Chapter 21: Zhang Yang’s Scheme!

Shen Yi had seen rumors online about Zhang Yang, the owner of Desert Bicycle…

There were rumors that he was some kind of wealthy second-generation heir, and that his company was rented in a very prosperous but impractical district of Yanjing.

Shen Yi went to that place…

Only to find the office empty. The Universe Technology sign had already been taken down.

Later…

He found out that Zhang Yang’s company had moved.

It had moved into a cramped, narrow alleyway…

When Shen Yi walked into the alley and navigated through several twists and turns to reach a cluster of low-slung houses, he froze on the spot.

He took a deep breath.

The massive sense of disparity was truly hard for him to believe…

However, the glowing letters for Universe Technology were hanging by the door. The marks from the screws next to them indicated that the sign had only just been installed.

A thought suddenly surfaced in the depths of Shen Yi’s mind.

This guy…

He couldn’t really be trying to pull something out of thin air¹, could he?

When he stepped into the building, he immediately smelled an indescribable musty odor.

There was a worn-out sofa…

On a cluttered, old-fashioned desk sat five computers. While the computers weren’t terrible, they couldn’t compare to the ones at Mumaen Technology, not even the ones at their front desk!

The incandescent lights looked dim.

They cast a gloomy atmosphere over the entire living room. Even if all the windows were opened now, it didn’t seem like the sunlight would be able to penetrate the space.

“Thank you!”

A youth with disheveled hair and heavy dark circles under his eyes, looking like a severe internet addict, cautiously poured him a glass of plain water.

“It’s, it’s fine. President Zhang is in a meeting. Please wait a moment.”

“I know.”

“…”

The internet addict youth seemed a bit nervous, sitting on a stool not far away with an unnatural expression.

On the other side, a youth with a square face looked at him from time to time, his expression seemingly filled with an inexplicable sense of guilt.

“Is this where you made Desert Bicycle?”

“I… I don’t know. I just joined…” The youth shook his head.

“What part are you responsible for?”

“I… I’m in charge of game testing.”

“Oh. What did you do before this job?”

“I played games.”

“Uh… wait, are you Ge Shen?”

The moment Shen Yi looked at Ge Yumiao, he was suddenly stunned and asked subconsciously.

Wasn’t this the legendary expert who had been praised in the Desert Bicycle forums for clearing the game?

Though his appearance was unkempt, he was currently very popular on the forums and even within the gaming community.

“Uh, yes, Director Shen…”

“Zhang Yang recruited you?”

“Yeah…”

“Then this gentleman, you are…” Shen Yi paused, nodding instinctively, then looked at the other square-faced youth.

“I’m in charge of… system operations testing…” Zhao Song had almost said he made cheats, but then he remembered that he had been involved in developing multiple cheats for Mumaen Technology and was even one of the originators of their pirated versions. He instinctively shut his mouth.

That kind of thing…

If it really came out, he might get sued!

“Oh.”

Shen Yi didn’t think much of it. He just looked around and suddenly felt that although Zhang Yang’s team was small, it was fully equipped.

During the time until Zhang Yang emerged from his office, Shen Yi sat on the sofa drinking his water, his mind wandering as he pondered something.

About half an hour later.

Zhang Yang walked out of the office followed by three people.

“Wow, haha! Director Shen, what wind blew you here today? I was just saying that with the magpies chattering² away on the branches outside, a noble guest was bound to visit! Haha, Director Shen, your arrival truly makes my humble company shine with brilliance! Look, even the lights seem much brighter now, haha…”

“Mr. Zhang, you’re joking.” The moment Zhang Yang stepped out, Shen Yi felt a sensation like a refreshing spring breeze. Zhang Yang’s voice was very pleasant. Even though it was blatant flattery, and even though others said similar things, he had a way of making it sound incredibly pleasing, as if he were born with a natural charisma.

