Chapter 58: Darkness and Dawn (Part 1)

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd.

Song Qingqing stared blankly at Zhang Yang.

He was as handsome as ever.

But he was no longer immature; every word and action revealed a sense of weathered maturity.

He was confident!

Facing this diverse crowd of reporters and skeptics, his confidence seemed ingrained in his very bones, as if nothing in this world could ever crush him.

His voice was equally infectious. Despite the massive crowd at the entrance, the moment he spoke into the megaphone, every eye focused solely on him.

He neither denied the unsavory incidents of his past nor cared about the insults that occasionally punctuated the air.

It was as if…

His heart was made of iron!

Song Qingqing suddenly felt a sharp pang of sorrow.

It felt like that senior was still there.

And yet, that senior seemed to be gone forever.

They shared the same high spirits.

But!

He was no longer as pure as he once was.

Back then, he said he wanted to get into the Law Department at Yanjing University and become a respected lawyer.

He said that aiming for the top score in the college entrance exams was something worth striving for…

He had also said that university was a place he truly yearned for. He wanted to know what university life was really like; he had heard it was vast, spacious, and beautiful.

The students who attended tutoring sessions with him all respected him, viewing him as an idol while being swept up in the beautiful dream of university life he had painted for them.

And now…

He seemed to have abandoned his former beliefs.

He appeared to have no interest in being a lawyer anymore.

In front of the cameras, he talked at length about education issues, about games, and about the future of Universe Technology, his voice drowning out the insults.

Many people lost interest and walked away grumbling.

However, some stayed behind, listening to what Zhang Yang had to say.

Song Qingqing lowered her head.

Her heart ached.

She didn’t know what Zhang Yang had actually gone through during the time after he dropped out.

But it could never be as simple as the casual words he spoke: “My dad had gambling debts and used my ID as collateral¹ when I just turned eighteen, which made my life miserable, and I occasionally went hungry.”

Just imagine.

A young man with a limitless future, someone who could have been the center of attention, was suddenly told his future was severed. He was plunged into an abyss in an instant, facing nothing but darkness, pain, and a ruined life…

Then!

Just how desperate must he have been!

God!

He had truly been dealt a terrible, wretched hand!

The world had tried to crush him completely!

And just when he had finally managed to crawl back up, it was trying to heartlessly shove him back down again!

…………………………

“Zhang… Brother Zhang?”

“Is that Brother Zhang? Oh my god, it’s him! Mom, it’s him!”

“I didn’t dare tell you before, but actually, the person who tutored me and taught me how to solve problems in my first two years of high school was him…”

“I was afraid you wouldn’t believe in him. Actually, I didn’t find a professional tutor; I found Senior Brother Zhang!”

“Without the foundation he built for me, I never would have gotten into Tsinghua University²…”

“The students he taught, even the worst of them are in undergraduate programs now… Yes, it’s him!”

“He couldn’t possibly be a deadbeat. There’s absolutely no reason for him to be a deadbeat!”

“…”

In Hangzhou.

A young man was browsing the internet.

When he saw a news headline claiming “Zhang Yang is a deadbeat,” he froze instantly.

It felt familiar!

Subconsciously, he clicked on the link.

He read the text report online.

He was stunned.

Memories quickly flooded back from several years ago!

He jumped up in excitement, ran out of his room, and started shouting at his parents who were watching TV!

His parents were shocked.

“What?”

“Brother Zhang has appeared! He didn’t go to university… I knew there was something strange about him dropping out back then. Why did he just leave so suddenly? Qingqing is in Yanjing; I have to call her! She went to work at Brother Zhang’s company and didn’t even tell me…”

The parents looked at their agitated son.

When they heard the name Qingqing, they became excited as well.

Qingqing.

She was their son’s good friend from high school.

She was a very hardworking and excellent student. Their son and Qingqing had stayed in touch throughout university.

They had hoped their son and Qingqing would end up together and often encouraged him to talk to her more.

“No!”

“I have to testify for Brother Zhang. I’m one of those people!”

“Yes, I have to prove it for him. Mom, where is my student ID?”

“Wait, my word alone isn’t enough. I need to contact the others so we can help prove it together!”

