The black car slowly backed into the parking spot. He Xiaoyuan and Ge Luming just stood silently watching.
The driver rolled down the window, eyes full of confusion. Any observer could tell these two must have some plan.
The car stopped. The rear door opened, and Qiao Sixing appeared, clearly having seen the two young people from inside the car. As soon as he got out, he looked toward them.
Ge Luming briskly walked around the front of the car, calling out first: “CEO Qiao!”
He Xiaoyuan followed along. “CEO Qiao.”
Qiao Sixing looked slightly surprised, especially seeing He Xiaoyuan.
“Seems like you have business?” Qiao said with a smile, his tone gentle, but he kept walking toward the elevator.
Ge Luming and He Xiaoyuan had no choice but to follow. Ge Luming quickly explained the purpose in a few sentences.
Just as she finished, the elevator on the basement level opened.
Qiao entered; without hesitation, Ge Luming stepped in as well. He Xiaoyuan followed and, noticing the elevator buttons hadn’t been pressed, thoughtfully pressed the floor for the CEO’s office.
Qiao then looked at He Xiaoyuan and asked gently, “It’s been a while. How’s everything going?”
He Xiaoyuan stood beside Ge Luming. “Pretty good.” He added politely, “Thank you for asking, CEO Qiao.”
Ge Luming raised an eyebrow—so He Xiaoyuan actually knows CEO Qiao.
She immediately deployed her charm and quick tongue: “So CEO Qiao knows Xiao Yuan. Could we trouble you for a favor?”
“We just want to take a look—won’t touch any data or backend systems.”
“We’ll format any electronic files immediately after viewing, and for paper files, we’ll read them in the CEO office—won’t take them out or mess anything up.”
“CEO Qiao, would that be alright?”
Qiao smiled inwardly. These young people are lively, not many can speak this fluently to a senior from another department. He couldn’t help but glance at Ge Luming, then looked at He Xiaoyuan: “You don’t have anything to say?”
He Xiaoyuan, clearly more reserved than Ge Luming, spoke meticulously: “CEO Qiao, what she just said is exactly what I mean. We truly only want to take a look for reference. It’ll be quick, won’t disturb anyone, and certainly won’t interfere with the CEO office. If convenient, may we proceed?”
Qiao didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he asked: “Waiting in the basement, whose idea was that?”
Ge Luming raised her hand: “Mine.”
Qiao smiled: “A girl, brave enough.”
He paused, “But the approach was not ideal—don’t do it this way next time.”
Ge Luming: “Then…”
Qiao: “I’ll have someone pull the materials for you later.”
He pressed the button for the HR floor and added, “This is a one-time exception.”
Ge Luming and He Xiaoyuan exchanged glances. Her eyes sparkled with joy: YES!
He Xiaoyuan wiped his sweat discreetly, thinking that if it weren’t for Qiao being so approachable, another leader might not have agreed and could have scolded them.
He silently breathed a sigh of relief: “Thank you, Lu Ge~~”
Unbeknownst to him, Qiao quietly glanced at He Xiaoyuan and thought to himself: “Even if it were someone else, seeing it’s He Xiaoyuan, I have to allow it—on Lu’s recommendation.”
Upon reaching the HR floor, Ge Luming and He Xiaoyuan greeted Qiao and exited the elevator.
Qiao reminded them from behind: “Bring it back after viewing.”
Ge Luming turned to the elevator: “Understood.”
He Xiaoyuan also turned: “Got it.”
Ge Luming waved inside the elevator: “Thank you, CEO Qiao. Goodbye!”
Not long after returning to the office, He Xiaoyuan was privately messaged on the OA system by someone from the CEO office, telling him to go upstairs to collect the materials.
He asked if it was a lot, considering bringing someone if needed. The reply: no, one person is enough. So He Xiaoyuan took the elevator alone to the 36th floor.
