Chapter 37: Why Is It You? (Part 2)

Life is full of chance encounters.

Some are just fleeting glances where you don’t know who he is, and she doesn’t know who you are…

Brushing past one another, each going your separate ways.

But some encounters…

They happen a second time.

Her dark, beautiful hair was pulled back into an exceptionally neat, high ponytail. Wearing black-rimmed circular glasses, she looked very sophisticated. Her features were pure and her smile was radiant, yet her slender figure beneath the long skirt and her towering curves were enough to make anyone stare. With a lollipop in her mouth, she looked so adorable that for a moment, Zhang Yang felt like he was looking at a beautiful “meganekko¹” straight out of a manga.

However…

At this moment, he wasn’t attracted by her beauty.

All he felt was shock!

The kind of shock that makes your heart stop!

This was exactly what his Q-Dog customer service avatar, Xiao Wei, looked like!

This was the photo of the internet beauty he had used to swindle and fool all those shut-ins!

My avatar… how the hell did it jump out and become a real person!

“Mr. Zhang, what’s wrong?” Liu Ruohan sat down across from Zhang Yang and lightly crossed her legs. Her posture was formal, but her clear, large eyes were brimming with amusement.

“President… President Liu!”

Normally, Zhang Yang could remain calm even if Mount Tai collapsed before him. He was the type who could swindle a god if he met one, but right now, he felt like he’d turned into Zhong Chongwen.

He was stuttering for no reason, and his mind was a terrifying blank.

He was actually panicking!

He was so flustered that his eyes instinctively darted toward the floor.

Hmm…

He saw a pair of cute white sneakers.

And above those sneakers, those delicate legs…

“Mr. Zhang, are you shocked by my beauty? It’s normal. I’ve been used to it since I was a child…” Liu Ruohan’s watery eyes continued to sparkle as she stared at Zhang Yang. She watched his gaze drop down and then snap back up.

“President Liu, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Your arrival has made my humble… oh, wait, my arrival has made your humble… cough, is it ‘graced with your presence’?” Zhang Yang gradually forced himself to calm down and reached out his hand. But as soon as the words left his mouth, he wanted to slap himself.

What is wrong with me?

Is my tongue tied?

I couldn’t have actually caught Old Zhong’s stuttering, could I?

“Pfft! Yes! Mr. Zhang, your arrival has indeed graced my office with its presence. Look, the whole office is much brighter now…” This was the first time Liu Ruohan had seen Zhang Yang like this. She couldn’t help but chuckle. If the setting weren’t so formal, she probably would have burst out laughing.

Click.

She turned on the fluorescent lights in the meeting room, making the space even brighter, then blinked at Zhang Yang.

Talk about brightening up the room.

Last night, in her memory, this guy had been talking circles around Mendeleev, acting as if nothing in the world could stump him. But now, this guy…

He seemed quite embarrassed.

“Cough, cough… President Liu, my apologies. I’m just a guy from a small town. Seeing how beautiful you are, like someone out of a painting, with a figure better than a model’s, especially… cough. Anyway, for a moment there, I actually felt a sense of inferiority…” Zhang Yang took a deep breath and finally looked at Liu Ruohan. He deliberately looked her over once more, his eyes full of admiration.

In truth, he was still clinging to a sliver of hope.

“So, that’s why your company used my photo to swindle people?” Liu Ruohan continued to blink at Zhang Yang, cutely licking her lollipop.

“This… President Liu, I admit there was an element of offense involved. However, I don’t accept the term ‘swindling’!”

“Oh? So you don’t consider it an infringement?”

“President Liu is so beautiful she could be called the greatest beauty in three thousand years. As the saying goes, everyone has an appreciation for beauty. When I saw your photo, I was shocked that such a beautiful and pure girl existed in this world. My heart raced, I fell for you instantly and couldn’t pull myself out. My mind was filled with your smile. My admiration for you is like the surging waters of a great river, endless and overflowing like the Yellow River… Because I admired you so much, I wanted more people to see your beauty. How can that be considered infringement?” Zhang Yang stared at Liu Ruohan, shamelessly piling on the flattery.

“Stop, stop! Mr. Zhang…” Liu Ruohan was so overwhelmed by the flattery that her face turned slightly red. She hurriedly called for a halt.

How is this man like this!

Where is he even going with this?

Where did that embarrassed look from a moment ago go?

It’s like he’s a completely different person!

“President Liu, I hope you can understand us. While I may have been disrespectful or slightly offensive, we are just a small startup team. Nothing is easy for us. Perhaps you’ve lived a life of luxury since childhood and don’t understand our hardships. Games are our life, our everything. We rack our brains for a single game, we stay up for a single coding error, we…” After the flattery, Zhang Yang immediately shifted gears. His expression transformed instantly to one of hardship and sorrow, even hinting at the desolation of the impoverished. He even let out a soft sigh and lowered his head.

