Major Event
"He's finally here!"
The mustachioed host suddenly became excited. "Storm Shadow, a three-time consecutive champion, the true hero of Tulos! The one who hung the head of the Devourer Tulag on the arena gate with just a Power Sword and a Power Shield, he is the true hero, the only champion of this arena!"
The audience went completely wild, and when the fifth challenger appeared, the crazed women even took off their clothes and threw them into the arena.
"HU!"
With a roar, the Storm Shadow slammed his Power Sword against the surface of the Power Shield, sending sparks flying and a deafening roar echoing throughout the arena, driving the spectators into a frenzy.
"Having overcome four challenges, can Lightning shake Storm Shadow's undefeated myth built over three years? Let's look forward to that moment!"
"The challenge begins!"
I frowned, trying to calm myself down. The margin for error when facing Power Sword is extremely low. If I make a mistake, I could be killed instantly, which is not good!
"You were originally a nobody, now go to hell!"
With a shout, the Storm Shadow leaped into the air and unleashed a Leaping Chop!
"Boom!"
In a flash, I was even faster. In an instant, I took a Step Slash and moved three meters away, precisely missing the opponent's sword strike, while turning around and sweeping out a sword strike!
As long as this sword strike causes a slight stun effect, it can be followed by Rising Dragon Slash or Cold Star Piercing Bone. All I need is one chance to land a successful attack!
However, the Storm Shadow was also very fast. His blade flashed out and grazed the Wind Chaser. Then, he spun around and slammed his Power Shield down hard!
I hurriedly withdrew the Wind Chaser, and with a flash of sword light, I thrust it towards the surface of the Power Shield. I immediately retreated a little with a "thud." The surface of the Power Shield was covered with force fields, just like Vega's Power Gauntlet back then. If I had taken a shield bash from him, I would have been either dead or seriously injured!
"Whoosh!"
With a raised Left Hand, he threw the Energy Blade!
Unexpectedly, the Storm Shadow was too fast. In the instant my body tilted to dodge, the Power Sword suddenly swung horizontally, and my Energy Blade throwing knife was shaken and spun rapidly in the air, sticking into the ground ten meters away.
"Hey..."
The Storm Shadow sneered, "I have honed my swordsmanship to perfection. Your skills are utterly disgraceful!"
I frowned, quickly switched to the UZI, aimed at the opponent's head, and pulled the trigger!
"Clang clang clang~~~"
Amidst the intense fire, all the bullets struck the Power Shield, failing to inflict even the slightest damage. The opponent didn't even lose a single point of health. But just then, I slid to the left, switched to my Explosive Gun, and fired another magazine. At the same time, I pulled out a grenade, bit off the pin with my teeth, and threw it directly behind the opponent.
"You..."
The Storm Shadow finally showed a look of surprise.
The Wind Chaser as if breaking through the wind, and in the instant sparks flew from the edge of the Power Shield, it suddenly changed its attack angle, leaping up and thrusting its sword diagonally at the shoulder and neck of the unsuspecting Storm Shadow!
"Puff!"
"8292!"
One strike, and it's a kill!
Even a tough guy like Storm Shadow groaned in pain, falling into a very brief state of paralysis.
"Boom!"
Sword light surged, Rising Dragon Slash!
As I sent my opponent flying with a single sword strike, I leaped up and slashed my Dragon Blade fiercely at the arm holding the Power Sword. With a loud "crack," it snapped in two!
"1782932!"
[Battle Prompt: You used the [Wind Chaser - Thunder Fury] (Quality: Orange) to inflict the [Crippling Blow] effect on [Storm Shadow] (Orange BOSS), causing it to lose 1,782,932 health points and some Combat Power!]
Every strike hits its mark; fighting these elemental warriors who don't wear Power Armor with Power Sword is so exhilarating!
Moreover, the Storm Shadow was far too arrogant. He thought his Mastery of Swordsmanship level 9 was incredibly powerful, and that he could sweep through the entire interdimensional arena with that skill. That was indeed true.
But he met me, a level 10 Sword Master, and my swordsmanship level was no match for him at all!
In a battle between masters, victory or defeat can be decided in an instant. If he loses by one sword strike, it's as if he has lost everything!
"Whoosh!"
A sudden chill ran through my right arm. Just as Storm Shadow landed, I unleashed a powerful sword strike, the Cold Star Piercing Bone cleaving his shield-wielding left arm. Frost spread instantly, and with a swift basic attack followed by an Ash Sweep and another basic attack, I pierced through the Furnace Shield, severing his left arm as well!
