Chapter 49- Cinderella’s Younger Brother (14)

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Chapter 49

Zhong Yingzhe’s mind raced as he tried to think of flattering words to win over Yan Su, hoping to salvage his image in what he assumed was his future brother-in-law’s eyes.

But Yan Su merely glanced at him indifferently, withdrew his gaze, and slammed the gas pedal to the floor.

The car sped off, the rearview mirror barely brushing past Zhong Yingzhe’s ear. A gust of wind, laced with exhaust fumes, swept into his face.

“Cough, cough—” Zhong Yingzhe choked, doubling over and coughing with tears in his eyes. When he looked up again, Yan Shu and Yan Su were already out of sight.

“Damn it! That shameless woman, seducing people everywhere…” he muttered curses under his breath, storming to the entrance of Yan Shu’s apartment building and kicking the door in frustration.

The sharp sound of an alarm suddenly blared, startling Zhong Yingzhe, who fled in a panic.

Yan Su drove Yan Shu to the apartment he had rented near his gaming company. It was a three-bedroom unit, spacious enough but cluttered from neglect due to his work schedule.

He glanced at the messy living room. A fruit platter from days ago still sat on the coffee table, the dried peels prominently visible.

Scratching his head in embarrassment, he hurriedly picked up the platter and dumped its contents into the trash. Pointing to the guest room, he said, “Second Sister, it’s clear Zhong Yingzhe has ill intentions. Don’t go back for now; stay here temporarily to avoid trouble.”

When renting the apartment, he had considered his two older sisters and rented a three-bedroom unit just in case.

He occupied the master bedroom, while the other two rooms were sparsely furnished but functional.

Yan Shu wasn’t picky. Although the guest room’s bed was bare and unsightly, and a thick layer of dust had accumulated on the top of the wardrobe, she immediately grabbed cleaning tools and began tidying up.

“Jiale, it’s a good thing I have you. If not, I wouldn’t know how to get rid of Zhong Yingzhe,” she said.

Yan Su’s lips curved into a faint smile. Just as he was about to respond, his phone rang. It was a call from Yan Jing.

“Jiale, I’ve officially filed for divorce from Su Yi and moved out of the Su family home. Let’s celebrate tonight with a dinner, just the three of us siblings.”

Yan Su glanced at Yan Shu, who was busy cleaning like a diligent bee. A hint of amusement flashed in his eyes as he agreed.

At 9 p.m., the three siblings gathered at a rooftop restaurant in Yun’an Mall. Yan Shu raised her glass, clinked it with Yan Jing’s, and downed her drink in one go. Her face radiated relief and liberation, the oppressive atmosphere of the Su family now far behind her. Her smile was bright and carefree.

After dinner, upon learning that Yan Shu was staying with Yan Su to avoid harassment, Yan Jing chimed in, “I want to stay there too! Su Yi probably hates me now over the property division, and the Su family won’t let me off easily. If we all live together, it’ll feel much safer.”

After helping his two sisters move in, Yan Su returned to his busy work schedule at the company.

Time flew by, and when Hou Jun had fully recovered and joined the company, Star Pirates: Battle for Supremacy was officially released to the public.

The game, with its innovative concept, high-quality production, and stunning visuals, caused a massive sensation upon release. It created waves in the gaming market, long plagued by aesthetic fatigue, and drew countless enthusiasts into its universe.

Faced with impressive market data, Hou Jun burst into Yan Su’s office, his excitement overflowing. He looked nothing like a middle-aged man nearing forty; instead, he resembled a child unwrapping a Christmas gift.

“Jiale, we did it! Star Pirates: Battle for Supremacy surpasses every game I’ve ever worked on. Do you know how many players we’ve already got? I can’t believe it!”

This was just the initial data. Hou Jun had a strong feeling that with increased promotion, the game would achieve even greater results. It had the potential to become a title that would go down in gaming history.

Compared to Hou Jun, Yan Su remained much calmer. After all, he wasn’t really a college student. His true mission was to rescue the Yan family from their predicaments.

Despite the recent quiet from Su Yi and Jiang Xuefeng, Yan Su didn’t dare underestimate them. Storms often brewed beneath calm surfaces, and he had no doubt they would strike when least expected.

His suspicions proved accurate. The success of Star Pirates: Battle for Supremacy had caught Shi Zhuowen’s attention.

Since Yan Su and Hou Jun had left the company, Shi Zhuowen, backed by the wealthy and resourceful Su Ye, had been ambitiously planning to take the company to new heights. With the help of a foreign-educated PhD recommended by Su Ye, he thought he had it all figured out. But reality was cruel.

While Su Ye appeared to be the famed second son of the Su family, backed by wealth and resources beyond the reach of ordinary people, his abilities were mediocre at best. Compared to his elder brother Su Yi, he was utterly lackluster. On top of that, he hadn’t even completed his education and was known in elite circles as a frivolous playboy.

Although many people befriended him for his money, most were mere charlatans. One such example was the foreign-educated PhD.

After being brought into Kewang Gaming Company on Su Ye’s recommendation, the PhD began critiquing Shi Zhuowen within two days. Shi Zhuowen, who had only a high school diploma and had inherited the company by chance, became the target of the PhD’s disdain. The PhD even suggested Shi Zhuowen enroll in college to improve his education.

