Chapter 16: Did You Encounter a Scam and Get Trapped?

Qi Yingzhu spoke with absolute certainty, as if he were silently carrying a heavy burden, the hardships of which were difficult to share with outsiders.

Xie Yu, afraid of misjudging him, said half-doubtingly, “My apologies. If you have any grievances, why not talk it over with everyone? Someday, when there’s an opportunity, we can help you petition the headquarters together.”

It would be a miracle if this bunch didn’t hide behind him when dealing with headquarters. Qi Yingzhu propped his head up with one hand and took a moment to organize his words.

His mind inevitably conjured up the image of Chu Fuxuan. Ever since this person appeared, things had taken so many twists and turns, none following a normal trajectory. Looking back, he felt like he had boarded a pirate ship.

Qi Yingzhu didn’t quite know where to begin. Then, on second thought, he figured that even if he told them, they wouldn’t understand.

The majority of those present were unmarried. How could they understand what marriage was all about? Some had never even been on a blind date; their experience in major life events was truly pitiful.

Therefore, feeling quite bored, Qi Yingzhu brushed them off, “You guys wouldn’t understand. It’s something that can’t be explained in a few words.”

Seeing him trying to cover it up and resisting further questions, Xie Yu immediately opened his mind to possibilities and asked, “Could it be that you drank too much during a business trip, encountered a scam, and got trapped?”

The whole thing clearly started because he was an upright person worried that Chu Fuxuan was being targeted by a pig-butchering scam. Hearing this malicious speculation, Qi Yingzhu denied it without a second thought.

“How is that possible?” he said. “I don’t drink at social engagements, and even if I did, I wouldn’t fall for a scam.”

Xie Yu was only joking. He then quickly changed the subject and asked why Qi Yingzhu had brought snacks to the conference room.

Another manager chimed in, “Smells great, where did you buy it?”

Qi Yingzhu replied, “It’s handmade.”

Hearing this, everyone suddenly understood. This was, nine times out of ten, a late-night snack made with love.

The tech geeks were all shocked, then couldn’t help but reveal envious expressions, muttering in their hearts how lucky Qi Yingzhu was. The man behind him was actually the domestic type—so handy, gentle, and considerate.

However, one-sided imagination was usually a hundred thousand miles away from the truth. That man had actually set the kitchen on fire and summoned the fire department several times while abroad. It was only by sheer luck they hadn’t gotten food poisoning.

At this moment, the manager felt a sudden craving, then heard Qi Yingzhu say, “It’s a bit too sweet, I don’t really like it. Do you want it?”

The manager, feeling both flattered and apprehensive, thought Qi Yingzhu wanted to share, so he said honoredly, “Yeah, I’m currently on a fat-loss phase and haven’t bought any in a long time.”

But after he finished speaking, Qi Yingzhu just said, “Oh,” expressing that a healthy diet was indeed important, and made no further moves.

Manager: ?

Did he just ask to tease him, or was he showing off that even if he didn’t like it, someone would still feed him?!

The manager found it hard to believe. Later, when late-night overtime ended, he passed by Qi Yingzhu’s office. That door was always left open, and he couldn’t help but glance inside.

Qi Yingzhu was still sitting in front of his computer. It was past 1 AM. He stared at the cookie box for a while, then hesitantly reached out and opened it.

The manager, watching helplessly as Qi Yingzhu started to savor them: “…”

What a tyrant. Eating so enthusiastically, why was he acting all pretentious just now? The manager sighed speechlessly.

On the other hand, Qi Yingzhu didn’t think he was putting on airs. He was merely acting out of the traditional virtue of refusing to waste food.

He also didn’t think he was being stingy. Song Yanyi had specifically baked these and had Chu Fuxuan shove them to him; if he casually gave them away to someone else, it would be far too unseemly.

Both emotionally and rationally, his logic was impeccably airtight. Over the next two days, the subordinates coming in and out of his office watched the box of cookies grow emptier and emptier.

Until Monday morning, the box completely vanished, exclusively finished off by Qi Yingzhu.

When his assistant came in, he noticed this detail and, reading the room, asked, “Shall I restock some snacks for you?”