"1722636!"
[Battle Prompt: You used the "Wind Chaser - Thunderfury" (Quality: Orange) to inflict the "Crippling Blow" effect on the "Storm Shadow" (Orange BOSS), causing it to lose 1,722,636 health points and lose some Combat Power!]
In an instant, the arms of this three-time consecutive champion arena hero were severed, and he glared at me with a furious expression.
"Snap!"
With a flash of sword light, a head flew off, a clean decapitation!
"Thud~~~"
The head of the Storm Shadow landed on the sand and rolled a long way.
"..."
Inside the arena, all was silent. Even the mustachioed host was stunned and didn't utter a single word.
A full few seconds later, a deafening roar of cheers erupted. The crowd in the stands, probably horrified by the gruesome death of Storm Shadow, screamed like pigs being slaughtered!
[System notification: Congratulations! You have successfully defeated five rounds of challenges. Next, you will face the final powerful enemy: the Soul Devourer Beast (Orange BOSS)!]
'Soul Devourer Beast?'
I frowned and looked at a blood-red iron gate in the distance. Behind the gate, there seemed to be a strong Mental Power surging, a Mental Power that could already pose a threat to me!
"Lightning, he has become the new champion of this arena, the new king! Let us cheer for him!"
After stirring up the atmosphere, the mustachioed host said, "But Lightning's conquest is not over. An extremely powerful being awaits him. It is the Soul Devourer Beast imprisoned in this alternate dimension, one of the chaotic beasts from the subspace. Come on, a grand battle is about to begin!"
"Sizzle~~~"
The moment the iron gate rose, a pair of crimson eyes sent a chill down my spine. The next second, the Soul Devourer Beast, as massive as a small train, emerged. Its enormous body was covered in slime, and its gigantic head stared straight at me. The next second, its attributes appeared—
[Soul Devourer Beast] (Orange BOSS)
Level: 55
Psionic Attack: 2450-3200
Defense: 1550
Qi and Blood: 5,000,000
Skills: [Mental Power Enhancement Lv9][Mental Power Control Lv9][Psionic Energy Enhancement Lv9]
Details: Soul Devourer Beast, a terrifying alien beast from the subspace, possesses powerful Mental Power and can even control the minds of others, turning them into its own servants!
"Whoosh~~~"
The Soul Devourer Beast dragged its bloated body out, its eyes filled with contempt. Suddenly, a powerful Mental Power swept down from the sky, making everyone's heart tremble!
The next second, a ringtone sounded in my ear--
[Battle Prompt: The Soul Devourer Beast has attacked you using Mental Power Control Lv.9! The system has entered judgment mode. Soul Devourer Beast's Mental Power: 880, Your Mental Power: 267, Skill Success Rate: 59%, This judgment has failed!]
"Whoosh!"
A wisp of MISS rose from the top of my head, instantly sending chills down my spine. Just a moment ago, it felt like I had just walked through the gates of hell!
Fuck you!
Without saying a word, he took out his Explosive Gun and fired a series of precise shots at the head of the Soul Devourer Beast!
"Roar~~~"
The Soul Devourer Beast remained motionless, a spiritual energy shield rising from its body. However, it was instantly shattered by the powerful firepower. Immediately afterwards, streaks of green starlight condensed in the air, transforming into a dense barrage of Psionic Attack that rained down!
Here we go again!
I quickly entered a move-and-aime shooting state, maneuvering within a small area to constantly evade the opponent's Psionic Attack. Even if I couldn't evade them, it wasn't a problem; I could activate Stardust Wall and take the hit without dying.
About half a minute later, that feeling returned!
Mental Power control!
"Boom!"
This time I took the initiative, instantly unleashing Explosive Charge + Cold Star Piercing Bone + Rising Dragon Slash. One A-rank and two S-rank skills combined, with three major control skills at the same time, greatly increasing the margin for error. I instantly stunned him on the spot, directly interrupting the casting state of the Mental Power control skill!
Taking advantage of the momentum, he unleashed a barrage of attacks including "Tian Gong Kai Wu," "Battle Roar," and "Overpowering Momentum," then switched to his Power Sword and slashed fiercely at his opponent.
