After being reborn, the school beauty's entire family knelt down to repent.

After seeing Wang Jianguo off, Chen Ming immediately began his plan to build an "entertainment empire".

He contacted the largest game console manufacturer in the provincial capital.

On the other end of the phone, the salesperson's tone was full of disdain when he heard that it was about opening an arcade in an underground shopping mall:

"Underground arcade? Your place is mostly filled with food, drinks, and household goods. Do you think anyone would go there to play video games? You might end up with machines that are just sitting there unsold."

Chen Ming wasn't annoyed.

"Brother, you're wrong about that. With reform and opening up, economic development, and improved living standards, people's demand for entertainment is also increasing."

"My underground arcade has a great location with high foot traffic, making it the perfect place to open an arcade. Just imagine, people who are tired from shopping can find a place to rest and play some games, wouldn't that be great?"

"Besides, which young person these days doesn't like playing games? I guarantee that my arcade will be a huge success as soon as it opens. Don't you want a piece of the pie?"

Upon hearing this, the salesperson's tone softened slightly: "Alright then, what kind of machine do you want? We have all kinds of arcade machines, dance machines, racing simulators, you name it."

Chen Ming was secretly delighted. At this time, the game console market was still in its early stages. As long as he seized the opportunity, he could make a fortune.

"I want the latest arcade games, like King of Fighters and Street Fighter, the more the better! Dance machines and racing simulators too, as for the price..."

After some haggling, Chen Ming acquired the first batch of game consoles at a price that he was fairly satisfied with.

The process of contacting the game console manufacturer went relatively smoothly, since there are several distributors in the provincial capital.

However, it was very difficult to find suppliers of ice skating rink equipment. I had to travel to several cities before I finally found one that sold it in a coastal city in the south.

Without saying a word, Chen Ming bought a train ticket and headed straight south.

The southern city was even more prosperous than the provincial capital, with towering buildings and bustling traffic, which dazzled Chen Ming.

He found the supplier at the address. The boss was a shrewd Cantonese man with a thick Cantonese accent. It took them a long time to communicate, even though they couldn't understand each other.

"Young man, you have a good eye! Ice rinks are the hottest thing right now, I guarantee you'll make a fortune!" the boss assured him, patting his chest.

Chen Ming chuckled inwardly. This boss probably didn't know that in a few years, the ice rink would be outdated.

However, he still pretended to be excited: "Boss, you have to give me the best equipment, the price is negotiable!"

After some haggling, Chen Ming finally secured the equipment at a price that was reasonably satisfactory.

Looking at the signed contract, he breathed a long sigh of relief, feeling as if all the bones in his body were about to fall apart.

Back in S City, Chen Ming didn't even have time to rest before plunging headfirst into the construction of the underground street.

He hired the best local construction team, and they worked intensively on the construction according to the blueprints designed by Wang Jianguo.

The construction of a movie theater is relatively complex, requiring professional projection equipment and sound systems.

Chen Ming asked someone to bring in a state-of-the-art set of equipment from Hong Kong, which cost a lot of money just for shipping.

The sounds of hammering and cutting echoed throughout the underground street renovation project, which was proceeding in full swing.

Wearing a safety helmet, Chen Ming moved through the dusty construction site, occasionally exchanging words with the construction team's workers.

"Master Li, you must make sure to reinforce this wall properly. Safety comes first, understand?"

Chen Ming pointed to the load-bearing wall of the cinema and earnestly gave instructions.

"Don't worry, Mr. Chen, we're all veterans. We've been doing this for years, and we guarantee we'll do a solid job for you!"

Master Li patted his chest and guaranteed, his dark face full of smiles.

The decoration of the arcade is relatively simple; you just need to set up the game machines and connect the power.

Chen Ming specifically selected some classic games, such as Pac-Man, Street Fighter, Contra, and so on.

These games have become timeless classics, and I believe they will continue to attract many people in this era.

The construction of an ice rink is the most time-consuming, requiring the laying of special surfaces and the installation of lighting and sound equipment.

Chen Ming personally supervised the construction to ensure that every detail was done perfectly.

"That's good. Thank you for your hard work, Master Li." Chen Ming nodded in satisfaction.

"Master Wang, the flatness of the ground must be well controlled. The ice rink has very high requirements for the ground, and we can't be careless at all."

Chen Ming squatted down and touched the freshly poured cement floor with his hand.

"Mr. Chen, rest assured, we use a professional level, and the error is controlled to the millimeter level, which absolutely meets the standards."

Mr. Wang pointed to a brand-new level next to him, his tone filled with pride.

"Hmm, not bad, and very efficient. I'm very satisfied." Chen Ming nodded approvingly, took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, and offered one to Master Wang.

"Come on, Master Wang, have a smoke and take a break."

"Thank you, Mr. Chen!" Master Wang took the cigarette, grinned, and revealed a set of yellowed teeth.

Not long after, the vacant air-raid shelters were also completely renovated.

On opening day, the underground shopping mall was packed with people and bustling with activity.

Chen Ming watched all this with a sense of accomplishment.

Time flies, and business in the underground mall is so booming that even Chen Ming himself can hardly believe it.

The daily cash flow came in like a tidal wave, and counting money until his hands cramped became a sweet burden for him.

The aroma of the snack street permeated the entire underground street, and every stall was crowded with customers.

From grilled skewers to spicy hot pot, from milk tea to stinky tofu, there's something for everyone, satisfying all tastes.

The clothing store was booming, and a young man wearing bell-bottoms and sporting the then-popular "Aaron Kwok" hairstyle was there.

Holding a leather jacket in his hand, he excitedly said to his companion, "Hey, what do you think of this? Isn't it super stylish?"

His companion, also wearing bell-bottoms and with slicked-back hair, carefully examined the leather jacket and nodded.

"Hmm, not bad! The material and style are exactly the same as what Hong Kong stars wear! Wearing this, I'll be the most stylish guy on the street!"

The young man picked up another batwing shirt and held it up against himself: "This one looks good too, it'll definitely make you look cool!"

My companion picked up a matching batwing shirt and said with a smile, "Let's each wear one to the dance hall and we'll definitely charm a bunch of girls!"

Just then, the shop owner came over and greeted them warmly:

"You two have great taste! These clothes are the latest styles from a major city in the south. I guarantee you'll turn heads on the street when you wear them!"

The young man pointed to the leather jacket and asked, "Ma'am, how much is this one?"

The proprietress smiled and said, "This is an imported item, originally priced at over a hundred yuan. But since you have such good taste, I'll give you a discount; take it for twenty yuan!"

The young man hesitated for a moment: "Twenty yuan? That's a bit expensive..."