Chapter 565: Dragon Ball

"Whoosh—"

The sound of the toilet flushing was exceptionally clear in the quiet restroom.

Liu Qingning walked out of the stall, stood before the sink, and turned on the faucet.

While washing her hands earnestly, she looked at her own face in the mirror, which was flushed with a rosy hue.

She lowered her head slightly, using her water-dampened fingertips to gently smooth her sideburns.

Her heartbeat finally began to slow down.

Immediately after, she couldn't help but lower her head to look at her chest.

It felt as if the warm sensation of Tang Song's fingers still lingered there.

Although it had been through her clothes, that indescribable tingling, itchy sensation was exceptionally clear and palpitating.

It was as if it had been imprinted directly onto her nerve endings, impossible to erase.

She was not like Tang Song, that scumbag who had other girlfriends in Yancheng taking turns keeping him company.

Far away in Shencheng, she and Tang Song had had very few opportunities to be in contact since they started dating.

Their relationship had just crossed from friendship into romance, feeling instead like a return to the green and fragile high school era.

They were currently in the most wonderful initial stage of a relationship.

Every intimate contact, interaction, probing, and tug-of-war would make her nerves tense and her heart race.

Even a simple holding of hands would make her blush.

If not for the intense stimulation from before, her relationship with him certainly wouldn't have developed this quickly.

She took a deep breath.

Liu Qingning raised her head, looking at herself in the mirror, and the image of Qin Yingxue, whom she had just encountered in the hallway, surfaced in her mind.

There were some things she had never told Tang Song, but she had been doing them herself all along.

That was to fill in the "blank space" between the two of them over these past few years.

She had reviewed a large amount of internal data from Qingning Technology and had also used various channels to look up the founding history of Tang Zong Entertainment.

She finally arrived at a clear and distinct thread of logic.

In the first half of 2017, Tang Zong Entertainment was officially registered and established; its first signed artist was the future superstar Su Yu.

It was also from that year on that Su Yu seemed to have had a "cheat mode" activated, releasing one highly popular hit song after another, quickly becoming a phenomenal existence in the entertainment industry.

And in the songwriting credits of many of those songs, one name appeared repeatedly: 【Song】.

Almost every song he created became a massive hit, and his style was varied—pop, folk, rock; he seemed capable of anything.

According to public speculation within the industry, this was likely a mysterious creative team within Tang Zong Entertainment; otherwise, it would be impossible to explain its astonishing productivity and stylistic versatility.

Of course, there were also some rumors insisting that 【Song】 was actually an independent top-tier musician, just one with a reclusive temperament who didn't wish to be in the public eye.

Liu Qingning had actually always loved music and could be considered half a fan of Su Yu; she was no stranger to these songs.

It was just that her past life had been filled with studies and entrepreneurship, and she had never truly traced the creator behind them.

Until now, when she personally connected all the data, a bold thought quietly emerged in her heart.

This mysterious Song was highly likely to be Tang Song.

Tang Zong Entertainment was founded by his own hands.

It was he who single-handedly propelled Su Yu to fame, completing the initial accumulation of entertainment capital.

In 2018, she began to officially throw herself into the artificial intelligence track; and almost at the same time, Qingning Technology also came into being.

Those few years after graduating from university, while she was competing in contests, doing scientific research, and starting a business—

Tang Song, however, had used another method, almost synchronously, and even more rapidly, to complete his initial life accumulation and career transformation.

Although she didn't know how her childhood sweetheart had suddenly become enlightened, transforming into a behind-the-scenes "Shaolin monk" who manipulated music and capital.

Furthermore, there was one more point that could be confirmed: Tang Song definitely knew Jin Meixiao.

Behind Qingning Technology existed the presence of Weixiao Holdings.

After graduating from university, the first company Tang Song entered was Meigou Technology; the chairman of Meigou at the time was none other than Jin Meixiao. But what made her most vigilant was Qin Yingxue's attitude.

This woman was no simple character.

She had once been Jin Meixiao's assistant and was now a director at Qingning Technology, yet she always intentionally or unintentionally tried to get closer to her, even seeming to guide her to recognize certain things.

Behind this, there must be a secret she had yet to know.

All the clues intertwined, outlining a more three-dimensional, more unfathomable Tang Song.

A "Tang Song" completely different from the one in her memory.

