After Chen Dongyang's developed game went live, it gained a high number of downloads and operated successfully, capitalizing on the current trend popular among young people.
In just over half a month, with Tiantian taking a break from managing it, the account's net income reached five million.
This success even made Lu Huaijin, who was initially uninterested in the project, look upon the developer with newfound respect.
That day, he arrived with data, wanting to inquire with Tiantian about the mastermind behind this development.
"There haven't been any particularly promising engineers making waves in the industry lately. Where did you find this prodigy? Someone returned from abroad, perhaps? I'll treat you to dinner tonight, can you get them to meet up? We can talk."
"You know I'm always eager to discover talent. If it's a good fit, let's join forces. I believe we can create something brilliant together."
Tiantian refused without hesitation.
"There's no prodigy. I developed it myself, just messing around. You want to collaborate? Can you afford the appearance fee?"
Lu Huaijin's vision went black, nearly overwhelmed by her casual display of superiority.
"Must you be so unbelievably modest, sister? You're this amazing when you're just playing around, what does that leave for us professionals? Did you really develop it? Stop joking, I genuinely want to sign some new talent."
Tiantian remained as she was. "Stop with the pleasantries. I'm not signing anyone. Once you're done talking, you can leave."
She had always been like this with Lu Huaijin, and he had grown accustomed to it.
"Alright, alright. Who asked you to be so capable? You're the prodigy, you call the shots. I'm leaving."
"I know you're not interested in making money, and developing things is purely a personal hobby. But next time you develop something, could you at least give me a heads-up so I can contribute and take a share?"
"These people in the industry have all run out of ideas. The industry is sluggish. I'm tearing my hair out with worry, unable to come up with any creative concepts. If I can't show anything by the end of the year, my father will just laugh at my uselessness again."
Tiantian was determined not to have any further contact with Chen Dongyang. Although she knew introducing him to Lu Huaijin would benefit both parties in the long run, she still held back.
"I understand. I'll keep you in mind when I have inspiration in the future. Thank you for your help this time. I'll treat you to a meal another day."
Lately, she found herself unable to muster interest in anything. Her mind felt foggy and confused all day.
She didn't want to eat, didn't want to exercise, just wanted to sleep, let alone go to work.
For a job that required so much thinking, having a broken mind was equivalent to a chef losing their hands.
After much deliberation, Tiantian felt that her contributions to the home improvement industry were limited and wouldn't make a significant impact. She decided to take some time off to relax and clear her head until her mood improved.
So, when Wushuang returned that evening, Tiantian told her she was quitting her job and going on a trip for a while.
Coincidentally, Wushuang had been having the same thought.
Although Director Zhang wasn't someone worth clinging to, he was still her first love, and she was the one who was dumped. She still felt a pang of unhappiness.
Every time she went to the company and saw his former office, she felt a sense of unease.
Therefore, she also decided to resign.
"Let's go together. I'll treat you. Consider it interest on the million I earned. Otherwise, receiving such a large sum out of nowhere makes me feel uneasy."
Tiantian was overjoyed to have someone accompany her, and they happily made their decision.
Zhan Beijue and Jiang Nanfang raised no objections, as Tiantian was already an adult and hadn't taken much rest after years of work.
Especially not with her best friend.
When asked where they wanted to go, Tiantian said they would travel within the country.
In truth, the scenery domestically and abroad was much the same. Travel was about the mood, and the beautiful landscapes of their homeland were certainly worth exploring.
With their minds made up, Wushuang completed her resignation, packed her bags that evening, researched their itinerary, and prepared to depart the next day.
Before leaving, Tiantian received a call from the principal of the design institute.
They informed her that Chen Dongyang's project had concluded successfully, but he no longer wished to continue. They asked if Tiantian could agree to this.
Tiantian was not surprised by Chen Dongyang's decision. After all, without Doubao, he no longer faced the same financial pressure.
He was never suited to be a professional academic. How could he possibly stay in a place like a design institute?
Let him resign if he wished.
The principal, fearing that Tiantian would withdraw her investment if Chen Dongyang left, hesitantly tried to steer the conversation towards investment. Tiantian proactively stated,
"Don't worry. I won't take back the money invested. You can continue with the project. It makes no difference whether he's here or not."
Everyone was pleased.
Tiantian and Wushuang left Nancheng and their first stop was Yuncheng. Chen Dongyang returned to Nancheng with Zeng Hui.
Chen Dongyang made a small profit from Elder Kang's project. He rented a three-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment in a decent location for a monthly rent of five thousand seven hundred.
Dou Ya, Zeng Hui, and he lived together.
Dou Ya was thrilled to be living in such a nice house for the first time in her life and was overjoyed every day.
However, Chen Dongyang was under immense pressure.
Besides planning his next entrepreneurial venture, he also had to worry about the startup capital.
In addition, he had to encourage Zeng Hui to find a job.
Zeng Hui had graduated from Nancheng University of Science and Technology with a degree in Finance and Management. Her major and alma mater were good, but she lacked any work experience.
Now that she was older, coupled with gender discrimination in the workplace, finding a job proved to be very difficult.
After submitting her resumes for half a month, only a few companies invited her for interviews, and she failed them all. She was greatly disheartened.
Chen Dongyang encouraged her to start with a general administrative position and not to have high expectations. He also helped her revise her resume, adding some polish. Finally, after nearly a month, she secured a position as a statistician at a modestly sized construction company.
Chen Dongyang worked day and night, designing a game template. However, many internal components required professional refinement.
Moreover, the modules were too large for him to manage alone, necessitating the recruitment of talent and the establishment of a studio.
Just as he was worrying about the startup capital, Chen Jiaojiao unexpectedly paid him a visit.
It turned out that a suitable heart had been found for Dou Bao. She had contacted Gao Yuan immediately, only to learn from Gao Yuan that Dou Bao was no longer alive.
Chen Jiaojiao arranged to meet Chen Dongyang.
After nearly two months apart, the siblings sat together again. She saw a significant increase in composure and sorrow on Chen Dongyang's face.
"What are your plans now?"
Chen Dongyang truthfully replied, "Starting a business. I owe many favors and debts, so I need to focus on repaying them."
Chen Jiaojiao, feeling sorry for her brother, instinctively asked, "How much do you owe?"
Chen Dongyang gave her a strained smile. "Are you going to help me pay it back?"
"Forget it. It's much more than you imagine, and you don't need to."
Now that Dou Bao was no longer a tie, seeing him torment himself was like a knife twisting in Chen Jiaojiao's heart.
"What about you and Zeng Hui..."
"We won't be together. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
"She's already started working and has been in much better spirits lately. Once she's completely over it, I'll fully separate from her. Don't worry, I'm fine."