Chapter 52: Live Streaming - I've kind of missed you.

The next morning, as He Guan entered the company, he ran into the worried-looking Yan Xu.

He Guan: "Saw the trending topic?"

Yan Xu: "Mr. He, why hasn't the company issued a statement? Usually, for such trends, the company intervenes on the second day. Why didn't they…?"

He Guan: "I asked them not to. I can handle it. Don't overthink it. First, go over today's schedule with me."

Yan Xu hesitated, then said, "From eight to ten in the morning, you'll review documents. At ten, there's a regular meeting. In the afternoon, you have a golf game with Mr. Ning, whom you met before. Oh, and tomorrow at nine, Ren Jingji will arrive at the airport. Do you want to pick him up?"

He Guan: "Yes. We've just secured a major deal. Of course, we should give him a warm welcome."

Ren Ning was the key player this time. Initially, when He Guan sent him, he didn't have high hopes.

But he deserves this opportunity.

This was He Guan's way of returning a favor.

After all, when his original self woke up, only Ren Ning was by his side, which was a kindness in itself.

Given Ren Ning's personality, the worst-case scenario was not reaching an agreement. If needed, He Guan could always send someone more familiar with the business to negotiate.

He Guan opened the financial report for the day, and after a few minutes, suddenly looked up, "Yan Xu? Shouldn't you be busy with your own work?"

Yan Xu shook his head, "I'm leaving now."

He Guan waited for him to close the door before putting down the report, pausing to look at the office door for a moment, then returning to the paperwork.

*

His work efficiency was high today, and the meeting was succinct.

The Logo was completed faster than He Guan had anticipated. The APP was launched silently on the client side with only a few downloads.

He Guan: "It's quite good. Has the promotion started?"

Head of Marketing: "It will be released at noon. We've secured our promotional spots."

He Guan: "Great. I'll start a live stream after work, around 7:30 pm. You all can tune in."

A new employee couldn't hide his surprise, "Really?!"

Realizing his outburst, he quickly covered his mouth.

He Guan didn't mind and nodded, "Of course. I'll post on social media to direct traffic to our APP and also address the trending topic that's still lingering. Alright, meeting adjourned."

After the meeting, He Guan went to a nearby alley to grab a bite. He found a place with delicious pork knuckle and texted Lou Dong while eating.

Kai: Have you eaten?

Lou Dong: Not yet, just finished spreading pesticide.

Kai: Already? Did you check the quantity?

Lou Dong: My uncle checked it for me. Should be okay.

Knowing that Lou Dong types slowly and waits for the complete message, He Guan took a few bites and chatted. After a while, he decided to make a call.

He wasn't a celebrity now and didn't bother to disguise himself much, catching the attention of a group of girls at the next table.

As He Guan was about to leave, his call connected, and one of the girls bravely approached with a photo of him, asking, "He Guan, can you autograph this for me? I'm a fan."

The other end of the line was silent, probably hearing the commotion on his end.

The picture the girl handed over was from a long time ago, so old that He Guan had to delve into his original self's memories.

As he reminisced, he realized he could only recall major events. He was surprised to find that the vivid memories he had when he first arrived were now fading away.

Just as the seasons change and leaves detach from their branches, the memories of one's childhood naturally fade, silently vanishing from one's mind.

As if completely merging with this world.

He Guan quickly judged, "Is this a photo from the talent search?"

Girl: "Yes!"

He Guan: "Thank you for your admiration, but I'm afraid I can't give an autograph."

The girl, visibly disappointed, asked, "Is it because you're no longer pursuing a celebrity career?"

She was young, and it was evident that she was genuinely excited to see He Guan. Her face visibly sank upon not receiving a positive response.

He Guan: "I'm busy with work and family. I'm no longer a star. What's the point of me performing? It would be like taking your money for nothing."

The girl pondered for a moment, "That's true. It's probably for the best, your dance moves weren't that great to begin with."

He Guan eagerly agreed, trying to discourage her fandom, "Exactly! I'm not even a star anymore. What's there left to follow?"

The girl nodded, put away his photo, and asked, "Can I get a photo with you, then? You still have a good-looking face."

He Guan hesitated for a moment, "Well... I'm afraid that's not possible either."

