009 Uneasy Calculations

“Anyway, you decide how to handle it!”

After a period of negotiation, Duan Qing finally resorted to the sly tactics he had learned through years of scraping by—otherwise, facing that imposing female manager, he might have been at a loss.

And now, having no way out, he had to play his hand.

“No matter what, when I ordered online, I absolutely thought it was the ADVT version. How could I be satisfied with what you’re delivering now…”

Due to financial constraints, Duan Qing’s rented room was naturally modest. Though in this era, even the simplest accommodations were luxurious compared to the last century—ample space, several rooms—the problem was that many rooms were empty. Besides his bedroom, the living room held only a few sofas and a coffee table. There were no extra electronic devices, let alone decorations. Compared to other households, his home could indeed be described as bare.

There was naturally nothing to offer their guest. After the woman and Duan Qing sat down and exchanged questions, setting their positions, Duan Qing began his planned “extortion.”

“I need it tonight…”

“Sir, the order we received indeed was…”

“Enough, I get it.”

A soft voice rang out, paired with a poised, cool demeanor. Her hands were folded neatly on her lap, eyes fixed intently on the negotiator opposite her. This woman, claiming to be the manager of Tianxiang Company, instantly silenced the room. At least the employees behind her ceased their arguments with Duan Qing, and a hush fell over the scene.

Yet Duan Qing remained calm. He met the beautiful woman’s gaze with an expressionless face, then mercilessly bared his teeth: “You need to give me a satisfactory answer.”

The woman studied his face as if imprinting it deeply in her mind, her gaze as cold as winter. Maintaining perfect posture, her graceful body leaned back while she lowered her voice without looking away: “Sir, was your order indeed for the standard version?”

“Yes, M-Ma’am Manager.”

Her subordinates felt none of the flirtatious undertones, instead straightening up in unison. It was as if a group anxiously watching their superior’s reaction had been startled by her sudden move. Though their female boss was unseen to them now, only Duan Qing could perceive their tension.

It seemed this woman’s identity was questionable…

Upon hearing her subordinates’ reply, the woman fell silent, only staring at Duan Qing, awaiting his explanation. He kept up the proud “I’m the boss” act, sneering disdainfully: “Hmph…”

“So, you’re saying I ordered the standard version, right? Heh… Let me reiterate.” Duan Qing leaned forward, elbows on his knees, chin resting on his hands, and spoke leisurely: “I ordered the ADVT model online. I thought you were selling it at a bargain… and now…” His voice faltered briefly before thoughtfully gazing at the ceiling.

“I recall your online store’s layout was rather intricate. Ads, promotions, product descriptions… hmm… I think there were even marketing links, something about Free World… But when I found the equipment I needed, I carefully examined the specs and diagrams. It was definitely high-end stuff. Tsk tsk, plus that tempting price…”

Duan Qing smiled, a confident grin revealing a sense of triumph… and sly cunning.

“So here’s the fact: I saw your advertisement on your company’s webstore, saw the equipment that satisfied me and the alluring price. Maybe I was mistaken? Or your layout and links were faulty? Or perhaps your ads just weren’t clear enough for us consumers to understand?”

He straightened up. “Think about it carefully, it’s that simple. But the outcome now… is very unsatisfactory.”

“I’m not trying to make things difficult for you; I just want to continue with my purchase and get the gaming pod I want. Otherwise… I seriously suspect your company of false advertising and—fraudulent behavior.”

The atmosphere heated slightly, stirred by the anger radiating from the employees behind. But not the woman—the air around her remained as cold as winter.

Her expression unchanged, as if frozen by the chill, her voice slowed: “May I ask, sir… your family’s financial situation… isn’t very good, is it?”

Duan Qing’s expression turned colder, but his tone grew more cheerful: “Don’t worry, my family is—extremely—well-off.”

Her words slowed further, like breath crystallized in the cold air: “Then… why are you buying this gaming pod…”

“Of course, to play games! What else could it be for? Oh, you’re worried I might give it away? No, no, no, I’d never do such a thing. So many great games waiting for me, how could I possibly give them up…”

Facing the increasingly frosty expression opposite him, Duan Qing’s rambling grew smoother: “By the way, whether my financial status is good or bad is a personal matter, so please, everyone here—standing or sitting—needn’t bother… And what I plan to play shouldn’t be any kind of important issue. But as a former gaming enthusiast, I’d be happy to share some of my experiences with you. Speaking of which, didn’t you mention a game called Free World just now? I heard it’s quite popular…”

“You… intend to play Free World?”

“Uh…”

Like a voice caught in his throat, the unexpected question abruptly halted his flow of chatter. A strange unease swept through Duan Qing’s heart, as if the situation he thought he controlled was suddenly twisted by unseen forces. His mind raced back and forth but found no flaw.

Yet the woman kept watching him, transforming the winter around her into spring.

The formal smile from their first meeting reappeared on her beautiful face, now tinged with other meanings. Her tone quickened and lightened: “Hmm, you intend to play Free World…”

“Yes… yes, is there a problem…”

Duan Qing felt the situation worsening. Outwardly calm, inwardly suspicion grew.

