Battle Platform

"That's the one."

Kang Ming seemed to notice Tang Yao's interest and flipped his phone over, explaining, "It's actually just a battle platform. It has the usual games like Dou Dizhu, but there's a more unique card game in my hometown that most battle platforms don't have. I don't know if you've played it, we call it Qiang Qi.

The specific rules... you probably aren't interested in the specific rules. Anyway, I created this platform for it. Originally, it was just for friends to play, but one of my friends seemed to find it quite interesting and promoted it in our hometown. Quite a few people started playing, and recently there's been a problem, so he complained to me."

"..."

Tang Yao's interested expression became even more pronounced. She looked at the battle platform on his phone. Although it was a bit crude, it had all the essential features. Apart from the art, it had everything, and even its own virtual currency.

She thought for a moment and asked, "This token... do you have to buy it with money?"

Kang Ming shook his head, "No, you don't. I just felt it was meaningless to win or lose without any difference. Initially, whoever registered got ten thousand, but later on, we stopped giving them out. I don't know how my friend managed it, I haven't really been paying attention."

Tang Yao looked at the tokens in the top left corner of the screen and suddenly said, "Let me guess, after your friend started promoting it, the number of registered users skyrocketed, and every so often new users registered, and the trend is still rising? Also, your friend asked you to give him the authority to distribute the gold coins, right? And he asked you not to give them to new users, correct?"

Kang Ming looked taken aback, "How did you know?"

"I suggest you shut down this battle platform as soon as possible."

Tang Yao didn't answer but said seriously, "If you don't want to go to jail, your friend probably turned the battle platform you made into a gambling platform."

"Gambling... huh? No, what the..."

Kang Ming was initially shocked, but after looking at his phone and then at the serious Tang Yao, he slowly understood, "You mean..."

"Yeah, your friend is probably the big banker now."

Tang Yao looked Kang Ming up and down, this unremarkable-looking man, and felt a bit impressed, "I have to say, you're quite carefree. Making a shady battle platform and not asking any questions."

"Wait a moment..."

Kang Ming was clearly panicking. He stood up abruptly and rushed outside.

Tang Yao considered for a moment and didn't rush to leave. She continued to wrap things up.

More than ten minutes later.

Kang Ming returned, looking somewhat dazed.

Tang Yao tilted her head slightly and asked, "How did it go?"

"I confronted my friend. He denied it at first, then said we could make money together..."

Kang Ming swallowed, "I just shut down the battle platform's servers. I'm considering whether to call the police."

"That's up to you."

Tang Yao replied, "But I personally suggest you stop associating with that so-called friend, or you'll regret it sooner or later."

"I've deleted his contact information! I really didn't expect him to... Forget it, thank you so much!"

Kang Ming nodded in agreement and then thanked her solemnly... Honestly, at that moment, his entire back was drenched in cold sweat.

It was even more nerve-wracking than when he saw Tang Yao confronting the editor-in-chief.

Because if Tang Yao hadn't warned him, his friend would have gotten bigger and bigger, and he might have unknowingly become an accomplice.

In that case, he would definitely be singing the blues behind bars.

That was close.

Really close.

Thinking this.

Kang Ming looked at Tang Yao gratefully again.

Tang Yao's beautiful eyes moved, she glanced at his complexion, roughly confirming his attitude towards online gambling, and nodded. Then she asked, "No need for thanks, I just mentioned it... By the way, did you make the entire battle platform yourself?"

"Yeah, I was bored at home before, so I practiced my skills. Of course, a few friends helped out too."

"And the servers?"

"Servers... have you heard of distributed computing systems?"

Kang Ming hesitated and replied, "It has another name, which is cloud computing."

"..."

Tang Yao slowly stopped what she was doing and turned her head.

Seeing Tang Yao's expression, Kang Ming seemed to think she didn't understand and said with some embarrassment, "I know this concept is quite new. Actually, there are already mature cloud service providers overseas, and they are also developing them domestically. To be honest... a relative of mine is the head of the largest cloud computing team in China. They've already set up the offline cluster and system, and can currently dispatch five thousand servers, which meets the minimum requirement.

Although it's a semi-finished product, and still in the testing phase, the cloud infrastructure is ready. However, the departments within their company are unwilling to be the guinea pigs because there are too many loopholes... so they plan to offer services externally for testing. The servers for that battle platform were rented."

Tang Yao was silent for a moment, "The company your relative works for, it wouldn't be..."

"Yeah, one of the largest Internet companies right now, Changli."

"No, with your background, why would you come to be a manga editor?"

Tang Yao looked him up and down, then was silent for a while, "What did you study in university...?"

"Software Engineering... Mainly because my relative wouldn't manage me, and I'm quite interested in games, but I couldn't get in."

Kang Ming said sheepishly, "I've had too long of a break, and mobile game single-player games are currently one-off purchases. But the revenue from online games has been reaching new highs. So I made a mobile version of the battle platform, but I couldn't impress any HR managers, there are too many talented people..."

"...You really are."

Tang Yao hesitated, then turned her chair completely around and sized up Kang Ming before seriously asking, "Why don't you come work with me?"

"Huh?"

Kang Ming stared at Tang Yao, who was earnestly asking him to join her. After a half-second pause, he slightly bent down and said, "There will be many things I'll need your guidance on in the future."

"I wasn't talking about manga."

