As it turned out, Su Yu's whole "press-ganging" maneuver this time was textbook-level brilliance.
Kevin Kaslana—this man who, in an office building in the Arc City CBD, had been ground down for years by the millstone called life.
The moment he broke free of that suffocating cubicle, it was as if some seal within him had been instantly undone.
He needed no adjustment period, no warm-up.
Seated at that hastily thrown-together desk, he spent a mere ten minutes skimming Su Yu's idealism-soaked project proposal, and then switched into ruthless dimensional-reduction-strike mode.
"Right here—there's a problem with the budget structure."
Kevin spun a fountain pen in his hand, his fingertips tapping out a rhythmic "tok-tok" against the paper.
Those ice-blue eyes had lost all their earlier listlessness; in their place was a convincing calm and sharpness that belonged to a true professional.
"The maintenance costs for the motion-capture equipment are underestimated by 30%. At the Inch Heart Dojo's usage frequency, the wear-and-tear rate will climb exponentially."
With a stroke of his pen, he circled another spot.
"And here—the time allotted for the promotion-and-launch cycle is too short. If you want to go live by year's end, the pre-launch hype needs to start scaling up right now. And what exactly do you mean by this 'promote-as-fate-wills-it' note here? Are you planning to run on love alone?"
Sitting beside him, Su Yu nodded along again and again, while the little figure named "Moved to Tears" inside his heart was bawling its eyes out.
This—this was professionalism!
This was what a reliable grown-up looked like!
Compared to that Paramecium back home who only knew how to yell "Su Yu, I'm hungry," and that Nuwa obsessed with sculpting figurines, Kevin was practically an angel! A savior sent by God to rescue his hairline!
"Change it! Change it right now!"
Su Yu waved a grand hand, looking every bit the muddle-headed tyrant declaring "This pleases Us greatly."
"Kevin, from now on all these concrete execution details are entirely in your hands. With you handling things, I can rest easy."
And just as Su Yu was about to strike while the iron was hot and pull out the renovation plan for the "penthouse mansion gifted by Eden… ah no, the office building," so everyone could brainstorm together—
"Bzzz— bzzz—"
The phone lying on the desk suddenly began to vibrate, accompanied by an extremely cheerful, maiden-hearted custom ringtone that clashed utterly with the solemn meeting atmosphere.
Su Yu shot a glance at the screen.
The contact note read: [Miss Pink Elf (Hard to Handle)].
"Sorry, I need to take a call."
Su Yu made a gesture, signaling everyone to sit tight and not fret.
Kevin merely nodded and kept his head down, marking and circling away at the documents, his focused air making it seem as though everything around him had nothing to do with him.
Su Yu picked up the phone, and the moment he pressed the answer key—before he even had a chance to bring the receiver to his ear—
a nasal voice carrying three parts resentment, three parts coquettishness, and four parts "if you don't coax me I'm going to throw a fit" came drilling through the signal straight into his ear.
"Hmph."
Just a single syllable.
But its destructive power rivaled the explosion of a Herrscher Core.
Su Yu couldn't keep the corners of his mouth from curling up; that helpless "here it comes, just as I expected" feeling welled up in his heart.
"Yo, what's the matter?"
He leaned back against his chair, his tone carrying a familiar, teasing lilt.
"Has our great Miss Pink Elf had a change of heart today? She actually didn't send one of those little essays stuffed full of emoji, and instead called me up directly just to 'hmph' at me?"
The other end of the line fell silent for a second.
And then Elysia's voice exploded over like a string of firecrackers.
"Bad Su Yu! You've got the nerve to ask?!"
"You're really being so unfair to me! If I hadn't secretly… ahem, happened to overhear Eden on the phone yesterday, I'd still be completely in the dark!"
Her voice rose a notch, carrying a distinctly sour, jealous flavor.
"Eden actually gave you a downtown penthouse office?! A whole entire floor! And with panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows, no less!"
"When on earth did the two of you… right under Ellie's very nose, develop into the kind of intimate relationship where you gift each other luxury real estate?!"
Su Yu rubbed his temples, his scalp going numb.
"Ellie, that… that's an investment… a perfectly legitimate transfer of commercial assets…"
"I'm not listening, I'm not listening!"
Elysia had clearly switched into "I'm-being-unreasonable-and-I'm-the-cutest" mode.
"I went and pestered Eden about it for ages too! And the result? She just smiled at me—and so gently, too—but she wouldn't answer a single one of my questions!"
From the other end of the line came a rustling of fabric, as if she were rolling around on her bed.
"Bad Su Yu! Just what kind of enchanting potion did you pour down my dear Eden's throat? She used to dote on me the most! So why does it feel like… my standing in the Golden Courtyard is about to slip away?"
