The Supporting Male Characters Who Died Alone All Those Years Later

He Dongchen understood and, with nothing pressing at the moment, politely stood up and gestured to the empty seat across from him. “Please, have a seat. Would you like something to drink?”

Nan Shuang sat down gracefully, shaking her head with a wry smile. “No need. To be honest, I just had a no-show for an interview and drank a lot of coffee.”

He Dongchen raised an eyebrow, finding her comment interesting.

He first looked at the resume she handed over. Her educational background was impressive, graduating from a prestigious university with degrees in management and computer science, and her resume was filled with numerous awards from her university years. However, He Dongchen’s eyes narrowed as he saw the section on her employment history. He asked, with an unclear tone, “Product Manager at Shangshi Games?”

Nan Shuang nodded. “Yes. Is there a problem?”

“Could I ask why you resigned?” He Dongchen inquired.

According to the resume, Nan Shuang had joined Shangshi Games right after graduation and had risen to a mid-level management position in just 4 years. It seemed unusual for her to resign without a clear reason, especially given the promising prospects for advancement.

Nan Shuang lowered her eyes and, after a moment, returned to her usual demeanor. “You might have heard about the news of Shangshi’s President preparing for a marriage alliance.”

He Dongchen nodded. It was true that Shang Nian was preparing for a marriage alliance with the Liu family, a wealthy and influential family, which had led Nian Zhenzhen to flee secretly while pregnant, fearing she might be eliminated.

“You can find out for yourself. Recently, Shangshi has dismissed many female employees. Their common characteristic is that they are all attractive.” Nan Shuang spoke frankly, her red lips curled in a tone full of disdain.

He Dongchen raised an eyebrow. In the original plot, Shang Nian’s fiancée was indeed a crazy woman, tirelessly playing the role of a villainess, creating difficulties and framing Nian Zhenzhen, with accusations, insults, and even orchestrating kidnappings, ultimately ending up in a mental hospital suffering severe torment.

It seemed that not only was she obsessed with Nian Zhenzhen but also with all the beautiful women around Shang Nian.

He Dongchen shrugged, noticing the heavy atmosphere, and teased, “Miss Nan, you certainly know how to boast.”

Nan Shuang was taken aback, then smiled.

The two didn’t dwell on the matter and continued their discussion. He Dongchen briefly explained the current status and future direction of the company; “I need a management talent who can build and refine the company’s organizational structure. The initial phase will be quite demanding. Miss Nan, if you’re interested, you might want to consider this opportunity.”

Nan Shuang had come to self-recommend earlier, largely because she had been stood up for an interview and was feeling frustrated. Hearing He Dongchen’s analysis, she became serious and thoughtfully considered the prospect of building a small company from scratch. It sounded invigorating.

However, she wasn’t very knowledgeable about the field of cybersecurity and didn’t want to commit hastily. She planned to do some thorough research before making any decisions, to avoid making a mistake that could harm both herself and the company.

The two of them had a good conversation, exchanged contact information, and parted ways.

***

Seeing that it was getting late, He Dongchen decided to drive home instead of going back to the office.

When he got home, his mother called him to complain; “That girl, Nian Zhenzhen, I don’t know what she’s been doing these years. She has spent all the money! 3 million! Your father and I handled it all, and I remember it clearly. She’s spent it all! When I asked her where she had traveled, she was evasive and even used those online guides to fool me!”

With her experience in traveling, Mother He could easily distinguish between actual travel and the fake experiences depicted online. Moreover, Nian Zhenzhen’s vague answers and shifty eyes made it obvious that she was lying.

“Nian Zhenzhen came to borrow money from me, and I didn’t know what to do. She’s pregnant. If I ignore it and she ends up starving just next door, what then? But if I help, it’s like a bottomless pit; 10 months of pregnancy, childbirth, confinement, and baby supplies, all of which cost money.”

His mother continued to vent, saying that if not for what had happened that day, she might have just given the money, considering she had taken care of Nian Zhenzhen for a while. But now Nian Zhenzhen wanted her son to be the one to pick up the pieces! She was unwilling to part with the money.

After listening, He Dongchen replied calmly, “I had someone check Nian Zhenzhen’s spending records. The card with the compensation money was used entirely for luxury items; men’s cufflinks, ties, and perfume.”

“What!?” Mother He sharp voice came through the phone, incredulous. “Are you saying Nian Zhenzhen used her parents’ compensation money to buy men’s luxury items? What was she buying those for? To give to men??!”

He Dongchen moved the phone away a little and shrugged. “She has another card with plenty of savings. Mom, I’ll have Xiao Chen book tickets and a hotel for you and Dad. Go on a trip, and don’t worry about her; she won’t starve.”

Given Shang Nian’s generous spending, Nian Zhenzhen must have money in her account. Even if the card were discarded, she could still use mobile payments. The reason she didn’t use it was likely to avoid revealing her whereabouts.

People with money can borrow more freely, and Nian Zhenzhen had no qualms about spending, knowing that even in the worst-case scenario, she could repay the money.

Mother He, enraged to hear that Nian Zhenzhen had money but was still begging her for help, cursed and fumed on the phone.

“Book the tickets! I don’t want to see this troublesome person again!”

He Dongchen said, “Alright, you pack your things, and you’ll set out tomorrow.”

After hanging up the phone, Mother He angrily recounted Nian Zhenzhen’s situation to Father He.

Father He frowned deeply, suddenly realizing something.

Hesitantly, he said, “You mentioned that Zhen Zhen hasn’t done anything these past few years. Why isn’t she using the money in her account? Why is she borrowing cash from us? Is she afraid someone will trace it?”

