Gangster heir? Please call me a legitimate entrepreneur.

That thin A4 photocopy sheet seemed to grow infinitely larger in Zhang Ming's eyes.

A billion.

I never even dared to dream of such a long string of numbers in my entire life.

The edges of the paper were slightly curled up, and the red bank stamp on it stung his cornea.

"Gulp."

The sound of Zhang Ming swallowing his saliva was like thunder in the quiet office.

His legs buckled, and half of his body, which was already slumped on the long-haired carpet, collapsed completely.

He gripped the carpet wool tightly with both hands, his fingernails filled with lint.

"Brother Su..."

His teeth were chattering and making a grinding sound, and he couldn't even string together a complete sentence.

The back of that wrinkled plaid shirt was soaked with cold sweat.

It was pressed against my spine and felt icy cold.

This is so surreal.

The day before yesterday in Beijing, those investors in suits and ties wouldn't even bother to make him a cup of instant coffee.

They simply threw his "algorithm recommendation model" into the trash can.

They say that's wishful thinking, that it's a pyramid scheme.

just now.

He was kidnapped from his basement by three gangsters and driven on the highway for a day and a night.

I thought I was going to have my kidneys cut off and be sold to Southeast Asia.

As a result, this gangster boss with gold-rimmed glasses turned around and threw a billion at him.

Is this some new type of scam?

Pay first, then take my life?

Su Ye sat in the executive chair, his ten fingers interlaced on his abdomen.

He looked at Zhang Ming on the ground, his glasses reflecting the cold light of the crystal chandelier above him.

"stand up."

Su Ye's voice was soft and lacked emotional fluctuation.

Zhang Ming didn't dare to move; all the bones in his body felt limp.

Lei Hu, who was standing nearby, couldn't stand it anymore.

The bald, burly man picked up a fruit platter filled with sliced ​​watermelon from the coffee table.

He strode over, his leather shoes making no sound as they stepped onto the street stall.

"Brother Su told you to get up, didn't you hear me?"

Lei Hu, with a gruff voice, grabbed Zhang Ming's collar with his large, fan-like hand.

He lifted the skinny programmer, who weighed over a hundred pounds, up with ease, like carrying a chick.

With a "bang," it was slammed onto the leather sofa next to it.

Zhang Ming's buttocks had barely touched the sofa when he bounced as if he'd been electrocuted.

But Lei Hu's large hand pressed down hard on his shoulder, and his bones made a cracking sound as he struggled to bear the weight.

"Let's eat melon seeds."

Lei Hu shoved the plate of watermelon right under Zhang Ming's nose.

The scar that ran across half his face forced out what he considered to be his kindest and warmest smile.

The scar at the corner of his eye twisted into a centipede, complementing his muscular physique that seemed to burst out of his shirt.

This scene is even more terrifying than a horror movie.

Zhang Ming looked at the plate of bright red watermelons.

The words "last meal before execution" popped into my head uncontrollably.

His hands trembled; he didn't know whether to take it or not.

Tears welled up in my eyes.

"Big brother, I really can't eat. I have a sensitive stomach, and eating cold food gives me diarrhea."

Su Ye sighed and rubbed his temples.

"Lei Hu, don't scare him. Go and guard the door."

Lei Hu reluctantly took back the fruit plate and said "Oh".

He turned and walked to the double mahogany door, which stood there like a black iron tower.

Su Ye picked up the copy of the bill of exchange from the table and then pulled out a thick agreement from the drawer.

I walked over to the sofa and tossed the documents onto the coffee table.

The paper collided with the glass tabletop, making a crisp sound.

"Zhang Ming, I'm not going to beat around the bush with you."

Su Ye picked up the thermos, slowly unscrewed the lid, and blew on the goji berries floating on top.

"I've got my eye on your recommendation algorithm."

He took a sip of warm water, his Adam's apple bobbing.

"The short videos on the market are all randomly promoted. Users are searching for things they like to watch, like looking for a needle in a haystack."

Su Ye looked up, his deep gaze piercing through his glasses and into Zhang Ming's eyes.

"Your algorithm can lock people inside a screen. This is the printing press of the future."

Zhang Ming was stunned.

A glimmer of light suddenly appeared in those eyes that had become clouded from years of staying up late coding.

Over the past six months, he has run himself ragged and talked himself hoarse.

No one understands him.

Everyone thought he was crazy.

But the man in front of her seemed to be a gang leader.

With just three sentences, he accurately hit the core of the model he was so proud of.

"Brother Su...you...you really know about this?"

Zhang Ming's voice stopped trembling, and he settled his bottom a little more firmly on the sofa.

Su Ye smiled faintly.

He scoffed inwardly, "How could I not understand? In parallel worlds, this thing has created trillion-dollar business empires."

But on the surface, he remains a composed, suit-wearing thug.

"Whether I understand it or not is not important; what matters is that I'm willing to pay."

Su Ye pointed to the agreement on the coffee table.

"One billion yuan in seed funding will buy 51% of your Sihai Short Video Technology Company's shares. You will own 49%."

He paused, his tone suddenly turning cold, carrying an undeniable sense of pressure.

"The money will be transferred to your company account first thing tomorrow morning."

"But on the condition that, from today onwards, you, and your skills, will all be surnamed Su. Without my permission, you dare to contact even a single line of core code with anyone outside..."