Walking down the long corridor, he felt a sense of familiarity. After thinking for a moment, he realized this was where he’d been during the four-sided interview.
Although he still didn’t understand why it was held in the CEO office, he always had a warm impression of this floor—it was where his career journey with Spris started, where he received his offer.
He reached the CEO office area and, just as he was about to enter, Qiao Sixing walked out, flipping through documents. Seeing He Xiaoyuan, he paused: “Perfect, follow me,” personally leading him inside.
He Xiaoyuan felt a bit “spoiled,” thinking Qiao never put on airs as a leader.
Unbeknownst to him, as he walked past the gray glass-walled office, someone inside, leaning back in a large chair, saw him through the one-way glass.
Lu Chen looked interested, recalling that Qiao had told him a young male trainee had teamed with a girl to secure Sui Sui Xing’s data from the basement.
He noted that He Xiaoyuan had been reluctant to ask Lu Chen directly but could still pull off a risky move.
However, Lu Chen thought differently from Qiao. Qiao didn’t approve of this method, but Lu Chen didn’t think the idea was bad.
He now eagerly awaited to see how the young trainee would perform in the assessment and what kind of judgment and ability he would demonstrate.
Lu Chen watched silently from behind the glass, then picked up his phone.
He Xiaoyuan was busy at an empty workstation, handing files to a CEO office colleague.
His phone buzzed—it was Lu Ge.
He Xiaoyuan answered, placing the phone to his ear: “Hey, Lu Ge.”
Multitasking, he continued transferring files while talking.
The voice on the other end: “Busy?”
He Xiaoyuan looked at the neatly stacked files in folders: “Not really, I’m at the CEO office.”
Someone knowingly asked: “How come you’re there?”
He Xiaoyuan: “We need the Sui Sui Xing materials for the assessment. The product is under the CEO office, so we trainees thought we’d try borrowing the data for reference.”
“Looks like you got them.”
He Xiaoyuan: “Yes.”
As his colleague pointed out something about the files, He Xiaoyuan glanced, nodded, then turned and lowered his voice: “Lu Ge, hang up first, I’ll call you back later.”
“Alright.”
After hanging up, He Xiaoyuan put away his phone and focused on the handover.
The materials weren’t much. Once the handover was done, he carried them out.
In the office, Lu Chen watched He Xiaoyuan walk across the workstations, from far to near, all the way to his office. Along the glass wall, step by step from one end to the other—tall, long-legged, perfectly proportioned, with a side profile as flawless as his face. Simply put, strikingly handsome.
Lu Chen stared without blinking, like admiring a moving painting, his eyes following He Xiaoyuan until he disappeared from view.
The moment he vanished, Lu Chen’s phone buzzed. He picked it up, transitioning from the image of the handsome young man to the voice on the line—clear, clean, like a stream: “Lu Ge.”
A smile touched Lu Chen’s eyes. “Finished up?”
He Xiaoyuan: “Yeah, just got out of the CEO office.”
Lu Chen: “Looks like you got the materials smoothly.”
He Xiaoyuan: “Yeah, CEO Qiao’s really nice, and so are his colleagues.”
Lu Chen teased: “Didn’t bump into the big boss on the 36th floor?”
He Xiaoyuan: “No.”
He paused, raising his voice slightly and lowering it at the same time, sounding puzzled: “Why would I bump into the big boss?” Not quite the tone he intended. Then added: “He’d think I was slacking off all the way up to the 36th floor.”
Lu Chen laughed at that.
Leaning back in his chair, he defended himself: “You know, the big boss is actually a good guy.”
Pausing briefly, he added: “Just like you think I’m good.”
He Xiaoyuan let out a light sigh. “I don’t know. I don’t know him. All I know is he’s a wealthy guy extracting the last bit of my labor value.”
Not exactly a compliment.
Lu Chen chuckled. “Sounds like there’s some resentment in your tone.”
“Just saying.”
