Vacation

After that lengthy phone call, both Miaoyi and Qiuying decided against going out immediately. Instead, they opted to stay in the comfort of their hotel room and enjoy a movie together on the room television, seeking a relaxing and low-key evening.

Miaoyi was particularly intrigued by the film they watched, as it bore striking similarities to one she had seen back on Earth 1, albeit with a noticeable absence of "good" music. Nevertheless, she found herself engrossed in the storyline, appreciating the familiarity it evoked.

For dinner, they decided to order the most expensive items available with their room service and ate in their room. Soon after eating, they switched gears and fell asleep for the night.

- - - - - - - - - -

The night passed by quickly.

Surprisingly, Miaoyi woke up before Qiuying.

After struggling to open her eyes, the first thing Miaoyi did was call East Records. She had made a deal to produce a "Theme song" for a film -she still thought the idea sounded ridiculous- so she handed over the negotiations to them.

...

..

.

East almost yelled at her.

Immediately after the call, in typical Miaoyi fashion, she began gaming on her phone.

Typically, she was very skillful. Losses were a rarity to her, and she usually was the ace of any team she chanced apon. However, an important factor had changed.

It wasn't just the fact that she was on mobile right now, though, that contributed. She could still be considered skillful playing on the phone, though being on her laptop or a computer helped. No, this was a factor that was entirely out of her control, which only made her more frustrated.

Her ping was 200 milliseconds.

Now, to you plebs not integrated into the gaming world, such a figure might appear inconsequential or negligible. Some might think, "Hey, author, what does that mean," or "200 milliseconds? That's not even a second!" or even "My ping is 200!"

Heh...

Noobs.

A large number of Asian countries, though more specifically China and Korea, are known for gaming. Being the country with the largest population, China naturally had the largest population of gamers. Combined with the robust internet infrastructure, this has created a large gaming culture of hundreds of millions.

The average reaction time of a normal human is 350 milliseconds. For an average person, 200 milliseconds might be enough to play a game normally, and they might not even notice the difference.

But the average reaction time for pro gamers is 150-200 milliseconds.

Combined with the number of players in China, you need lightning-fast internet and a lightning-fast reaction time to be highly ranked in the gaming world.

And for most of her gaming career, Miaoyi had both.

But now, she was on mobile and using hotel internet.

And she had just lost her winning streak...

Her eyes glazed over. Her mind fused with the game itself while her fingers typed things that should not be repeated or said out loud at all.

She queued up for another game almost instantly. That was the first game she had lost in this life, and she didn't intend to lose another.

200 ping or not, she wouldn't lose again! She swore it!

...

..

.

She lost again...

It wasn't her fault this time, though. Qiuying had finally woken up and had distracted her by ordering food through room service.

Miaoyi, unfortunately, was forced to "pause" (lose) her game to eat.

After regaining her composure, Miaoyi shifted her focus to making plans for their exploration of Beijing. She attempted to calm her gaming-induced frustration and channel her energy into organizing an itinerary that would allow them to make the most of their time in the vibrant city.

- - - - - - - - - -

Qiuying paid little attention to the plans Miaoyi had made. While there was nothing inherently wrong with them, they were somewhat... unsociable.

Assuming the role of the responsible adult, Qiuying took it upon herself to take Miaoyi on an impromptu city tour, ensuring they visited all the notable landmarks and explored intriguing stores between destinations. Both of them had recently signed a record label contract, which meant they had some extra money to spare, excluding the expenses already covered by East Records.

Their impromptu tour came to a close at a quaint tea shop where they had initially planned to head back. As the conversation shifted to more casual topics, Miaoyi and Qiuying enjoyed their drinks, savouring the rich flavours that danced on their tongues. The atmosphere in the shop was comfortable and relaxed, providing the ideal setting for a thoughtful discussion.

However, Qiuying's attention was suddenly captured by a movie poster she spotted in her peripheral vision, compelling Miaoyi to follow along once again reluctantly.

Naturally, Miaoyi strongly objected. Activities like watching a movie at a theatre were far beyond her comfort zone.

The presence of couples in such establishments unnerved her, their frequent public displays of affection only intensifying her unease. Moreover, the prospect of being unable to use her phone as a seasoned internet addict seemed almost unimaginable.

Yet, Qiuying's enthusiasm was contagious, and Miaoyi couldn't find it in her heart to refuse.

And so, their first day transpired in this manner. In the meantime, East Records had contacted them once to provide an update on the contract's progress and negotiation status.

Another uneventful night passed.

The following day brought some excitement. Early in the morning, Miaoyi received a call from someone requesting a meeting to have a discussion.

Contrary to her initial expectations, the individual in question wasn't part of the "Counting the Seconds" crew but someone she had met before.

None other than Mr. Yun Jie from the Review Department of Light Cloud Music!

Miaoyi readily agreed to the meeting.

After all, among other reasons, there were specific matters for which she needed to express gratitude to Mr. Yun Jie.

Yun Jie had played a pivotal role in getting "Fox" approved, making it all the more meaningful to thank him in person.

The designated meeting place was a café near their hotel.

Upon Miaoyi and Qiuying's arrival, Yun Jie was already seated at the table, extending a warm greeting, "Over here, over here."

"Hello, Mr. Yun Jie. It's a pleasure to see you again," Miaoyi greeted him politely as she approached and took a seat.

"What can I get for you?" The waiter tactfully inquired.

"Two cappuccinos, please."

"Very well."

After placing their coffee order, Miaoyi turned to Yun Jie with curiosity and asked, "I'm wondering if there's something I can assist you with this time, Mr. Yun Jie? Or perhaps, is it related to Light Cloud?"

Yun Jie was associated with Light Cloud, so based on Miaoyi's assumptions, if he had sought her out, it likely pertained to Light Cloud or possibly the impending merger.

"Well... it's actually neither of those."

While Miaoyi felt at ease, Yun Jie seemed somewhat different. He appeared reserved, and his words sounded almost questioning as he said, "The matter I wish to discuss with you this time pertains to you personally."

"About me?" Miaoyi briefly furrowed her brow, momentarily perplexed. "Could you please clarify?" she asked, blinking her eyes.

"Well... I have a proposition. How about this? I become your manager, and I would require a monthly salary of 3,000. If that's not possible, 2,500 would suffice!"