Zhao Qiang also sensed that something was amiss and asked urgently, "Could it be what?"
Xiaowei continued sending messages, saying, "That box of cleansing slimming tea was very close to the site where I modified it, especially when I was modifying the abnormal screwdriver. The screwdriver was placed on the slimming tea box. When I was modifying it, I sent the energy ball above the slimming tea packaging box for convenience. I suspect that the properties of that slimming tea box have changed under the influence of the energy ball."
Zhao Qiang was taken aback: "No way, what consequences will this change cause?"
Xiao Wei said, "I can't modify living organisms or food. Using energy to change the molecular structure of the original substance is also my innovative attempt. It's completely trial and error, so I'm not sure about the consequences. But judging from my brother's current situation, it doesn't seem to cause any harm. I guess it's enhanced the effect of the original substance itself, which is why you guys are having oily diarrhea."
Zhao Qiang said, "You mean I was put on a diet?"
Xiao Wei said, "That should be the case. The effects of the medicine have almost worn off, and your body will recover soon."
Zhao Qiang touched his belly, which had indeed shrunk, and said, "No way! I finally gained some weight, and this whole packet of tea has made it all go away. Good heavens, how many buns do I have to eat to make up for it?"
After lamenting, Zhao Qiang suddenly had a flash of inspiration: a special slimming tea that guarantees you'll excrete over ten kilograms of fat! What kind of effect is that? It's practically a miracle cure! Zhao Qiang grabbed all the slimming teas on the table and, after thinking for a moment, hid them in his desk drawer, deliberately stuffing some random items around to cover them up.
A little while later, Xu Xiaoya staggered back. She hadn't thought about losing weight at all. As she walked back to her room, she said, "Oh my god, I'm finally done! I can't take it anymore. I'm not going to work today, so ask for a day off. I need to rest..."
Zhao Qiang got dressed, especially the three-proof shirt that Xiao Wei had modified—he couldn't be without it from now on—then put on his running shoes, X-ray glasses, a weird screwdriver hanging from his waist, and a laptop bag on his back before leaving Shunfeng Repair Shop.
My stomach pain has completely subsided, and the effects of the slimming tea have worn off completely. I touched my lower abdomen and all that's left is muscle. All the fat I had painstakingly accumulated has vanished just like that. Even my thighs and arms have become much thinner, but the muscles are much firmer.
Zhao Qiang ate over a dozen steamed buns and drank five bowls of porridge at a street stall. Thinking that Xu Xiaoya was probably lying in bed right now, and that her constitution was far worse than his own, she was likely dehydrated. Feeling guilty about the electricity bill from Xiao Wei's renovation last night, Zhao Qiang bought five steamed buns and two bowls of porridge to take back to Xu Xiaoya. Seeing that Xu Xiaoya was already asleep, Zhao Qiang could only leave the breakfast on the coffee table in the outer room before rushing off to work.
After such a big incident at the store yesterday, Wang Yidong dared not relax his vigilance any longer. He came early in the morning to oversee the cleanup. The broken glass table and keyboard had already been thrown into the roadside trash can, and the smashed chairs had been replaced with new ones. From the outside, it looked as if nothing had happened.
"Xiao Zhao, you're here." Wang Yidong greeted Zhao Qiang first, not only because Zhao Qiang was the only technician left in the store, but also because Zhao Qiang possessed amazing optimization software. Through yesterday's contact, Wang Yidong realized that this business had great potential.
"Good morning, Mr. Wang. About yesterday..."
Wang Yidong interrupted Zhao Qiang's explanation: "Xiao Zhao, you don't need to say anything, I know everything. Zhang Chunjiang is such an ingrate, I will not hire him again. Not only did he almost offend a customer he shouldn't have, but he also tried to frame you. The fight was not your fault, you don't need to feel guilty. On the contrary, I feel sorry for you for getting hurt. Yesterday at noon I called Xiao Xu and she said the test results were fine, so I didn't come to see you in the afternoon. Here, this is a little something from me, take it and buy a carton of milk to help you recover."
Wang Yidong handed over two hundred yuan, but Zhao Qiang declined, saying, "President Wang, don't be so polite. I'm fine. Let's talk about optimizing the system. School is about to start, so let's make some more money while we have the time."
Earning more money isn't just about paying the electricity bill; Zhao Qiang is more eager to go solo, as this is a crucial step in developing his strength. Previously, he had been hiding and dared not use the incredible artifact he had acquired, which led to Zhang Chunjiang looking down on him and extorting and bullying him by thugs. If he had considerable financial power, those people would probably be eager to flatter him.
