April 17, 2023, Monday, cloudy, 12~23°C.

Three significant events occurred at Jinxiu Commerce today.

First, the Human Resources Department underwent a structural adjustment, creating several new sub-departments, including the Human Resource Planning and Development Department, Training Department, Employee Relations Department, and Compensation and Benefits Department.

Second, Tian Jing, the personnel officer, was officially promoted to Compensation Supervisor, and the entire company was notified.

Third, Tang Song took a day off to buy a car—a Wuling Hongguang. However, this third event was significant only within the small circle of the Technical Support Department.

"Old Song is really something, choosing such a unique car! He must have been provoked by something, hahaha!" Du Shaokai laughed until tears came out.

"A Wuling Hongguang? Isn't that a minivan? What was Tang Song thinking?"

"Maybe he plans to do some side gigs, like moving services?"

"You girls don’t get it; that's an MPV! Driving that around will make the rest of us look like losers!"

"I think it's great—can carry people and goods, very practical!"

"Exactly. I bet our entire tech support team of 17 could fit inside. We could use it for team outings."

"But if it flips, we’d all be doomed."

Despite working hours, the team managed to keep the discussion somewhat restrained. However, their WeChat group was abuzz with jokes and memes.

Gradually, someone started talking about the HR department's structural changes. Those with inside information revealed that the company was about to secure funding, and this restructuring might just be the beginning. Departments like Finance, Sales, and even their own Technical Support were also expected to undergo changes.

Hearing this news, everyone became excited. Structural adjustments meant more management positions would open up. Working hard in a company was all about promotions and raises, after all.

Sitting in a corner, Zhao Yue felt quite glum. She was still brooding over Tian Jing's promotion news, and she had lost her appetite for the coffee she had bought that morning.

In her view, she and Tian Jing were competitors, having joined the company at the same time and being two of the most popular beauties there. Tian Jing was younger, only 22, and had graduated less than a year ago. Now, she was a supervisor, two levels above Zhao Yue. From now on, Tian Jing would control her salary adjustments, birthday gifts, and expense reimbursements—a significant blow that she found hard to accept.

Biting her lip, Zhao Yue vented her frustration in a small chat group for the department's women, "Our little Tian Jing from HR is amazing! Less than a year here, and she's already climbed two levels to become a supervisor. She's a role model and goal for all of us women!"

Several female colleagues, who had been with the department for around three years without promotions, felt a sting from Zhao Yue's comments and joined in sarcastically.

"Maybe she has some special talents we don't understand."

"She's pretty and knows how to act cute and coy. Naturally, she gets promotions and raises." ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ n͟o͟v͟e͟l͟f͟i͟r͟e͟.net

After a few more snide remarks, Zhao Yue felt a bit better. She then thought about Tang Song's second-hand car and couldn't help but scoff. She lived close to Tang Song and had hoped to carpool with him to work, but now that plan was scrapped. Imagining herself stepping out of Tang Song's Wuling Hongguang in the underground parking lot and running into Tian Jing with her Audi A5 made her shiver.

...

Monday at the vehicle administration office was crowded. The backlog of weekend transfers was all happening today.

Tang Song and Li Mingjun arrived early and queued up for car inspections, VIN verification, license plate removal, application form filling, number selection, and registration transfer. By the time Tang Song received his new license plate, it was nearly noon.

Li Mingjun shook the license plate in his hand and smiled, "These days, purely numerical plates are rare. Yours is decent—a letter and four numbers."

"Got it," Tang Song nodded.

Li Mingjun then removed his toolbox from the car and deftly installed the new plate. In just a few minutes, he was done.

Patting his hands clean, Li Mingjun said, "Don't worry about the insurance transfer. I'll go to the insurance company this afternoon and call you once it's done. Also, Gao Mengting has been messaging me all morning about the remaining payment. She seems to need the money urgently."

"Alright, I’ll transfer it to her now," Tang Song said, taking out his phone.

Since his cash was tied up in the Betting Agreement, he borrowed this amount from a microloan service. Though he had friends who could lend him money, he didn't want to risk straining those relationships.

After transferring the remaining 22,500 yuan to Gao Mengting, Li Mingjun called her to confirm, and the deal was fully settled.

"If you need anything for the car, just call me. I’m heading out now. Bye," Li Mingjun said, waving as he got into his colleague's car.

"Goodbye." Tang Song turned his attention to his newly acquired Wuling Hongguang S.

From now on, this car was completely his. He admired its sleek lines, hexagonal grille, simple tail lights, and sturdy roof rack. He couldn't resist taking a few photos.

At this moment, Tang Song deeply understood the joy Brother Peng had felt when he got his car. He put away his phone, opened the door, and got into the driver's seat.

Just as he gripped the steering wheel, the system interface appeared before his eyes, lines of text jumping out.

[April 17, 2023: You have acquired your first car, upgrading from a "Yadea Electric Scooter" to a "Wuling Hongguang S."]

[You now have your own mobile private space. You can travel freely, unaffected by weather, be more presentable in social settings, and comfortably take your date out for meals...]

[Your charisma has reached 30, unlocking the next stage of assets and permissions.]

A colorful progress bar appeared before him.

[24' (starting charisma) … 30º … 40º … 50º … 60º … 70º … 80º … 90º … 100º]

A small treasure chest above the 30 mark glowed red, indicating it was ready to be claimed.

Tang Song's grip on the steering wheel tightened, his body leaning forward, eyes sparkling with joy.

With his weight dropping to a normal range, his charisma had lingered at 29 for several days. Now, with his car upgrade, it finally hit 30. This made sense—one's residence, vehicle, partner, and career all contribute to personal charisma.

Taking a deep breath, he calmed himself, thanks to his enhanced lung function.

He mentally clicked on the treasure chest to claim the reward.

The screen blurred for a moment before returning to normal, accompanied by the crisp sound of system notifications.

"Ding! You have received a [Skill Upgrade Card (LV1)]."

"Ding! You have received [One Million Yuan in Startup Capital]."

"Ding! You have received [Corporate Office Space]."

"Ding! You have unlocked a new feature module: [Dressing Center]."

"Ding! You have received [Outfit - Cool Night]."

"Ding! The [Growth Plan Task] has been activated. Please check the [Task Center] for details."