Chapter 47: Zhang Yang, What Is It That You Want?

Chapter 47: Zhang Yang, What Is It That You Want?

Virtually every woman loves being complimented on her beauty.

Even if she is praised out of the blue, she will invariably feel a flutter of joy in her heart.

If you offer the praise with utmost sincerity—manifesting appreciation in every single detail, from your tone of voice and physical gestures to your gaze—then!

She will be even happier.

Of course, once you reach that point, you should know when to stop and refrain from doing anything further that might seem presumptuous.

Otherwise, she will think you are hitting on her.

Or...

She will think you've lost your mind!

This was a social theory Zhang Yang had distilled after being rejected by countless girls in his previous world.

"President Zhang... this way, please."

"Ah, very well."

However, this particular social theory did not seem to apply to Liu Ying at all.

Treading in high heels with her hair cut into a sleek, ear-length bob, the pretty Liu Ying showed no interest whatsoever in Zhang Yang's compliments.

She merely maintained a professional smile and earnestly led Zhang Yang toward the general manager's office.

Along the way, she behaved just like an NPC in a game: aside from answering a few simple questions from Zhang Yang, she treated him entirely like an ordinary visitor the rest of the time, exuding an aura of subtle detachment.

As for any information regarding General Manager Chen Weiwei, Liu Ying chose to remain essentially silent.

Failing to extract any useful intelligence, Zhang Yang felt a slight pang of disappointment.

Yet, a moment later, as he glanced at the rows of neat desks and liquid crystal display computers in the spacious hall of Bluebird Technology,

His eyes turned green with envy.

Although computers were not exactly luxury items in this era, they were far from something everyone could afford—let alone the latest liquid crystal displays, which practically no one without a wealthy family background could possess.

Even back in Zhang Yang's own office...

Well!

It was equipped with one of those bulky, big-headed monitors.

Zhang Yang's gaze then drifted to the conceptual promotional posters plastered on the lobby walls.

The posters featured Bluebird's new ultra-thin laptops...

Though these contemporary ultra-thin notebooks still looked considerably bulkier than those of the future, by the standards of the present era, laptop computers of this caliber were already deeply impressive.

Following that, he caught sight of promotional posters for new printers, mice, and mechanical keyboards, alongside a few conceptual posters for servers.

It seemed this company was exceptionally well-equipped.

A sense of certainty settled in Zhang Yang's heart.

Arriving at the entrance of the general manager's office, Liu Ying knocked on the door. Upon receiving permission, she pushed it open, gestured for Zhang Yang to enter, and then turned and left.

Zhang Yang pushed the door open and stepped inside.

A wave of anticipation for this General Manager Chen stirred within him!

From the sparse information scattered across the internet, Zhang Yang had discovered that this General Manager Chen was formerly an executive at Lianzhong Computer, the most renowned PC enterprise in China. Later, backed by some family sponsorship and her initial fortune made from developing anti-virus software, she had embarked on an independent entrepreneurial journey...

To achieve such remarkable success at such a young age, coupled with the fact that her photos online portrayed her as rather attractive...

Wasn't this the real-life counterpart of those "My Beautiful CEO" web novels?

"Hello, General Manager Chen."

"Oh, President Zhang, hello. Please, have a seat..."

Zhang Yang finally laid eyes on Chen Weiwei.

And then, he was profoundly disappointed...

The breathtaking beauty of a CEO he had imagined did not materialize in reality.

Before him sat a woman in her late twenties with long hair.

She did not look entirely ordinary and was indeed quite pretty, but her entire person appeared exceptionally haggard.

Her hair was tied into a medium ponytail, though it looked somewhat disheveled. She wore a casual white shirt that appeared neat and clean enough, but her skin had taken on a sallow tint from frequent late nights. Looking just a fraction closer, one could spot a few pimples on her foundation-caked face, and the dark circles under her eyes were far worse than Zhang Yang's own. On the desk to her left sat several bottles bearing English-lettered labels.

Zhang Yang guessed these might be some kind of imported sleeping pills, or perhaps melatonin?

Of course, despite her haggard appearance, the gaze she fixed upon Zhang Yang was clear and piercing. When she raised her eyes to look at him, Zhang Yang inexplicably felt a twinge of guilt.

Her presence carried considerable weight.