Tang Yao's beautiful eyes lit up, but she didn't elaborate. After a moment of thought, she shook her head and said, "Traditional Print Media is too difficult. I'll tell you again after I've made up my mind."

With that said.

She didn't continue the topic. Instead, she tossed the completed storyboard specification manual aside, stood up, and hurried away, deep in thought.

Kang Ming watched the girl, who had a thoughtful expression on her face, with a hint of envy.

Although she was younger than him, for some reason, she always gave him a sense of security.

It was strange.

Tang Yao finally got Teacher Shao Changqing's original manuscript back.

Perhaps because of her status and appearance, Teacher Shao felt too embarrassed to delay any further and managed to finish it, albeit reluctantly.

Tang Yao knew this well.

She didn't deny that her new identity had two sides, one beneficial and one incredibly troublesome.

However, the storyboard specification manual wouldn't be ready in the morning, as it was already past noon by the time she rushed back to the company.

She set down Teacher Shao's manuscript, picked up the document bag she had brought that morning, and left the editorial department. She headed to the break area on the eleventh floor.

As soon as she entered the break area.

Tang Yao saw Li Xue sitting in a corner, holding a lunchbox in one hand and chopsticks in the other, eating daintily.

Although the break area was quite crowded, she was the most eye-catching person there.

"Over here."

Meanwhile.

Hearing footsteps.

Li Xue looked up slightly and saw Tang Yao. Her eyes brightened, and she gently put down her lunchbox. She moved her perfectly aligned, fair legs to the side, making space for Tang Yao, and immediately beckoned her over.

... Too bad it's not black stockings.

Tang Yao sized up the still elegant and beautiful older sister type, then pointed to the vending machine. She turned to buy two bread rolls and a drink before coming to sit beside Li Xue.

"Why are you eating this again?"

Li Xue shifted over again and looked at the bread in Tang Yao's hand with a hint of helplessness. "Are you sure you won't become malnourished like this?"

"Miss Li, humans aren't as fragile as you think. As long as there are enough calories, we definitely won't die!"

Tang Yao said earnestly as she tore open a bread wrapper, "And workers can't be as refined as you, cooking your own meals and bringing them to work. Just thinking about it makes me tired..."

Li Xue glanced at her lunchbox. "I'm so sorry I have so much time to cook."

"Yes, that's the attitude. You need to deeply realize that you're the heretic."

"You're the heretic!"

Li Xue shot Tang Yao a playful glare, lightly tucking a strand of hair behind her ear with her chopsticks. "If you don't want to cook, can't you go downstairs to eat? Or order takeout? You could even have me make you something, but you refuse and still eat bread every day. Do you really think youth makes you invincible?"

"As long as I'm not starving, it's fine."

Tang Yao took a bite of bread, her cheeks puffing out, and mumbled, "As for having you bring me something... I'd be too embarrassed."

So cute.

Li Xue smiled warmly, looking at the girl with her cheeks puffed out. She then stirred her lunchbox, picked up a piece of braised pork, and offered it to Tang Yao. "You're embarrassed, huh? Then I'll force-feed you... Open up, ah."

"..."

Tang Yao blinked, swallowed the bread in her mouth, and asked, "Hmm?"

Li Xue held out the braised pork. "Are you disgusted?"

Tang Yao looked at the glistening braised pork and hesitated. "It's not that I'm disgusted..."

"Then eat it for me."

Li Xue directly stuffed it into Tang Yao's mouth.

Mmm... sweet and sour flavor.

Delicious.

Tang Yao's cheeks puffed out again, and any hesitation in her heart vanished instantly.

Li Xue asked with a hint of happiness, "Is it good?"

Tang Yao nodded and gave a simple evaluation: "It's good."

"Then have some rice too."

Li Xue picked up another ball of rice and offered it.

"Wait, I also bought bread..."

"Bread doesn't expire."

"That's true..."

"There are eggs too."

"Wait, isn't this your bento? Why are you feeding it all to me?"

"Don't worry about that."

"..."

Finally.

Most of the bento box in Li Xue's hand ended up in Tang Yao's mouth. At first, Tang Yao was a little embarrassed.

But as she was being fed, she just kept exclaiming how delicious everything was.

On the other side.

Li Xue watched the beautiful girl straighten her back, her cheeks puffing up again, saying everything was delicious. She moved closer to her and offered another piece of pork rib.

Even though she hadn't eaten much herself, she felt full.

After all, beautiful things were right beside her.

To be honest, not everyone has that youthful charm. Many people at that age might struggle to give others that feeling.

But there are some people who, even after passing that age, can still give off a strong, almost overflowing youthful charm.

The girl in front of her belonged to the latter category. And most importantly, while retaining that youthful charm and her inherent cuteness, she wasn't ignorant of the world, appearing clueless about everything.

Whether interacting or handling matters, she was quite... mature.

After all, dealing with a completely naive, innocent girl would be quite tiring, and Li Xue might not be able to handle it.

The girl in front of her was just right.

To be honest.

Li Xue couldn't understand why, after only knowing each other for a little over a week, she felt like she was interacting with a friend of many years.

Was it fate? Personality? Or were they just compatible?

It wasn't that important.

Anyway, Li Xue still found it amusing to think back to the first time they met, when Tang Yao leaned her chest against the keyboard's spacebar and asked why the keyboard was broken.

She was really cute, after all.