November 12, 2023, Sunday, cloudy, -2~8°C.

6:30 a.m., before dawn.

Accompanied by the bank deposit notification sound, Tang Song slowly opened his eyes.

Last night, the Songmei Apparel "Double Eleven Promotion" event successfully concluded.

When he returned home, it was already past 1 a.m.

Thanks to the system-optimized superhuman physical condition, just five hours of deep sleep had fully restored his energy.

He threw off the quilt and stepped barefoot onto the icy cold floor.

Walking over to the huge floor-to-ceiling window, he pulled back the curtains.

A dry, sharp chill unique to early winter in the north seemed to pierce through the thick glass and rush straight at him.

In Yancheng, late autumn was quietly ending under successive cold fronts.

Tang Song took a deep breath, did a few simple stretches, then slipped on his slippers and headed to his study.

The laptop screen lit up.

Tang Song focused on reviewing the Double Eleven performance summary file sent by the company’s operations director at 3 a.m.

From November 1 to 11, in just eleven days, Songmei Apparel’s total GMV reached an astounding 82 million!

This figure was already very close to his main task of "monthly GMV breaking 100 million."

And there were still nearly twenty days left in November.

The task was as good as done.

It might even be completed ahead of schedule next week.

Looking at the battle report’s separate analysis on the "City Explorer" jacket, a corner of his mouth lifted involuntarily.

That junior sister was really talented! Counting yesterday, this single item sold a total of 310,000 pieces and had completely exploded on Xiaohongshu and Douyin, becoming a bona fide internet sensation.

It also brought extremely high brand recognition and massive traffic to the new brand, HEYISTUDIO.

After finishing the file, Tang Song opened the safe in his study and took out the exquisite gift box inside.

Inside were several documents.

The equity transfer agreement for Jingyi Asset Management Co., Ltd., the amended company charter, updated shareholder register pages, as well as related tax and legal opinion letters...

This company had been established not long ago, managing only one asset — a 7.5% stake in Jinxiu Commerce.

This was the "birthday gift" Secretary Jin had prepared for Xiao Jing.

Based on the current market valuation of Jinxiu Commerce, this equity stake was already worth over 100 million.

Secretary Jin’s move was indeed extraordinary.

It had the style of the legendary in-game tycoon he once was.

Back then, in the game Heartthrob Simulator, he thought those were just virtual assets and often casually gifted company shares and funds to Secretary Jin, Su Yu, and others.

But now, facing real assets, he no longer had that carefree generosity.

However... suddenly giving Xiao Jing such a valuable gift might cause trouble if others on his side found out.

He repacked the gift box.

Tang Song suddenly remembered something and instinctively opened his secondary QQ account.

As expected, there was no message from Zhang Yan.

He had gotten used to checking once a week, so suddenly missing it felt a little strange.

Tang Song shook his head with a smile and switched back to WeChat.

He opened Zhang Yan’s chat window and left a message: "Good morning, are you up yet?"

Chewing sounds—

Zhang Yan: "Mm, I’m up, good morning."

Tang Song’s mouth twitched into a smile. He didn’t type more but sent a video call invitation directly.

In the days since leaving Yangcheng, she rarely initiated contact, mostly updating him on her mother’s condition, seemingly afraid to disturb him.

But whenever he messaged, she always replied immediately.

The screen was black at first, then Zhang Yan’s somewhat nervous, hesitant voice came through: "W-wait! I just finished showering, I’m not dressed yet..."

"No worries, I’m not looking."

The sound of rustling clothes came through the earpiece.

Soon the image brightened.

Zhang Yan’s face appeared in the center of the screen. Her hair was still a bit wet, casually wrapped in a white drying cap, revealing a smooth, full forehead and a pair of clear, watery eyes.

"Hi... have you eaten?" she greeted shyly, her cheeks still flushed naturally from the bath.

"Not yet, I’ll eat after talking with you."

"Oh." Zhang Yan instinctively lowered her head, then summoned courage to look up at him again, her face shy and uneasy. "It’s below zero in Yancheng today, you need to keep warm. It’s raining here in Yangcheng and still dark;

I’ll make breakfast for myself later."

