Chapter Forty-Seven: The Wheel of History

“Alright, suit yourself.” Wen Jiangxi waved the floppy disk in his hand, smiling. “This contains your cashier and financial records. You were careless enough to let me get my hands on these secrets. Tell me, if you don’t use my system, and I sell this to another department store, what price do you think it would fetch?”

“You! Wen Jiangxi, aren’t you still a high school student? How can you be so shameless!”

“To deal with shameless adults like you, I have to use extraordinary means.” Wen Jiangxi’s calm, indifferent smile only drove Chen Tianhai further into madness, making him impulsively want to kill him.

“What now, you want to fight? An adult bullying a kid—have you no shame? Sign the contract for one hundred sixty thousand with me, keep your job as manager, and nothing will happen between us.”

“Damn you!” Chen Tianhai erupted, unable to bear being toyed with by a child. He leaped from behind his desk, lunging for Wen Jiangxi’s collar, but before his hand could touch him, a sharp pain shot through his abdomen—Wen Jiangxi’s fist had already struck, making him collapse to the ground in agony.

“Chen Tianhai, you can’t beat me in a fight, can’t outsmart me in a scam, and as a manager, you’ve reached this level. What else can I say? Might as well go home and sell sweet potatoes.”

“Damn it, I won’t sign your contract. Go ahead and sell those financial records—the losses will be the department store’s, not mine.” Chen Tianhai clutched his stomach, snarling viciously.

“Manager Chen, I don’t want you to lose your job, but you’re forcing my hand. Don’t you understand? Selling the financial data isn’t the point.” Wen Jiangxi picked up the contract from the desk. “This—I’ll show it to your boss. He’ll be here in half an hour. My teacher, Qi Huanchang, has spoken to him and will come as well. The formal contract and official software will both be launched. If you want everyone to witness you in this state, if you want your filthy scam to go on, be my guest.”

Chen Tianhai gasped for air, his eyes darting as he weighed his options. At last, he said, “Alright, Wen, you win. Uncle Chen has learned a lesson from you. I’ll go draft the contract and print it…” Gritting his teeth, he got up and left the office.

Half an hour later, Qi Huanchang and the general manager of the department store arrived together, and the contract was smoothly signed. Wen Jiangxi left the account number he’d opened at the bank on the contract, and a day later, the one hundred sixty thousand was swiftly deposited. Wen couldn’t help but marvel at Chen Tianhai’s efficiency—probably out of fear that his scheming might backfire and cost him his job, he was eager to wrap up the deal quickly.

That night, Wen Jiangxi and Qi Huanchang celebrated with drinks. Wen, as usual, drank very little, while Qi Huanchang became thoroughly drunk, and Wen dragged him back to his bachelor dormitory.

Since Wen Jiangxi had been training with Wang Wu, he felt his strength had grown considerably, and he seemed to be shooting up in height as well. Last time, he couldn’t carry Qi the Fat, but this time, it was effortless.

The next day, Wen Jiangxi opened another bank account, with Qi Huanchang’s name. In those days, opening an account didn’t require ID, so it was straightforward. Once he set it up, Wen transferred eighty thousand into Qi’s account. When he handed the passbook to Qi the Fat, the man refused to accept it, insisting he hadn’t participated in the development of the system.

“You stubborn fatty, since when did you become so petty?”

“This isn’t about being petty. Since I became an adult, I, Qi Huanchang, have never taken a penny I didn’t earn. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be stuck here…” He trailed off as if realizing something.

“You’ve helped me act in so many scenes, with such skill—that’s your contribution. Why do technical people always end up working for business people? Because in business, commercial importance generally outweighs technical skill. Simply put, those who bring in the deals always get a bigger share than those who handle the tech.” Wen Jiangxi began instilling his philosophy in Qi’s mind. “You may not have developed the system, but you were involved in the negotiations. Without you, I couldn’t have made this one hundred sixty thousand.”

Qi’s reaction far exceeded Wen Jiangxi’s expectations. He was deeply stirred: “I just can’t accept it—why should technical talent be inferior to them!”

Wen Jiangxi looked at him in surprise. He’d thought about this himself, but never with such resentment. Qi Huanchang had graduated from Nanshen University barely two years ago, always working as a teacher, and had less real business experience than Wen Jiangxi, who had been reborn. Why was he so passionate about the treatment of technical talent?

“If you refuse to accept it, then all the more reason you should take the eighty thousand. We’re not just aiming for this one hundred sixty thousand—there’s also the more than a million from Tianxing Computer School. Once that money comes in, even more opportunities await us. Developing antivirus software is just one project, and you can’t back out then. As lead programmer, you need to have some capital invested, or how can you justify your position?”

Qi Huanchang paused, then said, “Wen, are you serious? You want to start a business? That’s no simple matter.”

“Fatty, what are you afraid of? You don’t expect me to believe that with your brain, you’re content to be a middle school computer teacher!” Wen Jiangxi said earnestly.

Qi Huanchang pondered for a moment, and replied, “Alright, say we have the determination and the capital. But your technical skill is way above mine. I’ve always tried to catch up and never given up, but the reality is, with you here, I can’t be lead programmer.”

“Petty, petty—that’s exactly what you are. You think we’ll just do one antivirus software? I have plenty of plans, and I can’t handle them all alone. I stopped seeing you as my teacher long ago. You’re my friend and partner—you have to help me.” Wen Jiangxi spoke with a solemn gaze, fixing Qi Huanchang in place.

Indeed, Qi was moved by Wen’s words. This time, he didn’t hesitate; he nodded vigorously. “Alright, Wen, I promise you. From now on, we’ll start a business together and make something of ourselves.”

“Good, fatty, that’s what I’ve been waiting for.” Wen Jiangxi knew Qi Huanchang’s talent in computers well; if not for his foresight, he wouldn’t be much better. To have met such a friend after being reborn was truly a blessing.

However, his bold, wise look just now was copied from the passionate oath-taking scenes of successful young people on television.

Whether Qi Huanchang was inspired or bewitched, he rubbed his tired eyes and a cliché line flashed in his mind: The wheels of history had veered from their original course and embarked on a new journey.