Translator's Note:
In earlier versions of this story, the protagonist was sometimes referred to as Ryan. In this edition, we preserve the original Chinese name, Li Ge, to better reflect the cultural background and tone of the novel. Please note that Li Ge and Ryan refer to the same character.
At this point, Li Ge's rational mind was telling him: it's time to quit. He could already think of several ways to make money on his own—no more need to swallow his pride at this company.
But emotionally? He wasn't ready to walk away just yet.
Not until Zheng Shaohua, that sleazy manager, paid the price.
The disgust on Li Ge's face faded quickly, replaced by a playful, knowing smile. The moment he thought about revenge, his brain kicked into overdrive, formulating a plan in seconds.
He didn't bother perfecting it. Instead, he made a call.
"Manager, Mr. Liu from Huayang asked me to handle something for him tomorrow. I won't be punching in at the office."
He didn't say it was a request for leave. He knew exactly how Zheng Shaohua would respond if he did.
Sure enough, Zheng's voice came through, impatient as ever. "No. You've been chasing Mr. Liu for weeks and still haven't closed the deal. If you can't lock it in, I'll assign someone else."
Li Ge's eyes turned cold.
Mr. Liu was a major lead—highly interested, almost ready to sign. Li Ge had reported his progress every week. Zheng knew the deal was close. He just wanted to poach the credit at the last second.
"Oh, that works too," Li Ge replied calmly, without a hint of anger. He even smiled.
"But Manager, you've met Mr. Liu. You know what he's like—he doesn't trust strangers easily. Why don't I take care of things tomorrow, and then introduce him to Zheng Cong afterward? Once they're familiar, the rest will be easy."
There was a pause on the line. Zheng's expression darkened.
Something didn't feel right.
Li Ge's tone, his logic, his delivery—it didn't match the inexperienced rookie he knew. And worse, he hadn't even mentioned his nephew Zheng Cong. But Li Ge had guessed it immediately.
Zheng glanced at the caller ID again. Yep. It really was Li Ge.
Had this kid gotten sharper overnight?
"Fine," Zheng said after a moment. "You handle it tomorrow. The next day, take Zheng Cong to meet Mr. Liu."
His tone softened a little—until he added, "Oh, by the way. Mr. Hao from Dayue is hosting a small gathering tonight at ISS Bar. He's looking for company. Head over and warm up the crowd."
Li Ge's eyes narrowed slightly, though his voice remained cheerful. "Sure thing, Manager."
Zheng raised an eyebrow. That was… unexpectedly cooperative. "Mr. Hao is a major client. Watch your manners. Don't screw it up. Eight o'clock sharp."
"Got it."
Once the call ended, Li Ge let out a quiet, cold laugh.
Hao Jianwei.
Zheng's favorite "problem client"—and one of Li Ge's worst assignments to date.
Hao was the CEO of Dayue Electronics, a billion-yuan tech company. Not quite a top-tier mogul in Pengcheng, but definitely someone with influence and status.
He had previously purchased over 30 million yuan in trust products through Anming, but he was infamous for treating sales staff like disposable servants.
Li Ge had experienced that firsthand. He'd been run into the ground.
Driving Hao's son home from school. Sitting at the hospital with Hao's mother-in-law. Getting dragged out late at night for drinks—and vomiting more than three times from being forced to drink too much.
When Hao got drunk in the middle of the night, he didn't call a driver. He called Li Ge.
At 2 or 3 a.m., Li Ge would grab a taxi, drive Hao home, and then take another taxi back—on his own dime.
And the most absurd part?
Hao once asked him to find a mistress.
Requirements: under 25, beautiful, no kids.
Price: 1 million yuan per year. Three years for 5 million.
Give him a son? 10 million.
If Li Ge could deliver someone Hao liked, there'd be a commission too.
As if Li Ge had that kind of connection.
His female friends under 25 were all college classmates. What was he supposed to do—message them and ask, "Wanna be a sugar baby?"
And even if he somehow succeeded, Hao was too stingy to ever pay that so-called "bonus."
The 30 million deal he made with another rep had nearly broken the guy. After weeks of being jerked around, Hao finally signed—on the condition that he get a 70,000 yuan kickback.
The rep had earned about 100,000 in commission. He gave back 70. He figured the 30,000 was better than nothing.
Li Ge, however, had refused to find a mistress.
Hao exploded. Called him incompetent. Complained to Zheng.
And, as expected, Zheng ripped into him, docked his pay, and made it look like Li Ge had failed the client.
At the time, Li Ge had no choice. Just a struggling employee, buried in debt, trying to survive.
Now? He knew exactly what kind of "gathering" Hao had planned.
He also knew Zheng wouldn't send just one person.
There were probably multiple employees being dragged to ISS Bar tonight.
Li Ge had simply called at the wrong time—and got volunteered.
He didn't mind. He checked the time—still hours before 8 p.m. Enough to get things done.
First, he called the real estate agent to confirm tomorrow's apartment viewing.
Then, he started packing.
If the apartment looked anything like the pictures, he'd move in immediately. No time to waste.
In the past, he would've spent his afternoon scrolling through his phone…
Or logging into Summoner's Rift, throwing games or smashing his mouse after being tilted.
But after his time in the game world—and after unlocking Transcendent Mind—Li Ge had changed completely.
Wasting time now felt like wasting life.
A single match took 30 minutes. In that time, he could read ten books.
And the empty feeling after gaming? Nothing compared to the satisfaction of learning something new.
He didn't even have to think about it anymore.
He already knew what the right choice was.