He Li was still sharing his thoughts, while Yu Qingge simply sat there, quietly watching him. The rest of the conference room fell silent as well. Everyone’s gaze was now focused on the two of them, filled with all kinds of complicated emotions.
“Wait… is CEO Yu actually listening to He Li’s opinion?”
“Isn’t he just a low-level scriptwriter? What could he possibly contribute to our discussion?”
“Hehe, so what if he’s clueless? If CEO Yu values him, even if he spouts nonsense, she might still take it seriously. Don’t like it? Then try and get her to value you too!”
“Tch, he’s just a damn story writer. What does he know about games?”
“Nothing’s absolute. Maybe he really has a good suggestion?”
“True, let’s see what CEO Yu says.”
…
Whispers circled the room, soft at first, but as more people joined in, the volume grew. He Li could clearly hear them, but he didn’t care. Nor did he try to explain. After all, he was just a story writer. The company’s direction and strategy had little to do with him. He was merely sharing his thoughts to return the favor to Yu Qingge for treating him so kindly.
Whether she listened or whether the others implemented his ideas… He Li really didn’t care.
But while He Li didn’t care at all, Yu Qingge—whose eyes were locked solely on him—wasn’t about to let it slide.
Bang!
She suddenly slammed the table.
Gone was the gentle demeanor she had toward He Li. Her expression turned cold, and her sharp eyes swept across the conference room. A powerful aura radiated from her, and the noisy meeting room instantly went silent. Everyone lowered their heads, not daring to make a sound, afraid they’d become the target of this cold and imposing CEO.
Especially the ones who had spoken sarcastically moments ago—they were visibly nervous.
Still, some of them regained their composure quickly. After all, they held important positions, and He Li was just a low-level story planner. No matter how you looked at it, there was no way the CEO would offend key personnel just to defend someone insignificant like He Li… right?
That’s what they thought, but then…
“Who just said story writers don’t understand games?”
Yu Qingge’s icy voice echoed through the room.
The middle-aged man who had spoken earlier visibly stiffened. Seeing he couldn’t avoid it, he had no choice but to stand up.
He Li glanced over—Community Operations Manager, Wu Jian.
Community managers handled game forums and player feedback. Since they interacted directly with players, they often had a better sense of player preferences. So, it wasn’t surprising that Wu Jian would say something like “story writers don’t understand games.”
Even when called out, Wu Jian didn’t feel he had said anything wrong.
“CEO Yu, I admit my words earlier might’ve been a bit impolite,” he began, “but the fact remains—he doesn’t understand games. He doesn’t know what players want, and he has no clue what makes a game go viral.”
“He just buries his head writing scripts.”
“He has almost zero direct interaction with players.”
“Someone like him… just a mere story planner…”
“Do you really think he’s qualified to give valuable suggestions?”
After he spoke, the others remained silent, but many nodded slightly, clearly agreeing. Seeing this support, Wu Jian’s confidence grew.
With a look of disdain, he continued, “If you follow He Li’s suggestions and things go south, that would already be lucky.”
“But what if his idea is a bad one?”
“What if it leads to millions in wasted investment?” This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
“Sure, he’s got a bit of talent.”
“But even so, he’s not qualified to attend this kind of meeting.”
“Calling him here was already a huge favor, yet he’s bold enough to offer suggestions? Seems like he’s gotten overconfident just because you complimented him a little!”
By the end, Wu Jian wasn’t even hiding his contempt anymore. His tone was full of condescension.
He Li was a bit speechless.
He had only offered a few personal thoughts. Why did Wu Jian react as if he were his mortal enemy? Was he jealous that Yu Qingge had acknowledged him? That seemed… excessive.
While He Li was still wondering, Yu Qingge’s expression grew colder with each word Wu Jian spoke.
“You done?” she asked with narrowed eyes.
Wu Jian, who had been smug just moments ago, suddenly felt a chill in his heart. Something felt very wrong—like he was about to be in serious trouble. Still, he had no choice but to nod stiffly.
Yu Qingge went on, “Since you’re done, let me speak now.”
“Who told you He Li doesn’t understand games?”
“Do you actually know him well?”
“No? Then who gave you the guts to draw such a conclusion?”
“Are your opinions based entirely on imagination?”
“Hah. You sure are bold, dismissing someone before even hearing what he had to say.”
“I can’t even begin to imagine how many potentially brilliant proposals have been submitted and dismissed by people like you without even being reviewed. Frankly, I’m starting to question whether you’re still fit for your role.”
Though her tone remained calm, her words sent cold sweat dripping down the backs of every executive in the room.
Damn. She had just slapped a massive label on them all—and they had handed her the label themselves.
This was a public warning from the new CEO.
Looks like the legendary “three fires of a new official” were real—and they were burning hot.
Everyone was about to get caught in it.
Even He Li was stunned. This woman… she’s ruthless.
She’d used his situation to establish her authority as the new CEO, delivering a heavy blow to the entire senior management team. And the best part? She had the perfect excuse to do it, and could even purge anyone she didn’t like with justifiable cause.
He Li had to hand it to her—absolutely ruthless. As expected of a CEO.
Meanwhile, Wu Jian’s face turned pale. He hadn’t expected his casual arrogance to dig him into such a deep hole. His brain spun rapidly, searching for a way to salvage the situation.
Then his eyes landed on He Li’s smirk.
“CEO Yu, since you think I’m wrong…”
“Why not have him repeat what he said to you?”
“Let all of us hear it. If he really did offer a valuable suggestion, I’ll admit I was wrong. But if not—”
Because Yu Qingge cut him off.
“And if not, then what?” Her tone turned sharp. “You think you can go after him?”
“He’s someone I’ve chosen. Unless I approve, no one is allowed to touch him. Do you have a problem with that?”
Wu Jian’s eyelid twitched wildly.
What the hell?
Was Yu Qingge just blatantly disregarding all decorum?
How could she defend someone so shamelessly?
She wasn’t even pretending anymore.
Was He Li really that important to her? The worst part was… she’d practically declared that if Wu Jian was wrong, he’d be punished—but if he was right, then nothing would happen, and He Li would walk away without so much as a scratch?
What kind of logic was that?
This was absurd.
Wu Jian was filled with regret. Deep regret.
If he had known Yu Qingge would protect He Li this fiercely…
He’d never have opened his damn mouth.
Now he’d walked right into the guillotine.
The rest of the room was filled with people secretly rejoicing.
Thank god they hadn’t criticized He Li too harshly just now. Otherwise, the one dripping in sweat wouldn’t be Wu Jian—it would be them.
Of course, seeing Yu Qingge so aggressively defend him, even He Li couldn’t help feeling… a little strange.
Maybe… having a strong, protective girlfriend wouldn’t be such a bad thing?
That thought alone startled He Li.
How could he think that?
Didn’t he want a peaceful, lazy life?
He quickly shook his head and pushed the thought away.
“Beautiful women always bring trouble. If I get into a relationship with her, how will I ever live a peaceful life again?”
“It’s better to keep my distance,” he reminded himself.
But as he glanced at the woman beside him again, he couldn’t help but sigh in admiration.
“What an impressive woman… just a little more and I might’ve completely lost my composure.”
Thankfully, he’d managed to keep it together… for now.