From humble beginnings to the pinnacle of life

After ending the call with Su Qing, I forwarded the restaurant address to Luo Peng and Chen Yunqing, informing them to have dinner together promptly at 7 p.m.

After finishing all that, I looked up at Brother Wang: "Brother Wang, are you still busy for a while? Do you want to come with me now?"

Wang Ge glanced at his watch and said casually, "It's still early, you go first. I'll go with A Qiu later."

Ah Qiu must be his companion. Well, I haven't seen his other companion either.

I nodded and then gave him the address.

I get quite bored with him; he doesn't like to talk, and I'm not one to initiate conversations.

He left first and took a taxi to the restaurant that Su Qing had chosen.

Located by the river, the environment here is quiet and elegant, and the decor is luxurious and sophisticated, making it clear at a glance that the prices are not low.

Su Qing was sitting on a bench outside the store, looking down at her phone. The setting sun cast its glow on her, making her look exceptionally serene.

I walked over slowly and sat down silently beside her.

She looked up at the sound, put away her phone, and casually asked, "Why are you alone? Where's Director Wang?"

"He'll be here later with another teammate; he's busy checking the equipment first," I replied softly.

Su Qing turned to look at the impressive restaurant and said casually, "This restaurant is pretty good. I've been here before; the ambiance and the food are both excellent."

I gave a wry smile and didn't reply.

What she called "average" is already top-tier for me.

However, tonight is the team's first get-together, so we can't be too casual.

After a two-second silence, Su Qing seemed to remember something and turned to look at me: "You said you had something to tell me, what is it?"

I composed myself and said in a deep voice, "An Ran can't come."

"What?!"

Su Qing looked completely stunned, sat bolt upright, and spoke in disbelief:

"She's not coming? Why did she have to mess things up at this time?!"

Seeing the shocked look on Su Qing's face, I repeated myself: "She can't go."

Su Qing's eyes widened on the spot, she raised her hand and gently patted her thigh, and said urgently:

"Then why are you still so calm? This is our team's core promotional position, our most crucial traffic driver! She's gone, you should be completely panicked by now!"

As she spoke, her brows furrowed tightly, and her tone suddenly shifted, as if she had suddenly thought of something.

"Wait...you didn't already find a replacement, did you?"

A slight smile played on my lips as I nodded gently.

"Yes, I've found a replacement."

"Who is it?" Su Qing quickly leaned closer to me and asked, her eyes full of curiosity.

I deliberately kept you in suspense, acting mysterious as I said, "Take a guess?"

Su Qing tilted her head and guessed, "Is it Qi Qi? Has she come to help after thinking it through?"

I gently shook my head, looking at her curious expression, and slowly said, "No, it's myself."

"Huh? You... what did you say?"

Su Qing froze instantly, her head spinning for a long time, staring at me blankly.

"It's me." I repeated again, "I plan to appear on camera myself and be in charge of the entire publicity campaign via live stream."

Only then did Su Qing realize what was happening. She immediately raised her hand and placed it on my forehead to check my temperature, muttering softly:

"You don't have a fever... Are you confused because you were so upset about An Ran's last-minute withdrawal from the team?"

Helplessly, I pushed her hand away, both amused and exasperated: "You're the one who's confused! I'm perfectly clear-headed, I'm not impulsive at all."

"No way, bro!" Su Qing exclaimed incredulously. "This is a live stream! You have to show your face the whole time! You've never done this before, how dare you go on stage like this?"

"I'm the most suitable person for this project precisely because it's my project."

I suppressed my smile and explained seriously, "From the route planning to the vehicle docking, I oversaw every single detail. No one knows this no-man's-land crossing better than me."

I paused for a moment, then shared Wang Ge's point of view: "Moreover, Wang Ge also told me that hardcore content like this, which involves traversing uninhabited areas in rugged off-road conditions, cannot rely on the good looks of internet celebrities to build a reputation. Instead, it is the most convincing thing for me, the man who led the team throughout the entire trip, to personally appear on camera."

Su Qing stared at me intently, remaining silent for several seconds before letting out a soft sigh:

"I was just worried that you might abandon this project because of the core team members' withdrawal."

I raised an eyebrow at her: "I've said it before, I'm determined to conquer this no-man's-land. Why do you keep hoping I'll give up?"

"I'm doing this for your own good! The no-man's-land is already dangerous, and now this unexpected event has happened. I'm afraid the pressure will be too much for you and you'll suffer more than you gain."

She paused, then changed the subject: "But since you've already thought it through, I have nothing more to say. If you really want to do the live stream yourself, I'll help you with the flow control!"

I looked at her, puzzled. "Event manager? What does that do?"

"I give up!"

Su Qing rolled her eyes at me helplessly: "Big brother, you don't even know how to manage a live stream, and you still dare to do it?"

I felt a little embarrassed and touched the tip of my nose without saying anything.

I rarely watch live streams, let alone have any experience in live stream operations, so I'm completely unfamiliar with these industry terms.

Her question left me momentarily at a loss for words.

Su Qing noticed my embarrassment and stopped teasing me, patiently explaining:

"The live stream manager is your back-end assistant. They help you filter audience questions, remind you to answer key questions, control the pace of the live stream, and help maintain a stable atmosphere in the live stream."

"I did some research beforehand, and all established outdoor live streamers basically have a dedicated moderator. The streamer focuses on the live content, while the moderator is responsible for online operations. The two of them work together to ensure the quality of the live stream."

I stared at her for a few seconds, my mind racing.

She never mentioned to me that she knew this, but thinking about it carefully, she really does learn things quickly.

Each piece was learned on the spot, but they were all made to look quite professional.

Having her by my side to help me has indeed saved me a lot of trouble.

I nodded solemnly: "Okay, then I'll have to trouble you this time. I'll spend the next few days cramming on the live streaming process and get started as soon as possible."

"You really should learn from this," Su Qing couldn't help but tease me again. "You don't even understand the basics of a live-streaming job, yet you're thinking of leading a team on a project yourself."

I was speechless after her retort, so I could only lower my head, take out a cigarette, light it, and silently take a puff to hide my embarrassment.

Seeing my dejected appearance, Su Qing softened and quickly offered words of comfort:

"But that's normal. Look at my dad, he's a big boss and runs a company, but he doesn't need to know every single detail. Real bosses are those who control the overall situation and make overall arrangements, without having to do everything themselves."

I chuckled self-deprecatingly: "Don't try to comfort me. I'm just feeling my way across the river, relying entirely on brute force."

"But at least you dare to take risks and fight. If it were someone else, without experience or resources, and with the unexpected situation of having to leave the team at the last minute, they would have given up long ago. Only you dare to grit your teeth, withstand the pressure, and rise to the challenge."

"I have no other choice but to go all out," I said calmly.