Business

"Morning, A Yi."

Liu Xiaoke, her eyes slightly bloodshot, yawned as she sat down at the table and greeted Wang Yi as he came out.

Ma Dong had already prepared breakfast.

The sight of the tall Ma Dong wearing a little apron was rather comical.

"Morning. Didn't sleep well?"

Wang Yi glanced at Liu Xiaoke and teased her.

"Don't even mention it."

Liu Xiaoke sighed and pulled out her phone. Wang Yi then heard a familiar idiotic BGM, leaving him at a loss for words.

Good grief, don't tell me you played all night...

But Liu Xiaoke was gentle on the outside and strong-willed within. She looked soft and adorable, yet the fact that she had left the comfort of home to come here showed just how stubborn she was underneath.

With that kind of personality...

This damn game was practically her natural nemesis.

Looking at Liu Xiaoke's reddened eyes, Wang Yi fell silent for a moment before finally warning her.

"Stop playing. You can't clear it. This game's just designed to make you tap ads."

Wang Yi's words caught Liu Xiaoke off guard.

"You know about it? I thought I was the only one playing. If I'd known, I would've shared it with you when I revived. My classmates have been cursing me out nonstop."

Then she lowered her head again.

"No way. I've seen clear videos already. As long as you're careful and figure out the pattern, you can definitely beat it."

Ma Dong came over then and asked curiously, "What are you playing that you're so into it? I played one called Jump Jump yesterday. Pretty good for relieving stress."

A moment later, Wang Yi saw the two of them sitting by the door with their heads down, phones clutched in their hands as that idiotic BGM echoed through the air. Sigh, what a sin...

Wang Yi had also realized that, in this primitive age of mobile games, games released ahead of their time seemed even more lethal.

In the future, people had seen enough tricks to be wary. But right now, it really seemed like no one had considered that the game itself was designed to prevent players from clearing it.

Still, that was fine. At least it meant he could earn a little more.

"I'm heading out. Don't forget about your Film Crew."

After finishing his noodles, Wang Yi got up and reminded his two idiotic neighbors.

"A big star bailed on us, so the Film Crew doesn't have much going on today. Oh, right—how about I treat you to dinner next Saturday? I managed to reserve a table at Xie Ji Private Kitchen. Are you free?"

Liu Xiaoke seemed to remember something and looked up at Wang Yi. Although she looked a little haggard from lack of sleep, her good looks gave her a different kind of charm.

After Wang Yi had helped her get the role last time, she had said she would treat him to a meal.

"Sure. That place is expensive, though. Be careful I don't eat you broke."

The place Zhang Ming had treated Wang Yi to last time had also been there. But his mind had been entirely on the case then, and he had only eaten halfheartedly. Still, he remembered the food being genuinely good. Most of the dishes were on par with his own cooking, while the signature dishes had a real spark to them and were even better than his.

That chef was definitely impressive. This time, he could take the opportunity to learn a thing or two.

"Hehe, my contract pays eighty thousand this time. Eat as much as you want."

Liu Xiaoke wore a proud, smug expression.

With her looks, she had never earned badly as a Guest Actor before, usually making three to five hundred a day. It was just that she did not get acting jobs every day.

By comparison, signing a contract this time and earning eighty thousand was already a major step forward in her career.

"The third female lead only gets paid eighty thousand?"

Wang Yi was actually a little surprised.

"It's not just about the role. I didn't have any fame before this. Normally, with an opportunity like this, forget getting paid—there are plenty of people willing to pay their way in. Brother Ma's role is the one that really tests his ability, which is why Brother Ma gets one hundred and fifty thousand."

Liu Xiaoke was clear-eyed about reality. She had not even attended acting school, and she had learned quite a lot from this performance.

"Fine, then I'll make you pay through the nose."

Wang Yi nodded and agreed.

Ma Dong spoke up then as well.

"I've got something to do that day, so I won't be going. But I'll treat you two another time. Let me pick a good place first."

"I'll hold you to that."

Wang Yi waved his hand, then headed downstairs.

