Outside the café, several young women were hiding behind a car in the parking lot, observing Keqing's meeting through binoculars.
"He's a handsome guy! And he looks so sweet... and young!"
The white-haired girl excitedly watched Ye Ming, who she hoped would become the studio's "savior."
"Huh? Really? Let me see!"
Hearing words like "handsome," "sweet," and "young," the red-haired woman with a mature beauty couldn't wait to snatch the binoculars from Kiana.
Then, while admiring Ye Ming's appearance and demeanor, she fantasized:
"Not bad at all. It would be great to work with someone like that long-term."
"Are you looking for a boyfriend or an investor?" Kiana retorted.
"What's wrong with a boyfriend? I'm really tired of the single life."
At the mention of her seemingly endless single years, Himeko nearly cracked the binoculars in her hand.
"Aren't all of us at the studio single? Only Auntie Himeko is so anxious."
Before Kiana could finish speaking, Himeko grabbed her head and said with a friendly smile:
"Guess who's the little darling who keeps calling me Auntie, making me anxious about my age and eager to find someone?"
"I was wrong, Himeko A... Sister."
Kiana wanted to argue, but the cracking sounds coming from her skull forced her to give in.
"So, why aren't we observing from inside the café?"
The girl with the drill-shaped twintails gave a "???" expression and complained:
"Wouldn't that be more convenient? And we wouldn't be suspected of being stalkers by the police."
"We can't help it. Our studio is broke,"
Kiana shrugged and sighed:
"Going to the café means we have to order something. Even the cheapest latte is 36, and we can't even afford the rent right now."
Himeko also explained:
"Actually, hiding here isn't very effective. We're mainly worried about Keqing running into another jerk like Penguin."
"Exactly!"
Kiana stomped her foot and said angrily:
"I was so mad about what happened last time! If I see them again, I'll definitely..."
"Shh! It looks like they've reached an agreement."
Himeko held down the excited Kiana, and Keqing and Ye Ming in the binoculars had new developments.
"I... I don't understand..."
Keqing asked with a puzzled expression:
"These are the only requirements for the investment?"
"What's wrong? Is it too much?"
"No, no, no!"
Keqing quickly shook her head:
"Thirty million in investment, just to become a member of our studio, and the profit distribution is the same as ours, except for the recovery of development costs..."
"We have no reason to refuse such conditions."
Actually, Ye Ming hadn't originally planned to offer such generous terms. After all, money was borrowed from the power, and it had to be repaid.
But he didn't expect Keqing to be a member of MiHoYo...
He had even reset the world to give them happiness. Would he still care about this little bit of money?
"Since you agree, let's sign the contract then."
"Ah? Uh..."
Keqing was a little nervous. Ye Ming's conditions were too favorable, making it hard not to suspect something was up.
Even so, Keqing couldn't bring herself to suspect the man in front of her of any malice. It was as if he had never betrayed her trust...
"Even though it's our first meeting."
"Did you say something just now?"
"Ah! I mean... the contract can wait. How about we go to our studio first?"
"Alright, I'd like to see your working environment too."
The two drove to a sparsely populated neighborhood outside the Third Ring Road, with Himeko and the others following behind in their car.
Upon arrival, Keqing introduced the place with a hint of embarrassment:
"This is where we work."
"It's pretty rough."
A small, three-story building that doesn't even qualify as an office building. Judging by the peeling exterior, renting the whole thing wouldn't cost much.
The two went up to the second floor, which was their main office and meeting space. As soon as they opened the door, Ye Ming was taken aback by the scene before him.
"Keqing, welcome back~~"
A voluptuous young woman, radiating gentleness with every move, stepped forward and smiled at Keqing and Ye Ming.
"This must be the one willing to invest... Oh?"
The young woman tilted her head, her white hair cascading down like a waterfall, her verdant eyes full of curiosity.
"Have we met somewhere before, sir?"
"Right?! I thought Ye Ming looked familiar too!"
Keqing and the young woman were immediately on the same page, and then she introduced him:
"This is A-Tzu, our strategic advisor."
