Chapter 10
"Ding-a-ling! Ding-a-ling!"
The following day.
Zhou Cheng, deep in his slumber, was rudely awakened by the persistent ringing of his phone.
"Who's this so early in the morning! Can't a man get some sleep around here?"
Waking up from a deep sleep can make anyone grumpy.
As Zhou Cheng answered the call, his tone was laced with impatience.
"Listen here, you yellow monkey, you think you're tough, huh? Speaking to me in that tone? You still want your job or not!?"
The sound that blared through the receiver could have almost lifted the roof off.
That voice—it felt too familiar.
Zhou Cheng immediately snapped out of his drowsiness.
Looking at the caller ID, it all made sense.
The contact name on the screen stared back at him: SB.
Idiot?
Wasn't this exactly the idiot boss from before?
Memories from his predecessor flooded Zhou Cheng's mind, fueling a surge of infuriation.
It's well known that racism in the United States is severe, especially against Asians, who sometimes even rank lower than African Americans socially.
On the surface, his predecessor worked in a very respectable software company—glamorous and prestigious to talk about.
But that was all just for show.
Inside the company, his predecessor was less than a nobody.
Routine discrimination and unfair treatment were just the tip of the iceberg.
And his boss Smith was the epitome of suffocation.
Piecing together his predecessor's memories, that old bastard never treated him like a human, always barking orders and never showing a hint of kindness.
The most dirty and tiring jobs were dumped on his predecessor, to the point where even his own responsibilities were pushed onto him.
Just four days ago.
His predecessor, trying to clean up Smith's mess, coded day and night, pulling two all-nighters in a row.
And then, right there at the workstation, he just passed out.
Only then did Smith grant him a two-day leave to rest at home.
But even supposed rest meant bringing work home to code.
What could the poor predecessor do but to continue working overtime?
And the result?
He literally worked himself to death!
Such misery.
Because Zhou Cheng had all of his predecessor's memories and was living in his body, his empathy peaked in an instant.
The moment he heard Smith's bullish commands, fury took over.
"Is the code ready? You better have some good news for me or I'm firing you, you'll be like a homeless dog..."
Smith's voice continued from the other end of the line.
"Fire—fire your mom, you old fool!"
Zhou Cheng cut Smith off mid-sentence with a torrent of swear words in his native language.
Smith on the other side of the phone was dumbfounded.
"Did you just... curse me out? Do you even know what you're doing? Have you lost your mind?"
Even through the receiver, Zhou Cheng could feel the other man's raging temper.
"That's right, I've lost my mind, that's why I've been putting up with you for so long."
"You disgusting pig of a man!"
"You want the code? I've got it all ready."
"I'll burn it at your grave for you, how's that sound?"
"Goodbye, jackass!"
"Beep beep beep!"
After a thoroughly satisfying round of verbal lashing, Zhou Cheng decisively hung up, blocked, and went through the whole nine yards.
Then he swiftly logged into the work group and aired all of Smith's dirty laundry.I also sent it to the big boss's email.
And then.
I left the chat groups, withdrew from forums, and blocked all contacts.
After a series of fierce operations, Zhou Cheng finally felt relieved.
Predecessor, no thanks needed, I've avenged you!
Of course, after Zhou Cheng's moves, he's definitely lost his job.
But Zhou Cheng said it's not a big deal, just a breath of fresh air.
As a transmigrator endowed with great advantages, if he still had to suffer and work as a wage slave, wouldn't that be embarrassing for a transmigrator?
What? Transmigrators also need to eat and spend money?
Zhou Cheng said this is not an issue either.
After Tony Stark gets kidnapped, he'll sell the house and exchange it all for Stark Industries' stock.
Then, when Iron Man emerges and Stark Industries' stock soars, he'll cash in.
Isn't that a way to make money?
All of this is trivial.
After all, the predecessor's parents died in a car accident five years ago, and the old house has entirely become Zhou Cheng's.
He's got the final say on everything.
Moreover, in the future, Zhou Cheng might receive other rewards that could bring him a great fortune.
There's really no need to worry.
The most important thing is to keep a good diary and improve his strength. That's the real deal!
Thinking about this, Zhou Cheng got energized once again.
After quickly washing up and having a simple breakfast, he couldn't wait to open the notebook again and started to write vigorously with his mind.
"Joy in one's heart, the ancients truly do not deceive!"
"That idiot is probably questioning his life right now, huh?"
"I really want to see his face in person. It must be very exciting!"
"Sir!"
"The diary has been updated again!"
In the Malibu villa.
JARVIS, who has been monitoring the movements of the notebook, immediately reminded Tony Stark.
Tony Stark's interest was piqued. He stopped what he was doing, picked up the notebook, and sat down on the sofa to "study" it carefully.
He glanced over and noticed that Zhou Cheng seemed to be in a good mood today.
He just wasn't aware of the reason for this happiness.
"However, if things go this way, I might really depend on some major event!"
"Another day hoping for the big shit to get kidnapped!"
"I've prepared the sunflower seeds, drinks, and beer, just waiting!"
Tony Stark: "..."
This guy must be crazy!
Does he have to wish for me to be kidnapped every single day?
I haven't even offended you!
Also, what the heck is "big shit"!
Such a disgusting nickname, and he actually came up with it.
"It should be soon, right?"
"I saw on the news yesterday that the military has decided to award this year's Jericho Prize to big shit."
"If I remember correctly, big shit stood up Rhodes at the award ceremony."
"And not long after that, he was taken by the Ten Rings to the cave to forge metal."
"Could this be the retribution for big shit' arrogance? Haha!"
Tony Stark's expression immediately became serious.
He ignored Zhou Cheng's teasing and wasn't surprised about standing up Rhodes; that was indeed in Tony Stark's style.
What Tony Stark was most concerned about right now was another very important matter.
Was the day he would be kidnapped approaching?
The military had already notified him that they would present the award to him in fifteen days!
Does this mean he has just over half a month left?