Three Worlds and Three Lives [33]

In the new year, the relocation of the largest tertiary comprehensive hospital in the capital city can be considered a major event in the hearts of the people. After all, with the increasing number of patients, the hospital’s surroundings could not be expanded. Coupled with the small size of the underground parking lot, the hospital was overcrowded. Moving to a new location is beneficial for both patients and the hospital.

During the opening ceremony at the new location, many local entrepreneurs sent banners and donated a considerable amount of medical equipment. The mayor himself also attended the event and participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

An Meijun’s uncle was also present and applauded for this grand opening ceremony. He had become the head of the Obstetrics and Gynecology department a few years ago. For him, his niece’s request to destroy records was just a small matter. However, he only agreed after confirming multiple times that he wouldn’t be implicated in the future.

It’s normal for some records, whether paper or electronic, to be accidentally lost during the hospital’s massive relocation.

At the same time, Lu Game Company was thriving. The number of employees continued to increase, and various rules and regulations were becoming more refined in the new year. The meticulously developed new games were also starting to take center stage.

As the boss, Yin Minglu gathered employees and key personnel from various departments and held a brief meeting. The main message was that this month would be busy, and he requested everyone to work hard. He also aimed to boost employee motivation.

The employees present readily accepted, and the staff from the planning department, touching their foreheads feeling the pressure, volunteered to stay and work overtime this month. Anyway, this group of singles was accustomed to working overtime, and they felt uncomfortable if they didn’t work extra hours for a day. Moreover, since the boss personally promised that if the new game met expectations after its launch, the entire planning department would receive a year’s worth of salary.

Upon closer inspection, it was only the boss who had a thick head of black hair among those present.

Looking at the person sitting in the main seat, with clear and penetrating eyes, a graceful and composed smile, but a face and clothes that exuded youthful naivety, the new employee who was poached with a high salary was a bit confused. He had long been fascinated by Lu Game Company, but he didn’t know much about the company’s internal situation. This was his first time attending an employee meeting and also the first time he had seen the boss in person.

It could be said that the boss was much younger than he had imagined. He leaned over to his colleague and asked in a hushed voice, “How old is the boss? He looks so young, even younger than my nephew.” Could he still be in high school?

His colleague, adjusting his wig on his head, hadn’t had a chance to respond when the young boss spoke up, clearly overhearing their conversation.

“I’m nineteen,” said Yin Minglu, giving himself two extra years to avoid being underestimated.

The new employee raised an eyebrow, skeptical. “Really?”

A colleague whispered, “Don’t believe him, he’s just pretending to be old.”

New emplyee: “…” Well then.

After the meeting, the boss left first. As it was his first month on the job, the new employee was enthusiastic and eager to contribute to the new company. He thought, “I’ll just work overtime this month!” He even brought his own small blanket and lunchbox, thinking he could wrap himself in the blanket if he got cold and have a midnight snack if he got hungry.

However, when he returned to his seat, he discovered that he wasn’t the only one staying late. He was shocked as he held a cup of milk tea and asked his colleagues, “Didn’t only the planning department work overtime? Why is everyone staying?”

His colleagues were still here? Weren’t they going to lose their hair if they kept working overtime like the planning department?

“The boss didn’t require us to work overtime, but we like to do it,” one of the senior colleagues said, getting up to pour a cup of coffee and, incidentally, a glass of red wine for her colleague next to her. “Anyway, I’ve gone home, and I’m the only one at home. It’s more lively here in the company, and there’s plenty to eat and drink.”

“Yeah, our company has a great atmosphere for overtime. Plus, there’s a dedicated shuttle service after 6:30, so you don’t have to endure the subway and bus during rush hour. You even get a delicious dinner at 7 or 8 in the evening. From Japanese sushi to French steak, many of us don’t want to go home and cook, so we voluntarily stay late until 7 or 8. After 9, we take a taxi home, and the fare is reimbursed. So many people willingly work an extra hour and more,” another petite female colleague said with a smile, opening her computer and skillfully making some software adjustments.

