Chapter 144: True feelings cannot win the test of time since ancient times; only套路 always wins people's hearts! (Second update, asking for subscriptions and monthly votes)

Seeing Liu Zhaonian standing before him, already beginning to question his life choices, Li Shixin gave a secret smile and nudged Yang Kuan in the waist.

He shot him a look.
(￢_￢)
Go on! What are you standing there stunned for?

Recalling Li Shixin's prior instructions, Yang Kuan's mouth twitched.
( p′︵‵。)
Isn't this a bad idea, Godfather?

Hiss! Li Shixin narrowed his eyes.
╬(??-灬-｀)
For a scene like this, do you really expect your Godfather to step in personally?
Hurry up and go!

Receiving the clear warning signal in Li Shixin's gaze, Yang Kuan grimaced.
He hardened his heart.

And so, everyone in the planning department of Myriad Jobs Network witnessed that truly terrifying scene!

They saw the young man before them—pale, haggard, with drooping eye bags and bloodless lips, his tall and slender frame swaying slightly—suddenly lose all strength in his legs and collapse straight down to the floor!

For people working in internet enterprises, this state was all too familiar.
Σ(っ°Д°;)っ, (??｀??Д????)!!, !!!∑(??Д??ノ)ノ

Sudden death!
Good grief, it's a sudden death!

In reality, Yang Kuan's age was about the same as everyone present. He was at that awkward age where one is neither here nor there.
In his twenties, pushing thirty.
As for qualifications, he had none. As for experience, he could barely claim to be better than a newcomer. At such an age, wanting to survive in a city like Shanghai and wanting to realize the boasts made and dreams dreamed in childhood, without a powerful family background, there were actually very few paths available.

The only option was to work oneself to the bone.
In the internet industry, working overtime was a common occurrence.
And stories of people dying suddenly from overwork were heard from time to time within the industry.

When this scene truly happened right before their eyes, everyone panicked. Yet as they looked at Yang Kuan lying on the ground with his pale lips, a profound sense of sorrow suddenly welled up in their hearts!

This was... worn out from working overtime!

"Ah... Quick! Hurry, hurry, hurry..."
Liu Zhaonian, who had just been questioning his life choices, panicked when he saw the young man suddenly collapse to the floor!
Stammering and flustered, he pointed at the people around him, completely unable to form a coherent sentence.

"Don't panic!"
Just as the planning department was in utter chaos, Li Shixin let out a stern shout!
"I have quick-acting heart-saving pills right here!"

With that, he leaned over to lift Yang Kuan up, opened the pre-prepared bottle of heart-saving pills, forced Yang Kuan's mouth open,
and poured them straight down his throat—*gulp gulp gulp*...

Next, with practiced movements, he patted his back and supported his chest.
After a full minute or so,
amidst the panic of the crowd, Yang Kuan—pale and with tightly furrowed brows—let out a loud burp and drew in a massive breath of air.

Seeing this scene, everyone... breathed a sigh of relief!

"Young man, are you... how are you feeling?"
The sudden outburst just now had terrified Liu Zhaonian!
Even though this wasn't an employee of his own company, the man had collapsed in his department and ended up in this state precisely because he was pulling an all-nighter for their advertisement. If anything were to happen to him, there was no guarantee they wouldn't bear the responsibility!

Yang Kuan slowly opened his eyes. Faced with Liu Zhaonian's concern, his voice was as thin as gossamer.
"Director Liu, don't worry, I... I'm fine."

Hearing him say this, everyone clenched their fists tightly!

"Brother, you just walked through the gates of hell!"
"Brother, career is valuable, but life is worth even more. Take good care of your health from now on, don't push yourself this hard! Thank goodness for this old gentleman carrying heart-saving pills with him! Otherwise, you'd be a goner!"
"What old gentleman? Cut the crap, will you? Look at the old brother's practiced movements just now; he's clearly a veteran! Senior, how old are you this year? Are you a programmer or an ad dog?"

Damn it, who's in their thirties!
Damn it, programmer or ad dog!

Ignoring the group of blockheads, Li Shixin secretly pinched Yang Kuan's waist.
Prompted by Li Shixin's hint, Yang Kuan's mouth twitched into a grimace as he looked at Liu Zhaonian and slowly raised his hand.
Liu Zhaonian immediately grabbed it.

"Young man, don't speak, I'll call an ambulance for you right away!"
"No, Director Liu, I'm fine. But please take a look at this advertisement... For the sake of this ad, our planning team of a dozen people stayed up all week, and now you say you don't want it. All our hard work and sleepless nights over the past week have gone down the drain..."

(；д；)! (；д；)! (；д；)!
Inside the planning department, everyone looked at Yang Kuan—who had just returned from the gates of hell—as he tremblingly held up the USB flash drive in his hand...
They burst into tears!
(;??????Д????`), (;??????Д????`), (;??????Д????`)……

To what corner of life must one be driven... to be this dedicated?
How much passion for work could one possibly have... to be this tenacious?

"Brother... awesome. You don't even care about your own life, yet you still care about the performance metrics. You... have you ever thought about changing jobs? Come to Myriad Jobs Network! Our team is short on people right now!"
"Compared to that, Director Liu... please take a look at the commercial they made! This brother... must have been pushed way too hard by his boss!"
"Wuwuwu, Director Liu, the brothers at Huaqi have it even harder than us! Just how much pressure must they be under from their metrics to be this ruthless to themselves?"

