Setting the Scene
Yang Ruoqian leaned back slightly and created some distance between himself and Chang Zhiqing. He pointed to a nearby couch, saying, "Aren't you tired of standing? Sit down to listen."
Chang Zhiqing took a graceful step back and seated herself elegantly on the sofa, crossing her long legs and playfully asking, "Are you concerned about me, Mr. Yang?"
Yang Ruoqian chuckled and replied, "Reading random online novels during work hours will result in a deduction from your salary." He was accustomed to Chang Zhiqing's cheerful and playful nature.
Chang Zhiqing conceded, "Alright, alright. Tell me what you're thinking."
Yang Ruoqian teased, "Help me prepare some equipment and gear. You'll find out tomorrow."
Dancing on the streets as a male streamer at night might sound full of pitfalls. It was acceptable to keep it from the naive Gao Naiyun and Huang Rushi, but Chang Zhiqing was a much harder sell.
So he chose not to disclose the details at all.
"Streaming equipment?" Chang Zhiqing rolled her eyes. "You still have a lot of the previous batch of equipment. High-quality cameras and gear are more than sufficient."
Yang Ruoqian grinned mischievously. "No, I don't want high-end equipment. I need equipment that blurs the image just enough."
He needed the viewers to question whether this streamer had just time-traveled from another era.
Chang Zhiqing frowned slightly, "That's a strange request... I'll keep an eye out for it. When do you need it?"
Deliberately delaying the time would violate the system's rules, which would deprive him of rewards. Yang Ruoqian regretted this but had no choice, so he replied, "It's best if it arrives by tomorrow."
Chang Zhiqing exclaimed, "Why didn't you tell me earlier?" and rushed out of the office. "It's almost after office time! I need to place an order for you!"
Yang Ruoqian shook his head, smiled, and opened a map on his computer, searching for suitable locations for the live broadcast in the entire city of Jinhai.
The process was quite complex. Yang Ruoqian had to find a quiet street that wouldn't disrupt the dance performance. He also had to periodically use panoramic functions to assess the specific environment. This required continuous repetition to compare and find the most suitable streaming location.
An hour passed quickly, and it was time to go home.
Chang Zhiqing pushed open the door to the chairman's office again and shouted, "It's time to go, ready to leave together?"
Yang Ruoqian raised his head and, after seeing Chang Zhiqing leaning against the door and her colleague, Gao Naiyun, glancing into the office, he hesitated for a moment before declining, "You two go ahead. I have some overtime work."
Overtime...
Chang Zhiqing didn't doubt this statement since Yang Ruoqian had frequently worked late into the night during the most challenging period of the previous company.
"Shall I stay and help you?" Chang Zhiqing offered.
"No need. It's just a small matter, and I'll finish it quickly."
In his second life, he wouldn't let Chang Zhiqing work overtime again.
Chang Zhiqing shrugged her shoulders, placed her keys on the doorknob, and cheerfully said to Gao Naiyun, "Let's go."
"See you tomorrow, boss!" Gao Naiyun whispered and added with a grin.
Then she gently closed the door and followed Chang Zhiqing out of the office.
Gao Naiyun arrived at the elevator, lowered her head slightly, and gazed at the long legs in front of her. She spoke softly, "Ms Chang."
"What is it?" Chang Zhiqing fiddled with her nails, smiling.
Chang Zhiqing was protective and caring toward her naïve roommate.
Gao Naiyun clasped her hands together and whispered, "Ms Chang, um, …What's the relationship between you and the boss?"
"Click." The sound of Chang Zhiqing breaking her nail in half filled the room and landed on the floor.
A few seconds passed, Chang Zhiqing picked up the broken nail from the floor, threw it in the trash can under the elevator button, and nonchalantly replied, "Nothing really. Why do you ask?"
"Hmm, well, can you tell me what the boss likes, Ms Chang?"
"Sure, I'll tell you when we get back."
...
Beep, beep, beep...
The sound of a parked Wulin Hongguang turning off came from the parking lot. Huang Rushi opened the old car's door and clutched the labour contract he had just received, treating it like a precious treasure.
As he made his way back to the dormitory, Huang Rushi felt like he was in a dream.
He was hired?
Would he be receiving an 8000 salary each and every month?
Even the weather seemed to reflect his jubilant mood, as the normally scorching summer day suddenly brought a refreshing breeze. Even the rough and unpleasant sounds from her dormitory roommates sounded endearing.
"Look at you, Rushi; you've found the secret to online popularity."
"But even if this success could be replicated, it's not something us regular guys can pull off."
"To be honest, I'm a bit jealous... Why did you have to get into this line when you could've done something else?"
Huang Rushi had heard all sorts of complaints all the time.
To most people, the entertainment industry meant either handsome and beautiful stars, extravagant lifestyles, or various scandals and gossip. Regardless, they all had one common label: glamorous and radiant.
It was either about glamour or glitter.
The stars blinded everyone, hiding the industry's darker side. Many people didn't see the real picture. In fact, "poverty" and "hardship" were more accurate descriptions for most people working in this field.
Artists couldn't even afford a decent meal, which was the norm in the entertainment industry.
Thankfully, he had managed to escape the hardships!
Huang Rushi pushed open the dormitory door and, as he crossed the cluttered room filled with basins, clothes, and tissues, he took a seat on his bed.
Seeing his return, his roommates set aside their phones and casually asked, "Back already? Another interview today? How did it go?"
In reality, this was more of a formality, as they knew that someone with Huang Rushi's qualifications would hardly find opportunities, whether they followed the traditional path or considered becoming a streamer.
Day after day, leaving early in the morning and coming back late at night, his hard work over several months had only led to evaluations such as "Make sure to seize the opportunity when you join the company." Huang Rushi was determined like a mule.
Huang Rushi, with his lucrative contract in hand, replied with pride, "It went well. There's been some progress."
His roommates scoffed, "Sent more applications, right? But what? You made progress?"
"Yes," Huang Rushi replied. With a touch of satisfaction in his voice, he picked up the contract, waved it a couple of times toward his roommates, and said, "I've already signed the contract. I'm officially starting tomorrow."
"Wow?! Which company has gone blind to hire you? Even you got in?" One of his roommates, intrigued, jumped down from the top bunk, grabbed the contract from him, and examined it closely. "Post-tax 8000 yuan with a guaranteed basic income, and only a 10% cut?"
Was this some sort of charity? Were they in the business of helping the underprivileged?
"Are they a legit company? Did you check them on Business registry?" his roommate inquired, still sceptical.
Huang Rushi took back the contract and carefully folded it. He said confidently, "It's Xplendi Entertainment. I know it's unheard of, but they're located in Shengjing Haoyuan, the same place where you saw Girl Butcher's stream. How could they be a scam? There is no need to check."
"Nai yun works for them? Well, then, they must be reliable," his roommate said, feeling more reassured, but still a bit doubtful. "But what exactly did they see in you to offer this?"
"They're great at managing talents. Wasn't Nai yun completely unknown one day and then suddenly famous the next? Maybe they spotted a unique 'sudden fame' quality in me."
His roommate couldn't help but snicker. "What unique quality do you have..."
Huang Rushi was about to retort, but his phone suddenly pinged with a notification. He had only set his boss as a 'special contact' among all his contacts.
Was there something his boss wanted to discuss?