Movie: Get Alpha Dog at the start

Chapter 1581 Another instance of branding

The following morning, sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the dance troupe's rehearsal room, casting dappled shadows on the wooden floor.

When Sun Yumei pushed open the door, she radiated an indescribable glow. She had dressed up specially for the day, wearing light makeup, her hair neatly combed, and her face beaming with an undisguised smile.

Several girls who were close to her surrounded her as soon as they saw her.

"Hey, what good thing happened to you lately? You look so radiant!" a girl with a ponytail teased.

"Sister Yumei, were you with your boyfriend again last night?" another girl chimed in.

"Sigh, looks like I need to find a boyfriend too. A woman needs a man's touch to feel good," the third girl said, feigning a sigh.

The crowd burst into laughter.

Sun Yumei was a little embarrassed by what she was being said, but her smile only grew brighter. She pretended to be angry and laughed, "Well, you've all gotten too bold, huh? Daring to laugh at me, just wait and see how I deal with you."

As she spoke, she reached out and tickled the girls, who screamed and scattered, filling the rehearsal room with laughter.

Just as they were playing around, the team leader pushed open the door, clapped his hands, and said, "Stop fooling around, everyone! Hurry up and rehearse; there's not much time left until the cultural performance."

Everyone immediately stopped joking and took their positions.

As the music began, the girls danced gracefully, their movements light and elegant.

However, the team leader pressed the pause button on the music shortly after they started dancing.

"Stop, everyone stop for a moment."

The music stopped abruptly, and the girls all stopped what they were doing, looking at each other in bewilderment.

The team leader frowned, his gaze falling on Han Ling, and asked with concern, "Han Ling, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Han Ling was definitely not herself today. Her movements were noticeably slower than usual, and she almost made a mistake several times when turning around. Her face was pale, and she had faint dark circles under her eyes.

Han Ling gently shook her head: "It's nothing, I probably just didn't sleep well last night."

"Can you still hold on?" the team leader pressed.

"Mm." Han Ling nodded, trying to look more energetic.

The team leader hesitated for a moment, but then pressed the play button again.

The music started again, and the girls continued dancing.

However, after several attempts, Han Ling's performance not only failed to improve, but actually got worse. She nearly bumped into the backup dancers several times, and her movements became stiff and awkward.

The team leader's expression grew increasingly grim, and he finally couldn't help but press the pause button.

"That's enough!"

The rehearsal room was silent; everyone held their breath.

The team leader, his face dark with displeasure, said, "Han Ling, what's wrong with you? If you're not feeling well, just ask for leave and go home to rest. So many people in the troupe are trying to accommodate you. How are you going to participate in the performance in this condition?"

Han Ling's face turned pale, and her lips trembled slightly.

She wanted to explain, but didn't know what to say. It was indeed her fault that the rehearsal had been affected; she had no reason to defend herself.

"I'm sorry, team leader, I..."

"Alright, that's enough." The team leader waved his hand, interrupting her. "You should rest today."

After saying that, the team leader turned to Sun Yumei and said, "Han Ling isn't feeling well today, so you'll lead the dance."

Sun Yumei paused for a moment, then nodded: "Okay, team leader."

This was an opportunity she had been dreaming of, but at this moment she wasn't as overjoyed as she had imagined. She subconsciously glanced at Han Ling, only to see Han Ling with her head down, silently walking to a corner and sitting down, looking all alone.

Rehearsals continued, and Sun Yumei stood in the lead dancer position, her movements precise and her posture graceful.

After finally getting through the rehearsal, the girls left in twos and threes, but Han Ling was still sitting on the ground in a daze.

Sun Yumei hesitated for a moment, but still went over.

"What's wrong with you today? You look so bad?" she asked as she sat down next to Han Ling.

Han Ling snorted softly, her tone tinged with resentment: "Isn't this exactly what you wanted?"

Sun Yumei pursed her lips: "That's right, I do want to be the lead dancer. Honestly, are my dancing skills worse than yours? What move can't I do?"

Han Ling remained silent, knowing that Sun Yumei was telling the truth. In terms of dance skills, Sun Yumei was indeed no worse than her, and in some aspects, she even performed the moves better.

“You’re only better looking than me,” Sun Yumei added.

Han Ling pursed her lips, not intending to engage in a verbal argument with Sun Yumei. Besides, she wasn't in the mood for it right now; her mind was filled with the scene of arguing with Xiao Ran yesterday.

