The rain outside gradually stopped.

"Alright, we have no further questions. Mr. Sun, do you have any questions for us?" Tang Song asked, leaning back in his chair.

Sun Youguang took a sip from the disposable cup to moisten his dry lips and asked, "I'd like to know more about your company's business operations."

Tang Song nodded, understanding his concern. He briefly outlined the company's business development plans and then added, "Vice President Gao has prior experience in this industry and has been quite successful. This time, we're partnering to establish Songmei Fashion with the hope of building an excellent team and expanding our business."

"Understood."

Sun Youguang then asked about the company's financial situation, and his worries were finally eased. It was clear that the company was legitimate and had a detailed business plan. The two young bosses were also approachable and easy to talk to.

Finally, he asked, "I saw on the job listing that the company offers five social insurances, one housing fund, and weekends off, correct?"

This was his primary concern. To save money, he often took part-time delivery jobs during holidays. Finding a job in Yan City with full benefits and weekends off was quite difficult for accountants.

Tang Song smiled, "Yes, that's correct. As our company is just starting up, once we have an HR specialist in place, we'll also enhance our benefits package, including meal subsidies, phone allowances, performance bonuses, and year-end bonuses."

Sun Youguang's eyes lit up, and he said sincerely, "That's great. I have no further questions. I'm very interested in this position and hope to hear back from you soon."

Based on his experience, he expected to be told to wait for a response since this was just the beginning of the hiring process. He was prepared for a prolonged job search.

However, what he didn't expect was Tang Song's next words, "Please wait a moment while we discuss this."

Tang Song and Gao Mengting left the room, leaving Sun Youguang's heart racing. He hadn't anticipated such a quick decision, wondering if his fate would be determined on the spot.

After a few minutes, the glass door opened again, and the two company leaders returned.

Gao Mengting asked, "Mr. Sun, I see you listed your expected salary as 5,500 yuan, correct?"

Sun Youguang's heart skipped a beat. Based on her tone and choice of words, it seemed like he had a good chance. He quickly replied, "Yes, but I'm very flexible and willing to negotiate."

"That's not necessary," Gao Mengting smiled. "We'll offer you the salary you requested. I'll send you the offer letter shortly."

Tang Song followed up, "Welcome to Songmei Fashion. You're our third employee."

Suppressing his excitement and gratitude, Sun Youguang stood up and said, "Thank you very much for your trust and the opportunity!"

...

Leaving the office building, Sun Youguang couldn't help but swing his umbrella with joy, his worries gone. His reflection in the elevator mirror showed an excited and happy expression.

Exiting Yunxi Tower, he took a photo of the towering building. It was only 10:20 AM. Taking the subway back to his familiar stop, he walked to the bus station, his phone buzzing with an email notification from Songmei Fashion.

Opening the attachment, he read the job offer letter several times before finally putting his phone away. Hailing a taxi, he headed to the market near his residential area. He bought two pounds of fresh beef brisket and two braised pig trotters, then hurried home.

Opening the door to the kitchen, he found his girlfriend chopping meat. She looked up in surprise, "Honey, you're back so early?"

Sun Youguang raised the plastic bags with a big smile, "Juan'er, we have braised beef tonight, and I bought your favorite braised pig trotters—both spicy."

Her face lit up with joy, though she quickly added, "One pig trotter would have been enough. They're expensive."

"By the way, Juan'er, I have some big news," Sun Youguang said mysteriously.

"What is it?"

...

By 5 PM, they had finished interviewing the last candidate. Sitting on the sofa, Tang Song and Gao Mengting discussed their impressions of the day. Originally, they had scheduled six interviews, but only four candidates showed up. Fortunately, the results were satisfactory, and they had hired both an accountant and an HR specialist, who would start the following Monday. With this, their company's staff had doubled to four.

For a micro-company like theirs, many roles could be multitasked initially. For example, the HR specialist, a young woman with a good appearance and height, could also handle front desk duties.

Next, they needed to recruit live stream operations staff. The process would have been much faster with the HR specialist's help.

Gao Mengting had already started managing Songmei Fashion's official Douyin account, mainly posting outfit showcase videos to attract followers. Her good looks and figure had successfully drawn a group of older, less serious fans. Tang Song checked the comments section and saw they were filled with inappropriate remarks, which made him very angry. After all, even he hadn't seen his partner's innerwear!

Turning to look at Gao Mengting beside him, Tang Song noticed her silky white blouse, which clung slightly to her shapely chest, paired with a gray pencil skirt and high-quality black stockings. Her slightly crossed legs under the light were incredibly alluring.

Sensing his lingering gaze, Gao Mengting felt uncomfortable and asked, "What's the matter, President Tang?"

Tang Song blurted out, "Show me the inner wear."

Gao Mengting's playful expression instantly turned beet red. She pushed him forcefully, causing him to tumble onto the soft cloud-like sofa, where he lay smiling at her.

...

Since she had dinner plans with her new roommate, Gao Mengting left work early. Tang Song sat alone in the CEO's office, feet propped on the solid wood desk, reading a book titled "Cognitive Awakening." Updates are released by NoveIꜰire.net

The darkening sky outside grew increasingly gloomy, with thunder rumbling and rain pouring down.

Around 8 PM, Tang Song finished the last page of "Cognitive Awakening," closed the book with satisfaction, and looked out the window. His reflection merged with the layers of rain outside.

"Ding! Congratulations, player, you have completed the side task [Cognitive Awakening]."

"You have gained [Comprehension +1]."

"You have obtained a special item: [Ginkgo Bookmark]."

A faint blue system screen appeared before him. He entered the warehouse to check the item's details.

[Ginkgo Bookmark]: This bookmark is carefully crafted from a ginkgo leaf fallen in autumn. Placing it in the book or documents you are reading can effectively increase memory retention by 30%.

[Note: Just like you, a lover of books, this autumn leaf retains its elegance despite being weathered by time.]

Selecting the [Ginkgo Bookmark], Tang Song immediately used it.

Suddenly, he felt something between his fingers. Lifting his hand, he saw a beautiful fan-shaped ginkgo leaf, entirely golden yellow, encased in a thin transparent material. It had a good texture and flexibility, with a faint fragrance.

Tang Song brought it closer to his nose, inhaling a fresh, misty autumn morning scent mixed with hints of gentle tea and flowers reminiscent of a woman's perfume.

Flipping it over, he saw two graceful brush strokes forming his name: "Tang Song."