying! You're always so glib. But if you're really short of money, I can invest some in you. It's not much, just a few hundred thousand."

"Wow, a few hundred thousand isn't much? I didn't realize you were such a rich woman. A few hundred thousand is definitely enough, so I can start looking for a factory right away."

"Hmph, friends are friends, but you can't leave me out when it comes to shares."

"Of course, I, Tang Ping, only swindle women, not money!"

"screw you!"

After finishing their coffee, the two strolled along Lovers' Street.

Tang Ping asked, "By the way, haven't you been in contact with An Xin lately?"

Upon hearing An Xin's name, Meng Yu's face immediately darkened, and she said resentfully, "He's so busy, how can he have time for me? All he does is investigate cases all day long, as if he's the only policeman in the whole world."

Tang Ping chuckled, "Hehe, that's just how he is, responsible. What have you been busy with lately? It seems like there haven't been any major cases in Jinghai."

"He's just bored. He insisted on taking over the Huang Cuicui case, which nobody else was handling. I can't be bothered with people like him anymore!"

"The Huang Cuicui case happened so long ago, wasn't it closed? What's the point of investigating it again?"

"Who knows what's wrong with him! Let's not talk about him, he's ruining my mood," Meng Yu said coldly.

Tang Ping quickly replied, "Yes, Miss. There's a food street up ahead. How about I take you to try some street food?"

Hearing this, Meng Yu couldn't help but smile, and said in a pretentious tone, "Hmm, Xiao Pingzi, you really understand me. Lead the way!"

"Okay!"

The two strolled around until dark before finally taking Meng Yu home.

Originally, I wanted to contact Meng Yu to discuss advertising, since she has connections in Kyoto. But unexpectedly, I managed to secure an investment.

Meng Yu took out 300,000 yuan, and with his own funds, Tang Ping calculated that the factory could be set up. The rest would be operation and advertising.

This is also a huge expense.

When it came to finding a factory, Tang Ping naturally turned to Wu Kun, who was a local expert in this field and knew many people.

Tang Ping also specifically mentioned that the factory should ideally be located in Mangcun, Qinghua District.

The factory building must be purchased, not rented.

The reason is quite simple.

First, land prices haven't skyrocketed yet, so buying now guarantees property rights. In a few years, Qinghua District will be a key development area in Jinghai, and land prices will skyrocket, making this a sure-fire way to make money.

Secondly, Mangcun is located by the sea, which provides a suitable production environment and conditions, and labor is relatively cheap.

A few days later, Tang Ping was sleeping at home when his mobile phone suddenly rang. It was Li Qiang calling.

"What's wrong?"

"Ping-ge, are you home?"

Tang Ping sat up, put on his clothes, and said, "Well, what's the matter?"

"A new internet cafe just opened across the street from us, it seems like they're deliberately trying to mess with us."

Why do you say that?

These days, internet cafes are booming, and they're popping up everywhere, but Tang Ping doesn't care.

However, generally speaking, internet cafes won't be located across from each other, because the competition would be too fierce; they should at least be a few shops apart.

Li Qiang said, "Their place is decorated in the exact same style as our internet cafe, but the price of internet access is half the price."

"Is that so? I'll come and take a look."

Tang Ping was slightly surprised, but still got up and went to Lovers' Street.

As Tang Ping passed by Jiuchang Street, he noticed that Lao Sheng's illegal internet cafe had changed its signboard, indicating that it had been sold.

At the entrance of the internet cafe on Lovers' Street, Li Qiang was waiting. When he saw Tang Ping, he immediately pointed across the street and said, "Brother Ping, look, that internet cafe's sign is even brighter than ours. I secretly checked it out, and it's much bigger. It has at least two hundred computers inside, and it even has a billiards room."

Tang Ping also saw it; the internet cafe across the street was called Orange Red.

The neon signs can be seen from a great distance across the street.

It's already so conspicuous during the day; I bet at night, anyone strolling along Lovers' Street will notice this internet cafe.

"This is clearly looking for trouble! They opened an internet cafe right across from us. Aren't they stealing our business?" Li Qiang said indignantly.

Tang Ping patted him on the shoulder and laughed, "We can't say that. Are we going to stop them from doing business? They have money; they can open an internet cafe wherever they want. Let's go take a look and learn from their advanced experience."

The two quickly reached the other side, and Tang Ping immediately saw that this Orange Red Internet Cafe had taken over the entire building.

The first floor is a game room and a billiards room, the second floor is an internet cafe, and the third and fourth floors are video game arcades.

This is a complete entertainment package.

The arcade was very spacious, having combined three or four storefronts. There were stairs leading to the second floor from the side, and an elevator was also installed, making it look very high-end.

As soon as I reached the entrance, a waiter-like man approached me and enthusiastically promoted his services: "Boss, would you like to get a membership card? Our arcade, video game center, and internet cafe are all owned by the same person. With one membership card, you can access the internet and play video games—it's all-inclusive."

"What about the members?" Tang Ping asked.

"Cards are free to apply for. We're currently in trial operation, and you get the same amount back for every top-up you make. You can use the money on your membership card to access the internet, or exchange it for game currency. Upstairs, you can also exchange it for chips."

Still have chips?

It seems the owner behind this internet cafe is quite something.

Tang Ping smiled and said, "Can I take a look first before deciding whether to apply for the card?"

"Of course, come on, boss, this way please. Our second floor is an internet cafe, currently the largest in Jinghai. The internet speed is fast, the environment is good, and the service is more attentive. It's much better than that lousy internet cafe across the street. And think about it, if you get a membership card here, you can not only use the internet, but also enjoy the game arcade and video game center."

The waiter was very welcoming and led Tang Ping all the way to the second floor.

With just a glance, Tang Ping could roughly tell that this internet cafe not only had the same decoration style as his own internet cafe, but even the computers had the same configuration.

However, his place is more upscale, with many private rooms, especially couples' rooms, where the sofas are all soft reclining sofas.