Chapter 448: [Dream Flower Seed]

The sky gradually fell silent, and the city lights lit up one after another.

Neon lights, street lamps, and decorative lights on the outer walls of high-rise buildings intertwined, reflecting colorful halos on the body of the Rolls-Royce.

The tires rubbed against the ground, making a slight rustling sound, and the car stopped slowly in the drop-off area.

The doorman wearing a uniform stepped forward quickly, opening the car door respectfully.

Tang Song stood up slowly and walked toward the hotel.

His leather shoes made a crisp echo on the marble floor.

"Chairman Tang!" "Chairman Tang!"...

The hotel staff held their breath, watching his figure disappear into the elevator hall, a feeling of awe flooding their hearts.

Passing through the magnificent hotel lobby, he took the elevator directly to the 5th floor.

The door with a metallic luster opened slowly, Tang Song tidied his cuffs slightly and walked out, his movements clean, elegant, and casual.

Not long after, led by the waiter, Tang Song stood before a carved wooden door.

"Chairman Tang, Mr. Zheng is already waiting for you inside."

Tang Song nodded lightly.

Keeping silent, under the blessing of 【Outfit - Success and Fame】, he naturally exuded an aura that made people feel awe.

But at this very moment, his heart was not calm.

The game was brought into reality; after meeting Mo Xiang Wan, Su Yu, and Luo Bin, he was finally going to meet the fourth character.

Growth 90, SSR character, 40-year-old Zheng Qiudong.

Pushing open the door to the private room.

A faint scent of cigars and the mellow aroma of whiskey rushed toward him.

The wooden decorations and warm yellow lights complemented each other, creating an atmosphere that was both warm and solemn.

Tang Song swept a glance over the room, his gaze quickly locking onto the figure sitting on the leather sofa.

He was holding a glass of whiskey in his hand, his expression calm, his face handsome, and the dark clothing on his body set off his mature and steady temperament even more, while also faintly revealing an edge that was ready to go.

Noticing the movement at the door, Zheng Qiudong put down the whiskey and turned to look this way.

Gazes met.

His figure gradually overlapped with the standing illustration in the game.

Virtual and reality intersected, light and shadow were confused, and a name naturally surfaced in Tang Song's mind.

Zheng Qiudong!

Fragments of game plots related to him flashed through his mind, making Tang Song's gaze appear briefly dazed.

This headhunter who had an excellent relationship with the player "Tang Song" in the game had a strong desire for success and professional pursuit, was full of ambition, and was a leader with strong personal charm.

With the help of the player "Tang Song," Zheng Qiudong and his Deju Renhe achieved unprecedented success.

He himself, by virtue of his unique personal charm, became a business IP with a "counter-attacker" image, and his personal biography "Hunting Ground Without Boundaries" was a bestseller at home and abroad.

"Chairman Tang, long time no see." Zheng Qiudong stood up, his tone carrying a hint of emotion and respect.

Although there were some changes in appearance, from the other party's body, Zheng Qiudong could still clearly see the figure of the cold, rational, and unfathomable "Chairman Tang" from before.

"Long time no see, Old Zheng." Tang Song revealed a big smile on his face, opening his arms.

Zheng Qiudong was stunned for a moment, then laughed "haha" twice, and walked forward with big strides, hugging Tang Song heavily.

Casually handing his suit jacket to the waiter standing by, the two sat opposite each other on the sofa.

On the table in front of them were several exquisite delicacies.

Looking at Tang Song opposite him, whose aura had become gentle and restrained, Zheng Qiudong's expression also relaxed.

His fingers tapped the deep red wine bottle, revealing a smile with great infectious power. "Single malt, Macallan 25-year sherry oak cask, your favorite. Haven't seen each other for nearly a year, must accompany me to drink more today."

As he spoke, Zheng Qiudong raised the high-footed glass that was shining with brilliant light, shaking it toward him.

"No problem." Tang Song turned up the corners of his mouth, picked up the wine glass, and clinked it with him.

Although Tang Song didn't know when he started liking this kind of wine, facing this good friend in the game, he still consciously maintained calmness.

The cool wine liquid slid into his mouth, full and rich, the sweetness of dried fruits blooming instantly in his mouth, making people feel happy.

It was indeed delicious.

The two chatted and laughed casually, beginning to eat and talk.

Haven't seen each other for half a year, Zheng Qiudong's emotions were a bit excited.

Chatting with Tang Song about everything under the sun.

