The Rookie Hacker Comes Online

The Rookie Hacker Comes Online

The holiday arrived in no time. Nervously, Wang Yue called his mom in this world and told her he was going to help out at his senior brother's company over the summer. He patiently listened to half an hour of nagging, but in the end, his dad couldn't take it anymore. He said a few words to Wang Yue, then hung up.

From how quickly his dad had ended the call, Wang Yue could sense a hint of disdain. He wasn't sure if he was imagining it, though, and soon pushed the thought to the back of his mind.

On the first day of summer vacation, Wang Yue went to a barber shop for a new hairstyle, then reported to Xiao Nai's Zhiyi Technology.

The process was much like Bei Weiwei's in the TV series. First, he followed Yu Banshan around the company for a tour and learned the basics. The office space was actually quite large, since there were several departments—not like the handful of people shown on TV.

After taking a look around and meeting the staff, Yu Banshan brought Wang Yue back to Xiao Nai's office, then went out again to take care of some business.

Once Yu Banshan had left, Xiao Nai gestured for Wang Yue to sit on one sofa, then sat down on another. He got straight to the point. "Zhiyi Technology is a startup, and every department is short-staffed. As for which department you should join, I haven't decided yet. I'd like to hear your thoughts before making arrangements."

"How about the planning department? From what I've seen, every other department already has its core members, so I'd just end up doing odd jobs without much room to contribute. You're overseeing the planning department, Senior Brother Xiao, so I could help lighten your load." Wang Yue carefully thought back over what he'd learned about the company and shared his idea.

As Wang Yue spoke in Xiao Nai's manner, he found himself unconsciously picking up some of his style.

"Looks like Junior Brother Wang is very confident in his abilities. I hope you can bring that confidence to your work." Xiao Nai saw a bit of himself in this junior and wanted to nurture him, to see what kind of surprises he might bring.

"I won't let you down, Senior Brother Xiao!" Wang Yue stood up and held out his hand.

"Let's work well together." Xiao Nai shook his hand, then cautiously asked, "As for your salary..."

"Forget the salary. I'd actually rather learn more about hacking from you, Senior Brother Xiao. I'm really interested in it." Wang Yue let go of his hand and answered politely.

"You'll be paid, of course. And if you have any questions about hacking, Junior Brother Wang, you can come to me anytime." Xiao Nai finally saw a trace of the awkwardness that suited a young man in Wang Yue, and the corners of his mouth curved up.

After leaving Xiao Nai's office, Wang Yue found the spot Yu Banshan had assigned him. He opened a document on the computer, leaned back in his chair, and thought about the company's current situation, his mind turning over possibilities.

Zhiyi Technology was currently focused on A Chinese Ghost Story. The planning department had already finished most of its work, and Wang Yue didn't need to get involved in the details. How could he prove his worth and get Xiao Nai to teach him in earnest?

Wang Yue thought about it for a long time. Then he suddenly remembered the various versions of Legend Game from his own world. A few of them seemed to have been designed pretty well and had enjoyed long lifespans. So he picked one—an edition endorsed by Liu Yifei—and began writing up a proposal.

After more than a week of hard work, he finally finished polishing the proposal just before the three guys from his dorm showed up to report to the company. He hurried to Xiao Nai's office and dropped the thick proposal onto his desk. Then, ignoring Xiao Nai's surprised look, he poured himself a cup of hot water and flopped onto the office sofa in a Ge You Slouch.

Time ticked by—wait, that sounded like a lyric. Anyway, after finishing his water, Wang Yue ran out of patience. He wandered around the company a few more times before Xiao Nai finally called him into the office.

"Junior Brother Wang, this proposal of yours is very detailed. So detailed that you could easily take it to investors yourself and secure funding." Xiao Nai looked at him seriously. "Yet you've chosen to settle for a position at my company. Why?"

In that moment, Xiao Nai's mind raced. He knew this junior didn't even bat an eye when he met Weiwei. It made him wonder if the guy had ulterior motives toward him.

And, well, sometimes you just couldn't let your thoughts wander. Once they did, all kinds of wild ideas rushed in. In that instant, Xiao Nai almost convinced himself that a man had a crush on him.

After all, ever since Wang Yue had entered this TV world, Xiao Nai had practically been its center. Stories about him were everywhere.

Without even realizing it, Wang Yue had wanted to learn from this impressive guy, shake off his lazy attitude, and become more like a heartthrob. That way, when he got back to his own world, he might be able to attract women's attention like Xiao Nai did.

After all that time, Wang Yue had gradually started to resemble Xiao Nai in some ways. Some of the senior girls at Qing University affectionately called him "Little Heartthrob." More and more people seemed to agree with the nickname, which made Wang Yue both pleased with himself and annoyed. What did they mean, little? He was plenty big, okay?!

The air grew quieter and quieter, and Xiao Nai's gaze turned increasingly hostile. Wang Yue felt that if he didn't say something soon, he might lose his chance to learn from him.

So Wang Yue hurriedly broke the silence. "First of all, Senior Brother Xiao, I don't think finding investors on my own would be a good choice. The capital market has always been ruthless."

Wang Yue calmly walked over to the water dispenser and poured himself a cup of water. Then he came back and continued, "Second, I don't think you're the kind of boss who fails to reward people fairly!"

"Lastly, I really believe in Zhiyi Technology. I want to join and improve myself. Senior Brother Xiao, you should understand what I mean." Wang Yue took a sip of water, rolled his eyes at Xiao Nai, and added, "Senior Brother Xiao, I'm a man, and I like women!"

Wang Yue had put Xiao Nai in a very awkward position, but his dark and calculating nature kept him from showing any discomfort. After all, as long as he wasn't embarrassed, then it definitely wasn't him who was feeling awkward.

"Your proposal is excellent, and it's very well thought out, but there are a few issues we need to resolve." Xiao Nai finally got serious.

"The copyright shouldn't be too hard to negotiate. But if we're going to make this game, we don't have enough people. Almost everyone is already working on A Chinese Ghost Story, and we don't have any spare staff for this project." Xiao Nai flipped through the proposal as he spoke.

"Oh, that? That's your problem, boss. I've finished my proposal, so now you guys can get busy. I can use the time to learn about hacking. With a pro like you around, I feel like my skills are about to take off!" Wang Yue was practically giddy. Hacking—it was the stuff of legends.

Listening to his junior, Xiao Nai felt that something wasn't quite right, but he certainly wasn't going to think the problem was with himself. It had to be the junior's problem. So Xiao Nai promptly kicked him out.

"I'll send you a website in a little while. It's a hangout for hackers. A rookie like you can start learning there. If you run into anything you don't understand, come ask me!" Xiao Nai said without looking up.

When Wang Yue left Xiao Nai's office, he still looked completely bewildered. The world of pros was impossible to understand. He shook his head helplessly, pushed the door open, and walked out.