Are you free later

The young man from earlier quickly finished counting the number of people.

He hurried over to Su Yang and said respectfully, "It's done, Mr. Su. Including the streamers, there are 53 people left in the company..."

Su Yang pulled out his phone and smiled. "Good. Which department are you from?"

"I'm a content planner from the New Media Operations Department. My name is Zhang Jiahao."

"Zhang Jiahao, right? Alright, open your payment QR code. I'll scan it and send you the money directly, and you can handle the orders for everyone."

"Ah, yes, got it!"

Su Yang took out his phone and transferred 5,000 yuan to Zhang Jiahao.

Seeing the amount received, Zhang Jiahao froze. "Uh... Mr. Su, that's... that's too much!"

"Put the extra in the group chat for everyone to grab."

"Got it! Thank you, Mr. Su! You're the best!"

Xia Li walked over at that moment and chuckled. "Alright, go place the orders."

"Yes, ma'am!"

Zhang Jiahao grinned and turned to run off toward the others.

Xia Li glanced at Su Yang and said calmly, "You’re quite smooth, aren’t you?"

Su Yang smiled. "First time at the company. Wanted to leave a good impression."

"Mhm, fair enough. Come on, let me show you the streaming rooms."

"Sure."

The two turned and headed toward the streaming area.

The streaming rooms were essentially repurposed office spaces, each with a different theme.

They entered the first one, where a girl in a sexy mini-skirt was chatting with viewers in front of a streaming setup.

Su Yang and Xia Li didn’t go inside, just observed from the doorway.

After seeing the girl inside, Su Yang thought to himself, Not bad.

"What’s on your mind?" Xia Li asked, looking up at him.

"What kind of streamer is she?"

"A chat streamer."

"Any dance streamers?" Su Yang grinned.

Xia Li shot him a sidelong glance and smirked. "Next door."

"Let’s go check it out."

"You men..."

They closed the door and walked over to the adjacent streaming room, stepping inside just enough to get a look.

Inside, a girl with twin tails, dressed in a cute plaid shirt and short skirt, was dancing energetically in front of the camera.

Su Yang nodded. "Not bad. Oh, by the way, I have a friend who’s also a streamer. I’ll introduce her to you later—help train her up."

"Sure. You’re the boss, so whatever you say. As long as her looks and figure aren’t too lacking."

"You think I’d recommend someone subpar? I’ll send you her WeChat later. Alright, let’s not disturb them."

Su Yang stepped back outside, and Xia Li closed the door with a laugh. "Done looking?"

"Yeah, let’s go."

"Alright."

They made their way back to the main office area.

Xia Li rolled her eyes playfully before asking casually, "Got plans later?"

"Nope."

"Then how about grabbing a drink? My treat."

Su Yang tilted his head. "Sure. How could I refuse a drink invitation from a beauty like you?"

"Then let’s go."

Xia Li’s eyes glimmered with amusement as she and Su Yang headed for the exit.

Just then, the dozen or so employees still in the office called out, "Mr. Su, Ms. Xia, you’re leaving already? The milk tea hasn’t even arrived!"

Xia Li turned back with a smile. "You guys enjoy it. We’re off."

Su Yang also waved at them. "Have your milk tea and head home early."

......

The two exchanged a glance and left the company with a laugh.

Soon, they reached the parking lot on the first floor. Xia Li said casually, "Mr. Su, how about I ride with you? I won’t drive."

Su Yang nodded. "Sure. Oh, and outside the office, just call me by my name—no need for formalities."

Xia Li thought for a moment. "Fine. But calling you by your full name makes us sound like strangers. How about ‘Xiao Su’? I am older than you, so it’s not like you’re losing out."

"Sure, ‘Xiao Su’ or ‘Xiao Yang’—whatever works."

"Alright, let’s go."

They walked over to the Rolls-Royce Cullinan and got in.

After buckling his seatbelt, Su Yang asked, "So, where are we drinking?"

"Give me a sec to think." Xia Li pulled out her phone and scrolled.

Two minutes later, she tilted her head. "You prefer a nightclub, a craft beer bar, or a lounge with chill music?"

Su Yang grinned. "I’m easy. You pick."

"Oh! I just remembered a place you’ll definitely like. Let me send you the address."

"Somewhere I’ll definitely like? What kind of place is it?"

"Heh, you’ll see when we get there. Sent you the location."

Su Yang checked his phone—the address was only 2.1 km away, on a street called Pingcheng Road.

"Alright, let’s check it out. Is it a proper drinking spot?"

Xia Li blinked innocently. "Of course."

"Good. Then let’s roll."

The car started and slowly pulled out of the parking lot, heading toward Pingcheng Road.

The streets of Haicheng at night were still bustling, though the traffic had eased compared to rush hour.

Soon, Su Yang drove onto Pingcheng Road—a one-way street, not particularly wide, with two lanes and parking spaces lining the right side.

The street was lively, flanked by uniquely styled buildings bathed in deep blues and dazzling purples. From inside the car, the scene looked almost cyberpunk, as if they’d slipped into a futuristic world.

It was already 11 p.m., but the street showed no signs of quieting down.

Su Yang checked the navigation—just a few dozen meters left—but every parking spot along the way was already taken.

He glanced at Xia Li. "This place is packed. And the vibe is so sci-fi."

"You’ve never been here before?"

"I’ve come during the day, but rarely at night. Didn’t realize it’d transformed like this."

"This street is dead in the daytime. It only comes alive at night—stays busy till 4 or 5 a.m."

"That wild? Then where do I park? Every spot’s taken."

Xia Li peered ahead and pointed. "Keep going. See that intersection up ahead? Take a left there."

"A left?" Su Yang looked over—turning left would take them into a narrow alley.

But he didn’t argue, just drove forward and turned into the alley after waiting for a red light.

The massive Cullinan struggled a bit in the tight space, but Su Yang’s driving skills were now top-notch.

The more challenging the situation, the more he enjoyed it.

Once inside the alley, the surroundings instantly shifted to a shabbier, dimly lit environment—a stark contrast to the vibrant street outside, like the difference between Piltover and Zaun in League of Legends.

Well, maybe not that extreme, but the sudden change in atmosphere was jarring, like stepping into another world.

Following Xia Li’s directions, Su Yang navigated the twists and turns of the alley. Two minutes later, they finally reached a slightly wider area.

Xia Li pointed to a spot by the left wall. "Park there."

"Damn, you even know about this place?"

"There’s nowhere in Haicheng I don’t know."

"Impressive. Born and raised here?"

"Yep."

"No wonder." Su Yang drove over and parked close to the wall.

There was still about two car lengths of space on the right side for the vehicle to pass through.

He turned off the engine and said, "Let's get out."

The two opened the car doors and stepped out. Su Yang looked around, taking in the surroundings.

This was an old residential area located in the city center, very similar to his home in Yangcheng—a cluster of aging walk-up apartments that seemed to have been standing for two or three decades.

The streetlights in the neighborhood cast a dim, yellowish glow. Though these old communities might slightly mar the city's modern facade, their disappearance—replaced entirely by towering skyscrapers—would strip the urban landscape of its gritty, lived-in charm.

Besides, demolishing and redeveloping such centrally located neighborhoods on a large scale was no easy task.

Xia Li tugged at Su Yang, who was still glancing around distractedly. "Come on, what are you staring at?"

"Alright," Su Yang replied, and the two walked side by side back the way they had come.

......