If not for the fact that she had personally been in contact with him so many times, feeling his real body temperature, heartbeat, and soul—

She would even have suspected that her "Tang Song" had been possessed by someone else.

Liu Qingning closed her eyes, then opened them again.

In the mirror, she was calmer and more determined.

She could only pretend not to know.

Because she truly couldn't afford to gamble.

Once she exposed all of this with Tang Song, she would have to face Su Yu in a direct "fight to the death."

Face to face, with no way to retreat.

Recalling the figure she had bumped into last night, Liu Qingning bit her lip hard.

She had no confidence.

She was afraid; she was timid.

"Click—"

The restroom door was pushed open, and a female colleague walked in.

"General Manager Liu."

Liu Qingning quickly composed her emotions and responded with a smile.

She turned and left with composure.

When she returned to the front of the general manager's office, the two of them were still standing in the same spot, seemingly chatting happily.

Qin Yingxue turned her body slightly, her posture elegant, her gaze fixed on Tang Song's face the entire time.

Liu Qingning felt a subtle tightening in her heart.

But soon, a faint smile appeared on her face again, and her pace quickened.

"Are you done chatting?"

Tang Song turned his head to look at her, his gaze doting as he said, "Mm, it's all settled. By the way, it's almost noon; why don't we go straight to eat?"

"Sure."

Qin Yingxue said tactfully, "Then you two go ahead and get busy; I have other matters to handle here. Goodbye, General Manager Tang, Qingning." "Goodbye."

She watched Qin Yingxue's figure leave.

Liu Qingning blinked her bright, watery eyes and gently bumped Tang Song's shoulder: "Let's go, I'll treat you to something delicious today." "Hehe, let's go."

The two of them went downstairs with tacit understanding.

Tang Song followed Liu Qingning, passing through the small alley behind the office building, and walked into a low-key but lively little restaurant.

The storefront wasn't large, and its name was "Rongji Food Workshop."

The menu was written on a blackboard at the entrance, all authentic Cantonese home-style dishes, and the air was filled with the aroma of scallions, ginger, garlic, and stir-frying in an iron wok.

According to Liu Qingning, the owner was a retired chef; the ingredients were high-quality, and the heat control was masterful. Because it hadn't been open long and hadn't done any advertising, it wasn't too crowded yet.

The two sat side-by-side by the window, whispering and discussing for quite a while.

Finally, they ordered white-cut chicken, eggplant steamed with shrimp paste, and pork ribs with dried tangerine peel.

After waiting a while, the food was served one after another, appealing in color, aroma, and taste.

The locust tree outside the window swayed gently in the autumn breeze, and the sunlight shone in at an angle.

The two ate slowly, occasionally feeding each other a bite.

They chatted from work to the past, and then to the recent product rhythm of Qingmi AI.

This meal lasted for a full hour.

After the meal, the two went on an impromptu city walk on the streets.

The climate in Shencheng Bay in autumn was pleasant, with a light breeze blowing, carrying a slight salty fragrance.

Liu Qingning would sometimes hold his arm, and sometimes run ahead and look back at him, laughing like a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl.

Since today was Thursday, it was also the customary version function iteration and launch day for Qingmi AI.

Liu Qingning's entire day of work was packed full.

Tang Song happened to want to see the scene of her daily work, so he simply followed her back to the 42nd floor.

The general manager's office wasn't large, but it was organized and tidy.

The atmosphere was efficient and orderly, reflecting her consistent sense of logic and order.

As soon as Liu Qingning sat back in front of the computer, she immediately switched into "high-efficiency work mode."

Tang Song sat beside her, his long legs crossed, leaning against the back of the chair, quietly watching her type rapidly and approve documents.

Occasionally, she would look up and say a few words to him, and the corners of her mouth would lift slightly, her eyes sparkling.

Tang Song's gaze softened involuntarily.

This scene was all too familiar.

Back when they were in the Imperial Capital, Liu Qingning often worked overtime in their rented apartment writing code.

Sometimes, he would sit beside her to keep her company, watching her work while listening to her explain AI-related knowledge, sitting for hours at a time.

At 5:30 in the evening, the sky outside the window gradually darkened.

The neon lights of Shencheng lit up one after another.

Liu Qingning finally closed her computer, turned to look at him, and said with a curved smile: "Alright, class is over, student Tang Song. Let's go back and change clothes first; tonight, your sister is going to take you out for a shopping spree!"