Amidst the tear-suppressing pleas of his subordinates, Liu Zhaonian looked at the young man before him, falling into a trance.
The countless times he had been turned away by clients.
The countless nights of fighting through the dark before a solitary lamp.
The countless times he had been rejected, looked down upon, and disdained!
He... had once survived by relying on this very same drive!

Ah!
(╥╯^╰╥)

He tightly grasped Yang Kuan's hand. "Young man, this commercial... I'll watch it!"
...

Outside the conference room, almost the entire planning department had gathered.
On the rear projection screen inside, the edited commercial was playing.
Accompanied by soothing background music, a tranquil classroom scene slowly emerged.

Sunlight poured through the classroom windows, spilling over neat desks. A gentle breeze lightly stirred the curtains, and tiny motes of dust in the air danced like little elves.

"Tong Xiaoxiao, come to the front and read your composition."
Following the teacher's roll call, a young girl—her face unseen, but her arms as pink and tender as lotus roots, her white school uniform glowing in the sunlight—slowly walked up to the podium and raised the manuscript in her hands.

"My Father."
"My father is the best father in the world. Although he doesn't look young, he is the coolest. Although he seems a bit clumsy, he is the smartest. Although he seems a bit fierce, he is the kindest. But..."

The footage and background music paused right here.
"He tells lies."
"When chatting with the fathers and mothers of other children, he says he has a decent job. I know the reality isn't like that."

With the little girl's sinking tone, the visual and musical style of the entire commercial underwent a earth-shattering transformation!
The soothing music turned heavy.
The bright and clean visuals instantly became gloomy.

A construction site. Judging by the sunlight, it should be morning.
A shabbily dressed man was carrying heavy stacks of bricks. Sweat soaked his shirt, and his face beneath the yellow safety helmet was dark and filthy.
Perhaps the bricks were too heavy, as veins bulged on his face, and every step he took was a struggle.
Even so, he was still gritting his teeth and persisting, walking with determined steps toward the distant foundation!

In the hallway, the sound of stir-frying coming from every household indicated it was noon.
It was the same man, but now he was wearing a food delivery uniform.
He was bent over, continuously bowing and apologizing to a customer, only to be met with a barrage of angry curses.
The late spicy hot pot was hurled onto his body and face by the furious customer.
Yellow noodles and cilantro hung haphazardly over his head, and greasy broth streamed down his hair in steady rivulets.

In front of a supermarket, the sun was already slanting westward, indicating the late afternoon.
The man, who had no idea how long he had been working, wore only a white tank top with a dirty towel draped over his neck. In the biting winter chill, steam rose from his emaciated body.
With a face full of exhaustion, he picked up a crumpled bottle of mineral water and took a large gulp.

Amidst a deep and slow piano solo, the figure of an employer appeared, tossing two crumpled twenty-yuan bills at the man.
Holding the money, the man—exhausted to the extreme, covered in sweat, his age impossible to discern—struggled to straighten his body, put on his jacket, and stared at a pink schoolbag in a nearby store window, his mouth curling up.
At this moment, his smile was incomparably blissful.

With the final note of the piano, the image froze and then faded away.
On the black screen, a line of bold white characters slowly emerged:
Love can be profound.
But work can be much easier.

Then, the subtitles faded.
The logo of Myriad Jobs Network slowly materialized.
"Myriad Jobs Network, operating with integrity for ten years, pioneering an employer credit system to eliminate black-hearted companies. Myriad Jobs Network Job Hunting App, providing a fulcrum for your profound love."

Following that, a mellow, magnetic voiceover—one that instantly made listeners feel secure just by hearing it—rang out.

Inside and outside the conference room, the moment those brief ninety seconds of the commercial concluded, applause like a surging tide abruptly erupted!
Clap!

"Brilliant!"
Inside the conference room, after watching the entire commercial, Liu Zhaonian stood up in excitement.
During the first eighty seconds of the video, he had thought it was just a short film reflecting paternal love.
Yet in the final ten seconds, the moment the advertising slogan appeared, he was already thrilled.
This creative concept was peerless!
It didn't feel like an advertisement because from beginning to end, it simply showcased a man's sense of responsibility.
Yet it was undeniably an advertisement because, through the perspective of a daughter's composition, viewers witnessed a man struggling and striving to create the best living conditions for his child, only to endure immense hardship for meager wages. Following that, the value of a product like Myriad Jobs Network—which provided job seekers with more suitable employment—was prominently and vividly highlighted!
It was unforgettable at a single glance!

After a burst of excitement, Liu Zhaonian grabbed Yang Kuan by the arm.
"Xiao Yang, your team did a fantastic job with this ad! This contract, I'm signing it! I won't negotiate the price; we'll go with your previous quote!"

Yang Kuan blinked.
Watching the man known within his company's business division as the most difficult client get subdued just like that, he smacked his lips.
He glanced sideways at Li Shixin.
As expected...
In this materialist world where even breasts lacked warmth...
Only套路 (schemes and routines) could win people's hearts!

*Ding!*
Received applause value imbued with intense [touching emotion], 3,211 points!

Li Shixin, however, paid no attention to his third godson's gaze. Hearing the system prompt ringing in his ear, he arched an eyebrow.
Mmm.
Just as he had planned, if a commercial was filmed well, the returns were no less than those of a stage play!
()