Chapter 545: A few chance encounters

Thursday, October 19, 2023. Cloudy turning sunny, 8~21°C.

Each autumn rain brings a chill.

By mid-October, the temperature in Yancheng continued to drop.

Shengyuan Jiajing Residential Complex, townhouses.

"Boom—"

In the strength training area, the sound of dumbbells colliding echoed through the bright, spacious room, rhythmic and powerful.

Tang Song wore 【Outfit - Infinite Vitality】, his firm arm muscles appearing exceptionally fluid under the lights. Fine beads of sweat seeped from his temples, and his chest rose and fell slightly with his breathing.

Finishing a set of high-intensity bench presses, he placed the barbell steadily back onto the rack.

He wiped the sweat from his face and grabbed his water bottle, taking a deep gulp of ice water.

The cooling sensation instantly dispelled some of his fatigue.

After showering and changing into clean, comfortable solid-colored casual wear, he took the elevator straight to the multi-functional studio on the third floor.

He sat down behind the adjustable standing desk.

He took out his phone and opened the Xiaohongshu app.

The first thing that caught his eye was a batch of unread messages.

The latest post: 【HEYISTUDIO Visual Identity System revealed, shareholders welcome to provide feedback!】

It had become a hit content piece once again, sparking heated discussions among netizens.

If the first two posts—"Announcing Brand Operations" and "Chinese Name Call for Entries"—were still questioned by some as fabricated stories or scripted operations,

then the appearance of this complete, professional, and highly aesthetic visual identity system basically dispelled those doubts.

The comment section was almost entirely positive, with many industry insiders even leaving comments saying: "This VI system could completely serve as an industry template, and it's extremely inspired."

Tang Song smiled as he browsed the comments for a while, nodded in satisfaction, and then clicked on the previous post.

After all, it was a contest with prizes.

As of now, the number of likes had reached 8,000+, and comments had surpassed 4,800+.

The names with the most likes were basically two.

【He Yi】 and 【He Yi】.

These two names each had their own characteristics; the former was gentle and peaceful, implying fusion and inclusivity, while the latter had more modernity and style,

full of design sense and tension.

He planned to organize a vote at an internal meeting after the call for entries ended to finalize the brand name.

Immediately after, he noticed the ID 【Su Yu's April】.

Previously, he didn't think it was particularly strange.

In fact, among his followers, IDs like 【Yan Province Su Yu】, 【Su Yu's Girlfriend】, and 【Su Yu's Husband】 were everywhere.

The name "Su Yu" had long since become an adjective for beauty and temperament.

However, after recovering his memories of 2017-2018 in Modu, he sensed something unusual.

He and Su Yu had first met in April, which led to the story that followed.

Seeing this ID again now, he couldn't help but let his imagination run wild.

Is it possible that behind this account is the female celebrity herself?

He couldn't help but click on the homepage to take a look, only to find that apart from this ID, there was nothing special. No verification information, and no content posted.

Sighing, Tang Song casually liked it and replied to a few of the popular comments one by one.

After doing all this,

the sky outside the window was already glowing, the distant sky gradually turning from black to gray, revealing the dawn.

Tang Song leaned back in his chair and opened the system interface.

He entered the warehouse.

His focus landed on an item shimmering with silver light.

【Tang Song's Draft Paper】: Exquisite draft paper used by player "Tang Song." Write down the projects, individuals, or enterprises you want to research to obtain relatively accurate deductive information. Durability (3/3).

【Note 1: The riverbed of knowledge accumulation, the hidden corner of thought.】

【Note 2: When durability reaches zero, throw it accurately into the trash can; perhaps there will be unexpected gains.】

He had obtained this item a long time ago.

Now that Rongliu Investment was stable and the task 【3. Capital Hunter】 was beginning to advance, it was time to put it to use to speed up progress.

And his first target was "Zhilian Future."

Last night, Wen Ruan returned from the Imperial Capital and officially took over some of the core businesses of the Nebula International Group.

Tang Song chatted with the big sister until the early hours, engaging in extremely in-depth communication.

He selected 【Tang Song's Draft Paper】 and used it immediately.

Immediately after, an illusory piece of paper appeared in his vision.

He used his mind to write "Zhilian Future" and the information he knew onto it.

In an instant, the paper surface seemed to be activated, with lines of flowing text emerging, like some mysterious code constantly reorganizing and parsing.