Su Ye didn't continue, but only glanced at Lei Hu standing at the door.

Lei Hu immediately understood.

The bald man nodded sharply twice, his short, thick fingers cracking, and the fat on his face twitched.

"If you dare run, I'll break your fingers off one by one, stuff them into the computer case, and grind them to dust!"

Zhang Ming's newly mustered enthusiasm was instantly extinguished by this threat.

He looked at the thick share transfer agreement.

This is hardly venture capital.

This is clearly a contract of servitude!

He swallowed hard, his fingers fidgeting nervously on his knees.

"Su-Brother Su, what if... I mess it up?"

Zhang Ming stared longingly at Su Ye.

"A billion yuan! What if the algorithm doesn't work and users don't accept it..."

"You...you're not going to fill me up in the sea, are you?"

"Muckled?"

Su Ye felt as if he had heard a joke.

He walked back to his desk and leaned back in the large boss's chair.

"Zhang Ming, you may not be very familiar with the corporate culture of Sihai Group."

He pressed the intercom button on the table.

"Have Linda Lin Dai come over here."

Less than a minute later, the office door was pushed open.

Lin Dai walked in wearing a fitted iron-gray business suit and ten-centimeter red-soled high heels.

The high heels clicked crisply on the marble floor, exuding an aura of power that seemed to reach two meters and eighty centimeters.

He was holding a black leather folder in his hand.

"President Su." Lin Dai pushed up her black-rimmed glasses.

Su Ye raised his chin and pointed to Zhang Ming, who was curled up on the sofa.

"Give our new CTO a lesson in the law. Tell him what he'll face if a billion dollars goes down the drain?"

Lin Dai turned her head, her sharp gaze landing on Zhang Ming's messy hair.

She opened the folder and began speaking rapidly, like a machine gun firing off bullets.

"According to the Company Law and Article 3 of the supplementary agreement on the valuation adjustment mechanism signed this time."

"If Mr. Zhang fails to deliver a qualified algorithm model on time, it may lead to significant losses for the company."

"Our Ministry of Justice will file a civil lawsuit. Given that the amount involved is as high as one billion, we have the right to apply to the court to freeze all of Mr. Zhang's assets, including but not limited to real estate, vehicles, bank deposits, and all legal income for the next fifty years."

Lin Dai closed the folder with a "snap".

"To put it simply, Mr. Zhang, you will be burdened with a legal debt of one billion yuan. For the rest of your life, you will have to pay back even if you only go to an internet cafe for an hour."

"This is entirely in accordance with national laws and regulations."

Zhang Ming felt a sudden darkness before his eyes, and his head was buzzing.

He looked at Lin Dai's icy face, then at Lei Hu's scarred face.

What kind of den of thieves have we stumbled into?!

Are gangsters no longer using knives to attack people, but instead using the Company Law to collect debts?!

This is even more deadly than cutting kidneys! It's like cutting flesh with a dull knife!

"I...I'll sign..."

Zhang Ming completely broke down.

He scrambled to the coffee table and grabbed the Parker pen that Su Ye had prepared in advance.

My hands were shaking so badly it looked like I had Parkinson's.

The pen tip landed on the signature area on the last page of the agreement, leaving a small ink dot.

He signed the document while crying.

Tears fell onto the paper, blurring the character "Zhang" that she had just written.

"Brother Su, I'll definitely do my best."

Zhang Ming sniffled, his voice filled with a sense of despair, as if he had given up entirely.

"I'm selling my life to you. Give me three days, and I'll bring my team to get the initial code up and running."

"Otherwise, you can have the court sentence me to deliver packages at Sihai Logistics Center for the rest of my life."

Su Ye looked at the signed agreement and nodded in satisfaction.

He handed the document to Linda.

"Take it to get it stamped and filed. By the way, give him an advance of 50,000 yuan."

Su Ye turned to look at Zhang Ming, who was still wiping away tears.

He frowned in disdain.

"Lei Hu, take General Manager Zhang to the bathhouse downstairs for a good scrub and a change of clothes."

"This strong smell of pickled cabbage is giving me a headache."

Zhang Ming was carried out by Lei Hu like a chick.

The office returned to silence.

Shen Qinghan stood in the corner, holding a notebook in her hand.

She witnessed the entire investment negotiation, which was even more domineering than a double-cross.

The pen tip unconsciously drew circles on the paper, tearing the back of the paper.

One billion yuan was given to a poor programmer who was practically begging for food.

There was no due diligence or risk control review.

They forced people to sign the papers simply by using a few threats and legal provisions.

She quietly took out her encrypted phone from her pocket and, under the guise of adjusting her clothes, blindly typed a text message.

[Chief. Zhang Ming was forced to sign a 1 billion yuan agreement through violent intimidation. This is definitely a shell company! They're using this short video app to set up a money laundering channel!]

The text message was successfully sent.

Su Ye's voice suddenly rang out in the empty office, tinged with a hint of mockery.

"Secretary Shen."

Su Ye stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the traffic below, which resembled ants.

Holding the thermos, he didn't even turn his head.

"Tomorrow morning, notify those guys in the security department who are learning C++."

"No need to read books anymore. Everyone, go and put up QR codes in all the internet cafes and bathhouses."

He turned around, a hunter's glint flashing behind his glasses.

"The kind of manual work like ground promotion to grab traffic."

"Our group of brothers in black suits are still the best at it."