“You said you wanted to take me on a date?” Hu Jing asked coldly, sitting in Boss Huang’s car.
“That’s right, I’m taking you on a date!” Boss Huang readily agreed, but he had a faint feeling that something was amiss. Had he forgotten something important?
“Then where do you plan to take me on this date?” Hu Jing asked again. Boss Huang was taken aback. He hadn't really considered this question. Moreover, it seemed that ever since he was reborn into this world, his sisters-in-law all started with a perfect affection level. He had never really thought about dating.
“How about we go see a movie?” Boss Huang suggested tentatively.
“Okay!” Hu Jing agreed readily. Boss Huang breathed a sigh of relief, and the two of them went to the cinema to watch a movie. The film was the globally popular Star Wars Episode III.
Boss Huang had never been interested in the Star Wars series, so he could secretly observe Hu Jing’s expression. He noticed that she also didn’t seem particularly interested in the movie.
“Is the movie not good?” Huang He asked curiously.
“I haven’t watched any of the Star Wars original trilogy, nor have I watched the prequel two films. What do you expect me to understand?” Hu Jing said calmly.
“Then let’s leave!” Huang He grabbed Hu Jing’s hand and they slipped away. It was already under the starlit sky. Boss Huang was too lazy to drive. He held Hu Jing’s hand, and the two of them unconsciously strolled down the street.
The people on the street likely did not expect the Protector of China to be walking around so frequently. Coupled with Huang He wearing sunglasses, there was no suspicion about his identity being discovered.
Perhaps influenced by the atmosphere, Boss Huang and Hu Jing began to chat openly. Although they had talked many times before, their conversations were always about work. This time, Boss Huang talked about his past, about things he had never dared to speak of.
These were stories from the childhood of the Boss Huang from another world. However, these were things that Huang He dared not discuss with his sisters-in-law, because these events had not happened to the Boss Huang of this world. If any of his sisters-in-law discovered something amiss, it would be troublesome.
On the contrary, Hu Jing, having had no prior contact with the previous Huang He, felt free to discuss many things without worrying about being exposed. At the same time, Hu Jing also talked about her childhood, sharing many stories. They talked until the people on the street became increasingly sparse, and they walked from the city center to its outskirts.
“Do you think this is a blind date?” Huang He suddenly asked Hu Jing.
Hu Jing’s body trembled slightly, and then she replied, “I suppose… maybe!”
“Is that so? Such a simple matter, and I never noticed it!” Huang He took a deep breath, hesitated for a moment, and then said, “Actually, I’m not a good man. You know I have a relationship with Zhiruo and Zhiwen, and you also know that I occasionally indulge in other affairs!”
“If you weren’t Hu Jing, but another woman, I would have devoured you on the spot today. But you are Hu Jing, my most capable assistant, and my most trusted friend. You are different from other women. In my eyes, you are the same as Zhiruo, Zhiwen, Zhimeng, Zhitang, Zhiyuan, the Mother-in-law, and others. You are all like family to me!”
“Therefore, I don’t want to give you a bad future. I also hope you can find someone who will be devoted to you, because I am destined to be unable to be devoted to you!”
“Even so, do you think today is a blind date?” Huang He retorted. Boss Huang was truly conflicted. Hu Jing was such a beautiful, intelligent, and capable woman, who knew countless of Huang He’s secrets. How could Huang He not like Hu Jing?
But the problem was precisely because Hu Jing’s identity was so special that Huang He had to respect his secretary.
“I know Zhiruo and Zhiwen are your wives!” Hu Jing nodded, then said calmly, “That means, you don’t actually have a girlfriend right now, do you?”
“……” Huang He’s expression stiffened slightly. After a while, he forced a bitter smile and said, “Although it sounds shameless, I truly don’t have a girlfriend!”
“Then that’s fine. I’ll be your girlfriend, and you can give the position of wife to someone else!” Hu Jing said with a smile. “From today onwards, the dignified richest man in China, Boss Huang, is my boyfriend!”
“Uh…” Huang He scratched his head. How did it feel like he was the one being schemed against?
[PS: As expected, writing romance is difficult. There won’t be any new main female protagonists after this!]
