Chapter 154 - 154 146 The Imminent Crossing of Our Paths

Chapter 154: Chapter 146: The Imminent Crossing of Our Paths Chapter 154: Chapter 146: The Imminent Crossing of Our Paths In the evening, Tang Song had a long dream. In the dream, he became a young man who loved sketching and drawing. At first, the lines were stiff and lifeless, and the images lacked layers and depth. By reading art books and observing the works of masters, learning how they captured light and shadow, how they portrayed texture, and how they represented form, his skills improved bit by bit. Starting with basic geometric shapes, he gradually transitioned to complex still lifes, human figures, and even dynamic scenes. His fingers developed calluses, and his desk was piled high with dense stacks of drawing paper. The lines from his pencil became smoother, the shading and handling of light and dark more delicate, and the compositions more harmonious. Light and shadow danced on his paper, capturing the subtle changes in the characters’ expressions. ... May 15, 2023, Monday, sunny, 21~34°C. 6 o’clock in the morning. Tang Song sat up in bed and rubbed his somewhat sore forehead. He closed his eyes, and his mind was filled with memories of sketching. Although it wasn’t as immersive as a dream copy, he naturally accepted this skill. At this moment, he was a sketching expert who had practiced hard for years, with a mastery of various techniques like a natural talent. He walked eagerly into the study. He opened the system interface, entered the Dressing Center, and opened one of the outfits. The dazzling AR scenario was recreated. Tang Song pulled out a pencil and began to sketch rapidly on the A4 paper against the clothes. His posture was upright, his movements relaxed and free. Soon, a lifelike sketch appeared on the blank sheet of paper. Nice! The clothes he had bought before were okay in color and material, but there would always be subtle differences in the cut, like the seam lines and button placements, which accounted for the 90% similarity. Now, as long as Yao Lingling could help him get the pattern making done, he would be able to produce clothes with a 100% effect. Work out, have breakfast, wash up, skincare, do hair. In the early summer morning, the temperature gradually rose, and the fragrance of plants bloomed in the air. Tang Song rolled down the car window to feel the season up close. As he approached the Cloud Stream Building, a tall and sexy figure flashed by. A shirt, black stockings, pencil skirt, and the high-heeled Xue were walking towards the company along the sidewalk. He slowed down the car, and through the rearview mirror, he could see her swaying figure. From YJHT here, it’s about 1.5 kilometers, which isn’t too bad to walk. He shook his head with a smile, and the silver Mercedes-Benz slowly entered the underground garage. Lin Muxue shifted her gaze from the luxury car that passed by, her eyes full of worries. She had been in a very bad mood for the past few days. Last night, her high school classmate Chen Siyue contacted her, expressing her desire to interview her. She made a tempting proposition, to create a joint video, constructing a huge topic through the contrast of her before and after her transformation, aiming for a win-win situation. Lin Muxue in high school, despite her beauty, was inconspicuous among her classmates due to her poor family background, lack of fashion sense, and average grades. If she could really produce a good video, the chances of success were indeed high. Unfortunately, she didn’t have the resources, and she was going to have to move out of her current house by the end of the month. Although she had managed to put off the offer for now by claiming she was too busy with work and business trips, she felt that Chen Siyue would not give up on such a good opportunity, and might show up in Yan City at any time. “Muxue, good morning!” “Good morning, Xue, you’re so disciplined, walking to work again; no wonder you’re in such good shape.” As she entered the main entrance of the building, a few acquaintances from her company came forward to greet her. This was just about the time Rongxin Venture Capital’s employees started their day. An enthusiastic male colleague helped her swipe through the access control, and Lin Muxue stepped inside, smiling and saying thank you. The male colleague immediately became animated and started discussing recent work with her. “This Thursday, the investment conference hosted by our company is starting, you’re going too, right?” Lin Muxue nodded. She would not miss such a high-profile event; she always attended if she could. She would be at the venue as a receptionist, and at the same time, she could take some photos and record a short video as if she were a participating guest. “Ding—” The elevator stopped steadily on the 19th floor. Lin Muxue walked through the company doors, clocked in, smiled and waved to her colleagues, then sat down at the reception desk. As a well-known venture capital firm, the company had high standards for its reception and administrative staff. Although Lin Muxue only held an associate’s degree, her image and temperament were so exceptional that she managed to get the job after overcoming numerous obstacles. Her monthly salary was 5k yuan, with benefits including five social insurances and one housing fund, paid annual leave, and weekends off. Most importantly, with the status of a Rongxin Venture Capital employee, she could produce more upscale videos. Her main income came from brand collaborations on Little Red Book and TikTok. This was the foundation for her dignified life. Of course, in the eyes of her colleagues, she was a rich girl who didn’t lack money, and she was working there just for the experience of life. There was no choice; due to her strong vanity, she had to cover up one lie with more lies. “Ding-dong—” In the work group chat. [Administrative Supervisor – Guo Wenlei: “This is the schedule and guest list for the conference. Take a good look so there won’t be any mistakes. On Thursday, come to the company first to meet up, wear black formal attire, and don’t wear any accessories.”] After responding with “received” in the group, Lin Muxue was about to get up to fetch