After finishing all of this, Kang Yao stretched lazily, his every move in the hotel restaurant drawing attention.

Others were sneaking glances at him, but Kang Yao seemed completely used to it and didn’t mind. After browsing a game webpage for a while, he checked out some game outsourcing companies that were currently hiring.

He felt quite relaxed at the moment. Finding something to do seemed fine, but unfortunately, there weren’t any of the comprehensive software tools he used to create for game development available on the market. Doing anything without them would be a hassle.

Since he had some time to spare, Kang Yao didn’t hesitate. He opened a blank program and began typing from memory.

To the onlookers, his fingers flew across the keyboard, seemingly typing randomly. In reality, every line of code was already deeply ingrained in Kang Yao’s mind.

In his field, as long as he wanted to, there was nothing he couldn’t accomplish.

…

At 9 AM, Tong Shao, who had arrived at Manxing Media’s company lobby, took a deep breath.

The receptionist, a beautiful young woman, hadn’t confirmed his reservation yet when someone approached from the elevator. A man in his thirties, wearing a department manager’s work badge, came toward him.

“Are you Tong Shao?” he asked.

Tong Shao quickly responded, “Yes, I’m a first-year ballet student at C Film’s Dance Academy. I spoke with your company on the phone yesterday…”

Before Tong Shao could finish speaking, the slightly overweight man smiled and said, “That’s right. I was the one who called yesterday. My name is Zhang, just call me Brother Zhang. This way, the interview is on the 17th floor.”

They both entered the elevator, and with every step, Tong Shao felt increasingly unsure of himself.

Whether it was at school or at home, his family background had always created a comfortable, safe zone for him, an aura that made him feel superior to others, even if it wasn’t overt. But stepping into this building, it felt as if his relatively modest background had been completely stripped away.

To be honest, he didn’t think his performance yesterday had been all that great. He had been influenced by Kang Yao’s words, which led to some mistakes in his performance. Even though he had received the olive branch from Manxing, his excitement was mixed with anxiety.

As Tong Shao grew nervous, Brother Zhang subtly observed him from the side.

In this kind of situation, Tong Shao had naturally made sure to tidy up his appearance. He wore clothes from well-known brands, had his hair styled, looked youthful and fresh, with good manners—everything about him was presentable.

However, Brother Zhang couldn’t help but feel slightly disappointed by the way this person entered. It wasn’t that he was dissatisfied, but he felt that something was missing—there wasn’t that spark he had imagined. After all, this interview time had been personally arranged by the young master who had just taken office.

As he thought about it, Brother Zhang became curious and smiled, saying, “It’s just an interview, don’t be nervous. I know a few of the leaders, they’re all good people and won’t make things difficult for you. Just answer whatever they ask, and don’t be shy when it comes to showing your talents.”

“President Xu usually doesn’t come down, but since you’re here, he might come to take a look. Don’t be nervous, if he’s interested in you, there must be something outstanding about you…”

Tong Shao was startled. “President Xu? Xu Jingxing?”

Brother Zhang was momentarily stunned. “No, no, not that President Xu. The current one is the younger President Xu, he’s taking over now. People in the company call him President Xu as well. Uh, Xu Yao, you didn’t know?”

Tong Shao genuinely didn’t know this, but it didn’t stop him from quickly understanding that this President Xu was now the decision-maker at Manxing.

So, Manxing had undergone a leadership change? There hadn’t been any rumors at school. But since they both shared the surname Xu, it was highly likely that this was the only son of the giant in the industry, Xu Jingxing.

It made sense—carrying on the family business was normal.

Brother Zhang noticed that Tong Shao seemed to have just learned about this and found it a bit strange. He had assumed that the young master, Xu, would have given opportunities to people he personally knew. He had thought that at least Tong Shao would have seen him before, even if they didn’t know each other well.

As they were talking, the elevator reached its destination, and Brother Zhang led Tong Shao down the hallway. There were seven or eight people lined up in the corridor, all young and attractive, likely other interviewees. They were all waiting in line, but Tong Shao was the only one whom Brother Zhang had personally gone to fetch.

Brother Zhang said, “You wait here for a moment. There aren’t too many people, so you’ll be up soon.”

He was right. Tong Shao didn’t have to wait long. Before he entered the room, those ahead of him in line had already gone through their interviews. Some came out looking visibly excited, while others had red eyes, making it clear whether they had succeeded or failed.

This atmosphere made Tong Shao’s body tense up even more. Luckily, after entering the room, the few people in charge who looked over his resume seemed quite satisfied with him.

They looked at his information and asked, “What are your plans for the future? Do you still want to continue dancing? Have you considered acting? Have you taken any acting classes?”

Tong Shao answered one by one. He truly loved dancing, but like most people, when the opportunity to debut was placed in front of him, he didn’t mind giving up the so-called “original dream.”

As they were continuing the conversation, footsteps were heard outside the door. Brother Zhang and the others exchanged glances, and as expected, just as the interview was nearing its end, someone entered.

The person came in hurriedly, not bothering to knock. Tong Shao only heard the door open, and when he turned around, he locked eyes with a tall man.

The man might not have been that tall, but due to the angle, Tong Shao’s first impression was that the man was uncomfortably tall.

Perhaps it was also the man’s aura—sharp and commanding—that gave him the impression of being unapproachably high. His face, naturally stern and critical, added to the feeling of superiority.

Tong Shao said nothing, simply being scrutinized by the man for a few seconds.

The man spoke, “…Tong Shao?”

Tong Shao nodded and asked, “President Xu?”