“Haha, I never joke. In fact, I have the utmost admiration for Director Shen. You’ve followed Mumaen Technology from its humble beginnings to its current glory. There have always been rumors in the industry about your keen eye for talent, and that you are President Liu’s indispensable right-hand man. To be honest, I admire you greatly. I feel you are a role model for us young people.”

“Mr. Zhang, cough, cough, not really. I just do my job…” Shen Yi found that Zhang Yang was the type who acted like an old friend immediately. The flattery came in one wave after another, making it difficult for him to fend off. While his ego was being stroked, he also felt a bit embarrassed. Yet, even if he wanted to find a flaw in Zhang Yang’s words, he couldn’t.

“Haha, Director Shen is too modest. In fact, I’ve wanted to meet you for a long time to chat about the future of the gaming industry. Actually, when I submitted my resume to Mumaen Technology back then, that was my intention. I felt that Director Shen was someone who used talent in an unconventional way. I keep your vision for the gaming industry, the one you mentioned in the Game Journal, right by my bed every day to remind myself…” As Zhang Yang spoke, he pulled out a copy of the Game Journal from his coat like a magic trick, his face beaming.

“Ah, this…” Shen Yi was stunned when he saw this.

“But unfortunately, perhaps my academic background really wasn’t good enough, and I was rejected. Even after that, I still lingered around Mumaen Technology every day, hoping to catch a glimpse of you and share my ideas. But every time, I missed you… Actually, we’re all just rejects, people no one wants…” Zhang Yang’s beaming face suddenly turned somber. He lowered his head and eventually turned away with a long, faint sigh.

“This… Mr. Zhang, it’s my fault. I wasn’t paying attention to the recruitment at that time…”

Shen Yi’s heart suddenly skipped a beat.

He felt a pang of distress and a strong sense of debt.

An image involuntarily surfaced in his mind!

This ambitious young man had tried everything to join his company. He had simply wanted to talk with him, to find an outlet for his overflowing talent!

But because his academic background wasn’t high enough, his talent went unrecognized, and he was forced to leave the stage in regret…

Even after leaving, he had waited at the gates of Mumaen every day. Yet, he could never catch a glimpse of the man he sought. Unable to express the ideas and ambitions buried deep in his heart, he finally had no choice but to grit his teeth and start his own business.

In the end, the market proved him right…

In reality!

Everyone has a fear of loss, especially someone like Shen Yi, who had spent years in the human resources department.

He absolutely could not stand seeing a talented individual slip through his fingers for some trivial reason, only to turn around and become a competitor.

The more capable the talent, the more damage they could inflict on the company once they became an opponent!

This kind of regret would haunt him for a very, very long time.

“It’s fine, Director Shen. Actually, we’re doing quite well now. We have our own team. Although funds are a bit tight, we can make do…” Zhang Yang managed a smile.

“You guys… you’re good…” Hearing this and looking at their current environment, Shen Yi felt even worse.

These people should have had a much better workplace, but because of his oversight…

Sigh…

……………………….

On the other side.

Zhong Chongwen and Zhao Hang were staring at Zhang Yang’s expression, absolutely stunned!

The Game Journal?

Kept by his bedside every day?

Since when did he keep it there?

If their memories served them correctly!

Just a few minutes ago, they were frantically helping Zhang Yang find an old issue of the Game Journal that featured Shen Yi.

After finding it, Zhang Yang complained that the magazine looked too new. He repeatedly rubbed it against the table to wear it down, then threw it on the floor and stepped on it a couple of times. Only after wiping off the dust did he carefully tuck it into his shirt against his chest, creating the illusion that he flipped through it every day…

And then…

Watching Shen Yi’s pained expression, they suddenly realized that Director Shen seemed to have fallen straight into a trap.

“Mr. Zhang, to be honest, I don’t have the final say in everything at the company anymore. As the company grows larger, many things aren’t the way they used to be.”

