When Yang Ruoqian and Chang Zhiqing commuted to the company together, they both seemed lost and lacking in enthusiasm. They couldn't focus on their work at all. How could they work when their minds were preoccupied?
After Yang Ruoqian's "careful guidance" and Chang Zhiqing's efforts in the past two days, their plan to make money (the money from system) through Gao Naiyun had completely fallen apart. This girl, who had never gained much attention before, had become an internet sensation with a real fanbase of a hundred thousand in just two days!
The difference was staggering, akin to expecting to buy a copy of "Romeo and Juliet" and discovering it was actually "Romeo and Kublai Khan."
Every time Gao Naiyun's follower count increased, it felt like a scythe cutting through Yang Ruoqian's heart.
This state of mind continued until they got off work and returned home. At midnight, with the arrival of the new month, the system finally began its first monthly settlement.
Yang Ruoqian listlessly opened the panel and waited for the system's judgment.
[D-list Celebrity Cultivation System]
[Host: Yang Ruoqian]
[Company Artists: 1 (Gao Naiyun). The artist's real fan count: 130,000. Qualifies for "Newcomer" level rewards.]
[Rewards distributed]
[Company funds: 256,273 (20,000 monthly allowance, 50,000 talent bonus, 6,273 company profit). Note: Monthly allowance cannot be used to repay loans, and all company funds cannot be transferred to the host's personal account in any form]
At the same time, Yang Ruoqian's phone chimed with a "ding," indicating that 50,000 had been transferred to his account.
"I'll repay it tomorrow; let me hold onto this money for a while," Yang Ruoqian muttered to himself in self-deception.
Just as he was about to close the panel and go to bed, the system unexpectedly displayed two new messages.
[Congratulations to the host for nurturing the first artist. Unlocks a newcomer's bonus: You can select any urgently needed item for the company, and the system will fully reimburse it. (Warning: The product must be necessary for the company; anything outside this scope will not be reimbursed. The system has the final interpretation of this rule.)]
[Company Expansion Task: For a business to run successfully, it needs competent employees. The host should expand the company to have more than 10 employees. After completing this task, the monthly allowance issued by the system will increase from 200,000 to 500,000 per month.]
Seeing these two messages, Yang Ruoqian, who had previously been downcast, suddenly brightened up. "This system still has some kindness!"
The meaning of the first reward was that Yang Ruoqian could choose any type of item within a reasonable scope, assign it to the company, and not spend a dime!
Wasn't he previously worried about getting a company car? Well, here it was!
"No, my ambitions are too small."
Yang Ruoqian pondered for a moment, then smirked. Since it could be any item, why stick to just a company car?
How about going all the way and getting the entire company a private jet?
However, just as this thought emerged, the system's mechanical voice echoed in his mind:
[Does not meet reimbursement criteria.]
Alright, it seemed there were no loopholes to exploit.
"How about a Rolls-Royce? Bentley?"
[Does not meet reimbursement criteria.]
"A Tesla Cybertruck, then?"
[This model has not been found.]
"Uh, how about the base model Audi A8?" Yang Ruoqian lowered his expectations.
[Meets reimbursement criteria.]
Not bad. Yang Ruoqian breathed a sigh of relief. At least his wish for a car didn't go unfulfilled; the system still had some conscience left.
With the car issue resolved, Yang Ruoqian's mind turned to the second task regarding company expansion. He had an immature idea in mind. While the system only required him to recruit employees, it didn't specify what kind of employees.
A company had many important documents that needed 24-hour supervision. Hiring a few security guards seemed reasonable, right?
Eight-hour work shifts, which meant three guards were needed.
Front desk reception was essential for a company's image. To prevent any mishaps, hiring two receptionists also made sense, right?
The company needed to stay clean and tidy, so hiring a cleaning lady was perfectly reasonable.
Finally, just randomly hire a streamer, and there you had 10 employees, which would raise the company's monthly allowance to 500,000. These employees wouldn't cost more than 30,000 a month, yet the system would provide an extra 300,000 every month. It was pure profit!
"Holding the money of a motel room in my hand, planning to buy a million-dollar car, and expanding the company by recruiting employees," Yang Ruoqian quipped, "My financial situation is truly magical."
If an outsider were to visit Xplendi Group, they would surely marvel at the excellent employee benefits, the luxurious company car, and think that the owner must be extremely wealthy.
But in reality, Yang Ruoqian, the owner, was barely scraping by. No matter how much money the company had, he couldn't personally withdraw a single cent!
...
Early the next morning, Yang Ruoqian intentionally dressed in more upscale attire.
As soon as he stepped out, Chang Zhiqing, who was waiting nearby, commented, "Oh, are you dressing up all formal today? Are you meeting a client?"
"I'm the boss, and it concerns the company's image," Yang Ruoqian adjusted his outfit, which he hadn't worn in a long time. "Besides, we have some other things to take care of these days."
"What do we need to do?" Chang Zhiqing, dressed in professional attire and high heels, asked curiously as she pressed the elevator button.
The elevator doors opened, and the two stepped inside.
Yang Ruoqian feigned mystery, "Don't you think there's something missing in our company?"
"Missing a streamer, a manager, and some operations staff. Relying solely on donations is not financially sustainable, and it's not long-lasting. Boss, we need to hire more people," Chang Zhiqing replied without hesitation. "The lifespan of non-top-tier streamers is typically around three years. Relying solely on viewer donations is unstable. To achieve long-term success, we need to attract more viewers through high-quality short videos and generate income through advertising. Livestream content should lean towards e-commerce integration. There's a lot to learn, and we can't do it without hiring professionals."
Yang Ruoqian shook his head with a sigh, "No, right now, we need a receptionist, security guards, and a cleaning lady. Go ahead and post job listings online."
"You... Can you please consider the future of the company? You should think about what you can bring to the company!" Chang Zhiqing, exasperated by Yang Ruoqian's off-topic response, retorted. "What kind of receptionist does a company with three employees need? I can handle that alone! And as for security guards, who would target this place? Don't overestimate yourself!"
"As a boss, can't you take the company's future more seriously?" She couldn't believe that she was trying to make him see reason. "You're acting like you're trying to paint a rosy picture for your employees when, in fact, you're the one they're painting it for!"
Yang Ruoqian opened the company's door and quipped, "Isn't this phrase usually used when the boss is trying to entice employees with unrealistic promises?"
How come, in my case, it's the employees trying to paint a rosy picture for the boss?
Has there been a role reversal here?