After lunch, the two returned to the office and officially began their work. They created accounts, registered the Douyin (Chinese TikTok) store, and submitted it for review. They discussed the decoration and layout of the livestream room and selected office equipment and supplies, including computers and accessories, printers, water dispensers, refrigerators, microwave ovens, livestream equipment, and consumables. These items had to be prepared before the employees started. Since the company was small and had few initial employees, the total cost was 90,000 yuan.

Gao Mengting suggested buying second-hand items, but Tang Song directly rejected the idea. Because the company’s public account could only make external payments after three days, they just selected the items online for now. They would place the orders and make payments using the remittance identification code later.

At 6 PM, Tang Song leaned back on the cloud sofa in the corner, admiring Gao Mengting’s serious working profile.

"Isn’t it time to get off work?"

"Give me 10 more minutes," Gao Mengting continued, "The company's front desk logo wall is very important. It directly represents the company's brand image. I just contacted a junior from my school to help design it. Do you have any specific requirements for the Songmei Fashion logo?"

"Requirements...," Tang Song stroked his chin, "Just make it simple and aesthetically pleasing. Should we hire a professional design company instead?"

Gao Mengting turned her ergonomic chair to face him and smiled, "My junior has a lot of talent in art and design. She’s previously designed logos and packaging for me with great creativity. She might not be less skilled than professional designers and will be more dedicated. Let's try her first, and if you're not satisfied, we can switch."

"Alright, President Gao, I'll follow your lead," Tang Song waved at her.

Gao Mengting smiled, her high heels lightly tapping the floor.

A while later, Gao Mengting closed her laptop and stood up, excited, "Let’s go, it’s time to get off work!"

Since graduating, she had always been hands-on with her entrepreneurial ventures and never experienced the feeling of clocking out. It felt novel. They quickly packed their things and headed to the door.

As they reached the reception area, Gao Mengting suddenly stopped, "Wait a moment, I almost forgot something important!"

"What’s important?" Tang Song asked curiously.

Gao Mengting took out her phone and snapped a few photos of the office area. Then, she waved Tang Song over, "Let’s take a picture together to commemorate the founding of our company."

"It’s indeed worth commemorating," Tang Song nodded and stood to her left.

Behind them was the company’s reception area, empty but stylish and grand. Gao Mengting held the phone horizontally in front of them. After hesitating, she wrapped her left hand around Tang Song’s right arm, tilting her head slightly to the left.

Tang Song stiffened for a moment but quickly relaxed. The warmth of her touch and the faint fragrance were soothing. Wearing high heels, her head just reached his nose.

"Cheese!"

"Click—"

Their first photo together was taken. Gao Mengting released his arm and took a few steps forward, turning to face him with a blooming smile.

"Tang Song, years from now, when Songmei Fashion goes public, and we ring the bell at the exchange, we can see this photo. This is where our dream began. By then, we won’t just be a small live streaming company. We’ll have our office building, clothing brand, design company, and production factory. Our branches will be all over China. We’ll be the leading national fashion brand. We’ll even launch our luxury brand, get top celebrities for endorsements, and sponsor various shows and concerts..."

She spoke softly yet firmly about her beautiful vision for the future. Gao Mengting had never lacked the courage and belief to climb higher. Now that the opportunity was right in front of her, she was eager for success.

Tang Song took a deep breath, inspired by her words. "That moment won’t be too far away."

If Gao Mengting was just envisioning, he genuinely looked forward to that moment. With the system's support, a vast fortune to inherit, and meticulously trained elite talent, the three major goals in a man's life (Business, Money, Women) would be achieved individually.

...

Gao Mengting lived in Zhuxi Community in Qiaoxi District, close to the Mingjun Auto Repair Shop. After parking the car downstairs, Gao Mengting asked, "Would you like to come up for dinner? I often cook for myself, and my cooking skills are pretty good."

"Then I’d love to," Tang Song agreed readily.

"Haha, I thought you’d be more polite about it."

Tang Song turned off the car and unbuckled his seatbelt. "There's a saying in the book I'm reading: 'You can't really understand someone until you've walked a mile in their shoes.' I want to understand my partner better, so I want to walk in her shoes." ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ novel•fire.net

Gao Mengting laughed, "Maycomb has seen better days. It was a tired old town even in the earliest memories. I loved Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird in college. I've read it three times."

"I love that book too. Let's discuss our thoughts on it tonight."

Under the dim light, Gao Mengting's face flushed slightly. She softly responded, "Mm," then got out of the car.

They took the elevator to the 12th floor. "Clap!" Tang Song clapped his hands, turning on the voice-activated light. Gao Mengting hurriedly took her keys from her tote bag, opened the door, and lit up the living room. The shoe cabinet at the entrance held many pairs of shoes in various styles and colors. There were two pairs of slippers, both small and for women.

"No need to change shoes. Just come in."

"Okay," Tang Song smiled and walked in. The apartment had two bedrooms and one living room, with a spacious living room. The decor was simple: white walls, floor tiles, and IKEA-style furniture. In the corner near the south-facing balcony was a uniquely styled wooden bookshelf filled with books.

Gao Mengting hung her bag on a coat rack and asked, "Would you like something to drink? Hot water, Coke, mango juice, sparkling water?"

"Coke is fine."

Gao Mengting took a 300ml can of red Coke from the fridge and handed it to him. "I don’t have much food at home, so I’m sorry, but you can’t order today. I’ll just whip something up."

"Need any help?" Tang Song took a sip of Coke.

"No need, I can handle it. You can rest on the sofa. By the way, I have some pork and radish buns my mom sent. They’re slightly spicy. Would you like to try them?"

"I love pork and radish buns. Looks like I'm in for a treat."

"Alright, I won’t cook rice then. I’ll stir-fry two vegetables to go with the buns. It’ll be quick!"

Gao Mengting put on an apron and started working in the kitchen. Tang Song walked to the bookshelf, casually pulling out a few books showing signs of heavy use. Gao Mengting loved reading and had maintained this habit for a long time. He found How to Win Friends and Influence People, his next book, among them.

Sitting on the gray fabric sofa, Tang Song started reading.

...

"Hummm—" The exhaust fan started.

"Sizzle—" Vegetables making contact with hot oil.

"Scrape, scrape—clank, clank—" The spatula and iron wok clashed.

A faint aroma of food wafted over. Tang Song’s nose twitched, recognizing the smell of "tomato and scrambled eggs." He could see his partner's curvy figure and legs wrapped in stockings through the kitchen door. The red apron cinched her waist, highlighting the curve of her hips.

Tang Song closed his book quietly, enjoying the scene.