Sunday, December 13th.
Lin Feng spent most of the day working on the engine.
By evening, he had completed the rendering pipeline.
That left just the event system to work on.
Li Jun, meanwhile, was familiarizing himself with some of the more advanced concepts outlined in the plan. Stage two would be more complex, and he wanted to be prepared.
…
Monday, December 14th.
The renovation process for the office space officially started.
Lin Feng received a message from the contractor confirming that the crew had begun work on the soundproofing.
He felt he should speed things up on his end.
It was just that his money was a little lacking at the moment.
After working on the code for a while - making progress on the event handling system - he spent the rest of the day with Mengqi.
They worked on the song together, piecing together sections, adjusting transitions, fine-tuning the mix.
It was coming together nicely.
Lin Feng listened to their latest version and nodded slowly.
He felt he was just a tiny step away from a breakthrough.
…
Tuesday, December 15th.
Same thing as the day before, he just worked on the game engine during the morning and worked on the music in the afternoon.
…
Wednesday, December 16th.
The Zhao family estate sat nestled in the hills outside Hangzhou - a sprawling property with traditional Chinese architecture blended seamlessly with modern luxury.
"Good evening, sir. May I have your invitation?"
Lin Feng handed it over.
The man examined it, then nodded respectfully.
"Welcome, Mr. Lin. Please proceed to the main hall."
…
The banquet was held in the estate's central courtyard, which had been transformed for the occasion.
Red lanterns hung from the eaves, casting a gentle warm light across the gathering. Round tables draped in silk cloth dotted the space, each set with fine porcelain and crystal glassware.
A traditional orchestra played softly in the corner, the notes of the erhu and pipa weaving through the air.
Everywhere Lin Feng looked, he saw wealth.
Men in tailored suits. Women in elegant qipaos and designer gowns. Jewelry that glittered under the lantern light. The confidence of people who had never known want.
So this is the world of the truly rich.
He adjusted his suit jacket and made his way inside.
…
Lin Feng had barely taken ten steps when a voice called out.
"Teacher?"
He turned.
A girl in a light blue dress stood a few meters away, staring at him with wide eyes.
It took him a moment to recognize her.
Tingting.
She looked different in person. Taller than he'd expected. Her hair was done up elegantly, and light makeup accentuated her features. She looked less like a tired high school student and more like the young lady of a wealthy family.
Which, of course, she was.
"Miss Zhao," Lin Feng greeted her with a polite nod. "It's nice to finally meet you in person."
Tingting's expression fell.
"Miss Zhao?" She crossed her arms. "Why are you being so formal? Just call me Tingting like you always do."
"I couldn't possibly," Lin Feng said. "Today I'm a guest at your grandfather's birthday. It would be improper to address you so casually."
She pouted.
"That's no fun. You're always so relaxed during our lessons."
"That's different. During lessons, I'm your teacher." He gestured at the surroundings. "Here, I'm simply a guest."
Tingting studied him for a moment.
Then a mischievous glint appeared in her eyes.
"Speaking of which," she said, "I saw your TV appearance."
Lin Feng raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"Mm." She tilted her head. "I didn't know my English teacher was actually a rich young master."
Nearby guests glanced over, curious about the young man speaking casually with the Zhao family's granddaughter. Whispers began to ripple through the crowd.
"Who is that young man?"
"He seems quite close with the Zhao family..."
"I feel like I've seen him somewhere before."
"Wasn't he the one on that Hangzhou Tonight segment? The young entrepreneur?"
"Really? That's him?"
…
At that moment, a hand came to rest gently on Tingting's shoulder.
"Tingting."
The girl turned. "Mom."
Madam Zhao stood behind her daughter, elegant in a deep red qipao embroidered with golden phoenixes. Her expression was warm but carried a hint of reproach.
"You shouldn't be rude to Mr. Lin's," she said. "He's your father's guest."
Tingting's shoulders slumped slightly. "I was just talking to him..."
"You can talk to him during your lessons." Madam Zhao patted her shoulder. "Why don't you go find your friends? I believe the Chen family's daughter was looking for you earlier."
Tingting sighed but didn't argue.
She turned back to Lin Feng.
"I'll see you later, Teacher," she said in English.
"Study hard," he replied.
She made a face at him, then walked off into the crowd.
…
Lin Feng turned to Madam Zhao and bowed slightly.
"Madam Zhao. Thank you again for the invitation."
She waved her hand.
"Please, there's no need to be so formal. You're practically family at this point."
Lin Feng blinked. "Family?"
"You've been teaching my daughter for a while now. She talks about you constantly. So does my husband after I told him about you." Madam Zhao smiled. "I think you've made quite an impression on him."
"I simply do my job."
"And you do it well." She gestured for him to follow. "Come. There are some people I'd like you to meet."
They began walking together, weaving through the crowd.
As they passed, more whispers followed.
"There Madam Zhao herself came to greet him."
"They seem quite familiar with each other."
"Who exactly is this young man?"
"I heard he's the founder of some company. Fenghua something."
"At his age? Impressive."
"The Zhao family doesn't associate with just anyone. He must be someone special."
…
Madam Zhao led Lin Feng to a quieter corner of the courtyard, where a man stood conversing with two older gentlemen.
"Husband," Madam Zhao called out as they approached. "This is Lin Feng. Tingting's English teacher."
The man turned.
Husband?
Lin Feng studied him quickly. Middle-aged, well-built, with sharp eyes and a certain air around him. Now that he looked closely, there was a slight resemblance.
So this is Tingting's father.
"Mr. Lin." The man extended his hand. "I've heard a lot about you."
Lin Feng shook it firmly. "Mr. Zhao. The pleasure is mine."