Maxing Out Charisma, Inheriting Game Assets Chapter 829: Influence, Gifts

Yancheng Normal University.

Qian Lele, with a backpack on her shoulders, stepped briskly out of the main door of the Science Building.

A bitingly cold wind hit her face, and she instinctively hunched her shoulders, pulling her scarf up higher.

Winter evenings always arrived exceptionally early.

It was just a little past five, and the western horizon was already ablaze with a fiery orange-red glow from the setting sun.

On the main road where patches of unmelted snow still lingered, students pulling suitcases walked in twos and threes. The wheels crunched over thin layers of ice, emitting a faint, crisp "crackling" sound.

In the distance, some people were walking towards the dormitories with books in their arms, while others carried freshly baked sweet potatoes, exhaling white puffs of breath as they walked.

Qian Lele stood on the steps, taking a deep breath of the icy, sharp air.

A wave of coolness filled her lungs, completely waking her up.

From this moment on, her winter vacation officially began.

The schedule in her mind was already packed full:

She needed to systematically plan her postgraduate entrance exam review; English vocabulary and math couldn't be skipped for a single day.

The online operations plan for the newly opened "Sister Wen's Clay Pot Skewers" still needed some polishing; it was her first attempt at being a business partner.

Life had clear goals now, every step was grounded and solid.

This was the state she felt most secure in, and the one she liked the most.

"Buzz, buzz, buzz—"

Her phone vibrated in her down jacket pocket.

She pulled it out and saw it was a message in the 201 Dormitory group chat.

[Wu Siqi: "@Qian Lele, Lele! Are you done with your exam?! We're just waiting for you!!"]

[Li Jingrong: "Hurry back! If you don't come back soon, we'll start eating your spicy strips!"]

Qian Lele looked at the screen, the corners of her mouth involuntarily turning up as she quickly replied: "Done, done! Coming back to the dorm right now!"

Putting away her phone, she jogged across the small plaza of the Qizhi Garden.

Circling around a few bare ginkgo trees, the familiar dormitory building came into view.

This might be the last time all members of Dorm 201 would have a meal together.

Come spring next year, everyone would be going their separate ways.

Those taking the postgraduate exams would go into seclusion with their research groups, those with internships would return to their hometowns, and some would go abroad...

She went upstairs and pushed open the door to Room 201.

A wave of warm air and five smiling faces greeted her.

"Lele's here!"

"Oh my god, are you frozen? Your face is all red."

"Don't dawdle, hurry up and change, let's go!"

Li Jingrong, while reapplying her lipstick, turned her head and asked, "Lele, what's the name of that little shop of yours again?"

"Sister Wen's Clay Pot Skewers," Qian Lele reported the name seriously, then added somewhat sheepishly, "Actually, it's not really my shop. It's opened by Sister Wen, I just have a tiny bit of equity."

The partnership agreement had just been signed a few days ago.

On that agreement, she and Brother Song each contributed 15,000, for a total investment of 30,000.

But because Tang Song provided an incredibly powerful fresh produce cold chain channel, even including some storage resources, which directly drove costs down to the absolute minimum.

So the final equity split was adjusted—she and Tang Song together held 40% of the shares.

"Having equity means you're a boss! Can we get a discount when we go eat there in the future?"

"Discounts are a must!"

"Hooray! Boss Lele is so generous!"

The six girls laughed and chattered as they headed out, passing through the back alley filled with the atmosphere of everyday life.

The sign for "Sister Wen's Clay Pot Skewers" glowed with a warm yellow light in the dusk.

The door opened, a wind chime tinkled softly.

There were already two tables of customers in the small shop. Clay pots bubbled and gurgled, and a rich aroma of spices wafted towards them.

"Hey! Welcome, beauties from 201!" Sister Wen was just coming out from the kitchen carrying dishes. Seeing them, she greeted them in a bright, clear voice: "We saved the big table by the window for you!"

Sister Meng also came forward with a smile: "Lele's here, come on, sit, sit."

The spicy red oil broth was brought to the table.