He Xiaoyuan didn’t continue talking about the big boss. Then realized: “Lu Ge, you called at this hour… is there something you need?”
Lu Chen: “Nothing much, just asking how your assessment prep is going.”
He Xiaoyuan entered the elevator, pressing the down button: “I’m still sorting out my thoughts, wanted to look over the materials first.”
Then asked: “Where are you?”
Lu Chen: “At the office.”
He Xiaoyuan casually: “Looks like you’re free today.”
…
That evening, the whole team stayed late at the office working on the materials.
He Xiaoyuan was basically on call with Lu Ge every day now. He didn’t go back to the dorm tonight; when Lu Ge called, he put on his headphones.
From the other end came Lu Ge’s voice: “Not going home?”
He Xiaoyuan, completely focused on the computer and the materials, responded with a soft “Mm.”
The voice continued: “Busy, huh? Want me to play some music?”
—He Xiaoyuan had the habit of listening to light music while working, something Lu Ge knew, and had listened along a few times before.
He Xiaoyuan: “Mm.”
Soon, soft music floated from the headphones.
He Xiaoyuan assumed Lu Ge had gone home and was playing it on his own speakers. He even thought, “The sound system at Lu Ge’s place is pretty good.”
He didn’t realize the music was actually coming from the Rolls-Royce ETON audio system.
Really nice. He thought.
Much richer in quality than the little Bluetooth speaker he’d bought online for over a hundred.
Once he clears his debts, he’ll check what brand it is. After payday, he’ll buy one too.
Lost in thought for a moment, He Xiaoyuan reflected: next Wednesday’s assessment will be over, and their rotation should be almost done.
He decided to find a quiet time to invite Lu Ge out for a meal—finally meet properly.
He Xiaoyuan was full of anticipation for the future.
Lu Chen had a rare free weekend. He didn’t go anywhere, staying in his top-floor unit at Yanlan Bay. Phone connected for calls, infinite headphones in his ears, soft music playing from the living room speakers.
He moved lightly, careful not to disturb the young man on the other end. Most of the time, he lounged on the sofa flipping through books.
Normally not a patient person, his energy was abundant. When idle, he preferred sports or mentally taxing activities rather than sitting quietly.
But recently, he displayed an unusual calm and great patience.
Clearly, compared to work, exercise, or mental tasks, there was something else that captivated him more.
Lu Chen multitasked—reading with his eyes, listening through the headphones, a part of his attention digesting the book content, another part imagining what the young man on the other end was doing.
“You can view all the stars you’ve sent or written…”
…
The voice in the headphones was He Xiaoyuan murmuring to himself.
Lu Chen had grown somewhat eager to see how He Xiaoyuan would perform in Wednesday’s assessment, curious about the young man’s real ability. In some sense, just like he appreciated beauty, he also valued intelligence and capability. In short, he had a discerning eye.
Yet, spending time with him made Lu Chen realize he couldn’t just sit idly by.
Perhaps because they’d interacted more recently? The young man consistently met his expectations?
He felt a subtle itch inside—if He Xiaoyuan came asking, he’d be willing to teach.
Unfortunately, the young man insisted on doing it himself, never asking for help.
Lu Chen quietly accompanied him via call, though he sometimes felt tempted to intervene.
Several times, hearing the murmur, he almost spoke.
Finally, as He Xiaoyuan murmured again, Lu Chen spoke: “You can think about why this product still exists in the CEO office…”
“Lu Ge!”
A sudden exclamation burst from the headphones.
Lu Chen paused, a light smile on his lips. “Really don’t want me to guide you?”
“No.”
He Xiaoyuan’s voice was firm. “I already have my own ideas and judgment.”
Lu Chen didn’t ask about the ideas or judgment themselves. Instead, he asked, “Do you think this assessment has only one solution, or can there be multiple ways to solve it?”
He Xiaoyuan: “You want my opinion?”
Lu Chen: “Mm.”