Morning light spilled across the streets. A new day began as workers gradually streamed out from their homes, heading in every direction like ants—seemingly scattered, yet orderly.

Day after day, year after year.

The bustle of breakfast stalls, the traffic jams on the streets, and the electric scooters weaving along the sidewalks all adorned this city brimming with everyday life.

Yet as he walked down the road, Wang Yi, who had been back for some time now, still felt a sense of distance, a faint feeling that he did not quite belong.

It was as if the world around him were all black and white, and he alone was the only splash of color.

"Since when did I become so sentimental...?"

With a wistful sigh, Wang Yi rolled his shoulders and loosened up before squeezing into the crowd and heading toward the company.

Lin Shiqin had handled things impeccably. The location was perfect—a five-minute walk, just enough to help digest lunch.

Hmm~

He should find time to teach Brother Ma a few tricks. The man did have some talent for cooking; in the future, they could switch things up and eat different breakfasts every day~

Humming the soothing melody of the Elf Race, Wang Yi felt his thoughts gradually settle beneath the music's calming influence as he arrived at the office building entrance.

"Handsome, we meet again."

As Wang Yi waited for the elevator, a sultry voice drifted over. Turning around, he saw one of the two models from the company across the hall yesterday.

She was tall, fashionably dressed, and with her makeup, she could be rated a seven or eight out of ten.

However, Wang Yi could tell she had undergone minor cosmetic work. She had been born with an oval face, but her original eyes and nose had not suited it well enough, so she had deliberately had them adjusted.

His ex-girlfriend had also had an oval face. Her bright, watery eyes paired with a delicate little nose made for quite an impressive sight when she knelt and looked up at him.

"Hello."

Wang Yi sighed inwardly, briefly reminiscing about the past, but outwardly he merely nodded calmly in greeting.

"You've got a nice body, handsome. Do you work out? My name's Zhao Ya. You look younger than me, so just call me Sister Ya."

Zhao Ya reached out and poked Wang Yi's arm with one finger as she muttered on.

For ordinary people, that level of aggression was already quite intense. Most guys would find it hard to handle and would easily become flustered, but for Wang Yi, he simply disliked that she had had work done.

"Wang Yi. By the way, Sister Ya, how many people does your company have? Are there many like you?"

The elevator arrived, and Wang Yi entered with Zhao Ya before asking her the question.

"You're not being honest, are you?~, Our company only has seven or eight official models, but Boss has plenty of connections. Whenever there's demand, he can bring in quite a few more. You've seen the quality yourself~, so what, do you have some business to refer to us?"

Zhao Ya shot Wang Yi a flirtatious sideways glance. After her earlier probing, she had become even more certain that this young boss had seen the world.

If it had been an ordinary person, just a casual tease from her would have left him completely flustered.

People in their line of work often had a habit of flirting a little to test the waters.

"Do you cosplay?"

The cosplay scene was growing more popular with every passing year, but for the time being, the mainstream modeling and entertainment industries still could not accommodate it.

The cosplay scene itself was not yet particularly commercialized either. Most people were doing it out of pure passion.

"Uh, nurses? Flight attendants?"

Zhao Ya gave Wang Yi a strange look. She was not that kind of person and generally did not do that sort of business.

"Does your company have those uniforms on hand right now?"

"Huh? Right now?"

"Just tell me whether you do."

"Don't be so domineering. We do~"

Zhao Ya looked around at the other people in the elevator, then lowered her voice and whispered her answer into Wang Yi's ear.

Even Wang Yi was left somewhat speechless by the coy way she acted.

"Okay. If you don't have any work today, then some business has come in. Also, have President Wen order more cosplay outfits. There may be even more opportunities for cooperation in the future."

Little Broken Station had not yet begun cracking down comprehensively on copyright, and it had not even obtained a video license. It could be said that Little Broken Station's content creators were also working purely out of passion at this point.

Some of the COSERs on it were the same.

At this time, Little Broken Station was still a private haven for a group of enthusiasts, with barely any means of monetization.

But...

Its user base was extremely young, and its user retention was remarkably high.

Were they ready to receive the benefits brought by society's big sisters, little darlings...?