The young woman called A-Tzu had the same mannerisms as Greater Lord Rukkhadevata back in the day.
If she's here, then Little Nahida must be too.
"I didn't expect everyone to be back."
Ye Ming also spotted Ganyu dozing off in front of a computer, and Raiden Makoto processing documents.
"We're back~~"
And when Himeko and Bronya returned, Ye Ming felt like the world was reshuffling, but "didn't quite shuffle properly."
"I suddenly feel like thirty million isn't enough. Let's just double it."
"Huh?"
At that moment, time seemed to freeze. The young women walking around all froze in place, their faces filled with astonishment.
"Really?!"
Kiana was so excited she almost jumped up, her restless little hand accidentally hitting Bronya in the face, who bit her back in retaliation.
Ganyu, who had been dozing off, was also jolted awake by the number. She even pinched her soft cheek to let the pain prove that the situation before her wasn't a dream.
"System, lend me another thirty million."
Loan complete, transferring to the studio's account.
"It's really here!"
The young women were overjoyed as they looked at the account balance. At the same time, Raiden Makoto stepped forward and said softly:
"Everyone, let's have a good celebration tonight~! Consider it a welcome party for Ye Ming."
"That's great..."
Before anyone else could react, Ganyu sighed in relief and then gave a weary smile.
"But we finally have some working capital on the books. We should start working right away, we can't be lazy."
Keqing crossed her arms, looking efficient and decisive. Hearing this, Ganyu's face turned pale again, as if she had lost her soul.
"Life is always more bitter than sweet. Every fleeting moment of beauty should be remembered. Aren't you happy, Keqing?"
"Happy, yes... Fine, let's do what Makoto says."
After the workaholic Keqing nodded, the rest of the studio cheered.
"Fleeting moments of beauty, huh? That's so you."
Ye Ming looked at Makoto with admiration, and also began to wonder where her sister Ei was.
Unlike A-Tzu and Nahida, Makoto and Ei were originally about the same age. Could she be working somewhere else?
3. The Brain Forgets, But the Body Remembers
"Cheers~!"
After arriving at the restaurant, the group raised their glasses in celebration, then drained their drinks in one gulp.
"Ah~! It's been so long since I've had such a refreshing drink."
Himeko looked like she was enjoying herself, as if her body and soul had merged into the bubbles of the draft beer.
"Take it easy, Ye Ming's still here."
"It's okay, it's okay~~ I'm far from drunk yet."
"But it'll be too late when you're drunk."
Makoto, Himeko's drinking buddy, said with a smile:
"You don't want Ye Ming to see you when you're drunk, do you?"
"Pfft!"
Ye Ming almost burst out laughing; he was far too familiar with Himeko's drunken antics.
"Ganyu, why don't you go and say hello to Ye Ming?"
On the other side, A-Tzu was trying to persuade Ganyu, who was burying her head in her food, to interact with Ye Ming.
"I-I think I'll wait until tomorrow..."
Ganyu stole a glance at Ye Ming, but unexpectedly, her eyes met his.
Embarrassed, she immediately lowered her head and continued eating, her face flushed.
"Why are you being so shy?"
"I don't want Ye Ming to see me eating."
"Then why don't you just not eat for now?"
"Because I'm really hungry, and the more nervous I get, the more I want to eat."
Ganyu's aggrieved expression was just like a crying cat meme; the more anxious she became, the more her little mouth couldn't stop.
"Watch closely, A-Tzu, this is how you do it~! Hey~!"
Himeko hugged Ganyu from behind, lifting her up in one go, and then brought her in front of Ye Ming.
"Let me introduce you, this is our lead programmer; he has a huge workload every day, so he's often hungry."
"I've already given up sweets, and I haven't been drinking alcohol either; it's just that I'm eating normal meals, so it's okay!"
Ganyu waved her hands while trying to explain herself, the temperature of her cheeks almost hot enough to cook the rice grains on the corners of her mouth.
"I haven't seen you care so much about your figure before? What's up with you today?"
"Because... I don't want Ye Ming to know that I've gained weight..."
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