As for secrecy, Zhao Qiang had considered it. As long as he kept quiet, who would know that a laptop was helping him? Moreover, with the rugged shirt and running shoes, Zhao Qiang felt he had a certain level of self-protection ability and was more confident in Xiao Wei's and his own safety. That's why he was in such a hurry to make money today.
Wang Yidong stopped insisting and put the money back in his pocket. He said, "Come with me to the tire factory today and find Section Chief Li of the computer department. As far as I know, our Donghai City Tire Factory has at least two hundred old computers. Some time ago, they announced that they would eliminate a batch of them and prepare to conduct a public tender to purchase new computers. Let's see if we can get them to optimize the old computers and give up the purchase."
Zhao Qiang nodded: "Okay."
Donghai Tire Factory was once a large state-owned factory. After restructuring, it underwent a large-scale expansion and now has more than 15,000 workers. It has two production bases, one for nylon tires and the other for radial tires. Since its establishment in the 1960s, the office computers purchased in the early days have become outdated. The factory's computer department is drafting an upgrade plan, and various computer companies have come to investigate.
Wang Yidong knocked on the door of the computer science department, then pushed it open himself. The office area inside was large, and no one would open the door for him on their own initiative; knocking was just a polite reminder.
"Who are you looking for?" The staff would naturally ask when someone came to the office.
Wang Yidong said with a forced smile, "I'm looking for Section Chief Li to discuss business."
The staff member pointed to the sofa against the wall and said, "Sit over there and wait. Li Ke has something to do, it will be your turn soon."
Three people were already sitting on the sofa by the wall. Wang Yidong recognized one of them. The man saw Wang Yidong, stood up with a smile, and shook hands: "Mr. Wang, you've smelled the fish too."
Wang Yidong extended his hand and shook hands briefly with the other party: "President Zhou, what's this, planning to sell computers to tire factories?"
General Manager Zhou laughed and said, "Of course, I heard that this procurement plan has a quota of 150 units. Who wouldn't be envious?"
Wang Yidong took the initiative to introduce Zhao Qiang: "President Zhou Wenli is an elite in the IT industry of Donghai City. This is Zhao Qiang, an engineer from my company. Zhao Qiang, this President Zhou is the boss of Comai Computer. His business volume is much larger than ours."
Zhou Wenli said modestly, "It's just a small company, far inferior to Xinhua Computer. By the way, Lao Wang, what's the deal with Zhang Chunjiang? I just saw him and Qian Gang from Xinhua Computer go into the office. I was just about to ask you about it."
“Qian Gang?” Wang Yidong frowned, then explained, “I’ve already fired Zhang Chunjiang, and I can’t control who he associates with.”
Zhou Wenli asked with a smile, "What happened? Weren't you doing just fine before?"
Wang Yidong didn't want to say too much here, after all, there were two strangers beside him, so he just said, "He's an ingrate, he can't be tamed."
(My internet speed was extremely slow this morning, so I posted a duplicate chapter. I apologize to everyone. I will be posting two chapters after midnight tonight. I hope you can support me then. Thank you!)
Volume 1 [050] Hidden Rules
Zhao Qiang had been wearing those X-ray glasses since morning. He needed to get used to wearing regular glasses; otherwise, wearing them every time he needed to use X-ray vision would give him away. Taking advantage of the opportunity to adjust his glasses on the bridge of his nose, Zhao Qiang pressed the switch on the right temple, activating the X-ray function. Zhao Qiang noticed that the door leading to the inner office was a PVC security door. Since Zhang Chunjiang was inside, he naturally wanted to peek inside.
A tall, thin middle-aged man sat in the main seat. He must be Section Chief Li from the Computer Department. There was a sofa in front of his desk, and two people were sitting on it. One of them, a fat man named Zhao Qiang, was someone Zhao Qiang didn't recognize, but he was probably Qian Gang from Xinhua Computer, whom Zhou Wenli had mentioned. The other person was an old acquaintance, Zhang Chunjiang, a former colleague he had dealt with yesterday.
The X-ray glasses could only see through objects, not eavesdrop. With a thick wall and a considerable distance between them, plus the noise from the office area, Zhao Qiang couldn't hear what was being said in the inner room. He could only deduce the conversation from the actions.
Section Chief Li tapped his index and middle fingers on his desk, seemingly deep in thought. Suddenly, Qian Gang stood up, took an envelope from his pocket, and placed it respectfully on the desk. Section Chief Li smiled, and Qian Gang said something. Zhang Chunjiang stood up, holding a document in his hand, and walked over to Section Chief Li, opening the document and explaining it.
