novelraw Chapter 552: An Unexpected Encounter
Chapter 552: An Unexpected Encounter
October 19, 2023, Thursday. Cloudy turning clear, 8~21°C.
A spell of autumn rain brings a wave of chill.
By mid-October, the temperature in Yancheng keeps dropping.
Shengyuan Jiajing Residential Compound, rowhouse villas.
"———"
In the strength training area, the clinking of dumbbells echoed through the spacious and bright room, rhythmic and powerful.
Tang Song was dressed in the Endless Vitality outfit, the defined lines of his firm arms highlighted under the lights. Beads of sweat glistened at his temples, and his chest rose and fell slightly with each breath.
After finishing a set of high-intensity bench presses, he steadily racked the barbell back onto the stand.
He casually wiped the sweat off his face, grabbed his bottle, and took a deep gulp of ice water.
The cool sensation instantly dispelled some of the fatigue.After a shower and changing into a clean, comfy set of plain loungewear, he took the elevator straight to the third-floor multifunctional studio.
He sat behind the sit-stand desk.
Pulled out his phone and opened the Xiaohongshu app.
The first thing that appeared was a flood of unread messages.
The latest post: “HEYISTUDIO Visual Identity System Now Public – Feedback Welcome, Shareholders!”
Once again, it went viral and sparked heated discussion among netizens.
If the previous two posts — one announcing the brand's operations and the other about collecting Chinese name suggestions — were still met with some skepticism, with people suspecting it was scripted or staged…
Then the release of this complete, professional, and aesthetically pleasing visual identity system largely silenced the doubters.
The comment section was almost all positive. Quite a few industry insiders even left messages saying, “This VI system could be a benchmark for the industry — it’s got real soul.”
Tang Song smiled while scrolling through the comments and nodded in satisfaction, then clicked on the previous post.
After all, it was a prize-based name submission event.
As of now, the number of likes had reached over 8,000, and comments had surpassed 4,800.
The two most liked names were essentially:
Heyi and Heyi (Alt).
Each name had its own appeal. The former was gentle and harmonious, symbolizing unity and inclusiveness; the latter had a more modern, stylish vibe — full of design flair and energy.
He planned to organize an internal vote after the submission period ended to finalize the brand name.
Then, he noticed the ID: Su Yu’s April.
Previously, it hadn’t seemed unusual to him.
In fact, among his fans, IDs like Yan Province Su Yu, Su Yu’s Girlfriend, Su Yu’s Husband were quite common.
“Su Yu” had already become synonymous with beauty and elegance.
But after retrieving his 2017–2018 memories in Modu, he’d started to feel something different.
He and Su Yu had first met in April — which led to everything that followed.
Now, seeing that ID again, his mind couldn’t help but wander.
Could it be that behind this account… was the actress herself?
He couldn’t resist clicking into the profile, but aside from the ID, there was nothing unusual. No verification info, no posts.
He sighed, casually liked the post, and then replied to several top comments.
After finishing that,
the sky outside had started to brighten. The dark of night gradually faded to gray in the distance, revealing the first light of dawn.
Tang Song leaned back in his chair and opened the system interface.
He entered the warehouse.
His focus fell on an item glowing with a silver light.
[Tang Song’s Draft Paper]: A fine piece of draft paper once used by the player "Tang Song." Write the project, person, or company you want to research on it to receive fairly accurate inference data. Durability (3/3).
Note 1: The sediment riverbed of knowledge, the hidden corners of thought.
Note 2: When durability hits zero, throw it in the trash precisely — you might gain something unexpected.
He’d had this item for a long time.
Now that Rongliu Investment had stabilized and the task [③ Capital Hunter] was underway, it was time to put it to use to speed things up.
And his first target was “Zhilian Future.”
Last night, Wen Ruan had returned from the Imperial Capital and officially took over part of the core business of Nebula International Group.
Tang Song and Big Sis chatted into the early hours, having an in-depth discussion.
He selected [Tang Song’s Draft Paper] and used it.
Immediately, a phantom-like sheet appeared in his vision.
Using his mind, he wrote down “Zhilian Future” along with everything he knew about it.
In an instant, the page seemed to activate. Lines of flowing text emerged, like mysterious codes constantly reorganizing and decoding.