He looked the picture of someone driven to desperation.

“Zhang Yang, can you stop acting?” Liu Ruohan was stunned by his quick change of face. She suspected that if necessary, he could probably produce tears and snot on the spot!

“President Liu, everything I say comes from the bottom of my heart. Besides, I never visit without a reason. Coming here today, I have truly encountered the most difficult and darkest moment of my life…” Zhang Yang didn’t feel the slightest bit of shame. Instead, he maintained his bitter, aggrieved expression, looking deeply emotional.

This President Liu looked so young and naive.

Maybe…

A bit of a tragic performance would win her sympathy?

“It’s because you bought a cheap server, isn’t it?” Liu Ruohan pushed up her glasses and looked at Zhang Yang.

“You understand, a team like ours…”

“According to my data, you made quite a bit of money from Desert Bicycle, didn’t you? It might not be enough for other things, but buying a server shouldn’t be a problem.” Liu Ruohan interrupted him.

“How can you call it ‘making money’? We really don’t have enough…” Zhang Yang quickly shook his head, continuing to play the victim, his voice sounding a bit wronged.

“Zhang Yang, let’s be blunt. I can rent the servers to you for temporary use, but I have one condition…”

“What condition? Please, tell me…”

“Although I’ve always had my doubts about your personal character, I do admire your ability. Our company has always been hungry for talent. If possible, I’d like your team to come over. I’ll set up a dedicated development group specifically for you. Backed by Mumaen, you’ll have the resources to realize your grandest ambitions without ever facing server crashes like this again. Or, alternatively, we could invest in your company…”

“Oh, President Liu, you’re doing this? I’m truly overwhelmed… What have I done to deserve such favor from you? I feel like my ancestors’ graves must be emitting auspicious smoke²!” Zhang Yang was instantly overjoyed.

“Ha, of course. People with talent always have a chance to shine here.”

“Oh my, then how much could you offer my team? Or rather, how much would you pay me?”

“One million a year. What do you think? As for your team, they’ll be paid according to our internal salary scales…”

“Good heavens, President Liu! Not only are you beautiful, but you’re also kind-hearted. You’re practically the Goddess of Mercy, Guanyin³, descending to save the suffering. You’re the Goddess Athena reborn… President Liu! On behalf of my team, I thank you…”

“Haha, Mr. Zhang… there’s no need for that.” Liu Ruohan couldn’t help but laugh at Zhang Yang’s antics.

She had expected that signing Zhang Yang would require a lot of persuasion, but she hadn’t expected him to fold the moment she mentioned a million.

Then again, a million a year was an absolute top-tier salary these days!

For a startup team like Zhang Yang’s, who could possibly resist?

“President Liu, I’m truly flattered. But if you sign our team like this, won’t there be objections within your company?”

“There will be some, more or less. But don’t worry, those are minor issues. As long as you produce results in the future, none of that will be a problem…”

“No! President Liu, the moment I saw you, I felt like I’d found a true kindred spirit. At the same time, I see you as the goddess of my heart. President Liu, I’m a man of ambition. I can’t just accept your kindness for nothing. Wouldn’t that be like living off a woman⁴? That won’t do! How about this: once my new game shows some results, we’ll talk about signing. That way, even when we join, we won’t be disgracing your keen eye for talent…”

“Fair enough!” Looking at Zhang Yang’s expression, Liu Ruohan nodded with a smile.

In that moment…

She actually found herself admiring the man a little.

“Then about the servers…”

“Go ahead and take the servers for now.”

“Wonderful! Thank you for your great kindness, President Liu… President Liu, please let me look at you just a moment longer. I think you’re truly beautiful. If the gap in our status wasn’t so vast, I would surely become your loyal knight and protect you for a lifetime…”

“You… Zhang Yang, stop saying such weird things. Just go… take my authorization slip and get it processed.” Liu Ruohan’s face turned beet red, and she instinctively waved him away.

“Understood! Thank you, President Liu! I wish you more beauty every day, constant laughter, and eternal youth…”

“…”

“…”

After Zhang Yang left, Liu Ruohan, who had been forcing herself to stay composed, felt her entire face burning.

What was wrong with that man’s mouth!

How could he say such bizarre things…

Wishing her more beauty, eternal youth, and calling himself a knight.

The knight of my heart would have to be incredibly outstanding and handsome, okay?

You’re nowhere near that!

………………………………

A few minutes later.

Shen Yi walked into Liu Ruohan’s office and saw her processing documents.

He noticed the acquisition contract was blank.

“President Liu, you didn’t sign the acquisition?”

“No. He felt that joining now would cause controversy in the company. He wants to achieve some results before coming over…”

“What? He didn’t sign?”

Shen Yi frowned.

For some reason…

He felt like something was off.

