Chapter 372: Chapter 184: I Want to Sign Him! A Fate-Deciding Gamble
His fingers tapped lightly on the mahogany desk as his gaze swept back and forth between the two subordinates before him.
"We’re all colleagues in the same department. We see each other every day."
"I don’t want to see this kind of unhealthy competition creating a toxic environment in the department."
Wang Jingcheng’s voice was tinged with displeasure.
"Bo Han, let me ask you. Qin Wushuang from the Nanhu Province Qiming General Star Training Camp—you were the first to discover and contact him, correct?"
Long Bohan nodded. "Yes."
The expression of the man standing beside him instantly darkened.
His name was Zhang Zewei.
He was a veteran of the Recruitment Department, far more senior than Long Bohan, but after all these years, he was still stuck at the rank of officer, unable to advance any further.
This time, he and Long Bohan had set their sights on the top prodigy from the Nanhu Province training camp, Qin Wushuang, at almost the same time.
However, Long Bohan had indeed contacted the prospect a step ahead of him.
Now, with Qin Wushuang about to graduate as the third seat, a B-grade contract was practically a sure thing.
An A-grade contract wasn’t out of the question, either.
If he could sign this contract, he’d have an excellent chance to compete for the long-vacant position of deputy supervisor.
This was his last chance to turn things around.
Over the past while, the two had been fighting openly and covertly over this contract, and rumors had spread throughout the entire branch.
Wang Jingcheng glanced at the disgruntled Zhang Zewei and made a decision.
"Since Bo Han made contact first, we’ll follow procedure."
"I’ll put you in charge of the contract negotiations this time, Bo Han."
"Mr. Wang, I was clearly the one who—!"
Zhang Zewei could no longer hold back and was about to argue.
But Long Bohan cut in, giving Wang Jingcheng a slight bow.
"Mr. Wang, I apologize."
"The recent rumors are indeed my fault. They’ve affected the department’s unity."
He paused, then looked up. His face showed a hint of apology, but his tone was sincere.
"I’ve recently taken on a new prospect, and my hands are full."
"I’m afraid I won’t have the bandwidth to handle Qin Wushuang’s contract. If Mr. Zhang wants to take it, then let’s give it to him."
His voice trailed off.
A dead silence descended upon the office.
Wang Jingcheng had a whole speech prepared, but the words died in his throat. He stared at Long Bohan, somewhat stunned.
Zhang Zewei was even more dumbfounded.
He had just mentally prepared his entire argument, ready to fight for it with everything he had, even if it meant openly turning on Long Bohan right then and there.
’But he never would have imagined that Long Bohan would... voluntarily give it up?’
After a moment of shock, a deep sense of suspicion and ridicule flickered in Zhang Zewei’s eyes.
He narrowed his eyes and sneered.
"Long Bohan, what’s that supposed to mean?"
"I was the one who saw Qin Wushuang’s potential first. How come when you say it, it sounds like you’re doing me a favor?"
"You make it sound like I’m taking advantage of you!"
"Are you playing the victim to get sympathy?"
Long Bohan’s brow furrowed slightly, but he didn’t rise to Zhang Zewei’s provocation.
He addressed Wang Jingcheng again.
"Sir, if there’s nothing else, I’ll get back to work."
Wang Jingcheng gave him a long, hard look and sighed internally.
’He knew exactly what kind of person Zhang Zewei was. This wasn’t the first time he’d stolen credit.’
’But since Long Bohan himself had given up, there was nothing more he could say.’
’On the surface, this whole affair looked terrible, so it was best to just resolve it now.’
Wang Jingcheng didn’t want any more complications.
’Besides, it might not be a bad thing for a young man to experience a few setbacks.’
"Go on."
Wang Jingcheng waved his hand dismissively.
Long Bohan turned and walked out of the office.
Zhang Zewei followed close behind. As he brushed past Long Bohan, he clearly heard a low curse, heavy with suppressed triumph.
"Heh, dumbass."
Long Bohan didn’t break his stride, walking straight to his workstation.
Only in a corner where no one could see, his fists quietly clenched.
’To give up a nearly guaranteed A-grade contract for a dark horse who hasn’t even shown his full potential.’
’...Was it really worth it?’
Back at his desk, Long Bohan sat down, a tightness still lingering in his chest.
He subconsciously took out his personal terminal.
A conspicuous livestream notification instantly popped up.
It was Dong Dongchen’s stream.
The stream’s title was simple and blunt, yet it carried a strange, fanatical energy.
[The Month is Up, We Welcome the Return of the Dragon King!]
The gloom and frustration in Long Bohan’s chest vanished the moment he saw the title.
He knew this meant Dong Dongchen was about to continue streaming Lin Ye’s ranked journey.
The doubt that had just started to sprout in his mind vanished into thin air.
In its place was a kind of all-or-nothing anticipation.
He opened the stream.
...
Dong Dongchen was facing a mirror, meticulously styling his hair while humming a little tune.
He had specifically changed into a well-tailored "cultivation suit" for the occasion.
After adjusting the camera angle and beauty filter, he cleared his throat and flashed what he considered his most handsome and confident smile.
Over the past month, his streaming career had seen an explosive boom.
The iconic scene of Lin Ye taking down the superstar Ye Qingxuan with his spear, along with the memes born from that battle, had allowed him to finally make a name for himself.
His follower count had doubled, skyrocketing from 300,000 to over 600,000.
Although there was still a huge gap between him and the true top-tier streamers, he could now be considered somewhat famous.
Everything was ready.
Dong Dongchen took a deep breath and started the stream.
[The Month is Up, We Welcome the Return of the Dragon King!]
The cringey yet gimmicky title attracted countless viewers the moment the notification went out.
The stream’s popularity value began to climb at a visible rate.
"Here we go, here we go!"
"Why is Chen streaming so early today! I thought we’d have to wait until tonight!"
"What’s with the title? Which Dragon King? The one with the crooked smile?"
"Holy shit, this title... could it be...?"
"No way, no way! Could it be *that* man!"
Seeing nearly ten thousand people flood into the stream less than a minute after he went live, Dong Dongchen was inwardly ecstatic.
He greeted the audience while launching Martial Arts Peak in streamer mode.
He didn’t keep them in suspense; his smile betrayed an irrepressible excitement.
"My brothers, did you miss me?!"
"I know what you’re all thinking, and yes, your guess is correct!"
"The man—that man—who stirred up a storm in the New Star Sequence a month ago and left a trail of chaos in his wake, he’s back!"
As he finished speaking, Dong Dongchen switched the stream’s view.
Every viewer’s eyes were now focused on Dong Dongchen’s own Martial Arts Peak observer interface.
Dong Dongchen opened his "Specially Followed" list.
The first row, in the most prominent spot.
[Goblin Soldiers]
That ID, which had been grayed out for over a month, was now brightly lit!
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