"Ding ding ding~" The sound of wine glasses clinking didn't stop.

Zheng Qiudong's eloquence and emotional intelligence were excellent, and he was knowledgeable and experienced.

Speaking was like pearls falling on a jade plate, and the atmosphere was very pleasant.

Because the system stipulated that he couldn't make moves that "affected the charm rating," once Zheng Qiudong talked about other characters or related enterprise changes, Tang Song would consciously keep silent or change the subject.

Zheng Qiudong also seemed to be used to Tang Song's "cold and calm," following Tang Song's wishes without a trace, just chatting about topics like Huashang Apparel, policies and regulations, and industrial innovation.

However, in this process, he also truly felt what Mo Xiang Wan meant by "Chairman Tang has changed."

Human touch, for someone as sensitive as him, was felt especially deeply.

It also made him more confident in his next lobbying.

The night grew deeper.

Listening to Zheng Qiudong's conversation, observing his behavior and expression, Tang Song felt deeply emotional in his heart.

Worthy of being a game character who reached full growth under the system's cultivation, his comprehensive quality was impeccable.

Whether it was the logical rigor in his conversation or the calm confidence in his every move, it made people feel a kind of invisible pressure.

If it weren't for the profound influence the past "Tang Song" had on him, causing Zheng Qiudong to still maintain awe and compliance toward him in his subconscious, Tang Song really wouldn't necessarily be able to keep up with the other party's words.

Instead, it was Zheng Qiudong who could always accurately understand his meaning and echo it, and his words were witty and full of true knowledge, every sentence appearing to be done with ease.

In other words, Zheng Qiudong was "downwardly compatible" with him unconsciously.

This was the first time Tang Song had truly come into deep contact with an 【SSR-level】 character.

The last exchange with Su Yu was just a fleeting glance, a short intimacy, failing to truly appreciate her full picture.

It could be expected that Su Yu's comprehensive quality would never be inferior to Zheng Qiudong's.

Others, including Annie, Ouyang, Wu Kezhi, etc., none were simple characters.

The current him still had some gap from their level, which was also the place where he needed to work hard.

When talking about the topic of "domestic and foreign unicorn enterprises," Zheng Qiudong keenly sensed Tang Song's interest.

He leaned forward slightly, saying with a focused expression: "From the industry trend, the next few years will usher in a concentrated explosion period of a new generation of artificial intelligence technology (such as multi-modal models) and the smart hardware field (such as AR/VR, wearable devices, etc.).

According to our team's research and prediction, future unicorn enterprises will mainly be born among these innovative enterprises that deeply cultivate vertical fields."

"Hmm." Tang Song nodded lightly. "You're right, the leaders of these subdivided tracks will become the core force pushing the transformation of the entire industry."

Zheng Qiudong smiled, adding at the right time: "Of course, this development direction and potential must have already been in Chairman Tang's layout. Qingning Technology and Tang Yi Precision, whether in software ecology or hardware R&D, have gathered the world's top technical talents and scientific and technological innovation resources.

These two major platforms not only laid a solid competitive advantage but also provided immeasurable strategic support for our country's industrial upgrading and digital economy transformation."

Hearing Old Zheng's subtle flattery, Tang Song's face felt a bit hot, but he still maintained his persona, silently accepting his praise.

Seeing Tang Song was in a good mood.

Zheng Qiudong opened his mouth at the right time: "Chairman Tang, I'm looking for you this time, actually there is a plan I want to discuss with you."

"Oh?" Tang Song raised his eyebrows, signaling him to continue.

"With the explosion of the domestic technology industry, a large number of companies will rush out of China and toward the world in the future, and there will be a large number of cross-border mergers and acquisitions and compliance consulting." Zheng Qiudong's gaze was bright and sharp, flashing with surging ambition, looking straight into Tang Song's eyes. "Deju Renhe is only one critical leap away now, I want to acquire London's SCG (Stone Bridge Consulting), rush out of Asia-Pacific, and formally enter the European and American markets."

Then, Zheng Qiudong explained the situation of SCG to Tang Song.

His tone was firm and confident, as if everything was under control.

He had never been someone who stopped moving forward, especially watching the high-speed development of other related enterprises, he couldn't wait any longer.

For this moment, he had waited for a long time.

His goal was to make De Ren a top-tier consulting company of the same level as McKinsey and Bain, making the so-called "Big Four Consulting" become the Big Five.

