Maxing Out Charisma, Inheriting Game Assets Chapter 467: The Falling Ginkgo Leaves

September 15, 2023, Friday, sunny, 19~29°C.

In the morning, on the ridge between fields, surrounded by terraced rice paddies stacked layer upon layer. The rice stalks bowed low, the air filled with the moist scent of earth and the faint aroma of cooking smoke.

Qiuqiu ran forward along the path.

In the distance, the sounds of roosters crowing and dogs barking mixed with casual chatter in the local dialect.

"Meimei, what are you cooking today?"

"Corn buns are steaming!"

The familiar village was right in front of her, yet no matter how hard she ran, she couldn't reach it.

Her face showed urgency, sweat "plop, plop" falling.

The familiar scenery soon turned eerie.

Just then, a hunched figure slowly walked along the small path between the fields. Silver-haired, deeply wrinkled face, wearing a faded blue cloth shirt, holding a bamboo basket filled with freshly picked red chili peppers.

"Grandma! Grandma!"

Her grandmother didn’t turn around, just kept walking forward.

Qiuqiu wanted to shout, but her voice caught in her throat, only coming out as hoarse sobs.

"Tap tap tap—" Her footsteps quickened, but she felt as if she was stepping on clouds, the ground beneath her growing softer and softer, each step sinking as if into a swamp.

Looking down, the rice fields had turned into murky puddles, reflecting a shattered sky.

Suddenly, her grandmother stopped and turned around.

Her face was still kind, but there was an indescribable weariness and sorrow.

"Qiuqiu," her voice was slow and drawn out, thick with a Sichuan accent. "Why didn't you bring the money back? I can't wait anymore..."

Before she could finish, her body began to disintegrate, turning into countless specks of dust, carried away by the wind.

Qiuqiu reached out, trying to grasp something, but all she touched was cold dampness.

Morning, before dawn.

In the dim bedroom.

Qiuqiu suddenly sat up, her hands covered in cold tears.

Low sobs echoed in the room.

She pressed her hands against her cheeks, curled up against the headboard, her body trembling slightly.

Outside the window, the sky gradually brightened.

Wiping away her tears, Qiuqiu lifted the blanket and got up, her legs still weak from the running in her dream.

Checking the time, she changed into a sweatshirt and sweatpants, expressionless as she stepped out of the bedroom.

At this hour, her senior, Gao Mengting, wasn’t up yet. The living room was dim, a little eerie.

Qiuqiu took a deep breath and pulled open the balcony curtains. Morning light instantly poured in, carrying the crisp freshness unique to early autumn.

She sat quietly on the sofa, watching as the sky outside grew brighter and brighter.

Then, she changed into her sneakers and took the elevator down to the first floor.

Putting on her Bluetooth earphones, she played some music.

Su Yu’s voice wrapped around her, gradually easing her mood.

Qiuqiu stuffed her hands into her hoodie pockets, lowered her head, and slowly walked out of the apartment complex.

The street was instantly lively.

Cars speeding by, morning joggers, the scent of fried dough sticks...

Life kept running as usual, but for her, it all seemed separated by an invisible barrier, one she could never quite step through.

She was actually a very timid person.

Afraid of the dark, afraid of bugs, afraid of thunderstorms.

And she often had nightmares.

That was one of the reasons she had mustered the courage to ask Gao Mengting to be her roommate.

Otherwise, given her personality, solitude would have been the best choice, sparing others from her negativity.

She had no goals in life.

After listening to five songs, Qiuqiu bought some breakfast from a roadside stall and returned to the apartment.

She placed the breakfast on the dining table.

Just then, the door to the master bedroom opened, and Gao Mengting, yawning, walked out.

"Hello, good morning, QQ." Her voice carried warmth and a teasing tone.

Ever since Tang Song started calling her "QQ," Gao Mengting and some of their colleagues had picked up on the nickname as well.

Qiuqiu whispered, "Good morning, Senior. The breakfast is still warm, let's eat together."

"Thanks, give me a sec," Gao Mengting said, heading into the bathroom.

Toilet, washing hands.

