My Sassy Girl

Late at night, around midnight, I finally returned to my residence.

When the door opened, the living room lights were on, and Lin Qingying was taking a shower; the sound of water could be heard from the bathroom.

"Call..."

Feeling a bit tired, I plopped down on the sofa to rest for a bit.

A moment later, Lin Qingying came out of the bathroom in her pajamas and smiled, "You're back?"

"Um."

I nodded, but I saw even more exhaustion on Lin Qingying's face, so I said, "Qingying, has Yuening been having some trouble lately? You look a little pale."

"Actually, it's alright..."

"Nothing is allowed to be hidden from me!"

"Wow, you're being a bit domineering..."

She sat down beside him and smiled slightly, saying, "Xie Zheng has already started taking action. Taking advantage of the Yue Ning Energy Crisis, he has initiated a new round of financing and restructuring for Yuening. The board of directors has already decided to introduce funds from the Xiajiang Group, and the CEO of the Xiajiang Group, Zhong Baiyan, is a long-time friend of Xie Zheng. Therefore, Xie Zheng's current stance is quite clear: he wants to use the Yue Ning Energy Crisis to cooperate with Zhong Baiyan's entry and begin diluting my shares in the Yue Ning Group. Once they achieve their goal, they will likely kick me out immediately."

"Xiajiang Group... Zhong Baiyan..."

I frowned, but I really knew nothing about business.

"Xiaoying, don't put too much pressure on yourself. After all, sometimes pressure can't be turned into motivation."

"Um."

Lin Qingying smiled and nodded, "It's okay, I still have a trump card in my hand, which is the Yue Ning Group's B2C Strategy plan. As long as the Yue Ning Mall can be launched smoothly and achieve the expected sales results, I can turn the tide."

"That's good."

After chatting for a few more minutes, the two went back to their rooms to rest.

I had just lain down when the game system beeped. It was Milo's voice call. After I answered, his voice came from the other end:

"Ding Han, why is your phone off?"

"It was broken by Xiao Bei."

"Holy crap..."

Milo said, "I'm sorry... I was too harsh just now. I know you and Xiao Bei meant well, but... I trusted her too much, so I acted rashly."

"You're not the one who needs to apologize to, and I won't be angry with you about this. It's Xiao Bei who's really angry. If you want to apologize, you should go apologize to her right away."

"OK!"

"By the way, is there any progress on Lin Jianwei's matter?"

"No, let's leave it at that for now and talk about it later... I'll go apologize to Xiao Bei first."

Go ahead.

I was speechless for a moment. It's true that when it comes to matters of the heart, those involved are often blinded, while bystanders see things clearly. Milo usually gives me a whole bunch of advice, but when it comes to his own situation, he completely loses his composure and goes from being a strategist to a complete idiot.

I'm not going to think about it anymore, time to sleep!

I slept soundly until I woke up needing to pee, then realized my phone was gone, so I didn't have an alarm. I checked the time in the player system and it was already 8:10, which startled me so much that I jumped out of bed.

Lin Qingying was washing her face in the bathroom.

"Why did you oversleep?" she asked curiously.

"But I don't have a phone anymore, and I don't have an alarm clock..."

"Oh!"

She couldn't help but smile.

"I need to pee..." I glanced at the toilet next to me.

"..."

Lin Qingying had just rubbed the face wash onto her face when she asked, "In a hurry?"

"Um!"

"That..."

She chuckled, "Go ahead and pee, I promise I won't peek."

I was a little embarrassed, but I was so frustrated that all I could do was say, "Then don't turn your face away."

"Good."

Lin Qingying washed her face diligently, and then a few minutes later, she asked, "Why aren't you peeing?"

"I can't pee because there are people around..."

"Shall I go out for a bit?"

"Good!"

After Lin Qingying finished washing up, I started my routine of washing my face and shaving. I glanced at the time and realized I was already late, so I said, "Qingying, we're going to be late. Why don't you not wait for me and go to work first?"

"It's okay, I can be late," she replied while looking at her phone.

I was annoyed. Well, she's the CEO, so no one will say anything if she's late.

After some adjustments, his appearance improved by about 20%. He put on clean clothes and went downstairs to eat with Lin Qingying.

Still, the breakfast combination of Hulatang, steamed buns, and fried dough sticks.