After a moment,
a complete report appeared in his mind — detailed down to the finest points.
From company overview, current team status, core business and tech advantages, to market potential assessment and ROI estimates — incredibly thorough.
It was even clearer than the research done by the professional team he’d hired through Rongliu Capital.
AI + e-commerce was a key hot trend over the next five years, especially with growing demand in content generation, recommendation algorithms, and user behavior prediction.
This niche market was expected to surpass hundreds of billions in value, and so far, there was no clear dominant player or unicorn.
Zhilian Future wasn’t a leader yet, but it had unicorn potential.
After carefully reading through the analysis, Tang Song felt instantly energized. He wanted to hug Big Sis and reward her big time.
Most high-quality projects were already locked down by major companies or top-tier VCs, and their fundraising happened quietly.
Even with Rongliu Capital's credentials, Tang Song only got access to some of these deals when they were actively raising.
And he didn’t have that kind of time to sit around and wait.
Plus, he only had three uses of Tang Song’s Draft Paper — each one was invaluable.
Identifying a true unicorn from among them was no easy task.
Even with Yimai Tech, he wasn’t entirely sure if it would qualify in the end.
Now, thanks to Wen Ruan’s recommendation, a third of the goal was solved — and with a startup, no less.
Looks like a trip to Yangcheng was inevitable!
Tang Song got up and stretched. It was already 7:30 AM — the sky was completely bright.
He headed downstairs.
Pushed open the master bedroom door, and there was Big Sis, crouched by the bed,
playing with Little Snowball.
She had probably just woken up. Her hair was a bit messy, and she’d casually thrown on a long-sleeved base layer that snugly wrapped around her heavy, round E-cup chest.
Because of her squatting posture, her peach-shaped hips filled out her gray sleep pants in full, luscious curves.
Morning light filtered in through the curtains, casting a soft glow across her figure, highlighting her glowing skin and voluptuous frame.
Her eyes were lowered, lips curved in a faint smile, completely immersed in playing with Snowball — unaware someone had entered.
Tang Song leaned against the wall, quietly watching her, smiling.
After a moment,
Wen Ruan suddenly chuckled, looked up, and said, “Had your fill of staring?”
Her voice was still a little husky from just waking up — sultry, like a true queen bee.
“Not yet.” Tang Song smiled, walked into the room, and crouched beside her.
Wen Ruan teased the cat with her fingertips, shooting him a playful glance. “Since you’re here, wanna play with me for a bit?”
“Play what?” Tang Song’s eyes lit up, his hand sliding along her waist to the edge of her sleep pants, drawing lazy circles with his finger at the waistband. “Is Miss Wen Ruan gonna correct my workout posture again?”
“Of course I mean the kitty.” Wen Ruan shivered slightly, scooping up the ragdoll cat as she purred in her magnetic voice, “Snowball, there’s a big bad wolf trying to take advantage of your mommy — bite him!”
The neckline of her base shirt slipped with her movement, revealing a bare, fragrant shoulder.
Tang Song couldn’t help but reach out and gently rub the ragdoll’s little head, his fingertips gliding through its soft fur. “Snowball, your mommy’s lying to you again.”
In the quiet bedroom, the soft meowing echoed — a mix of response and affection.
Scented warmth lingered.
Ding-a-ling-ling— The phone rang suddenly.
Tang Song glanced at the caller ID.
It was Zhang Lei, his middle school classmate.
He raised an eyebrow and answered the call while still petting the cat. “Hey, Zhang Lei.”
A familiar, slightly hoarse voice came through the earpiece. “Tang Song, you free right now?”
Tang Song glanced down at Big Sis snuggling in his arms, softly humming. The corners of his lips lifted. “Yeah, I’m free. What’s up?”
“Man, I kept saying I’d get drinks with you. I’ve been in Yancheng for over two weeks now and still haven’t followed through. Just closed a deal with my boss — finally catching a breather. You free tonight? Let’s meet up!”
Tang Song thought for a moment. “Sure, I’ve got time.”
“Great. I’m staying at the company dorm. There’s this really authentic BBQ spot nearby. Wanna grab some skewers?”
“No problem. I’m good with that.”