Unfortunately, the Soul Devourer Beast's body was too bulky. The Wind Chaser was like a small razor blade, while the opponent was like a fat pig weighing 800 pounds. It could only scrape off some of the fat. Fortunately, the damage was not bad. A combo could deal nearly 200,000 damage, which greatly improved the speed of the attack.
This was repeated, interrupting the opponent's Mental Power control spellcasting four times in a row. On the fifth attempt, however, the attempt finally failed!
"Shuashuashua~~~"
Three MISSes rose simultaneously, and powerful Mental Power swept down from the sky!
No more saving!
Activate your Burst Skill now – Lightning Shield!
"Sizzle!"
A ray of lightning descended from the sky and struck him, then transformed into a transparent Lightning Shield that instantly provided invincible protection. The Soul Devourer Beast's extremely deadly Mental Power control dissipated, and taking advantage of the 5 seconds of invincibility, it quickly unleashed another flurry of wild slashes!
Five minutes later, even though the Soul Devourer Beast had thick hide and tough flesh, it still couldn't withstand my powerful attacks and firepower. Finally, after a roar, its body began to collapse, and a spatial rift appeared behind it, continuously sucking in fragments of its flesh and blood.
"My God, the warp has been opened!"
The mustachioed host was dumbfounded.
I glanced at the subspace and felt a sudden, inexplicable unease.
Fortunately, the subspace disappeared quickly, and then a deafening cheer erupted in our ears!
"Lightning!"
"Lightning!"
"Lightning!"
These audience members were so enthusiastic, but of course, I would never believe that they were so enthusiastic because they loved me.
The next second, a Teleportation Gate appeared ahead, and a pleasant system bell rang in my ears.
[Congratulations! You have completed the solo Instance Crystal Dimensional Arena (Nightmare Difficulty ★★★★)! Rewards: 8.8 million character experience and Star Speaker Job Change Certificate (S-rank)! As you are the first player to complete the solo Nightmare Difficulty ★★★★ dungeon, you also receive: Achievement +6 and Charisma +2!]
"Holy crap..."
Looking at the description of the completed dungeon, I was slightly taken aback. As expected of the first dungeon completed solo, the rewards were incredibly generous. Not only did it give me 6 achievement points and 2 charm points, but it also gave me an extra Star Speaker job change certificate!
In the setting of <Star Abyss>, Star Speaker are a "Hidden Profession" of the Psionic System, and there are two ways to become Star Speaker.
One possibility is that all Psionicist, upon entering the game after selecting a class, have a very low chance of triggering a simple quest that allows them to easily complete the class change and become the Hidden Profession, Star Speaker.
It's said that the odds are one in a thousand, and Fey Courtier and Wu Yu Yu Yu are likely to be such lucky individuals.
The other type is what we see here: using something like a "job change certificate" to transform a Psionicist into a more powerful Star Speaker!
So, when I received the certificate, Kou Mei suddenly came to mind.
If we also switch Kou Mei to Star Speaker, our unassuming team will suddenly have two Star Speakers who are known as the strongest "late game" Star Speaker. Wouldn't we be invincible after reaching level 90?
During the initial closed beta testing phase, an insider once mentioned that each class could learn a tenth-tier skill when reaching level 100 and advancing to the tenth tier. The Star Speaker's tenth-tier skills were the strongest of all classes, with one called Star Speaker's Final Chapter and the other called Astral Gate, so powerful that they could make the universe tremble.
We don't know if it's true or not; we'll only know later.
At that moment, a group of arena "staff" rushed into the arena, took away the body, and also collected some of my DNA that I had left nearby.
"Lightning, there's nothing to worry about!"
In the air, the mustachioed host laughed, "We will use your genes to clone a new Lightning. He will possess the same fighting skills and enviable adaptability as you. He will reign supreme in this arena and become the new champion!"
'What the hell?'
I frowned. Could it be that if other players also obtained this four-star Instance Crystal, the final boss they encountered when entering the challenge would be my clone?
If that's the case, then that's absolutely outrageous!
Moreover, after the BOSS is strengthened, with my skills and adaptability, needless to say, this four-star dungeon will become a nightmare for the players involved!
They're gone!
Stepping into the Teleportation Array, with a "whoosh," they appeared in a familiar-looking plaza.
Damn, Luo Mei Square is so far away, I still have to take a taxi home!
There's no rush about getting the Star Speaker job change certificate; I'll deal with it tomorrow. So I hailed a taxi and returned to my neighborhood. It was only a little after nine o'clock when I got home. Although this four-star dungeon was extremely difficult, it took very little time!