Not long after, just as we were finishing our meal, we saw a figure walk into the residential area. He was dressed in a designer suit, wearing an expensive watch, and his hair was styled like an adult's. It was Xiao Chen!

"Xiao Ying!"

Xiao Chen strode over, laughing heartily, and said, "I was just passing by and thought I'd come and see where you live. I didn't expect you to actually be here."

As he spoke, he looked at me and said, "Ding Han, what a coincidence!"

"Actually, it's not a coincidence."

I laughed and said, "Xiaoying and I usually have breakfast together, so if you can see her, you can probably see me too."

"..."

A hint of displeasure flashed in Xiao Chen's eyes, but he turned to Lin Qingying with eagerness and said, "I already know about Xie Zheng and Zhong Baiyan's alliance. Moreover, this is a rare window of opportunity for financing. I persuaded him for a long time yesterday, and the old man finally relented and agreed to invest in Yue Ning Group. Our two directors from Tianchen Construction will arrive in Huaining City soon and meet with us in Yuening to discuss the specifics of the investment."

"Real?"

I could clearly see that Lin Qingying was very happy.

For her current situation, Tianchen Construction's investment was like a godsend.

"Yes, absolutely true."

Xiao Chen said, "I didn't drive. My assistant dropped me off at the entrance of the residential area and left. Can I hitch a ride with you to Yuening later? I need to get there beforehand to take care of everything."

The next moment, Lin Qingying looked at me.

I frowned. Here we go again... If I were a worthless, poor boy, how miserable I would feel right now!

But I am not like that. To Lin Qingying, to Xiao Chen, to everyone in the Star Abyss World, I have always adopted an attitude of "looking at them as equals" and treating them all the same, regardless of their status.

"Then let's leave it at that."

I got up, dusted off my pants, and said, "I went to the internet cafe too. Lu Xiaobei promised to get me a new phone today."

"Um."

Lin Qingying got up, took out her car keys, and turned on the headlights of the Bentley. I also took out my keys and turned on the headlights of the Cayenne behind the Bentley.

"..."

Xiao Chen was clearly surprised, probably not expecting that a mere chain internet cafe manager could afford such a luxury car, which was said to be worth millions.

"Ding Han."

Lin Qingying stopped me and said, "I'll let you know in advance if I get off work early."

"Okay, work hard and keep it up!"

"The same to you."

She smiled, got into the car, and started the engine, while Xiao Chen gave me a meaningful look and sat in the passenger seat of the Bentley with a strange "victor" attitude.

Early morning at Feiyang Internet Cafe.

Before the car had even stopped, I saw a beautiful figure "dart" out of the internet cafe, then open the car door and sit steadily in the passenger seat, handing me a cup of milk tea.

It was none other than Lu Xiaobei!

What are you doing?

I said with a bit of exasperation, "I haven't even gone in to check in yet!"

Stop being hypocritical.

Lu Xiaobei said, "You manage the monthly attendance tracking, so it doesn't matter whether you clock in or not. Are you suggesting someone deduct from your salary? Hurry up and go buy you a phone; Milo has already transferred the money to me."

Damn, so Milo is the only one who got the short end of the stick. She was the one who broke the phone, but Milo ended up paying for it.

So, I didn't bother complaining, took a sip of my milk tea, and drove to the commercial area.

Soon after, the two started browsing a mobile phone store, and Lu Xiaobei wisely put on sunglasses to avoid being recognized by fans.

"Ding Han, what kind of phone do you want?"

She pursed her lips. "I think the one I dropped was a tri-fold one, which was quite expensive. Should we just buy that one instead?"

"There's no need."

I shook my head. "A phone is just a phone, something you hold in your hand. If you fold it up into a tablet, is it still a phone? It's useless except for showing off. Just buy me a regular one."

"Good."

In the end, I chose a popular Samsung model, which cost a whopping 13,000 yuan.

"Beauty."

Lu Xiaobei said from the side, "Give me another white one of this model of phone, I'll buy two."

"Okay, please wait a moment!"

The sales clerk was overjoyed and went to get the phone.

I asked in surprise, "You want to buy it too?"

"Um."

She nodded. "I broke the corner of my old phone, so it was a bit uncomfortable to hold. I thought I'd take advantage of Milo getting me a new phone so I could get myself one too."

"Damn it, how much money did Milo actually transfer to you?"

"One hundred thousand."

"!!!"

I said earnestly, "Xiao Bei, this is extortion..."

