Sichuan Opera Face Changing
After much frustration, Yang Ruqian suddenly smiled and said, "Forget it, it's not easy for a young girl like her to make it in the big city. If she gets popular, so be it."
He knew that even if he suffered some losses, he still had the system as a safety net. Even if he couldn't earn tens of millions, he would still have hundreds of thousands. Yang Ruqian understood that while showcasing his special skill of "slaughtering sheep" might initially attract viewers, it could lead to audience fatigue over time. Without more interesting content to follow up with, the popularity would fade as quickly as it came.
Seeing the same thing once is interesting, twice is boring, and three times might even turn into disgust.
That is why he was confident that Gao Naiyun's fan base wouldn't exceed one hundred thousand for this reason. She didn't strike him as the type who could consistently come up with engaging content.
While Yang Ruqian was self-reflecting on the reasons for his success and vowing not to make the same mistakes again, his phone rang. It was a call from Gao Naiyun.
Just as he was thinking about it, someone came to share good news.
Yang Ruqian answered the call and heard the girl on the other end gasping for breath and stumbling over her words, "Bo…boss, di…did you watch my livestream?"
Gao Naiyun had hurriedly returned home after her stream to charge her phone (which had been forced to shut down) so she could call Yang Ruqian.
Thanks to your livestream, my years of low blood pressure have been cured...
Suppressing his regret over the lost millions, Yang Ruqian calmly said, "Yes, I watched it. You should summarize it for yourself first."
The girl, who had called to share her excitement, was taken aback by Yang Ruqian's tone and became nervous. "Boss, I... I think it went well?"
He had to make sure to save the five hundred thousand even if the fifty million had slipped away.
Taking a deep breath, Yang Ruqian continued to give his somewhat absurd advice, "Yes, it went well. But don't let the short-term popularity get to your head. We should remember our original purpose and focus on content that connects with the audience. We need to persevere for long-term growth."
"I understand," Gao Naiyun responded, relieved that Yang Ruqian was not criticizing her but offering advice.
"That's good," Yang Ruqian said, maintaining his serious tone.
"Landlord, thank you so much," Gao Naiyun's gentle and grateful voice came through, her breathing much calmer. "Without you, I might never have started livestreaming and wouldn't have made so much money. Thank you, Boss! You're so generous!"
Though her voice was soft, her gratitude and joy were unmistakable.
Feeling the warmth of Gao Naiyun's words, Yang Ruqian decided to lighten the mood, "Gratitude should be shown through 'real' actions."
He emphasized the word "real."
On the other end of the call, Gao Naiyun blushed, her heart racing, and stammered, "W-what kind of actions, boss?"
Yang Ruqian thought for a moment, "How about treating the entire company to a meal?" Since there were only three people in the company, even if they ate their fill, it wouldn't cost much. It wouldn't be extravagant, and it would help build camaraderie.
Gao Naiyun hesitated, "Is it enough to treat you and Ms Chang to a meal, Boss?"
What kind of question was that?
Yang Ruqian furrowed his brows slightly, adopting a more serious tone, "You've just earned some money; do you really need such high expenses? A meal is enough. Your top priority now is to find a way to maintain your popularity during this rare window of opportunity. Don't be overwhelmed by temporary fame. We must stay true to our original intention and persevere; that's the path to sustainable development."
When he heard that Gao Naiyun was not responding, Yang Ruoqian asked again, "After attracting so many viewers today, what do you plan to do next?"
Gao Naiyun's brain seemed to freeze for a moment, and after a while, she mechanically replied, "Boss, right after the livestream, Ms Chang called me. She said she's going to help me manage my account."
Oh! Chang Zhiqing, who knows nothing about this, is going to personally manage the livestream account.
Well, there's nothing to be afraid of now. With her limited abilities, what can she really achieve in managing it?
"Alright, when do you plan to come back to the company? Or will you continue working from your hometown?" Yang Ruoqian asked again.
Being a livestreamer is a unique profession, and as long as you can ensure the streaming hours, working online is feasible. There's no need to stream from the company's physical studio.