“Cool. I’ll send you the location. See you tonight!”
After hanging up, Tang Song winked at Big Sis and continued petting the cat.
Huashang Apparel, 3rd Floor, R&D Design Center.
A separated independent office area.
Footsteps approached, and the assistant designer entered, unable to hide her admiration.
“Lingling, your sample outfit is finished.”
Her face lit up with excitement. “It looks amazing in person. If this set gets launched, it’ll definitely blow up.”
Hearing that, Yao Lingling jumped up from her seat, eyes sparkling. “I wanna see it!”
She practically ran into the sample area.
Sunlight streamed in through the glass window, lighting up the bright and tidy sample room.
Near the east side, a caramel brown turtleneck sweater paired with dark gray slightly wide-legged trousers hung quietly on a mannequin — with two identical sets beside it.
Yao Lingling approached and gently touched the premium wool-blend fabric. The texture was soft and delicate, with smooth, natural lines.
The cuffs and collar featured 3D tailoring for a crisp, structured shape. The waist’s metal buckle was a custom design — subtle yet exquisite, the perfect finishing touch.
This design by Senior… was pure genius!
Even though she had already seen the sketches and had personally drawn the pattern sheet, the finished product still exceeded her expectations — not only did it perfectly recreate Tang Song’s original sketches, but the details had even been improved.
After all, Huashang Apparel was a major manufacturer, equipped with a complete production line and experienced technicians.
From the moment she submitted the design to the completion of the sample outfit, it had taken only two or three days. The efficiency was impressive, and the craftsmanship was impeccable.
She was already looking forward to seeing Tang Song in the outfit.
She glanced at the time.
Looking at the time on her phone, she picked up the camera, aimed it at the mannequin, picked a good angle, and snapped a few serious shots. Then she opened WeChat and sent them to Tang Song.
The message read: “Senior, the outfit’s all done! It looks amazing in real life — you have to come see it! By the way, when are you coming to Huashang? I’ve already coordinated with the production line. We can arrange the shoot anytime!”
Yesterday, Tang Song had told her at the office that he was coming over to shoot a video today.
Part of it was to boost brand authenticity and trust, and part of it was to create that “character growth” vibe and strengthen user engagement.
She was naturally thrilled that Tang Song was actively updating Xiaohongshu.
As his “cyber girlfriend,” she was unbeatable in the comments under the “April” posts.
Thinking of that, Yao Lingling chuckled softly.
She opened the Xiaohongshu app and scrolled to Tang Song’s latest post.
Scrolled down a bit.
Her ID popped up right at the top.
[Yao Yao Ling]: “Thanks everyone for supporting my cyber boyfriend! Any sisters want to co-create brand fashion together? We can form a ‘Cyber Shareholders Squad’ and discuss clothing colors, cuts, and design details together～ If you want to join, DM me! I’ll be waiting for you! (P.S. I can pass everyone’s suggestions directly to April! #Wink)”
What thrilled Yao Lingling the most was that Tang Song had manually pinned her comment.
In other words, it was official.
The one and only “Cyber Girlfriend”!
Hmph. With that title, all those overzealous fans had to take a step back!
In fact, ever since Tang Song had transformed and become a handsome idol-type, a wave of “face stans” had started flooding his comment section.
These people interacted daily, fighting for attention. Some even made chat groups to “raise April together,” all trying to steal the “No. 1 Fan” crown.
Among them, the one that stood out the most to her was the user with the ID [Su Yu’s April].
But as the earliest and most involved participant — the most interactive cyber girlfriend, the junior who knew everything inside out —
Her position was unshakable.
She opened her messages, already full of DMs.
As the core designer at Songmei Apparel, Yao Lingling was being sincere with her offer. She genuinely wanted to hear feedback from others, and help her senior maintain his fanbase.
So, she started sending out QQ group numbers one by one.
One of them replied almost instantly — the moment she sent the message, a response popped up.
[PikaQQ]: “Thank you! I’ve applied to join — hope I can get approved soon.”
Just as Yao Lingling was about to reply—
Footsteps suddenly echoed from behind, approaching rapidly.
And then came that familiar voice that made her heart race: “Lingling.”