Lin Qingying was on a conference call, giving instructions with a very serious expression. She looked up at me, smiled, and then said something.
I grinned and walked into the room.
"Whoosh~"
I took the Wind Chaser out of my storage space. After so much use, the Wind Chaser's durability has dropped quite a bit, from 5000 points to 2200+. Especially in the battle against the Storm Shadow, when the Wind Chaser clashed head-on with the opponent's Power Weapon, its durability dropped particularly quickly.
As for repairing weapons, you can either repair them yourself or find someone to repair them on the Player Black Market. But either way, it's better to repair them yourself, since you can't very well trade these things with others—what if they don't return them?
In the early years of online gaming, many similar incidents occurred in various games. Ordinary players would trade weapons to repair-skilled players, only to find out that the repair-skilled players were scammers who would log off as soon as they saw the better equipment. Such incidents were frequent, and a seasoned player like myself, who considers myself a "veteran," could not afford to make such a mistake.
So, they took out their tools, disassembled the Power Sword, and inspected the worn parts.
However... when I looked closely, I felt completely confused. It was like a struggling student seeing a difficult exam paper; they recognized each word individually, but couldn't understand it when put together.
This indicates a problem with the knowledge structure...
A bell rang in my ear--
[Please note that repairing the Wind Chaser - Thunderfury (Quality: Orange) also requires the skill [Energy and Power System Knowledge] (Rank S)!]
It actually requires an S-level passive knowledge skill!
I frowned, quickly assembled the Wind Chaser, put it back in my Dimensional Storage Space, then lay down on my pillow, took out my phone, and started searching online to see if the book was available for purchase.
Soon, I was utterly disappointed.
There is indeed a lot of Energy and Power System Knowledge online, but it's all fragmented and unorganized. Even the Crimson Dragon Country University doesn't have such books. The knowledge in the professional disciplines is divided into more than ten categories, and where am I supposed to find more than ten skill points to learn all this stuff?
So, I opened the Dark Web and started searching there.
I returned disappointed once again; there was nothing there.
After thinking about it, it seems that the most educated person in our group is Xu Tian. I mentioned him before when I said "Gun Like a Dragon". Xu Tian is a 985 master's student majoring in aerospace industry.
So I gave him a voice message.
"Hello, Ding Han?"
After Xu Tian answered the call, he laughed and said, "It's so late, is there something you need?"
"Um."
I nodded. "I ran into a problem when I was trying to repair the Power Sword myself. Repairing this thing requires not only a certain level of Repair Skill, but also a book called 'Energy and Power System Knowledge.' Do you know where I can get this book?"
"Holy crap, this thing..."
Xu Tian was somewhat speechless. "Although the technology level in <Star Abyss> is quite high, the disciplines are scattered, and the knowledge you need is quite general, it's an integrated discipline. As far as I know, even North Sea University doesn't have this. In <Star Abyss>, this kind of thing is basically top secret of the company, held by technical personnel. Speaking of which..."
He pondered for a moment, then said, "You've heard of Yue Ning Group, right? Yue Ning Group has two subsidiaries, Yue Ning Energy and Yue Ning Power. Their R&D departments definitely have relevant technologies. If you know someone at Yue Ning Group, perhaps... damn it..."
He contradicted himself. "Forget it, just pretend I didn't say anything. This kind of technology is the most confidential reserve of major corporations. They simply can't make it available. Even if you know someone in Yuening, you might not be able to get it."
"Knew."
I chuckled. What a coincidence! The CEO of Yue Ning Group is sitting right in my living room.
"Xu Tian, thank you so much. I'll go think of something."
"OK!"
Xu Tian said, "Ding Han, if you can really get your hands on this book, congratulations! You've hit the jackpot! In the future, we players will definitely have outstanding players constantly acquiring equipment like Power Sword, Power Shield, and Power Armor. When they wear out, they'll need someone to repair them. Who do you think can do that? If you, Ding Han, master this skill, let me tell you, you'll be rich just sitting in the Player Black Market repairing equipment every day."
"Hahaha, well said, well said!"
I grinned, and couldn't help but recall the reason why Fatty and I chose the repair profession as our secondary profession when we officially launched <Star Abyss>: it was just to earn some money for instant noodles!
