Chapter 23: Mysterious Identity

After breakfast, the three of them turned on their computers and waited for news from the Song Group. Last night, Zhao Heng and Qingguan had swept through the Song Group's firewall, paralyzing their entire system. They believed this would deal a heavy blow to Zhang Ningyan and temporarily divert her attention to dealing with Qingguan.

At 10:30, the Song Group was indeed in a state of chaos, as expected. The sudden death of Mr. Song and the involvement of Mrs. Song had already made the employees of the Song Group uneasy, giving the impression that the company might collapse at any moment. The system paralysis only added to the turmoil, with many client records and financial information disappearing. The most terrifying part was:

It was payday!

Upon learning that the Song Group could not operate normally, the employees, who were already struggling due to Mr. Song's death and the downturn in the real estate market, ignored the劝阻 and explanations of their department leaders and gathered in the company's banquet hall, shouting for their due pay before seeking other jobs.

Even the three major construction sites under the Song Group were notified, causing the workers to become restless and noisy.

The employees' unrest quickly drew the attention of the outside world, pushing the Song Group to the forefront of public scrutiny. Although the Song Group was financially strong and had enough funds to pay salaries and bonuses, the financial system had suffered a severe blow. Without a clear understanding of the numbers, how could the financial staff distribute the money?

The entire morning was chaotic for the Song Group!

Faced with this situation, the Song Group could only try to calm the employees while working to repair the system. They also involved the police to dispel external speculation. Mrs. Song, who had been absent, also appeared to assure everyone that the Song Group was fine. Meanwhile, the Qing Gang began to intervene in the Song Group's construction sites, intimidating the workers to continue working.

Mrs. Song's distress meant that Qingguan's crisis was alleviated.

"Qingguan, it will take at least three days to repair the system," Zhao Heng said, looking at the delighted Qingguan and tapping on the computer. "Verifying the backup data will take another two days. After that, the Song Group will need to calm the employees and clarify the situation. Your stepmother won't have the energy to deal with you for now. You can rest and recover at school. We'll wait for your uncle to return."

Qingguan grabbed Zhao Heng's hand. "Brother Heng, thank you."

Zhao Heng patted his shoulder. "It's no big deal, no need to be so formal!"

"Boss, did we do something so big that we might get caught?" Qiao Fatso asked, maintaining a bit of rationality, tilting his head to look at Zhao Heng. Before Zhao Heng could respond, Qingguan shook his head. "Brother Heng's skills are already godlike. Even someone at my level would find it hard to get caught, let alone Brother Heng. He cleared all traces when he logged out last night."

He looked at Zhao Heng with admiration. "No one will find us." Then he hesitated and added, "Brother Heng, your skills are far superior to mine. Even in Huahai, few can match you. I don't have many hobbies, but I love playing with computers. Would you teach me?"

Qiao Fatso chuckled. "My hobby is eating."

"Qingguan, it's fine. I can teach you when I have time," Zhao Heng said with a light laugh, resisting the urge to pinch Qiao Fatso's face. "Don't worry, I'll be fine!" He laughed jokingly. "After all, it's your computer and your account. If anything happens, you'll have to take the blame. Yuncai, you mustn't betray your brothers, even if it means dying."

Qiao Fatso feigned surprise. "Ah? No way, we must share the burden!"

The three quickly fell into a playful tussle, their laughter particularly joyful.

For safety reasons, the three stayed in the dormitory for the day, sharing their experiences. Zhao Heng shared little, but when they learned he was from the mountains of General City, both were stunned again. Qingguan could imagine his martial arts, but found it hard to picture how Zhao Heng became a hacking expert in the mountains.

Qiao Fatso asked questions non-stop, but Zhao Heng did not tell them about the impressive Uncle Feng or that he had started playing with computers with Lu Meng at a young age. After all, Uncle Feng had always emphasized keeping a low profile, and Zhao Heng couldn't reveal him. He made up an excuse to silence Qiao Fatso and then they discussed the Song Group again.

After a day of conversation, the three became much closer, their temperaments aligning well.