It was her first video call with Tang Song, still awkward.

Tang Song smiled and leaned back on the comfortable sofa, his gaze gentle as he started chatting casually.

They talked from Juzi’s breakfast to her mother’s illness, then to Lulu, who would start working at Nebula International next Monday...

While chatting, Zhang Yan suddenly remembered something.

She whispered, "Wait a moment," then propped her phone on the table and stepped out of frame.

When she returned, the drying cap was off, her smooth collarbone-length hair carefully combed, looking fresh and gentle.

After the conversation, she seemed to have gotten used to this way of communicating, her smile more natural.

Tang Song’s eyes narrowed slightly, as if noticing something, then suddenly said, "Hey, Zhang Yan, don’t move. Move the phone back a little, I think... something is stuck on you."

"Huh? Where? Maybe I accidentally got something on me." Pure Zhang Yan instinctively moved the phone back a bit.

Since she had just showered, she was only casually wearing a bandeau undergarment.

As the camera pulled back, her delicate collarbone, slender shoulder and neck lines, and the faint curves of her chest appeared on the screen.

Her skin was flawless, with the delicate, moist quality typical of southern girls, glowing milky and warm under the light.

"Do you... see it?" Zhang Yan still hadn’t noticed.

"I see it." Tang Song’s voice carried amusement. "Yeah, your skin is really good, and your figure is nice too, just a bit thin. Remember to eat more meat."

Hearing this, Zhang Yan froze, suddenly realizing what he meant.

She gasped softly and hurriedly pulled the phone back.

In an instant, only her flushed face and embarrassed, flustered eyes remained in the frame.

"You... you... I..."

"Hahaha..."

Light laughter echoed through the study.

Breakfast was simple.

Slices of slow-cooked chicken breast, paired with a few bright cherry tomatoes and two slices of whole wheat bread, plus a cup of freshly ground soy milk.

Tang Song ate slowly while opening Douyin, casually browsing short videos related to Songmei Apparel, He Yiyi, and HEYISTUDIO.

A pure and profound sense of accomplishment slowly rose in his heart.

This feeling was completely different from when he directly inherited massive assets in the game.

From the very beginning—starting with the office, registering the company, hiring the first batch of employees;

from formulating operational strategies to post-live broadcast reviews, then expanding and upgrading the brand...

He had participated in every step personally.

He had witnessed a company grow from a vague concept to a new force with a complete organizational structure and strong self-sustaining ability, shaking the industry within a few months.

He understood cash flow operations, experienced the complexities of supply chain integration, and felt the immense joy of building a brand from nothing.

Perhaps, this was the true meaning of the Growth Plan mission.

It was not just to complete a numerical goal.

More importantly, it was to let him truly understand the foundation of a business empire through a complete entrepreneurial journey from zero to one.

After all, what awaited him in the future was a business kingdom hundreds to thousands of times larger than Songmei Apparel.

Just then, Tang Song’s vision blurred for a moment.

"Swipe!" The system light screen automatically unfolded.

[November 12, 2023, your follower count on Xiaohongshu has officially surpassed 100,000.]

[Through continuous cultivation and careful operation, your personal IP has built a unique personal barrier in the vertical fields of “Listening to Advice Reform” and “Brand Cultivation.” You have successfully been promoted to a “mid-tier influencer” (KOC).]

[Your influence is no longer confined to small circles but has started to penetrate across layers and guide consumption trends...]

[In this process, you have demonstrated outstanding ability and persistent effort.]

[You have obtained the special item “Tang Song’s Reflection.”]

Tang Song smiled slightly, then his face showed uncontrollable joy.

Recently, with the rise of HEYISTUDIO, especially He Yiyi’s live streams and the phenomenal jacket, his "Brand Cultivation" notes had become a hot topic in Xiaohongshu’s specific circles, triggering a fan explosion.

He expected rewards but not so soon.

He recalled previous milestones: the "Betting Agreement" at 100 followers, the "Title - Popular Me" at 1,000 followers, and "Whispers of Humanity" at 10,000 followers.

Every fan milestone had rewarded him with top-tier prizes.