She must be... a relentlessly driven career woman, right?

Once Zhang Yang sat down, the assistant standing nearby poured him a cup of water.

"General Manager Chen, I actually came here today to discuss matters concerning future development with you..." Zhang Yang looked at Chen Weiwei, briefly analyzed her personality, and began to speak.

"President Zhang, to be honest, when I heard you were coming, I was quite curious. What could someone in the gaming industry possibly have to collaborate on with us, a computer manufacturer?" Chen Weiwei looked at Zhang Yang with a hint of curiosity.

In truth...

When she inexplicably received Zhang Yang's call to the company, she had spent the entire morning racking her brain without figuring out what on earth he was here for.

Yet someone who had built a business from scratch like Zhang Yang surely operated under the maxim that the world's commotions are all for the sake of profit...

"General Manager Chen, our company has designed an innovative game. In this new game, there is a female character who is a CEO. However, we've一直 been unable to find a suitable person to embody her. Then, by sheer coincidence, I happened to catch sight of your visage. My eyes lit up instantly. Upon checking your entrepreneurial background online, I felt a deep, heartfelt admiration. I realized that in the 21st century, young women like you who are willing to endure hardship and forge ahead steadfastly are truly rare. A woman of your caliber is undoubtedly the most admired ideal in the hearts of countless young men..." Zhang Yang smoothly launched into flattery.

"President Zhang... if I may be so bold, lines like these might fool an eighteen-year-old girl, but in front of me... you can spare me the pleasantries. Let's speak plainly: what is it about our company that has caught your eye, or what is it you hope to gain through us?" Hearing Zhang Yang's string of compliments, Chen Weiwei rubbed her temples directly and cut him off.

"Ahem, ahem..." Zhang Yang felt a momentary flash of embarrassment. "Actually, it's simply that I hope to use General Manager Chen's image and your company to build a game. Any customer who purchases a Bluebird computer from General Manager Chen will be able to use our game completely free of charge... You should have checked my background and realized that I personally possess considerable potential, shouldn't you?"

"Go on..." Chen Weiwei nodded, her haggard face remaining utterly expressionless as she watched Zhang Yang.

"General Manager Chen, as you know, Universe Technology currently boasts a vast base of potential customers. The user count across our two gaming Tieba forums is approaching 150,000, and our official website's daily traffic is close to 300,000—figures that are steadily climbing. These represent a wealth of potential resources. At the same time, our new game has already secured a partnership with President Liu—ah, I mean Liu Ruohan, the pure goddess with the highest popularity on the internet. She thinks very highly of our project and has even invested in our new game. Her online appeal is absolute, matching or exceeding that of many celebrities. All of these constitute enormous traffic resources..." Zhang Yang paused for a moment after speaking, watching Chen Weiwei.

Faced with Chen Weiwei's calm, listening expression, a sudden sense of insecurity welled up inside him.

What is wrong with this woman?

Can you give me some kind of reaction?

What is the meaning of this impassive look?

Could my conditions still not be enough?

"Continue..." Seeing Zhang Yang pause, Chen Weiwei signaled for him to proceed.

"In fact, General Manager Chen, if I'm not mistaken, I believe what concerns you most right now is the growth momentum of Bluebird computers' sales volume, isn't it? After all, even though Bluebird Technology currently performs quite well among new computer companies, you still face domestic and international competition. Every single step is critical to Bluebird Technology. I believe our game—well, and our company as well—can bring you substantial growth momentum in the future..." Zhang Yang continued.

"The conditions sound promising. So... President Zhang, what do you need? I've checked your background; you built everything from the ground up in the truest sense of the word. There's no way you're playing the good Samaritan for no reason. Let's return to the original question: what is it you want to get out of this?" Chen Weiwei maintained her calm gaze on Zhang Yang.

"General Manager Chen, we've just relocated our company and are gradually standardizing our operations. We have the conditions in place across all fronts, but now we lack a strong, capable partner..." Zhang Yang felt as though he had played all his cards, ultimately leaving him with a helpless expression. "Because of the demands of our new game, as well as the need for hardware upgrades across the board, I require a batch of slightly better computer equipment..."

"What kind of equipment?"

"The latest computers, along with computer desks..."

"How many units?"

"Thirty units." Zhang Yang stared at Chen Weiwei and answered directly.