Section Chief Li casually swept the envelopes on the table into the drawer, then pretended to listen to Zhang Chunjiang's explanation. Finally, he said something, and Zhang Chunjiang left the document and returned to the sofa. Qian Gang smiled and said a few words to Section Chief Li. Section Chief Li nodded, then stood up and shook hands with Qian Gang. Qian Gang turned around and led Zhang Chunjiang to open the door.
Zhang Chunjiang inadvertently spotted Wang Yidong and Zhao Qiang sitting on the sofa by the wall. Instantly, he realized the purpose of their visit. They certainly weren't there to sell computers; they were probably there to optimize the system. He chuckled coldly and muttered as he passed by the two men, "Idiots."
Wang Yidong stood up abruptly. Zhang Chunjiang must have been planning to switch jobs long ago, otherwise how could he have caused trouble at the company yesterday and then gone to Xinhua Computer to gain Qian Gang's appreciation today? Wang Yidong had been shrewd for half his life, yet he had been kept in the dark by a greenhorn. It would be a lie to say he wasn't angry; he wanted to punch him.
"Haha, Mr. Wang, hello, hello." Qian Gang, the CEO of Xinhua Computer, shook hands with a laugh.
Not wanting to embarrass Qian Gang, Wang Yidong could only extend his hand to shake hands, but he glared fiercely at Zhang Chunjiang. Qian Gang naturally noticed this and said, "President Wang, your company's engineers are indeed very skilled, whether it's hardware or software repair or networking. It's a pity your company is too small to retain its talent. Also, you're terrible at interpersonal relationships. I heard that the technician you trust now is a college student who's just started his apprenticeship. Hehe, not bad, not bad. I'll just watch your company decline."
After finishing his sentence, Qian Gang didn't give Wang Yidong a chance, opened the door, and strode away. Wang Yidong was so angry that his mouth twisted in a groin. Zhao Qiang was even angrier, especially since Zhang Chunjiang had secretly called him an 'idiot,' which was an insult to his character. But if they fought in the tire factory, they would probably end up in the police station. Besides, Zhao Qiang wasn't sure if he could beat that fat man, Qian Gang. His heavy body alone could crush a person. He could only swallow his anger for now. Zhao Qiang was past the age of impulsiveness. After all, he had been in society for quite some time. Perhaps it was precisely because he had been in society for so long that he had become too cautious and careful, which was why he hadn't properly utilized Xiao Wei's power before.
Soon, two strangers entered Section Chief Li's office. Zhou Wenli from Comai Computer Company then said to Wang Yidong, "Those two are from the provincial capital, but I don't think they have much of a chance. You know, Lao Wang, Qian Gang's uncle, Zhong Shuhuan, is the secretary-general of the municipal party committee. This time, the tire factory will have to give Secretary-General Zhong face in the procurement bidding. Moreover, Qian Gang is a ruthless man. He will definitely use money to pave the way, first knocking Section Chief Li unconscious, and then making up for the lost money by finding loopholes in the price and quality. Everyone won't say anything because of Secretary-General Zhong."
Zhao Qiang secretly praised Zhou Wenli's deduction, as his witnessing of Qian Gang bribing Section Chief Li proved the statement to be true.
Wang Yidong said to Zhou Wenli, "If that's the case, why did you still get involved?"
Zhou Wenli chuckled and said, "Section Chief Li would never put all the procurement on Qian Gang alone, otherwise the factory leaders would not have approved it. So the small fry will still get a chance, but the profit will not be too big. But it's better than not making any money at all."
Zhao Qiang continued peering into the inner room. Two salesmen from the provincial capital also handed over envelopes, but this time Section Chief Li refused them, probably because he didn't know them well and was afraid of causing trouble. After exchanging a few words, the two left a document and came out. As soon as they closed the door, Section Chief Li casually threw the document into the trash can. Zhou Wenli was right; they had no hope.
Seeing the salesman from the provincial capital leave disappointed, Zhou Wenli stepped into Section Chief Li's office. Judging from their greetings, they seemed to be old acquaintances. So Zhou Wenli got straight to the point, took out an envelope and threw it on Section Chief Li's desk. It was much thinner than Qian Gang's, but Section Chief Li still accepted it. After a brief conversation, Zhou Wenli also put down a document. Section Chief Li got up to see him off, and Zhou Wenli left satisfied.