The Chu family was too enthusiastic, and the portion of cookies was huge. Qi Yingzhu suspected he wouldn’t have an appetite for them for the rest of his life: “No need, I don’t really eat these things.”

This time, “no need” genuinely meant no need. The administration department thought he had suddenly developed a sweet tooth and prepared the snacks in the pantry meticulously, but he just went in, poured a cup of coffee, and didn’t take anything.

Qi Yingzhu’s temper was hard to predict, and his standards for work had always been extremely high, but he was rarely picky in his daily life. The newly changed coffee beans this time were too astringent. He took a sip but didn’t turn back to add milk.

Holding his mug, he paced over to the window and glanced at the main entrance of the industrial park.

It was the morning rush hour. Looking down from the high-rise, the road was completely blocked. Everyone was reduced to tiny black dots, hurrying through the time clocks.

At the same time, Chu Fuxuan hadn’t gotten his employee badge yet and was showing his temporary access code to the security guard.

After registering his information, he was led inside. He couldn’t help but look left and right, examining his surroundings with great curiosity.

Although his previous company was very famous, it focused solely on the gaming sector, and its scale couldn’t compare to a major tech conglomerate.

Here, there were two adjacent office plots, basically taking up an entire street. The zone Chu Fuxuan was in was entirely allocated to the gaming division, impressively lined with four office towers.

The security guard enthusiastically introduced the place as they walked. The offices were mainly concentrated in the two tallest buildings, and another building was an ancillary structure, housing a basketball court, a rock-climbing wall, dormitories, and a series of other public facilities.

The last remaining building was designed quite aesthetically. It wasn’t very tall, and the interior was relatively spacious. It was dedicated to receiving guests, organizing training sessions, or hosting public events.

At present, Chu Fuxuan was guided here, and the receptionist immediately came forward to greet him.

“Yes, the onboarding address stated in the offer letter is right here,” the receptionist said, looking at his employment email.

She said tactfully, “You’ve arrived early, and HR might not be at work yet. Could you take a seat for a moment? Let me pour you a cup of coffee.”

Chu Fuxuan replied politely, “Hot water is fine, thank you.”

He felt a bit restless while waiting. He took a sip of water and turned his head to look at the high-rises outside the window.

Through the glass, he slightly tilted his neck back, a trace of uncertainty and confusion flashing through his heart. What kind of people were bustling in and out over there? Would he be able to adapt?

Chu Fuxuan had long known that major tech companies were different from pure gaming studios. The structure here was more complex and complete. However, seeing it with his own eyes, he was still surprised for a moment by the behemoth before him.

“Mr. Chu,” someone called him.

His thoughts interrupted, Chu Fuxuan followed the voice and saw a young man approaching. He looked a bit older than himself, but appearance-wise, he was quite young.

Chu Fuxuan had seen his media interviews and had interacted with him during the phone interview. He quickly stood up with a light step and shook hands politely with his superior.

“Why are you here? I haven’t even registered yet,” Chu Fuxuan said.

After all, they would be direct subordinates and superiors later, and Chu Fuxuan was a new executive hired from miles away. It was only right for Xie Yu to show up to demonstrate the company’s appreciation.

Xie Yu said, “HR will be here in a couple of minutes. Check if there are any issues with the contract. For business matters, it’s more convenient to ask me directly.”

Soon, the HR representative arrived right on time, hastily apologizing. Chu Fuxuan’s eyes curved into a smile as he comforted him, saying there was no need to apologize, and followed them into the adjacent training room.

Both sides had already reached an agreement on the details, so finalizing the contract went very smoothly. The process was so fast it was as if they were worried Chu Fuxuan would back out at the last minute. HR handed over the pre-prepared employee badge, and the IT department installed internal software on Chu Fuxuan’s phone.

The onboarding process took no more than half an hour. Chu Fuxuan now had access to the office area and was subsequently led to the studio.

The entire ninth floor was allocated to the X17 project, with definitely over a thousand employees on duty. Everyone basically worked in open-plan cubicles, arranged in different areas according to their functions.

