Chapter Forty-Nine: Aftermath

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Zhou Shun was momentarily stunned by Yin Jian’s expression.

“You haven’t heard yet?”

“Heard what?”

Yin Jian was confused. He thought carefully; recently, nothing had really happened that could make him angry.

Seeing that Yin Jian truly didn’t know, Zhou Shun frowned and explained the situation, “The ranking for the Game Expedition just came out.”

“The designer ahead of you is really famous on the forum—a well-known big spender.”

“A big spender? Brother Zhou, you mean he bought his way to first place?”

Yin Jian asked.

“Yes, that’s why I rushed over as soon as I heard about it. I was worried you might get upset and do something rash.”

“Brother Yin, you really need to keep calm. There’s no point getting angry at someone who cheats their way ahead.”

Zhou Shun spoke with utmost seriousness.

“Ah...” Yin Jian opened his mouth, feeling uncomfortable.

Not knowing the truth, he could have kept enjoying himself.

But now, after learning the facts, his previously good mood vanished like smoke.

“Brother Zhou, are you sent by the opposition?”

“What opposition?” Zhou Shun was puzzled.

“Nothing, nothing. Thanks for your concern, Brother Zhou.”

Yin Jian didn’t voice what he was really thinking, since Zhou Shun genuinely cared about him.

It was a well-intentioned mistake, but the motive was good.

Seeing that Yin Jian was indeed fine, Zhou Shun breathed a sigh of relief. “Glad you’re taking it well.”

“Gold will always shine. With your talent, you’re bound to reach the top of Qiyou.”

“By the way, the Baiqiao Tech Expo starts in a few days. I’ll take you there for a stroll, just to clear your mind.”

“And I’ll gather some inspiration for my next game.”

“Baiqiao Tech Expo?” Yin Jian’s face lit up with surprise.

He’d heard of this exhibition; it reportedly happens only once every ten years and is open to the entire Shu Chuan system.

The expo showcases the most cutting-edge technology developed in the Shu Chuan system over the past decade.

Attending such an event would be a great opportunity to broaden his horizons.

Naturally, he wouldn’t refuse something so beneficial. “No problem.”

“Alright, I’ll head off then. Remember to eat, drink, and relax. If you want to play T-9, just come to my place—don’t overthink it.”

Yin Jian smiled as he saw Zhou Shun out. Once he closed the door, his face immediately fell.

To claim he didn’t care would be a lie.

He didn’t value the ranking itself, but the right to use the hundred-thousand-level materials was worth real money.

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It was far more enticing than the fifty-thousand-level materials.

“Damn, rounding up, I lost a fortune!”

Yin Jian felt he’d suffered a huge loss this time.

“No, the more I think about it, the angrier I get.”

After pondering a moment, Yin Jian opened the game assistant backend and added Stone to the whitelist.

You’re forcing me: Are you there?

Stone: I’m here. Don’t worry about the Game Expedition, I’ll make sure you get justice. The director knows you were wronged and has specifically upgraded your material access reward from fifty-thousand-level to hundred-thousand-level.

Stone: I know you probably don’t care about this reward, but a person lives for their pride. I’ll help you reclaim that first place.

Yin Jian blinked at Stone’s reply.

You’re forcing me: Really upgraded to hundred-thousand-level?

Stone: Yes, the reward will be issued on the first of next month, so by then at the latest, I’ll make things right for you.

“...”

You’re forcing me: Thanks, but you don’t have to bother. Let’s just leave it at that.

Stone: No way, this can’t just be left alone. Wait for my good news.

“Why is this guy so stubborn?”

Yin Jian frowned at Stone’s reply.

Since the reward was now equal to first place, he really hadn’t lost anything.

Though there was still a bit of bitterness, it wasn’t nearly as unbearable as before.

If Stone were a veteran operations manager, he certainly wouldn’t just let it go.

But the reality was, Stone was just a newcomer who’d only been in the job for a few months.

If he advocated for Yin Jian, he’d inevitably offend quite a few people.

And even the best outcome would only be earning a meaningless first-place title.

To risk Stone’s future career for such a trivial honor—Yin Jian couldn’t accept that.

You’re forcing me: Let’s just leave it. Don’t do anything reckless.

After sending the message, Yin Jian decided not to respond to Stone any further.

He didn’t want Stone to impulsively confront his superiors.

Meanwhile, in the Qiyou Tower,

Yu Jia saw Yin Jian’s reply and, for some reason, felt quite aggrieved.

She felt her good intentions were wasted.

“That jerk, why do I even worry about him?”

Yu Jia gritted her teeth. “Why should he have any say in what I want to do!”

She resolved that, no matter what, she would win back her pride.

She wanted Yin Jian to understand that she was his operations manager, not just a tool.

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Lin Xiaoxiao, standing nearby, noticed Yu Jia’s gloomy expression, thinking she was upset about yesterday’s meeting.

She reached out, intending to pat Yu Jia’s shoulder, but her hand ‘accidentally’ landed on Yu Jia’s head.

“Leave it to me,” Lin Xiaoxiao said awkwardly. It was the first time she’d spoken such words, and it felt strange.

“Hm? Senior Lin, do you have a good idea?”

Yu Jia’s attention was immediately caught by Lin Xiaoxiao’s words, so much so that she ignored the hand on her head.

Without answering, Lin Xiaoxiao withdrew her hand and quickly tapped on the screen before her.

Yu Jia watched the screen curiously.

Soon, Lin Xiaoxiao opened Qiyou’s Hall of Achievements.

...

...

Three days passed since the commotion caused by Qiyou’s sci-fi expedition release.

The storm in the comments section for “Spore Evolution” and “Mecha Armament” gradually subsided.

Most people were just there for the spectacle.

After the initial excitement, when everyone calmed down,

The matter faded into obscurity.

Occasionally, some players would bring it up, but it lacked the heat of those first days.

With the passage of time, it seemed everything simply moved on.

“Brother Yin, have you packed up? The expo starts in just over half an hour.”

“All set.”

Hearing Zhou Shun’s voice outside, Yin Jian hurried to open the door.

Today, Zhou Shun was as usual, wearing his green baseball cap.

The only difference was the micro-glow camera hanging around his neck.

Clearly, he was planning to take photos.

After greeting each other,

The two went downstairs together, heading to the subway station.

In this era, thanks to advanced public transport, private vehicles were not allowed except for certain special departments.

This was both for safety and to reduce unnecessary resource waste.

The subway was fast, and since the expo was nearby, it took less than ten minutes for them to reach their destination.

Baiqiao Museum