CHAPTER 64: TEAM-BUILDING?

Jin Wu clapped his hands, a habit from the sales floor that carried easily over the hum of keyboards.

"Everyone, a quick word. Tomorrow afternoon, our company will hold a team-building event. The details will be sent to the group chat later. Attendance is required, but don’t worry—it’s not punishment; it’s fun."

The moment "team-building" left his mouth, the whole floor erupted.

"Team-building? Here? Are we dreaming?"

"I’ve been here five years. We’re lucky if the coffee machine doesn’t break down, and now the boss is booking team-building?"

"First, he replaces our chairs with thousand-dollar ones. Now this. Is he trying to make us feel guilty?"

They weren’t complaining—just overwhelmed. In their memory, Horny Princess Interactive had been a sinking ship, with broken chairs, peeling paint, and morale so low people muted the company chat. Then Kim Suho swept in, replaced furniture worth more than their monthly wages, and now—this?

Jin Wu let the noise roll a moment, then raised his hand again. "This team building isn’t just us. It’s with another of Suho’s companies. You’ll have the chance to mingle. And who knows? Maybe some of you single dogs can stop being single dogs."

The room howled with laughter and mock jeers, but Jin Wu caught the sparkle in a few eyes. Opportunities, indeed.

The Next Day – Boarding the Bus

At noon, a chartered bus rumbled in front of the industrial complex.

"Don’t push, don’t squeeze—there are plenty of seats!" shouted Lee Wonho, waving his arms like a traffic cop.

The T-shirt Factory workers filed in, some wide-eyed at the thought of not having to cram onto the public bus like sardines.

When the last man boarded, Lee Wonho hurried to Suho’s side. "Boss, everyone’s here. Shall we?"

Suho gave a calm nod. He wasn’t about to admit he was giddy inside. The bus itself was a brilliant excuse to torch funds. Even better—he’d just realized employees could use daily transport. Buy a couple buses, hire drivers, and poof, another million gone. Efficient loss-making disguised as care for employees. He grinned inwardly. Truly, he was a genius at losing money.

Blue Star Restaurant.

The entire second floor of the city’s most expensive mid-range restaurant was sealed off for them. 60 employees from both companies sat at round tables, the buzz of chatter filling the hall.

"Damn, Boss really booked the whole floor?"

"Last time we fought over a single hotpot. Now it’s like we’re tycoons."

"Look, the game dev girls are over there! Brothers, this is our chance!"

The factory guys, mostly young men, eyed the handful of women from Horny Princess Interactive like wolves spotting sheep. Lee Wonho, never missing his chance to stir the pot, barked encouragement: "Don’t waste opportunities! Cross-company love is still love. If you stay single, don’t blame Boss!"

The hall exploded in laughter, but half the men instantly bolted toward the game company tables. Some practically sprinted, terrified someone else might "KS" them like loot in the game.

Suho, watching from his corner seat, sipped his tea. The scene looked less like team-building and more like a battlefield. Perfect. Let chaos distract them while his system clock ticked toward settlement.

"Excuse me, is this the team-building for Steel Cup Clothing?"

Two young women had wandered in, looking out of place.

Lee Wonho turned, half-irritated at being interrupted in his hunt, but then froze. The newcomers were around 1.6 meters, modest but neat—bright-eyed, tidy, and brimming with that understated charm that often outshone flashy beauties.

"Oh, you’re with Horny Princess Interactive, right?" he guessed.

The girl in front, Zhao Lingling, looked embarrassed. "No, no... We must have gone the wrong way." She tugged at her friend’s sleeve. "Come on, Zhou Chen, I told you this wasn’t right."

Her friend frowned. "What do you mean wrong? Assistant Cho Rin said it was Blue Star Restaurant. We asked the waiter downstairs; they said, "Second floor."

Lee Wonho blinked. Cho Rin? That meant... They weren’t lost. They belonged here.

The chartered bus sighed to a stop beneath the neon Blue Star Restaurant sign. Inside, the mixed herd of workers from Steel Cup T‑Shirt Factory and Horny Princess Interactive buzzed like they’d just been released for summer vacation.

At the door, Lee Wonho flapped his arms like an air-traffic controller. "Don’t shove—plenty of seats, plenty of food. Try not to fall in love before appetizers."

A few whistles. A few groans. Spirits: dangerously high.

Two women hovered near the host stand, clutching their bags like they were about to bolt. One had sharp, curious eyes—Zhao Lingling. The other, quieter, glanced between the signboard and the staircase—Zhou Chen.

"Is this the team-building for Steel Cup T‑Shirt Factory?" Zhao asked.

Lee Wonho blinked. "Yes. And also for Horny Princess Interactive. Joint event. You’re in the right place."

Zhao’s eyes thinned. "Then why did you tell us ’game company’ a second ago?"

"I—look, both are Suho’s companies," he said, palms up. "I didn’t recognize you two; I thought you might be on the game side. My bad."

Zhou Chen exhaled. "Assistant Cho Rin sent us the address. We work remotely... in finance and accounting. First time seeing everyone in person."

"Ahh." Lee Wonho’s grin returned. So these are the mysterious payroll fairies. "Come on in. Boss will be here any minute. And—uh—don’t let the devs talk you into bug triage."

A sleek van eased to the curb. Kim Suho stepped out with Cho Rin at his side, both catching the wave of applause that rolled across the second-floor hall as they appeared.

"Mr. Kim, this way." Jin Wu—now freshly minted Office Director at Horny Princess Interactive—guided them to the main table.

Suho nodded, pleased. Since relocating Jin Wu from sales, the factory’s phone had stopped coughing up million‑dollar nightmare orders. Peace and quiet—his favorite kind of profit.

"Settling in?" Suho asked.

Jin Wu bowed slightly. "Learning fast. I’ll make good on your trust."

Please don’t. "I need the game to lose money," Suho thought warmly. Out loud? "Good."

Carts rolled in. Silver lids lifted. Steam rose.

"Lobster?"