At the fiercely competitive LD Technologies, only employees ranked S-level and above were privy to the specifics of how dream broadcasting worked. Shawn was merely a C-level employee, and with his capabilities, climbing to S-level would take six or seven years.
He couldn't wait that long.
But there had to be a way to get close to LD's "classified facility." Even if he couldn't become an S-level employee himself, getting near one might not be so difficult.
Ever since overhearing the word "classified facility," Shawn had been waiting for the day he could befriend an S-level employee. They rarely interacted with anyone more than two levels below them.
But fate always provides a turning point.
Shawn rented an apartment near the company. There were several well-reviewed restaurants downstairs, and many LD employees ate there after work. Shawn was naturally among them.
One evening, stepping out of the restaurant after dinner, Shawn found that a torrential downpour had materialized out of nowhere.
He patted his bag and realized he hadn't brought an umbrella, so he stood under the restaurant's awning, waiting for the rain to stop.
Bored, he watched the rain-soaked city through the curtain of water, and suddenly noticed a man at the intersection holding an umbrella, head down and absorbed in his phone, about to cross the street.
A Mazda was barreling toward him, apparently not noticing him at all.
"Watch out!" Shawn darted into the rain and grabbed the phone-gazing man, pulling him down as the car whizzed past them.
They tumbled onto the wet road, rain slapping their faces.
Shawn steadied himself, wiped the rain from his eyes, and saw the man standing unsteadily a short distance away.
"What the hell, can't they watch where they're driving in this weather!" Shawn grumbled as he got to his feet, only to see the man approaching, asking with concern, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, but what about you—" Shawn noticed the torn fabric on the man's arm, skin scraped and starting to bleed.
"My place is right nearby. I've got a first-aid kit. Want to come up and get patched up?" Shawn pointed at the apartment complex next door.
"Oh, um... that would be great." The man hesitated a moment before agreeing.
And that was how Shawn met Victor Chen.
After treating Victor's wounds, they sat together and had a drink.
The man's business card sat on the coffee table. Beneath his name, his title indicated he was an S-level employee at LD Technologies.
"We're at the same company!" Shawn exclaimed as he accepted the card.
"What a coincidence," Victor replied with a polite smile.
"Guess I'll be counting on you then." Shawn raised his glass.
After sending Victor off, Shawn pulled out his phone and opened a payment app.
Across the city, the driver of the Mazda received payment for the night's work.
5
Shawn didn't have many friends, and Victor was used to being alone.
Shawn was passionate about painting and art, and Victor happened to have an eye for it as well. Shawn loved red wine, and while Victor couldn't hold his liquor, he knew a thing or two about appreciation.
The two had become friends by accident, but gradually discovered they had so much in common.
None of this had been engineered by Shawn through research.
Had he not been approaching Victor with an ulterior motive, Shawn felt they could have been genuinely good friends.
Victor was sincere, kind, and honest to a fault.
But perhaps because he was so honest and straightforward, Shawn wasn't sure how to break through.
Victor told him company policy prohibited sharing work details with employees more than two levels below.
So their meetups were limited to discussing art. Shawn naturally enjoyed these conversations, though his interest in art now took a back seat to his obsession with uncovering LD's secrets.