Something was wrong… something important was being overlooked…

But before he could pinpoint it, the woman made a stunning decision.

“If that’s the case, it may indeed be a fault on our company’s part.”

“On behalf of Tianxiang Company, I sincerely apologize.”

“If you don’t mind, I will take responsibility and send you another gaming pod, an ADVT version that meets your standards. How does that sound?”

Her subordinates were shocked by their boss’s concession, one even stepping forward hesitantly as if to object but dared not. Duan Qing too was astounded, but his mindset was altogether different.

At this point, given Duan Qing’s nature and the favorable circumstances, he could easily have pushed for a deluxe gaming pod—even against a beautiful woman. Yet doubts in his mind acted like a warning bell, preventing him from pressing further. Those questions, her sudden change in expression and tone…

After hesitation, Duan Qing nodded, agreeing to the solution. The woman turned, giving instructions on the details.

With the matter resolved, she stood and prepared to leave. At the doorway, she glanced back once more, her willow-leaf eyes casting a sidelong look that made Duan Qing’s hairs stand on end.

After a long moment, she smiled again: “Wish you… happy gaming.”

“Hahaha, thanks.”

In the time that followed, Duan Qing was uneasy. Why, after scoring such a great deal, did he feel cheated? Would they send a faulty product next? Or perhaps a more standard standard pod to spite him?

Still pondering the source of his unease, he had to attend to other matters. As no clues emerged, he gradually gave up. When the new gaming pod arrived, he inspected it several times but found no hidden defects. His doubts slowly eased.

However, after connecting the device, installing the system, and preparing everything, the original plan to go online at 7 p.m. was delayed. Once Duan Qing entered the game, all those worries were cast aside…

***

Meanwhile, downstairs from Duan Qing’s residence.

The woman descended and approached her RTG sports car.

This hovering vehicle brand was renowned in this era, its price naturally exorbitant. But those who knew could tell from certain special parts that this RTG was custom-made.

Owning such a car implied a prestigious identity. Yet, for those familiar with this era, inconsistencies emerged.

In the booming gaming industry of today, a project manager at a gaming company was a high-level job. But if this woman owned such a car, her job seemed somewhat low-end… Simply put, her income and expenses did not match.

She approached the car, recalling the earlier incident, clenching her teeth in anger at the man’s sly rudeness. Then, a thought crossed her mind and a smile slowly appeared: “Heh heh…”

Today she had received news that Xu Liangyu might be transferred to her team to assist with her work. That man… was quite capable, unconventional, calculating, and not lacking courage when it mattered. In recent years, he had many achievements, especially when Tianxiang Group absorbed the shrinking assets of Xiangrui Group, taking over market shares. Xu played a significant role, even pushing aside Long Feikong, who had aimed for a piece of the pie…

But in her heart, this was deeply displeasing, because his private actions revealed his hidden agenda. When Xu made those moves, her father had shown goodwill, perhaps eager to settle matters early as she grew older, or maybe because he saw her wild nature and wanted someone to keep her in check…

But she had struggled to gain freedom, how could she accept this!

Xu had met her before, showing some “goodwill,” but she was no fool. Over the last three years at Tianxiang, the internal and external operations, personnel arrangements, and power accumulation—all had been carefully planned to achieve results and silence the upper management. Her plans had largely succeeded, even the general manager treated her with respect—not because of her status, but because of the authority her strength commanded.

Yet Xu’s arrival was outside her plans. She understood this and was very unhappy.

That afternoon when he reported to the company, she avoided meeting him by pretending to be on a work inspection. While giving him a warning, she also took a breather, only to encounter this situation…

Fortunately, this person… She picked up the order form and found his name: “Duan Qing, huh… heh heh heh…”

Thinking of what might happen next, the woman removed her glasses and covered her mouth to chuckle softly. Anyone passing by would be enchanted by that beautiful smile, oblivious to any chill—even if it was a cold smile, it could not dampen the charm of such a graceful beauty.

Just as her “little schemes” seemed powerless, her communication orb rang inconveniently.

“Hello… Chairman…”

“I might be a bit late today.”

“Really? Where did you hear that? The source is important…”

“Hmm, where is that thing…”

“Emerald Forest? Haven’t heard of it… When you log in later…”

The woman in white spoke as she opened her car door and slid into the driver’s seat. Yet the engine did not start; she sat there, continuing to discuss with the person on the other end.

“I see… alright then…”

“Send me the detailed situation and points to watch out for via the in-game mail. I need to review them carefully…”

“Candidates… of course… what? That Xu person too?”

As her sharp voice rose abruptly, the other end fell silent. Noticing her loss of composure, she suppressed her displeasure: “Xu… Liangchen Meiyu’s participation, I have no objections, but I still reserve some of my own ideas. And this mission must be under my full command…”

“Mm, good, I will…”

The communication ended. The woman pondered briefly before sighing and turning her head as if recalling something.

Through the front-side window, she looked toward an upper floor, a satisfied, scheming smile returning: “I’ll settle accounts with you later—there’ll be plenty of opportunities…”

She started the car and left, the sound of the sports car fading into the distance: “I hope you’ll bring me some entertainment.”

“You won’t get away…”