Shi Zhuowen was dumbfounded. Was this person an employee or a tutor he had hired at great expense?

The overseas-educated doctor soon voiced dissatisfaction with the company’s system and interpersonal relations, forcing Shi Zhuowen to make changes, insisting they follow the practices he had learned abroad. He criticized the company for hiring employees who were graduates from “non-elite” universities, claiming such “trash-level” talent wasn’t worthy of working under him.

Having granted him excessive authority, Shi Zhuowen found that the overseas doctor dismissed a group of core employees without prior approval, reporting only after the fact. Shi Zhuowen was nearly brought to his knees in shock.

Kowang was a small company to begin with, and after Yan Jia Le and Hou Jun—the main pillars—left, and now with its core employees gone, it was virtually impossible to keep operations running.

Shi Zhuowen, despite his fiery temper, couldn’t just fire the overseas doctor on the spot. He had already spent so much to bring him in, and finding a replacement of equal qualifications seemed an insurmountable task. In the end, he could only let him wreak havoc on the company.

Out of sight, out of mind. Shi Zhuowen holed up in his office, secretly monitoring Yan Su and Hou Jun’s latest moves. He discovered that they had started their own gaming company, and their newly released game had become a blockbuster hit, earning them immense fame in the industry. Shi Zhuowen felt regret, but more than that, he was consumed with jealousy.

How could his rival possibly outshine him?

Stewing in resentment, Shi Zhuowen spent two days plotting in his office before coming up with a “brilliant” idea to sabotage Star Pirate Showdown‘s success.

He invited Su Ye out for drinks.

When they met, Su Ye appeared gloomy, his gaze vacant as he downed one glass after another, looking like someone who had been deeply shaken.

Shi Zhuowen was frightened, nervously stammering as he presented his lousy idea:
“Second Young Master, Yan Jia Le and Hou Jun have gone too far! Star Pirate Showdown was clearly the pinnacle of effort by our employees at Kowang, and they’ve stolen it for themselves. They’ve opened a new company, and now they’re about to become legends in the industry.”

“Second Young Master, you’re Kowang’s major shareholder. You have to stand up for us. We can’t just let them bully us like this!”

Hearing this, Su Ye’s vacant gaze finally shifted as he looked coldly at Shi Zhuowen.

Su Ye had heard about Star Pirate Showdown, the smash-hit game, and had even downloaded and played it a couple of times. Its innovative design was indeed addictive and had drawn a substantial player base.

His friends had also mentioned that the game was developed by a new company, and its owners had seen their wealth multiply several times over. Now, hearing Shi Zhuowen claim that the developers were Yan Su and Hou Jun, Su Ye suddenly burst into laughter, tears streaming from his eyes.

The Su household had been in turmoil recently over Su Yi and Yan Jing’s divorce. The family was divided: Su Yi’s mother insisted he protect his assets from Yan Jing, while his father was firmly against the divorce, demanding that Su Yi sever ties with Yan Jiaoyue immediately, as he only recognized Yan Jing as his daughter-in-law.

The situation was at a standstill. On one hand, Su Yi was working overtime to transfer his assets; on the other, he was still deeply entangled with Yan Jiaoyue.

Yesterday, Wei Fang somehow discovered that Su Yi had made Yan Jiaoyue his secretary and brought her into the company. Furious, she stormed into his office with a group of people, causing a major scene. When she realized that the woman Su Yi was keeping might have previously been Su Ye’s girlfriend, she became even more enraged, and Su Ye ended up taking some of the blame.

Su Ye still didn’t understand how everything had gone so wrong.

It felt as though everything had spiraled out of control the day he got into that hospital brawl with Yan Jia Le. For the first time in over twenty years, his previously smooth-sailing life hit a major setback.

Drying his tears, Su Ye’s eyes filled with malice as he asked Shi Zhuowen,
“Do you have solid proof that Yan Jia Le and Hou Jun stole their previous company’s work? In court, you need conclusive evidence. I want to ensure Yan Jia Le is utterly ruined!”

Su Ye didn’t doubt Shi Zhuowen’s claims. After all, how could someone like Yan Jia Le, a student who hadn’t even graduated yet, have the ability to create a blockbuster game? If he had that talent, he would have leveraged it long ago during his three years at Kowang.

Moreover, even if the game truly was his creation, as long as there was “evidence,” with Shi Zhuowen as the former boss relentlessly accusing him, it would be enough to destroy Yan Su’s reputation.

Shi Zhuowen’s expression flickered. He had only intended to launch a smear campaign online to tarnish Yan Su’s reputation, not to escalate matters into a lawsuit.

But thinking about the Su family’s influence in Yun City, taking it to court didn’t seem impossible. Confidence surged within him, and he responded,
“Yes, Second Young Master, many of our employees were Yan Jia Le and Hou Jun’s former colleagues, and they can testify!”

Su Ye frowned. “Only witnesses? I need concrete evidence!”

Shi Zhuowen, being completely ignorant of legal proceedings, had no such evidence. His plan was born purely out of hatred for Yan Su and Hou Jun, hoping to rely on Su Ye’s influence to bring them down.

But since Su Ye asked, even if he didn’t have evidence, he had to produce some.

A few days later, rumors began spreading online that Star Pirate Showdown was a plagiarized work, stolen by Yan Su and his partner Hou Jun from their previous company.