After a moment,

a complete report appeared in his mind, clear in every detail.

From company overview and team status to main business and technical advantages, market potential assessment, and investment return estimation, it could be said to be extremely detailed.

It was much clearer than the research done by the professional team he had entrusted to Rongliu Capital.

AI+E-commerce was the key trend for the next five years, especially with strong demand in content generation, recommendation algorithms, and user behavior prediction.

The market scale of this niche track would exceed 100 billion USD in the future, and there was currently no absolute leader or unicorn.

Zhilian Future currently had no absolute leader and possessed the potential to become a unicorn.

After carefully reading the analysis report, Tang Song felt refreshed instantly, wishing he could hug the big sister and reward her heavily.

Most high-quality projects had long been locked in by big manufacturers or top capital, and financing was always done quietly.

Even with Rongliu Capital, Tang Song was qualified to participate in some of these projects, but he had to wait for the other party to seek financing.

He didn't have that much time to wait.

And Tang Song's Draft Paper only had three uses in total, each one precious.

It was not an easy task to screen out enterprises with true unicorn potential from it.

Even for Yimai Technology, he wasn't sure if it could eventually count as a project that met the requirements.

Now, Wen Ruan's recommendation directly helped him solve one-third of it, and it was still a startup enterprise.

It seemed Yangcheng was a must-visit!

Tang Song stood up and stretched, checking the time; it was already 7:30, and the sky was completely bright.

He walked downstairs.

Pushing open the door to the master bedroom, he saw the big sister squatting by the bed.

She was teasing Little Xiao Xueqiu.

She must have just woken up; her hair was a bit messy, and she was casually wearing a long-sleeved base layer that contained her heavy, round E-cup breasts.

Due to the squatting posture, her peach-shaped buttocks were stretched into a full curve by her gray pajama pants.

The morning light spilled into the room through the curtains, the soft light falling on her, reflecting the luster of her skin and the fullness of her figure.

She lowered her eyes, a faint smile on the corners of her lips, seemingly completely immersed in the interaction with Little Xiao Xueqiu, unaware that someone had entered.

Tang Song leaned against the wall, watching her quietly, a smile on his lips.

After a moment,

Wen Ruan suddenly laughed with a "pfft," looked up at him, and asked, "Have you seen enough?"

Her voice still carried the slight hoarseness of just waking up, a seductive mature woman's tone.

"No." Tang Song smiled, walked into the room, and squatted down beside her.

Wen Ruan's fingertips teased Little Xiao Xueqiu, her eyes sweeping over him craftily. "Since you're here, do you want to play with me for a while?"

"Play what?" Tang Song's eyes lit up, his hand sliding along her waistline to the edge of her pajama pants, his fingertips drawing circles on the waistband: "Is Teacher Wen Ruan going to correct my fitness posture again?"

"Of course, it's playing with the kitty." Wen Ruan's body trembled, she picked up the ragdoll cat, and said in a magnetic mature woman's voice: "Little Xiao Xueqiu, there's a big bad wolf plotting against Mommy, bite him!"

The neckline of her base layer slipped with the movement, revealing half of her fragrant shoulder.

Tang Song couldn't help but reach out, gently rubbing the ragdoll cat's little head, his fingertips weaving through its soft fur. "Little Xiao Xueqiu, your mommy is lying to you again."

In the quiet bedroom, the sound of "meow meow" echoed, as if responding, or perhaps acting spoiled.

The air was filled with a rich, fragrant scent.

"Ding-a-ling—" The phone rang suddenly.

Tang Song glanced at the caller information.

It was his middle school classmate, Zhang Lei.

Raising an eyebrow, Tang Song answered the phone while petting the cat. "Hey, Zhang Lei."

A familiar and slightly hoarse voice came through the receiver: "Tang Song, you're not busy right now, are you?"

Tang Song looked down at the big sister humming in his arms, the corners of his lips lifting slightly: "Not busy, what's up?"

"Sigh, I've been saying I wanted to find you for a drink, but I've been in Yancheng for over half a month and haven't fulfilled it. I just finished dealing with a client with my boss, and I can finally catch my breath. Are you free tonight? Let's meet up!"

Tang Song thought for a moment and said: "I'm free."

"Great, I'm staying in the company dormitory. There's a barbecue place nearby that's really authentic. How about we eat barbecue?"

"No problem, I have no objections."

"OK, I'll send you the location, see you tonight!"

