"I told you, there's no way they were on a date or anything," Zhao Yue said, covering her mouth as she laughed. "That guy in the business jacket is way more impressive than Tang Song."

Wang Yubo nodded in agreement, marveling, "He looks like a high-status social elite. It's quite something that Tang Song can even know people like them."

Zhao Yue turned her gaze back to Tang Song. He seemed slimmer and more spirited than before, paying attention to his attire and hairstyle, and he had such impressive connections now. More importantly, Jinxiu Commerce was about to complete its financing and transition to online business. As the department’s tech genius and the true developer of the SCM system, Tang Song was likely to become Director Chen's top aide in the future. A middle management position with a salary exceeding ten thousand yuan per month was within reach.

Considering all this, Zhao Yue realized that Tang Song wasn't as bad as she had thought. He'd be a decent prospect if he could lose a bit more weight. She glanced at Wang Yubo again. Although he was tall, thin, and dressed well, his looks were average, and as a salesperson, his income was unstable. With the company’s upcoming business adjustments, his performance was uncertain.

After some thought, Zhao Yue sent another message to Tang Song: "Just discovered another great thing about you, Brother Song! You can converse so smoothly with successful older professionals. That's impressive! I need to learn from you!"

...

"Song! Song! Are you okay?" Xie Shuyu tapped the table lightly, trying to snap Tang Song out of his daze.

Wang Yunping chuckled and said, "Mr. Tang, you seem very excited. Do you happen to have shares or options in your company?"

Tang Song exhaled slowly and sat back down, nervously asking, "Manager Wang, do you know Jin Meixiao?"

Wang Yunping seemed to hear an absurd joke and laughed, "Mr. Tang, is there a need to joke with me?"

Xie Shuyu frowned, "Manager Wang, Tang Song is a typical techie and might not be familiar with these matters. Don’t take it to heart."

"Uh..." Tang Song realized he might have asked a very foolish question.

Wang Yunping checked his watch and stood up, "President Xie, I need to visit a client this afternoon. Let's discuss the future direction of the coffee industry another time."

Having achieved his goal for the day, Wang Yunping didn’t intend to overstay. Pursuing someone like Xie Shuyu required a balanced approach; too much attention could backfire.

Xie Shuyu stood up and said politely, "Goodbye."

"Goodbye!" Wang Yunping picked up his leather pouch, glanced at Tang Song, and couldn't resist saying, "Mr. Tang, it would be good for you to interact with more people and read more books to broaden your horizons and knowledge."

Watching him leave, Xie Shuyu explained to Tang Song, "Wang Yunping is a senior manager at Yunjing Consulting, primarily handling investments. Someone in his field would definitely know the executive director of Smile Holdings."

She sighed, "Even ordinary people have probably heard the name to some extent."

The founder of Smile Holdings, Entrepreneur of the Year in 2018, one of Fortune's 40 Under 40, one of Time's 100 Most Influential People in 2022, and a Forbes cover person—her accolades were dazzling, making everyone else seem dim by comparison. As a workaholic with great ambition, Jin Meixiao was also a role model and goal for Xie Shuyu.

...

Walking out of Yan Bin Lou, Tang Song watched as Xie Shuyu drove away in her BMW, then lowered his head, repeatedly murmuring, "Smile Holdings, Jin Meixiao, Secretary Jin."

These terms, once existing only in the game, had manifested in the real world. He opened the system interface and reviewed the main storyline description.

[Note 1: Perhaps your achievements in the game aren't mere fantasies. You will achieve the rewards you’ve always dreamed of by continuously completing system tasks and improving yourself.]

So that's how it is. The rightful source is novᴇlfire.net

Stocks, futures, entrepreneurship, investments... His struggles in the game weren't in vain. Everything had a traceable path, everything was solid and real. As long as he kept growing, and unlocking rewards, he could turn everything in the game into reality. Not just assets, but also the characters he nurtured.

Seven years had passed in the game storyline from 2016 to 2023. To him, characters like Secretary Jin were more than mere data; they carried emotions, memories, and experiences. Tang Song felt a mix of emotions as scenes from the game flashed through his mind—ambitions for the future and the current sense of loss.

...

Back at Qingxin Homestead, Tang Song's restless mind couldn't calm down. He changed into sportswear and started jogging along the road outside the community. When he got tired, he walked. Only when he was exhausted did he return to his rental apartment, collapsing onto the bed and falling into a deep sleep.

When he woke up, he stared blankly for a while until his mindset gradually returned to normal. Essentially, he was still the same ordinary employee, Tang Song. An unremarkable appearance, a mediocre core. Although Wang Yunping was somewhat arrogant, he wasn’t wrong. Tang Song needed to interact with more people, read more books, and broaden his horizons and knowledge. Only by truly growing could he approach the Heartthrob Tang Song in the game and take over his vast assets.

With this realization, Tang Song felt a sense of relief and a clearer goal for the future.

Just then, the crisp system notification sounded again.

"Ding! You’ve triggered the side quest [Cognitive Awakening]. Please go to the [Task Center] to view."

He checked the task information.

[Task Content: A person’s cognition is hidden in the books they’ve read and the paths they’ve walked. Please select 10 classic works that will aid in your growth and read them thoroughly.]

*[Task Reward: Comprehension +1; Ginkgo Bookmark 1]

[Task Progress: 0%]

He viewed the item details.

[Ginkgo Bookmark]: Carefully crafted from ginkgo leaves that fell in autumn, it increases memory retention by 30% when placed in the book, document, or text you are reading.

[Note: A book-loving person is like this autumn leaf—though weathered by time, their posture remains unmarred by decay.]

Reading the task description and rewards, Tang Song’s eyes sparkled with excitement. Side quests indeed offered rich rewards. Comprehension, one of the four basic attributes and arguably the most important, was difficult to enhance. Physical strength, agility, and endurance could be improved through effort, but comprehension depended largely on innate talent. It referred to one's ability to understand and analyze things, with a high ceiling determined by one’s natural gifts. Even in Heartthrob Simulator, tasks that increased comprehension were rare. And the Ginkgo Bookmark was invaluable, significantly boosting memory retention, enhancing efficiency, and saving time during learning.

Excited, Tang Song felt his motivation surging anew.