Chapter Sixty: A Fateful Encounter

Chapter Sixty: Fated Encounter

The next day, Shen Ce put his high-end custom nutrition pod up for sale on the forum. Things went surprisingly smoothly—many players, noticing his low asking price, responded quickly. In less than three hours, Shen Ce chose a suitable buyer and the pod was sold.

When Shen Ce checked his online bank account to confirm the payment, he was surprised to find that Shui Linglong had transferred money to him as well. The note read, “Zero, I don’t know what happened to you, but this money is from selling equipment recently. You left Ju Zhen Pavilion to me, and I still have a lot of your resources on hand. You don’t owe me anything. You’re a great partner—wishing you happiness.”

Shen Ce felt his spirits lighten. He couldn’t help but admire Shui Linglong’s straightforward and loyal nature. As for whether the money truly came from equipment sales, he couldn’t be sure, but after some thought, he decided to accept it.

After dealing with a pile of trivial matters in the morning, Shen Ce changed into formal attire to head out for a job interview. Truthfully, he was somewhat resistant to interacting with strangers, but it was unrealistic not to seek employment—his savings were still substantial, but no one could afford to live off their reserves forever.

The company he was interviewing with was one Qin Song had referred him to—a branch of Shenghong Group in S City. The salary was attractive, the job content was in line with his expertise, and it was related to software development, a field in which Shen Ce had confidence in his programming skills.

Upon arrival at Shenghong Technology’s branch, Shen Ce was directed by the receptionist to wait in the lobby; it would be more than half an hour before his turn. He straightened slightly on the sofa, leisurely flipping through business magazines on the table. The afternoon sun was drowsy, casting gentle light through the patterned glass window onto Shen Ce’s profile, giving him an unvarnished beauty.

“Hello.” A tall figure stopped before him.

Shen Ce felt a flicker of impatience. Was this the third time already? The first two had been women, but now even a man was striking up conversation. He tilted his head slightly, only to be taken aback by the sight before him. The man wore a casual suit, with blond hair and blue eyes, tall and slender, yet his Mandarin was impeccably fluent—one would never suspect he was a foreigner. Most striking of all, his features were a near-perfect match for Han Qishao from the game, the resemblance so uncanny that Shen Ce wondered if they were the same person.

He quickly composed himself, masking his surprise. “Can I help you?” No way such a coincidence could happen, right? Frankly, after what happened with Seros, Shen Ce had no desire to see anyone connected to that world again.

The man, so reminiscent of Han Qishao, smiled with refined politeness. Shen Ce remembered Han Qishao as a playful, irreverent sort. As he wondered if he’d made a mistake, the man said something that shattered his doubts: “Do you play ‘Destiny’?”

Shen Ce’s fingers, hidden under the table, trembled. Outwardly, his expression remained calm, his tone polite but distant: “No, I don’t.” What kind of twisted fate was this? In such a vast world, to run into someone from the game at a job interview—someone who’d even confessed to him before. Fortunately, his in-game appearance was quite different from reality. Even if Han Qishao suspected, he wouldn’t be able to confirm it without Shen Ce’s admission.

“Then, may I get to know you?” Noticing his reply, Han Qishao’s eyes betrayed a hint of disappointment, though his smile quickly returned to its courteous form. “I’m Han Shaoyuan, of Shenghong Company’s—”

Just then, the receptionist called out to Shen Ce, “Mr. Shen, Director Lin is ready for you. Please come with me now.”

Shen Ce breathed a silent sigh of relief, nodding quietly to Han Qishao before following the receptionist. As they entered the elevator, the woman, clad in a professional outfit, remarked with some envy, “The one speaking to you earlier is the CEO’s son—a classic tall, rich, and handsome type! Didn’t expect to see him today. What did he talk to you about?”

Shen Ce hadn’t expected this office lady to be so gossipy. He glanced at the elevator’s floor indicator, then replied evenly, “He asked if I played games.”