Dried chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns tumbled and swirled in the boiling soup. Steam rose, quickly fogging up the window glass.

Because parting was imminent, these usually well-behaved girls surprisingly ordered two bottles of beer.

"Come on, come on, let's have a toast!" Li Jingrong raised her glass, her eyes slightly red but sparkling brightly. "To all the sisters of 201! Wherever you go, may your futures be bright and promising!"

"Ding~ ding~ ding~~"

Six glass cups clinked together crisply, producing a pleasant sound.

"Bright and promising futures!"

"Cheers!"

"May you all pass your exams soon!"

The cool beer slid down their throats, diluting the melancholy of parting.

The six of them chatted while eating, topics ranging from the weather to the cafeteria, from winter break plans to their anxieties and hopes for the future.

Wu Siqi, biting into a piece of tripe skewer, looked at Qian Lele. "Lele, you're almost a senior too. What are your plans? Go straight to work or take the postgraduate exam?"

Qian Lele put down her chopsticks and said seriously, "Postgraduate exam."

"Still computer science?"

"Mhm, I want to focus on something related to AI."

"Wow! Smart choice! AI is insanely popular right now." Li Jingrong nodded in agreement. "And you already have project experience, plus Professor Jiang guiding you. Your starting point is much higher than ours."

Mentioning Professor Jiang, Wu Siqi suddenly remembered something, put down her chopsticks, and asked gossipily, "Oh right, Lele, how has Professor Jiang been lately? I heard she resigned and went to work as an executive at some big company?"

Jiang Yourong was the goddess-like teacher of the Computer Science department and had taught them professional courses before.

Back then, it was Professor Jiang who had arranged for Qian Lele to be transferred to this mixed dormitory.

Qian Lele nodded, chewing on a fish ball. "Yeah, it's that company our lab has been cooperating with, called 'Xuanji Optical World.' Professor Jiang is now the Director of their University Cooperation Office, I think."

"I've heard of that company too! It seems super hot in tech circles recently!"

"Professor Jiang is really amazing. She always seemed so laid-back, didn't expect her to be so deep..."

Listening to their discussion, Qian Lele's heart stirred.

Oh right.

She had been so busy with exam review these past few days, she almost forgot.

Professor Jiang had mentioned in a WeChat message a couple of days ago that today was the official opening day for Xuanji Optical World's new global headquarters.

She said the building was very beautiful, full of futuristic vibes, and invited Lele to visit Shen City during winter break if she had time, to take her on a tour.

Thinking of this, Qian Lele wiped her hands and took out her phone.

Even if she wasn't there, she could still check the news, right?

She opened Douyin and typed into the search bar: "Xuanji Optical World new headquarters"

Her fingertip lightly tapped search.

The page jumped.

The first video that loaded wasn't the skyscraper she expected.

It was a face.

A side profile that was incredibly familiar, yet struck her as stunningly unfamiliar.

Qian Lele froze, her eyes widening.

She stared at the image of Tang Song on the screen, her gaze falling on the title of the first news item.

"What's wrong, Lele?" Wu Siqi next to her noticed her holding her phone in a daze and leaned over to ask. "See something interesting?"

Qian Lele panicked internally and instinctively flipped her phone face down on the table.

"Nothing... nothing," she forced a smile, picking up her glass to cover. "Come on, let's have another toast!"

"Come on, come on! Cheers!"

Another round of clinking glasses.

This time, the cool beer sliding down her throat carried a hint of an indescribable bitterness.

Amidst the steaming, fragrant air of the hotpot, Qian Lele's cheeks felt a little warm, but her heart was beating wildly.

While everyone was chatting, she quietly picked up her phone again and opened the comment section of that video.

Tens of thousands of comments, dense and numerous.

Everyone was discussing him.

The name "Tang Song" was repeatedly mentioned, praised, even worshipped by countless unfamiliar netizens.

Some netizens also posted his resume.

Looking at those titles, each word glittering like gold, each entry representing immense wealth and status.

Qian Lele's breathing became somewhat heavy.