“…”

They watched as their son rushed back into his room…

From inside the room, they heard the sound of a phone dialing.

…………………………..

Late at night.

The reporters had all dispersed.

Inside Universe Technology, Zhang Yang had the company doors closed and walked inside.

Zhong Chongwen, Zhao Hang, Ge Yumiao, Qian Cai, and the others all looked at Zhang Yang.

“Let’s have a meeting!”

Zhang Yang left them with a smile and turned to walk toward the conference room alone.

They looked at each other.

Ultimately, they chose to follow…

On the internet, the wave of insults continued. Their company had even received a notice to temporarily take down Beat the Grass Mud Horse, while Desert Bicycle had entered a review process by the relevant authorities to determine if the game’s operations involved pyramid schemes or fraud.

At this moment…

Everyone’s mood was terrible. These works were their lifeblood!

They were the dreams they had worked for day and night!

Now, all that effort seemed to be going down the drain!

If they were truly labeled as a pyramid scheme or a fraud, then their newly established Universe Technology might collapse instantly.

President Zhang?

Everyone looked at Zhang Yang’s back, their hearts heavy with sorrow.

Everyone in the company understood that President Zhang was the one hit hardest by this situation.

At most, they would just have to find another company; there were other jobs out there.

But President Zhang…

The public opinion online was increasingly giving off the feeling that Zhang Yang’s reputation was completely ruined.

Looking at the attitude of the online gaming community, everyone wanted to crush him, to blacklist him!

One could foresee that after Universe Technology went bankrupt, it would be impossible for him to work in the gaming industry again. He might not even be able to stay in Yanjing.

He had no way out!

They walked into the conference room and sat down with heavy hearts.

Song Qingqing brewed a cup of tea for each of them and sat down beside Zhang Yang, clutching her notebook with a serious expression.

Before the meeting could even begin…

Ge Yumiao and Qian Cai’s phones started ringing.

They instinctively took out their phones and stepped out to answer.

To their surprise, the calls were from Dadi Company.

They were bewildered.

Why was Dadi Company calling them?

“You’re offering me eight thousand a month?”

“Do you know how much President Zhang gives me?”

“Ten thousand a month. You have the nerve to try and headhunt me for eight thousand?”

“Are you sick in the head?”

“Bullshit! President Zhang lied to me? I’ve already received my salary in hand, alright! He lied to me by giving me money? What’s wrong with you?”

“…”

Ge Yumiao was shouting into the phone.

He cursed Dadi Company, calling them insane and moronic.

Then he returned to the conference room and blocked the number.

Qian Cai returned at the same time.

Once they sat down, both of them seemed to realize something, their spirits jolting as they looked up at Zhang Yang, who was busy organizing his materials.

At a time when President Zhang was most strapped for cash and burdened with massive debt, he never thought about paying back his own debts first. Instead, he had prioritized paying their salaries and fulfilling his promises…

He had even!

Given them their bonuses from the game’s profits!

In that moment…

They felt an indescribable lump in their throats.

President Zhang truly cared about them!

After Zhang Yang finished organizing his things at his seat, he silently watched the lights outside the window.

One after another, the others also received calls.

Most of these calls were from Mumaen Technology or Dadi Technology, with a small portion coming from Lianzhong Computer…

The terms they offered varied, but in the current market, they seemed very generous.

They had only one goal: to poach the staff.

Zhang Yang suddenly started laughing.

He found it quite ironic.

He was just a small fry. Was it really necessary to go to such great lengths to crush him?

Just as they finished their calls, Zhang Yang received a call from Mumaen himself.

He was puzzled.

“Hello?”

“President Zhang, can we talk?”

“Oh, President Liu. Hello.” Zhang Yang was all smiles, remaining warm, but he no longer addressed Liu Ruohan with formal honorifics.

“President Zhang, I still hope to acquire your company and team. Name your price!”

“…”

“President Zhang, I know your company is in a difficult position right now. However, I can help you resolve all the debt issues facing your company and yourself. In fact, I admire you very much. I don’t think your story should end like this!” On the other end of the line, the voice sounded urgent.