Now that his followers had jumped to 100,000, this reward was sure not to disappoint. Thɪs chapter is updated by novelꜰire.net

Taking a deep breath with eager anticipation, he checked the item details.

[Tang Song’s Reflection]: The in-game reflection of the player Tang Song with a charm stat of 99. When the player encounters a qualifying special scene, this item will automatically trigger, generating a special event dungeon lasting for a variable time. In the dungeon, you will gain the projection of the "Reflection," experiencing from a first-person perspective a brief glimpse of that "strange" self.

[Note 1: After clearing the dungeon, the "Reflection" disappears, and you receive a permanent charm increase.]

[Note 2: The charm increase ranges from 0 to 3 points depending on player performance and comprehension.]

Holy crap!

This was definitely the coolest item he had encountered so far.

Even the [Feather of Memory] he had obtained had never triggered related memories of the final stage.

So he had no idea what his ultimate form looked like or how it felt.

But now, as long as this item was triggered, he would get an immersive experience!

Most importantly, he could gain a floating charm bonus, up to 3 points!

Of course, from what he knew, achieving the highest bonus was nearly impossible unless he had a "satori" level experience in a single dungeon.

But the real issue was that, like [Whispers of Humanity], this item required encountering a "matching scene" to activate.

Who knew how long that would take.

Exhaling, Tang Song felt a little restless.

North City Garden residential complex.

"Whoosh—"

The quilt on her body was suddenly yanked off with great force, and icy air instantly wrapped her exposed skin.

Xu Qing shivered and slowly opened her eyes.

Against the light, a tall and familiar figure stood before her bed, looking down coldly and imperiously.

It was the scheming Yanyan!

"S-silly Qing..." Her best friend’s voice sounded as if fished out of an ice cellar, without a trace of warmth.

Xu Qing’s heart instantly jumped to her throat. She hastily grabbed a pillow to cover her chest, stammering, "Y-Yanyan... when did you come back?!"

Shen Yuyan slowly bent down. "What? Scared to see me? Did you... do something guilty?"

"I didn’t! I didn’t! Don’t say nonsense!" Xu Qing’s guilt nearly overflowed from her eyes.

"Heh." Shen Yuyan sneered and suddenly took something from behind her, throwing it directly at Xu Qing’s face without missing.

It was a pair of men’s boxer briefs.

"How did Tang Song’s underwear end up on my bed? And I even changed my sheets and duvet!" Her friend’s voice was accusatory. "Did you two do something behind my back that you’re ashamed of?"

"No! Really no!" Xu Qing was so scared she almost cried. She pointed at the underwear and babbled, "It was all Little Songzi! He forced me! That day... he was in your room, and forced me to pretend to be you..."

"Oh? Really?"

"Y-yes! If you don’t believe me, ask him! I was forced!"

Suddenly, Shen Yuyan’s face twisted into a weird smile. She suddenly leaned forward and pressed down on Xu Qing.

Xu Qing was shocked and struggled with all her might. "W-what are you doing?!"

"Since you two like to use me as part of your play," her friend whispered near her ear, breath fragrant like orchids, "then... I’ll join in personally and play with you two, how about that?"

Then that familiar, beautiful face kissed her.

Her friend’s hand slipped under her clothes.

In the bedroom—

"Nooo—!"

"Thud!"

A dull, solid impact sound echoed.

Xu Qing rubbed her aching head and groaned as she sat up, still a little dazed.

It was just a dream.

She glanced at her side. The thick quilt had fallen to the floor at some point and served as a cushion;

otherwise, she would have gotten a huge bump on her head.

Still shaken, she patted her chest and exhaled deeply.

"Damn bastard Little Songzi!" Xu Qing cursed through gritted teeth.

Scenes from two nights ago still echoed in her mind.

At that time, that insane Tang Song had mercilessly "tormented" her in her best friend’s room.

The scene was so intense her head was spinning, and she was forced to say a lot of embarrassing nonsense.

Among them, she had even pretended to be her best friend.

She had worn Yanyan’s old college clothes.

Just thinking about it flushed Xu Qing’s cheeks bright red.

She grabbed her hair hard and buried her face deep in her knees.

"Yanyan, I’m sorry!"