Soon, the two sat across from each other at the table.

Gao Mengting munched on a fried dough stick and asked, "How much was it? I'll transfer you the money."

Qiuqiu quickly shook her head, her expression serious. "No need, you always drive me around, consider this gas money."

"Uh... okay then, I won’t argue with you."

Knowing Qiuqiu’s personality, Gao Mengting didn’t insist.

After breakfast, they washed up and put on makeup.

They grabbed their bags and headed downstairs.

Just as they stepped outside, the headlights of a parked Mercedes E300L flashed, the car unlocking.

"Get in!" Gao Mengting snapped her fingers excitedly, winking at her well-endowed junior.

Qiuqiu covered her mouth and giggled, pulling open the passenger door and getting in.

The faint scent of perfume mixed with the leather seats filled the car.

Gao Mengting started the engine smoothly, driving out of the complex and merging into the morning traffic.

Qiuqiu looked at her senior, full of energy as she talked about the driving experience, and the gloom in her heart faded a little.

"Good morning."

"Morning."

Greeting her colleagues, Qiuqiu sat down at her desk.

She tidied up her things, turned on her computer, and started working.

This time, she wasn’t in a hurry to redesign the brand logo, standard colors, auxiliary graphics, and so on.

Instead, she carefully studied everything about the "He Yiyi" brand—its values, development history, key events, brand positioning, and target audience.

The words of Xingyun International Group’s art director felt like a thorn in her heart.

She didn’t want to disappoint Tang Song or Gao Mengting. She also wanted to prove her value at work.

Currently, He Yiyi's livestream accounted for 67% of Songmei Fashion's total sales, making it the absolute backbone of the company.

She streamed five days a week, four hours per session, with a steady audience of over 700,000 per show.

The audience was mainly women aged 25–35, consisting of professionals and freelancers.

The average order value ranged from 200–500 yuan.

They had purchasing power, sought cost-effectiveness, and valued design and quality.

The more Qiuqiu read, the more she realized the importance of her job.

The visual identity system she was creating wasn’t just about the logo and fonts; it would also influence future clothing designs and the layout of the livestream studio.

She had just switched from Linggan Design and was earning a salary of over 10,000 yuan.

Cheng Qiuqiu had an immature student mentality, eager to prove herself. She even used C4D to animate the logo she designed, focusing more on flashy techniques.

Now, thinking carefully, she realized that the art director of Xingyun International Group was right.

Lacking experience, she had indeed been too impatient for success.

Cheng Qiuqiu bit her lip, feeling a mix of fear and self-blame.

She checked the time.

09:20.

At this time on Friday, He Yiyi was live streaming. Cheng Qiuqiu immediately stood up and walked toward the K3 live stream room.

She needed to gain a deeper understanding of He Yiyi’s streaming style, communication approach, and overall aura to create a better design.

Standing outside the live stream room, she took a deep breath.

She knocked lightly on the door before pushing it open and stepping inside.

Right away, He Yiyi’s voice reached her ears—soft and magnetic, with a natural storytelling rhythm, as if chatting with an old friend.

"This dress is one of my recent favorites. It’s a must-have for lazy fashion—no need for elaborate styling, just throw it on, and it looks amazing."

"Look at this A-line cut, it’s super slimming, and the fabric is a slightly stretchy cotton-linen blend. It’s incredibly comfortable to wear."

After listening for a moment, Cheng Qiuqiu started to feel out of place standing there, so she stepped toward a corner.

Just as she walked past a decorative piece, two familiar figures appeared before her eyes.

Gao Mengting and Tang Song were sitting in the makeup area of the live stream room, watching He Yiyi’s broadcast while conversing in low voices.

The two were sitting close.

One was tall and handsome, the other elegant and beautiful. They looked like a perfect match—very pleasing to the eye.

Cheng Qiuqiu’s heart skipped a beat, but she quickly suppressed her complicated emotions.

Gao Mengting smiled warmly and waved at her, signaling her to come over.

"Tang, Gao," Cheng Qiuqiu stood beside Gao Mengting and said softly, "I’m here to watch Yiyi’s live stream and gather some inspiration for the design."

