Chapter 5: The Savior
Chapter 5: The Savior
Night had deepened.
The clamor outside the house finally settled into silence.
As a recent university graduate, Zhong Chongwen’s heart was a tumult of emotions.
He tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
Outside the window of the old house, pale moonlight spread softly, its glow serene and lonely, the distant horizon shrouded in endless mystery, leading to an unknown destination.
This day…!
He had experienced so much.
The anticipation and prospects of starting work, the harsh blows of reality, the shame and disappointment over his physical shortcomings…
In the end…
He heard Zhang Yang’s voice again—like a devil’s seductive melody—which stirred his blood to boil with battle fervor in the depths of despair.
Even now, recalling it still ignited a rush of passionate excitement.
In truth,
Who in this world does not desire recognition?
Who does not yearn for respect?
“I think this sounds a bit like a pyramid scheme…” On the other side of the creaky wooden bed, Zhao Hang suddenly spoke up, his voice laden with complexity. “If it’s really impossible to make it in Yanjing, maybe I should just leave…”
Zhao Hang had long experienced the warmth and coldness of human nature.
In a way, he had always maintained a wary attitude toward humanity.
When chatting with Zhang Yang, Zhang’s words stirred his blood, making him want to charge headlong!
But once calmness returned, reason always prevailed.
Dreams might be splendid, ideas beautiful, but reality…
Zhang Yang’s approach was undoubtedly a classic con: promising the world with nothing but empty talk. Yet before them lay several inescapable problems…
“He has no money, no skills, doesn’t even understand basic programming. There’s not a single decent computer in this whole house, and even the mouse isn’t optical—it’s one of those old ball-type mice… We all know those are obsolete!” Zhao Hang’s frown deepened. “Sure, we’re university graduates, but we’re not toddlers… A 100,000 yuan annual salary sounds tempting, but what can he actually offer? If he had that kind of money, why was he begging for a job this morning?”
“Hmm, seems like that…”
“Well, let’s just wait for the call. I’m already suspicious about those phone recordings. I think they could be faked…”
“Mm.”
The fiery enthusiasm that had burned within Zhong Chongwen was instantly doused, leaving him chilled to the bone.
Reality shattered all illusions.
It was as if a dream had been broken.
Upon reflection, he suddenly felt it was all too true.
They had just met Zhang Yang…
Zhang seemed candid with them.
But…
That honesty was built on the premise that he had deceived them into coming here.
A 100,000 yuan annual salary!
One of the world’s top ten gaming companies?
Who among them is not spinning a grand tale, who is not trying to deceive?
He glanced around the dilapidated room.
…
Morning came.
When Zhang Yang woke, he found the neighboring room empty.
Then, he saw a letter.
It read: “Sorry, after careful consideration, we have decided to wait a little longer for a call from the other side…”
Zhang’s expression suddenly went blank. He stared at the door in silence for a long time.
Finally, a faint smile of acceptance appeared on his face.
A ray of sunlight shone upon him.
He was not disappointed.
…
He had been mentally prepared for many things.
After all…
Why should they believe him?
Why would they trust him?
No matter how well you speak, no matter how grand your promises, you cannot change the fact that you have nothing.
People need to eat!
Zhang Yang sighed helplessly, rubbed his hollow stomach, then turned around to make himself an instant noodle cup while pondering his next plan.
Before him remained one crucial problem:
Money.
Money makes the world go round; without it…
What can you do without money?
“What can I do to make money in 2005?”
“2005 is such an awkward time… The internet isn’t well-developed yet, no so-called influencers, only a bunch of nonconformists; streaming celebrities aren’t a thing yet, but counterfeit phones are starting to sprout—soon there will be tech companies making knockoffs.”
“Right now, shopping is mostly through TV ads; online shopping exists but isn’t widespread.”
“But all this is far from me. Even if I wanted to sell something, I’d need some capital…”
“I could be a plagiarist, sure, but the problem is I only know how to sing now—I can’t compose or write lyrics…”
“Even if I did, no one would care, and I wouldn’t have access anyway…”
“In fact, the only thing I can do for now is stand at the forefront of the gaming industry!”
…
Zhang Yang sat in his room, deep in thought for a long time.
Finally, he stood up and took a long breath.
Still hungry, he approached the desk hesitantly, then took out his notebook and opened it to the plan.
“Step one: make a game!”
“Step two: sell the game!”
“Step three: make money!”
…
As he read the steps—game design, art, programming, operations—he squinted.
He broke down each step slowly.
In truth, aside from possessing knowledge of future gaming trends from his previous world, he knew nothing and understood nothing.
His mood sank again.
But after a while, his gaze fixed on the words “register a company.”
He narrowed his eyes.
When he opened them again, his expression was resolute, a faint curve playing at the corner of his lips.
“This is the path I’ll take!”
Then he took out a taped-up resume.
After studying it for a moment, a smile appeared.
…
“Sorry, all positions have been filled.”
“Sorry, please try other companies.”
“Mr. Zhong, do you have an appointment? If not, please leave…”
…
The day after the job fair ended, Zhong Chongwen and Zhao Hang received no calls.
Still holding onto hope, they visited those companies in person.
But by sunset, their only companions were disappointment and despair.
Sitting outside the big companies, they watched the bustling crowds not far away…
People seemed busy, each with their own affairs.
And they felt like outsiders—two oddities not accepted by the city.
“He didn’t lie to us!”
When utterly disheartened, Zhao Hang suddenly lowered his head, recalling Zhang Yang’s words and…
That recording.
Every word in the recording pierced their hearts.
At that moment, he felt as bitter as swallowing wormwood.
As for Zhong Chongwen, he kept his head down, silent.
A fire still burned within him, teeth clenched tightly.
“Maybe… maybe I should just… just work with Zhang Yang!”
That’s what he thought.
Yet now…
He felt that returning meant losing face, and Zhang Yang might not even want him.
Lost in these conflicted thoughts…
“Human nature’s weakness is never turning back until hitting a wall.”
“Much of this is loss aversion…”
“After all these years of hard study, everyone wants a mentor to recognize them, everyone wants to join a big company, because only a big company lets you truly spread your wings!”
“But…”
…
Suddenly, he heard a familiar voice.
He jerked his head up.
Zhao Hang stared blankly toward a direction, his eyes complex.
Under the sunset, Zhang Yang, chewing gum and carrying a briefcase, walked steadily toward them.
Bathed in the sunset’s glow, he seemed to radiate a faint light.
“Now you believe, right?”
“Zhang… Zhang, how did you…”
“Oh, I’m here to register the company and interview another colleague named Wu Zhuang… oh, here he comes.”
Zhang turned to the side, where a seemingly simple, tall man holding a resume was walking toward him.
“Are you going to sit here wallowing in self-pity and blaming fate, or get in the car with me and fight for survival back at the company?”
…
A taxi stopped by the roadside.
Zhang sat in the passenger seat, looking at the two.
That day.
Under a sky painted with evening glow,
The business license for “Cosmos Technology” swung in Zhang Yang’s hand…
The two instinctively followed him.
Once inside the car, Zhao Hang’s emotions remained complicated.
For some reason, he felt that whatever he thought or did seemed anticipated by this young man, who was not much older than himself.
“President Zhang, how did you know we’d be sitting here?”
“Human nature’s weakness is like that… but now’s not the time for that. Here’s our company’s first game design proposal. Take a look…”
“Ah?”
…
Zhao Hang and Zhong Chongwen received a proposal.
As they read it, their eyes widened in astonishment!
(End of chapter)