Hearing the term of address she used to use in high school, Tang Song was stunned for a moment, then laughed, reaching out to gently brush the bangs from her forehead.

"Hey, don't mess up my hairstyle!"

"Mwah~" A crisp kissing sound echoed in the office.

Liu Qingning's face flushed slightly; she kissed him back, a hint of triumph and playfulness flashing in her eyes.

In Yancheng, inside a high-end restaurant in the Huaxin District.

"Alright, that's all." Tian Jing handed the menu to the waiter, her tone lazy, and she even let out a small yawn.

Qin Hua, sitting opposite her, asked with concern: "You didn't sleep well last night? Why do you look so listless?"

"It's alright, there's been a lot of work lately; it's the end of the month, after all, and things are particularly concentrated."

"Mm, that's true, your HR department is the busiest at this time." Qin Hua looked at her best friend opposite her and sighed: "You really are becoming more and more like a professional HR."

Tian Jing smiled indifferently, her gaze falling on her best friend's face: "Alright, hurry up and say it; what exactly is the matter that you asked me out?"

Qin Hua lowered her voice, her body leaning forward slightly: "Sorry Xiao Jing, I want to ask you one thing: have you broken up with your boyfriend recently?"

"Hm?" Tian Jing's brows furrowed slightly: "Of course not; our relationship is very good. Why are you suddenly asking this?"

She had thought Qin Hua was going to bring up her cousin Tian Guowen's matter; she hadn't expected it to actually involve Tang Song.

Qin Hua took a deep breath, her tone becoming serious: "I have a friend, and a girl he knows has been getting very close to your boyfriend recently; there's some ambiguous relationship between the two of them."

"So what?" Tian Jing blinked, her expression so calm that it didn't look like someone who had just been hit with a massive piece of gossip.

"Well—" Qin Hua was stunned, and added somewhat urgently: "This is a big deal! I've already confirmed it; the 'Tang Song' he mentioned is the CTO of Jinxiu Trading, so it should be your boyfriend, no mistake."

"Oh, I see." Tian Jing nodded faintly, her tone composed, though a hint of deep meaning flashed in the depths of her eyes: "Who is this 'friend' you mentioned?"

Qin Hua's eye twitched: "You don't know him; he just happened to know about this matter, and he discovered it unintentionally."

"Then why are you telling me all this?"

Qin Hua paused, gritting her teeth: "I want to remind you, Sorry Xiao Jing, this is your first time dating; don't get cheated by someone. In this day and age, there are plenty of good men; why bother clinging to a scumbag?"

Tian Jing's expression tightened, and she sat up straight: "Huahua, I'll say it again! He is my boyfriend; whether he is good or not, it's for me to decide. As for what kind of person he is, only I have the right to speak on that."

Qin Hua's lips trembled: "But he is cheating behind your back! Shouldn't you find out clearly?"

"That is my own business." Tian Jing's tone was calm: "Also, don't take it upon yourself to stand up for me. If you use my name to go and cause trouble for him, I won't forgive you."

"You—you!" Qin Hua was so angry she almost slapped the table and stood up, her face full of disbelief: "You love-struck fool! I really don't know what kind of spell you've been put under!"

She had always felt that with Tian Jing's status, background, and conditions, she could completely find a well-matched partner in political and business circles.

Yet she had chosen a "phoenix man."

Clearly a person who had been quirky and full of ideas since childhood, yet she had become so "obedient" when dating.

It was simply as if she had been cursed.

Tian Jing remained unmoved, picked up her water glass and took a sip, looking at the emotionally agitated Qin Hua opposite her, and suddenly asked: "Huahua,

is there something else you want to tell me?"

"Eh?" Qin Hua was stunned, her eyes clearly flickering: "No, it's just this matter."

"You are lying."

"I—" Qin Hua bit her lip, a hint of struggle flashing in her eyes, and finally sighed softly: "Alright, your cousin has been pursuing me recently, and my father has the intention of playing matchmaker, but I haven't agreed yet."

"Then will you agree in the future?" Tian Jing looked at her quietly, her gaze like a torch.

Her cousin Tian Guowen, the vice president in charge of finance, was sharpening his sword, preparing to take over the resources and connections left behind after her father left, preparing for his future promotion to CEO.

If he could get Qin Dechang's help and support, it would naturally be much smoother.

On this level, Tian Guowen and Qin Hua were indeed extremely "compatible" candidates.

