Chapter 284 is over; Factory Manager Li has really been recruited.

The Fishing Rod he had just sent out, which carried his dreams of steady wealth.

Was, amidst the jolting of the delivery truck, step by step, dragging him back into that abyss of requisitioning that made him want to weep.

However.

Li Jiajun remained completely oblivious to the impending critical hit of fate.

He remained immersed in the pleasure of being the only sober one among the intoxicated, watching the continuously rising sales figures in the backend while dreaming of expanding, strengthening, and achieving new heights of glory.

Little did he know.

At the very moment he was enjoying his peaceful life.

On the internet, discussions regarding his downfall had not subsided with time; instead, like a pot of over-fermented dough, they were expanding rapidly and even beginning to turn sour.

Public opinion was continuing to ferment from an angle Li Jiajun could never have anticipated.

This was actually quite normal.

After all, the excitement Li Jiajun had provided to the Netizens previously had been overwhelming.

From the initial stealth coating to the later Swarm Drone, then to... then to that robot dog that had left the Ugly Country think tank completely bewildered, and finally, the recent sky rocket that had fleeced Curry Country until they didn't even have their underwear left.

Each and every one of these.

Which one wasn't earth-shattering?

Which one hadn't sent the Netizens' adrenaline soaring?

Everyone had grown accustomed to the rhythm of this Militia General pulling off some insane, hellish stunt every few days.

Some female fans even regarded him as their electronic boyfriend.

But what about now?

Suddenly.

It was as if the power had been cut; there was no movement.

This massive disparity left countless Netizens, who were waiting to watch the drama unfold, feeling extremely empty and unsettled.

Thus.

Consequently, because Li Jiajun really hadn't had any earth-shattering new projects lately.

More and more Netizens began to believe that this Militia General, who had once dominated the scene and made countless military Experts break out in a cold sweat...

Might truly be "unable to recover."

...

Across major forums, analytical posts regarding the Li Jiajun phenomenon emerged endlessly, each more pessimistic than the last.

Some self-proclaimed Experts even began to analyze Li Jiajun's psychological state with great seriousness.

Under a trending post titled "In-Depth Analysis: Why Do Geniuses Eventually Return to Mediocrity?", the comment section had completely exploded.

Someone stated with absolute certainty:

"Brothers, don't wait anymore; there's no hope."

"Just think about it; he hasn't made a move for a while now. He must have developed psychological trauma from being continuously requisitioned."

This comment instantly received tens of thousands of likes and was pinned to the very top.

Indeed.

From the perspective of an ordinary person, this was the most reasonable explanation.

You spend all your effort inventing, losing handfuls of hair in the process, and when you finally manage to create something good, it gets snatched away by the state before you've even had a chance to enjoy it.

Even though they gave money and honors.

But that feeling of having your child taken away the moment it's born—who could stand that?

Immediately after, countless Netizens began to echo the sentiment:

"Yeah, I'd be scared too. Whatever you make gets taken away; who could handle that?"

"I could tell with that robot dog last time; Factory Director Li's face turned green, he clearly had a mental breakdown."

"And that sky rocket—in the end, not even a scrap was left. It's said even the production line was emptied out."

"It's too tragic, truly too tragic."

"This is the curse of being talented! Factory Director Li is truly scared; he doesn't dare to show his face anymore."

A sentiment of sympathy and regret spread rapidly across the internet.

Everyone seemed to have conjured up an image:

The once high-spirited Factory Director Li, now curled up in a corner of the factory, shivering and muttering, "Don't come to requisition my stuff anymore; I have nothing left but money—no products at all."

"Sigh, what a pity. I was hoping he'd come up with more good stuff for us to marvel at."

A veteran military enthusiast Netizen left this regretful comment.

"I'd waited so long, I thought he'd come up with something big."

"But now..."

"Sigh, he's truly unable to recover!"

The frustration of seeing potential wasted and the heartache over the fall of a genius were evident in every word.

Finally.

As the discussion gradually cooled, most Netizens accepted this cruel reality.

"It's over, it's over. Looks like there's really no hope."

"Unfollowed. From now on, he's just an ordinary product-promoting Streamer."

"My youth has ended."

Across the internet, voices of pessimism prevailed.

The legendary account that was once sought after by countless people and regarded as an unofficial member of Eastern Country's military industry seemed to be fading from the public eye in a heart-wrenching manner.

...

Li Jiajun read these comments.

If this had been a while ago, he might have thought these Netizens were cursing him.

But now, he understood.

Looking at the screen filled with comments saying he was "finished," "scared," and "a coward."

Not only was he not angry, but he almost snorted with laughter.

"Hehehe..."

"That's right! That's exactly it!"

"You guys are absolutely right!"

"I am scared! I am a coward! I am finished!"

Li Jiajun mentally gave these Netizens a massive thumbs up.

He wished the whole world would think he was a loser, an ordinary person who only dared to make little toys to scrape by.

Only then would those eyes watching him, those big shots who always wanted to requisition him, relax their vigilance.

"As long as you don't pay attention to me, I can make a fortune in peace."

"This is the best camouflage!"

Li Jiajun happily turned off his phone, feeling that this wave of strategic weakness was an absolute win. Before putting the phone away, he even invested in boosting those videos that were bad-mouthing him and bought trending spots for the news that was questioning his success.

At this moment.

He felt as if he could already see a wonderful future beckoning to him.

However.

However, fate's favorite thing to do is to suddenly give you a shoulder throw just when you think you've got everything under control.

This online narrative about Li Jiajun's downfall seemed to have temporarily come to an end as the Netizens dispersed.

Everyone was convinced of this.

But.

But beneath this seemingly calm surface.

A real undercurrent was silently gathering.

It was not the clamor from the internet.

But rather, it came from the true core of the state, from that other hidden line, those who were losing sleep over the country's technological bottlenecks.

Just as Li Jiajun thought he had successfully hidden himself.

The world he least wanted to see, and the one he least wanted to cross paths with.

Was closing in on him in a way he could never have anticipated.