novelraw Chapter 761: Charm at 90
Chapter 761: Charm at 90
Seeing Tang Song enter.
Secretary Jin immediately stood up from behind the desk.
She extended her slender fingers, gently smoothing the gold-rimmed glasses on the bridge of her nose, her movements carrying a practiced deference.
"President Tang, you've arrived, please have a seat."
Secretary Jin proactively vacated the seat symbolizing supreme authority, bending slightly to make a "please" gesture.
With her movement, the tight black pencil skirt outlined a perfect curve.
She looked noble, coldly beautiful, and utterly breathtaking.
Tang Song wasn't in a hurry to sit down.
He glanced around, his gaze unintentionally sweeping over a monitor on the desk that was in sleep mode.
The black screen was like a mirror, clearly reflecting his current appearance.The person in the mirror wasn't his present self.
It was him before leaving the Imperial Capital in 2022. Due to long-term high-pressure work and irregular routines, his body had already started to gain weight, his hair was a bit long, and he wore a pair of heavy blue-light blocking glasses on the bridge of his nose.
He looked very disheveled.
But it was still much better than when the game descended upon Yancheng.
In fact, his true "decline" happened after leaving the Imperial Capital.
With the White Moonlight gone from his life, he abandoned all image management.
Daily sugary drinks, high-carb meals, followed by cheap grilled meat and rice for dinner at night—it was hard not to gain weight.
Tang Song looked at himself in the mirror, understanding dawning in his heart.
So, this time, Secretary Jin's constructed dream was anchored to the November 2022 timeline.
As the passively linked object, the subconscious Secretary Jin couldn't distinguish whether he was the actively invading "Real Tang Song" or the "dream person" conjured by her own imagination.
In her dream, he was the Tang Song of that time node.
If he made abnormal reactions now or directly exposed the truth, Secretary Jin would realize and then enter the communication phase.
This was also the kind of "spiritual communion" they often had in those past years.
Tang Song looked at the respectful and obedient Secretary Jin before him, his gaze softening.
Those previously lustful, romantic thoughts gradually receded.
Replacing them was a strong curiosity and desire to explore.
He was very curious about what state things would be from Secretary Jin's perspective.
After all, he hadn't yet regained any memories from that time node.
This also seemed like a way to recover memories.
And it could let him understand Secretary Jin better.
He smoothly sat down in the spacious executive chair.
Almost simultaneously.
Secretary Jin handed over a cup of coffee at the perfect temperature, accompanied by a sugar cube he habitually used to refresh himself.
Next, she picked up the remote and lowered the central air conditioning temperature by two degrees.
Then, she spread out a meticulously organized document with highlighted key points before him, even the pen cap was already removed, the tip pointing toward the most convenient position.
Meticulous, flawless.
This series of actions flowed seamlessly, without any unnecessary pauses, as if they were muscle memory rehearsed countless times.
After finishing all this, she quietly sat to the side, her gaze calmly fixed on him.
The sophisticated, cool fragrance emanating from her continuously drifted into his nostrils, refreshing his spirit and clearing his mind.
Tang Song collected his thoughts, his gaze falling on the document on the desk, beginning to converse with her within this segment of memory.
Under the state of [Dream Link], his brain seemed loaded with an overclocking plugin.
His thinking was sharp to the extreme, his logical processing speed astonishingly fast.
Those complex business reports, obscure legal clauses, massive data models...
In his eyes, they seemed to automatically shed their complicated exteriors, decomposing into the most basic numerical building blocks and logical threads.
He could scan ten lines at a glance and remember everything after one pass.
His insight was maxed out at Max.
And for every problem Secretary Jin mentioned, he could instantly know the solution and resolution method.
"There's still room for improvement in Meigou's current supply chain turnover rate..."
For every sharp question Secretary Jin raised, even just starting it.
Tang Song's mind instantly constructed the optimal solution and resolution path, and he voiced it aloud.
He instantly understood.
This was... him in the dream state.
Secretary Jin looked at him, her eyes behind the lenses clear and bright.
She seamlessly matched his pace, responding to every train of thought, supplementing every detail.
Back and forth, their minds collided, sparks flying.
In this office suspended among the clouds, they dissected the future business landscape with a vision transcending the era.
In sync, resonating, perfectly aligned.
This extreme intellectual fusion, this resonance deep within the soul, was more thrilling than physical contact.