"I, I don't know." Qin Hua's gaze lowered, and then she clenched her fists: "Sorry Xiao Jing, have you ever thought about the future of your family?"

Tian Jing furrowed her brows as she looked at her: "What do you mean?"

Qin Hua deliberated for a moment, her tone firm: "Sorry Xiao Jing, Uncle Tian has already sold the equity of Jinxiu Trading to plug the hole in Huineng Electronics, but it's still not enough.

If the matter of Huineng Electronics isn't resolved, Uncle Tian will continue to sell other high-quality assets next.

It's very likely that in the future, Zhongcheng will be all that's left of your family.

Now, the interior of the Zhongcheng Group is shaking incessantly, and your cousin is ambitious; if you want to fight for it now, there's still time!"

Tian Jing shook her head calmly: "You should know that I have no interest in these things, and I don't want to work myself to death managing an industrial group."

"I knew you would say that." Qin Hua sighed: "But there is one more way."

"If you have something to say, just say it; no need to beat around the bush with me."

"Since your boyfriend is a scumbag, then decisively dump him. With your conditions, you can completely find a man with more strength,

more background, which would both resolve the emotional crisis and resolve the current predicament of your family from the root."

Tian Jing's gaze turned slightly cold, looking directly at her best friend: "For example, Lin Jingming from Su Chong Dynamics? Or the son of some leader? Hehe, it was my father who asked you to come and do some ideological work on me, right?"

Qin Hua waved her hands repeatedly: "No! Uncle Tian is just worried about you and asked me to care more about you."

A hint of sarcasm surfaced in Tian Jing's eyes: "Huahua, you really have changed."

She had already guessed the ins and outs of the matter.

In fact, the reason Qin Dechang let Qin Hua enter the Zhongcheng Group was not simply to let her find a job; he also had the intention of testing her ability and means.

As an industrial group with a valuation of nearly three billion.

Zhongcheng's shares were the most important asset in Qin Dechang's hands.

If Qin Hua could truly stand firm within the group and demonstrate sufficient ability and influence, she might not necessarily be unable to become the successor to the family business.

Compared to her cousin Tian Guowen, who was ambitious but had crude methods, Qin Dechang was clearly more inclined to support his own daughter.

Her father Tian Chengye and Qin Dechang were close friends, and she and Qin Hua were childhood friends who grew up together.

If Tian Chengye truly had the intention of promoting Qin Hua within Zhongcheng, Qin Dechang would 10,000% support it with all his might.

Qin Hua's promotion to CEO in the future was only a matter of time, and there might even be a glimmer of hope for the position of chairman.

Under these circumstances, even if her younger brother returned to the country, he would only be able to stand on the sidelines.

Qin Hua bit her lip and said in a low voice: "I admit, I do have selfish motives. But I am also trying my best to stand from your perspective and help you consider. Do you know that Zhongcheng is also going downhill, and your father's assets are depreciating! He has already sold the highest-quality assets; what can he sell next? Once the capital chain breaks, the consequences will be unimaginable! Tell me, can this boyfriend of yours help you now?"

"How do you know he can't?" Tian Jing asked back.

"Eh—" Qin Hua was choked, and then was directly laughed at in anger: "Sorry Xiao Jing, sometimes I think you're quite smart, but once it involves that boyfriend of yours, you become incredibly stupid."

Tian Jing stood up, looking down at her best friend, her tone firm: "Then let's wait and see, Huahua. Since the 5th grade of elementary school, whenever we've made a bet, you've never won against me. I won't eat dinner; bye-bye."

After saying this, she turned directly and walked out with long strides.

She had been clever and sharp since childhood, and she had studied psychology in university; in fact, she understood human nature very well.

It was just that she wasn't willing to spend the effort to scheme, hoping to happily be a rich second generation.

But there were always people who thought she was stupid, felt anxious for her, and wanted to arrange her life for her.

But her life could only ever be decided by herself.

8:00 PM.

Luohu District, Shencheng, a bustling pedestrian street with bright lights.

Neon lights intertwined, light and shadow were colorful, voices were loud, and the flow of cars was endless.

The hawking of street vendors rose and fell, pop music from shops mixed in, and the air was filled with the fragrance of takoyaki, charcoal-grilled squid, and exploding cheese chicken cutlets.

Passionate and real.

"Don't buy anymore, I really can't eat any more." Tang Song helplessly pulled the small hand of his white moonlight, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness.

