Chapter 13
Zong Heng felt like she had been deceived.
On the plane from Yanjing to Z City, she took one last look back at this prosperous cage that had been settling for a thousand years, preparing to open a brand new chapter of true freedom.
However, the “epoch-making project” the referrer had mentioned turned out to be a gaming industry venture led by a freshly graduated bean sprout.
Wang Quan, this young big boss, had personally driven to pick her up, and it was only through her persistent pleading that Zong Heng didn’t turn around and leave on the spot.
What kind of places had Zong Heng frequented before?
The Ninth Bureau Research Institute in Yanjing, with armed guards within a ten-li radius; the E-Core Project’s 79th Division, passing through three layers of security control, with the studio located below sea level…
Calm, professional, efficient communication.
The people she had interacted with were all top-tier talents, like stars arranged in their own orbits, shining and operating the laws of the universe in an orderly manner.
The plane landed with a roar, and Z City had indeed given her a “surprise.”
A newly established company, a cobbled-together team, and a boss, Wang Quan, full of passion but clueless.
The only one who was somewhat interesting, Fang Yi, didn’t show up to pick her up on the first day, gloriously skipped work and went missing on the second, and on the third day, she was late by 27.04 seconds, barely making it through the door.
Rather than a team, Zong Heng scanned the office filled with laughter and felt more like she had joined some kind of gang.
“Morning,” Jiang Qiye said, approaching Zong Heng who was leaning against the bar. She brewed a cup of hand-ground coffee, her gaze following Zong Heng’s to Fang Yi, who had just entered.
Fang Yi hadn’t slept well last night. Although the dream with Lin Shuxing had been wonderful, she had slept on the table all night. When she woke up, her arm felt like an old TV screen full of static, numb and hard to control.
“Where are my things?”
She had only been gone for one day, but her original desk was empty. Even the power cord was gone. Fang Yi rubbed her face, wondering if she was still asleep.
The girl next to her covered her mouth and whispered, “There was a meeting upstairs yesterday. You got a promotion. You’re in the same office as the big boss, Zong Heng.”
The girl cast her a sympathetic look.
Zong Heng’s aura was too strong, and her reputation preceded her. They were all a little afraid of her.
Zong Heng?
This transfer was a bit inexplicable.
Although their technical expertise had a lot of overlap, Fang Yi leaned more towards software, while Zong Heng specialized in underlying logic and hardware.
Fang Yi looked up and met two scrutinizing gazes.
One was undisguised, shooting over like a knife. Zong Heng was holding a cup of tea, her face cold. She didn’t look like she was here to work, but more like she was attending a funeral. She looked at everyone as if they were dead.
The other gentle gaze came from Jiang Qiye. She was no longer young. After giving birth, she had taken a year of maternity leave, and her position at the head office had been taken over by a junior she had personally trained.
There was nothing to be done about it.
Wang Quan’s mother, Wang Hejun, had a long talk with her and sent her here. Ostensibly, it was to assist Wang Quan, but in reality, there was a deeper mission.
But no matter what, this vibrant building was both a challenge and an opportunity for her, the second-highest manager after Wang Quan.
Putting Fang Yi and Zong Heng together was her order.
“Fang Yi, morning.” Jiang Qiye waved, signaling for Fang Yi to come over.
“Good morning,” Fang Yi guessed it was her arrangement. Skipping work for a whole day without reason due to the mission’s punishment was indeed a bit much.
She rubbed her nose, walked over, and politely greeted Zong Heng, “Welcome aboard.”
Jiang Qiye smiled. “You know each other? I was just about to introduce you.”
Zong Heng sneered, “We’ve met.”
More than just met, Zong Heng had even cursed at her.
The paths of geniuses are always so similar. When they meet on a narrow road, there’s a chance they’ll kick each other.
Previously, when Zong Heng gave a speech at Z University, Fang Yi had asked a very tricky technical question, perfectly hitting a loophole Zong Heng hadn’t noticed, which embarrassed her in public.
But Fang Yi’s idea also had a fatal flaw. Zong Heng had publicly stated that Fang Yi’s idea “had no practical application value and was just a pile of useless fantasy.”
Wang Quan had skipped that lecture to go to a concert, so she naturally didn’t know about this friction between the two.
Zong Heng stared at Fang Yi with a provocative gaze. “Why did you come to develop games?”
Many people had asked this question.
After all, it wasn’t a perfect match for Fang Yi’s major. With her resume, she could have easily received a more valuable offer from a major company.
