Chapter 14: Is the "Tuna" Going for an Office Romance?
A confident Kiana Kaslana believed she was about to earn a steady 820,000 yuan, but after the initial excitement wore off, her conscience began to prick her.
She had to consider the reality. She was the one who promoted Su Mu to Game Director and personally greenlit the release of *Getting Over It*. Now that the game was notorious and universally known, it was bound to fail miserably. To Su Mu, a fresh graduate who had joined the industry with a heart full of passion, eager to make his mark in the blue ocean of gaming, this would surely be a massive blow.
To fail so spectacularly right out of the gate—could Su Mu recover from such a setback?
Kiana realized the severity of the problem. If Su Mu lost his spirit, or if he felt he was incompetent because of this failure and decided to resign, she would be in big trouble! She had finally found a "money tree." If Su Mu ran away, her dream of becoming the richest person in the world would go up in smoke.
No! Absolutely not! Su Mu could not leave miHoYo. Kiana needed him; she absolutely could not let him leave like this!
"At a time like this, I need to exercise my authority as the boss..."
Kiana began to ponder how she should comfort Su Mu. What kind of rhetoric should she use to cheer him up and encourage him to create the next "flop" so she could make another fortune?
It was a real headache. Kiana sat cross-legged on the sofa, lost in thought for a long time. Eventually, she decided that she couldn't come up with an answer on her own. At times like this, she needed outside help!
With that thought, Kiana dialed a number.
"Hello? Auntie? It's me, Kiana!"
On the other end of the line was Kiana's aunt, Theresa Apocalypse. She was Cecilia's best friend, and she had helped Cecilia choose Kiana's name. It could be said that in the entire family, aside from her mother Cecilia and her sister Sirin, her aunt was the one who treated Kiana best. Rumor had it that her aunt had never liked Siegfried when they were younger. Even now, whenever those two were together, they would bicker—they were very much like a pair of "frenemy" rivals.
Theresa was stunned for a moment. "Kiana? Where on earth have you been lately? I kept asking Siegfried, but that guy kept hiding it from me! Did he really kick you out of the house? Where are you now? Do you have money for food?"
Theresa's rapid-fire questions made Kiana chuckle. "Auntie, you're asking so many things at once, how am I supposed to answer?"
"You ungrateful little brat! Am I not just worried about you?"
"Yes, yes, Auntie is the best to me!"
"As long as you know! Hmph!"
Kiana sighed helplessly and then explained the whole situation to Theresa.
"What? That jerk Siegfried really kicked you out? Sent you to Arc City? Wait, Arc City?"
"Auntie, is there something wrong with Arc City?"
"Did that idiot Siegfried not notice, sending Kiana there..."
"Auntie, what are you saying?"
"No, nothing. I mean, Siegfried is a total jerk! To let his daughter live all alone in a strange city, he's barely human!"
Theresa ranted about Siegfried over the phone, and every word hit the mark for Kiana. Her aunt was the best—she could always help her curse out her "stinky old man" of a father!
"But, letting you run a game company, isn't that just nonsense? You're not cut out for business..."
However, Theresa's next sentence made Kiana's expression freeze.
"Auntie, do you also think I'm a good-for-nothing failure?"
"Who—who said that! I never said such a thing, Kiana, don't overthink it!"
"Then why did you say I'm not cut out for business!"
"I'm just telling the truth, Kiana. Running a company is really hard, and you don't have any experience, right? So..."
Theresa's words made Kiana feel a bit aggrieved. Her father looked down on her, and even her aunt thought she couldn't handle it! Although... they weren't exactly wrong; she really didn't have any experience...
But now she had a system! As long as she held onto her "money tree," Su Mu, and kept losing money, becoming the richest person in the world would be a piece of cake!
"Auntie, don't try to dissuade me! This company has been handed to me, and I have a duty to run it well!" Kiana's tone became righteous. "Even if I fail, I won't regret it because at least I tried!"
Theresa sounded surprised. "Wow, did Kiana really just say that? You've really grown up. Auntie is so proud..."
"So what exactly was my image in your eyes?" Kiana rolled her eyes. "I have something to ask you—oh, it's your fault for talking so much, I almost forgot!"
Kiana then told Theresa about Su Mu's situation.
"That's simple. Why don't you just go on a date with him?"
Theresa's answer almost made Kiana jump. "A-A-A date? What are you saying, Auntie! Are you that impatient to marry me off?" What kind of terrible advice was her aunt giving!
"The date was just a joke. I mean, at a time like this, you should distract him," Theresa cleared her throat. "You haven't been in Arc City for long, right? You can use the excuse of wanting to learn more about the city and have Su Mu take you around."
Kiana looked skeptical. "But will that really work?"
Theresa replied, "It's better than moping in the office. Scientific research shows that proper exercise is good for physical and mental health. Besides, although you're a bit dim-witted... you've inherited Cecilia's beauty perfectly. Any boy would be happy to go out with a beautiful girl like you!"
"That 'dim-witted' part was totally unnecessary, wasn't it? So, in the end, it *is* a date?"
"Do you hate that boy, Su Mu?"
*How could I hate him? I'd rather cling to him like an octopus, he's my money tree!*
"Of course I don't hate him."
"Then you must have some feelings for him, right? In that case, what's the harm in treating it like a real date?"
"That's not it! Auntie, aren't you afraid something will happen to me?"
"Hehe..." Although it was over the phone, Kiana could feel Theresa's speechlessness. "It would be a blessing if *you* didn't cause something to happen to *him*. Do you think I don't know your temperament?"
END OF CHAPTER