Things are different now. If we can really get it sorted out, the money we'll earn in the future won't just be enough for instant noodles. I don't agree that repairing a Power Sword would cost less than tens of thousands of yuan.
So, I opened the door and went into the living room. Lin Qingying was still on a conference call.
"Little Ying~~~"
"Um?"
She turned to look at me.
"Come here." I beckoned with my finger.
She obediently straightened her clothes, stood up, and walked over, saying softly, "Are you still in a meeting? What's wrong?"
"Are you hungry? I'll get you something to eat. Just tell me what you'd like to eat."
"..."
She looked at me skeptically and whispered, "What's the next line after 'offering favors for no reason'?"
"Look at what you're saying!"
I glared at him and said, "What's wrong with being nicer to you? Tell me what you want to eat, and I'll get it for you right now! You have to tell me, right now!"
"Is that so domineering?"
She smiled and said, "Then you can cook some porridge, and then go out and buy some braised duck necks or something."
"Okay, I'll take care of it!"
At that moment, an executive on the other end of the conference call called out, "Manager Lin? Are you still there?"
"Exist."
Lin Qingying took a glass of warm water and sat down again to continue the meeting.
I rushed into the kitchen, started cooking the porridge, and then went out for a bit. The nearest Jue Wei Duck Neck shop was just across the street from our place, so I tucked my clothes in and walked over.
Not long after, with a "whoosh," an Off-road Motorcycle pulled up to the side.
The beautiful woman on the bicycle took off her helmet, and it turned out to be Ruolin.
"Ruolin, you..."
I was speechless for a moment. "Instead of staying home at night, you're out racing cars on the street?"
"None of your business."
Ruolin laughed and said, "Let me tell you first, where are you going in the middle of the night?"
"Go over there..."
I pointed to a duck neck shop that was still lit up not far away and said, "Xiaoying wants to eat duck neck, I'll go buy some."
"Yo~~"
Zhang Ruolin laughed and said, "How come I didn't know you, Ding Han, had such a considerate side? If I wanted to eat duck neck, would you brave the cold wind to buy it for me?"
"You?"
I grinned. "Don't you have legs?"
"Tsk tsk~~"
She chuckled, "Alright, I'm going back to racing. You better do your best. From my conversation with Ying'er, I can tell she really cares about you. Good luck!"
With that, he stepped on the gas and drove off.
As I watched her retreating figure, I realized that this free-spirited and carefree woman was sometimes quite enviable.
After buying duck necks and returning to her residence, Lin Qingying had just finished her conference call.
After a while, the porridge was ready, so the two of them sat together to drink the porridge and eat duck necks.
"Ding Han."
She looked at me. "What's wrong?"
I need your help.
I took a deep breath and said, "I'd like to learn about energy and power systems, but it's not available on the market. I've heard that Yue Ning Energy and Yue Ning Power are very competitive in China, so I was wondering... could you do me a favor and get me this book?"
"There are no books."
Lin Qingying said, "However, with my access, I can access the relevant technology on my office computer. If you want to see it, you'll need to go to my office. Would you like to consider it?"
"Want!"
"Okay, you can go whenever you're free."
The following morning, at Luomei After-Sales Maintenance Office.
Over the past few days, there has been a backlog of appliances waiting to be repaired, mostly laptops, so Fatty, Haozi, and I started working on it early in the morning.
Although the repair level was the same, I was more efficient and finished my own work early, then helped Fatty repair a laptop that seemed to have a damaged hard drive.
"This morning I saw my brother-in-law with a grim face, and Manager Wang from the Marketing Department also looked like he was about to die. The company was deathly quiet. Did something happen?"
Xu Hao turned to me and said, "Ding Han, you're a high-ranking executive in the company, you should know that, right?"
"I know nothing."
I glanced at him. "I'm just as clueless as you. How high-level do you think I, a mere department manager, can be?"
"Too..."
Xu Hao nodded without saying a word.
I packed the laptop up and handed it to Fatty, patting him on the shoulder. "The hard drive is broken. I need to get a new one to call the client. You guys keep busy, I'm going out for a bit."
"Where are you going?" the fat man asked.
"Don't ask about the manager's affairs!"
"You daughter!"
Amid the fat man's indignant voice, I left the repair department, then walked out of the Luomei Building, took off my name tag and stuffed it into my pocket. I then called Shen Man and told her I would be there immediately.
Cross the overpass and arrive at the Yue Ning Building.
"Ding Han!"
Not far away, Shen Man waved and said with a smile, "This way, come here."