Without hesitation, He Xiaoyuan answered decisively, “I think there’s only one solution.” His tone was resolute. “And, barring any surprises, this solution is the one I’m thinking of right now.”
Lu Chen was slightly surprised but appreciated the confidence. “Looks like you’re pretty sure about this assessment.”
He Xiaoyuan: “Mm, about eighty or ninety percent.”
Lu Chen smiled inwardly: we’ll see, let’s wait until Wednesday and see how he performs.
Wednesday arrived. Over fifty management trainees gathered in the large conference hall on the HR floor.
The trainees participating in the assessment had arrived right after lunch, all in formal attire—shirts and trousers—more formal than the final interviews, the atmosphere serious. Each set up their laptops connected to the hall’s multimedia system, ready for the assessment.
Around one o’clock, several unfamiliar members of management arrived, taking their seats at the front and center.
He Xiaoyuan scanned the room, spotting familiar department heads from rotations as well as many he didn’t know.
By 1:30, the hall was packed with trainees and management alike.
He Xiaoyuan sat with his team, whispering quietly with them:
“So many people?”
“Yeah, I noticed.”
“I thought this was just a ‘small test,’ how come so many people showed up? This is intimidating.”
Nearby, Zou Fanping tapped He Xiaoyuan’s shoulder, pointing at something. He followed his gaze and saw a camera set up in the corner of the hall.
Xin Rui was startled. “No way, they’re recording it?”
Yuan Miao then pointed elsewhere.
They noticed Qin Chengfei from Group Two talking with a sharply dressed executive. Everyone remembered that Group Two had even gone directly to the creator of the product “SuiSuiXing” for research. Seeing Qin Chengfei chatting with an executive now, they all shared the same impression: this guy is really impressive, in every way.
As the assessment was about to begin, Zou Fanping covered his chest. “Man, my heart’s really racing.”
He Xiaoyuan wasn’t nervous. He pulled out his phone, seeing a message from Lu Ge: “Almost time?”
He Xiaoyuan replied: “Almost.”
Lu Ge: “Don’t be nervous on stage.”
He Xiaoyuan: “😂 I’m not nervous.”
At 2:15, with an HR colleague hosting, the assessment officially began. The room fell silent.
The first to present was Su Mu from Group Three. She took the stage with a remote in hand, the first slide of her PPT displayed beside her: “Optimizing an Already Obsolete Internet Social Product—SuiSuiXing.”
…
The assessment proceeded with a formal, fast-paced atmosphere. Each solo presentation was limited to ten minutes; exceeding the time would result in being interrupted by the executives evaluating them.
Many trainees, to ensure their turn went smoothly, were simultaneously taking notes on laptops while watching the presentations.
He Xiaoyuan was among the few taking notes while attentively listening.
He was somewhat surprised by the approaches and judgments of those who had already presented—mostly two types: one group believed since SuiSuiXing was outdated, it should be either scrapped or optimized; the other group saw potential for revival, suggesting directions for adjustments, even proposing a new name and marketing strategies.
So far, no one’s thinking matched his own.
He Xiaoyuan listened carefully, confident yet slightly wondering if he might have missed something.
Next were Yuan Miao and Ge Luming. Yuan Miao proposed integrating SuiSuiXing with a type of company game, while Ge Luming suggested expanding the product’s functions. He Xiaoyuan admitted the optimization ideas were quite feasible.
Finally, Qin Chengfei presented. His ideas were broader—he suggested spinning off SuiSuiXing into a separate company to develop it independently, detailing multiple development directions: dating, gaming, entertainment.
This piqued the executives’ interest; they asked follow-up questions, which Qin Chengfei answered confidently.
He Xiaoyuan focused intently. Zou Fanping whispered nearby: “Man, this guy’s impressive. Out of all the presenters, he gets treatment like a thesis defense. Yuan Miao didn’t even get that.”
He Xiaoyuan didn’t respond, keeping his attention on the stage.