Fang Yi glanced at her strangely. “Senior, aren’t you here too?”
This project is clearly a scam! Just making a stupid game, why use a sledgehammer to crack a nut?
Zong Heng suppressed her anger and said unkindly, “I’m preparing to leave.”
Jiang Qiye held her cup quietly, hoping Fang Yi would say something. After all, she had put them together to create some kind of spark.
They had two genius-level cards in their hands. Zong Heng was too tense, and Fang Yi was too lax. Neither was in a good state.
Under Jiang Qiye’s expectant gaze, Fang Yi said, “Oh, I see. Your talents are indeed wasted here.”
Jiang Qiye’s smile froze.
Although Fang Yi said it sincerely, paired with her expressionless face, it had a faint, sarcastic tone.
Zong Heng snorted coldly, turned around, and went back to the office, slamming the door with a loud bang.
A few minutes later, Fang Yi, armed with snacks from her colleagues, pushed open the same door.
In the large office, their workspaces were clearly demarcated.
On Zong Heng’s side, all documents and files were categorized and labeled. A movable curved screen was placed in front of her custom ergonomic chair. All her equipment, down to the teacup, was a complete set air-freighted from Yanjing.
Fang Yi’s things had just been moved in yesterday and hadn’t been organized yet. Her desk was a mess, and a large shark plushie was lying on her swivel chair.
Fang Yi sat down, tidied up a bit, leaned against the soft shark, and opened a can of ice-cold Coke for herself.
“Tss—” The bubbling sound of the Coke was particularly loud in the quiet office.
The corner of Zong Heng’s eye twitched. She coldly put on her headphones, and the sound of her typing quickly drowned out the sound of the Coke.
Fang Yi’s morning was exceptionally relaxed. She developed a small tool for her own use for a while, went out for a walk, chatted with colleagues, helped troubleshoot a few problems, and by the time she came back, it was lunchtime.
Zong Heng had initially thought she might have been deceived into coming here too, but after observing her for a morning, she found that this person was clearly enjoying herself, just slacking off.
All form, no substance. A waste of talent, a waste of life!
She snorted coldly. Just as she was about to leave, she suddenly noticed a few files had been uploaded to the intranet, complete with user manuals.
They were auxiliary tools made by Fang Yi.
Zong Heng tested them carefully and found them to be quite useful, with no bugs.
Her expression softened slightly. She noticed that Fang Yi looked grim, typing something.
Sure enough, this person must be hiding her skills— Zong Heng shook her head and went to eat.
When she returned, Fang Yi was still toiling away at her computer, a stark contrast to her lazy demeanor in the morning.
Zong Heng narrowed her eyes and pretended to walk past casually, wanting to see what could make her so serious.
On the large screen was a personal vlog.
A charming woman with innocent, wide eyes was singing a children’s song sweetly to the camera.
Her glamorous looks were completely unsuited for this style, and perhaps because she was trying too hard, she looked—
to put it mildly, not very smart.
Zong Heng watched as Fang Yi, with a straight face, wrote a long comment amidst a sea of insults:
[Go Jiang Wan]: You sing very well. It reminds me of the horror stories my grandma used to tell me as a child. It feels very immersive, like the wind is already blowing on my face. Keep it up, Wan Bao, as long as you’re happy singing!
[Go Jiang Wan]: Just be yourself. I will always support you.
The little star even replied.
[Jiang Wan is Not Late V]: You’re here!! You’re the only one who understands my singing, wuwu, love you! Thank you for your support~
Understands?
Zong Heng: …?
Are you all sick?
This little star was another of Fang Yi’s side mission targets, the 18th-tier, obscure actress Jiang Wan.
Her true form was a fox.
It was said that spirits were not allowed to form after the founding of the nation. It probably wasn’t easy for Jiang Wan to get to where she was today.
Her greatest wish was to be liked by people, but unfortunately, she often bungled things up, and her efforts backfired. No matter what she did, she would be criticized.
Although Fang Yi got one point for every comment she made, making her a special kind of paid commenter, her support for the little fox was also partly genuine.
To fight and lose, and to fight again after losing, was that not worthy of admiration?
A knock suddenly sounded on the office door.
Zong Heng said, “Come in.”
An elegant and gentle woman, like a lily, gently pushed the door open, holding a beautiful floral-patterned lunch box.
She looked around and fixed her gaze on Zong Heng, who exuded the aura of a “tech elite.”
“Hello, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Duan Ruoxi, your fiancée’s number two backup wife.”