She turned around instinctively. The moment her eyes landed on him, her lips curled up, eyes glowing: “President Tang, you’re here!”
Tang Song gave a slight nod and exchanged a few words with several Huashang executives.
The group nodded and left, and the sample area gradually quieted down.
Tang Song walked up to the mannequin, his gaze briefly resting on Yao Lingling — more precisely, on her hips.
Thanks to targeted workouts, this junior’s potential had begun to show.
Her full hips, shaped by her standard pear-shaped figure, were striking even under loose trousers.
Honestly, they were even bigger than Big Sis’s peach-shaped butt — visually powerful.
Sensing his gaze, Yao Lingling blushed slightly and playfully slapped him. “That’s rude, you know!”
Her hand touched the firm, toned muscles of his arm, making her heart flutter.
Tang Song chuckled, “What’s wrong, my cyber girlfriend? I’m not even allowed to look?”
Yao Lingling let out a tiny squeak, her heart pounding wildly. “Fine then… since you’re both my cyber boyfriend and my boss, I’ll let it slide this once.”
The two bantered back and forth, their tone casual yet laced with flirtation.
Tang Song picked up a set of [Autumn Encounter] and walked into the changing room.
A while later, he walked out slowly.
Yao Lingling was standing to the side. The moment her eyes met his, she froze.
Her eyes welled up slightly, and she gently bit her lower lip.
Tang Song stood there quietly, like the male lead who’d just walked out of an artsy film.
The caramel brown turtleneck was soft and classy. Its slightly loose H-cut silhouette, dropped shoulders, and tapered cuffs gave a relaxed but refined vibe. The black dress pants were slim and sharp, paired with brown leather shoes, outlining his long, lean frame.
His skin tone looked radiant against the colors. His collarbones faintly visible, the turtleneck wrapping around his neck just right — both warm and intellectually stylish.
A textbook urban literary dream guy.
“How do I look?” Tang Song tilted his head slightly and smiled at her.
Blushing, Yao Lingling said, “Very handsome.”
“You did great too. The fit is perfect, and it’s super comfortable.” Tang Song stepped forward and couldn’t resist giving his junior’s round butt a playful smack. “Let’s go, Lingling. Time to shoot the video.”
Yao Lingling jolted, her face instantly turning crimson. She stammered, “O-okay.”
She hurried after Tang Song, her mind a flurry of thoughts.
The two of them, accompanied by the production manager, entered the newly operational “Smart Workshop.”
The lighting was soft and even, thanks to a shadowless LED industrial lighting system, creating a serene, high-tech atmosphere.
±0.1mm precision automated cutting tables, laser cutters, smart suspension systems, Swiss Saurer embroidery machines…
The scene was full of modern industrial aesthetics.
Tang Song picked up his action cam and began filming.
6:30 PM.
The sky had fully darkened, and the city’s neon lights twinkled in the night.
A black Rolls-Royce parked outside a pedestrian street, drawing the attention of passersby.
Tang Song stepped out of the car and strolled slowly down the street.
After walking 200–300 meters, he stopped, looked up, and was briefly dazed by the lighting.
[Tian’s BBQ]
When he’d seen the location Zhang Lei sent, it had felt familiar.
Turns out — it was this place.
Back when he worked at Jinxiu Commercial, their last team-building dinner was here.
And it was on that very night that the game became real, and dreams turned into reality.
This was a mid-to-high-end BBQ joint, occupying the third floor of a street-facing building.
Well-decorated, with plenty of private rooms and a comfortable atmosphere.
He pushed the door open and entered the restaurant.
The air was filled with the scent of grilled meat, mixed with a faint aroma of alcohol.
Tang Song took a few steps forward and quickly spotted his old classmate Zhang Lei sitting by the window.
The latter was focused on browsing the menu, his expression concentrated.
He looked quite different from how he used to be back in Quancheng—wearing a sharp suit, his hair neatly styled, his entire demeanor exuding a mature, professional air.
“Zhang Lei!” Tang Song called out with a smile, striding over.
“Tang Song, long time no see.”
Zhang Lei immediately stood up and gave him a warm hug.
“Looking sharp, man.”