Zou Fanping muttered with Jiang Weiwei and others:
“Still waiting for Xiaoyuan?”
“Soon, right?”
“How is the order determined?”
“I heard it’s by badge number.”
“Oh, that makes sense.”
He Xiaoyuan’s badge number ended in 53, making him the last in the lineup.
Time ticked on. With each presentation limited to ten minutes, a tight schedule meant only six to eight presenters per hour.
The executives overseeing scores were efficient, announcing early on that presentations should be shortened to speed up the assessment.
Finally, at 5:30, it was He Xiaoyuan’s turn—the last presentation of the day.
By this time, everyone was tired—sitting through an entire afternoon.
Although the executives didn’t show fatigue or impatience, their disinterest during the latter half of the assessment was apparent—they were quietly observing without asking questions, clearly less engaged with the trainees’ presentations.
Groups One, Three, and Two had quietly messaged each other, noting that the executives’ boredom likely stemmed from seeing repeated ideas for optimizing SuiSuiXing—most approaches overlapped, offering little novelty. One message read:
“Are the optimization ideas for SuiSuiXing wrong?”
“No way, the ideas seem fine, right?”
“I think it’s just the sheer number of trainees. The first few were okay, but later presentations just don’t stand out.”
“Don’t say that—Xiaoyuan is last. He hasn’t gone yet.”
Another added:
“No, I think it wouldn’t matter when Xiaoyuan goes up. Just look at that striking face of his.”
Others agreed:
“True.”
“Right.”
“😂 Almost forgot, such a handsome guy isn’t like the rest of us mere mortals.”
As He Xiaoyuan stood, carrying his laptop onto the stage, revealing his striking face and commanding presence, the previously dull hall stirred into a minor ripple of excitement.
People whispered to one another. The executives in the front row instantly perked up—some glanced down at the assessment sheets, some looked at him with admiration, and some smiled, quietly commenting to neighbors. One executive even gestured to the PR department’s female boss across the room, signaling that this trainee would be perfect for PR.
The stunning and elegant female boss glanced at the sheet, then at He Xiaoyuan on stage, and openly said, “He Xiaoyuan, I give you full marks—come join our PR department afterward.”
Her comment drew laughter and reinvigorated the previously lifeless hall. The executives were energized, and even the corner cameras captured the moment. On the other end of the network, Lu Chen sat in the back of his car, en route to an event. Wearing headphones and looking at his tablet, he smiled as he watched the scene unfold.
He Xiaoyuan, after being playfully teased on stage, smiled but said nothing. He set his laptop down, prepared his presentation, projected the PPT, gripped the remote, and stood poised next to the slides. Straight-backed, confident, and composed, he pressed the remote and began:
“Good afternoon, everyone. I am He Xiaoyuan from the Management Trainee Program. Today, I will present on—”
The first slide appeared.
He continued, his voice following the title on the screen:
“—The Survival of Internet Products: Is It Only About KPIs and Life or Death?”
Facing the audience, he calmly stated his third sentence on stage:
“My perspective and judgment on the product SuiSuiXing is this: it is a first-generation social internet product that neither needs to be deleted nor optimized and integrated.”
He Xiaoyuan continued:
“It has the right to ‘survive’ in a corner of the vast internet ecosystem, even with its current low user base and daily activity.”
He clicked the remote, advancing the slides:
“I will elaborate on this from the following points.”
Not just the management trainees, but even the executives present were caught off guard by such a perspective.
He Xiaoyuan argued that SuiSuiXing didn’t need to be scrapped or optimized. It could continue to exist quietly, like a flower or a blade of grass on the side of the road, without KPIs or growth metrics—it simply needed to exist.
The reasons:
- As a first-generation social internet product, its code and backend data are complete. The product is simple, requiring no upgrades, so maintenance costs are negligible for a company like Suprais.
