Chapter 12 [Cognitive Awakening]

"I told you, they couldn't possibly be boyfriend and girlfriend, or on a date," Zhao Yue covered her mouth and chuckled, "that guy in the administrative jacket is way more outstanding than Tang Song."

Wang Yubo nodded in agreement, sighing, "He looks like a high-status social elite. He's quite something, and it's pretty impressive that Tang Song knows them."

Zhao Yue's eyes wandered as she took a closer look at Tang Song.

He had lost some weight compared to before, looked more spirited, started paying attention to his outfit and hairstyle, and had such connections.

More importantly, Jinxiu Commerce was about to complete financing and transform online.

As the tech whiz of the department and the real developer of the SCM system, Tang Song would definitely be President Chen's leading force in the future.

Not to mention more, a future mid-level management position was hopeful, and his salary would definitely surpass ten thousand.

Thinking this way, it seemed Brother Song wasn't as bad as she had thought.

If he could lose a bit more weight, he would also qualify as a very suitable match.

Then she looked at Wang Yubo in front of her.

Though tall and lean, with decent taste in clothes, his looks were just average.

And he was in sales, which meant his income was unstable. After the company adjusts its business, it's hard to say how his performance would be affected.

After much thought, Zhao Yue sent another message to Tang Song, "Just discovered a new strength of Brother Song! He can chat and laugh freely with successful people older than himself, amazing! Learning from Brother Song!"

...

"Song! Song! Are you okay?" Xie Shuyu looked at the somewhat distraught Tang Song and gently tapped the table.

Wang Yunping shook his head and laughed, "Mr. Tang, you seem so excited, don't tell me you have shares or options at your company?"

Tang Song pursed his lips, unable to hold back, he spoke, "Manager Wang, do you know Jin Meixiao?"

Wang Yunping seemed to have heard something hilarious and smirked, "Mr. Tang, do you really need to joke with me like this?"

Xie Shuyu frowned, "Manager Wang, Tang Song is a typical tech nerd, don't overthink it."

"Um..." Tang Song also realized that his excitement had led him to ask a rather stupid question.

Wang Yunping looked at his watch, stood up and said, "President Xie, I have an appointment with another client this afternoon, we should talk separately another day. I have lots to discuss with you about the future of the coffee industry."

Having achieved his goal for the day, and the process having gone smoothly, Wang Yunping had no intention of overstaying his welcome.

Pursuing a woman like Xie Shuyu required moderation, a gradual approach, and a display of charm; excessive disturbance would only provoke her dislike.

Xie Shuyu stood up, politely saying, "Goodbye."

"Goodbye!" Wang Yunping picked up his handbag, glanced over Tang Song, seeing his face flushed with excitement, and said politely, "Mr. Tang, excellent technical staff also need excellent communication skills. You should meet more people outside and read more when you can."

Watching the other party leave, Xie Shuyu explained to Tang Song, "Wang Yunping is a senior manager at Cloud Mirror Consulting, mainly in charge of the investment sector. People in this field couldn't possibly be unaware of the executive director of Smile Holding."

Seemingly reflective, she spoke softly, "I suppose even ordinary people have heard that name, at least to some extent."

Founder of Smile Holding, 2018 Entrepreneur of the Year, Fortune 40 Under 40, Time 2022's 100 Most Influential People, Forbes cover person...

Her halo was so bright that it was daunting for everyone to look directly.

As someone extremely ambitious and workaholic, Jin Meixiao was also her direction and goal.

...

Exiting the Banquet Building's main door.

Watched as Xie Shuyu drove her BMW away around the corner.

Tang Song lowered his head, murmuring, "Smile Holding, Jin Meixiao, Secretary Jin."

These terms, normally seen only in games, had actually appeared in the real world.

He opened the system interface to check the main storyline description.

[Note 1: Perhaps your achievements in the game are not entirely illusionary. Continuing to complete system tasks and improve yourself will reward you with the success you've dreamt of.]

So that was it.

Stock market, futures, entrepreneurship, investment...

His struggles within the game were not intangible; everything had traces to follow, everything was solid and firm.

As long as he truly continued to grow and unlock rewards, he could turn everything in the game into reality.

It was not just assets, but also the characters he had cultivated by hand.

In the plot of the game, from 2016 to 2023, seven years elapsed.

In his eyes, characters like Secretary Jin had long transcended mere data and encapsulated emotions, past experiences, and histories.

For a moment, Tang Song felt a flood of mixed emotions.

Scenes from the game kept flashing in his mind.

There was boundless enthusiasm for the future and a sense of melancholy at the moment.

...

He returned to Fresh Home.

Tang Song's restless heart couldn't calm down.

He simply changed into sportswear and started to jog along the road outside the complex, walking when he became too tired to run.

When he was too tired to walk, he finally returned to his rented apartment.

He crashed into bed and fell into a deep sleep.

After waking up, he sat in a daze for a while, and his mindset gradually stabilized.

Now, in essence, he was still the ordinary employee, Tang Song.

An unremarkable appearance, a mediocre core.

Wang Yunping might have been a bit arrogant, but he was right.

He should interact more with people, read more books, and broaden his horizons and knowledge.

Only by truly growing, getting closer to the character "Attractive Man Tang Song" in the game, would he possibly meet Secretary Jin and take over his vast assets.

Having realized all this, Tang Song felt much lighter, and his goals for the future became clearer.

Just then, the crisp system notification sound rang out again.

"Ding! You have triggered the branch task 'Cognitive Awakening'. Please go to the Task Center to check it."

Check the task information.

[Task content: Within a person's cognition reside the books he's read and the paths he's walked. Please select 10 classic works that are beneficial to your growth and read them effectively.]

[Task reward: Comprehension +1; Ginkgo Bookmark*1]

[Task Progress: 0%]

Check item details.

[Ginkgo Bookmark]: Crafted with care from ginkgo leaves fallen in autumn, place it between the pages of any book or document you are reading, and it will enhance your memory by 30% during reading.

[Note: Like the leaves of autumn, though immersed in the weathering of years, you show no trace of decline with your love for reading]

After reading the task introduction and rewards, Tang Song's eyes lit up with excitement.

No wonder it was a side task; the rewards were genuinely generous.

As one of the four main attributes, comprehension is also the most important one.

Constitution, agility, and endurance can be acquired through effort, but comprehension is very hard to improve.

It primarily refers to the ability to understand and analyze things, and its upper limit depends on your talent.

Even in "Attractive Man Growth Plan", tasks that increase comprehension are rare.

And the Ginkgo Bookmark, needless to say, an item that can enhance memory.

With it, future study sessions could be significantly more efficient and time-saving.