In dreams, time has no concept.
Just as their discussion reached its most intense point, the scene suddenly shifted.
Like a movie transition, without warning.
The surroundings became noisy and real.
Tang Song appeared in a familiar corridor.
He looked up at the sign on the wall, 8th floor.
This was the office area of the Backend Technical Support Department at [Meigou Technology], also the place where he had struggled for three years.
With a slight thought, he stepped into the backend development department's office area.
The sound of keyboard tapping, discussions, and printer humming rushed at him.
It was a long-unseen scene.
"Song! Your resignation application and handover forms are printed, on your desk."
Hurried footsteps approached;
it was HR Fan Sisi.
Holding a stack of documents, she spoke rapidly, "Just sign them and send them to my side. Oh, right, also your employee card, access card, computer—remember to check them off with me before leaving work, don't delay the process."
"Oh, thanks, Sister Sisi." Tang Song nodded instinctively.
"Don't mention it, I'll go busy myself now, too many new hires today." Fan Sisi waved her hand and left briskly in her high heels.
Tang Song walked toward his remembered workstation.
Along the way, several familiar voices came.
"Yo, Little Song, really finished the handover?"
"Really decided to leave? No regrets?"
"Mm, leaving." Tang Song responded with a smile, feeling inexplicably emotional.
"Song'er!" Jian Hui from the neighboring workstation swiveled her chair, her face full of reluctance and frustration, "With you gone, our department loses a major pillar. Who's going to fix those hard-to-tackle legacy code mountains in the future? Can you bear to watch me work overtime until I go bald?"
Before Tang Song could speak, male colleague Wang Ziyang nearby chimed in, "I say, Jian Hui, if you really can't bear it, use your beauty strategy! Slap your BMW 3 Series car key on the table and say, 'Tang Song, I'll support you from now on.' Maybe our Tang Song won't leave then!"
"Get lost!" Jian Hui glared at him irritably, but the forthright boldness of a Beijing girl made her laugh herself, "If I had that ability, would I still be here coding with you guys?"
A wave of good-natured laughter rose around them.
Wang Ziyang, Jian Hui, Old He, Brother Bin...
One familiar face after another, each vivid tease.
Made Tang Song feel slightly dazed.
Today was November 11, 2022, Friday.
This was the day he formally resigned, also the day before he left the Imperial Capital.
His luggage had already been packed and mailed back to Yancheng, signed for by Lu Ziming and placed in the empty house at Qingxin Community.
Tomorrow, he would board the high-speed train, bidding farewell to this city.
For him back then, the White Moonlight's departure truly dealt him a heavy blow.
Plus, the family debt was repaid, he was too tired, and wanted to return to Yancheng to stay for a while.
While responding to his colleagues, Tang Song returned to that familiar workstation.
Looking at the laptop, monitor, employee card on it...
His personal items were already taken, the rest were things prepared for handover.
Just then, a strange intuition made him stop.
He suddenly looked up.
His line of sight passed through the noisy office area, landing on the surveillance camera in the corner of the ceiling.
He seemed to sense something.
As he stared, the dream's perspective shifted wondrously.
His vision seemed to travel along the network cable, upward, piercing through floor after floor, finally converging at the chairman's office on the top floor.
The image froze.
Secretary Jin sat blankly in the executive chair.
She wasn't handling documents, nor looking at the scenery outside the window.
On the huge computer screen before her, displayed was the real-time surveillance feed of the 8th-floor backend development department.
The center of the screen was precisely the soon-to-depart Tang Song.
Light reflected on Secretary Jin's elegant, beautiful face.
She watched Tang Song on the screen, laughing and chatting with colleagues, her eyes holding indescribable loss and melancholy.
After a long while.
She slowly extended her slender fingers, gently touching the screen.
Closing her eyes, her eyelashes trembled slightly, concealing the surging mist in her eyes.
In the empty, silent office.
Her soft whisper sounded, "Are you really leaving? The date you mentioned is still so far away. Is it because of Liu Qingning? Why are you so happy with her, but not with me? What should I do..."
...
Tang Song's pupils trembled, his heart began pounding violently at this moment, as if about to shatter his chest.
All along, his subconscious held a deep-seated worry, even inferiority.
He believed what Secretary Jin liked was only that "Perfect Tang Song"—omnipotent under the dream enhancement, never missing a calculation, absolutely rational.