Gao Mengting patted her arm affectionately. "Keep it up!"

"QQ, sit here. I just happen to have something to take care of." Tang Song stood up and gestured for her to take his seat.

Cheng Qiuqiu glanced at Tang Song, then nodded lightly and sat down on the office chair that still carried his warmth and scent, pressing her lips together.

Tang Song’s gaze subtly shifted to the top of this cold and aloof designer’s head.

【Growing… 15%...】 (Not yet sprouted)

Wow! Overnight, it had jumped to 15%?

Just how dark were her thoughts?

At this rate, within a week, Cheng Qiuqiu’s 【Dream Seed】 would sprout, meaning the two of them would officially establish a connection.

What Tang Song was most curious about was how this connection would manifest.

Would it be like 【Low Whispers of Humanity】, appearing as a system task?

These special items were all rare and valuable.

A single Xiaoxue had boosted his charm value by quite a bit.

Speaking of which, the other 【Low Whispers of Humanity】 had been in his hands for a long time but had yet to trigger. That was frustrating.

Just then, Gao Mengting suddenly cleared her throat and said with mild annoyance, "Tang, it’s work hours. Staring at a female employee like that—isn’t that a bit inappropriate?"

Tang Song snapped back to reality and realized that Cheng Qiuqiu’s face had turned red. She lowered her head, not daring to look at him.

Tang Song chuckled and shifted his gaze toward his partner. "Then I’ll just look at the beautiful President Gao instead."

Since Gao Mengting was also scheduled to appear in today’s live stream, she had specially worn a black-and-white plaid strapless dress—simple yet elegant, exuding a soft, fashionable charm.

Sitting next to "cold and aloof queen" Qiuqiu, the contrast was strikingly perfect.

It even made Tang Song’s heartbeat quicken a little.

Unable to resist, he reached out and ruffled his partner’s neatly styled hair, messing it up.

Gao Mengting raised her hand to swat at him, making a face that said, "You’ll pay for this."

The two exchanged a few playful jabs in hushed voices.

Around them, the staff subtly averted their gazes, pretending to be deeply focused on work.

A fleeting trace of envy and loneliness flashed through Cheng Qiuqiu’s eyes.

【Growing… 16%...】 (Not yet sprouted)

Noticing this peculiar reaction, Tang Song’s eyes flickered with intrigue.

But since this was still a live stream setting, he didn’t continue teasing Gao Mengting. He bid them farewell and turned to leave.

Back in the CEO’s office, he powered up his computer, put on his headphones, and entered the "Qingning Tech Live Stream Room."

On September 15, 2023, Qingning Technology officially launched Lime3.0.

According to Liu Qingning, this was destined to be a product that would reshape the AI landscape and create a massive societal impact.

Though Qingning Tech was already well-known in niche circles, it still lagged behind the top tech giants.

But today’s launch would change everything—it would propel the company into the global spotlight.

Tang Song was beyond excited.

This would be his first time witnessing his own tech venture’s rise to success.

"Ding-dong—"

A WeChat notification sounded in his headphones.

Two new messages popped up on his computer screen.

【Shen Yuyan: Photo.jpg】

【Shen Yuyan: "Hey, just a little something to share~ I just got shortlisted for the ‘Yanzhao Youth Entrepreneurship Support Program’! This was taken at Yan City TV Station the day before yesterday. What do you think? Hope I still have a bit of my former campus beauty charm, haha."】

Tang Song raised an eyebrow and opened the photo.

It was an artistic portrait.

A stylish and sensual dark gray slip dress, long jet-black hair, meticulously applied makeup.

She looked graceful and poised—undeniably stunning.

Even now, the essence of that exquisite campus beauty remained, only now she was more mature, more alluring.

Understanding Shen Yuyan’s subtle intentions, Tang Song smirked and typed a reply:

"You look even more beautiful than back then."

"Buzz buzz buzz—"

【Shen Yuyan: "(#CoveringMouthLaugh) Tang, you sure know how to talk. Now I feel embarrassed~ Oh, by the way, friendly reminder: the Qingning Tech launch is about to start. I heard it’s going to be a big deal, so if you’re free, you might want to check it out."】

...