Hanging up the phone, Tang Song winked at the big sister and continued petting the cat.

Huashang Apparel, 3rd Floor, R&D Design Center.

An independent office area with partitions.

Footsteps approached from afar, and the assistant designer walked in, her tone carrying an irrepressible admiration:

"Lingling, your sample garment is finished."

She couldn't hide the excitement on her face: "The actual product is really beautiful. If this set of clothes is officially launched, it will definitely become a hit."

Hearing this, Yao Lingling stood up abruptly from her workstation, her eyes sparkling: "I'm going to take a look!"

After saying that, she almost ran into the sample area.

Sunlight spilled in through the glass windows, illuminating a bright and tidy sample room.

Near the east side, a caramel-brown turtleneck sweater paired with dark gray slightly wide-leg suit pants hung quietly on a mannequin, and there were two identical sets next to it.

Yao Lingling walked closer to look, reaching out to gently touch the high-end wool blend fabric; the texture was warm and delicate, the lines fluid and natural.

The cuffs and neckline were treated with three-dimensional tailoring, crisp and stylish; the metal fasteners at the waist were custom-made, revealing exquisite detail in their subtlety, truly the finishing touch.

Senior's design is truly amazing!

Although she had seen the sketches long ago and had drawn the pattern sheets herself, the finished product still exceeded her expectations—not only did it perfectly restore Tang Song's sketch, but it was even optimized in the details.

Huashang Apparel was a big manufacturer after all, possessing a perfect production line and experienced masters.

From the time she submitted the design draft to the completion of the sample, it was only two or three days, the efficiency was extremely high, and the workmanship was impeccable.

She was already looking forward to seeing Tang Song wearing the clothes.

She checked the time.

Looking at the time on her phone, she aimed the lens at the mannequin, chose the angle, took a few photos seriously, and then opened WeChat to send them to Tang Song.

She left a message: "Senior, the clothes are done. The actual product is really great, you should come and take a look! By the way,

when can you come to Huashang? I've already coordinated the production line, we can arrange the shoot anytime!"

Yesterday, Tang Song told her at the company that he was coming here today to shoot a video.

On one hand, it was to enhance brand authenticity and trust, and on the other hand, it was to create a "cultivation-style" atmosphere and strengthen user participation.

Regarding Tang Song updating Xiaohongshu, she was naturally very happy.

As Senior's cyber girlfriend, she was invincible in the comment section of "April."

Thinking of this, Yao Lingling chuckled.

She opened the Xiaohongshu app and flipped to Tang Song's latest post.

Scrolling down.

Her ID appeared right at the top.

【Yaoyao Ling】: "Thanks everyone for supporting my cyber boyfriend. Are there any sisters who want to participate in the co-creation of brand clothing? We can form a 'Cyber Shareholder Group.' We can discuss the colors, patterns, and design details of the clothes later~. Sisters who want to join the group can private message me, waiting for you to flirt! Secretly saying, I can directly convey everyone's suggestions to April (#wink)."

What made Yao Lingling overjoyed was that this comment was manually pinned by Tang Song.

In other words, she had received official certification.

The only designated "Cyber Girlfriend"!

Hmph, with this title, those other fanatical fans would all have to bow down to her!

In fact, ever since Tang Song's counterattack transformation into a handsome male god, quite a few "face-value dogs" had been popping up in his Xiaohongshu comment section.

These people interacted daily, frantically trying to establish their presence, and some even specifically built groups, pulling people together to "raise April,"

delusional about snatching the throne of "Number One Fan."

Among them, the one she was most familiar with was the girl with the ID 【Su Yu's April】.

However, as the most important early participant, the cyber girlfriend with the most interactions, and the little junior sister who knew him best,

how could her status be shaken by the other party?

She opened the message interface, which already had a pile of private chats.

As a core designer for Songmei Apparel, Yao Lingling's promise was indeed serious, and she really wanted to listen to these people's opinions and incidentally help Senior solidify his fan base.

Immediately, Yao Lingling began sending out QQ group numbers one by one.

Among them, one replied particularly quickly; almost as soon as the message was sent, the other party replied.

【Pika QQ: "Thanks, I've already applied, hope to be approved soon."】

Yao Lingling was just about to reply to her.

Footsteps suddenly came from behind, approaching from afar,

and immediately after, that familiar voice that made her heart beat faster: "Lingling."

