ITOTIABSAM | Interstellar Orcs | 123
In Capital Star, "Xie Ye" was not a name unfamiliar to many. The feuds of the aristocracy had always been the easiest topic for gossip after dinner. Not to mention that this newcomer also had a face comparable to a star's. Although the new rich only accepted interviews related to economics, his presence was often featured in various gossip and entertainment magazines, thanks to the public relations efforts of Ark Technology's PR department.
Without the PR efforts of Ark Technology, related keywords quickly surged to the top of the trending topics on StarNet.
【Missing? Can anyone really go missing in Capital Star these days?】
【It's the end of the month, people. Can't you understand? Probably just some writer trying to boost their performance metrics.】
【LOL. Just call the police. In this world without privacy, there are cameras everywhere. Just check and it'll be over.】
【I seriously suspect this is a new type of publicity stunt. Ark Technology has been trending a lot recently.】
【Publicity stunt? Which company would use their founder's disappearance for publicity? It could affect the stock price, you know? Their competitors are about the same. After all, Ark Technology just got a big piece of the pie.】
【And Ark Technology's official account still hasn't said anything.】
【They've suppressed trends before.】
【This is getting scary.】
At first, no one took the so-called disappearance seriously, as nowadays, some unethical writers would fabricate anything for traffic. However, with no response or legal letters from Ark Technology to counter the rumors, coupled with the intervention of Xie Haiguo's online army mingling among the bystanders, this piece of "gossip" gradually transitioned into "news" with credibility.
【It's been an hour, and there's still no clarification?】
【Could it be a real disappearance?】
【Accident? Kidnapping? Serial offender?】
【Is this the security situation in Capital Star? I'm starting to panic.】
【Help, I suddenly realized, if Xie Ye is really gone, wouldn't all his property fall into the hands of his scumbag father and brother?】
【Come on, related interests. Recently, the young master Xie has messed up several projects in a row, causing me to lose a lot. If Ark Technology falls into the hands of those two, it will go bankrupt in minutes.】
【The one above is brave enough, speaking the truth.】
Suddenly, the scrolling text came to a halt, freezing along with the smile on Xie Tianhua's lips.
The virtual screen projected by the light brain was maximized, and Xie Tianhua stared fixedly at the last two comments. His heart, which should have been light and joyful, suddenly felt as uncomfortable as if he had swallowed a fly.
Xie Ye. Xie Ye.
Even when the person is missing, they still cause trouble for him.
When his father's plan succeeds, he will make these fools see who the real Xie is.
And this time, Lady Luck seemed to have truly given him a chance to outshine Xie Ye. Two hours later, the official account of Ark Technology finally posted a message:
【Thank you all for your concern. Regarding the recent rumors circulating on StarNet, both the company and Mr. Xie Ye personally have no intention of monopolizing public resources. We hereby clarify... Due to health issues, Mr. Xie Ye is currently recuperating in peace and will soon return to the Ark Technology family...】
The first sentence is a commonly used template for company statements, so there's nothing much to analyze. Throughout the whole article, only the phrase "recuperating in peace" is worth noting. Unlike the entertainment industry, in the business world, people would generally believe the official account's statements. However, unfortunately, this situation has been muddled by a group of online trolls:
【Recuperating? Since he hasn't disappeared, where are the photos? Without photos, how convincing is this statement?】
【They're probably lying to stabilize the stock price.】
【Lies +10086】
In the world of StarNet, wherever data can reach is a playground for 1101 to freely navigate. Suppressing the urge to create hundreds of fake accounts to retaliate against the trolls, it quickly conducted a big data analysis: "The situation is unfolding as expected by Xie Haiguo. He has already started raising funds. Is he really that confident?"
In the study, Xie Ye, lazily working on an old light brain, remained unfazed. "It's normal."
Although Ark Technology has reached a cooperation agreement with the federal government, the latter only needs the technology, not the person behind the fake accounts. Xie Haiguo has accurately identified the crucial point in this situation, hence his confidence in this "gamble."
If he wins, not only can he drain Ark Technology's resources to revive the Xie family, but he can also continuously generate wealth based on the foundation laid by the fake accounts.
For Xie Haiguo, this is simply a huge temptation.
It's a good plan, thought 1101, but unfortunately, the host of the new world is a CEO who can contend with both capital and protagonist-like abilities. Highlighting the point, a CEO who hasn't gone bankrupt yet, albeit sickly and with a weakened beast form, but still very wealthy. Even if Xie Haiguo were to sell himself and the scumbag Xie Tianhua together, they couldn't match up to the wealth of the host.
At this moment, the very wealthy CEO Xie is casually browsing through food delivery options.
Since Gu Cong doesn't accept transfers, he can only find another way. Last time, someone treated him, so this time he'll reciprocate.
Meanwhile, as Gu Cong peacefully codes away, aware of the truth amidst the chaotic public opinion, he suddenly catches sight of a blinking envelope icon in the bottom right corner of his screen, indicating a received message. It's from a contact with a single-letter nickname:
Cat.