What’s going on here? Why did everyone look so happy while working overtime? The new employee didn’t fully understand, but as he got used to it, he would eventually figure it out. Lu Game Company was a highly creative workplace. Although the boss was young, his management skills were no less than those of middle-aged entrepreneurs. This was evident from the way overtime was managed. Even though they were busy this month, the boss never required employees to work overtime, but they all volunteered to do so.

Quitting time was 5:30 PM, and the evening rush hour in the capital city was often congested. However, at 6:30 PM, the company provided a free shuttle service to avoid the congestion. Many colleagues voluntarily worked an extra hour to make use of the shuttle service. At 7 or 8 PM, the company also provided a lavish dinner, including Japanese sushi and French steaks. Consequently, many employees preferred to stay late instead of going home to cook.

Moreover, the boss was very generous. Whenever a new game was released, he would award bonuses and salaries equivalent to eight to twelve months to deserving employees. This motivated employees in every department to work harder, and they believed they had joined a great company.

Furthermore, the boss had a great reputation in the industry. Every time a game was launched and featured on the app store, even without a prominent recommendation spot, it would directly climb to the top of the new games chart, surpassing numerous other games. The impressive download and review numbers provided a sense of accomplishment for everyone involved.

Because the new game was related to female dress-up, Yin Minglu came to the currently most popular training camp base to redeem the rewards from last year’s competition. He intended to select ten girls from among the hundreds of training camp girls to endorse the game.

As soon as the news spread, the fans of the training camp girls were excited, each of them claiming to be the chosen one.

Knowing that the nationally recognized genius Yin Minglu was coming, most of the girls in the training camp rushed to the makeup room to touch up their appearance. A few who knew they didn’t have an advantage pretended to be reserved and continued practicing in the dance room, continuously dancing and sweating, hoping that their efforts would impress the project leader.

Since they hadn’t officially debuted yet, this endorsement by Lu Game Company was their first commercial collaboration. Being selected represented popularity, appearance, and strength, so naturally, everyone wanted to strive for it.

When Yin Minglu entered the closed base and saw the man with beautiful phoenix eyes, his eyes lit up. He walked up to him faster than the project leader, shook the man’s long hand up and down, and greeted, “Teacher Chu, nice to meet you.” Subtext: Handsome teacher, it’s been a while, have you missed me?

While saying this, and taking advantage of the fact that no one could see, he playfully hooked his pinky finger into Chu Run’s palm and lightly scratched it. Seeing Chu Run raise an eyebrow, he immediately felt as happy as a little cat that had secretly tasted honey.

Chu Run, however, was a beat slower and couldn’t grasp his hand anymore. Seeing that Yin Minglu had no intention of letting go, he reluctantly put his hand down.

Feeling the gentle strokes on his palm as if a cat’s tail was tickling it, Chu Run’s long eyes narrowed slightly. He couldn’t let himself appear weaker and also hooked his fingers into the young man’s fair palm, applying a force that was neither too light nor too heavy, but almost every touch landed on a ticklish spot.

He maintained a smiling expression as if having a normal conversation with the young man.

An electric current ran through the young man’s body, and Yin Minglu blushed. The one who had initially acted flirtatious was now on the receiving end. Unable to withstand it, he let go of Chu Run’s hand and said seriously, “Let’s focus on the task at hand. Let’s start selecting the candidates.”

This topic changed quickly, and Chu Run couldn’t help but raise the corners of his mouth, giving a light laugh.

Even before they entered the backstage area, there were continuous giggles from the girls. Several girls in sexy tank tops passed by in the hallway, and when they saw Chu Run, they covered their mouths and giggled. The charm of these young girls made a few male staff members who came with Yin Minglu blush, and it gradually wiped the smile off Chu Run’s face.

No one knew that the backstage area, the object of countless men’s dreams, was actually one of his most disliked places. It was a cramped space with young girls who were all dolled up, scheming and competing for positions, using any means necessary, including backstabbing, false accusations, and forming alliances against each other. Moreover, these girls especially liked to surround male mentors, as if being favored by the mentors gave them a sense of security. During his time as a producer, the overpowering scent of perfume and foundation assaulting his senses challenged his nerves repeatedly.