"He's the one who made me angry."

Lu Xiaobei said, "A mere 100,000 is nothing to Milo; it's like buying a pack of cigarettes on the street."

"That's true..."

I simply can't refute this. As the most popular pop singer in China right now, Milo has made a fortune just from selling song copyrights. It's said that earning several million a year is definitely not a problem, not even counting income from endorsements. If he holds concerts in the future, he could earn tens of millions a single show, which is something that ordinary people wouldn't even dare to dream of.

Among the players, Milo is probably the richest right now.

After getting the new phone and changing the SIM card, I returned to the internet cafe to continue assembling the machines and writing code, telling myself it was an incredibly fulfilling day.

Unfortunately, whenever I think back to that morning when Xiao Chen rode in Lin Qingying's car and the two of them went to Yuening together, my heart aches a little...

It turns out that players are human too, and they also experience gains and losses in this kind of thing...

Around four o'clock in the evening.

"Drop!"

A message came from Lin Qingying: "Several important figures from Tianchen Construction have come to Huaining City, so... I have to attend this dinner party tonight, and I won't be able to have dinner with you."

"It's okay, work is more important."

I replied that I had ordered takeout in advance, and then I stayed upstairs alone assembling the machine, trying my best not to overthink things.

I went home around 7 p. m.

A man was sitting in the living room watching a Crayon Shin-chan movie. He didn't know how long he had been watching when suddenly, with a "click," the door opened, and Lin Qingying walked in.

"You're back?"

"Um!"

She put down her bag and asked, "Have you eaten?"

"Have eaten."

"Good..."

Their conversation was dry and uninteresting.

Lin Qingying sat down next to me. She seemed to have mixed feelings, but hesitated to speak.

Finally, after sitting for a few minutes, she turned to me and said softly, "I'm sorry... I'm sorry what happened today made you upset..."

"I..."

I was slightly taken aback, wondering how to cover up my embarrassment.

"Don't speak."

Lin Qingying looked straight at me and said, "Ding Han, I'll go change my clothes now, and we'll go downstairs right away to see a movie at Yue Ning Plaza. I checked the schedule at Guangming Cinema when I came back, and there's a 9:30 showing. We can make it in time if we leave now!"

I stared at her in surprise.

Is this really the Lin Qingying I know? Logically, she should be up and working on her computer by now, but today she's suggesting we go to the movies?

This is the first time we've ever watched a movie together.

Go downstairs, and I'll drive to Yue Ning Plaza.

The car was parked in the square, and the two of them rushed into the Guangming Cinema inside the square.

I looked up at the movie schedule and saw that the 9:30 showing was the legendary "My Sassy Girl." The production company was a country in the Star Maple Federation. Judging from the movie poster, the lead actors were Cha Tae-hyun Jun Ji-hyun. I wouldn't say they were somewhat similar, but they were practically identical.

"Hello, I'd like two tickets for the 9:30 movie."

Lin Qingying took out a hundred-yuan bill from her bag and handed it to the ticket window.

"Okay, just a moment!"

The ticket seller collected the money and issued the ticket in one smooth motion, but the moment she handed the ticket out, she looked at Lin Qingying outside and suddenly froze, seemingly unable to believe what she was seeing.

Now the entire Yue Ning Plaza belongs to the Yue Ning Group, so this ticket seller is also an employee of Yuening. She probably knows Lin Qingying, and although she looked shocked, she didn't dare to say anything.

"Want some milk tea?" Lin Qingying asked.

"Are you being this brave today, Xiaoying?" I asked with a smile.

Her pretty face flushed slightly. "Let's try it, we'll drink something that's not too strong."

"Then let's do it Boyá Juéxián! The movie starts in 12 minutes, let's hurry!"

"Good!"

So the two ran across the square, heading straight for the milk tea shop across the street.

The evening breeze was a bit chilly. Lin Qingying's long hair and trench coat fluttered in the wind, making her breathtakingly beautiful and attracting the attention of many.

Upon arriving at the bubble tea shop, I quickly paid. Luckily, there was no queue, and I soon returned to the cinema with my two cups of bubble tea. After entering, I found that there were quite a few people watching the movie. This film had just started showing in Star Abyss and was receiving a very good response; it was practically dominating the market!

Most of the moviegoers were young couples, and Lin Qingying and I didn't seem out of place sitting among them.