water. A magnetic male voice sounded: “Muxue, good morning.” “Good morning, Brother Gu.” Lin Muxue greeted Gu Cheng with a smile. “Brought you a Glimmer Americano, be careful—it’s hot.” Gu Cheng placed the coffee at her station, his index finger gently touching his gold-wire glasses as he smiled, “There’s a new bistro next door; want to join me and check it out for lunch?” Lin Muxue took the coffee, shaking her head in regret, “It’s going to be 34 degrees at noon today; I’m afraid of getting tanned if I go out.” “Right, then I’ll order takeout for us. I’ll send you the menu items later.” “Thank you, Brother Gu. Next time, it’s on me,” she said. “It’s not a lot of money, no need to be formal like that.” Gu Cheng nodded at her, hand in pocket, and sauntered off. Lin Muxue picked up her phone and began to document her day at the financial company, starting with the fragrant Glimmer Americano. ... Songmei Clothing, General Manager’s office. Tang Song was looking at the operational cost report sent by the accountant Sun Youguang. The monthly baseline labor cost totaled 118,910 yuan, which included basic salaries and benefits. The rental costs, with no charges for rent and property management fees, were just an estimated 1,000 yuan for utilities. The administrative and daily operational costs were 5,500 yuan. Due to the immaturity of the company’s business, items like marketing promotion and transportation logistics could not yet be estimated. According to this report, the fixed expenses per month were 125,000 yuan. Based on their livestream sales, making the company profitable didn’t seem difficult. For example, with a monthly GMV of 1 million yuan, calculating a 30% return rate would net 700,000 yuan. In the early phase to build up the brand, the gross profit margin was calculated at 35%, yielding a monthly profit of 245,000 yuan. Subtracting employee commissions, logistics, and promotion costs, they should roughly be able to achieve profitability. With some luck, the first phase’s plan could be completed this month. As he was contemplating, the phone on the desk suddenly rang. It was Xie Shuyu. Answering the call, Tang Song’s voice was clear and bright, “Hello, Suyu.” Soon, the intelligent voice of the Mature Lady came through, “Good morning, Song. Is it convenient to talk now?” “Sure, go ahead.” “The mini-program has been tested by my team over the weekend, and there are no issues at all. The interface and functionality are perfect, a really good job!” Tang Song laughed lightly, “Thanks for the compliment.” “The new baked goods have already started to hit the shelves. Later, I’ll have one of my staff add you on WeChat so you can guide her on how to add and update products in the backend. She’s a very smart college student, part-time but impressively capable. Just give her a brief rundown, thanks for your help.” “Sure, no problem. I’m in the habit of writing documentation; I’ll send it to her shortly.” “That’s wonderful! Also, the Rongxin Investment meeting kicks off this Thursday. I’ll send you the electronic invite later. The investment firms present are highly interested in tech and internet projects, and our mini-program is a nice hook. I’ve had someone draft a PPT for you; you’ll need to do a brief presentation, but don’t worry, it’s brief.” “Understood,” he replied. “Alright then, I won’t keep you from your work. Bye,” she said. It wasn’t long after hanging up the phone. His WeChat buzzed with a friend request notification: “Hello Brother Song, this is Qian Lele. President Xie asked me to add you on WeChat. Thank you for your assistance.” Qian Lele. Tang Song raised his eyebrows, instantly recalling the figure of the college girl he had met once at the Glimmer Coffee headquarters. After approving the request, Tang Song sent the backend system link and documentation. He messaged, “Hello Lele, this is the user guide I wrote. Just follow the instructions inside, and later I’ll set up your account and permissions.” [Qian Lele: “Thank you, Brother Song. I’ll take a careful look and will bother you only if I have questions. Thanks again.”] Using his admin account, Tang Song logged into the backend. After some operations, he messaged, “Done! Your username (Qian Lele), default password is your full name in pinyin. Upon logging in, you will be prompted to change to a complex password.” [Qian Lele: “Got it! You’ve been very helpful.”] He casually sent back an emoji and was just about to exit the chat. His phone vibrated again. [Xu Qing: Clothing Purchase Contract Template.doc] [Xu Qing: “President Tang, I’ve drafted it according to your requirements. Please check and see if there are any issues. I’m here if you need me.”] Tang Song glanced at her seductive cosplay photo and replied with a smile, “Old classmate, you’ve been working hard lately. When are you free this week? I’ll treat you to a feast, you pick the place.” ... Kecheng Law. Reading the message Tang Song had sent, Xu Qing’s dark, luminous eyes blinked. Licking her lips, she replied, “Really, any place I choose?” [Tang Song: “Of course!”] Xu Qing’s face lit up instantly. She typed back swiftly, “What if I want to go to Lanfeng International’s Chinese restaurant?” Lanfeng International was one of Yan City’s top five-star hotels, renowned for its Chinese restaurant. She had only ever tagged along with Shen Yuyan for a few meals there, but she couldn’t forget about the food. [Tang Song: “When? I’ll make a reservation.”] “Yay!” Xu Qing spun excitedly in her office chair and replied, “How about Thursday evening?” Yanyan was going to the investment meeting on Thursday, so she’d be on her own that night—perfect for indulging in the hotel’s luxuries. Considering this feast, I’ll forgive your impertinence from yesterday! I’ll cut you some slack in my novel. No more kneeling on durian for you, switch to kneeling on a keyboard instead. After waiting a while. [Tang Song: “It’s unfortunate, but I’m tied up with something on Thursday. Let’s pick another time.”] Xu Qing sighed in disappointment and replied, “Then how about Wednesday night?” After sending the message, Xu Qing, eyes gleaming with anticipation, opened a review website and started carefully selecting the dishes that awaited her royal visit.