Hong Yuan trembled with fury, his body shaking uncontrollably as he glared at Du Kaifeng's retreating figure, his eyes a burning shade of red. The feelings of anger and betrayal coursed through him, but underneath it all, a deeper sense of helplessness weighed heavily on his heart. How could he ever hope to recover with such immense debts looming over him? The idea of a comeback felt like a cruel joke, a mere fantasy. He was down more than a million yuan. How could he possibly rise from this?
Overwhelmed by despair, Hong Yuan sank to the ground, his face buried in his hands. Tears slipped through his fingers, falling silently onto the pavement. His mind was a storm of thoughts and emotions, swirling with anger, regret, and sorrow. Everything he had worked for seemed to be slipping away, and he could do nothing to stop it.
"Mr. Hong, hello."
A soft voice broke through the cloud of his despair. Surprised, he looked up and found a tissue being offered to him. Standing before him was a young woman, her beauty striking and her expression calm.
Hong Yuan blinked in confusion, momentarily taken aback. He hesitated, then took the tissue, wiping his tears with a shaky hand. As he stood up, he tried to compose himself, although his heart was still heavy with grief and frustration. "Do you need something from me?" he asked, his voice rough and strained.
"I can help you with your company's situation. Let's discuss it," she replied in a clear, confident tone.
Though her words were curt, there was an undeniable authority in her voice that made him pause. Despite her youth, there was something about her that inspired a strange sense of trust.
Hong Yuan nodded, almost involuntarily. "Alright."
In his current state, he knew he had no other choice but to cling to whatever lifeline was offered to him, no matter how unlikely it seemed. A young girl couldn't possibly be the answer to his problems, but with no other options, he found himself willing to grasp at even the thinnest of straws.
They sat down in a secluded booth in a nearby café. Qin Sheng, as she introduced herself, pushed a folder across the table towards him.
"My name is Qin Sheng. This is a project proposal I've prepared. Please, take a look," she said, her voice steady and measured.
Hong Yuan eyed the folder with suspicion. "This is your work?" he asked, skepticism evident in his tone.
Qin Sheng nodded calmly, lifting her cup of coffee and taking a small sip.
Hong Yuan's eyes darkened with doubt. He had little faith in the abilities of a teenager, especially one who looked no older than seventeen or eighteen. What could a high school student possibly know about business or technology? His initial inclination was to dismiss the proposal entirely.
But, out of a sense of politeness, he opened the folder and began to read. As his eyes skimmed the first few lines, he couldn't help but scoff. The idea of a "fully intelligent game" seemed laughable. The market was already flooded with so-called intelligent games, none of which truly lived up to their claims. The notion of a completely intelligent game sounded like nothing more than a pipe dream.
Still, as he continued to read, something in the proposal began to catch his interest. The concepts were more sophisticated than he had anticipated, and the technical details were astonishingly advanced. His dismissive attitude began to wane, replaced by a growing curiosity.
Page after page, Hong Yuan found himself increasingly engrossed in the content. His skepticism faded, replaced by a dawning sense of realization. By the time he reached the final page, his hands were trembling with excitement. The proposal was unlike anything he had ever seen; it was groundbreaking. He looked up at Qin Sheng, his eyes wide with disbelief.
Qin Sheng smiled slightly. "I possess the core technology for developing a fully intelligent game. Would Mr. Hong be interested in joining my company?"
Hong Yuan could hardly believe what he was hearing. He opened his mouth, struggling to find words. "This proposal… Did you do this all by yourself? And the technology… was it developed by you?"
Qin Sheng nodded again, her expression calm and composed.
Hong Yuan was stunned into silence. The room seemed to blur around him as he processed what she had said. "If I may ask," he said finally, "Miss Qin, how old are you?"
"I'm nearly eighteen," she replied simply.
Hong Yuan was at a loss for words. He had encountered many brilliant people in his life, but never someone so young with such an extraordinary grasp of technology. The proposal in his hands was not something that could be taken lightly. It was a detailed plan that outlined a revolutionary approach to game development, one that was far beyond the current capabilities of the industry.
Most so-called intelligent games on the market were little more than glorified scripts, with the core mechanics still heavily reliant on pre-programmed responses and algorithms. True intelligence, as described in Qin Sheng's proposal, was a level of sophistication that seemed almost impossible with current technology.
Closing the folder, Hong Yuan looked at her with a newfound respect. "Miss Qin, are you not worried that I might leak this technology to someone else?" he asked, genuinely curious.
Qin Sheng's lips curved into a small smile. "If I thought you were that kind of person, Mr. Hong, I wouldn't have approached you."
Her confidence was unshakeable, and Hong Yuan found himself admiring her more and more. It was clear that she had done her homework. She knew his background, his character, and the kind of man he was. She had chosen him for a reason, and that reason had nothing to do with his current circumstances or the debts that weighed him down.
"What exactly do you need from me?" he asked, more intrigued than ever.
"I plan to start a gaming company," Qin Sheng explained. "I need someone to help me manage it. I want you to be the manager of the company."
Her words were direct and to the point. She laid out her vision for the company, her plans for the future, and how she intended to make a significant impact in the gaming industry.
In her past life, Qin Sheng had seen the Qin family expand into various industries, yet they had never ventured into gaming. It was a lucrative field with immense potential for growth, especially with the unique technology she now possessed. Developing a best-selling game could be a game-changer, a way to quickly establish a foothold in a competitive market.
Hong Yuan felt a surge of hope. This could be the opportunity he had been waiting for. But just as he was about to agree, a thought struck him, and his expression darkened once more.
What if…
(End of Chapter)