It was almost Wang Yidong's turn, and Zhao Qiang asked him anxiously, "Mr. Wang, have you prepared this...?"
Zhao Qiang rubbed his fingers together to make a money gesture. Wang Yidong whispered, "The business hasn't even been finalized yet, why are you asking for kickbacks first? I plan to give Section Chief Li some benefits when it's time to settle the payment. Otherwise, we don't have any connections in the tire factory, so it'll be difficult to get paid even if we do the work. We'll end up losing the money we spent on gifts."
Zhao Qiang nodded dejectedly; it seemed the deal was off. Sure enough, it was Wang Yi's turn to go in, and Zhao Qiang waited outside for less than three minutes before coming out disappointed.
Wang Yidong led the way in silence until they left the tire factory, at which point he spat out a mouthful of saliva: "Damn it, what the hell? They said they'd rather smash the old computers than let us optimize them."
Zhao Qiang said with a wry smile, "President Wang, if we optimize the old computer for him, he won't be able to buy a new one, and then he won't get any benefits. And since you didn't offer any bribes beforehand, it's no wonder Section Chief Li hates you."
Wang Yidong paused for a moment, then angrily ran his fingers through his hair. "You're right, it's a pity I don't know the big boss of the tire factory, otherwise I could have easily closed this deal with him! Never mind, I contacted two other small businesses yesterday. Let's get these two jobs done first. Also, I'm going to print some promotional materials. More and more customers will come to us for optimization in the future, so we won't have to worry about not having any work."
Zhao Qiang earned nearly a thousand yuan in one day. Overall, Wang Yidong's business skills were quite strong. He even negotiated tomorrow's business. He let Zhao Qiang leave work early in the evening and stayed at the company to work the night shift.
Zhao Qiang first went back to school to pack his books, making a large bag to take with him. He planned to go through everything again from the beginning. When he returned to Shunfeng Repair Shop, he pushed open the door to the finance department. The bedroom door was half-open. He peeked in and saw Xu Xiaoya sitting at the computer desk with an angry expression. Zhao Qiang put down the bag of books and casually said, "Who made you angry?"
Xu Xiaoya had originally planned to ignore Zhao Qiang, but she immediately burst out when Zhao Qiang asked her, "Of course it was you! Tell me what you did last night, that you used up more than 50,000 yuan in electricity bills, I... I don't know how hard it is to save money, and now you've made it all go to waste..." As she spoke, Xu Xiaoya started to sob.
Zhao Qiang was taken aback by how quickly the truth came out and didn't know what to say. In the end, he could only ask, "You went to check the electricity meter? But wait, you don't know the meter reading."
Xu Xiaoya said angrily, "The power company came to collect the electricity bill, saying that the electricity consumption here is too high. They came to check the situation and told me to pay the electricity bill first, otherwise they were afraid that the people would run away and we wouldn't be able to find the place to collect the electricity bill! Uncle Qilai also came along and said that all these electricity bills are yours. It was made clear at the time that you would have to pay for them yourself. I, I've become the sucker. I should have known to go to work with you."
Wow, they used so much electricity in just a few days! Even when the repair shop was thriving, it wasn't this much. No wonder the power company was worried. They can only collect electricity fees during the day, and Xu Xiaoya just happened to run into them. She'd made some boastful claims beforehand, and now she's really lost a lot of money. No wonder she had such a stern face.
Volume 1 [051] Hu Qian
Zhao Qiang gave an awkward smile: "Thanks, I still have 10,000 yuan on hand, I'll pay you back the remaining 40,000 yuan when I make some money."
Xu Xiaoya resolutely refused: "No need, just agree to go to graduate school."
Zhao Qiang shook his head: "This won't work."
Xu Xiaoya didn't press the matter further, and asked in a different tone, "What about the slimming tea? I'd like to have another packet."
Zhao Qiang didn't think too much about it and casually said, "You want to have diarrhea? No way."
Xu Xiaoya pushed aside her computer, stood up, and ran to Zhao Qiang: "Zhao Qiang, if you give me the slimming tea, I won't have to pay back that 50,000 yuan electricity bill."
Zhao Qiang suddenly realized that Xu Xiaoya knew about the amazing effects of the slimming tea! Looking at her waist and calves again, she had indeed lost a lot of weight. What a miracle! What woman wouldn't want to drink such a slimming tea? With her waist slimmer, Xu Xiaoya's breasts looked even more full. Any man who saw her would definitely drool.
Zhao Qiang chuckled and said, "No, I'll still pay you back 50,000 yuan for the electricity. I took this tea out to throw it in the trash this morning. Who would dare keep expired stuff?"