"So perverted! Little Songzi is a total pervert! All because of Xiao Jing’s bad influence!"

"This life is unbearable!"

While muttering to herself,

"Ring ring ring—" her phone suddenly rang.

Xu Qing glanced at the phone screen on the bedside table and shivered with fright.

[Xiao Jing]

After hesitating, Xu Qing answered.

"Hey, Qingqing! Good morning! Are you up yet?" Xiao Jing’s energetic voice came through the receiver.

"Ah... I’m up, I’m up."

"I’ve been hiding a surprise from you, guess what it is?"

Xu Qing was stunned and instinctively said, "It can’t be another special item, I don’t want it!"

"Hahaha~~" Xiao Jing laughed heartily, then said, "Nope! I secretly prepared a birthday party evening dress for you. It’s specially customized by Chanel according to your size, super stunning! Come try it on! I even booked the best stylist team in the circle to make sure you and I will be the showstoppers tonight!"

Hearing this, Xu Qing’s heart instantly raced, and all sleep vanished.

Chanel... customized... stylist team...

This was a dream combination every girl couldn’t resist!

Now that she had "allied" with Xiao Jing, she wasn’t so scared of her anymore and was instantly excited.

"Okay, wait for me a moment."

"Bye-bye."

After hanging up, Xu Qing jumped out of bed and rushed into the bathroom, quickly using the toilet and washing up.

She didn’t even have time for breakfast and drove off excitedly.

...

Yanjing Huating.

"Ding—" The elevator doors slowly opened.

Xu Qing just stepped out when she saw Xiao Jing waiting there.

Xiao Jing wore a light pink sweater dress, her long black hair tied into cute twin ponytails, looking like a sweet, harmless girl-next-door.

As soon as she saw Xu Qing, Xiao Jing eagerly ran over and gave her a big hug, then loudly kissed her cheek.

"Qingqing, you’re here! Mua~ Welcome!"

Xu Qing instinctively shrank her neck, passively accepting the greeting, then followed Xiao Jing into the large flat.

Just as they reached the living room, a well-maintained, gentle middle-aged woman walked over from the master bedroom.

"Jingjing, do you have a guest?"

"Mm-hmm." Xiao Jing nodded and affectionately held Xu Qing’s hand. "This is my good sister, Xu Qing. Qingqing, this is my mom."

"Hello, Auntie." Xu Qing quickly and obediently greeted.

"Hello, Xu Qing." Chen Man’s eyes scanned her, smiling, "Such a beautiful girl."

Xu Qing smiled shyly. "Auntie, you’re beautiful too."

Chen Man smiled warmly and chatted with her for a while.

Then she approached Xiao Jing and softly asked, "Jingjing, I remember you said you planned to have guests wear half-face masquerade masks before entering the birthday party, right?"

Xiao Jing’s eyes flickered. "Yes. But don’t worry, only some of my young friends will wear them, and only to cover their eyes. It’s just a little fun before the party."

For previous birthday parties without their parents, she had arranged many unique, interesting activities.

But since this time parents and business partners would attend, Dad and Mom had emphasized to keep things proper.

In the end, she insisted on keeping just this one feature, and letting guests choose whether to wear masks without forcing anyone.

Her main goal was to make Shangguan Qiuyas’s entrance more "shocking."

If Qiuyas announced her identity right away, surrounded by gossip, it would lose the "thunder from a clear sky" effect.

What she wanted was for Qiuyas to quietly stay with them, then remove the mask at the key moment.

She would personally introduce her identity, igniting the whole room.

That was the most classic "famous scene" in anime!

It would also better establish Qiuyas as Tang Song’s supporting figure.

After all, tonight’s protagonists were her and Tang Song.

Chen Man shook her head. "I’m not against it. I mean, you could prepare more masks. What if some of Dad and my friends want to join in? Maybe even the waiters wear them. Wouldn’t that be more fun and lively?"

"Ah?" Xiao Jing’s eyes lit up in surprise. "Really? Didn’t Dad say there would be business partners and it should be formal?"

"Of course," Chen Man affectionately stroked her daughter’s soft ponytails. "Our little princess’s birthday party must be the happiest for you."