"Seriously, what's wrong? Did you and Xiao Ran have a fight?" Sun Yumei asked tentatively.

Han Ling looked up in surprise: "How did you know?"

Sun Yumei smiled dismissively: "Isn't it obvious? Your face practically screams: 'I had a fight with my boyfriend.'"

Han Ling subconsciously touched her face and saw Sun Yumei's mocking expression. She then realized that she had been tricked and angrily turned her face away, ignoring her.

Sun Yumei's gossip-loving nature was piqued, and she wasn't about to let Han Ling off the hook so easily. She leaned closer and asked curiously, "Tell me, we're just killing time anyway, why were you two arguing?"

Unable to resist her persistent questioning, Han Ling had no choice but to recount what had happened yesterday.

After listening, Sun Yumei said with exasperation, "What right does Xiao Ran have to tear your dance costume? You bought that costume yourself, not him. What right does he have?"

"Given his circumstances, anyone else would have dumped him long ago. You're so good to him, and he still gives you attitude?"

"You too, he's treated you like this, why aren't you breaking up with him? What's the point of staying with him?"

Han Ling was surprised that Sun Yumei would be so angry about her, and couldn't help but feel a little fondness for her.

"Actually, Xiao Ran is usually very nice to me. He just... just takes his pride too seriously," Han Ling whispered in defense of Xiao Ran.

Sun Yumei rolled her eyes: "To put it bluntly, it's just his inferiority complex. He can't achieve what he tries his best, but others do it effortlessly, and he can't save face."

"Let me tell you, Han Ling, break up with Xiao Ran as soon as possible. With his personality, he'll either never recover, or once he does, he'll do everything he can to reclaim all the dignity he's lost."

"He won't be grateful for your unwavering support; he'll only think you valued his potential."

Han Ling smiled and shook her head: "No, Xiao Ran isn't that kind of person. You don't understand him."

"That's right, I don't understand Xiao Ran, but I understand men..."

Sun Yumei wanted to continue persuading him, but the team leader walked over at that moment.

"What are you two standing there for? Get up and rehearse again!"

The two exchanged a glance and could only get up and resume rehearsing.

……

On the other hand, Chen Qiming didn't dare tell his family after resigning, and he could no longer live in the company dormitory, so he could only rent a house in an urban village.

It was called a house, but it was really just a basement room of less than ten square meters, dark and damp, never seeing sunlight. Besides a bed and a dilapidated table, there was nothing else in the room.

Even in such a dilapidated house, the rent is still thirty yuan per month.

Chen Qiming lay on the bed, staring at the mottled water stains on the ceiling, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

He never imagined that he, a college student, would end up like this.

When he was admitted to university, he was the pride of his family. His parents bragged about him to everyone they met, and relatives and neighbors were extremely envious. After graduation, he got a job at the grain bureau, securing a stable and secure position, which made his parents even more proud.

But now?

He lost his secure job, and now even finding a place to live is a problem.

Chen Qiming took a deep breath and forced himself to cheer up. He was still young; he refused to believe he couldn't find a good job.

The next morning, he took his resume to the job market.

The job market was bustling with people looking for work. Chen Qiming squeezed through the crowd, looking at job postings from one stall to another.

"Hiring salespersons, base salary 200 plus commission, meals and accommodation provided..."

"Hiring an accountant, accounting certificate required, monthly salary 500..."

"Hiring a clerk, monthly salary 400..."

Chen Qiming frowned; the wages for these jobs were all too low and did not meet his requirements at all.

After circling around several times, he finally spotted a few companies that looked decent.

"Hiring Business Manager, Associate's degree or above, starting salary 1000 RMB per month..."

This looks alright.

Chen Qiming straightened his clothes and went inside.

The interviewer, a man in his thirties, looked at his resume and nodded: "You came from the grain bureau? You gave up a secure job?"

Chen Qiming smiled and said, "Wanting to venture out and try new things? Young people should always have some ambition."

The interviewer glanced at him: "So, what do you know about our company?"

"Well... I haven't had time to look into it in detail yet, but your company seems quite large, so it should have a promising future," Chen Qiming said honestly.

The interviewer then asked, "What are your salary expectations?"

Chen Qiming thought for a moment and said, "I hope the starting salary can be around two thousand. In addition, it would be best if the company could provide promotion opportunities. I hope to be promoted to management within two or three years."