Tang Song was silent for a while, praising: "Old Zheng, you are still so daring to think and act, this is indeed a very good opportunity."

The scene in front of him made him think of many game plots he had almost forgotten.

In those fragments, Zheng Qiudong was in this posture, expounding his philosophy and ideas.

A look of surprise appeared on Zheng Qiudong's face: "So, Chairman Tang supports me in doing this?"

"Of course!" Tang Song raised his wine glass and clinked it with Zheng Qiudong.

Zheng Qiudong looked up and drank the whiskey in his glass in one gulp, high-spirited: "Thank you, Chairman Tang, last time I submitted this intention to Director Jin, but was rejected. Now with your recognition, I believe this matter will proceed smoothly." Hearing his words, the expression on Tang Song's face paused, realizing that he had unintentionally intervened in a major event.

However, the system didn't give a "violation" reminder.

That is to say, this wouldn't affect the "charm rating."

Thinking of this, Tang Song nodded, encouraging: "Come on, Old Zheng!"

This could also be treated as an experiment to see if he would get any feedback from his move this time.

He was still thinking about 【Secretary Jin's Dream】 until now; the private meeting in the dream last time was still vivid in his mind.

Every time he thought of having such a nearly perfect woman waiting for him, he was full of motivation.

"By the way." Zheng Qiudong smiled slightly, his tone relaxed but carrying a hint of solemnity. "There is one more thing, Miss Kate will return from the United States this month. If possible, I hope that when Chairman Tang meets Miss Kate, you can bring this matter up; with her help, the speed of the merger will be greatly improved."

Tang Song raised his eyebrows and nodded lightly. "Good, no problem."

Charm 70 unlocked two SSR characters, now 【Headhunter - Zheng Qiudong】 had met, and the remaining 【Consultant - Annie Kate】 naturally couldn't be let go.

In his memory, the complete process of how to recruit 【Annie Kate】 was already clearly visible.

!

Regarding this "foreign mare" with a prominent background and extraordinary temperament, he was actually very curious in his heart and wanted to see her in reality.

However, because she lived abroad for a long time, he had never found a suitable opportunity to meet.

The difficulty was solved, Zheng Qiudong's mood was suddenly enlightened, his conversation became more and more calm, and his every move revealed a kind of confidence and detachment.

Amidst the clinking of cups, the atmosphere was gradually pushed to a climax.

Tang Song, while savoring the fragrance of fine wine, felt the unique "friendship from the game."

After 9:00 PM.

The Rolls-Royce drove out of the Lanfeng International Hotel.

Tang Song leaned on the rear seat, his gaze looking at the city neon lights flickering outside the window.

After a moment, he took out his phone from his pocket and looked at the unread messages.

Besides the work and daily chats of several wings, there was also one from his junior high classmate Zhang Lei.

【Zhang Lei: "Tang Song, after the Mid-Autumn Festival, I will officially be transferred to the Yancheng headquarters. When the time comes, I must find you to drink a few big wines!"】

Tang Song crossed his legs and replied with a smile: "Alright, when you come, I'll take you to enjoy the red lights and green wine of Yancheng."

"Buzz, buzz, buzz—"

【Zhang Lei: "Then I'll wait! Actually, I could have been transferred over last week, but the Zhongyun Dairy under our group exploded, the whole company is a mess, and all administrative business in the food and beverage sector has been shelved."】

Tang Song raised his eyebrows, instantly understanding in his heart.

More than a month ago when he returned to his hometown, Zhang Lei said that because he performed well and had some connections, he would be transferred over soon, but it had been delayed for so long.

Chatting with Zhang Lei for a few sentences.

Tang Song's heart moved, suddenly thinking of Zhang Yan, who was also a junior high classmate.

Because the work group of Songmei Apparel was on QQ, he logged into the big account daily.

He hadn't logged into the small account for a week.

Opening QQ, he successfully switched to the "April" small account, and an unread message popped up.

It was received last night.

【Zhang Yan: "That... I'm bothering you again, I hope you don't find me annoying.

Today is the 12th, originally it should have been payday, but HR suddenly notified that because of the bank system problem, the salary would be delayed for a while before it could be paid.

Lulu secretly told me that maybe the company had a problem, I don't know if it's true, but my heart is a bit panicked.

Originally we agreed to eat Xiabu Xiabu after work, but it didn't happen in the end.

My luck seems to be always very bad, the companies I have worked for will encounter operational problems for various reasons.

