Leaving the conference room.
Lu Li walked along the small streets of Shenzhen with his hands in his pockets.
He looked around at the numerous shops and the bustling traffic.
Pedestrians hurried along, and the entire city was vibrant.
It was so prosperous it made him a little uncomfortable.
“Hey!” A fragrant breeze swept past.
Bai Zhiyuan’s voice came from behind, her clear yet somehow distinctive voice carrying a hint of tremor.
Like a mature woman with a vibrator.
Trying hard to maintain her composure, yet appearing somewhat flustered due to some uncontrollable physiological factor.
“Ah-ha…”
Lu Li, the ultimate socially awkward person, scratched his head and turned around somewhat stiffly, scanning Bai Zhiyuan’s face, which was flushed from her quick walk. “Bai Zhiyuan? Little Bai Bai Again White?”
“Hello… let’s formally introduce ourselves. I’m Lu Li, 25 years old, a professional game designer.”
Bai Zhiyuan felt a bit uneasy under Lu Li’s slightly aggressive gaze. She tilted her head slightly and gestured with her chin towards a public bench next to the city hall. “Shall we sit and chat for a while?”
“Sure.”
Lu Li and Bai Zhiyuan sat on the bench, one after the other.
Bai Zhiyuan: “……”
Lu Li: “……”
The scene instantly fell into an awkward silence.
This moment was akin to a long-distance online couple finally meeting, with wild promises made online of kissing each other senseless, and the other party defiantly vowing to make them cry out upon meeting.
But then,
Upon meeting, both of them, being extremely socially awkward, couldn’t even make eye contact.
So cowardly!
“I…”
“I…”
“You…”
“You…”
They both spoke at the same time, more synchronized than the Red Arrow missiles.
Lu Li was used to being alone. In both his past and present lives, he had little experience being alone with the opposite sex, and at that moment, he didn’t know what to say.
Bai Zhiyuan, on the other hand, only presented a cool, icy demeanor at work and was otherwise solitary. Since childhood, she had never spent more than half an hour alone with a man besides her father.
Facing this "old acquaintance" she had been quietly observing for a long time, she had mustered the courage to speak to him a few days prior, using the presence of her colleagues as a buffer.
Now, alone, her mind went completely blank.
“Ladies first,” Lu Li said, very gentlemanly.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Lu Li, for not revealing my true identity after knowing each other online for so long.”
“But don’t worry, I’m not trying to pry into your company’s secrets.”
“Liking games produced by Ling Jing is my personal preference, and it doesn’t overlap with my work.”
Bai Zhiyuan placed her hands together on her knees, like a well-behaved child, completely devoid of her usual cool, mature aura.
“You don’t need to explain in such detail. I’m fine with it.”
“You’re also a working professional, and it’s normal to have your own hobbies. Furthermore, for the game industry, I hope to see a flourishing landscape.”
“It’s just that I didn’t expect you… to be so good-looking.”
As she spoke, Lu Li tilted his head and ‘stole a glance’ without looking directly at her.
Hmm, well-endowed.
Her figure and face were both excellent. Despite weighing less than 100 catties, she appeared exceptionally voluptuous.
The “d” really did stand for “d”!
Their eyes met again, and Lu Li noticed that she was also stealing glances at him out of the corner of her eye.
Swish!
Bai Zhiyuan quickly turned her head away, her previously fading blush returning.
Although she knew Lu Li was stating a fact, she felt a little embarrassed to have it said so openly.
Little did she know, this was already the most gentlemanly adjective Lu Li could muster from all the civilized words in his mind.
Given his usual unrestrained yet slightly reserved personality when alone, words like ‘luscious,’ ‘generous but not giving,’ and other strange terms had popped into his head.
Lu Li didn’t turn his head, but pursed his lips. “Look, your colleagues are here.”
“What, is the meeting over?”
Bai Zhiyuan looked behind her upon hearing this. Vice President Zheng Ting and Gao Yuxin from the publicity department were walking towards them, one after the other.
Her body tensed slightly, and a touch of coolness entered her clear, autumn-water-like eyes.
“Xiao Bai, why did you run off so fast? You didn’t wait for us.” Gao Yuxin, with her outgoing personality and slightly social butterfly tendencies, plopped down on the chair next to Bai Zhiyuan, casually linking her arm through Bai Zhiyuan’s. “You walked too fast. I didn’t see Ling Jing’s handsome young man leave, and the old man looked like he’d eaten a can of herring, very… Oh, Lu Li, you’re here too?”
After rambling on, Gao Yuxin finally noticed Lu Li sitting next to Bai Zhiyuan, who was currently smiling at her. 138 Reading Network.
“Lu Li, right? Truly young and promising. There’s a reason Ling Jing has been able to rise in the past two years.”
Vice President Zheng Ting was more composed. She approached Lu Li and politely extended her hand. “Zheng Ting, Vice President of Penguin. I’m currently in charge of Penguin’s gaming division. Feel free to find a quiet place to chat sometime.”
“Hello, Director Zheng. I’m Lu Li.”
Lu Li stood up, gently shook Zheng Ting’s hand, and then released it. He pointed to the chair beside him. “How about we sit for a while first? I’ll greet the person in charge, and then we can find a place to have a meal.”
His stay in Shenzhen, including his daily needs, was arranged by specialized personnel from the municipal government. Even if the meeting had been unpleasant, he shouldn’t have shown his displeasure to the host, as they were only responsible for liaison, not the content of the discussions.
“Certainly.”
Zheng Ting subtly glanced at Bai Zhiyuan beside him and asked gently, “Do you… know each other?”
“We… do,” Lu Li nodded.
“I really like the games Ling Jing has released in the past two years. I won a simulated access pod during Ling Jing’s speedrun event, and that’s how we got in touch. We’ve known each other for some time.”
Bai Zhiyuan did not reveal her Bilibili account information, as that was her private matter.
“Wow, you’re that good!”
Gao Yuxin shook Bai Zhiyuan’s arm, her face full of admiration. “I tried too, but the last boss in ‘Wangdar and the Colossus’ was too difficult. I still haven’t beaten it.”
Lu Li smiled faintly and did not continue the conversation.
“Ah.”
Zheng Ting sighed. “I heard that my company tried to collaborate with yours back then, but it didn’t work out. It’s quite a shame.”
“Penguin’s investment vision is as sharp as ever, but at that time, we planned to make games with our own style and had no intention of becoming affiliated.”
Jokingly, if they had collaborated with Penguin, would they have the games they have now?
Although the person in front of him was the head of Penguin’s gaming division, the company’s development direction was not determined by a single person.
Moreover, the other party’s attitude was good, and Lu Li did not offer any sarcastic remarks, stating the facts truthfully.
“I heard you have some big plans recently. I wish you success, truly.”
Lu Li was very sincere. He genuinely hoped that domestic games would rise. Relying solely on him was too difficult. With a leader taking the lead, the entire industry could develop healthily.
This was a situation he was very happy to see.
“Thank you…”
The three spoke in unison, and the atmosphere in the room gradually livened up.
…
(Daily life is so hard to write, I’m stuck, especially with a bit of lovey-dovey daily life.)