Value and Leverage

The last trace of a fake smile on Brother Kun's face vanished without a trace the moment K uttered those five words, like smoke blown away by a cold wind. In its place was a cold, scrutinizing gaze, as if examining a malfunctioning tool, mixed with a hint of anger rising from being openly defied.

The hall was deathly silent; even the incessant clatter of keyboards seemed to have faded. Everyone held their breath, staring in horror at the audacious newcomer and Brother Kun, whose face was so dark it seemed to drip with malice. The "inner guards" who had been heading towards K stopped in their tracks, their faces showing a cruel yet excited expression, waiting for Brother Kun's command.

"Interesting." Brother Kun spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but with a metallic quality that made it particularly clear in the oppressive air. "Before, some of you cursed the company, some wanted to leave... I let it go. Newcomers, they don't know the rules, they're scared, that's understandable, and the company has a certain level of tolerance."

He took a step forward, the sound of his leather shoes hitting the ground particularly jarring in the silence.

"But—" he abruptly changed his tone, his gaze locking onto K like a hawk's, "You're standing here now, you've heard the company rules, and you understand the benefits and... the consequences. That means you've officially started working here."

His voice suddenly rose, carrying an undeniable coldness:

"How dare you openly refuse to work for the company?!"

"What do you think this place is? A farmers' market? You think you can just pick and choose?!"

This stern shout made many newlyweds tremble with fear.

Brother Kun pointed at K and said coldly to the guards, "Looks like we need to give the newbies a real treat; they really don't know who they're dealing with. Follow the rules! Let him 'wake up' and understand his place!"

"Yes!" Several burly bodyguards grinned maliciously, cracking their wrists and necks as the stun guns in their hands crackled with blue-white sparks as they approached K step by step. The surrounding thugs also closed in, blocking all possible escape routes. A violent atmosphere filled the air; everyone anticipated that this reckless young man would fall with a scream in the next second, becoming the "chicken" used to scare the monkeys.

However, facing the relentless advance of the thugs and the cold stares from all around, K's face remained completely expressionless. He didn't retreat, nor did he adopt a defensive stance; he simply calmly raised his head and looked at Brother Kun again, his voice even more steady and clear than before:

I'm different from them.

His gaze swept over the sallow-faced, emaciated, and listless chatters around him, his tone carrying an undisguised, almost arrogant indifference:

"I'm an IT expert. I can't possibly be like these 'losers,' becoming a low-level 'chat person' and memorizing those stupid lines, can I?"

He used the word "scoundrel" with extreme naturalness, as if he were a completely different species from those around him who had fallen to this state. These words stung many of the "veteran employees," some of whom showed humiliation in their eyes, but most were numb. The newcomers, on the other hand, stared at K in astonishment, not understanding why he was so arrogant, daring to say such things even when facing certain death.

But those words were like a needle, piercing Brother Kun's nerves precisely.

Just as Brother Kun was about to give the order to act, his brows furrowed suddenly, and he raised his hand. Several bodyguards who were about to pounce on K stopped abruptly and turned to look at Brother Kun in confusion.

"Wait." Brother Kun's gaze refocused on K, this time no longer as a troublesome "goods" or a "troublemaker" who needed to be taught a lesson, but with an assessment and scrutiny. He looked K up and down carefully, as if trying to discern something from this overly calm, even somewhat lifeless, young face.

"You understand IT?" Brother Kun asked, his anger lessening and replaced by a hint of inquiry.

K met his gaze without flinching, correcting him in a calm yet firm tone:

"It's not that I understand."

He paused, then clearly uttered two words:

"It's proficiency."

These two words carry an unquestionable confidence, almost a declaration. In a place filled with fear, lies, and violence, this confidence based on professional competence stands out starkly, yet carries immense weight.

Brother Kun's eyes narrowed slightly. IT expert? In this industry, a true IT master's value far exceeds that of dozens or even hundreds of keyboard warriors who only know how to deceive people. They can maintain systems, prevent hacker attacks (or are hackers themselves), develop new fraud tools, launder money, and handle all sorts of technical problems... They are truly "core technical talents."