As she approached, she smiled and said, "Manager Lin is in a meeting downstairs, and his computer is available. If you need to look up information, hurry up. By the way, did you tell me Manager Lin's computer password? It's a company secret, I don't know it."
"I told you."
"Good."
Following Shen Man upstairs, the top floor of Yuening's administrative office building remained as quiet as ever. The people coming and going were either high-level executives such as presidents and directors, or staff such as secretaries and assistants.
This wasn't my first time in Lin Qingying's office, so I wasn't at all reserved. I followed Shen Man casually all the way to the office.
"Okay, I'm going to get busy now. Take your time looking at it, just let me know before you leave."
"OK!"
After entering the room, Shen Man left, and I walked to Lin Qingying's office chair, sat down comfortably, turned on the computer, entered the password she told me yesterday, and successfully entered the system. Then I entered the key she sent me, and finally entered the S-level access system that only she, as the CEO, had.
Once inside, I searched for "Energy and Power Systems," then selected "Basic Technologies," and began to study it carefully.
In Star Abyss, if you don't learn skills through the "Skill Tome," you can only learn them through actual practice, like shooting or throwing. Fire a few shots, throw a few times, and the learning option will be triggered naturally when you feel a connection with the skill.
Before I knew it, it was noon. I was feeling dizzy and lightheaded. Although I had only read the general outline of the relevant field, I still felt that my knowledge as a master's student from a 211 university was a bit of a stretch. Fortunately, I am a science and engineering student, and I managed to force myself to master this skill!
"Ding-dong!"
[System prompt: Do you wish to learn the skill "Fundamentals of the Power System" (Level S)?]
Finally, it's done!
"Call..."
I took a deep breath, confirmed the learning, and the next second a golden icon of interspersed wrenches and gears appeared in the passive skill list, S-rank, currently level 1!
There's nothing more to say; immediately start inputting a large amount of Skill Experience and level up quickly!
From basic knowledge to advanced knowledge, then to mastery, and finally to expert level 10, sitting still, the skill was easily upgraded to the current maximum level. Instantly, countless technical knowledge flooded into the mind, and in an instant, the user became an expert in energy and power!
It's a pity I haven't reached level 50 yet, otherwise I could have leveled up to Master in one go.
Instantly, I gained 24 points of Spirit, greatly increasing my Psionic Resistance!
"Snap~~~"
Just then, the office door opened, and Lin Qingying, dressed in a business suit and wearing a CEO badge, walked in, smiling as she asked, "How did it go? Did you get into the system?"
"Yes, everything went smoothly." I got up from her seat.
"Yeah?"
She smiled slightly, with a hint of doubt. "Although I don't have a science and engineering background, I do know a bit about power and energy. Whether it's energy conversion or power application, the related knowledge is quite complex. If you still need to learn more, you can come anytime. Or... I can ask Shen Man to get you a pass."
"No, no, no..."
I was speechless. "That's not good, after all, I'm an outsider."
"Um."
She suddenly couldn't help but smile and said, "It's lunchtime, come downstairs with me for a meal before you leave?"
"I haven't clocked out for lunch yet."
"You, a department manager, don't even have this much authority?"
"Too!"
So, at Lin Qingying's invitation, I stayed at Yuening to have lunch with her. Naturally, when Lin Qingying walked into the company cafeteria, she became the center of attention, while I became the focus of many employees' questions.
"Manager Lin!"
Not far away, CEO Cao Jingyao walked over with several subordinates and asked respectfully with a smile, "Why didn't you use a private room?"
"No, that's too much trouble. I'll just eat out."
"All right."
Cao Jingyao laughed and said, "Manager Lin's style of sharing weal and woe with his employees is something we should all learn from. Um... Old Zhang, Xiao Wang, let's eat out for lunch today too. Come on, let's go get some food!"
Hahaha~~
Several senior executives laughed heartily and escorted Cao Jingyao away.
Lin Qingying frowned but remained silent.
I didn't say anything. Cao Jingyao's smile was forced and insincere; you could tell he was a wolf in sheep's clothing. He was the assistant that the board of directors of Yue Ning Group assigned to Lin Qingying, the CEO. Although he appeared respectful, he wasn't on Lin Qingying's side and would inevitably hinder her at every turn. Just thinking about it, I could understand how difficult her situation was at Yuening.