Even through the phone, Su Yu could practically see, clear as day, what Elysia looked like at this moment.
She was probably sprawled on that soft, big bed strewn all over with pink lace, her legs swinging idly in the air.
Her hand gripped the phone tightly, those petal-tender lips of hers slightly pursed, as if this were her way of venting the adorable little jealousy in her heart.
Su Yu felt his temples begin to throb.
He rubbed the spot between his brows, glanced at Kevin across from him—whose face plainly said "I'll just sit here quietly and watch you perform"—and could only sigh with a bitter smile.
"Just say what you've got to say, my little ancestor."
Su Yu's tone held the resignation of a man who had been thoroughly read and cornered.
"I don't believe you don't know what kind of relationship Eden and I have. With your intelligence network, you've probably already dug up even what decorating style we're going for, haven't you?"
"You've obviously got an ulterior motive in your words—putting on this whole 'aggrieved maiden in her boudoir' act with me, aren't you?"
She'd been seen right through.
On the other end, Elysia paused for a moment, then let out a crisp peal of laughter, like a silver bell stirred by the wind.
"Aiya, you're no fun at all~"
Her tone switched in an instant from aggrieved wife back to that effortlessly composed "Miss Pink Elf."
"Bad Su Yu, can't you just play along with me a little? Even if you only acted a teeny bit guilty, that'd be fine, you know?"
"If you got all guilty, then for tomorrow's front-page headline in the Golden Courtyard—I've already got the title figured out: 〈Shocking! Washed-Up Producer Turns Out to Be a Big Star's Kept Man! Miss Pink Elf Tearfully Reveals the Truth!〉"
"So explosive, don't you think?"
The corner of Su Yu's mouth twitched madly.
"Have mercy, please. My studio hasn't even opened its doors yet—I'd rather it didn't go under because of a scandal first."
He let out a sigh, his tone both helpless and indulgent.
"Pray instruct me, Miss Elysia—what heavenly commandment has the great sinner Su Yu broken this time, to so displease you, beautiful and enchanting Miss Elf?"
"You've still got the nerve to say that!"
Elysia gave another hmph, this time tinged with a few genuine, heartfelt grievances.
"Last time at the amusement park, what did you promise me? You said that whatever came up, you'd come talk it over with me! I wrote those very words down in my little notebook as a solemn vow, you know!"
"When I heard you were setting up a game studio, I waited for you ever so long, my heart full of joy! I even cleared my whole schedule, and I'd already gone and bought new outfits for streaming!"
"And the result?"
Her voice dropped low, carrying a pitiful, woebegone flavor.
"I waited and waited… waited until you'd packed up Ah Hua and the others and carried them off, then waited as you spirited Nuwa away from Mobius, and after that you even recruited the adopted daughter of a friend of Eden's—that little girl called Bronie!"
"And what's even more infuriating!"
Elysia's voice went up an octave—this was clearly the point that broke her composure the most.
"Even Kevin! That guy who only knows how to eat instant noodles! Even he's going over there to be your CEO!"
"Your studio's roster is filling up right before my eyes—you've probably nearly got a cleaning lady lined up by now—and yet you still haven't given li'l ol' me a single call!"
"Su Yu! Do you have any idea—making a lady as delicate as a flower wait this long is a terribly rude, terribly outrageous, terribly heartbreaking thing to do?!"
This barrage of parallel phrases left Su Yu a little dazed.
He glanced at Kevin, buried in his work, then glanced at Fu Hua, drinking her tea over there.
"Um…"
Su Yu rubbed his nose somewhat awkwardly.
"Don't you still have your streamer work to do? You're a top-tier streamer, so busy and all… I figured you wouldn't have time to come mess around with us at the studio."
"Hah?!"
Elysia cut him off in disbelief.
"So in your heart, I'm that kind of wicked woman who throws over her friends for work, who only cares about money and not about people?"
"Su Yu! I misjudged you! I'm going to block you for five whole minutes!"
Listening to that voice on the other end of the line that sounded as if it would burst into tears the very next second, Su Yu hastily raised the white flag in surrender.
"No no no! I was wrong! I really was wrong!"
Su Yu hurriedly begged for mercy.
Reasoning with a woman never works—especially not with Elysia.
"All right, all right, O great, beautiful, beloved-by-all Miss Pink Elf…"
Su Yu glanced at Kevin and found the guy was holding back a laugh.
"Actually… I was just about to get in touch with you. Really."
"Really?"
"Really! Just a moment ago, I was even saying to Kevin that our studio is missing a soul, a mascot who can hold down the room… ah no, a promotional ambassador."
"Really?"