The frost on his face began to melt, and a smile returned. But this smile was different from the previous formulaic, threatening fake smile; it carried a hint of genuine interest and the shrewdness of a businessman seeing a "rare commodity."

"Oh? Expert?" Brother Kun slowly walked up to K, the two so close they could feel each other's breath. "Talk is cheap. These days, there are tons of people who claim to know computers."

"I can prove it." K's answer was concise and to the point, without any unnecessary explanations or guarantees.

Brother Kun stared into his eyes for a few seconds, seemingly assessing the truthfulness of his words. Then, he suddenly laughed, this time a genuine laugh, and patted K on the shoulder—a gesture that startled everyone around.

"Alright! Interesting!" Brother Kun withdrew his hand and waved to the guards and thugs, "Disperse."

He turned and walked towards another small door on one side of the hall, saying to K without turning back, "Come with me. Let me see what you're really capable of. If you're really good, we can talk things over. But if you dare to mess with me..." He didn't finish his sentence, but the chill in his voice was unmistakable.

However, K did not immediately follow.

He stood there, watching Brother Kun's Back View, and calmly spoke:

"Etc."

Brother Kun paused, slowly turning around. The interested smile that had just appeared on his face froze, and his eyes sharpened again. "What? Regretful? Or scared?"

"No." K shook his head, looking calmly at Brother Kun, as if he weren't walking on a knife's edge but conducting a normal business negotiation. "Before proving our strength, we need to talk about... the price, right?"

"Price?" Brother Kun raised an eyebrow.

K's gaze swept once more over the "chat operators" in the hall, who were as busy as worker ants yet constantly shrouded in the shadow of fear, before returning to Brother Kun's face. His tone was flat, yet carried a sense of detached indifference:

"I can't possibly be treated the same as these 'thugs,' can I? Live in the same shack? Get the same basic salary? Be subject to the same rules?"

His words were blunt and harsh, showing no regard for the feelings of his "colleagues" around him, and completely placing himself in a superior position, waiting to be sold.

Brother Kun's smile blossomed completely, this time a smile mixed with appreciation, amusement, and a hint of understanding. He liked smart people, and even more so, smart people who knew how to fight for their own interests. Desires and demands create weaknesses, making them easier to control. What he feared most were those stubborn, headstrong individuals who were completely unyielding and only wanted to die.

"Hahaha!" Brother Kun laughed, "Great! Direct enough! I like it!"

He walked up to K, lowered his voice slightly, but it was loud enough for those nearby to hear, his words filled with seduction:

"As long as you can prove you're worth the price... money is no problem! Lots of cash, how much do you want? A house? We'll get you a detached house! Women? Pick any you like, we'll have you! Even... if you have a taste, 'flour' and 'candy' will be plentiful! Guaranteed to be top-quality!"

He paints a picture of a future of extravagance and unbridled indulgence, which is their most common and effective means of controlling "high-end talent"—corrupting and binding them with material desires that far exceed common sense.

K listened quietly, his face showing neither longing nor disgust, as if Brother Kun was just saying something insignificant like "the weather is nice today." Only after Brother Kun finished speaking did he nod almost imperceptibly.

"Okay." He simply uttered two words, which was his way of accepting the invitation to the "interview" and the potential conditions.

Without further hesitation, K took a step forward and calmly followed Brother Kun, who had turned and continued walking. The two walked one after the other through the densely packed computer desks, heading towards the small door that represented different social classes and destinies.

The deathly silence in the hall was broken by a murmur of suppressed, complex whispers. The newcomers watched K's Back View with complicated and unreadable expressions—a mixture of astonishment, confusion, a hint of jealousy, and a schadenfreude of "let's see how long he can keep up this arrogance." Among the numb "veteran employees," a few whose eyes hadn't completely dimmed watched K and Brother Kun disappear behind the door, a faint, indescribable glint flashing deep within their eyes.

The door closed softly behind K, shutting out the world outside filled with keyboard noise and despair. Inside was another unknown realm, perhaps a deeper hell, or perhaps... a springboard to access the core secrets of this criminal organization.

K's steps were steady, his eyes filled with a cold, calm depth. His mission was progressing steadily and dangerously according to plan.