At Jinxiu Commerce, tension and excitement filled the air as the board meeting progressed.

In the office area of the Technical Support Department, the sound of keyboards clicking was incessant, occasionally punctuated by low murmurs. Everyone's main concern was the establishment of the new Business Unit and who would be assigned to the new mid-level management positions.

Some savvy individuals had already @mentioned Chen Yunteng in the tech department's group chat, preemptively congratulating him on his promotion to CTO. Du Shaokai, while chatting with a colleague, couldn't help but feel pleased. Once Chen Yunteng was confirmed in his new role, Du could smoothly step into his position as backend supervisor. Not only would his salary increase significantly, but he could also delegate most of the work to others, allowing him to enjoy the comforts of management.

The only thing bothering him was that during the villa party two nights ago, his guitar performance hadn't received any feedback from Tian Jing. She had worn Bluetooth earphones the whole time, completely ignoring him. Despite his efforts to give her gifts, she had reluctantly accepted only the cheap perfume, refusing the more expensive cardholder.

Du Shaokai had always looked down on "simps," but now he felt pity for himself.

…

Chen Yunteng sat quietly at his desk in the director's office, staring intently at the computer screen. The occasional twitch of his fingers and legs betrayed his nervousness. Although he maintained a cool demeanor as the employees in the group chat praised him internally, he couldn't help but imagine the possibilities.

This opportunity was a once-in-a-lifetime chance for him. Jinxiu Commerce, being a traditional company, didn't place much importance on the tech department. As a result, even as a director, he had to double as the backend supervisor and occasionally write code himself. Whenever there was a major bug, he'd be the one getting reprimanded by upper management.

With the influx of capital, a complete transformation was on the horizon. Becoming CTO would make him a true member of upper management, allowing him to participate in key company decision-making meetings. In the future, he might even advance to become the company's Vice President of Technology. And if he went further, he could potentially enter the behemoth of Smile Holdings!

The thought made his heart race. After years of hard work, he had finally reached this point. Tonight, he would have a drink to celebrate.

…

Eight people sat around an oval table in the large conference room. In addition to the five board members, Supervisor Tian Chengye, President Feng Zhongping, and Executive Vice President Jiang Weiguo were present. Two secretarial assistants were also present and were responsible for recording the meeting.

Many decisions had been pre-arranged before the investment, so the meeting proceeded smoothly. With Smile Capital's vast ecosystem backing, the company's future looked bright. The three board members, led by Chairman Ren Huining, were all smiles, occasionally cracking jokes and chatting about local delicacies in Yan City. The atmosphere was harmonious and pleasant.

As the meeting entered its latter half, the board began nominating and voting on "new senior management appointments." Jinxiu Commerce had already nominated the candidates internally and had passed preliminary screenings. This was mostly a formality; the appointments were practically assured unless Smile Capital had its candidates. The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the novel⸺fire.net

The voting proceeded smoothly. When it came time to appoint the Manager of the Technical Support Business Unit and the Chief Technology Officer, Director Liu Cheng spoke up: "The candidate, Chen Yunteng, is the current Director of Technical Support, with a deep technical background and extensive management experience. He has over ten years of experience in technology, is proficient in multiple programming languages and technical frameworks, and has led teams…"

After Director Liu presented the candidate's information, everyone turned to the two representative directors from Smile Capital, Fan Wenzeng and Liu Shunyu.

With a warm smile, Fan Wenzeng said, "Regarding the CTO position, I also have a candidate I'd like to nominate."

Chairman Ren Huining responded enthusiastically, "Please go ahead, Director Fan. Let's discuss who's the most suitable candidate."

Fan Wenzeng calmly glanced at the file in his hand and said, "My nominee is Tang Song, a developer from the Technical Support Department at Jinxiu Commerce."

As soon as the words left his mouth, the company executives and board members present were visibly surprised. The name wasn't familiar to them—likely an ordinary employee without notable contributions. Only Executive Vice President Jiang Weiguo appeared thoughtful, as he was responsible for handling the company's daily operations. He vaguely recalled seeing the name recently, but he couldn't quite place it with so many things on his plate.

Fan Wenzeng continued, "Tang Song joined Jinxiu Commerce in November last year. Previously, he worked at a company in the Imperial Capital, which is also part of our group. His leaders and colleagues there highly praised his capabilities. Additionally, we commissioned Deju Renhe to conduct a thorough background check on him and his technical skills… I'm confident that the tech team will become even more dynamic under his leadership, injecting fresh energy into the company's development."

Speaking at a measured pace, Fan Wenzeng's gaze swept calmly across the room. After a brief exchange among the board members, the nomination was approved without any objections. They couldn't afford to dismiss his suggestion with the dual endorsement from Deju Renhe and Smile Capital and Fan Wenzeng's firm stance.

…

As noon approached, the board meeting was nearing its conclusion. The newly appointed senior management list began to circulate through various company groups. Most names were expected, as they had already gone through preliminary screenings. However, the appearance of "Chief Technology Officer Tang Song" caused an immediate uproar.

HR Director Xu Lin was the first to see the news. After learning the details of the board's nominations, she felt a buzzing in her head, so she hurried toward the conference room.