The next day, after exercising and having breakfast, Zhao Heng prepared to go out for a walk.

Qiao Yuncai, unwilling to go downstairs, lounged on the balcony, enjoying the sun. He informed Zhao Heng that this was a habit from his time in Huaxi Pingyao, sitting on the stone steps of the courtyard, basking in the sun, and occasionally singing the melancholic "Zou Xikou," a song that few could truly appreciate.

Qingguan, unable to go out, lay on the bed. Encouraged by Zhao Heng and Qiao Fatso, he no longer dwelled on his worries and anxieties. He played chess on the tablet Qiao Yuncai had brought, waiting for his uncle to return. For now, he could only suppress his emotions and anxiety, forcing himself to remain calm for the last half-month.

Zhao Heng reminded the two to lock the door before leaving with his bag. He wandered around Huahai University, thoroughly enjoying the campus environment. What pleased him even more was the credit system, where students could graduate as soon as they completed their required credits, allowing them to leave school early.

According to the university's founding records, which Zhao Heng found in the library, the most outstanding student at Huahai University completed all credits in just two years and then went to a famous business school in the Western Hemisphere to study business management. This outstanding student was Du Yaqi, the eldest daughter of the Du family in Huahai, and the sister of Du Ziyang, whom Zhao Heng knew.

Zhao Heng hadn't expected Du Ziyang to have such an outstanding sister, so he specifically looked up her public information. She was a girl with a delicate appearance, not stunningly beautiful or refined, and certainly not as aggressively attractive as Ding Lingling, but her features were pleasing to the eye.

"Du Yaqi?"

Zhao Heng repeated the name.

He glanced through Du Yaqi's information, which the library provided, mostly about her awards and punishments. He quickly flipped through it. Du Yaqi was indeed impressive, completing all her credits in just two years. This piqued his curiosity, and he wanted to see who had taken the longest to graduate.

He scrolled through the computer and soon found the record holder: eight years! Zhao Heng couldn't help but admire this person's persistence. Eight years at Huahai University! He opened the person's information and nearly fell over when he saw the name and photo: "What? It's him? Jiang Changlong?"

Yes!

The person who had yet to graduate from Huahai University was the same Jiang Changlong Zhao Heng had met yesterday. He discovered that this classmate, who had entered the university at the same time as Du Yaqi, still had half of his courses on red alert, with advanced mathematics taking him eight years to complete. Zhao Heng couldn't help but sigh with a bitter smile. "This guy, what a character."

An undergraduate, studying for eight years, a beggar, ...

These words kept circling in Zhao Heng's mind. He shook his head with a bitter smile and scanned through the person's history. This guy's university life was a struggle from the start. In the first year, he had to retake all his courses due to excessive absences. In the second year, he barely passed some courses but was caught cheating and had to retake them. He even failed physical education.

In the third year, he was determined to redeem himself but fainted from heatstroke during an exam, causing his juniors to sigh with pity. In the following years, he only passed his exams due to the teachers' sympathy. This year, Jiang Changlong's university life had come full circle.

Studying for eight years, he was probably the first in Huahai University to do so.

Although Jiang Changlong's story brought Zhao Heng some amusement, his attention to detail led him to notice something. Jiang Changlong and Du Yaqi had entered Huahai University with the same high scores, the highest in the university that year, with a perfect score in mathematics and a high-score scholarship.

"From a genius to a beggar?"

Zhao Heng's finger circled the image of the young, confident Jiang Changlong from eight years ago. The photo showed a sharp and ambitious young man, a pillar of the nation. Unfortunately, after eight years, the once brilliant genius had become a beggar, while Du Yaqi had become a new elite.

"Was I handsome back then?"

As Zhao Heng was lost in thought, someone suddenly appeared behind him. Zhao Heng instinctively sidestepped, ready to counterattack, but then he saw Jiang Changlong's face, completely different from the pitiful beggar at the station, with a friendly smile. Jiang Changlong shrugged and pointed to the computer screen.

"That year, I was eighteen, full of ambition!"

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