The film started very quickly.

As I sipped my milk tea, I started watching the movie for the second time. The plot was still captivating, eliciting bursts of laughter from the audience. Even Lin Qingying, who is usually serious and reserved, laughed along with the audience many times.

I must say, this is a great movie with both laughter and tears. At a turning point in the plot, I suddenly felt Lin Qingying holding my hand. She was looking at the screen, seemingly very worried about the future of the male and female leads.

"Xiao Ying..."

I gently squeezed her hand back.

"Um."

Lin Qingying responded softly, then continued biting her lip, watching the movie.

At 11:30, when the movie ended, enthusiastic applause rang out in the audience. It was unexpected that the people of Star Abyss were so kind and would give such recognition to such a wonderful film.

"We're home, Xiaoying."

"Um."

The moment the two stepped out of the movie theater, they noticed that it was starting to snow lightly outside.

It's already spring, so this snow came so suddenly.

"It's snowing..."

I looked up at the sky and laughed, "Zhang Wansen probably saw it even earlier than us."

"Yes, that's right!"

Lin Qingying smiled and nodded, and then, whether it was because of the cold or something else, she naturally took my arm. At that moment, we seemed more like a real couple.

"Manager Lin?!"

Just then, someone nearby recognized us.

He was a young man with slightly thinning hair, dressed rather lightly, holding his girlfriend's hand.

"Manager Xu, what a coincidence?"

Lin Qingying responded with a smile, but did not let go of my hand.

"Yes, what a coincidence..."

Manager Xu hurriedly introduced him to his girlfriend, "Baby, this is Manager Lin, the CEO of our Yue Ning Group. I've mentioned him to you many times before..."

"Oh, hello Manager Lin!" His girlfriend nodded with a smile.

"Hello."

Lin Qingying also looked at me and said, "Ding Han, this is Xu Xiangyu, the general manager of our Yue Ning Quality Control Department. He is a very capable general and a backbone of Yue Ning."

"Cough cough, not at all..."

Manager Xu shook his head politely several times, then looked at me and asked, "And who is this?"

"Ding Han, my boyfriend."

Lin Qingying answered crisply and decisively.

"Oh oh..."

Manager Xu was quite shocked and said "Oh" twice.

The second person to be shocked was me; I never expected Lin Qingying to directly acknowledge my identity in front of Yuening's senior executives.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Manager Xu and his girlfriend drove off in a Volkswagen Passat.

"Xiao Ying."

I walked ahead against the wind and snow, trying my best to shield her from the wind and snow, but when I looked at her, I hesitated to speak.

I know what you want to say.

Lin Qingying smiled lightly and said, "Didn't you ask me to pretend to be your girlfriend before? You haven't said the pretending process has stopped since then, so as long as you don't call CUT, I'll always be your girlfriend... I think this explanation makes perfect sense, right?"

"I see, that makes sense, perfectly reasonable..."

I was both amused and exasperated. Although I was a little disappointed, I was still very happy, since Lin Qingying's words and actions had already made her stance clear.

As for when our "pretend" couple relationship will become official, it's just a matter of time, there's no need to rush.

Lin Qingying had just experienced the devastating pain of losing her parents six months ago, so I chose to let her take the initiative to bring it up. It just didn't seem quite right for me to do it myself.

However, the fact that I am Lin Qingying's boyfriend will probably spread throughout Yuening soon through Manager Xu's mouth, and it will also reach Xiao Chen's ears. I wonder what he will think then.

As I drove home, I wasn't going fast, and small, scattered snowflakes fell onto the windshield.

"Xiaoying, has Tianchen Construction confirmed its investment in Yuening?" I asked.

"It's still uncertain, but their intention is strong."

Lin Qingying looked ahead and said softly, "Ding Han, I don't want you to be troubled in any way, and I don't want you to worry about me. So, my attitude towards Xiao Chen is very clear. He is my senior, and we only have friendship as classmates. If he uses Tianchen Construction's investment in Yuening to blackmail me, I would rather miss this cooperation."

She turned to look at me and smiled, "But don't worry too much. I know Xiao Chen's personality. Although he seems arrogant, he's actually a very simple-minded person. I just don't know when he started liking me, even though he was pursuing my best friend back then."

"I've heard a ridiculous theory that this might be a roundabout way of getting closer to you by pursuing your best friend. Maybe Xiao Chen actually liked you back then."