Xu Xiaoya was taken aback: "Oh, you lost them?"
Zhao Qiang said, "Yeah, they almost killed us. What's the point of keeping them if I don't throw them away?"
Xu Xiaoya was exasperated: "You, you're driving me crazy! Those are real slimming teas! Where did you put them? I'll go find them."
As she spoke, Xu Xiaoya hurriedly put on her shoes; she had only been wearing slippers. Zhao Qiang said, "I threw them in the trash can over at the company. I saw the garbage truck collecting trash, so they've probably been buried by now."
Xu Xiaoya, who was bending over to pick up her shoe heel, suddenly collapsed to the ground upon hearing this. "You bastard Zhao Qiang, you actually threw away the world's only miraculous slimming tea! I'll beat you to death!" With that, Xu Xiaoya stood up, picked up her shoe, and chased after Zhao Qiang, slapping his buttocks.
Zhao Qiang wasn't about to let her hit him, so he ran. The two of them left the department office one after the other and ran around the yard twice. Then they heard a loud knocking on the iron gate. Zhao Qiang gestured for Xu Xiaoya, who was chasing after him, to be quiet. Xu Xiaoya stopped, picking up her shoes. Zhao Qiang called out, "Who is it?" It definitely wasn't Qi Lai; he had the key to this place.
"It's me, Luo Xiaowei. Zhao Qiang, are you inside? Open the door."
Xu Xiaoya quickly put the shoes away: "Luo Xiaowei? What's she doing here? Did you tell her where she lives?"
Zhao Qiang said, "How could that be? I'm trying to avoid her as much as possible. Besides, I didn't tell you where I live, but you still found me."
Xu Xiaoya said, "Go open the door. I want to see what this junior sister's purpose is in following me here."
Even if Xu Xiaoya didn't say anything, Zhao Qiang would still have to open the door. They had already talked, so why would he hide?
The rusty iron gate creaked open, revealing two girls standing outside. The one in front was Luo Xiaowei, whom Zhao Qiang already knew. Behind Luo Xiaowei was a girl two or three years older than her, whose appearance was no less than Luo Xiaowei's, but seemed more mature and voluptuous. Zhao Qiang didn't dare to look at her too much, as that would be extremely impolite. He could only vaguely see that her skin was whiter than both Xu Xiaoya and Luo Xiaowei.
"Senior brother, let me introduce you. This is my cousin, Hu Qian. She has always admired your skills." Luo Xiaowei had chased after Zhao Qiang to his home before, so they were old acquaintances, and she introduced them enthusiastically.
Hu Qian extended her hand: "Hello, Zhao Qiang, it's a pleasure to meet you."
Zhao Qiang tentatively reached out and gently shook Hu Fu's hand. Her hand was smooth and warm, and Zhao Qiang's heart pounded. What man wouldn't have thoughts when he sees a beautiful woman? Unless he wasn't a man. What attracted Zhao Qiang most about Hu Qian was her breasts—they were so voluptuous, like a vast ocean! Nowhere else in the entire Donghai University could you find such a size. Zhao Qiang couldn't look away once his eyes swept over her chest. Although Xu Xiaoya's breasts were also impressive, they were nothing compared to Hu Qian's.
"Ahem..." Xu Xiaoya coughed from behind and subtly stepped on Zhao Qiang's heel. Zhao Qiang blushed and came back to his senses, saying, "Let's come in and talk. Everyone, don't stand outside."
The bedroom door in the finance department was open, and Xu Xiaoya's bedding was clearly different from Zhao Qiang's. Luo Xiaowei found it hard to believe: "Xiaoya, you...you live here too?"
Xu Xiaoya didn't shy away from these things at all, and said with a relaxed expression, "Yes, I'll keep bothering him until he agrees to let me go to graduate school."
Luo Xiaowei smiled but didn't say anything. She admired Xu Xiaoya's perseverance; she even resorted to this tactic.
Hu Qian took the initiative to speak, "Zhao Qiang, let's get straight to the point. I'm the person in charge of the 'black' website. I've wanted to visit you for a while, but I haven't been able to find the time. Now we can finally talk face to face."
Zhao Qiang was unaware of how much information Hu Qian possessed about him, so he chose to remain silent.
Seeing that he didn't speak, Hu Qian could only continue, "I've seen the special effects animation you made, it's perfect!"
Zhao Qiang corrected her, "Ms. Hu, I explained before that it was made by someone else and I released it on their behalf."