Chu Fuxuan was completely unfamiliar with the place. Even though every section had signs indicating the departments and the whole area was laid out very scientifically, as he walked through, it felt like wandering into a maze. He even suspected he might get lost coming to work in the future.

Fortunately, Xie Yu said, “Usually, you just come up the East 2 side stairs and turn left. It’s closer to the elevators over there.”

Chu Fuxuan quietly breathed a sigh of relief and confirmed, “Do all the game designers sit together?”

“Yes, you have over sixty people right now. Systems, gameplay, and numeric balancing are grouped together. Resource allocation and execution are right next to them. Only the narrative team is separated by a wall, closer to the audio department,” Xie Yu explained.

Chatting like this, he familiarly cut into a side aisle and patted someone on the shoulder: “Shannai, receive your new boss.”

The person was modifying a blueprint. Upon being notified, he hurriedly took off his headphones. Amidst his excitement, he was inevitably a bit flustered: “Damn, so fast? I haven’t prepared myself mentally.”

When he looked up and saw Chu Fuxuan clearly, he was unexpectedly slightly stunned. Feeling deeply moved and gratified, he spoke with great passion: “Boss is so handsome it gave me a jump! Oh my god, our team is going to turn the tables and charge into the peak of attractiveness!”

Looking around at all the unfamiliar faces, Chu Fuxuan felt a bit tense, but he didn’t show any timidity and smoothly picked up the conversation with tact.

He started making arrangements: “How about everyone spares ten minutes this afternoon for a brief meet-up? We can get to know each other.”

“Sure, sure! We’ve been looking forward to you taking office today. We’ve all cleared our schedules and promise to be there in full formation,” Shannai agreed.

Seeing the two sides chatting warmly, Xie Yu didn’t stay long. He only mentioned that at 3 PM, the executives would also have a brief meeting, reminding Chu Fuxuan to plan his time accordingly.

Afterward, Shannai mentioned that Chu Fuxuan’s workspace had been tidied up and cheerfully led him over to inspect it.

This was the spot the project team had chosen for him. They hadn’t just set up the computer hardware; they had also downloaded the development engine and a series of other tools. The desk was stocked with potato chips and candies, and tissues and wet wipes were neatly placed.

…Why are they being so attentive? Chu Fuxuan couldn’t help but feel suspicious.

Perhaps the workplace environment in California had been too intense, and the sudden display of such humanistic care made him inexplicably feel an ominous premonition.

This premonition wasn’t like a sense of danger. It was more like subconsciously sniffing out a crude trap nearby, yet not understanding what stepping into it would achieve.

“A treasured spot with excellent feng shui. Please have a seat,” Shannai’s tone was sincere and eager.

“The producer is fifty meters to the left, the lead artist is sixty meters to the right, and the lead programmer is forty meters ahead. If you want to cause trouble for anyone, it’s just a few steps away.”

Three directions had been specified, but one was left unmentioned. Chu Fuxuan vigilantly glanced behind him. There were several soundproof conference rooms used for daily conversations and coordination. Nothing looked out of the ordinary.

He relaxed his guard and joked, “Is the dark room thirty meters backward?”

Hearing this guess, Shannai’s face suddenly changed, and he waved his hands: “No, no, no, please absolutely do not turn around!”

The more he was stopped, the more Chu Fuxuan’s curiosity was piqued. Looking around, he pressed, “Why? These are all empty rooms.”

Shannai stammered and revealed, “One of them is an office, and the door is slightly ajar right now.”

Everyone else, including the director, was obediently sitting outside. It seemed the occupant of the room had an unusual rank. Chu Fuxuan leaned against the desk, crossed his arms, and looked at the crack in the door, eager to find out more.

He probed jokingly, “Oh, so this one is stuck the closest to me. Who is it?”

Shannai choked up for a second. Before he could tactfully lay the groundwork, the door was pushed open from the inside.

The view became wide and clear. Chu Fuxuan saw that tall silhouette. Without needing anyone’s explanation, he could state the person’s title, name, and even his home address and door number.

…So the so-called “treasured spot with excellent feng shui” was planted right in front of Qi Yingzhu???