She turned around subconsciously, her gaze landing on the person, her lips instantly lifting, her eyes shining: "President Tang, you're here!"

Tang Song nodded slightly and said a few words to the several Huashang Apparel executives beside him.

The few nodded and left, and the sample area gradually became quiet.

Tang Song came to the mannequin, his gaze lingering on Yao Lingling for a moment, or more accurately, on her buttocks.

With targeted fitness, this little junior sister's talent was gradually appearing.

The full buttocks brought by her standard pear-shaped figure were still very eye-catching even when hidden under loose suit pants.

Overall, it looked even larger than the big sister's peach-shaped buttocks, possessing extreme visual impact.

Sensing Tang Song's gaze, Yao Lingling's face turned slightly red, and she pretended to be bold and patted him. "That's not polite!"

Her palm touched his arm, the clear, firm muscles making her feel itchy inside.

Tang Song chuckled, "What's wrong, my cyber girlfriend? Can't even look?"

Yao Lingling let out a low cry, her heart thumping. "Fine, considering you're my cyber boyfriend and boss, I'll reluctantly not hold it against you."

The two teased each other, the tone relaxed but carrying a hint of ambiguity.

Tang Song took a set of 【Autumn Encounter】 and walked into the changing room.

After a while, he walked out slowly.

Yao Lingling was standing to the side, and the moment her gaze met him subconsciously, she felt as if she had been frozen in place.

A layer of mist suddenly rose in her eyes, her teeth gently biting her lower lip.

Tang Song stood there quietly, as if he were the male lead walking out of some literary film.

The caramel-brown turtleneck sweater was gentle and high-end, the slightly loose H-cut, shoulder lines naturally drooping, cuffs slightly gathered, lazy yet not losing style; the black suit pants were slim and neat, paired with a pair of brown leather shoes, perfectly outlining his slender figure.

His skin tone appeared healthy and transparent under the contrast of colors, his collarbone lines faintly visible, his neck wrapped just right by the high collar, possessing both warmth and an intellectual temperament that couldn't be hidden.

A standard urban literary male god.

"How is it?" Tang Song tilted his head slightly, asking her with a smile.

Yao Lingling said with a blushing face: "Very handsome."

"You did a great job too, the size is very suitable, it's very comfortable to wear." Tang Song stepped forward, unable to resist gently patting the little junior sister's big butt. "Let's go, Lingling, accompany me to shoot the video."

Yao Lingling's body trembled violently, her cheeks instantly burning red, and she nodded stutteringly, "Oh, oh, okay."

She followed quickly behind Tang Song, her mind running wild.

Subsequently, accompanied by the production manager, the two walked into the "brand-new intelligent workshop" that had already been put into use.

The lighting was soft and uniform, adopting a shadowless LED industrial lighting system, creating a quiet space full of technological sense.

The 0.1mm precision automatic cutting bed, laser cutting machine, intelligent hanging system, and Swiss Saurer embroidery machine—the scene possessed extreme modern industrial beauty.

Tang Song picked up the sports camera and began to record.

6:30 PM.

The sky had completely darkened, and the city's neon lights flickered in the night.

The black Rolls-Royce stopped outside a pedestrian street, attracting the gazes of passersby.

Tang Song got off the car and walked slowly along the street.

After walking two or three hundred meters, he stopped, looked up slightly, his gaze a bit dazed.

【Tian's Barbecue Restaurant】

He felt it looked familiar when he saw the location information Zhang Lei sent earlier.

So it was here.

When he worked at Jinxiu Trading before, the last team-building event was here.

It was also on that night that the game became reality, and dreams shone into reality.

This was a mid-to-high-end barbecue restaurant, occupying the third floor of a street-front shop.

The decoration was exquisite, there were many private rooms, and the environment was comfortable.

Pushing open the door, he walked into the restaurant.

The aroma of roasted meat drifted in the air, mixed with a faint scent of alcohol.

Tang Song walked forward a few steps and soon saw his old classmate Zhang Lei sitting by the window.

The other party was looking down at the menu, his expression focused.

Different from his appearance in Quancheng before, he was wearing a crisp suit, his hairstyle was also neat and tidy, and his whole person revealed a bit of maturity and capability.

"Zhang Lei!" Tang Song greeted with a smile and walked up quickly.

"Tang Song, long time no see."

Zhang Lei stood up immediately and gave him a warm hug.

"Not bad, dressed very stylishly."