But I'm really not suited to come and help her. Firstly, I know nothing about business administration, and secondly, I have no experience in interpersonal relationships or workplace struggles. If I really come to Yuening, I might not only fail to help, but also become a hindrance and a pawn for others to use against Lin Qingying.
"There are no other meetings today, so I'll leave work early. Shall we go home together?" she suddenly asked halfway through her meal.
"Sure, it just so happens you haven't practiced skateboarding in a while."
"Hmm~~"
After dinner, Lin Qingying upstairs, and I went downstairs, crossed the road, and returned to Luomei.
In the afternoon, I spent some time with Fatty and Xu Hao in the maintenance department. At 3:30 p. m., everyone got up to go to the Luomei Building's Auditorium for the New Year's staff meeting. A few days ago, all employees received a text message requiring everyone to attend, as the meeting was said to be quite important.
Conference room.
The three of us saw Lu Zifeng; he looked extremely haggard, his face filled with exhaustion.
"Old Lu."
The fat man waved and said, "Long time no see!"
"It's you guys..."
Lu Zifeng forced a smile, "Ding Han, I heard you're doing quite well in the after-sales department, and customer feedback is pretty good. It's just that you've been taking too much leave and are a bit lax in your work, which isn't good. Now that you've reached this position, you should cherish it. Look at me now... I'm nothing, just coasting along in the Marketing Department."
"Yes, I know, thanks for reminding me."
I don't know what to say. In Lu Zifeng's eyes, I stole his position as after-sales manager, but he knows nothing about the truth. If it weren't for staying with Fatty to coast along, I wouldn't even bother with the position of operations director, let alone manager.
After chatting for a few minutes, Lu Zifeng left dejectedly. His mental state was definitely not right. It seemed that after losing his position as manager, his energy and spirit had been scattered, which was quite pitiful.
"Ding Han, Fatty."
Not far away, a refined-looking figure appeared. It was Chen Dongqing, dressed impeccably. He grinned as he walked over and said, "Long time no see. How have you been?"
"Good."
I looked around and said, "I heard that General Manager Huang is going to announce something big at today's employee meeting, but it's very secret. No one has revealed a word about it yet. Do you know anything about it?"
"How would I know..."
Chen Dongqing said helplessly, "I've heard some rumors, but it's just hearsay. As a subordinate, I can't be disrespectful and ask General Manager Huang directly. I'll just wait and see; General Manager Huang 'll announce it soon anyway."
"Mr. Chen."
Xu Hao mustered his courage and said, "I've heard some rumors that there's going to be a 'reshuffle' of middle management at Luo Mei, and many people will be laid off. Is that true?"
"Ah?"
The fat man was surprised.
I was also taken aback. If that's the case, it would explain why Lu Zifeng was in that mental state. If the rumors are true, then this group of middle managers will face the dilemma of "mid-life unemployment," which is quite similar to the massive layoffs that occurred in major domestic companies around 25 years ago.
"I don't know either, I really don't know, I'm not lying to you."
Chen Dongqing shrugged. "I know nothing about this either. The conference is about to start, so stop guessing. General Manager Huang will announce it directly in a bit."
"Okay, let's go back to our seats, it's about to start."
So, everyone returned to their seats. Chen Dongqing went to the front row, while my name was posted in the middle management position in the second row. Fatty and Xu Hao sat in the back seats without names.
Soon after, a still-attractive and charming "company flower" named Luo Mei stepped onto the stage and said, "Dear colleagues, our New Year's staff meeting is about to begin. First, let's invite General Manager Huang Minyu to the stage to give a New Year's speech!"
"Xie Xie!"
Huang Minyu took the microphone and began his speech, followed by a PowerPoint presentation summarizing last year's business performance. He spent nearly an hour on the presentation, seemingly quite moved, and said:
"Colleagues, our Huaining Luomei has been operating for fifteen years. Every brick and tile here embodies the hard work of generations of Luomei people. But... every story has to come to an end. Today, I want to announce a major event to everyone, which is also a strategic adjustment by Luomei headquarters regarding the Huaining Luomei Flagship Store."
Immediately, the hall fell silent, everyone waiting for Huang Minyu's next words.
Finally, he picked up the microphone and said with deep emotion, "I hereby announce that Yue Ning Group has officially completed the full acquisition of the Huaining Luomei Flagship Store. From today onwards, our entire Flagship Store will join Yuening and work together to build a brand new Yue Ning Plaza Ecosystem!"