A Flutter of Anxiety

Lately, though, he'd been so busy that even that little thought had quickly vanished. He was simply too tired. Whenever he had a bit of free time, he could hardly wait to take a shower and collapse into bed, sleeping like a log. Even thunder wouldn't wake him.

It wasn't until Monday morning of the third week that Zhang Hao learned the shopping phase was over. The next step was assembly.

Zhang Hao was good with his hands—at things like painting and designing. But installing electronics was another matter. He was a complete idiot when it came to electronics, a bona fide tech dunce. Forget assembling anything; he couldn't even make sense of it.

There were two huge workbenches in the basement, both purchased by Mifeng. Zhang Hao had put them together himself. He could manage that much, following the instructions.

He opened the laptop and mounted it directly on a stand, which Mifeng had purchased too. Everything was under that guy's control. Across from it sat a phone stand, and Zhang Hao placed his phone on it as well.

A projector sat off to one side. The laptop, phone, and projector were arranged in a triangle. He connected the laptop to the projector with a cable, and a line of text appeared on the opposite wall.

Locate the items. First...

A clear image appeared, followed by a panoramic view of the basement. A red circle highlighted the item he needed, making it easy to spot. Zhang Hao could see it perfectly, of course. He went straight over, picked up an electronic board, returned to the workbench, and set it down.

Next...

A clear image of the item and where it was located appeared. Zhang Hao found it.

He located more than ten items in all, big and small, along with tiny wires and tools like a soldering iron. His scalp prickled. He was genuinely getting a headache; he couldn't figure out what Mifeng was trying to do.

The projection showed an electronic board, then another tiny electronic component. Zhang Hao didn't know what it was, but he understood the diagram on the screen: the two items moved close together, and the smaller component was inserted into the board. The position wasn't complicated, and Zhang Hao understood it at a glance.

He might not know how to do anything else, but he wasn't afraid to put things together by following a diagram. In fact, he was good at it.

Mifeng had ordered a lot of electronic components and circuit boards, including some custom-made at great expense. Zhang Hao had to solder each component onto the boards, one by one. He kept at it for a whole month, with Mifeng ordering takeout for him every day.

Over the course of that month, Zhang Hao assembled ten strange-looking devices. Then, under Mifeng's direction, he connected them using silver and gold wires of various colors.

At first, Zhang Hao hadn't realized what the wires were. But as he connected them, he noticed that the gold-colored strands didn't look like copper. He asked about it, and learned that the connecting wires were mostly silver and gold—even eighteen-karat gold.

Once everything was connected, a few words appeared on the screen.

You can leave for now.

"Can I ask a few questions?" Zhang Hao said. He wanted to know what these machines—or the things he'd assembled—were for. He'd held back until the work was finished before asking.

No need to rush. I know what you want to ask. After a while, I'll tell you—and I'll tell you what you want to know most... who I am. Haha!

Zhang Hao sighed. He knew full well that he'd probably fallen into some kind of trap. Whether the outcome would be good or bad was anyone's guess. He wasn't a child, or some young man fresh out of school. In the age of the internet and information overload, he knew far more than people in the past. He understood perfectly well that there was no such thing as a free lunch.

"Fine. Whether I believe you or not, I can't back out now. I hope we can work together successfully."

By now, Zhang Hao felt that huge sum of money was becoming a hot potato.

Back in his room, he opened the laptop on his desk. Mifeng had bought ten of the same model online. Four sat in the basement, one in each corner, mounted on stands and left running around the clock.

There were laptops in the living room and bedroom, and two more in the studio. They were all there to make it easier to contact Mifeng. With his phone as well, Zhang Hao could get in touch even when he went to the bathroom.

He hadn't checked his account balances in over ten days. He logged in and counted the zeroes—ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, and so on—then his eyes widened. The money in all his accounts combined had already exceeded two billion, not even counting what he'd spent.

He didn't need to calculate it. Zhang Hao knew that six or seven hundred million of it belonged to him. The money was coming in at a terrifying rate, and an important question surfaced again: Who exactly was Mifeng, and what did he want?

By this point, Zhang Hao realized he could no longer get away from him.

What troubled Zhang Hao most was that he had no one to share his worries and excitement with. He couldn't think of a single friend he could truly confide in. It wasn't that he was eccentric; he'd spent too long cooped up at home and rarely socialized. He'd once had a close friend or two, but after graduating and starting work, they'd been in touch less and less until they gradually drifted apart. People changed as they grew up.

And after staying home for so long, Zhang Hao didn't even want to find someone to talk to. Whether things went well or badly, he bore it all in silence. This time, though, things had gotten out of hand—and made no sense. Somehow, he'd become a billionaire in just a few months. He had no idea what to do.

Not everyone could handle immense wealth.

Zhang Hao was doing pretty well. He remained calm and hadn't splashed out or flaunted his wealth. The initial surprise and excitement had faded, and as his fortune grew, so did the pressure.

The money had come from nowhere, and that made it frightening. The biggest reason was that he still didn't know what Mifeng was after or who he was. Until he uncovered that secret, the more money he made, the less secure he felt—and the more anxious he became.

After a long time thinking it over, Zhang Hao decided he'd better keep his sudden fortune a secret. Without the means to back it up, there was no point showing off. There were too many examples online of people coming into a fortune—winning the lottery, for instance—and things not ending well for them. If your character couldn't match your status, you wouldn't be able to hold on to your wealth.

Still, Zhang Hao was growing more and more interested in Mifeng. The man was mysterious and incredibly capable, with knowledge far beyond his own. If he stayed patient, he'd meet Mifeng one day. Zhang Hao was confident of that. He refused to believe that a supposed partner was nothing more than a money-sending angel. Nothing in the world came that easily.

Zhang Hao had had plans for his life. He hadn't aimed to be rich or famous; he'd only wanted a safe, happy life, doing the things he enjoyed. Naturally, that depended on having a certain amount of money. Without some savings, none of it was possible. Someone who couldn't afford to eat wouldn't have the luxury of pursuing anything; all they could hope for was enough to eat.

He'd never imagined that hitching a ride with Mifeng would somehow turn him into a billionaire, with his fortune still growing rapidly. It had completely upended his plans for the future. This was the first time he'd felt immense pressure because he had too much money.

He'd have to wait until he met Mifeng before making any decisions. For now, all he could do was stay calm and wait.