Elysia's voice cleared from overcast to sunny in an instant, carrying a trace of suspicion and anticipation.
"You wouldn't happen to just be humoring me, would you?"
"Truer than a pearl!"
Su Yu declared with absolute, iron-clad certainty.
"Think about it—didn't I say so before, back during the stream? When the time comes, Honkai Impact 3rd is definitely going to need someone to test and promote it. In all of Arc City, who else but the illustrious Elysia is qualified for that?"
"I was originally planning to wait until the studio renovations were finished, and then formally invite you with great ceremony. I wanted to give you a surprise, you see."
This wave of sweet-talking was well-reasoned, well-supported, and sincerely heartfelt.
The other end of the line went silent for a few seconds.
"Ahem, ahem…"
Two affected coughs came from the other end—clearly she'd been thoroughly pleased by this wave of rainbow flattery.
"Oh, so that's how it is~ Mm, well, that's more like it. I'll grant that you've got a bit of a conscience after all."
And just as Su Yu thought this hurdle had finally been cleared—
Elysia's words took a sudden turn.
"However…"
"Let's get this straight in advance, Producer Su, sir."
"I refuse to be merely a contracted streamer for your studio. That whole feeling of being an off-the-books outsider isn't nice at all."
"I want a workstation too!"
Her tone grew excited, as if she were mapping out her own new territory.
"I want the kind with… the best natural lighting, the biggest desk, and ideally one where I can chat often with the pretty girls…"
"Or else…"
Elysia's voice turned suggestive and ambiguous, as if she were whispering right against Su Yu's ear.
"One where I can watch you up close… watch you frazzled and run ragged over work, or flushed red in the face from my teasing… that kind of VIP front-row seat!"
"Is there one or not, hmm? Boss Su?"
Su Yu: "..."
He looked at the organizational chart in his hand, still not even warm yet.
Then he glanced at Kevin across from him, whose face said "I knew this would happen."
The corner of his mouth twitched wildly.
Fine, fine, fine.
The Miss Pink Elf had finally let her true motives show after all.
So you went around this whole giant circle just to lie in wait for me right here!
All that talk of being left out, of being hurt…
You just wanted an excuse to infiltrate my studio with perfect justification, and then watch my misfortunes up close, didn't you?!
But listening to that breathing on the other end of the line, brimming with anticipation—
Su Yu glanced at the bright sunshine outside the window.
Never mind, then.
As a card-carrying complete-the-character-collection completionist, if he were truly missing this Miss Pink Elf, it really would always feel like something was lacking.
Even if the studio would turn into utter pandemonium from now on, even if every day he'd have to face her teasing and her pranks…
a life like that… somehow… didn't seem so bad either?
"There is."
Su Yu squeezed out the words through gritted teeth.
"There absolutely is."
"Right next to my office. A private room, so you can inspect the work whenever you please. Happy now?"
"Yay! Su Yu's the best! Love you~"
"Beep—"
The call was hung up.
Su Yu set down the phone and let out a long breath—this felt more exhausting than going a round with a Herrscher!
Across from him, Kevin finally couldn't hold it in any longer; his shoulders shook as he let out a short, scoffing chuckle.
"Heh."
"Looks like… the days ahead are going to be very lively."
Su Yu shot him a glare.
"What are you laughing at? Do you think you'll be able to stay out of it when the time comes, my dear CEO?"
The expression on Kevin's face froze—he'd almost forgotten about this: he himself was the CEO! Even though Elysia would probably spend most of her time "teasing" Su Yu or chatting with the pretty girls.
But given the chance, this Miss Pink Elf wouldn't mind in the slightest recording a richly inked, vividly colored entry for "Kevin Kaslana" in her own collection album.
And then go straight to Mei and file a little report.
At this thought, Kevin drew in a deep breath, and the expression with which he looked at Su Yu was full of pity.
He looked as though he were gazing at a sacrificial offering about to be sent off.
"Su Yu."
He called out his name.
Su Yu looked up. "Huh?"
Kevin patted him on the shoulder, his face grave and pained: "You still don't have a girlfriend right now, do you?"
"Didn't you tease me earlier about being a kept man for a rich woman?"
"I thought it over—you're not that kind of man without any dignity."
"So?"
Su Yu raised an eyebrow, with the nagging sense that there was more to Kevin's words.
"Actually, Sister Eden came and said something similar to me. Elysia isn't exactly young anymore; she really ought to start thinking about finding someone to entrust her whole life to."
The corner of Su Yu's mouth began to twitch, as though he'd already guessed what Kevin was about to say next.
"Su Yu, just consider it for our sake—go ahead and use your superb galgame-conquering techniques on Elysia."
"Get lost."
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