Along the way, Liu Qingning wanted to taste whatever delicious thing she saw.

But it was just a taste; the rest all went into his stomach.

It was only because he had been optimized by the system; an ordinary person really wouldn't be able to fit so much.

At this time, the temperature in Shencheng at night was less than twenty degrees, dark clouds hung low, and the night wind carried a hint of chill.

Liu Qingning was wearing a white knitted sweater, paired with black pencil pants and a pair of clean sneakers, simple yet not lacking in youthful spirit.

The black and white color scheme outlined her slender and graceful figure, making her exceptionally eye-catching in this noisy crowd.

She held milk tea in her hand, her tone willful yet carrying a hint of coquettishness: "But I just want to eat Master Bao's seaweed snacks; I haven't eaten them for over a year."

"Alright, I'll go queue up."

Facing his unreasonable white moonlight, Tang Song could only raise his hands in surrender and walk toward the end of the long queue.

Liu Qingning watched his back merge into the sea of people, the corners of her mouth curving up involuntarily.

She lowered her head and took a sip of milk tea, her eyes soft as a pool of spring water.

After waiting for a full ten minutes, Tang Song returned to her side carrying a box of hot seaweed snacks.

"Thank you, Little Song, you're so good." Liu Qingning said sweetly, then stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the chin.

Tang Song beamed, his heartbeat inexplicably accelerating.

Once upon a time, this was a scene he had fantasized about countless times in high school and university.

"Silly!" Liu Qingning pursed her lips and chuckled.

"I'm not silly; it's just that someone is too beautiful, making me look silly."

Liu Qingning lifted the corners of her mouth, her face blushing slightly, and she turned her head and hummed lightly: "Smooth talker."

"It's not smooth; it's sweet; you taste it." He said, deliberately leaning in close.

Liu Qingning "puffed," and gently patted him: "Annoying!"

The two walked shoulder-to-shoulder, slowly surging forward with the flow of people.

Their pace was not hurried; occasionally they would stop in front of a small stall, look at handicrafts, flip through small toys, not deliberately checking in at tourist spots, and not taking photos to check in.

Just letting the fireworks of the night market surround them.

It was just like the most ordinary, yet most moving date in youth.

Passing through a dimly lit alley, they stopped in front of an old record stall.

Liu Qingning flipped through those yellowed records while softly telling him the background stories of these albums.

This street block was filled with a nostalgic atmosphere.

Old objects, old records, old bookstores, like a literary corner hidden in a modern city.

Liu Qingning finally chose a Cantonese album from the 90s, the cover yellowed but well-preserved.

After paying, she pointed to a bookstore not far away: "Do you want to go take a look?"

"Sure, let's go." Tang Song nodded, taking her hand naturally.

The two had just arrived at the entrance of the bookstore.

Liu Qingning suddenly let out an "Ouch" and clutched her stomach.

"What's wrong?" Tang Song immediately stopped, his tone becoming nervous.

"My stomach hurts a little—" She furrowed her brows, her voice soft, carrying a hint of annoyance: "I ate too many messy things today."

Her constitution had never been very good, and it had only gradually recovered recently, but she had been too happy tonight and completely forgot to control her diet.

"I told you not to eat messy things, and you even drank iced milk tea."

"Alright, I was wrong; I won't do it again in the future; let's go to the restroom first."

Tang Song supported her arm and walked down the steps.

At the same time, inside the bookstore.

In a corner near the entrance, the light was soft, and the air was filled with the faint fragrance of paper and wooden bookshelves.

A girl with fine freckles on her face gently patted her companion's arm and whispered: "Hey, Zhang Yan, haven't you picked one yet?"

"Wait a little longer." Zhang Yan squatted in front of the bookshelf, earnestly flipping through a comic book.

A few minutes later, she finally stood up, holding two old comic books in her hand: "Alright, just these two."

"You've been especially weird lately, coming to buy 'Dragon Ball' every few days, not even missing it when you're out on business trips. This time it's volumes 31 and 32, right? Almost collected them all?"

Zhang Yan nodded gently, her smile swelling.

The complete edition of "Dragon Ball" has 34 volumes, launched by Shueisha in 2004, covering the entire plot of the original 42 volumes.

That was the first comic she read in middle school, borrowed from her deskmate; unfortunately, she accidentally lost his favorite one later.

Now, she was just missing the last two volumes, and she would have the whole set. ===== CHAPTER 566 =====