"The latest models?"

"If possible, yes, I hope so!"

"Thirty units would cost three hundred thousand... If President Zhang purchases thirty units, we can offer you a five percent discount, which brings it to two hundred and eighty-five thousand... Well, of course, aside from that, I can gift you two new computers free of charge to serve as the starting point for our preliminary cooperation..." Chen Weiwei wore a smile as she looked calmly at Zhang Yang.

"..." Zhang Yang instantly froze.

Two hundred and eighty thousand?

Even with the complimentary computers thrown in, he couldn't possibly scrape together that kind of money right now!

After paying the rent, he wasn't even certain he could produce twenty-eight thousand.

At that moment...

He fell into absolute silence.

"President Zhang, what is the matter?" Chen Weiwei looked at Zhang Yang with a hint of perplexity.

She had already shown an immense amount of sincerity.

"It's nothing, the price is quite reasonable. When can they be delivered?" Zhang Yang quickly recovered his composure, wearing a smile as he asked.

"At any time."

"Very well, then I shall return and consult with my colleagues to see what specifications of computers they require, and I will draw up a list." Zhang Yang took a sip of water and stood up.

"Alright then, President Zhang, wishing us a pleasant cooperation." Chen Weiwei nodded, stood up, and shook hands with Zhang Yang.

"Yes, a pleasant cooperation." Zhang Yang nodded with a continuing smile. Yet the moment he turned his head, his expression shifted as if changing masks, his gaze growing profound as he walked out of the office under Chen Weiwei's watchful eyes.

Just as Zhang Yang reached to close the door, he suddenly stopped.

He turned back, his smile brilliant once more.

"General Manager Chen..."

"What is it, President Zhang?"

"I heard you are considering signing Zhou Yang and Zhao Yiman as your brand ambassadors?"

"Mm, we are indeed considering it. Why do you ask?"

"Zhao Yiman should be easy enough, but Zhou Yang... signing him seems rather difficult, doesn't it?"

"Indeed, we've also factored that in. Our budget is limited, and if we truly cannot secure him, we may have to give up..."

"Wouldn't it be a pity to give up? I heard Lianzhong Computer is also in talks with him. Once Lianzhong Computer secures the endorsement, given Heavenly King Zhou's current pull, I'd imagine they'll pose an even greater threat to you, right?"

"What can we do about it? We don't hold much of an advantage, and after all, their endorsements are selective..." Chen Weiwei shook her head.

"What if I could help you secure him?"

"Secure him within our budget?"

"Yes. On top of that, combined with the various future resources our company can offer, that weight should be sufficient, shouldn't it?"

"What do you want?"

"Just as before, I need the thirty computers and thirty sets of computer desks and chairs provided by your company!"

"Wait, could it be that right from the very beginning..." Chen Weiwei froze, her eyes widening in shock as she stared at Zhang Yang.

Had this fellow bantered with her for so long with the sole intention of pulling off a wolf's trick with empty hands?

This man...

"Well, I won't conceal it from you, General Manager Chen. At present, I genuinely cannot afford to buy so many computers."

"You could take out a loan, couldn't you? If you have confidence in your new game, a loan would be a viable path..."

"Due to certain reasons, securing a loan is not an option for me." Zhang Yang smiled and shook his head.

"Very well, I won't press further. In short, if you can help us sign Zhou Yang within our budgeted price, not only will I give you all the computer desks and chairs for free, but we can also rent the servers your company will need in the future to you at half price..." Chen Weiwei's eyes lit up as she locked her gaze onto Zhang Yang.

If a problem she could not solve

Could be resolved by Zhang Yang,

Then it proved that Zhang Yang possessed truly terrifying capabilities!

In that case...

It was undoubtedly worth doing!

"It's a deal, General Manager Chen. However, I need your company to do me a favor in return."

"What favor?"

"I need to meet Zhou Yang in person. General Manager Chen, is there a way you can arrange that?"

"I'll give it a try. Hmm, it should be possible!" Chen Weiwei nodded.

Seeing Chen Weiwei nod, Zhang Yang broke into a smile again.

He was a nobody for now.

And a nobody must leverage whatever he could!

He had to leverage everything within his reach...

As long as there was even a shred of opportunity, he would seize it and try!