The girl didn't press further, slightly disheartened, "Oh? That's a shame... Alright then, goodbye."

He Guan pointed to his earphones, "I'm on a call with my wife, it's not a good time. Sorry."

The girl remembered today's trending topic, "Oh?! Won't she be mad?!"

He Guan: "No, she won't."

He Guan went to pay the bill ahead of the girl and even covered her table's charges. Afterward, he met up with Yan Xu at a nearby sportswear store, changed into an outfit picked out by Yan Xu, and then drove to the golf course.

The afternoon sun was mildly warm, especially around 3-4 pm. It was early summer, with temperatures hovering around 19 to 20°C - perfect for outdoor activities.

On the way to the golf course with Du Junyan, He Guan adjusted his sunglasses and suddenly asked, "Will she be mad?"

They hadn't hung up their call.

The voice on the other end paused for a moment before saying, "Yes."

He Guan: "Ah, that's a relief."

Lou Dong: "What?"

He Guan: "Usually, I'm quite focused at work. But today, after jotting down a few notes, I kept thinking of you. It was rather unusual. It only felt better when I called you."

After saying that, he mused aloud, "This is the first time I've felt this way. It was a bit unsettling, and only now have I realized..."

Lou Dong: "Realized what?"

He Guan: "I guess I've missed you a bit."

Lou Dong remained silent on the other end for a long while before replying, "I'm... honored by your affection."

What he really wanted to say was, 'me too, and I wish to kiss you.'

He Guan smiled, gazing out of the window.

The car entered a lush suburban forest. As they drove beneath the tall birch trees, the shade brought a welcome coolness. Closing his eyes, He Guan said, "I'll take a nap. Good afternoon. See you tonight."

Lou Dong: "I'll wait for you at home. Come back early."

With eyes closed, He Guan intended to say 'goodbye'. But as he began to speak, he altered his words midway and simply replied, "Alright."

He removed his Bluetooth earpiece, holding it for quite some time without doing anything else.

Such casual exchanges were scenarios He Guan once dared not dream of.

Yet now, they've become his reality.

And with someone of a gender he never imagined.

He Guan reclined in the back seat, pulling up the hood of his sportswear and taking off his sunglasses before closing his eyes.

And yet, he felt no resistance to it.

In fact, one could describe his feelings as rather content.

It's... unimaginable, yet undeniably real.

The car moved with a gentle sway, lulling him into a drowsy state.

He Guan dozed off under the warm embrace of early summer sunshine.

*

In the afternoon golf session, He Guan was constantly on the move across the golf course. He barely had a moment's rest, simultaneously discussing business and playing the sport. It was quite taxing both physically and mentally.

By the end, the challenge wasn't the golfing, but rather reaching the next tee.

Towards the conclusion, seeing the caddie coming with the cart felt like seeing an angel to He Guan. Ning Zhihe teased him for his lack of stamina.

He Guan's primary reason for being there was to discuss the upcoming variety show for Nolimit. Coincidentally, Ning Zhihe's entertainment company excels at producing online variety shows.

In recent years, with the appointment of a chief planner for Ning Zhihe's "He Miao's World" star-focused web show series, its quality has markedly improved. Many celebrities are eager to sign up, and naturally, He Guan wouldn't let his talents be left out.

Their golf game was mainly a backdrop for this discussion.

Both men were quite similar, shouldering high expectations from their elders.

Compared to Yan Xu accompanying He Guan, Ning Zhihe's assistant was more like a supervisor, ensuring he stayed on the right path.

Only when the assistant took restroom breaks could Ning Zhihe abandon his polite demeanor, casually venting to He Guan.

Ning Zhihe wasn’t a pushover; he could discern how adeptly He Guan navigated the conversation.

He Guan seemed to adapt even better than himself.

Ning Zhihe was genuinely eager to learn. He was candid, open-hearted, and He Guan grew fond of him. They also realized that Ning Zhihe's way of earning money was quite unconventional and impressive.

Before they knew it, they had struck a deal, with an initial agreement to produce a three-month series for Nolimit.

As time went by, they became friends, promising to golf together again.

As they parted ways, Ning Zhihe shook He Guan's hand but quickly started bombarding him with WeChat messages.