Based on his understanding of Zhang Yang, the man didn’t seem like the type to prioritize pride and self-esteem like that.

Wait, could it be…

A possibility suddenly occurred to him, and his eyes widened.

“President Liu, did he explicitly say he would join our company after the game produces results?”

“He did, but… wait, it seems he didn’t say it directly? Hold on, that guy wouldn’t be playing word games with me, would he?”

………………………………

Two hours later.

Universe Technology’s official website finally returned to normal.

Players eagerly rushed back into the fray.

Liu Ruohan downloaded Beat the Grass Mud Horse.

As she opened the game, Zhang Yang’s strange words were still echoing in her mind…

“In the future world, the battle between humans and extraterrestrial beings has reached a fever pitch.”

“This is a long, drawn-out, and desperate campaign.”

“In this campaign…”

“All of humanity’s modern equipment has been destroyed. The once countless oases have turned into deserts where yellow sands dance. Nuclear radiation and monsters are everywhere. Humans huddle in safe zones, trembling with fear. Among them, the most terrifying desert is named the Salaha…”

“…”

Huh?

Isn’t this the opening to Desert Bicycle?

Liu Ruohan stared blankly at the opening cinematic of Desert Bicycle. A protagonist riding a bicycle reached the finish line under the gaze of a crowd.

Just after getting off the bike, the items on the back seat suddenly emitted a puff of green smoke. Then, she saw the protagonist undergo a mutation. His entire body turned purple, and his muscles began to bulge…

(Think: Dad ‘n Me⁵)

“Our protagonist has mutated!”

Then…

The game animation panned to the distance…

She saw a grassland…

And then!

She saw a group of strange-looking creatures that looked like a cross between a dog and a human-headed horse, biting a rat.

And the first horse seemed to be…

Wait!

This is…

“A dog catching a rat—meddling in other people’s business⁶?”

There was even dialogue?

“You can’t take the Cat-Horse⁷‘s things!”

“Don’t you know this is copyright infringement?”

“Then why did you catch the cat’s mouse? Don’t you realize that doing something like that would trouble the cat?”

“You…”

“…”

Looking at these lines of dialogue!

Liu Ruohan felt a sense of déjà vu…

Then, she instinctively opened Q-Dog to check her chat history with Zhang Yang…

They weren’t just similar; they were exactly the same!

Her eyes widened!

She was so furious she gritted her teeth!

“Zhang Yang!”

(End of Chapter)

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Translator’s Notes

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1. meganekko: A term borrowed from Japanese ACG (Anime, Comic, and Games) culture, referring to a character trope defined by wearing glasses. In the original Chinese text, the term used is ‘yanjing niang’ (眼镜娘), which carries the same connotation of a girl whose attractiveness is defined or enhanced by her eyewear. ↩
2. ancestors’ graves must be emitting auspicious smoke: A common Chinese idiom (祖坟冒青烟) used to describe a stroke of incredible luck or a sudden rise in fortune. It stems from the traditional belief in feng shui and ancestral merit, where a physical sign at a family burial site indicates that the ancestors’ accumulated virtue is finally manifesting as a blessing for their descendants. ↩
3. Goddess of Mercy, Guanyin: Guanyin is the Bodhisattva of Compassion in Chinese Buddhism. Zhang Yang uses her full formal title, “Saviour from Suffering and Distress” (jiùkǔ jiùnàn), which is typically reserved for serious religious invocations. By applying it to a business favor, he uses hyperbolic flattery to emphasize his gratitude. ↩
4. living off a woman: The original Chinese phrase is “eating soft rice” (吃软饭 – chī ruǎnfàn). It is a common idiom used to describe a man who is financially supported by a woman, often carrying a derogatory connotation of lacking masculinity or ambition. Zhang Yang uses it here to explain why he wants to earn his position through merit. ↩
5. Dad ‘n Me: This refers to the 2005 Newgrounds Flash game Dad ‘n Me. In China, it was widely known as “Kuángbiǎn Xiǎopéngyǒu” (Violently Beating Little Children). The mention clarifies that the game Zhang Yang developed, Beat the Grass Mud Horse, adopts the same side-scrolling brawler gameplay and distinct, exaggerated art style as the original Flash game. ↩
6. A dog catching a rat—meddling in other people’s business: A translation of the Chinese idiom gou na haozi, duo guan xian shi. It is used to criticize someone for interfering in matters that are not their concern, based on the cultural trope that catching rats is a cat’s responsibility, not a dog’s. The game uses literal dog-like creatures to parody a previous argument between the characters. ↩
7. Cat-Horse: A literal translation of maoma. Within the game’s parody, this hybrid creature represents the “cat” from the “dog catching a rat” idiom. The name reflects the game’s absurd character designs, which combine different animal and human features to mock the protagonist’s real-life interactions. ↩