——Despite his usual emphasis on privacy and security, he had to use the light brain for work, which inevitably posed a risk of being discovered. So, when saving Xie Ye's number, Gu Cong deliberately chose a name that was vague to outsiders but particularly unique to himself.
【Takeout, remember to sign for it.】
Simple and concise, just six words, truly in line with the style of a certain cat. It's strange though, even though Gu Cong had guessed that the other party probably wanted to compensate him in some way, receiving this message made him feel much more comfortable than when he received a transfer.
"Got it." His fingertips brushed over the virtual keyboard, and after some thought, Gu Cong sent another message: "Are you interested in cooking tonight? I can take care of the grocery shopping."
Coldly, the reply came immediately: "No."
Before Gu Cong could type another sentence, a polite mechanical voice sounded nearby: "Hello, is Mr. Gu here?"
In that moment of looking up, he suddenly understood why Xie Ye used the word "sign" in the text message, rather than "take."
Because he couldn't carry it all.
It was like a whole small banquet buffet being brought over, with uniformed androids standing in an orderly fashion around several food carts. On them were various main courses, soups, and desserts, each item carefully protected under a glass cover with temperature control, like roses cherished by a beast prince.
Even the fruits, coffees, milk teas, and other snacks in the corner looked like they were waiting for orders to be signed before they could be sliced or brewed fresh.
"Gu Cong?" This scene clearly stunned everyone present, as all eyes, more than a dozen pairs, fell on Gu Cong.
The veteran employee at the workstation next to Gu Cong even asked directly, "Xiao Gu, did you order this?"
The moment of astonishment passed quickly, and Gu Cong nodded. "I suppose so."
"Perfect timing for lunch. Let's all eat together," someone suggested.
The office erupted into cheers.
"Is this a return gift from last night's dinner? Gu-ge is really generous."
One of the robots said as they swiftly checked everyone's biological information and started preparing drinks and cutting fruits according to everyone's preferences. Sitting next to Xiao Meng, the short-haired girl nudged her tablemate's elbow discreetly. "Hey, look at that cover. Doesn't it look like it's made of crystal?"
Xiao Meng glanced over indifferently. "Oh."
"It's made of glass."
"Feels like, feels like. I don't care, in this atmosphere, it's crystal," the short-haired girl said contentedly as she forked a small piece of cake into her mouth, squinting in satisfaction. "I bet it's made by a real person. Those AI restaurants outside all taste the same, I've gotten tired of them."
"Yeah, exactly," another girl with long hair chimed in. "For this meal, I'm willing to temporarily give up my diet plan."
"But on another note... did you guys notice that this seems to be someone's style?" the short-haired girl asked.
"Who?" her friend inquired.
The girl with long hair replied: “Mr.Xie”
"Impossible," Xiao Meng said, his mind already pondering related matters. Without thinking, he blurted out subconsciously, "It should be Gu-ge's girlfriend."
That's why he felt a strange yet oddly reasonable calmness when he saw this scene unfold: wealthy and attractive celebrities, normal.
The other two reacted far less calmly than Xiao Meng.
"Gu-ge?"
"Girlfriend?"
The sudden increase in volume due to their shock made the office instantly silent.
Realizing he had let something slip, Xiao Meng stammered, "..."
Except for the machine waiters standing nearby in readiness for cleanup, all eyes were fixed on the two girls who had spoken up, then collectively turned to Gu Cong.
Feeling the need to stand up straight after being caught off guard, Xiao Meng apologized, "Sorry Gu-ge, I didn't mean to." Luckily, he hadn't revealed the biggest secret, otherwise he would have felt incredibly guilty.
Girlfriend?
Gu Cong was slightly taken aback and then remembered the conversation thread he had followed with Xiao Meng during the dinner. He wanted to explain, but found it difficult to do so given the current situation.
However, his colleagues didn't give him a chance to explain.
"Aww, I thought it was just lunch, turns out it's dog food. But it smells so good!"
"Dog food is good, I love eating dog food. Wishing Gu-ge and his girlfriend a hundred years of happiness."
"Is today some kind of anniversary? It's not a proposal, is it? Do we need to do something? I promise to cooperate!"
From humble beginnings to industry leader, over the years, ArkTech has weathered many storms. The public opinion on the StarNet hasn't affected the employees yet. To avoid his colleagues misunderstanding, Gu Cong had to speak up amidst the lively atmosphere: "Boyfriend."
"What's wrong with having a boyfriend? It's the modern era, boyfriend or girlfriend, it's all the same," mistaking Gu Cong's concern for potential trouble due to his sexual orientation, the one who thought it might be a proposal waved it off and swiftly changed the subject, "Having a partner is really nice, I want one too."
This sentiment was echoed throughout the office with genuine sighs of agreement, mixed with a hint of envy.
Taking advantage of the momentary lull, Gu Cong powered up his light brain, intending to send a message of gratitude. However, to his surprise, an unread message popped up on the virtual screen.
It was from five minutes ago.
【Cat: ......If it's just commanding.】
Even if it's just commanding, perhaps I can still muster up a bit of interest in cooking.
This was from the seemingly stoic CEO who had been silent for just ten minutes.
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