Tang Song submitted his resignation on April 24, and his contract ended on April 30, which coincided with the May Day holiday. When Smile Capital received the employee list, Tang Song was still officially employed. This was a colossal mistake, and if things went wrong, it could lead to serious trouble—she, as the HR Director, would be the first to take the blame!

As Xu Lin left, Tian Jing, sitting at her desk, blinked her large eyes, unable to comprehend how the board could appoint Tang Song as CTO. Although he had beautiful hands, was handsome, and played the guitar wonderfully… Still, this wasn't a bad thing. If Tang Song came back as CTO, she could see him daily. Then she could…

Hehehe!

Tian Jing's face flushed as she opened the chat group to boast about the news. But then she saw that lawyer Qingqing was sharing her recent experiences again.

Qingqing: "Next, I'll lead a team of lawyers to provide legal assistance to a top domestic fashion company. However, I feel that this case is not simple and that woman might be involved."

Seeing the latest message, Tian Jing's heart tightened. She quickly asked, "@Qingqing, do you mean your CEO boyfriend's white moonlight? Has she returned from the United States!?"

…

"How is this possible? Tang Song has already resigned and was just an ordinary employee before that."

"It must be a mistake, right?"

"Could it be that Tang Song was rehired? And now he's our department head!"

"No way!"

Those who heard the news were in disbelief in the tech department's office area. As Tang Song's colleagues, they were well aware of the situation. Tang Song had offended General Manager Chen and was laid off. How could he suddenly turn around and become CTO?

Only Guo Peng and Hu Mingli were both surprised and delighted. After all, who wouldn't want a promotion and a raise? The Business Unit Manager had the power to grant these.

Du Shaokai's face changed drastically, and he felt short of breath and cold. After hesitating, he quickly walked toward the director's office.

"Knock, knock, knock—" He knocked on the door for quite a while, but there was no response from inside.

"General Manager Chen." Du Shaokai pushed the door open slightly, only to see Chen Yunteng's ashen face, which also made his heart sink.

Something had gone wrong!

…

At Yanjing Tiancheng Residence, inside the large apartment.

"Ring, ring—" The phone suddenly rang. Tang Song sat up from the soft bed and glanced at it. It was an unfamiliar number.

He answered the call.

A somewhat familiar female voice spoke, her tone gentle: "Hello, Little Song. Sorry to disturb you. This is Xu Lin, the HR Director at Jinxiu Commerce. I have something important to discuss with you."

Raising an eyebrow as if he'd guessed what was coming, Tang Song replied calmly, "Go ahead, Director Xu."

"It's about the salary reduction and layoff you experienced a few days ago. Some misunderstandings have now been resolved. The company's senior management highly values your abilities and character and hopes you can return to the Jinxiu Commerce family."

"No need, Director Xu. I'm not interested," Tang Song replied decisively.

Hearing the firmness in his voice, Xu Lin's tone became more urgent, "If you come back, you'll be promoted to Manager of the Technical Support Business Unit and appointed as the company's Chief Technology Officer. I'm confident no other company can offer you such a package. Our company is very sincere in this offer!"

"Manager, Chief Technology Officer?" Tang Song asked curiously. "What about General Manager Chen?"

He knew that Chen Yunteng had always dreamed of becoming CTO, so he had taken sole credit for the SCM system Tang Song had developed.

"Uh… After the department restructuring, he's now just the Backend Team Leader. If you have any suggestions regarding his future position, we're open to considering them seriously."

Xu Lin's voice wavered slightly because she knew Chen Yunteng and herself orchestrated Tang Song's layoff.

Tang Song chuckled and replied lightly, "Thank you for the recognition, but I'll pass."

"Um, maybe I didn't explain clearly. If you return, you'll be an executive with an annual salary of over 400,000 yuan, plus stock options."

"No thanks, I have other things to do. Goodbye."

With that, Tang Song hung up the phone.

From Xu Lin's call, he immediately understood that Smile Capital had likely pressured them, leading the company to try to bring him back. Otherwise, why would the leadership be so accommodating to a former employee?

The thought brought a smile to Tang Song's lips. He hadn't forgotten Chen Yunteng's dirty tricks over a month ago—stealing his credit, making empty promises, and finally suppressing him with a pay cut.

Now, he had exacted a small measure of revenge.

Tang Song picked up the photo by his side and couldn't help but kiss Secretary Jin's profile.

"Secretary Jin, you do love me!"

In the game, he had drawn the UR (Ultra Rare) character [Jin Meixiao] from the beginner's gift pack, which allowed him to interact and communicate with her. Unexpectedly, they connected in a mysterious and dreamlike way in real life.

But it made sense. When the game's story began, he was still a high school senior, while Secretary Jin, as a prodigy, was already a senior in Harvard's Economics Department, holding offers from top investment banks like Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs.

If not for such a mystical force, how else could he have connected with her, gained her trust, and turned his foresight into tangible benefits?

In fact, his first pot of gold in the game was also thanks to Secretary Jin, who used her own funds to help him make money in overseas stock and futures markets.