This time was no different. When the girls saw him, several of them instantly crowded around, calling him “Teacher Chu” while secretly stealing glances at the young man’s face, their cheeks blushing slightly.

Chu Run’s lips curled slightly, showing a hint of displeasure. He was afraid that these young boys and girls might form a connection through their eye contact and spark some sort of romantic attraction.

Little did he know that Yin Minglu was wondering why the trainees he met along the way were not as good-looking as their mentors.

“Ladies, are you ready? The selection of our spokesperson is about to begin.” Teacher Zhang, the instructor responsible for teaching the girls to dance, politely knocked on the door of the makeup room. It was like startling a flock of colorful birds as various excited exclamations came from inside.

“Oh, they arrived so quickly! I’m feeling so nervous! Will I be chosen?” The girl anxiously clutched her skirt.

Her companion reassured her, saying, “Xiao Xue, you’re so beautiful; you’ll definitely get chosen.”

“Ha, it’s not just about looks. If they chose based on popularity, then anyone could get in.” Another girl proudly raised her face while combing her hair. “I’m sure I’ll get picked. My dad and the Yin family are old friends, and thanks to my dad, I’ll definitely get selected.”

Yin Minglu: Who are you?

He hadn’t watched more than a few episodes of the show, and apart from the most popular ones whose names he recognized, he had no idea who most of these people were. This time, he brought some clothes with him, and if he found someone suitable, he would have them try on the clothes.

“They will definitely choose the ones with higher popularity; it’s so unfair,” complained a chubby-cheeked girl. “Those of us who joined later have no advantage, right, Mingqin?”

Because the training for the one hundred-member group was too demanding, many young girls couldn’t handle it and either dropped out or focused on their studies. What should be done with the vacant spots? Naturally, they were filled by new trainees from smaller companies or amateurs. Those who joined later indeed had no advantages compared to those who had already made an impression on the audience.

“Yeah, you’re right,” Mingqin reluctantly nodded, but in a place where others couldn’t see, her pristine melon-seed face twisted for a moment. She almost wanted to scream, damn it, Yin Minglu, why are you everywhere!

The entertainment industry was so vast. She originally thought she could seize an important position before this training camp’s program became popular all over the country. Even if her homeroom teacher had objections to her frequent absences from school to participate in the program, she didn’t care. Compared to academics and future prospects, her future was more important. Those who needed to rely on the college entrance examination to change their fate were those without family background or connections. She would eventually have all these things.

If she couldn’t compete with Yin Minglu in the gaming world, she would enter the entertainment industry. When it came time, could a game producer outshine entertainment industry stars? In the future, she would spend money to buy a Best Actress award, star in a few TV dramas with ease, and gain millions of fans with just a little promotion. She could sing and dance, and she had learned etiquette and how to respond in her mom’s paid classes. Perhaps she couldn’t make it to the top three, but standing out would be easy.

Once her identity as the heiress to a wealthy family was revealed, she would completely burst onto the scene. Maybe she could make a sudden breakthrough and even take first place. For now, she was just lurking in this hundred-member group. But why was the entertainment industry so small? She had tried to avoid it, but she kept running into Yin Minglu.

Letting herself stand among a hundred girls to be chosen by someone else, and if she still wasn’t selected, it would be a huge humiliation. She had to avoid this selection process and hope that the other party wouldn’t notice her. After all, being a spokesperson for a small game was beneath her.

Yin Minglu, of course, noticed her. He touched his chin and thought it was interesting.

Author’s Note: Sorry for being half an hour late to finish this. It’s been a busy day!
In reality, there are companies like this, called TX¹idk which company this is but I guess it’s kind of like Produce101 which is a popular Chinese reality television show where trainees from various entertainment companies compete for a spot in a project girl group..

Love what you read? A little donation can go a long way!

• 1
  idk which company this is but I guess it’s kind of like Produce101 which is a popular Chinese reality television show where trainees from various entertainment companies compete for a spot in a project girl group.