But that wasn't the complete him.
Stripped of the system's halo, his essence was that programmer Tang Song who worried about code, hustled for life, ordinary yet hardworking.
It was only later, with the system's help, that he grew step by step.
That's why he felt faint anxiety and guilt when facing Secretary Jin.
Yet, this scene transcending time and space in the dream made him suddenly realize.
With Secretary Jin's intelligence and temperament, what she saw was always the complete him.
She might have long guessed his hidden secret.
As early as the very beginning of their story, she was also silently watching him in the dimension of reality.
She watched his joys and sorrows, watched his caution in the workplace, watched him fret over life's trivialities, also watched his not-so-perfect love life...
The "god" in the dream and the "human" in reality—this fractured, unscientific, even completely anomalous opposition was unified in her eyes.
She didn't question, didn't feel disappointed, but chose to accept it all.
Her feelings were so thorough and pure.
What she liked wasn't just "Dream Tang Song," but also included him in reality.
...
The scene shifted again.
Like a movie being edited and spliced.
The noisy office disappeared, replaced by a dark, quiet night.
[Smile Holdings] headquarters top floor, executive director's office.
Secretary Jin stood side by side with him before the huge floor-to-ceiling window.
"President Tang, are you returning to Yancheng tomorrow?"
"After all these years, have you ever suspected the secrets hidden within me?"
"I actually don't care about these."
"Then what do you care about?"
"For the real you, what is the meaning of my existence? Why did you choose me back then?"
Hearing this familiar question.
Tang Song awoke within Secretary Jin's dream.
He turned, looking into her bright, spirited eyes.
Lowering his head, his scorching breath sprayed onto her cheek, "Because, you are the perfect embodiment of all my fantasies. So, I want to have you, Jin Meixiao. Whether in dreams or in reality."
Hearing this answer.
Secretary Jin's body shuddered violently.
The emotions in her eyes surged intensely, finally transforming into tender affection.
"You... when did you come in?"
"That's not important."
Tang Song didn't give her time to think, wrapping one arm around her slender, supple waist, exerting force abruptly.
"Mmph..."
In an unprepared low gasp.
Secretary Jin was pressed heavily against the cold, hard glass of the floor-to-ceiling window.
Behind her was the abyss-like city nightscape, before her was his fiery, burning chest.
This extreme disparity and sense of oppression instantly ignited her long-suppressed emotions.
"Crash—"
The glass window in the dream shattered, turning into countless fragments falling.
The image shattered and reassembled once more.
This time, it no longer followed any physical logic, only pure emotional release.
The scene instantly switched from the cold office to a bedroom filled with ambiguous atmosphere.
As the world spun, Tang Song pressed her onto the soft large bed.
Frantically kissing her lips, plundering her breath.
From lips to earlobes, then to the slender neck, leaving marks wherever he passed.
His hand slid down along her perfect waistline.
The delicate, smooth texture of the stockings became scalding in his palm.
Secretary Jin's body arched, her hands gripping the bedsheet tightly.
Finally, Tang Song's hand stopped on her plump legs, slowly moving upward, the curve also expanding.
His fingertips sank into the stockings.
Perception in the dream was hazy, like separated by a layer of gauze, but that heart-palpitating thrill and pleasure were incredibly real.
Secretary Jin gasped softly, her eyes unfocused.
The bed beneath them instantly vanished.
The feeling of weightlessness struck again.
The scene changed once more;
they appeared in that coffee shop from 2016.
Afternoon sunlight lazily spilled on the wooden floor, the aroma of coffee beans floating in the air.
"Clatter—" Chairs and tables were violently bumped, making a harsh sound.
Tang Song pinned Secretary Jin in the narrow corner.
Burying his face in the crook of her neck, greedily inhaling her cool, refreshing fragrance.
The astonishing sensation shot straight to the crown of his head.
The scenes kept rewinding.
Familiar scenes appeared one after another.
Tang Song's passion and dominance seemed to fill all her emptiness and regrets.
...
The scene before his eyes gradually blurred.
6 AM.
"Hu—ha—"
Rapid breathing sounds rose in the quiet master bedroom.
Secretary Jin abruptly sat up from the bed.
Her chest heaved violently, the fullness beneath the silk nightgown trembling accordingly.
Her eyes were veiled with an un-dissipated mist, dazed and unfocused, lacking focus.
