Chapter 3: Rising Fame, A New Chapter Unfolds

After this triumph, Zhou Dan’s reputation soared within the company. His colleagues looked at him with a mix of awe and envy, no longer daring to underestimate the prowess of this so-called "college diploma pinnacle." Walking through the office corridors, people frequently approached him with flattering smiles, eager to learn his rendering techniques. Zhou Dan patiently answered each inquiry, his heart swelling with pride.

Even the formidable Mushroom Boss softened his usual stern demeanor, summoning Zhou Dan to his office and, for once, smiling warmly. “Zhou Dan, you’ve done the company a great service this time. Not only did the client place additional orders on the spot, but they also recommended us to several industry peers. We’re flooded with follow-up work. I’ve decided to promote you to lead the rendering team, focusing on conquering these critical projects. Keep up the great work!”

Zhou Dan inwardly rejoiced but maintained a composed front as he replied, “Thank you for your trust. I will not let you down.” Once outside the office, he nearly leapt with joy. This career path post-rebirth felt like he had been given a cheat code.

With the fresh position came new challenges. No sooner had Zhou Dan taken charge of the rendering team than they faced their first major obstacle. The company had secured a massive 3D animation rendering project with an impossibly tight deadline. The task was to create an unprecedented fantasy world, infused with the hottest current trend—the “Metaverse.” The visuals had to be incredibly dazzling yet flawlessly smooth, without the slightest lag.

During the team meeting, the members stared gloomily at the project requirements. “How is this even possible? So much complexity in such a short time, and with so many effects to handle. We simply don’t have enough people,” one complained.

Zhou Dan remained calm. Tapping lightly on the table, he said, “Don’t panic. If I agreed to take this on, it’s because I have a way. We’ll use the ‘Distributed Rendering Collaboration Technique’ I developed earlier—breaking the task into countless small pieces and distributing them across each of our computers. We’ll also leverage cloud computing power for continuous rendering day and night. As for the Metaverse concept, I’ve prepared a complete set of creative plans from scene construction to character design that will definitely satisfy the client.”

Hope sparked in the team’s eyes. They rolled up their sleeves, ready to dive in. Zhou Dan moved swiftly among the workstations, optimizing computer performance with his “bug assistants” while guiding his teammates through fine adjustments.

Amid the project’s intense progress, the company was suddenly visited by a few uninvited guests—corporate spies sent by a rival firm, intent on stealing the project’s creative secrets. Their leader brazenly posed as a client and swaggered into the design department, eyes darting around, deliberately striking up conversations to extract information.

Zhou Dan immediately saw through their ruse. Without a word, he gave a subtle signal to Bao Bi, who immediately stepped forward, weaving grandiose tales about some minor past projects to divert the spies’ attention. Meanwhile, Zhou Dan instructed the team to hide critical files and alter the project’s code paths. He also deployed several “confusion bugs” that fed the spies false data.

When the spies left empty-handed, the team breathed a collective sigh of relief, awestruck by Zhou Dan’s cleverness. “Leader, if it weren’t for you, all our hard work would have been for nothing. How did you get so sharp? Amazing!” one team member exclaimed.

Zhou Dan laughed heartily. “We’re all in the same boat. As long as we work together, what is there to fear? Let’s get back to work and aim to finish early—catch those competitors off guard.”

Under Zhou Dan’s leadership, the rendering team worked tirelessly, finally completing the project a day before the deadline. When the breathtaking 3D animation played before the client, everyone was captivated by the exquisite imagery, dazzling effects, and the unique Metaverse style. The client was so moved that they immediately signed a hefty check and promised to entrust all future rendering work to the company.

Once again, Zhou Dan became the company’s hero. Standing in the center of the office, watching his jubilant colleagues, his heart brimmed with pride and ambition. Though the journey had its twists and turns, armed with the advantage of his rebirth and his own efforts, he was steadily ascending to the pinnacle of “Rendering Godhood.” And ahead lay even greater challenges and opportunities waiting to be seized...