Youjie Domestic Services, General Manager’s Office.

Shen Yuyan stared at Tang Song’s reply, her eyes flickering with complex emotions.

Back when Xu Qing hadn’t gotten together with him, she hadn’t felt so conflicted. She had hesitated, sure, but not struggled.

But now that Xu Qing had confirmed their relationship and even met his parents…

Flirting with her best friend’s boyfriend—it was disgraceful.

Even knowing he had other women around him, the guilt gnawed at her.

To her, Xu Qing was family.

They had known each other since middle school, watching anime together, studying together, getting into the same high school and university…

For over a decade, they had been inseparable.

Even if she had a boyfriend in the future, he wouldn’t be more important than Xu Qing.

Her biggest fear was that one day, because of Tang Song, her friendship with Xu Qing would crack.

After all, she had seen plenty of friendships destroyed by love.

Last night, under the influence of alcohol, she had spoken those words as a test.

The impact Tang Song had on her was overwhelming—she truly couldn’t control it.

Lately, every night when she closed her eyes, his figure was all she could see.

Shen Yuyan sighed, rubbed her temples, and refocused on the screen in front of her, waiting for the launch event to begin.

She had deliberately asked Xu Qing to invite Tang Song to Beicheng Garden tonight. Her real intention was to use the Qingning Tech launch as an opportunity to have a deep conversation with him.

Now, Youjie Domestic Services was about to secure a major client, Xucheng Property. The second round of funding was set to arrive smoothly, and she was on the verge of entering the "Yanzhao Youth Entrepreneurship Support Program."

All of these proved her excellence.

Shen Yuyan was a proud person.

She wanted to earn Tang Song’s admiration.

Not fight her best friend over him as a loser.

"Ding-dong—" A WeChat notification sounded.

She picked up her phone and saw someone had @ her in her high school class group chat.

She tapped open 【Class 2, First High School】.

【Cheng Ziwei: "@Shen Yuyan @Bai Menglin … You two haven’t shown up in ages! Come check out Yingying’s big moment—this is huge."】

【Cheng Ziwei: Video.video】

Shen Yuyan frowned slightly and clicked to play the video.

It was an interview by a Guangdong-based media outlet.

The main subject was Ji Yingying, the Investor Relations Director at Zhifang Medical.

As the video played, Shen Yuyan’s expression grew darker.

Since middle school, with her looks, intelligence, and social skills, she had always been the brightest one in the room.

Even in high school, though there were other outstanding girls, she had overshadowed them all.

Ji Yingying and Bai Menglin, for example.

They had all been top students at their elite high school, excelling academically.

Bai Menglin had gone to a 211 university for undergrad and later earned a master’s degree from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. She now worked at a finance firm in Central.

Shen Yuyan had followed her Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) account—her life seemed dazzling.

Meanwhile, Ji Yingying had gone straight to the U.S. for college. She previously worked in New York as a simultaneous interpreter, but word had it that she had recently returned to China.

However, because she was always busy with work, she had rarely shown up in the group chat, so no one knew the details.

Now, out of nowhere, she was being interviewed on TV, sharing her career growth over the past two or three years.

Because of her interpreter background, she had caught the attention of the chairman of "Zhifang Medical," a domestic medical device company, and became his assistant, specializing in international client relations.

At the beginning of this year, Zhifang Medical went public on the A-shares market, with a valuation close to 10 billion yuan.

Due to her outstanding performance, Ji Yingying was promoted to the head of investor relations at just 26, becoming an executive at a listed company with an annual salary in the millions.

Naturally, she had a significant public presence, and with her good looks, she was being used as part of Zhifang Medical’s branding strategy.

This interview was essentially an advertisement.

The class group chat was buzzing with excitement like never before.

【"I just saw the original video on Douyin—it already has over 100,000 likes! Yingying is amazing; she’s going to be famous!"】

【"Damn, I just realized she works at Zhifang Medical! I’ve