“You mean that popular game lately? Shenghong Technology invested in it too. I didn’t know even Young Master Han played. If only I knew his game ID, I’d try to catch myself a golden husband instead of working reception.” Noting Shen Ce’s indifference, the woman abruptly fell silent, as if suddenly aware of her own chatter.

Shen Ce initially had no interest in her words, but hearing that Shenghong Technology was an investor made his heart skip a beat. He gripped his resume tightly, suddenly feeling that working at Shenghong might not be a good idea after all.

The interview itself was easy—almost suspiciously so. Shen Ce felt Director Lin was going out of his way to make things smooth for him, barely glancing at his documents and asking only a few simple questions. He’d been recommended for the job, but hadn’t expected Qin Song’s backing to be so influential.

The truth dawned on him only at the end. After discussing the job details, Director Lin patted his shoulder and said, almost offhandedly, “Xiao Shen, I got a call earlier, heard you have some connections. I hope you’ll put in a good word for me.”

The disconnected comment left Shen Ce stunned. A good word to whom? He realized the gravity of the situation. For Director Lin to seek his favor, it couldn’t possibly be Qin Song. Instantly, the image of Han Shaoyuan surfaced in his mind. Shen Ce pursed his lips, finding himself unable to advance or retreat, and could only feign indifference before Director Lin.

The situation grew even more absurd the next day. At work, Shen Ce received a text from Han Shaoyuan inviting him to dinner after office hours. Shen Ce had no idea how Han Shaoyuan had gotten his number, but the message’s opening—addressing him as “Zero”—left no doubt that Han Shaoyuan knew who he was. Shen Ce couldn’t be bothered to argue. After learning of Shenghong’s investment, he understood that if Han Shaoyuan wanted to investigate, confirming his identity would be easy.

Shen Ce didn’t reply to Han Shaoyuan. Instead, he blocked his number. After work, when he saw the luxury sports car parked at the company entrance, he walked by as if he hadn’t seen it. Han Shaoyuan frowned, as if about to call out to him, but was pulled away by someone else.

In fact, Shen Ce’s home was very close to the company—ten minutes on foot, even faster than by car during rush hour. Walking to and from work was his preferred choice.

As he approached the intersection, the light was about to turn red, so he stopped and glanced up at the giant LCD screen overhead, which was playing various entertainment news. His attention, however, was caught by the rapidly scrolling ticker below: “Coma patient awakens after four years—programming prodigy Mo Yi…”

The words “coma patient” and “Mo Yi” seized all of Shen Ce’s attention. He didn’t even notice when the light turned green. A vague sorrow and joy welled up in his chest. After all, Mo Yi was someone he had admired for years, and it was good news that he had finally awakened.

Life was truly unpredictable. One never knew what fate had in store; all one could do was cherish each moment.

By the time Shen Ce came back to himself, the green light had already passed, and he had to wait for another cycle. There was only this one intersection between the company and home, so before long, he was back at his apartment.

Reflecting on the day’s surreal events, Shen Ce felt a sudden impulse. Instead of taking the elevator, he climbed the stairs—thankfully, he only lived on the twenty-fourth floor, so it wasn’t too long a trek.

He hadn’t yet reached his apartment door when he noticed someone standing outside—a man in a camel-hued sweater and black jeans. For a moment, Shen Ce thought Han Shaoyuan had followed him home. But he quickly realized his mistake. This man, though dressed loosely, was still visibly thin, with a sickly aura about his posture—a stark contrast to Han Shaoyuan’s robust build.

Cautious, Shen Ce approached, stopping a meter away before speaking first: “Hello, may I ask who you’re looking for?”

The man turned slowly. His features were delicate, his skin almost unnaturally pale, as if he hadn’t seen sunlight for years. On anyone else, such pallor would seem gloomy or sickly, but his gentle smile was disarmingly sincere.

Shen Ce’s pupils contracted sharply—he never expected to meet Mo Yi here. Though Mo Yi’s appearance had changed considerably from a few years ago, Shen Ce was certain he could not be mistaken.

Author’s Note: The end is near—about two chapters left.