After spacing out for a while, her chaotic brain began rebooting, thoughts gradually returning to reality.
The dream dissipated like fleeting smoke.
What remained in her memory was no longer specific dialogues or scenes, but images veiled in mist.
But that feeling still lingered in every pore.
Tang Song and her [Dream Link] mechanism was peculiar.
In the dream, they could communicate and switch scenes without barriers.
But once awake, that protective mechanism would activate.
Specific details would become blurry, only those core emotional experiences and important information would be absorbed by the subconscious.
This was why, before truly meeting Tang Song, she would always dream of an elegant gentleman shrouded in mist.
"He..."
She subconsciously touched her neck and collarbone.
There, it seemed the warmth of his lips and the sensation of his kisses still remained, a numbing pleasure penetrating to the bone.
Then, she lowered her head, lifting the deep gray silk quilt covering her.
The originally neat silk nightgown was now disheveled.
Under the dim light's illumination.
A pair of legs, glowing white, were exposed to the air.
Slender, straight, skin delicate like mutton-fat white jade, the flesh on the thighs plump and rounded, the knees tinged with a faint pink.
But now, those perfect legs, due to the excessive reactions in the dream, were tightly pressed together.
And the bedsheet beneath... was already a complete mess.
Secretary Jin took a deep breath, trying to calm her heartbeat, but that noble, beautiful face visibly flushed crimson.
"Damn Tang Song!"
"In reality, acting all proper, saying he wants to play some shareholder representative, must maintain rules..." Secretary Jin gritted her teeth, shamefully gripping the bedsheet beneath her, "But at night, taking advantage when I'm unprepared, sneaking into my dream to wreak havoc!"
"Rogue! Pervert!"
Scolding and scolding.
"Pfft—"
She couldn't help but laugh.
Low, husky, lazy, yet carrying an indescribable satisfaction and delight.
Like ice and snow melting, spring warmth and flowers blooming.
Laughing until her body trembled, exuding endless charm.
Her brown hair cascaded like seaweed over her shoulders and chest, forming an extreme contrast with her snow-white skin.
Due to the movement, the nightgown's shoulder strap slipped, hanging on her rounded shoulder, revealing a deep, enticing cleavage.
Seeming to find this nightgown stained with evidence of the crime somewhat bothersome.
She simply straightened up, elegantly removing it, casually tossing it onto the carpet.
Her incredibly proportioned, enchanting figure was thus unveiled without concealment in the air.
Secretary Jin lowered her head, fingers gently tracing her still slightly trembling thighs, the corner of her mouth curling into a faint smile.
In this solitary morning.
This Ms. Smile, who controlled trillions in capital, finally shed all her armor.
She stretched lazily, like a well-fed cat.
A moment later.
The daze and shyness in Secretary Jin's eyes completely dissipated.
She raised her head, her gaze passing through the curtain gap, looking at the Manhattan skyline outside the window that would still take a while to brighten.
She transformed back into her noble, composed, sharp demeanor.
Her red lips parted slightly, softly murmuring:
"Su Yu, it seems I need to leave you a little gift on him."
In the guest bedroom downstairs.
Tang Song and Secretary Jin opened their eyes almost simultaneously.
He looked at the ceiling, subconsciously making a grasping motion with his right hand.
His palm seemed to still retain that astonishing delicacy and elasticity.
Although the dream images had become hazy and indistinct, that heart-palpitating sensation remained fresh in memory.
Secretary Jin's legs were truly top-tier!
Just then.
A line of clear text jumped before his eyes.
[Secretary Jin's Smile Count: 10/10]
Immediately followed by a crisp system notification sound:
"Ding! Congratulations, player, character interaction mission [Smiling Shareholders' Meeting] has been completed."
"Ding! You obtained [Character Interaction Package*1]."
Tang Song was slightly stunned, quickly snapping back from lingering romantic thoughts.
Yesterday, especially the afternoon shopping and evening Broadway trip, the smile on Secretary Jin's face hardly ever faded.
But the system judgment was very strict, only counting 3 effective smiles in the end.
It seemed... after Secretary Jin woke up, she was very satisfied with the night's dream and genuinely smiled once more.
Exactly making up the last count.
For this mission, besides 10 smiles, another core condition was "participating in the final vote of major resolutions."
Yesterday afternoon's meeting was already settled.
Thus, the mission was indeed considered perfectly completed.
