bookbashuk Page 102
Page 102
Chapter 77: A New Family Member, The First Employee! The Ambition of Zaibatsu X, the Shadow of the Sonozaki Family
The eerie purple sky of the Desire Grand Prix completely dissipated.
The night in the windy city returned to a deep tranquility.
The light from the dimensional barrier faded behind them.
Su Chen returned to the futuristic top-floor office of 01 Technology Company.
His gaze immediately fell on the center of the office.
His personal secretary, Izzy, was quietly floating in mid-air.
Her eyes were closed, and her delicate face was expressionless, like a sleeping deity.
An endless torrent of data poured down from the void, surrounding her body.
Those data streams are no longer monotonous 0s and 1s.
Sometimes they transform into the trajectories of celestial bodies, and sometimes they coalesce into the double helix structure of life's evolution.
Countless profound formulas and unknown symbols intertwined and flickered, eventually transforming into the purest light, slowly flowing into her core program.
She is analyzing.
She is evolving.
She is understanding.
That was the ultimate secret bestowed by Su Chen with the authority of a "god," a miracle called the "technological singularity."
Su Chen remained silent, even slowing his breathing, unwilling to disturb this sacred transformation.
He simply stood quietly in the shadows, gazing at it all.
A genuine smile crept onto the corners of his mouth.
For him, Izzy has long transcended the definition of artificial intelligence.
She is a unique member of the family.
The sense of accomplishment and joy of enabling her to leap into true life is far more precious than gaining any world-destroying power.
In the midst of this tranquility, a sudden electronic sound effect pierced the air.
"Ding-dong-"
Doorbell rang.
Su Chen's smile vanished instantly, and his eyebrows furrowed slightly.
Who could it be at this point in time?
He walked to the control panel by the door, tapped it lightly, and brought up the access control monitoring screen.
A slightly childish face appeared on the screen, but a certain determination burned in its eyes.
Kurama Neon. 210
That teenage idol I met once during the Desire Grand Prix.
She had changed out of her rather disheveled competition outfit and was now wearing a well-tailored, fashionable casual outfit.
Although a trace of undisguised tension lingered on her face, her gaze was unusually firm, fixed on the camera as if she knew Su Chen was watching her.
Su Chen remained silent for a moment before opening the access control.
The metal door slid open silently.
Kurama Nene took a deep breath, walked in, and then bowed solemnly and deeply to Su Chen.
"Um... Mr. Su Chen, hello!"
There was a barely perceptible tremor in her voice.
Su Chen's gaze was calm as still water, without the slightest ripple.
"What's up?"
His tone was indifferent, revealing no emotion whatsoever.
Kurama Nene suddenly raised her head, clenching her fists tightly, as if encouraging herself.
"I...I want to join your company!"
She mustered almost all her courage to shout those words out loud.
A change finally appeared on Su Chen's face.
It was a kind of playful scrutiny.
His gaze swept over the seemingly impetuous girl from top to bottom without any attempt to conceal it.
"Give me a reason."
His voice turned somewhat cold, carrying an undeniable sense of pressure.
"My company doesn't hire idle people."
Su Chen's cold questioning did not make Kurama Neeko back down; instead, it was like a shot of adrenaline, instantly shattering all her tension.
She suddenly straightened her back and raised her chin slightly.
In that instant, her entire demeanor changed.
The somewhat timid girl disappeared, replaced by a superstar receiving cheers from millions under the spotlight.
A radiant smile of extreme confidence shone on her face.
She extended a slender, white finger, her voice clear and articulate.
"First, I may not be good at fighting, but..."
She winked playfully with her right eye, a hint of mischief in her eyes.
"I'm very rich! Extremely rich!"
"So much that it can provide virtually unlimited start-up capital for your company, ensuring that no idea you have is ever stalled by money."
Then, she extended a second finger, her aura becoming even more powerful.
"Secondly, I am the top online streamer in Fengdu, and the most popular idol in this city."
"My fans and my influence cover every corner of this city and permeate everyone's life."
"If I wanted to, I could make your product the hottest topic in the city within a day with just one word."
"Let everyone know 01 Technology."
She took a step forward, staring intently at Su Chen, her eyes gleaming with an undeniable light.
She concluded in an almost declarative tone.
"I can bring you the two things you need most right now."
"Unlimited financial support."
"Also, there are publicity channels covering the entire city."
"Therefore, accepting me is absolutely the wisest choice you've ever made!"
After he finished speaking, the office fell silent.
Looking at the confident, even slightly smug girl in front of him, Su Chen's cold scrutiny finally melted away.
He chuckled softly at first.
Then the laughter grew louder and louder, eventually turning into unrestrained, hearty laughter.
He definitely needs both of those things.
It could even be said that these are currently the two weakest links in his grand plan.
He possessed cutting-edge technology, but lacked the capital to achieve mass production.
He possesses the power to overturn the world, yet he lacks a voice loud enough to spread his ideas.
And now, this girl, this "treasure" who offered herself up, has made up for all his shortcomings at once.
He simply couldn't find any reason to refuse.
The laughter stopped.
Su Chen turned to the side, facing the inside of the office, and smiled as she made an inviting gesture.
That smile was no longer one of amusement, but genuine approval.
"Welcome to 01 Technology Company's first official employee."
The addition of Kurama Nene was like injecting the most advanced fuel into the sophisticated, high-speed engine of 01 Technology, instantly surpassing everyone's imagination in its development speed.
With her virtually unlimited cash flow and terrifying publicity campaigns covering the entire city, Su Chen's (bjeg) blueprint was able to be fully implemented without any hindrance.
Just a few days.
The name "01 Technology" has swept through every street and corner of the capital like a storm, accompanied by the ubiquitous live broadcast clips and commercial endorsements of Anma Neiyin.
A revolutionary smart home appliance.
Disruptive civilian technology products.
With the endorsement of top idol Mi Yin, who was at the height of her popularity, 01 Technology's reputation and brand value soared to an astonishing height in a very short period of time.
Just as Su Chen was preparing to press his advantage and completely transform the unique land of Fengdu into a testing ground for his future technological empire, real trouble finally arrived uninvited.
That afternoon, a high-end car, entirely black and gleaming with a cold metallic sheen, silently pulled up in front of the company building.
The car door opened, and a man in a well-tailored suit with an impeccable professional smile walked into Su Chen's office.
His leather shoes made a dull, rhythmic sound on the polished floor, and he carried an aura that seemed out of place in the city, as if he were above everything else.
"Mr. Su Chen, hello, I am a representative of the X Foundation."
The man politely handed over a high-quality black business card, his movements as precise as a textbook.
"Conglomerate X?"
Su Chen looked away from the holographic projection on his desk and took the business card.