The interviewer's expression changed, and he handed the resume back to him: "Our company is too small to accommodate someone as big as you. You'd better look for another job."

Chen Qiming paused for a moment, wanting to say something more, but the interviewer waved his hand impatiently: "Next."

He had no choice but to leave.

Over the next few days, Chen Qiming visited various job markets, but still couldn't find a satisfactory job.

Some companies rejected his resume immediately upon hearing his requirements. Other companies were willing to hire him, but the salary was only five or six hundred, which he didn't even consider.

"A monthly salary of two thousand? And you want to be promoted to manager within two or three years? Do you think this is a dream?" one interviewer mocked.

Chen Qiming didn't think his conditions were unreasonable. In his view, Liu Yuan hadn't even graduated yet, and Qin Hao had already offered him a monthly salary of two thousand. He felt that he was no worse than Liu Yuan, and a starting salary of two thousand was the bare minimum.

Unfortunately, reality is cruel.

After several days, Chen Qiming was completely devastated. Even though he had lowered his salary expectations to 1,200, he still couldn't find a job.

Seeing that I can't find a job and can't even afford to rent a house anymore.

Just as Chen Qiming was in a dilemma, the pager on his waist suddenly went off.

"Beep beep beep—"

Chen Qiming looked down and saw that it was an unfamiliar number.

His parents bought this pager specifically for him before he went to work. It cost them over a thousand yuan, and they were heartbroken at the time.

He quickly found a public phone and dialed the number provided by the information service.

I initially thought it was a message from a recruitment company, but a familiar voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Hello? Chen Qiming?"

Chen Qiming was taken aback: "Liu Yuan? Is this your phone number?"

"Hehe, this is my mobile phone number. Write it down in a notebook, and call this number next time you need to contact me."

Chen Qiming was shocked.

He clearly remembered seeing those old-fashioned mobile phones when his parents took him to the telecommunications company to buy a pager. Those things cost over 20,000 yuan each, and with the network access fee and call charges, they were simply beyond his means.

At the time, I could only admire and play with it from afar, but I never expected that Liu Yuan would actually buy one.

"Liu Yuan, you've become a big boss?" Chen Qiming's voice was filled with disbelief.

Liu Yuan smiled smugly: "This isn't mine; the company provided it to me."

"Was this provided by the company? Did you switch jobs?"

"Why would I switch jobs? I'm doing just fine with Lao Qin. I'd have to be crazy to switch jobs."

Chen Qiming said sourly, "So, he's the one who got you that mobile phone too?"

"That's right. I'm the company's vice president now, so when I go out to do business, I have to demonstrate my capabilities, right?"

Company Vice President?

For a fleeting moment, Chen Qiming regretted not having followed Qin Hao back then. If he had, he might be a vice president by now.

However, he quickly dismissed the idea. After all, Qin Hao was his "number one rival in love." Working for him? He would be miserable.

Suddenly, Chen Qiming's eyes lit up.

Although he can't work for Qin Hao, Liu Yuan is now the company's vice president, so maybe he can help him find a job?

"Didn't you say you wanted to drink? Where are we going to drink?" he asked.

"Where else can we go? The usual place, I guess."

"Okay, I'll be right there."

……

At the school's night market, in front of a barbecue stall.

Chen Qiming saw a tall, thin figure ordering food from afar.

"Liu Yuan'er!" he called out.

Liu Yuan turned around, stepped forward, and put his arm around Chen Qiming's shoulder: "You've finally arrived, kid. Come on, have a seat."

"Just the two of us today?" Chen Qiming looked around after sitting down, but didn't see anyone else.

Liu Yuan sighed, "What else can we do? Wang Meng and Zhang Wei went back to their hometown, leaving just the four of us in Beijing. Lao Qin has been too busy to come over lately."

Chen Qiming secretly breathed a sigh of relief when he heard that Qin Hao wasn't coming. He didn't want Qin Hao to see him in his current disheveled state.

Soon, the skewers arrived, and Liu Yuan ordered a dozen beers.

After a few drinks, the two men started talking.

"Chen Qiming, how's your job at the grain bureau?" Liu Yuan asked while eating some skewers.

Chen Qiming gets angry whenever this is mentioned.

"Don't even mention it! My lousy company, the boss is an idiot! All he does is make things difficult for people, I couldn't stand it anymore, so I quit!"