Fortunately, the mission's duration hadn't ended because of this.
As long as it was still during the shareholders' meeting period, he still had the authority for "deep interaction" with Secretary Jin, of course while also properly playing the shareholder representative role.
Thinking of the scenes in the dream.
Tang Song felt surging emotions, took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the urge to immediately go upstairs.
Sitting up, leaning against the headboard, he focused his mind, opening the system warehouse.
Selected [Character Interaction Package], immediately opened.
[You obtained attribute rewards: Agility+2, Stamina+1, Comprehension+1]
[You obtained skill reward: [Music - Piano Skill]]
(Note: This skill will undergo subconscious [Awakening] after your next dream entry.)
Tang Song's eyes lit up.
There was actually a [Comprehension+1] reward!
The other rewards were also very good.
Agility could enhance thinking reaction speed and insight, Stamina naturally went without saying.
As for [Music - Piano Skill], it was also a pleasant surprise within expectations.
This was also a skill he had obtained in the game before, now returning to his original self.
It must be said, Secretary Jin was truly his lucky goddess.
Tang Song couldn't help but smile.
He really wanted to rush up now, hug her, and give her a fierce kiss.
Just as this thought arose.
Two more system notification sounds rang:
"Ding! Congratulations, player, halo special effect has activated, you triggered an additional critical strike reward."
"Ding! You obtained special item [Skill Upgrade Card (LV4)*1]."
[Skill Upgrade Card (LV4)*1]: After use, can choose one LV4 level skill to upgrade.
Tang Song was stunned, the smile on his face gradually widening.
Today was too lucky.
Only about 20 days had passed since the last halo critical strike, and it triggered again!
And it was an extremely rare LV4 level upgrade card!
In the "Heartthrob Simulator" game settings, many of his skills were tiered, the highest cap being level 5 (MAX).
Currently, among the skills he possessed in reality, only one was upgradeable and had reached LV4.
[Male-God Halo]
This skill held extraordinary significance for him.
This was the first system reward he obtained in reality, the core skill opened from the beginner's package.
It was also the starting point that changed his destiny.
This skill brought the "smile for money" mechanism, like a special bond with Secretary Jin in the unseen.
He didn't know what the final form of this halo would evolve into after upgrading to LV5 max level.
Tang Song took a deep breath, sat up straight, hands folded, pulling the sense of ritual to the max.
Opened the system warehouse.
A golden, shining card lay quietly there.
Mentally selected [Skill Upgrade Card (LV4)], clicked to use.
Designated target—[Male-God Halo (LV4)].
Confirm!
"Ding! Passive skill [Male-God Halo] has been upgraded to LV5."
A brilliant golden light flashed before his eyes, like a divine miracle descending.
Immediately after, a brand-new skill panel appeared before him:
[Male-God Halo (LV5)]: Perfectly optimizes sleep quality, helps players quickly enter deep sleep, obtaining excellent sleep experience. Any fragmented rest can achieve deep sleep effects, rapidly recovering energy. In sleep state, cellular activity within the body will be greatly activated. Automatically repairs damaged muscle fibers and internal organ functions, completely immune to dark circles, eye bags, and skin imperfections, keeping your body always in a healthy state.
(Halo Special Effect 1: Your first smile each day can earn 6400 yuan cash reward, with a 2% chance of obtaining additional critical strike rewards.)
(Halo Special Effect 2: When your kindness and joy are received by the opposite sex and gain the same feedback, the halo will be charged. When charge reaches 100%, it will trigger a Halo Baptism, and you will randomly obtain a special physical item.
Current charge: 55%
Special physical items include—peace type, health type, wealth type, luck type.
This special physical item can be gifted.)
(Halo Special Effect 3: As a male god, you yourself are a kind of magnetic field. Generating a natural, irresistible affinity and attraction towards the opposite sex. Charm+1)
[Note: This skill is max level, cannot be upgraded further.]
Seeing the newly added "Halo Special Effect 3," Tang Song's pupils instantly dilated.
Charm+1? Charm+1!
This thought just arose, before he could react.
The system interface flickered slightly.
[Your Charm has reached 90, successfully unlocking assets and permissions for this stage.]
Immediately after, the [Mission Center]'s gorgeous progress bar jumped out.
[24 (Starting Charm)...30..40..50...60...70...80...90°...100]
The treasure chest corresponding above node 90 was pulsing with red light.