45: Chapter 45 Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river

CEO Allen's fingers tapped lightly on the table, making a rhythmic 'tap-tap' sound. Everyone in the conference room held their breath; even Wei Xiang was breaking a sweat—this quote wasn't much for Blue Whale, but the gesture itself was a slap in the company's face.

"Zhang Fan," CEO Allen's voice turned cold, "you're taking advantage of our crisis."

"CEO Allen, you must be joking." On the other end of the phone, Zhang Fan chuckled, his tone as relaxed as if he were chatting about the weather. "If you could have solved it easily, you wouldn't be calling in the middle of the night, would you? So, this 2.5 million is very reasonable."

Two and a half million?!

Chang Yuan almost bounced out of his chair, a strangled 'gah' escaping his throat. His monthly salary was only fifty thousand; this kid was asking for four years of his pay in one breath! What made his blood boil even more was what came next—

"As for the apology," Zhang Fan's voice suddenly became sharp, like an icicle piercing Chang Yuan's ears, "back then, you fired me without rhyme or reason, and Director Chang even 'conveniently' stole my project results. Now, asking you to say sorry isn't asking too much, is it?"

CEO Allen's brow furrowed into a knot. He glanced at the pale-faced Chang Yuan beside him, and the tapping of his fingertips stopped.

"Zhang Fan, can you do me a favor?" He softened his tone, attempting to use his seniority to pressure him. "We're all in the same industry; we're bound to cross paths again."

"I'm sleepy, CEO Allen." Zhang Fan yawned, his voice carrying an undisguised lack of interest. "How about we get in touch tomorrow instead?"

CEO Allen's knuckles turned white as he gripped his phone, the bone protrusions turning pale from the force.

He could hear the confidence in Zhang Fan's tone—this kid didn't care about Blue Whale's threats at all. He might even be hoping they couldn't solve the problem just so he could watch Blue Whale take a fall.

"CEO Allen, we can't agree to this!" Chang Yuan finally couldn't help himself, his voice low and urgent as spit splattered onto the conference table. "If word of this gets out, the company's reputation will be ruined! And two and a half million..."

"Shut up!" CEO Allen interrupted him coldly, his gaze like a blade tempered in ice.

Chang Yuan's face instantly turned the color of pig liver, the veins in his neck throbbing, but he could only shut his mouth resentfully. Curses grew like weeds in his heart—Zhang Fan, that piece of trash, just got lucky! Once this is over, I'll show you!

CEO Allen covered the microphone and turned to Wei Xiang, whispering, "Does the Technology Department really have no other way?"

Wei Xiang gave a bitter smile and shook his head, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes deepening into ravines. "Old Chen just sent a message saying the encryption logic uses triple nested algorithms mixed with dynamic keys. Unless we know the original parameters, cracking it will take at least a week. But tomorrow..."

Tomorrow, the Chairman's private jet was scheduled to land. The day after, the official version of "Skyrim" was launching, and over twenty streamers had already begun the hype. If the server crashed at this critical juncture, the consequences would be unthinkable.

The second hand of the wall clock ticked again with a soft 'click.' There were less than four hours left until dawn.

CEO Allen took a deep breath and said into the phone, "Zhang Fan, I agree to your terms. Come over now."

"Sorry." Zhang Fan's voice was tinged with amusement. "It's currently non-working hours. I'm no longer an employee of Blue Whale, and I don't accept overtime—my personal time is not for business!"

"You!" CEO Allen was nearly choked with rage, his chest heaving violently.

In the five years he had run Blue Whale, no one had ever dared to speak to him like this.

But the breathing coming through the receiver was steady and long, filled with the certainty of someone who held all the cards, forcing him to suppress his anger.

"Fine. Tomorrow morning at nine, I'll wait for you at the company," he said through gritted teeth, every word sounding as if it were squeezed out from the gaps.

"Oh, I just remembered," Zhang Fan said, as if he had just recalled something important, adding a well-timed touch of apology to his tone. "I have to go to Digital Power tomorrow. I took on a project for them, and they're doing the final inspection tomorrow. Once I'm done with things over there, let's get in touch."

Digital Power?

The air in the conference room seemed to freeze.

CEO Allen's hand gripping the phone tightened abruptly, and even his breathing hitched for half a second.

Digital Power—the leader of the domestic game outsourcing industry. Forget Blue Whale, even international giants like EB and Sok had to defer to them.

This company held the top technical resources. There was a saying in the industry: "If Digital Power can't take the job, no one in the industry can."

For Blue Whale's "Subnautica" last year, they had spent three million just to have Digital Power handle the underwater lighting and shadow effects.

This kid had actually linked up with Digital Power?

"Zhang Fan, don't be ungrateful!" CEO Allen's voice finally snapped, carrying a threatening undertone. "Blue Whale's scale is not something a small studio like yours can compare to!"

"CEO Allen, don't say that." Zhang Fan's voice remained flat, yet it held an indescribable sharpness. "If you don't want to cooperate, it's really no big deal."

He leaned against the headboard, looking at the sleeping Zhou Yurou in his arms, the corners of his mouth unable to resist turning up.

He had worked like an ox for Blue Whale for three years; forget talking to CEO Allen, he hadn't even stepped foot inside his office.

Now, the other party had to beg him with a humble attitude. This feeling of vindication was more satisfying than earning two million.

"To be honest, I'm not lacking for your business."

These words were like the final straw that broke CEO Allen's psychological defenses.

He knew the weight of Digital Power all too well—any technology they took an interest in was definitely top-tier. Since Zhang Fan dared to be this stubborn, he must have the backing to support it.

"...Tomorrow afternoon, I'll wait for your news." CEO Allen hung up the phone, his face so dark it looked like it could drip ink.

A deathly silence filled the conference room. The 'beep-beep' of the server alarms echoed in the empty room, as if mocking their pathetic state.

Chang Yuan slumped in his chair, the back of his shirt already soaked with cold sweat. Looking at CEO Allen's tense profile, he suddenly had an ominous premonition—this time, he might really be done for.

Wei Xiang secretly observed CEO Allen's expression, his mind racing with calculations.

Chang Yuan usually showed him plenty of 'respect,' but the mess he had caused this time was too big. If he didn't throw Chang Yuan under the bus, he, as the R&D Director, would also suffer when the Chairman investigated.

"CEO Allen," Wei Xiang cleared his throat, his tone solemn, "I think... it's necessary to check the original development records of the 'Skyrim' project, as well as the specific reason for Zhang Fan's resignation. Just in case..."

He didn't finish, but the meaning was clear.

CEO Allen's eyes flickered, and he nodded. "Have HR pull the files, and have the Technology Department decrypt the early code repository."

Chang Yuan's heart suddenly constricted, as if gripped by an invisible hand. He wanted to defend himself, but found his throat blocked, unable to utter a single word.

Meanwhile, Zhang Fan hung up the phone and lay back down, pulling Zhou Yurou closer into his arms.

She dazedily rubbed against his chest, murmuring, "Who was it?"

"An unimportant person." Zhang Fan leaned down and kissed her forehead, his voice tender. "Go back to sleep."

In the darkness, a relieved smile played at the corners of his mouth. The grievances he had suffered at Blue Whale, the stolen projects, and the trampled dignity—at this moment, he finally had the chance to hold his head high.

Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west. He finally truly understood the meaning of that phrase today.

Tomorrow, it would be his turn to settle the score properly.