Is there such a saying?

Lin Qingying was surprised.

"Um."

I changed the subject and asked with a smile, "How was the movie today?"

"Very nice."

Lin Qingying began to reminisce about the movie's plot and smiled, "Such a simple love story is truly enviable. Ding Han, do you think this female lead is your type?"

"It's hard to say..."

I took a deep breath. "After all, you and she are completely different types."

"Are you saying I'm not savage enough?"

Lin Qingying pretended to be angry and laughed, "If you need me to, I can be a little savage too."

"Cough cough, no, no, no, I'm not a masochist, you'd be better off being gentle."

"Um."

She stopped talking and instead took out her phone to type in the work group, mostly assigning tasks. Sending out tasks in the middle of the night, those evil capitalists!

The next morning, at Feiyang Internet Cafe.

Continue writing the algorithm.

"Drop!"

A message came from Chen Dongqing: "Ding Han, someone said during the morning meeting this morning that they saw you and Manager Lin at the Guangming Cinema in the square last night. Manager Lin even claimed that you are her boyfriend. Is this true or false?"

"Um."

I replied, "I did go to the movies with her last night."

"Holy crap..."

Chen Dongqing asked, "Are you and Manager Lin really dating?"

No, not at all.

Chen Dongqing is one of Yuening's people, and I didn't want him to have any ulterior motives towards me, so I said, "I asked Xiaoying to pretend to be my girlfriend once before, so she mentioned it casually. Just keep this to yourself and don't spread it around. Let others say what they want; I'm not in Yuening anyway, so it doesn't matter."

"Too."

He then inquired about the business situation at Feiyang Internet Cafe, offered some helpful suggestions, and ended the conversation.

Soon, another voice rang in my mind; it was Fatty's game voice.

"Damn it..."

I leaned back on the sofa. "You didn't come here just for the movie, did you?"

"Holy crap, you're amazing, you've got foresight..."

The fat man said, "The whole company is talking about it now. They saw you and Manager Lin watching a movie together last night, and you were even holding hands. Is it true? If you really managed to get Manager Lin, you have to tell me right away so your brother can be happy!"

Not yet...

I said speechlessly, "Once we're officially a couple, I'll arrange a dinner together as soon as possible, so she can personally admit that she's my girlfriend. Is that alright?"

"Yes, yes!"

The fat man chuckled and went back to work.

At 1 p. m., the preliminary algorithm model was completed.

[Congratulations! The algorithm progress has reached 10%!]

That feels so good!

I was slightly pleased and immediately sent a message to Lin Qingying: "Qingying, the core algorithm I wrote is 10% complete. Can you send someone over to make a copy and take it to the R&D department to see if it's usable?"

"Drop!"

She replied to the message: "Wait a moment, I'll be there soon!"

Downstairs at the internet cafe, Lin Qingying's car slowly pulled into a parking space.

"Ding Han!"

Zhao Yihang immediately perked up and asked, "Lin Qingying came to see you?"

"Um."

I nodded, put down the half-disassembled computer hard drive I was holding, waved to Lin Qingying, and said, "This way, come upstairs with me."

Lin Qingying followed me with small, quick steps, while Zhao Yihang looked around anxiously behind her.

I don't understand this kid. He's been obsessed with Lin Qingying ever since they were in Creek City. Maybe there really is such a thing as "being attracted to someone's looks." Many times, it's not about who's prettier or who treats you better; it's about destiny from the first glance.

Upstairs, in the manager's office.

Lin Qingying took an USB Drive out of her bag and said, "I don't know if 8GB of space is enough."

"That's enough. I only wrote the core algorithm, not the complete algorithm. Otherwise, your 8GB USB Drive might not be enough."

"Yes!" she nodded with a smile.

I quickly sat down, packed up the algorithm model I had written, copied it to USB Drive, and handed it to her.

Lin Qingying carefully put the USB Drive away, a smile playing on her lips.

"Xiao Ying."

I emphasized, "This is just the core algorithm; it requires many extensions to be applied. Moreover, this is only a part of the algorithm, probably only about 10% of the core algorithm. Due to time constraints, this is all I can write. Go back and tell your R&D team this."

"Okay, I'm going back now?"

Drive carefully on the road.

"Okay, sure."

After seeing Lin Qingying downstairs, I continued to spend the rest of my time assembling computer parts to earn a lot of Skill Experience.

