This time, Michael returned to the modern world in broad daylight. A glance at his phone showed it was just past ten in the morning. A pleasant idea quickly formed in his mind: he'd go home first, use his somewhat dated laptop to check the contents of those U disks, and see which songs were classic oldies and which were new tracks born more than twenty years after the Wasteland's apocalypse. Once sorted, he'd pick a few suitable ones, claim them as "original compositions" for his newly edited promotional videos, and slap on a notice: "Background music original. Commercial use by others strictly prohibited. Violators will be pursued."
What? Did they expect him, Michael, to debut as a singer and become some multi-talented international superstar? Get real! Ever since that first KTV trip in high school where he earned the honest review, "Some singers charge money; you, my friend, charge lives," he had abandoned any such delusions. So no, debuting was out of the question in this lifetime. He'd just shamelessly use the songs he'd found, pass them off as his own "original works," and be content with that for his little videos.
With that settled, Michael drove his little delivery truck back to the rental apartment he hadn't slept in for ages. Once inside, he immediately booted up his laptop. He copied all the songs from the three U disks onto his computer, then started searching Baidu Music based on song titles and lyrics. Any songs that already existed were promptly deleted. Those that yielded no search results were dragged into a separate folder, saved as future bragging rights.
It turned out there were quite a few "new" songs on these high-capacity drives. Michael had barely checked half of one disk and had already identified 102 songs that didn't exist in his world. The singers were both male and female, the styles varied, and they involved multiple languages. Overall, however, many had a wartime or resistance theme to them.
Just as Michael was happily sorting through the songs, planning to finish checking one disk before going out for a celebratory meal, his phone, placed beside him, vibrated intensely. The caller was none other than Zhang Kai, formerly known as "Brother Little Knife," now the manager of the freshly minted "Sweetwater Gulch Trading Company."
Michael wasn't surprised to get a call from his new manager. What surprised, even shocked him, was the content of Zhang Kai's report.
A somewhat tense voice came from the other end: "Boss! I've tentatively found a location for the company office. I've also provisionally interviewed a few key department heads. As for whether they're truly suitable, maybe you could come take a look in person and make the final call?"
Hearing this, Michael was momentarily dumbfounded. If his memory served him correctly, he had only given Zhang Kai these tasks yesterday morning (modern time). Originally, he'd have been satisfied if they were completed within a week. Damn!Only one day had passed, and not only had this guy secured the crucial crude oil refining equipment, but he'd also preliminarily arranged office space and key personnel? This Zhang Kai was genuinely talented!
Such talent shouldn't be wasted drifting aimlessly in society. He should be contributing to the construction of the Wasteland!
Coming to his senses, Michael readily agreed to Zhang Kai's request for an on-site inspection and guidance.
No sooner had he hung up than a location pin for the company address arrived via WeChat from Zhang Kai. At first glance, the address on the Third Ring Road felt familiar. He soon realized: wasn't that near where Brother Dong's private lending company was located?
Of course, Brother Dong, a figure who once inspired deep apprehension in Michael, was now completely beneath his notice. So, even knowing their companies would be close, Michael didn't give it much thought. That bastard better behave. If he lays low, I might let the last incident where he tried to screw me over slide. But if he doesn't know his place... well, he can't blame me for what happens next.
Thus, Michael stuffed his laptop and the pouch of jewelry into his work bag, hopped into his truck, and drove to the pinned location.
The real surprise came when he actually arrived. Damn it! It wasn't that the two companies were close. The new office location Zhang Kai had found wasthe former premises of Brother Dong's company.
...
"What's going on?" Michael asked, frowning at Zhang Kai, who was waiting to greet him at the entrance.
Zhang Kai's response, however, made Michael inwardly suck in a cold breath.
"Nothing much," Zhang Kai said casually. "Last night, after everyone had a good meal, we came to settle accounts with that bastard Ah Dong. That scumbag 'gifted' us this place—there's still half a year on the lease. You won't be seeing him around anymore, Boss."
Hearing this, Michael quickly asked, "You iced him? How did you handle the body? Do you need my help?"
In Michael's mind, Zhang Kai, the once-famous "Little Knife" of Yangcheng's underworld, was all bark and no bite—a paper tiger putting on a tough act. He never imagined the guy in front of him actually had the guts to whack someone. For a moment, hearing this news, Michael felt conflicted. A paper tiger he could use, but someone who actually didthe deed was a different story. Such a person was a ticking time bomb, bound to cause major trouble and attract official attention. In his urgency, worried about loose ends, he even offered to help dispose of the body. After all, in that regard, he had immense convenience—just load it onto the truck, take it to the Wasteland, and bury it.
Fortunately, that wasn't the case at all. Under Michael's rapid-fire questioning and shockingly matter-of-fact offer of "assistance," Zhang Kai's face paled. Damn! How many people has this guy offed? Why is disposing of a body as casual as picking up a midnight snack?
His subsequent explanation cleared up all of Michael's concerns: "Boss! Don't joke like that. I don't need any help with a body. We just gave that bastard Ah Dong a beating, that's all. Okay, maybe we were a bit heavy-handed, but it was nowhere near fatal. He was so scared we'd beat him every time we saw him that he promised to get the hell out of Yangcheng for good. That's why you won't see him. As for this office space, he 'voluntarily' transferred it to us. We even have a contract."
Hearing this, Michael secretly sighed in relief. Thisversion of Little Knife Zhang—convenient to control and unlikely to cause major trouble—was the talented individual he had in mind. He wordlessly patted Zhang Kai's shoulder. All his praise and encouragement were conveyed in that silent gesture.
Then, led by "Little Knife," he began touring the company premises, which he was actually quite familiar with. Five rooms and a living room, about two hundred square meters in total. Thanks to Brother Dong's "generosity," they even saved money on office furniture...
After a cursory inspection , the newly praised Manager Zhang received a handwritten, lengthy list from Michael and headed out with a team of somewhat bewildered subordinates to handle the tasks.
As for Michael himself, he settled into Brother Dong's former luxurious executive chair and got to work. Not long after, the office door was gently knocked on, and a voice dripping with a certain performative sweetness sounded from outside: "Your coffee, Boss. I was afraid you might not like the taste, so I added lots of milk."
Michael, who had been hunched over his laptop still sorting songs, immediately looked up. He saw the former finance lady from Brother Dong's company, the one with the big wavy hair, bringing him a cup of coffee. This lady, Zhang Mi, was one of the "temporarily recruited key personnel" Zhang Kai had mentioned. With Brother Dong's abrupt departure, she had been instantly and involuntarily unemployed—Dong had no intention of taking this high-maintenance woman with him.
However, it must be said that while Comrade Zhang Mi had significant issues in her lifestyle, she was quite skilled at accounting, especially in handling... discreet ledgers. She had rich experience in that area, which fit the company's current needs perfectly. After some consideration, Michael decided to give this female comrade a trial period.
Yes, that was definitely the only reason.
As for the issue of trust, a woman like her had keen survival instincts. She knew very well what she could and couldn't do.
And so, a company was established. Apart from the business license still being processed, there wasn't a single "good person" among the staff besides the boss. Michael didn't mind this in the slightest. Perhaps asking a few of his most trusted buddies to help would make him feel more at ease, but that would also mean he couldn't employ certain... special methods of motivation if needed. On second thought, it was better not to drag his close friends into this mess.