————————————
“President, you’re finally back! You have no idea how many tantrums Madam Versailles has thrown. If you didn’t return soon, the board of directors might have expelled you!” Zuckerberg’s secretary said anxiously, finally seeing his boss after several months.
“No matter. To govern by inaction is to act effectively, for that is the way,” Zuckerberg said calmly in response to his secretary’s anxious words.
“Sir, are you speaking in English?” Unfortunately, Zuckerberg’s secretary could not comprehend such profound Taoist philosophy.
“Alas!” Zuckerberg could only sigh and then said to his secretary, “Tell me, during my absence, has the company’s development improved or worsened?”
“Well…” The secretary paused, then said, “In these four months, the number of users in North America has increased by seven million. We have also launched services in twelve European countries, seventeen South American countries, six Southeast Asian countries, and Australia, adding over twenty million users globally!”
“And the revenue?” Zuckerberg asked again.
“Revenue has once again hit a new high. Monthly advertising revenue has surpassed one hundred million US dollars, and our premium Weibo services have also seen monthly revenue exceeding eighty million US dollars, which is six times that of the same period last year, and a fifty percent increase from the previous quarter!”
“Exactly! Even without my presence, the company’s business has been in a state of rapid growth. Do you understand what I mean by governing by inaction?” Zuckerberg said again. But the secretary remained unenlightened. He continued to press, “But sir, if you are not present in the company and do not issue any directives, and the company merely operates as usual, wouldn’t the board have even less reason to keep you in the company?”
“Virtual yin can regulate yang, and fire can smelt gold. One who is outside the golden mountain can achieve divinity, thus one knows,” Zuckerberg replied indifferently. Seeing his secretary’s expression, he shook his head with a sigh. “You are incorrigible. Never mind, you only need to know that the board will never fire me, and that is enough!”
“…” The secretary had nothing more to say, but as it turned out, his boss was absolutely right.
If the company was previously filled with rumors due to the president’s absence, then with Zuckerberg’s return, the entire company instantly returned to normal. Furthermore, the board of directors specially awarded Zuckerberg a year’s salary as a bonus, and all anxieties were instantly quelled.
However, Zuckerberg himself underwent a significant change. The previous Zuckerberg was essentially a workaholic with no girlfriend, dedicating half of his 24 hours to work and often pulling company employees into overtime, truly the king of internal competition.
But after his return, Zuckerberg not only stopped working overtime but also only came to work in the afternoon, with no sign of him in the mornings.
However, he was not sleeping in at home or having fun with women every day. On the contrary, Zuckerberg would leave his home before dawn, and no one knew where he went.
As the saying goes, the superiors set the example. Following Zuckerberg’s lead, many company executives also started to do the same, disappearing during the day. Although ordinary employees dared not skip work in the morning, the culture of overtime had completely vanished.
In response, Zuckerberg did not reprimand them. He directly fired the executives who came to work in the morning and then gathered the ordinary employees for a meeting.
Initially, he uttered some obscure phrases in English that were difficult for the Americans to understand. Later, Zuckerberg finally spoke plainly. He told the employees that he fully supported their idea and action of arriving at work on time and leaving on the dot every day. He also hoped they would maintain a pleasant work state as much as possible, to achieve a harmonious state of being, and so on.
In short, instead of being exploited, his employees were encouraged to be happy. This approach exploded throughout the industry, and companies were abuzz with discussions. Some thought Zuckerberg had gone mad, while others believed it was the best company in the world.
Regardless, under such a work atmosphere, Weibo saw both positive and negative changes.
The negative aspect was that Weibo frequently experienced low-level errors, such as misspelling words in official announcements or occasional system crashes.
On the positive side, users were surprised to find that Weibo had transformed from a serious platform into something fun. The official Weibo account often posted humorous pictures, showcased the company’s internal work environment, and interacted with users in various creative ways.
Most importantly, Weibo frequently organized eccentric activities, introducing unique features and providing entertainment for itself and its users. The overall atmosphere of Weibo became incredibly joyful without anyone consciously working towards it. Employees of Weibo never actively initiated this, but as management relaxed restrictions and allowed employees to inject their happiness into their work, the overall atmosphere of Weibo became increasingly cheerful.
Although the final outcome was uncertain, users of later competing Weibo products were drawn to Weibo, and Weibo’s user numbers continued to break records, establishing it as the undisputed industry leader.