“Huh? Director Shen, a person as excellent and capable as you has things beyond your control? You are a founding member³, after all, aren’t you?” Zhang Yang suddenly sounded somewhat indignant.

“A founding member? Heh… Right, Mr. Zhang, I apologize on behalf of the company for its past actions. Now, Mr. Zhang, are you and your team still willing to join us? Come to my department. I won’t treat you poorly…”

“Director Shen, honestly, we all really want to join your company, but… do you actually have a say in the company right now?” Zhang Yang asked instinctively.

“I still have that much authority…” Shen Yi nodded, but then he suddenly remembered Liu Yun’s words and felt a sense of helplessness.

“Forget it, Director Shen. I often hear about founding members being gradually pushed out of the core of power. Mumaen Technology doesn’t really need people right now anyway, and our Universe Technology is operating quite well. Wait, my phone is ringing, let me take this… Oh, it looks like President Qiu from Dadi Company is calling…”

“…”

“…”

……………………….

Half an hour later.

Shen Yi left the company with a complex look in his eyes.

Before leaving, he said he would fight the company to get them the rights they deserved…

Zhang Yang looked very excited. He held Shen Yi’s hand for a long time, his enthusiasm never wavering.

The moment he left…

Zhang Yang’s expression instantly returned to a calm state.

“Brother Zhang, did President Qiu from Dadi Company really ask you out for dinner?”

“No…”

“Then you… competition creates value. It’s called holding out for the best price…”

“Are we really going to join Mumaen Technology?”

“How could that be possible…”

“Then why did you…”

“Old Zhong, from my conversation with Director Shen, I realized he’s actually quite frustrated. His philosophy likely clashes heavily with Mumaen’s current reform ideas. In his eyes, we are a group of promising young people. However, I think Mumaen Technology is at a critical stage of transitioning between the old and new guards. They definitely won’t allow us in. Even if we did get in, there wouldn’t be the positions we want…”

“So…”

“Given Shen Yi’s personality, he will go and fight for us. To fight for us, he’ll have to take a piece of someone else’s pie. The conflict will inevitably deepen. People can share hardships⁴ when they’re young, but sharing the rewards once they’ve achieved success is never that simple. I even suspect someone at Mumaen Technology wants to push Shen Yi out of the power center. This seems to be an inevitable trend in large companies; when new management comes in, the old must be purged. Looking ahead, falling out seems to be the trend. If we work hard and make our company more promising, our leverage will be greater. He wants to poach us, but who’s to say I don’t want to poach him?”

“…”

Hearing this, Zhao Hang let out a long, deep breath.

He suddenly felt as if Zhang Yang was someone standing in an abyss, especially with those eyes that seemed to see right through people’s hearts…

It was both admirable and terrifying.

“Of course, we need to plan for the future now and clearly define our roles and responsibilities. That way, we won’t have conflicts later. We must take the cautionary tales of other companies seriously! Old Zhao, don’t look at me like that… I won’t do anything to you guys. If you’re worried, we can sign a notarized contract right now…”

“No, no need, President Zhang. I didn’t mean anything else…”

“Mm, alright then… Huh? It looks like someone else has cleared all the tasks for the reward? I’ll go take a look…”

“…”

……………………….

Elsewhere.

In a hotel room.

A tall figure was playing Desert Bicycle on a laptop, aiming for the twenty-thousand-yuan reward.

She was very skilled.

Many tasks that were difficult for ordinary people, she cleared in a single attempt.

She progressed without any obstacles.

When she finished all the hidden levels, a faint smile appeared on her face.

This game…

It’s quite interesting.

As expected, there’s a reason it’s so popular.

Then…

She saw a string of Q-Dog numbers appear on the interface.

She hesitated for a moment before finally registering a new male Q-Dog account to add the contact.

“Congratulations! You are the first player to complete all the Hidden Quests. I am your Customer Service Xiao Wei…”

“…”

When she saw the avatar, her smile instantly froze.

(End of Chapter)

Translator’s Notes