“I made some simple bento myself. If you don’t mind, please have a taste.”
The System instantly perked up. Fang Yi also peeked out from behind her workstation, thinking that Z City was truly a modern metropolis! There was even a… number two backup wife?
Meeting Zong Heng’s confused gaze, the woman said gently, “Please don’t misunderstand. I’m not here to break you up. I’m here to take care of this family.”
“I heard you have already gone through the wedding ceremony. I shouldn’t have appeared, but the young lady is seriously ill. Miss Shui Wuding speculates that perhaps on your side… there are some small problems.”
“The head of the house’s meaning is, the more the merrier. We can be together.”
Zong Heng: ?
Fang Yi’s smile disappeared: ?
She shot up. “Seriously ill? Are you talking about Lin Shuxing?”
The woman looked up, a little hesitant. “And you are?”
“Fang Yi.”
“Ah,” the woman let out a short gasp, her cheeks flushing. She immediately bowed to Zong Heng. “I’m sorry! I mistook you for someone else.”
Last night, Lin Shuxing had developed a high fever. The doctor and Shui Wuding had taken turns working on her, and it took half a day for her condition to stabilize.
Even the charlatan Shui Wuding couldn’t come up with a reason for this sudden illness.
Lin Lan didn’t accept ambiguous answers. To appease her, Shui Wuding could only say that perhaps Fang Yi’s fate was not strong enough to suppress it. Why not…
No one had ever said they could only find one person for a good-luck marriage.
Thus, Duan Ruoxi, the next candidate in line, arrived.
She had once suffered from a family genetic disease with a very high mortality rate but had miraculously recovered. And after spending her family’s fortune on treatment, she was in dire need of money, with a younger sister who had just started primary school.
Marrying into the Lin family to take care of a sickly little girl, easily earning a million a year, was truly a tempting offer.
In order to compete for the position and be worthy of the salary, Duan Ruoxi had even taught herself meridian massage and nutritional planning. Even if Lin Shuxing slapped her twice a day, she could still praise the young lady for being so lively.
Her service awareness was extremely strong.
After all, they were paying so much!!
Duan Ruoxi was also very tactful. After a brief conversation, she realized that Lin Shuxing probably had some feelings for Fang Yi, so she was willing to take a step back and show goodwill to Fang Yi, the “main wife.”
In truth, they didn’t have to sleep together. They were all just playing house. Why care so much about titles?
Duan Ruoxi was very open-minded. She just wanted money. She needed a lot of money.
Zong Heng didn’t know about all these twists and turns. Her eyes widened as if she had been struck by lightning.
She was a relatively conservative person. She looked at Duan Ruoxi in disbelief, then at Fang Yi, feeling her worldview being greatly impacted.
What does this mean? It’s the 21st century, and there’s still a case of two women serving one wife?!
At this point, Fang Yi’s image in her mind was completely smeared with colorful paint, pixelated, twitching and writhing in a kaleidoscope of colors.
Hearing that Lin Shuxing was seriously ill, Fang Yi immediately took leave. Before leaving, she reminded them to message her if there were any problems; she would handle work matters at night.
However, when they rushed back to the Lin family’s house, they saw a young lady with a single purple earring blocking Lin Shuxing’s door, throwing a tantrum and not allowing anyone to get close.
“Who let you torment her like this? What is all this feudal superstition? If anything happens to Shuxing, I’ll have you all buried with her!”
“What’s all this nonsense about older sister, younger sister? I’m her childhood friend! Tell those wild women to get lost! It’s so annoying, day after day. Let her rest properly, okay?”
The person she was blocking from the door was none other than Lin Qingwan.
That “older sister, younger sister” was clearly aimed at her.
Lin Qingwan acted as if she didn’t understand her pointed remark and smiled sweetly. “Who are you? I’ve never heard my sister mention you.”
The young lady retorted, “That’s because you’ve spent too little time together. Of course you haven’t heard of me.”
[Wow! So many people!]
The System was full of excitement, counting on its fingers: [One fiancée, one backup candidate, one childhood friend, one younger sister! Enough for a game of mahjong!]
A silent war of smoke filled the air. The butler, caught in the middle, wiped her sweat and tried to say something to ease the atmosphere.
When she caught sight of Fang Yi also arriving, the butler cried out inwardly. She had just cleared her throat, preparing to invite this group of deities to the lounge, when she saw Fang Yi calmly walk past the two confronting each other and wave her hand magnanimously:
“Make way. Don’t block the path. The patient’s family is here.”