Judging from the timing, the release of version 3.0, Insectoid Uprising, should be within ten days to two weeks. At that time, there will be a lot of skills that need to be upgraded, so it's always good to prepare in advance and accumulate more Skill Experience.

It was 4:30 in the evening.

"Drop!"

A message came from Lin Qingying: "Ding Han, the president and director of the R&D department have both reviewed your algorithm. They say it's exactly the algorithm they've been racking their brains for months without success, and it's practically tailor-made for the upcoming Yue Ning Mall!"

As she spoke, she added a happy emoji.

I couldn't help but smile and replied, "This algorithm was originally tailor-made for Yue Ning Mall, so the fit is naturally quite high. But since they think this algorithm is useful, that's great. I can continue to improve it. Tell them not to slack off and to start extending the algorithm, working together with me."

"Okay, I'll tell them."

Then, Lin Qingying informed me that there was a meeting today and I couldn't leave work early, so I was too lazy to leave early either. I just ate the company's boxed lunch at Feiyang Internet Cafe and continued to improve the core algorithm with my existing abilities.

It was 9:30 PM in the blink of an eye.

"Drop!"

A message, still from Lin Qingying: "Ding Han, are you off work yet?"

"No, I'm still at the internet cafe."

"I'm coming to see you now. Also, I've brought someone with me; he really wants to see you."

Who is it?

You'll see when you meet them.

"Alright, come upstairs and find me."

"Um."

Shortly after, from the office window, two cars drove into the internet cafe's parking space: Lin Qingying's Bentley and a red Porsche 911.

Footsteps soon came from downstairs. Lin Qingying walked in front, followed by a man who looked to be over 30 years old. The man wore thick glasses and could be easily identified as a techie.

Following behind was Zhao Yihang, who was wearing a deputy manager's badge and watching the commotion.

I opened the door to greet her, smiling, "Xiaoying, you're off work?"

"Okay, time to go home!"

She smiled slightly and said, "Ding Han, let me introduce you. This is Fang Tuo, the president of the R&D department of our Yue Ning Group, who is in charge of all technology-related projects within the group."

"Holy crap..."

Zhao Yihang couldn't help but show an expression of amazement.

"You're Ding Han?"

The moment Fang Tuo saw me, he immediately stepped forward to shake my hand warmly, and exclaimed, "Your core algorithm is truly amazing! Our team spent over a month trying to solve a problem, but your algorithm solved it silently. Also, your understanding of programming is incredible... I'm truly impressed, extremely impressed!"

Fang Tuo's eyes light up when the topic turns to technology.

Sure enough, the person who can serve as the R&D president of Yuening must be a workaholic and a tech fanatic, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to get to where he is today.

"Hello, Mr. Fang."

I felt a little embarrassed and laughed, "Actually, it's nothing, I just had a few of my own little ideas."

As I spoke, I raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Fang, would you like to see the source code on my computer?"

"Is that alright?" Fang Tuo was overjoyed.

"Certainly."

I turned on my computer and made an inviting gesture.

"Haha, okay... okay..."

Fang Tuo plopped down in his seat and said to Lin Qingying, "Manager Lin, I'm going to look at the code now. You guys chat, don't worry about me, just pretend I don't exist..."

With that, he plunged headfirst into the code.

"Hangzi."

I glanced at Zhao Yihang and said, "Go pour Mr. Fang a cup of tea."

"Okay!"

Zhao Yihang turned and left, while Fang Tuo, after sitting down, never took his eyes off the code again.

Lin Qingying lightly and said, "That's just how President Fang is, you'll get used to it..."

"Fine."

I shook my head and smiled, walked to the window, and looked at the night view outside with Lin Qingying.

"Where's Xiao Bei?" she asked.

"If she's not at the internet cafe, she's probably either at her rented apartment or out having fun."

"Sometimes I really envy her," Lin Qingying said.

"..."

But I subconsciously thought that the sentence might be more apt if it were reversed. Lin Qingying probably had no idea how much Lu Xiaobei envied her. Of course, I was the culprit.

A full half hour later.

Fang Tuo finally stood up, walked over with an admiring look, and shook my hand tightly, saying, "Ding Han, I'm not just flattering you, but your algorithm structure and ideas are undoubtedly insightful for our R&D team and can play a leading role. I hope you can continue to improve this core algorithm. Our R&D department will follow your lead. As long as you improve it, we will extend and expand it until we finally create a perfect online Yue Ning Mall."