Zhang Lei laughed a little awkwardly, “Come on, I’m in sales—especially now that I’m dealing with big clients. Gotta keep up appearances. But you! You’re looking slicker by the day. No wonder—you’re in fashion now. That outfit today’s got real artsy vibes.”
He quickly noticed that, with Tang Song’s arrival, quite a few women in the restaurant—both young ladies and married ones—were sneaking glances their way.
After they sat down, they started ordering and chatting casually. The mood was relaxed and cheerful.
Zhang Lei ordered a few extra dishes and lowered his voice to add, “I picked this place for a reason. Our company signed a deal with them, and as a salesperson, I get a monthly spending quota. Tonight’s on me—it’s all on the company dime.”
“Haha, nice! I’ll take full advantage then. Your company’s got solid perks.”
“Totally!” Zhang Lei cracked open a bottle of Laoshan beer and poured for both of them. “Cheers, man.” Updates are released by novel fire.net
“Cheers.”
Since it was a weekday, the restaurant wasn’t too crowded. Their skewers came out pretty quickly.
The cold beer sliding down their throats, paired with spicy, flavorful meat skewers, gradually warmed up the atmosphere between the two.
From their chat, Tang Song learned about Zhang Lei’s current situation.
After joining Zhongcheng Group, he was still working in the food and beverage division as a channel business specialist, handling large accounts like chain supermarkets, convenience stores, and restaurant groups.
Compared to his previous job, the pressure was a lot lower, but the pay had improved significantly.
He was very satisfied with how things were going.
He even did the math with his fingers for Tang Song—if luck held out, he could pay off his family’s debts by next year, and then start saving up to buy a house and finally settle down in Yancheng.
He also had his eye on a female colleague and was plotting how to pursue her.
Between clinks of glasses, Tang Song saw something in Zhang Lei’s eyes that he hadn’t seen in a long time—a genuine hope for the future, and a deep contentment with his present life.
Tang Song felt sincerely happy for his old classmate.
His mind involuntarily drifted to another middle school friend: Zhang Yan.
Just then—
Zhang Lei suddenly sat up straight, set down his beer, and looked a bit tense.
“What is it?” Tang Song asked casually, noticing his change in demeanor.
Zhang Lei pursed his lips and lowered his voice, “I just saw one of our company execs… walking this way. I should go say hi.”
Tang Song turned around, following his gaze, and indeed saw three people entering the restaurant.
A young man in his mid-twenties walked in front, followed by two older middle-aged men.
Tang Song’s eyes landed on the young man, his brows slightly raising.
Fair-skinned, handsome features, a fresh and clean aura—he looked like one of those flower boys straight out of a Korean drama.
Gao Junfeng?
The name instantly surfaced in Tang Song’s mind.
The reason the name stood out to him was because of Qiuqiu.
He quickly recalled that Gao Junfeng had attended a private bank event as Su Ping’s assistant.
And Su Ping was the Vice President of Zhongcheng Group.
As the three men entered under their gaze—
Zhang Lei hurriedly stood up and greeted them with a smile, “Assistant Gao, President Wang, Brother Liu, good evening.”
“Oh? Zhang Lei.” Department Manager Liu Huiyang smiled warmly and gave a nod, casually introducing, “This is our new colleague, Zhang Lei.”
The other two just gave a polite “Mm,” not paying much attention to the junior employee.
Then, suddenly, Gao Junfeng’s gaze shifted past Zhang Lei and landed on someone behind him. His eyes flickered. “Tang Song?”
Tang Song held a glass of beer in his hand and calmly nodded in acknowledgment.
Several eyes turned toward him with interest.
Zhang Lei’s face lit up in surprise. “Assistant Gao, you know Tang Song?”
Having been with the company for over half a month, he had already figured out the key leaders.
The division handled by Vice President Su Ping was the food and beverage business, and her assistant Gao Junfeng held significant sway—especially over personnel and resource allocation in that sector.
Even their department manager, Liu Huiyang, deferred to Gao Junfeng in many matters.
You could see that clearly from how the three were standing right now.
If Zhang Lei could establish a connection with Gao Junfeng, it would be a huge boost to his career at Zhongcheng.
Gao Junfeng gave a faint smile. “We’ve met a few times.”
Then he gave Tang Song a long, meaningful look before turning and heading upstairs.