Mother He was taken aback by that and paced a few laps around the room, then quickly dragged Father He to the bedroom to pack; “We need to leave quickly, don’t worry about it.”

8 years was long enough for a familiar face to become a stranger.

***

While they were busy, next door Nian Zhenzhen was vomiting in the bathroom, tears streaming down her face. She clutched her stomach and muttered, “Baby, it’s all Mommy’s fault. I can’t borrow money, what should we do?”

Using the money from her account would expose her whereabouts, and if Shang Nian found out, he would certainly force her to have an abortion.

She only had this child left.

Nian Zhenzhen wiped away her tears, took out her phone, and called He Dongchen.

After a few beeps, the response was that the line was busy.

Nian Zhenzhen sniffed and decided to send a text message asking for help.

He Dongchen, however, pretended not to see it and continued typing away at his code. His fingers left shadows on the keyboard, and the screen quickly scrolled through lines of code, which seemed impressive but unclear.

Meanwhile, at the Shang Corporation game launch event, the display screens suddenly turned into garbled text, and the participating players were kicked offline one by one, causing confusion.

The scene was in an uproar, with reporters’ eyes wide and cameras flashing continuously.

Today was Shang Corporation’s launch event, featuring a highly anticipated online game said to have taken 5 years to develop. Many game streamers and media were present. No one expected such an incident to occur.

“What’s going on?” Shang Nian’s face changed dramatically as he looked at the stage with sharp eyes. The vice president beside him wiped his sweating forehead, “I’ve already had people address the issue urgently.”

On stage, the host struggled to salvage the situation and control the crowd.

But as the minutes ticked by, the screens remained garbled. Eventually, the screen jumped to a complete black, displaying a small white letter; ‘H’.

The white letter stood out starkly against the black screen.

“President Shang, hackers are attacking the system. We… are completely defeated,” the vice president said, braving Shang Nian’s murderous glare.

“Ha, hackers? What about our security department? Are they all useless?” Shang Nian stood up to leave, and a few bodyguards stepped forward to protect him. The media swarmed around, snapping photos and firing off various questions.

Shang Nian left with a cold, indifferent demeanor, saying only that there would be an explanation on the official website later.

Almost immediately, the news broke about the hacking attack on the Shang Corporation game launch, causing an uproar.

It was quite absurd that a gaming company had its game controlled by outsiders.

Shang Corporation’s security team stayed up all night, battling wits with the hacker. The large letter H on their screens remained persistent, as if mocking them as fools.

Shang Nian also spent the night awake, his meticulously styled hair losing a few strands, and his neatly pressed suit showing several creases. With a gloomy expression, he radiated a constant chill, like a walking ice machine.

His subordinates dared not make a sound, fearing they would become the target of his frustration.

“President Shang, communication has failed. The other party seems indifferent and dismissive of our offered price.”

Shang Nian sneered, “Such a grandiose attack and they’re indifferent? Humph, continue negotiating. Have you found their address?”

“No,” everyone replied, their heads hung in shame.

Shang Nian glanced at these ineffective people and told his assistant, “Call the police!”

He refused to believe that a hacker could be so formidable.

“Yes, Sir.” The assistant left with the phone and returned a while later with a report, adding quietly, “Miss Nian’s card was used, and it was traced to a high school student.”

“Alright, the company is the priority.” Shang Nian interrupted and continued to focus on the backend. During this time, his fiancée called to say she had invited a renowned foreign security expert for support.

Shang Nian rubbed his forehead and said thanks.

The fiancée responded with a smile, “We’re engaged. As long as you treat me well and don’t look for other women, this small issue is nothing.”

***

Meanwhile, He Dongchen received Nian Zhenzhen’s reply, indicating her willingness to join the company.

He Dongchen welcomed her warmly, took her around the office, and introduced her to everyone. Nian Zhenzhen met with a dozen employees, all technical staff, with only one receptionist handling all administrative duties. The setup made her feel the weight of the responsibility ahead.

“This is our company’s next product. Take a look.”

Nian Zhenzhen’s second degree was in computer science, so she had been studying intensely over the past few days and could understand the code. She was greatly impressed after reviewing it and exclaimed, “Now I understand what it means to have experts in the field.”

Who said top-tier talent only existed in large companies? There’s one right in front of me.

Nian Zhenzhen also reviewed the company’s financial reports and was even more astonished. She hadn’t expected such high profits from a relatively unknown small company; it was indeed quietly accumulating wealth.

She had a premonition that this company would become another major player in the future, and as a semi-veteran, her own prospects were equally bright!

The two discussed matters in the office all afternoon, finalizing the basic direction. He Dongchen specifically said, “If you need additional staff, you can hire them yourself. If you know of suitable candidates, feel free to recommend them.”

Currently, Nian Zhenzhen was essentially on her own. Aside from one receptionist, there was no other help available, and the receptionist was already quite busy, so she couldn’t be overburdened.

Nian Zhenzhen nodded seriously. It was her first time taking on such a major responsibility, and she was filled with enthusiasm.

After finishing the formalities, it was time to clock out. Nian Zhenzhen suddenly asked, “The hacking attack on Shang Corporation has been causing quite a stir. You’re a big shot in this field; do you know that hacker known as H?”

Big shots often had overlapping circles.

He Dongchen shook his head. “I don’t know him.” Then he raised an eyebrow and asked, “Why, do you want to help your old employer solve the problem?”

Nian Zhenzhen seemed amused. She covered her mouth and laughed for a moment before replying, “Although I was quite involved with this game and it’s a pity to see it ruined, it’s very satisfying to see those high-and-mighty floundering and helpless.”