At the start, I tricked the school beauty, and ended up with twins?

Haidong University Innovation and Entrepreneurship Park.

Gu Yu and Kang Jia got out of the car and walked towards a group of people at the entrance of the incubator.

Qin Hong, dressed in professional office lady attire, was talking with Lin Xinyue and a few others.

"Mrs. Qin, sorry to have kept you waiting."

Gu Yu approached with Kang Jia to greet her.

With a friendly smile, Qin Hong turned around, "Gu Yu, you've arrived."

Qin Hong glanced at Kang Jia without paying much attention.

"Let's go, I'll show you around the office locations; there are three places for you to choose from."

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Qin Hong led the way, and as she approached, the incubator's security, recognizing her, did not ask any questions and simply opened the gate.

The line of eight people entered the park as if they were a tour group.

People in the incubator hurried between the buildings, bustling with activity, occasionally casting curious glances their way, but it was a mere fleeting look before they went on with their business.

The atmosphere was distinctly different from the leisurely pace of the school, heavily laced with the air of work.

Subsequently, everyone's steps involuntarily quickened.

"Over here are standalone cubicle-style studios, which are quite suitable for small companies with fewer than ten people," Qin Hong said, pointing to a row of container-sized houses on both sides of the road.

Mostly made of composite material and glass, these studio-type office spaces were minimally decorated but still appeared rather refined.

Through the glass windows, one could see many young people, similar in age to them, busy at work.

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A small space has its benefits; everyone works together, and any matter can be communicated promptly.

But clearly, this wasn't Gu Yu's goal; Ideal Paradise was not a mere workshop, and it was due for expansion soon.

These studio-type office spaces could generally accommodate about ten people working at the same time.

And the future Ideal Paradise was likely to see personnel in the hundreds, if not thousands.

If one was to select an office space, then considerations for future expansion were a must.

Moving again later would be too much trouble, wouldn't it?

"What do you all think?" Gu Yu sought the opinions of the others.

Everyone, including Kang Jia, shook their heads.

"Haha, I knew you guys wouldn't want to settle for such a small space. Let's go! I'll take you to see the office building," Qin Hong said, not surprised by their reaction.

Any company with a bit of ambition typically wouldn't settle for such cramped office spaces.

Generally, only those temporary workspaces or studios really short on funding would rent such office locations.

Of course, there was another possibility.

Shell companies.

Qin Hong led them down another path towards a seven or eight-story office building.

"Is this the way to Building B2? If I'm not mistaken, the second and third floors of B2 are fully furnished workspaces, very suitable for long-term leasing," Kang Jia, who had been following silently, suddenly inquired.

Qin Hong looked back at Kang Jia with surprise, "Oh? You're quite familiar with the incubator?"

Adjusting his laptop bag, Kang Jia smiled awkwardly, "Sword Barrier Network is in Building B2, I used to work there."

As the B2 building drew nearer, Kang Jia's heart grew increasingly uneasy.

He would soon reunite with former colleagues and classmates who were still at Sword Barrier Network.

When he left Sword Barrier, he had only informed another manager, Hu Shuo, not alerting anyone else, and he had even left without taking his salary for the month.

Now that they had to meet again, he truly didn't know what to say.

"Sword Barrier Network...? Sigh, you must be one of those students that Bi Jian, that bastard, exploited, right? Why didn't any of you report such matters to the university?"

"If anyone had reported to me, Bi Jian wouldn't have been so blatant."

Qin Hong sighed, never quite understanding why these students were willing to be bullied by Bi Jian and why none of them reported it to the university.

Could it be a lack of trust in the university?

"Mrs. Qin, it's really complicated, we're all just trying to get by."

Kang Jia showed an awkward smile on his face, not going into the details.

Most students at Sword Barrier Network came from impoverished backgrounds, joining Sword Barrier Network in their sophomore year, hoping to earn some living expenses under Bi Jian's tutelage.

Even though their tuition was supported by national scholarships, their families couldn't afford much for their living expenses.

Some could earn an extra four or five hundred a month for living costs, while others might rely entirely on part-time work to make ends meet.

And second-year students generally couldn't find any stable work outside of school; jobs like waiting tables didn't provide any personal skill improvement.

So they were roped into Sword Barrier Network by Bi Jian, recruited for less than half, sometimes significantly less, the average salary in the internet industry.

A monthly base salary of two thousand, and during project periods, they could make three or four thousand a month.

For these students living in poverty, it was like manna in thirst or a large pancake in hunger.

Plus, Bi Jian would use empty promises and manipulative tactics to psychologically wear them down, and most would silently accept the reality of being exploited.

As for reporting to the university,

Children who have lived in poverty all their lives, their inherent sense of inferiority makes them choose to silently endure when facing any problem.

They have a stronger psychological resilience but are also less aware of how to protect their own rights.

"Hmm, as long as you are students at Haidong University, you can report any problem to the university, and we will surely find a way to help you resolve them."

Seeing the flicker of timidity in Kang Jia's gaze, Qin Hong's heart became clear as a mirror.

Working in the university administration for so many years, she had seen countless students, and Kang Jia belonged to the kind that had been too self-reliant.

Wanting to endure everything on their own, to solve problems by themselves, often not knowing how to seek help from the outside.

The influence of one's original family on these children is indeed profound.

Not being able to say "no" is also a character flaw.

"Hmm." Kang Jia nodded silently.

In his heart, he was well aware that there was something wrong with his character, but it was hard to change.

"Sword Barrier Network is going to move out in a few days. Once the university learned about your situation, we immediately ordered the termination of the rental contract between the incubator and Sword Barrier Network."

"The university will not allow the oppression of students to occur right under its nose."

Qin Hong walked up to the entrance of the office building, where the electronic sensor doors opened automatically.

Ever since Gu Yu had reported the issue to her, she had personally visited the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Park to understand the situation.

The university established an investigation group that very day, and the president, Xue Zhong, also issued arrangements to terminate the long-standing cooperation agreement with Sword Barrier Network.

"Ah? That fast?"

Kang Jia's expression showed surprise; he hadn't expected the university to act so swiftly.

But he began to feel anxious.

Now that Bi Jian had been arrested, Sword Barrier Network was already on its last legs, barely maintained by its two shareholders.

Once Sword Barrier Network lost its office space, wouldn't it go bankrupt on the spot?

What about his classmates and friends?

Carrying a sense of urgency yet feeling helpless, Kang Jia walked into the office building with the others.