Zhang Lei smiled embarrassedly, "Sigh, working in sales, especially now that I'm dealing with big clients, I have to look the part. Look at you, getting more and more handsome, worthy of being in the clothing business, today's outfit is very literary."

He keenly noticed that with Tang Song's arrival, many young women in the shop were stealing glances this way.

After the two sat down, they chatted while ordering food, the atmosphere relaxed and pleasant.

Zhang Lei specifically ordered more food and added in a low voice: "There's actually a reason for choosing this place. Our company signed a cooperation agreement with them. As a salesperson, I have a monthly consumption quota. I'm treating today, anyway, I don't have to spend my own money."

"Hehe, okay, taking advantage of you, your company's benefits are quite good."

"Yeah!" Zhang Lei opened a bottle of Laoshan beer and helped fill both their glasses. "Come, let's have one first."

"Cheers."

Because it was a workday, there weren't many guests in the shop, and the barbecue they ordered was served quickly.

The cold liquor slid down his throat, mixed with the fragrant and spicy meat skewers, and the atmosphere between the two gradually became lively.

From the chat, Tang Song also learned about Zhang Lei's current situation.

After entering the Zhongcheng Group, he was still a channel specialist in the food and beverage sector, responsible for connecting with big clients like chain supermarkets, convenience stores, and catering enterprises.

Compared to his previous job, the pressure was much lighter, but the benefits had significantly improved.

He was very satisfied with his current situation.

He counted on his fingers to settle accounts with Tang Song: if he was lucky, he could pay off his family's debts next year, and after that, he could consider saving money to buy a house and truly settle down in Yancheng.

He also had his eye on a female colleague at the company and was pondering how to pursue her.

Amidst the clinking of glasses, Tang Song saw a long-lost light in his eyes—it was hope for the future, and also satisfaction with his current life.

Tang Song was sincerely happy for this old classmate.

In his mind, he couldn't help but think of another middle school classmate, Zhang Yan.

Just at this moment.

Zhang Lei opposite suddenly sat up straight, put down his wine glass, his expression becoming a bit nervous.

"What's wrong?" Sensing his abnormality, Tang Song asked casually.

Zhang Lei pursed his lips and lowered his voice: "I saw our company leaders walking towards us, I have to go say hello."

Tang Song turned around, looked in the direction of his gaze, and sure enough, saw three figures walking into the restaurant entrance.

A young man in his mid-twenties walked in front, followed by two older middle-aged men.

Tang Song's gaze landed on the young man, his eyebrows lifting slightly.

Fair skin, handsome features, a fresh and clean temperament, very much like a flower boy in a Korean drama.

Gao Junfeng?

This name instantly surfaced in Tang Song's mind.

The reason he had a deeper impression of him was also because of Qiuqiu.

Soon he remembered again that Gao Junfeng had attended the bank's private event as Su Ping's assistant.

And Su Ping was the Vice President of the Zhongcheng Group.

Under their gaze, the three walked in.

Zhang Lei hurriedly stood up and greeted them with a smile, "Assistant Gao, President Wang, Brother Liu, good evening."

"Oh? Zhang Lei." Department Manager Liu Huiyang nodded with a smile and introduced casually: "This is our new colleague, Zhang Lei."

The other two just gave a light "hmm" and didn't pay much attention to this small employee.

Immediately after, Gao Junfeng's gaze suddenly landed behind Zhang Lei, his eyes moving slightly. "Tang Song?"

Tang Song held his wine glass and nodded calmly at him.

Several people cast surprised gazes.

Zhang Lei asked in surprise: "Assistant Gao, you know Tang Song?"

Having joined for over half a month, he had basically figured out the main leaders in the company.

The sector Vice President Su Ping was responsible for was the "Food and Beverage" business, and her assistant Gao Junfeng's actual status naturally far exceeded his rank. Especially in the personnel and resource allocation of the food and beverage sector, he possessed a certain influence.

Even their department manager, Liu Huiyang, gave Gao Junfeng three points of respect.

This point could be seen from the standing positions of the three at this moment.

If he could establish a connection with Gao Junfeng, it would undoubtedly be of great benefit to his career development in the Zhongcheng Group.

Gao Junfeng smiled faintly, "Indeed I know him, we've had a few chance encounters."

After saying this, he looked deeply at Tang Song, didn't stop, and continued walking upstairs. ===== CHAPTER 546 =====