"Um."

I nodded. "I promised Xiaoying, I will finish this algorithm as soon as possible."

"Okay, I'm counting on you!"

Fang Tuo said, "Could we add each other on WeChat? That way, if we encounter any technical problems, I can communicate with you directly. Of course, this might be quite troublesome for you, but don't worry, I will try my best not to disturb your and Manager Lin's private life..."

"Cough cough!"

Lin Qingying coughed beside her.

Fang Tuo immediately said, "I'm so sorry, Manager Lin, it's my fault, it's my fault..."

I smiled and took out my phone, "Mr. Fang, let me scan your QR code. Feel free to ask me any questions, but I might not see them right away. I'll reply when I have time, so please don't mind if I'm slow to respond."

How could that be?

Fang Tuo looked delighted after adding me on WeChat.

"Do you want to leave work now?"

Lin Qingying asked me, "Then we can go home together."

"Of course, I'm leaving get off work right now!"

"Mmm!" she nodded with a smile.

I walked downstairs to the internet cafe.

"Manager Lin..."

Fang Tuo opened the car door and suddenly stopped, saying, "Actually... I think with Ding Han's abilities, you can totally invite him to join our Yuening. Let alone being the R&D director, even being the R&D president wouldn't be a problem. Ding Han, I'm not being sarcastic at all... I'm serious, if you're willing to come, I'm willing to step down and work as your assistant. This is absolutely true!"

I smiled and shook my head.

Lin Qingying said, "President Fang, please give up that idea. He doesn't like being tied down, so this free job at the internet cafe is more suitable for him. Besides, I don't want him to face everything I face in Yuening."

"Okay, I was just being nosy."

Fang Tuo laughed and said, "Then I'm off. See you tomorrow, Manager Lin. Ding Han, let's have dinner together sometime. I'll bring the top R&D team to have a team-building activity with you."

"Okay, we'll talk again when we have time. Goodbye, Mr. Fang!"

"They're gone~~~"

Fang Tuo stepped on the gas, and the 911 sped away and disappeared into the night.

"Xiaoying, you rest, I'll drive."

"Um."

On the way home, as I drove, I asked with a smile, "This Fang Tuo... he seems like a pretty good person. He must be the straightforward type, otherwise he wouldn't have said those things."

"Fang Tuo is our Yuening's most outstanding engineer."

Lin Qingying said, "After graduating at the age of 24, he worked with my father for twelve years. In a sense, he was my father's right-hand man. On the first day I returned to Yuening, he found me and said that he would always stand on my side. These old men left behind by my father are my trump cards in Yuening against Xie Zheng's faction."

"I see."

I smiled and said, "Xiao Ying, don't panic. I'm your ace too, and an ace lurking on the periphery."

Without hesitation, Lin Qingying replied, "Ding Han, you're not just a card; in my heart, you are..."

"What is it?" I asked, stopping at the red light.

"Yes..."

Her face flushed slightly. "I haven't decided yet. I'll tell you when I've thought it through."

I rolled my eyes and continued to focus on driving.

I returned to my lodgings, washed up, and went to bed.

Lying in bed, all I could think about was code. I was becoming like Fang Tuo. And when I was writing the core algorithm code, I felt more and more about my lack of knowledge. My knowledge as a master's student in science and engineering from a 211 university was not enough. It was probably because I lacked a solid foundation in algorithm structure and applied mathematics. Otherwise, the algorithm should have been completed much faster.

Just as I was drifting between sleep and wakefulness, a bell suddenly rang in my ears, and a super mission was activated—

[Attention all players! The final quest of the "Demon Realm Rift" version, "Battle for Survival" (SSS-rank), has been refreshed! The gates to the Demon Realm are now fully open, and a large number of high-level demons are launching a fierce attack on the Great Wall Watch. The Crimson Dragon Country has already established 30 phase Phase Teleportation Array on the Great Wall. All players can use their local Phase Teleportation Array to travel to the Great Wall and participate in this epic battle to resist the demon army, protect humanity's homeland, and fight for survival! The higher your final Points, the richer the rewards!]

In the dead of night, I suddenly felt a chill run down my spine!

It's here!

The final quests for version 2.0 have already been updated, so how far away can version 3.0 be?