Zhang Xing walked into his apartment, set his briefcase on the sofa, and collapsed into the cushions with a tired sigh.
Lately, the company had been going through a rough patch—smear campaigns online, server attacks, and mounting pressure.
Even though the company had turned the tide with that two-million-yuan bounty, rumors were flying around. Some claimed that a major capital group was eyeing a takeover. And frankly, this little "ant" might not survive for long under such weight.
Zhang Xing had only been with the company for a month. He'd thought he'd joined a promising startup. Now, the atmosphere at work was tense, and he wasn't the only one worried. New hires were already talking about jumping ship before things got worse. If the company got bought out and restructured, layoffs would follow—and job hunting again would be a hassle.
Zhang Xing was seriously considering his options.
As he mulled it over, his phone buzzed.
"Hey, Old Zhou, what's up?"
"I've joined a new company," the voice on the other end said. "We're short on people. Want to come over and help out? It's a sales role—starting salary's a bit low, just over four thousand—but it's got good prospects. Salary will go up, and there's plenty of room to move up the ladder."
"Hmm…" Zhang Xing hesitated. His eyes flickered with indecision. "Okay, tomorrow at 10 a.m., I'll contact you."
"Great, see you then."
After hanging up, Zhang Xing sat up and rummaged through his drawer until he found some paper and an envelope. He sat for a moment in thought, then started writing his resignation letter.
The Next Day
A gloomy cloud hovered over the Marching Ant Company. Even the air felt heavy with tension. Employees wore weary expressions, and more than a few desks were noticeably empty.
Zhang Xing packed up his belongings.
"Zhang-ge, are you really resigning?" asked Lu Hongyi, watching him uneasily.
"Big capital is eyeing this company," Zhang Xing whispered. "It won't be long before there's an acquisition and restructuring. As a friend, my advice—start looking for a new job before it's too late."
With a pat on Lu Hongyi's shoulder, Zhang Xing picked up his resignation letter and walked toward the office. Lu Hongyi stared after him, torn, then sighed and returned to his work.
Li Lingfeng sat in his office with a grim expression. In just two days, he had received ten resignation letters.
Most of these employees had only recently joined the company. The timing of the smear campaigns and these sudden resignations didn't feel like a coincidence.
Worse, two of the mid-level managers he had personally recruited had also resigned and left for new jobs. That felt like a betrayal.
Someone was clearly digging at their wall.
He picked up the latest resignation letter and marched to Zhao Min's office.
Inside, Zhao Min's assistant, Xiao Li, stood awkwardly.
"President Zhao, my fiancé and I are planning to get married. I need a more stable job to prepare for buying a house…"
"You've already found another job?" Zhao Min asked calmly.
"Yes, a friend helped me get in as an assistant manager at a public company."
"I understand. You can go." Zhao Min massaged her temples and waved her out.
"I'm sorry, Chief Zhao. Sorry, Director Li." Xiao Li gave a polite bow and left.
Li Lingfeng stepped forward and placed the resignation letters on the desk. His face was tight.
"Ten more resignations. Julie just handed hers in. Five in the marketing department—some of them mid-level staff. Lao Luo says several R&D technicians quit too. Zhang Yi from finance reported that two accountants resigned this morning."
Zhao Min's gaze turned to the window.
"Trouble upon trouble," she murmured. "Anyone try to poach you?"
"Yes. Just last night, an old friend invited me to join his company. Said he'd double my salary."
"And?"
"I turned him down."
"Why?" Zhao Min asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Because you're the one who believed in me and helped me grow. Without you, I wouldn't be where I am today. Besides, I believe in this company's potential. I know you'll lead us through this storm."
Zhao Min smiled faintly.
"This isn't even a storm," she said. "The company isn't in trouble. No debts, no funding issues. Just a rough patch—and some people can't take the pressure."
She turned back to her desk.
"Get back to work. Anyone who wants to leave—let them. Fill management vacancies by promoting capable internal staff. As long as the core team stays, we'll be fine. Those who can't stick it out weren't meant to stay. Start preparing for new recruitment."
"Understood."
Seeing Zhao Min's calm demeanor, Li Lingfeng felt a weight lift from his shoulders. As long as she didn't panic, neither would he.
After he left, Zhao Min picked up her phone and dialed Chen Mo.
"Chairman, someone's digging at your company."
In a small design studio, Chen Mo paused his sketch and chuckled.
"Have they dug you out yet?"
"They can't afford me."
"Then let them dig."
"And when are you going to fill all these pits you left me with?" Zhao Min teased.
Chen Mo laughed. "You're doing a great job patching things up. What's the plan now?"
"Since we're getting this much attention, we need better talent. I'm heading to your old university to recruit some interns. We need fresh blood—people with potential."
"Go for it. Also, the Butterfly Eye production line—keep an eye on quality. And once the time feels right, stop production."
Now that the company was under close scrutiny, they couldn't afford to make mistakes. A single slip-up could give their rivals an excuse to strike. Better to retreat strategically and wait for the right moment.
After hanging up, Chen Mo turned back to his latest obsession: developing a Chinese character-based programming language.
The keywords, syntax, and data structure were giving him a headache, but progress was steady. He had recently borrowed a book on creating programming languages from the Science and Technology Library—his 400th book so far.
His notes were piling up. He had already created a slew of new keywords and was closing in on a functional structure.
Once he entered the zone, time vanished—until a familiar, tired voice snapped him out of it.
"Chen Mo…"
He looked up to see Xiaoyu standing nearby, looking exhausted. His heart softened.
"You okay? Didn't sleep well?"
"Couldn't sleep last night. And I couldn't nap at noon. I'm exhausted. Let's go out tonight. You owe me some fun."
Chen Mo laughed. "You're sleep-deprived and want to go out?"
"Just for a bit. You coming or not?" Xiaoyu pouted, clearly not in the mood for negotiation.
"Alright, alright. Let me finish eating first," he said, reaching for the lunchbox she'd brought him.