Although she had always known Brother Song was amazing, knew he was rich, knew he wasn't an ordinary person.

But only at this moment.

In this roadside eatery filled with the atmosphere of everyday life, separated by a cold screen.

Did she feel, for the first time, so directly, so shockingly.

How high he stood.

How far he was from the world of ordinary people.

A powerful surge of pride welled up from the depths of her heart, that pride of sharing in someone's glory.

But immediately after, a tiny, insignificant tinge of sourness and loss bubbled up and burst in her heart.

He was like a cloud in the sky, getting higher and higher, further and further away.

And she was still striving hard, memorizing vocabulary for the postgraduate exam and managing a skewer business worth a few dollars.

This distance wasn't an emotional estrangement.

It was the gap between two different worlds.

Qian Lele gently sniffled and turned off her phone screen.

......

Linjin Building, 20th floor, Jinxiu Commerce.

Approaching the end of the workday, the office area already had a somewhat relaxed atmosphere.

The sound of keyboards gradually thinned out. Many people had already started quietly tidying things on their desks, looking forward to clocking out on time.

Du Yuying at the front desk rubbed her sore wrist, filed the last visitor registration form by category, and glanced at the time in the lower right corner of her computer.

Ten minutes to six.

She stretched with a big yawn, just about to start packing up.

"Ding dong—"

A WeChat notification sounded, a new message in her close friends' group chat.

[Zhou Tong: "Ahhhh I'm in love, girls!!! Who understands, who understands (screaming groundhog.jpg"]

[Vivi: "???"]

Du Yuying rolled her eyes and sent back a "black man with question marks" meme. She knew Zhou Tong too well.

A seasoned face-appreciator, a crazy star-chaser.

She could follow a male celebrity for four or five years, even hoarding a case of the mineral water he endorsed.

But in real life, she was socially awkward, too lazy to even add a guy's WeChat.

This kind of person suddenly announcing a relationship? Only a ghost would believe it.

[Zhou Tong: "Really!! Just unilaterally announced establishing a relationship! I'm so happy! I could stare at this face for a year!!"]

[Du Yuying: "Pfft, send a photo! No picture, you're full of it! Let me see which unlucky guy got dug up by you, this cabbage!"]

After sending the message, Du Yuying picked up her mug and took a casual sip of lukewarm water, her fingers lightly tapping the screen, waiting to see which obscure, minor celebrity her friend had become obsessed with now.

A few seconds later.

A high-definition picture popped up.

Du Yuying casually glanced at it.

"Pfft— cough, cough, cough—"

She almost spat a mouthful of water onto the screen.

She abruptly put down the cup, grabbed her phone, and brought it close to her face, her eyes nearly popping out.

In the photo was a close-up side shot of a man.

His features were sharp and three-dimensional, his skin appearing a cool-toned white under the magnesium lights, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist.

He was slightly turning his head, his gaze deep and detached. That aura of noble restraint and control practically overflowed from the screen.

This was top-tier "man who stepped out of a manga" looks, handsome, with no bad angles.

But the problem was—

Du Yuying grabbed her phone and sent a voice reply directly: "You're talking nonsense! This is our company's leader! President Tang!"

As a technical advisor and CTO, Tang Song had rarely appeared at the company recently, especially in the last two-plus months, he had basically not shown his face.

Only for important technical meetings would he occasionally join remotely for a few words.

But Du Yuying absolutely could not be mistaken.

Even though the person in this photo was exaggeratedly handsome, with an extraordinary aura, this was indeed him.

The group chat was quiet for a moment.

[Zhou Tong: "You're the one talking nonsense! This is the CEO of 'Xuanji Optical World'! A lot of people are talking about him right now! How could he possibly be your leader? Are you dreaming, sis?"]

[Vivi: "??? What Xuanji Optical World? Whatever, whatever, I'm going for this face first! I'm so into this intellectual-type handsome guy."]