- It still maintains a small user base nationwide, mostly aged thirty and above, with accounts active for over ten years. For these older users, SuiSuiXing holds nostalgic value—memories, commemoration, a witness to their youth online.
- Would optimizing or expanding a first-generation, outdated social product even meet the company’s KPI requirements? Not necessarily. A product left as-is, however, becomes a monument of sorts—people will visit it occasionally, remembering its significance.
- In the evolution of the internet, there should always be markers of the past. As a leading company, Suprais must maintain such a product, which in a sense also contributes to KPIs.
- Lastly, as He Xiaoyuan concluded: “Code and KPIs may seem objective and cold, but when a product interacts with users, a touch of human warmth begins to infuse the product’s very essence.”
The final slides featured screenshots from online posts expressing nostalgia for SuiSuiXing:
- Someone recalled meeting their boyfriend on SuiSuiXing, who is now their husband, with children growing up.
- Someone reminisced about silly youthful posts, realizing the humor and innocence of youth.
- Another recalled finding comforting messages from strangers in the platform’s logs, appreciating them even today.
- Someone mentioned sending birthday wishes to their mother, sharing complaints, and cherishing the memories, even though their mother had passed years ago.
The slides portrayed not just a product, but the human stories and connections that had lived through it.
…
When the PPT finished, He Xiaoyuan calmly gave his concluding remarks:
“In my view, SuiSuiXing is truly a star in the vast internet sky. It exists amid an immense sea of data, its light coming from years of users’ engagement and affection.”
“It hasn’t been eliminated. It’s always there, even if we don’t look at it. As long as we lift our gaze, we can still see its light.”
The hall fell silent. On stage, He Xiaoyuan was composed and confident. In that moment, he shone like a star, and everyone could see the light emanating from him.
Someone—no one knew exactly who—started clapping, and soon the applause spread through the room. He Xiaoyuan blinked, slightly embarrassed, clearly not expecting the reaction. He noticed a senior executive at the front had something to say, so he remained on stage rather than leaving with his laptop.
Sure enough, when the applause subsided, the executive raised a microphone and addressed him in a voice that carried to every corner of the hall:
“He Xiaoyuan, do you know why this product belongs to the President’s Office, rather than any social media department?”
He Xiaoyuan responded immediately, without even thinking:
“I’ve considered that question. I guess if it were under any other department, SuiSuiXing would be cut due to KPIs. Only in the President’s Office can it remain untouched.”
The executive smiled:
“Your judgment is correct. You’re very smart, He Xiaoyuan. SuiSuiXing is indeed Suprais’ star.”
“We never considered abandoning it—it’s there, and as long as we look up, we can see its light.”
“Many trainees today exceeded our expectations, but only you, He Xiaoyuan, demonstrated strong foresight and business insight. I look forward to your contributions in the company.”
On stage, He Xiaoyuan’s heart pounded. It was the first time he had received such public recognition and praise.
At the other end of the cameras, in the back of a Maybach en route to an event, Lu Chen watched him on the screen. Seeing the handsome, upright young man blush slightly under the praise, Lu Chen’s expression was full of joy.
He was also pleasantly surprised by He Xiaoyuan’s performance, amazed that he had reached such precise conclusions without guidance. He felt a deep sense of satisfaction, pride, and even a little regret for not witnessing the assessment in person.
He smiled, staring at the boy’s brilliant demeanor on the screen, seeing the light in his eyes as if looking at a shining star.
After the assessment ended, Groups One, Three, and Two gathered around He Xiaoyuan, crowding him in the middle:
“You’re incredible!”
“How did you even think of that?”
“Handsome and smart—you’re a super competitor!”
“You’re amazing!”
He Xiaoyuan, squeezed from all sides, couldn’t help but laugh.
“I’m going to get squished,” he exclaimed.
Yuan Miao grinned: “Good! First place is mine now.”
Someone stepped on his foot: “My shoe…”
Zou Fanping apologized: “Sorry, it was me,” and kept pushing.