She only agreed because Tang Entertainment’s flash event plan was far more serious than she imagined.

They even sent a professional planning team to communicate deeply with the hotel.

To ensure Echo girl group’s surprise appearance, they planned for them to disguise as masked waitresses, then instantly "transform" and perform on the main stage.

According to them, this approach also helped avoid privacy violations.

Having top pop stars serve as waitresses was quite a spectacle.

Moreover, this was Xiao Jing’s birthday party, and the daughter had always loved such fun stuff and was an Echo fan.

Most guests were young people who could wear masks according to their preferences.

Once the flash event ended, the masks would come off.

So after discussing with her husband, Chen Man agreed to Tang Entertainment’s proposal.

After seeing her mother off, Xiao Jing immediately pulled Xu Qing into the bedroom and into the luxurious dressing room.

She helped her try on the evening dress.

Xu Qing had never worn such high-end clothes before, and her eyes shone with joy.

They changed and took photos in the bedroom, and Xiao Jing generously brought out her jewelry box, letting Xu Qing pick accessories, having a great time.

"Click—"

"This photo is really pretty. I’ll send it to our boyfriends to see." Xiao Jing excitedly said, then shared it with Tang Song.

Then began the rapid typing of messages.

...

Yanjing Tiancheng.

"Ding dong—" A WeChat notification sounded.

[Xiao Jing: Group photo.jpg]

[Xiao Jing: "Song, don’t be late to tonight’s birthday party. I prepared lots and lots of surprises for you. Can’t wait for you to open them yourself!"]

Tang Song looked at the photo of the two girls smiling like flowers, young and radiant, and smiled knowingly. Just as he was about to type a reply,

A crisp system alert sounded.

"Ding! Detected player encountering a qualifying scene. Special item [Tang Song’s Reflection] triggered. Dungeon [Tian Jing’s Birthday Party] created!"

Tang Song’s hand froze mid-action!

Instinctively, he leapt up from the sofa, his face full of shock and disbelief.

This...

The item triggered less than two hours after obtaining it?!

Tang Song even doubted if he was dreaming.

He bit his tongue, feeling a sharp pain.

His heart began pounding wildly.

Damn! My white and rich beauty friend, you really gave me a huge surprise!

Tonight, I must reward you handsomely!

He immediately opened the system interface and entered the warehouse.

A shimmering card lay quietly there.

Checking details:

[Tian Jing’s Birthday Party]: Using this will load a special event dungeon in the real world. Please prepare in advance.

[Note: Valid for 6 hours 59 minutes 31 seconds. Countdown ends, dungeon will automatically open.]

Tang Song stared at the card for a moment, then without hesitation clicked to open immediately.

"Whoosh—"

The light screen before his eyes flowed and shattered, turning into countless sparkling star dust that reassembled before him.

A magnificent three-dimensional dynamic scene unfolded slowly from a god’s eye view.

He saw—

A luxurious banquet hall, huge floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city night view, crystal chandeliers sparkling like the Milky Way, and Xiao Jing in a gorgeous evening gown, smiling like a blooming flower, the center of attention...

He also saw—

Luo Bin’s tall pine-like figure, Wu Kezhi’s calm profile, Zheng Qiudong’s sharp and calculating eyes, Mo Xiangwan’s composed elegance, and Anne Kate’s aggressive and wild smile...

Threads of pale golden light intertwined and collided between these characters’ images, dazzling and mesmerizing.

At the deepest part of this magnificent scene, a shadow exactly like him quietly stood, calmly overlooking everything.

Then lines of text jumped out:

[Welcome to the special event dungeon—Tian Jing’s Birthday Party]

[An ordinary birthday party has evolved, due to player intervention, into a grand stage filled with emotions, fame, ambition, and interests.]

[Due to the Tangjin Family Office’s disturbances, your unlocked game characters will attend this party carrying their own schemes and goals, interacting, probing, negotiating, and clashing with you.]

[Faced with such complexity, you currently do not have the ability to control them.]

["Tang Song’s Reflection" slowly projects.]

[By controlling the power of the "Reflection," as the player, you will suppress all agitation, balance all demands, control all characters, and achieve an upgrade in both mindset and ability.]