But this time it's okay, I saved some money.

Also, I've been considering whether to try for the civil service exam recently.

But my brain is not very good, and I don't dare to resign to study full-time, and I don't know if I can successfully land on the shore... In short, I hope everything can slowly get better."】

After reading this message, Tang Song leaned on the back of the chair and let out a long breath.

He suddenly thought of the dream where he peeked at the future, in the year he was 30, he received a call from his mother saying she wanted to introduce him to a partner.

That girl was Zhang Yan, who had just passed the career establishment exam in Yancheng, and her job was stable.

Complex emotions surged in his heart.

Recalling the scenes of the past.

Tang Song only felt like a dream, gradually even having some drunkenness.

All the things of yesterday have become the self of today; all the things of today will become the new self.

His life had changed because of a dream and a game.

And Zhang Yan seemed to be moving forward very hard along the life that belonged to her.

Tang Song's gaze seemed to penetrate layers of darkness, seeing that shy, introverted desk mate who didn't dare to speak loudly and was always quietly lowering her head to do homework.

"No matter what the future holds, I hope you will get better and better and get the happiness that belongs to you."

"Swish!" The system light screen unfolded before his eyes.

【September 12, 2023, after a pleasant chat with his close friend Zheng Qiudong, and hearing about the recent situation of his junior high desk mate Zhang Yan, friendship, blessings, memories... your heart is filled with emotion, releasing intense kindness and warmth.】

【Your state of mind has undergone important growth, you have completed the hidden task】

【You have obtained the special prop "Dream Flower Seed"】

Tang Song was stunned, actually completing a hidden task again by accident.

Taking a deep breath, he checked the details of the prop.

【Dream Flower Seed】: When the player encounters a suitable scene and object, the prop will be triggered automatically, locking the object as a "cultivator," and the "flower seed" will fall into the "cultivator's" dream, taking root and sprouting, absorbing the darkness and negative energy in the "cultivator's" heart, and releasing kindness and warmth through the dream.

【Note 1: After the seed sprouts, the player and the "cultivator" will form a wonderful connection】

【Note 2: After the seed blooms, the "cultivator" will feed back to the player. For every flower consumed, the player will increase 1 point of comprehension】

【Note 3: The growth speed and number of flowers of the seed depend on the energy provided by the "cultivator" and the desire to feed back to you】

【Note 4: After the cultivation ends, the player will permanently increase 1 point of charm rating】

After reading the introduction, Tang Song's gaze flashed with thoughtful light.

This prop was quite similar to 【Whispers of Human Nature】, also triggered passively, and would produce a wonderful connection.

As for the efficacy, it was also very simple, probably just a "psychiatrist."

The rewards were very generous and heart-moving.

Every flower could increase one point of comprehension, and after the cultivation ended, he could also get the reward of 【Charm +1】.

However, the problem was that it was not easy to encounter a suitable scene and object.

After all, the "cultivator" who could trigger the prop not only needed to have a heart full of negative energy but also needed to have enough trust and dependence on the player.

Tang Song thought about it seriously and found that there didn't seem to be a suitable candidate around him.

Even the fake socialite from before was actually quite positive in essence.

Under his guidance, she studied hard step by step, and now she had become a standard high-knowledge financial woman, speaking fluent English.

Of course, at the same time, she was also a water-spraying girl.

Shen Yu Yan, who was similar to her, had a lot of little thoughts, but she probably couldn't be counted as "dark" and "negative."

Thinking of Shen Yu Yan, Tang Song couldn't help but smile and shake his head.

This big school beauty was swaying back and forth, hesitating because she was too smart and thought too much.

Sometimes, she would take the initiative to send him photos and say some ambiguous words, as if testing something;

Sometimes, she would be silent for a period of time, turning to chat with him about investment, AI, and other topics, appearing rational and restrained.

Tang Song could understand her contradiction.

After all, he was already with Xu Qing now, and Shen Yu Yan and Xu Qing's relationship was so close they wore the same pair of pants, closer than real sisters.

According to Xu Qing, Shen Yu Yan's grades in high school were very good, and she was originally material for 985 and 211.

However, she suddenly got sick before the college entrance exam, and her exam performance was abnormal.

Even so, her score was still more than ten points higher than the admission line of Yancheng University of Technology.

And the reason she chose this university was purely to be with Xu Qing.

From this point, one could see that the deep sisterhood between them was not fake at all.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 449 =====