Xu Yao’s expression instantly darkened.

Although he hadn’t intended to let his presence affect the interview, he truly hadn’t expected to see a completely different person from what he had imagined.

The name was the same as the one from yesterday’s seat, but the person was not the one he expected. He had made a mistake.

Xu Yao couldn’t hide his disappointment, which showed on his increasingly darkening face. He didn’t speak further, turned, and left the room. The people inside exchanged glances without saying a word, seemingly accustomed to Xu Yao’s temper, which could quickly shift to anger without warning.

Tong Shao, locking eyes with Xu Yao, felt the disappointment radiating from the man in that brief moment.

His heart sank to the bottom, and for no reason at all, he thought: It’s over.

This person doesn’t want him.

After leaving the interview room, Xu Yao returned to his 33rd floor. Lai Xingwei had already finished what he was doing and was idly browsing book reviews. His grandma-gray hair made him look younger than his actual age, giving off a “middle-aged man trying to look young” vibe.

Xu Yao didn’t have the patience to chat with Lai Xingwei. He placed several contracts on the table and said flatly, “Sign or not?”

Lai Xingwei got up from the sofa, scratching his head in discomfort. “Weren’t we supposed to talk first? Where’s the discussion? Why are we jumping straight to signing?!”

“I know what the other companies are offering. My terms are the best of all. If you have any brains, you wouldn’t turn me down and pick someone else.”

Lai Xingwei understood that logic. Although Xu Yao had a strange temper, he would never let his good friends suffer. He looked worried and said, “The reason I hesitated so long wasn’t because I didn’t want to sell. It’s just that I’m afraid if I do, whether it’s for a movie or TV show, they’ll mess it up. I had plenty of game offers before, and they paid well, but I still didn’t sell.”

Xu Yao didn’t argue about the market’s many poorly made works. He simply said, “I’ll personally oversee this project.”

Xu Yao personally overseeing it meant it would surely go well. Lai Xingwei gritted his teeth and said, “Alright, alright, I’ll sign.”

With that, he signed the contract.

Having wrapped up something significant, Lai Xingwei felt a mix of reluctance and excitement.

“How about we go out for a meal and celebrate?” he suggested.

Xu Yao pointed toward the door without looking up. “Go on, do it yourself. I don’t have time to entertain you.”

It was even faster than when a donkey is slaughtered after its work is done. Lai Xingwei was a little annoyed. “I’m not leaving until you take me out for a meal!”

Xu Yao didn’t even glance at him. He opened his laptop, continuing to look through his files and projects.

It wasn’t an exaggeration—Xu Yao had so much to do, it was like being buried in tasks. Not only did he have to manage things at Manxing Media, but there were also three major shows from his family’s side, Haivira. Right now, he was juggling multiple things. The only reason he had time to glance downstairs was because certain matters had occupied so much of his attention.

Otherwise…

Thinking about that one matter, Xu Yao truly felt regret.

The idea of having the contact come for an interview was a spur-of-the-moment decision. Now, looking back, it felt like a mistake, and the more he thought about it, the more he despised himself for that thought.

Xu Yao didn’t lift his head, and Lai Xingwei could see that he wasn’t going to pay attention. He felt a bit embarrassed but knew better than to keep pushing. Instead, he opened the staff chat group.

A message caught his attention—not a text, but a photo, a headshot of a young man without makeup.

“He’s way too good-looking,” Lai Xingwei’s first impression. His second thought was that the beauty mark by the upper lip looked exactly like someone from his memory.

Lai Xingwei immediately sent a series of question marks: [????]

A staff member explained, [Report to the boss, the sign-ups for this year’s model competition are extraordinary. This is the photo of him. Are you satisfied?]

Satisfied? He was more than satisfied. In fact, Lai Xingwei felt like it was incredibly exciting.

He eagerly went over to Xu Yao. “Xu Dog, look at this! The world is so full of surprises—who would’ve thought something like this existed?”

Xu Yao didn’t even react.

Lai Xingwei quickly changed his approach. “Bro, yesterday I was talking about Xiao Yan. Do you see this guy’s beauty mark? Doesn’t it look like a copy of Xiao Yan’s?”

When Xu Yao heard “beauty mark,” his shoulders stiffened. Lai Xingwei didn’t notice the subtle shift in his expression as he quickly shoved the photo in front of Xu Yao.

The face that had flashed by the previous night but had left a deep impression on his mind was now right before his eyes, displayed for Xu Yao to stare at.

Before, he had dismissed it, thinking it was a mistake and had no intention of pursuing it. But now, suddenly, the person appeared.

Lai Xingwei was still waiting for Xu Yao’s reaction. “Doesn’t it look similar? Huh?”

Xu Yao furrowed his brows and remained silent for a while. The resemblance was just a small detail. He wasn’t Yan Lai, and besides, he didn’t want to connect his memories with Yan Lai at all.

Don’t think about it. Don’t think about it. Don’t think about it.

Xu Yao thought to himself, but when he spoke, his words were the opposite of his thoughts. “What’s his name? Do you have his information?”

Lai Xingwei, not understanding, quickly responded, “I should have it. He signed up for my book model contest. Hold on, let me check.”

After a moment, Lai Xingwei answered, “His name is Kang Yao, from C Entertainment. He and Qiao Qiao are in the same major, studying ballet.”

Xu Yao seemed to ignore the hint in the mention of “Qiao Qiao” and simply asked, “When’s the interview?”

Lai Xingwei: “What’s up? You want to go?”

Xu Yao put down his computer and without looking up said, “Stop bothering me. Get out.”