C48 Chuangyue Headquarters

Monday.

Shi Qian didn't attend school.

She clutched her laptop as she settled into Shaang Sizhan's car.

Half an hour later, the vehicle halted in front of the Chuangyue Game Company's headquarters.

With her laptop in hand, Shi Qian turned to Shaang Sizhan with a smile, "Master Zhan, I'm off."

Shaang Sizhan returned her gaze, his eyes brimming with affection. "Alright, go ahead. Call me when you're finished. We'll have lunch together, and I'll have Lih Feng take you back to school in the afternoon."

"Sounds good."

Chuangyue's headquarters was conveniently located a short distance from the JE Group's main building, having moved there a few months prior.

Shortly after, Shi Qian exited the car and entered the Chuangyue headquarters.

Shaang Sizhan watched her disappear into the building before driving away.

At Chuangyue, a man around 35, exuding the air of a seasoned professional, stood in the lobby with a young male assistant at his side.

This was Hsu Muchen, the CEO of Chuangyue Game Company, who, along with his assistant, personally greeted Shi Qian.

Hsu Muchen regarded Shi Qian with utmost respect.

Indeed, without Shi Qian's design and development of 'Absolute Subversion,' Chuangyue might have been discarded by JE Group three years earlier.

"Miss Shi, welcome," he greeted.

Shi Qian nodded slightly, "Hello, Mr. Hsu."

"Please, follow me," he gestured.

Together, they took the elevator to the Technology and Engineering Department of Chuangyue.

In the meeting room.

Shi Qian powered up her computer, and the projector cast the computer's display onto the large screen.

She presented the new features and the major bosses of the 'Absolute Subversion' map to the attendees.

She then handed it over to the technical department's engineers for testing, with plans to roll out the update in the coming days if all went well.

Eventually, only Shi Qian, Hsu Muchen, and his assistant remained.

Seated at the conference table, Hsu Muchen spoke up once more, "Miss Shi, I'm planning a press conference before we launch the new map update. Would you be willing to attend?"

"A press conference?" Shi Qian looked at him, then asked, "When is it?"

"This Saturday, at the Green Field Hotel," he replied. "I know you prefer to stay out of the spotlight, so I won't ask you to speak. I just hope you can attend. After all, you're the developer of the game. If our spokesperson makes any mistakes describing the new map, I hope you can offer your guidance on the spot."

Shi Qian pondered for a moment before responding, "Alright, I'll be there."

Hsu Muchen gave a slight smile. "Thank you."

After wrapping up all her tasks, it was nearly noon. Shi Qian left Chuangyue and headed directly to the JE Group headquarters. She had lunch with Shaang Sizhan before going to school.

For the entire morning, Shi Qian hadn't caught a glimpse of Wen Ke'er. Ke'er had been offline since Saturday, and their planned leveling session on Sunday had fallen through without any word from her. Shi Qian had tried calling, but when no one answered, she assumed Ke'er might be busy and chose not to intrude further.

However, it was odd that Ke'er hadn't shown up to school on Monday, especially since the day's lessons were significant and she was a dedicated student who loved learning. Concerned, Shi Qian dialed Ke'er's number again, but once more, there was no answer. A frown creased her brow as she sensed that something was amiss.

Could Wen Yiran be bullying Ke'er again? With this worry in mind, Shi Qian made her way to the chemistry department in search of Yiran. Instead of finding Yiran, she ran into Shi Muxue.

Since Muxue and Yiran were close friends and often seen together, Shi Qian inquired, "Where's Wen Yiran?" Her tone was sharp, almost accusatory, and they were alone.

Dropping her usual facade of sweetness, Muxue shot her a cold look and retorted, "How should I know!"

Muxue was baffled. The photo of Shi Qian from Saturday had been all over the internet, attracting a lot of negative attention. Yet, just like that, it had vanished. Who could have the influence to orchestrate such a turnaround? Could Shi Qian have a powerful ally behind her?

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