[Zhou Tong: [Link: Xuanji Optical World Global Headquarters Officially Opens Today, 26-Year-Old CEO Makes First Public Appearance]]

Du Yuying was stunned for a moment and instinctively clicked the link.

The page loaded, lines of bold headlines, paragraphs of formal text, mixed with high-definition on-site photos, densely covering the screen.

A "buzzing" sound went off in her head, as if something had exploded.

President Tang? Tang Song?

CEO of a tech unicorn?

The report also mentioned Ms. Ouyang from "Tang Yi Precision," Director Jin from "Smile Holdings."

One after another, they were all renowned entrepreneurs and top-tier corporate magnates she had only heard of in financial news.

And these people were actually connected to Tang Song.

What in the world was all this?

Du Yuying's finger froze on the screen, her whole body rooted to the spot.

Then she began searching frantically, her mouth unconsciously hanging open, her expression growing more and more shocked.

She found the most detailed report and, without the slightest hesitation, directly forwarded it to the company's main group chat.

Immediately after.

The company's main group chat, which had been about to fall silent as the workday ended, instantly exploded.

Notification sounds rang out like a rapid drumbeat, wildly increasing in frequency.

Soon.

"Whoa—!!!"

In the real office area, waves of exclamations and discussions erupted.

In the Technical Support Business Department.

Hands typing on keyboards stopped. Actions of packing bags froze.

The originally quiet space was instantly filled with sharp intakes of breath.

"Holy crap..."

"Holy crap!!"

"Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap!"

"This is... this is President Tang?!"

"CEO of Xuanji Optical World? That unicorn making holographic glasses?"

"This is too unbelievable! Even TV dramas wouldn't dare write a plot like this!"

"Look at this resume below... So when he came to work here before, was he going incognito to experience ordinary life?"

"I knew it! No wonder 'Smile Capital' specifically wanted him as CTO. Turns out he was a big shot all along!"

"Oh my god, I even asked him to bring me milk tea once?!"

A group of people chattered and discussed, their voices growing louder, tones filled with shock, disbelief, and a kind of fervent pride in sharing his glory.

In the corner.

Zhao Yue sat motionless at her workstation.

She stared fixedly at her phone screen.

Former Algorithm Architect and Chairman of the hundred-billion-dollar private equity firm Rongliu Capital.

Early co-founder of the world-class AI unicorn Qingning Technology.

Global CEO of Xuanji Optical World.

In the video.

He stood beside Ms. Ouyang, composed and at ease, his demeanor noble and restrained.

The side profile of his face under the spotlight was sharp and clear.

One glittering, weighty title after another, enough to crush a person, overlapped with the image of the person who used to come to work with a backpack.

How could this be?

November 2022.

When Tang Song first joined the company, he sat less than two meters behind her.

Back then, she only knew that this person was a technical expert who had jumped ship from "Meigou Technology" in the Imperial Capital. He was indeed very skilled, practically a full-stack developer.

He helped her a lot on the front-end. When she encountered problems she couldn't solve, she would just turn around and call out "Brother Song," and he would push his chair over and quietly look at the logic with her.

His tone was gentle.

His attitude friendly.

Who could have imagined that back then, he already had so many identities that were on a completely different plane?

Breathing became increasingly difficult.

Sourness, regret, shock...

Complex, hard-to-articulate emotions churned in her chest.

The night outside the window grew thicker, the neon lights of Yancheng began to flicker.

It was long past quitting time.

But in the entire Jinxiu Commerce office area, not a single person got up to leave.

The clamor not only didn't stop, but continued to ferment.

Everyone was frantically forwarding links, posting screenshots on their social media feeds, posting on Xiaohongshu, excitedly leaving comments on various internet platforms.

8 PM.

Shen City, Xuanji Optical World Global Headquarters Building.

The clamor had finally dispersed.

Tang Song stood alone in the elevator, watching the numbers slowly change.

15, 23, 30...

He loosened his tie and let out a soft sigh.

It had been a very long day.

First, the highly anticipated opening ceremony, followed by two hours of intense, concentrated socializing.

After the banquet ended, he personally saw off t