Liu Yuan was somewhat surprised: "You really quit your secure job? Your dad would be furious if he knew!"

Chen Qiming immediately deflated, saying with a wry smile, "That's why I don't dare tell them yet. I plan to tell them after I find a job."

"Have you found a job yet?"

Seeing that Chen Qiming remained silent, Liu Yuan guessed what was going on.

"You can't do that. The truth will come out eventually."

Chen Qiming sighed, "I know, but jobs aren't easy to find these days."

He thought for a moment and then said, "Liu Yuan, you know a lot of people, do you have any suitable job recommendations you could give me?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Yuan looked troubled: "I really can't help you with things in Beijing, but I can think of a way to help you with Shenzhen. Are you sure you want to go?"

Shenzhen?

Chen Qiming hesitated for a moment.

Going to Shenzhen means leaving his hometown and starting all over again. But if he stays in Beijing, he's barely able to afford his rent.

Thinking of Liu Yuan's thriving success, Chen Qiming gritted his teeth and said, "I'll go for it!"

“Okay, I’ll ask around for you when I get back to Shenzhen. I’ll contact you if there’s a suitable job.” Liu Yuan patted him on the shoulder.

"Liu Yuan'er, thank you." Chen Qiming's nose tingled, and he almost burst into tears.

He faced setbacks everywhere and was looked down upon by others, but only Liu Yuan was willing to help him.

Liu Yuan looked disgusted: "Come on, just remember to buy me drinks when you get paid."

“Absolutely!” Chen Qiming nodded vigorously.

……

The next day, Liu Yuan arrived at Haoran Technology in Zhongguancun.

This place is no longer the makeshift operation it once was. The company has rented an entire floor, opened it up, and renovated it. As Zhongguancun has become increasingly popular, the "Zhongguancun Yellow Pages" business has also improved, and the number of employees has expanded from just a handful to a team of twenty.

Good morning, Mr. Liu.

Good morning, Mr. Liu.

Liu Yuan greeted everyone with a smile and walked to the innermost and largest office.

The door was ajar, and he knocked gently.

"Enter."

Qin Hao was sitting behind his desk, reviewing documents, when he looked up at Liu Yuan and said, "Have a seat."

"Sigh." Liu Yuan sat down properly opposite Qin Hao.

Despite his carefree and irreverent attitude, he's quite disciplined at the company. He knows very well that he owes his current success entirely to Qin Hao; otherwise, his situation wouldn't be much better than Chen Qiming's.

"Ahem, Mr. Qin, you mentioned on the phone last time that there would be a new project to start when I return from my vacation?" Liu Yuan asked tentatively.

Without saying a word, Qin Hao handed a folder to Liu Yuan.

Liu Yuan took the folder, opened it, and saw that it was filled with numbers and letters, all of which were computer accessory models that were selling well in Zhongguancun recently.

After looking at it for a while, he asked with some doubt, "Mr. Qin, are you planning to continue reselling goods from Shenzhen to Zhongguancun?"

Qin Hao shook his head: "I plan to acquire several factories to specialize in producing these computer parts."

Liu Yuan's mouth dropped open in shock: "Acquiring a factory? Manufacturing computer parts?"

"right."

“But…aren’t all these parts imported?” Liu Yuan thought Qin Hao was daydreaming.

"That's why computers are so expensive," Qin Hao said calmly. "Just imagine, if we could produce these components domestically, wouldn't we be able to bring the prices down?"

Liu Yuan scratched his head: "But this thing requires a lot of technical skill, right? Can we even make it?"

"There are certain requirements, but not as high as you might imagine." Qin Hao leaned back in his chair. "We don't manufacture chips, so the technical requirements for motherboards, memory, and flash storage components aren't actually that high. Besides, I don't plan to tackle those big components right away. We can start with power supplies and cases."

Liu Yuan still felt it was somewhat unreliable: "But computers these days use imported components. Even if we could make one, would anyone use it?"

Qin Hao smiled and said, "As long as customers don't know it's made in China, isn't that fine?"

Liu Yuan was stunned: "You can do that?"

He was shocked and didn't know what to say for a moment.

Qin Hao smiled at his shocked expression and continued, "Most people can't tell the difference between imported and domestic computer parts. As long as our quality is top-notch, even with a foreign label, who can tell the difference?"

It took Liu Yuan a while to process what was happening before he slowly came to his senses.

"President Qin, how did you come up with such a method?" (End of Chapter)