Gao Naiyun's voice sounded soft and tender, "I think I should come back to the company. Boss, you're right; I can't keep butchering sheep all the time, or the audience will get tired of it."
Yes, please don't butcher any more sheep, or I'll lose even my underwear.
Yang Ruoqian nodded slightly, relieved, "The company has dedicated livestreaming rooms and equipment for you to use whenever you want. Remember to stay true to yourself. Is there anything else?"
Gao Naiyun quickly added, "Boss, don't hang up yet! Many guilds are sending me invitation messages now. What should I do about that?"
"Don't worry about them. Our company is already applying to join the Shark platform. Once the approval comes through, you can join our in-house guild directly," Yang Ruoqian replied nonchalantly. "Weren't they the ones who rejected your application before? Why are they suddenly reaching out to you?"
Hearing this question, Gao Naiyun raised her eyebrows playfully and teased, "They said it's not the same person as before. The temporary worker from before has been fired."
A temporary worker, indeed, is a versatile excuse.
In the end, it's all about recognizing the commercial value. They immediately put on a performance like a Sichuan opera face-changing act.
In this world, besides Yang Ruoqian, who would refuse money?
"You can handle these matters yourself. I'll hang up now."
"Well, Boss, take care on your way home."
After hanging up the phone, Yang Ruoqian locked the company's door and ordered a ride-hailing car to go home.
While waiting for the car, he chuckled at himself, "As the owner of a company, I don't even have my own car."
Yang Ruoqian had invested his entire net worth in the company to maintain cash flow. He had less than three thousand on him, so how could he afford a car?
Wait a minute...
Wasn't he worried about how to use the monthly "quota" that the system issued?
The company funds on the system couldn't be used privately, but they could be used for business purposes!
If he bought a company car, he, as the Chairman and CEO, could drive it whenever he wanted. It was no different from a personal car.
Moreover, the group was bound to expand, and when meeting clients or partners, how could they trust him if he didn't even have a decent company car?
With a base quota of 200,000, plus the 500,000 reward from "Semi-Unknown Artist," that was a total of 700,000. He could get a pretty good car with that.
Yang Ruoqian checked the date; the first system settlement was in two days.
Thinking about it, he could take a considerable sum of money to the "Fourth Son's Shop" in two days. Under the salesperson's flattery, he could confidently drive away in a high-end business car. Yang Ruoqian felt quite pleased with the idea.
Ding! Ding!
The ride-hailing car that had arrived at the roadside honked its horn twice, pulling Yang Ruoqian out of his daydream.
...
When he returned home, Yang Ruoqian happened to see Chang Zhiqing changing her shoes at the door of the neighboring apartment.
In the same building, there were two apartments—one for Yang Ruoqian and one shared by Chang Zhiqing and Gao Naiyun.
Yang Ruoqian greeted casually, "Just got back?"
Bank transactions shouldn't take that long, and since Chang Zhiqing hadn't returned to the company all afternoon, Yang Ruoqian had assumed she had gone home earlier.
Chang Zhiqing replied with a smile, "I can't afford to let down the salary you pay me."
In 2015, a after tax salary of 20,000, full benefit, and an eight-hour work schedule—where else could she find such a good job?
Curious, Yang Ruoqian asked, "You didn't come back to the company this afternoon. What were you busy with?"
Chang Zhiqing took off her socks, put on slippers, and disappeared into her apartment, leaving only her head poking out as she slyly replied, "You'll find out tomorrow. Goodnight!"
With a bang, the door was shut.
Yang Ruoqian couldn't help but shake his head with a smile.
She's quite mysterious.
After a satisfying meal and a refreshing shower, Yang Ruoqian lay down on the bed. He closed his eyes and quickly fell asleep.
The next morning...
Yang Ruoqian woke up naturally, stretched lazily, and reached for his phone. He opened the Pink bilibili app, intending to watch some videos to clear his mind.
However, as soon as he glanced at it, Yang Ruoqian froze in shock, as if he had discovered something horrifying. He remained motionless on the bed.