Ning Zhihe: "He Guan! What's up with your trending topic? It’s still there! Want me to pull it down for you? Don't worry about the cost!"

Ning Zhihe: "Let’s avoid companies that get you trending just for money! It's worth the expense to stay safe!"

He Guan felt that had they known each other longer, Ning Zhihe would probably be yelling at him.

He Guan: "Come watch my livestream then."

Ning Zhihe: "Where are you streaming? rwkk?"

He Guan: "What does rwkk mean? [web link]"

Ning Zhihe: "rwkk = let me see! Don't you go online? You sound like an old-timer! You should surf the internet! Life without it is incomplete!"

After checking the web link, Ning Zhihe sent another long message: "I downloaded it. Is this your company's app? It looks pretty good. Whose idea was it? The celebrity ecosystem is well thought out, but the audience base is too small. Only just over 50,000 downloads."

He Guan took a while to respond.

Ning Zhihe: "Why aren't you replying?"

He Guan: "Sorry, I just got home and have been busy preparing dinner for my family."

Ning Zhihe: "Rubbing it in the face of us singles, huh?"

He Guan: "You're the one who asked, you're the one who knocked over the 'dog food'. I've already spoken my piece. Lemon-head, show some manners."

Ning Zhihe's profile picture is of a lemon-head.

The lemon-head, realizing its cheekiness, humbly backed down: "I'm leaving; what's to come isn't suitable for kids. I get it. [Yellow-facedEmoji.jpg]"

He Guan: "Come back."

He Guan: "[web link]"

Ning Zhihe lounged on his bed, opening his iPad to check He Guan's Weibo.

He Guan's latest Weibo post, precisely posted at 7:30 pm, was silent but included this link.

Comments below were questioning what the link was about.

He Guan V: "It's the app for 'Starry Realm'. I'll be live-streaming here tonight."

Fan: "Not on Weibo?"

He Guan V: "Nope."

"Wow, launching an app just for streaming... Being a director surely is different."

"So, I downloaded the app and found all the past content from 'Infinity'. It looks like you can subscribe to your idols and receive exclusive pictures from them... Shook! Didn’t expect 'InnerFish' to come up with this. Has 'Starry Realm' leveled up?"

"It has that feature too?"

"I tried subscribing to a celebrity..."

"Damn, the approval was super fast. Got direct access immediately."

"The system notified me I was the first subscriber. Will my idol respond to me? How will he reply? Can he send me messages?"

"The leader of 'Infinity' actually responded to me! OMG, my baby is still alive! He's been MIA for so long! He's so gentle. I asked how he's been, and he said he's doing well and not to worry. He's studying in the UK and even sent a picture; it's still noon there! I burst into tears!"

"?? Fans of 'Infinity' need to check this out!"

"Holy, you can even subscribe to 'Nolimit' members. Does that mean their formation is a done deal?"

"Wait, is he going live to announce this app? I'm going to watch He Guan's stream!"

"Is there anyone who was the first to subscribe to 'Nolimit'? Can any sister ask about their formation and get them to reply? My subscription number shows I'm the 318th subscriber for Gan Qing. You guys are lightning-fast!"

"I'm the 256th for Jin Jue... What kind of reaction speed is this, ladies? All professional rhythm game players?"

"[Excitedly trembling fingers]"

"Only five bucks a month, who wouldn't buy? I checked, guaranteed to get a private photo every two days."

"Red Line" app experienced a surge in downloads in a short span.

Ning Zhihe clicked on the prominently displayed "He Guan's Live Room" banner on the homepage.

A window automatically popped up.

The live broadcast seemed to be set on a dining table.

A bowl filled with mixed rice sat in front of He Guan.

Wearing a black T-shirt, his upper body was completely visible. He was engrossed in stirring the mouth-watering dish.

From this angle, with He Guan's head slightly lowered, his straight nose bridge and dense eyelashes were evident. His fair complexion contrasted sharply with his black T-shirt, emphasizing every shadow.

—— A strikingly photogenic and handsome face.

While mixing the food, his lips pursed with focus.

After mixing, he glanced at the screen and said,

"Good evening. Here's a mukbang."

"I'll also pick and answer some questions on the side."