47: Chapter 47 Deceit and treachery are everywhere.

The office area of Blue Whale Games seemed to have been put on fast-forward.

The "beep-beep" of server alarms pierced the corridor; the programmers in the Technology Department had bloodshot eyes, their fingers flying across keyboards like shadows.

To keep the number of concurrent users strictly below 250,000, they resorted to the most primitive and desperate tactic—manually screening inactive users and kicking them out in batches every ten minutes.

"Another two thousand kicked!" a programmer shouted with a hoarse voice, the veins on his forehead throbbing. "The push notifications from the Three major platforms are still rising, and another five thousand people are flooding in from the streamers' side!"

Wei Xiang's hand holding the thermos was trembling, the water stains on the side soaking into his shirt cuff.

Today was a critical point for the pre-launch of "Sky"; over twenty top-tier streamers were broadcasting simultaneously. Originally expected to break a million concurrent users, it now felt like holding a time bomb—every additional person could trigger a crash.

"Hold on for three more hours!" Allen stood before the monitoring screen, suit sleeves rolled to his elbows, veins bulging on his exposed forearms. "The Chairman's private jet is delayed until 8 PM; we must plug the loophole before then!"

Fast-food boxes and energy drink cans were scattered across the Technology Department's carpet; no one dared to sit down and rest.

The programmers, who had pulled two consecutive all-nighters, were surviving on caffeine. Some even dozed off directly on their keyboards, only to be jolted awake by alarms and immediately jump back into the fray. This absurd scene of using manpower to combat programming loopholes left all of Blue Whale permeated with a sense of desperate exhaustion.

At exactly 3 PM, the front desk phone rang on schedule.

"Zhang Fan has arrived."

Allen whipped his head around, a flash of complexity in his eyes—anticipation, wariness, and a hint of imperceptible humiliation. He straightened his shirt collar and gave Wei Xiang a look. "Have him come directly to the Technology Department."

When Zhang Fan walked into the office area, he was met with hot air mixed with the smell of sweat and coffee. He wore simple casual clothes, followed by a middle-aged man carrying a briefcase. Wearing gold-rimmed glasses and possessing a steady demeanor, this was Lawyer Wang from the Tang Law Firm team introduced by Gu Jingshen.

"Mr. Zhang," Allen reached out first, his tone deliberately slowed. "The situation is urgent, so if I could trouble you to..."

"No rush," Zhang Fan didn't shake hands, his gaze sweeping over the jumping numbers on the monitoring screen. "I brought the contract. Sign it first."

Chang Yuan stomped his feet in anxiety on the side. "What time do you think it is to be talking about contracts? The server could crash at any moment!"

He had been interrogated by Allen for half the night, and the matter of plagiarizing the project was nearly exposed. At this moment, he only wanted Zhang Fan to get to work immediately so he could find a chance to dodge the payment later.

Lawyer Wang stepped forward at the right moment, opened his briefcase, took out a recording pen and switched it on, then pulled out his phone to set it to video mode. "CEO Allen, we respect your company's emergency. However, according to Article 469 of the Civil Code, a verbal agreement has the same legal effect as a written contract when there are witnesses and the requirements of offer and acceptance are met. We can proceed with the repairs first, but three points must be clarified."

His voice was as steady as a scalpel slicing through skin, every word carrying the cold hardness of the law. "First, the full payment of 2.5 million must be made immediately upon completion of the repairs; second, a penalty of 1% per day will be paid for any delay; third, my client will not be held responsible for any game malfunctions resulting from non-payment."

Allen's brows furrowed into a knot. He hadn't expected Zhang Fan to bring a lawyer, let alone be so well-prepared. But the concurrent users on the monitoring screen had already reached 248,000, and the red warning light began to flash like a countdown.

"Zhang Fan, you also came from Blue Whale," Allen tried to play the emotional card. "Rest assured, as long as the problem is solved, these things are negotiable. Let's deal with the BUG first..."

"That's not all." Zhang Fan pulled his phone from his pocket and opened a memo. "Payment method: Upon completion of the repairs, the Finance Department must transfer the full amount immediately. For every day overdue, a 1% late fee will be charged. Additionally, if further server issues arise due to non-payment, I will not be held responsible."

His voice wasn't loud, yet it was exceptionally clear in the noisy Technology Department.

Wei Xiang's face stiffened. Just as he was about to speak, Allen held him back.

By now, the concurrent users on the large data screen had jumped to 249,500.

"Fine." Allen gritted his teeth. "We'll do as you say."

"A verbal statement doesn't count." Zhang Fan looked up at Lawyer Wang in the corner, who was facing away from them, pretending to look at the project schedule on the wall. Through a gap in his briefcase, the phone lens was pointed right at them. "I brought a friend along; he works in the legal field and can serve as a witness."

Lawyer Wang turned around at the right moment and nodded to Allen without saying a word.

Allen's brow furrowed, but he didn't ask further. His mind was entirely on the server; he had no time to wonder who this 'friend working in the legal field' was.

"Hurry up and fix it. If we delay any longer, the streamers are going to blow up."

Only then did Zhang Fan sit down, his fingers resting on the keyboard, but he didn't move immediately. "CEO Allen, let me confirm once more: repairs completed, full payment received, 1% late fee for overdue payment, and I am not responsible for issues caused by non-payment."

"Confirmed, confirmed!" Wei Xiang stomped his feet in a panic beside him. "Get to work already!"

"Director Wei heard it too?" Zhang Fan turned to look at him.

Wei Xiang blanked for a moment, then nodded repeatedly. "I heard it, I heard it! Everything will be done as you say!"

Chang Yuan came over with coffee and echoed, "Our CEO Allen is a man of his word! Rest assured and fix it!"

Only then did Zhang Fan type the first line of code. The encryption module on the screen was like a rusty iron lock, slowly loosening under his fingertips.

Lawyer Wang stood in the corner, his phone lens steadily aimed at the three of them. The recording pen clearly captured the conversation—from the payment terms, penalties, and disclaimer clauses proposed by Zhang Fan, to the explicit agreement from Allen and Wei Xiang, not missing a single word.

He knew what he was doing: according to Article 469 of the Civil Code, parties may enter into a contract in oral form, which has the same legal force as a written form. In the conversation just now, Zhang Fan had made a clear 'offer,' and Allen and Wei Xiang had made a valid 'acceptance.' Combined with the audio and video recording from him as a third-party witness, this oral contract was already legally binding.

The Technology Department was so quiet that only the sound of typing and the suppressed breathing of the employees could be heard.

The concurrent users were still slowly climbing: 249,700, 249,800... Everyone's eyes were fixed on Zhang Fan's fingertips. Even Allen forgot to maintain his presidential composure, leaning forward with his Adam's apple bobbing continuously.

Zhang Fan's fingers danced across the keyboard. Occasionally he would stop and look up to ask, "The payment account hasn't changed, right? Is it still the salary card I had at Blue Whale?"

"No change, no change!" Wei Xiang answered quickly.

"Is the late fee calculated by the day or by the hour?"

"By the day! By the day!" Allen's voice betrayed his impatience, but he still answered.

"If you find someone else to modify the code halfway through and a problem occurs, is that on me too?"

"No, no!" Chang Yuan blurted out. "We'll only recognize what you write!"

The corner of Lawyer Wang's mouth twitched up imperceptibly. These dialogues were further confirming the details of the oral contract; every sentence was like stamping a seal on the agreement, making it too clear to deny.