“I appreciate the sentiment, President Liu, but there’s no need.” Zhang Yang was still smiling.

“President Zhang, this is no time to be emotional or stubborn. I’ve received word that Lianzhong Computer is going to destroy you…”

“Will they send assassins to kill me?”

“Well, no. This is a society ruled by law, after all. Those messy things from novels don’t happen…”

“Will they poison me?”

“Probably not. Lianzhong Technology is a major brand, and they have plans to list in the US in the future. They can’t afford that kind of low-class stain, and honestly, they have no reason to go that far…”

“Then I can rest easy. I won’t die, and as for the internet and public opinion, it doesn’t really matter…”

“…”

After Zhang Yang finished speaking, he hung up, ignoring Liu Ruohan’s attempts to persuade him further.

Then, he looked at everyone in the conference room.

“Is everyone finished with their calls? If so, please set your phones to silent. Everyone is going to have to work hard with me tonight to get the template for the new game ready…” Zhang Yang’s smile grew even brighter as he looked at the group. “We shouldn’t feel hurt or angry because parents reported us. We need to use that momentum. We must leverage every bit of power we can! Parents care most about their children’s education; they all want their kids to win at the starting line. So, we’ll give them a ‘starting line’ game product. This is a massive cake… In a way, we actually have to thank them for reporting us!”

“Alright, now let’s talk about the settings for the student version of the God of Conquest system!”

“First, there’s the fun social English interaction system…”

“Then the math integration system. Most children like stories about princes and princesses, so in the final level, we’ll create a dragon boss. To defeat the boss, they’ll need to gather equipment…”

“And that equipment – like stones, swords, weapons, shops… for these items in the game, the children must input the English words to buy them. When they type the English, they’ll hear a voice prompt three times… This will repeatedly reinforce their memory. We’ll aim for the children to be able to speak and write a passage of English by the end of a single sub-level…”

“Also, in the interactions with virtual characters, the little boys and girls will all speak in English. Mm, and text too. We’ll have to figure out the specifics of how to keep it from becoming just an ‘English game’ while increasing the fun. In short, if the children want to become friends with the virtual characters to collect equipment, defeat the dragon, and save the princess or prince, they must increase their favorability with those characters…”

“Next is the math and natural science popularization system…”

“…”

In the conference room.

Zhang Yang spoke with great enthusiasm to everyone about the future of this game.

He spoke seriously, and with a clear system in mind.

It was as if…

He was always this full of vitality!

………………….

On the other side, at Mumaen Technology.

Several employees from the HR department looked at one another, their expressions filled with uncertainty.

“Did Zhang Yang really offer ten thousand a month? And they’re actually taking home even more than that?”

“Is that for real?”

“I don’t believe it!”

“Wait, something’s not right. He’s a deadbeat debtor, where would he get that kind of money?”

“The money probably came from the games. Those two titles were huge hits for indie games. They might not have made millions, but several hundred thousand is definitely possible.”

“I heard that everyone who worked on the games gets a cut of the profits?” One employee wearing glasses leaned in after hanging up a call, his voice wavering between skepticism and belief.

“Are you serious? I don’t buy it. You’re saying they get a base salary plus commissions? If that’s true, their pay is two or three times mine!” another employee added, setting down their phone.

“I also heard Zhang Yang promised them they’d own a house in Yanjing within five years.”

“Is that company insane?”

“???”

“A house in Yanjing… if that’s true, then I…” Even though it was unrealistic, the employee with glasses couldn’t help but drift into a fantasy.

“Stop dreaming. We don’t even know if Zhang Yang can survive this crisis. The internet is still flooded with people cursing him out, and his games have been taken down! What future does a company like that have? Mark my words, those people will be crawling back here in a few days.”

“I guess you’re right… wait, hold on. It looks like people are starting to speak up for Zhang Yang online? Wait! It seems to be true! Was Zhang Yang actually a top-tier student back in the day? Huh, he changed his name? He used to be called Zhang Lin? Heavens, was his tutoring really that miraculous? I don’t believe it!”

“There’s a personal statement here too…”

“…”

(End of Chapter)

Translator’s Notes