6: Contrast in the trimming

The last two days of military training felt like an eternity.

We repeatedly marched in formation under the sun, all for those few minutes of the performance.

"My damn soles are practically sparking," Hao Junran muttered, kicking out a goose step.

"Less talking, keep marching." Yu Heng looked straight ahead, feeling the back of his camouflage uniform soaked through with sweat.

His mind had already drifted; he was contemplating meeting "Night Lingyuan" on Saturday night.

The skin was so seductive, what would the real person be like?

"Yu Heng! You're marching out of sync!" The drill instructor's roar dragged him back to reality.

Yu Heng quickly adjusted his steps.

Finally, the day of the military training performance arrived.

All the freshmen lined up on the sports field to march in formation while the school leaders spoke on the podium.

"It's finally over..." Hao Junran tossed his hat onto the bed.

Yu Heng didn't reply. He checked the time: 4:30 PM.

Six o'clock was still a while away, but he needed to get ready.

He took a shower, changed into a clean short-sleeved shirt, and ran his fingers through his hair in the mirror.

"Ooh, all cleaned up and tidy. Going on a date?" Hao Junran eyed him askance.

"Just grabbing a meal," Yu Heng said vaguely.

"With who? Which one of those two beauties from last time?" Hao Junran got excited. "Holy crap, you're not juggling two girls, are you?"

"Get lost. Just a friend." Yu Heng didn't bother arguing, pocketed his phone, and prepared to leave.

"Someone in the group chat said they're organizing a farewell for the drill instructors later. Aren't you going?" Hao Junran asked.

"Am I bored? Do they pay us to see them off?" Yu Heng curled his lip. "Why bother with that sentimental stuff? They're just a few soldiers."

"Good point, I won't go either," Hao Junran nodded. "But you didn't see it—some of the girls were crying like their mothers had died."

"Haha, whether their mothers died, I don't know..." Liu Tianqi chimed in. "But I did hear that a girl from the Music Performance Department was dating a drill instructor, even went to a hotel with him, and then got dumped as soon as military training ended."

"Seriously?" Hao Junran raised an eyebrow.

"It's true. She was wailing on the side of the road when I came back," Hou Xudong said with a laugh.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, that's really messed up." Hao Junran pursed his lips. "I wonder what she was hoping for."

"Well, let's all skip it then. Log on, log on!!" Liu Tianqi called out.

"You guys play. I'm heading out!"

Ten minutes before six, Yu Heng arrived at the first floor of Second Cafeteria.

There weren't many people at this time, so he found a spot against the wall and sat down.

Exactly at six, a message came through on QQ saying she had arrived.

Yu Heng looked toward the entrance. A figure was standing at the canteen door.

The girl had neat short hair, delicate features, and an overall spirited, heroic look.

She was wearing a simple white T-shirt and sports pants. Her figure was well-proportioned and clearly athletic. Her overall appearance... Yu Heng's first impression was an idiom: heroic and valiant.

She stood at the entrance, glancing around, then her gaze locked onto Yu Heng's location, and she walked straight over.

"Are you September New Anime?" She stopped in front of Yu Heng.

Her voice was the same as during her stream—slightly husky and neutral—but clearer and more natural.

Yu Heng quickly stood up. "Yes, I'm Yu Heng. Are you... Night Lingyuan?"

"Bai Xinran." She smiled and extended her hand openly. "From Comics Class Two."

Yu Heng shook her hand.

"Have a seat." He pointed to the chair opposite him.

This appearance, this temperament... he couldn't say it was exactly the opposite of the skin, only that they were completely unrelated.

But the contrast was extreme; maybe that made it even more interesting.

"You look different from what I imagined," Yu Heng said, pushing the menu toward her.

"You too," Bai Xinran said, picking up the menu and scanning it. "I thought everyone who uses Bilibili, watches streams, and buys subscriptions was a complete shut-in."

"Not very harmful, but extremely insulting," Yu Heng chuckled. "Do I not look like a shut-in?"

"Not bad. Better than the guys in my class who hug their drawing tablets and call them 'Wife' all day." She ordered a Clay Pot Rice Noodle. "What are you having?"

"Same for me." Yu Heng called out to the counter, "Two rice noodles! One spicy, one not!"

After ordering, a few seconds of silence passed between them.

Yu Heng was considering how to bring up the agency matter.

"That skin of yours," he decided to get straight to the point, "what made you go for that style?"

Bai Xinran raised an eyebrow. "What style? The seductive one, right?"

Yu Heng was momentarily choked by her directness. "Uh, very sexy."

"Oh, that? It's my own original character design." She shrugged. "You can think of it as how I imagine myself."

?

So, you imagine yourself as a dog?

If you want to talk about this, I'm wide awake.

"That's a pretty unique hobby..." Yu Heng chuckled.

Coincidentally, he was a fellow enthusiast, though He Mengyao hadn't quite satisfied him in his previous life.

"What's wrong? Your XP is free!" Bai Xinran stated openly.

Yu Heng raised an eyebrow. They could discuss hobbies later; making money was more important.

"How do you feel about streaming? Do you want to do it long-term?" Yu Heng asked.

"It's alright, pretty interesting." The rice noodles arrived, and she broke apart her disposable chopsticks. "It's just annoying sometimes when I run into stupid comments in the chat."

"That's how it is when you're a Streamer." Yu Heng stirred his bowl of spicy rice noodles. "That's why I said joining an agency can save you a lot of trouble. At least someone can help you manage the chat and handle harassment."

Bai Xinran slurped some rice noodles, then looked up at him. "How exactly does the cooperation you mentioned work?"

"I'll provide the money and equipment. If you need new outfits for your skin, or design surrounding merchandise, I can reimburse you for everything, and we can even move to 3D later. I'll also help you with operations, traffic generation, and securing business deals." Yu Heng looked at her. "The income will be split proportionally, with you taking the majority share."

"What's in it for you?" Bai Xinran asked directly.

"I get a slice of the pie when you make money," Yu Heng replied even more directly. "I think this industry has potential, and you have good conditions, making you worth the investment."

He understood the operational logic of agencies best. Black-hearted agencies look for quick profits, relying on casting a wide net and exploiting Streamers with breach of contract fees. They don't last long. If a black-hearted agency wants longevity, after accumulating initial capital and wishing to stay in the industry, they will transform into a reputable agency.

Others are reputable from the start, growing strong based on operational ability and reputation. As long as the revenue and the number of Streamers increase, it becomes a virtuous cycle.

Bai Xinran lowered her head and ate a few mouthfuls of rice noodles, not answering immediately.

Yu Heng didn't rush her, just ate his own meal.

"Can I think about it?" she asked after a while.

"Of course." Yu Heng took out his phone. "Add me on WeChat? For easier communication."

"Sure." Bai Xinran scanned the QR code and added him as a friend without hesitation.

Her WeChat profile picture was a simple sketch of a dog's head.

Yu Heng looked at the profile picture and remembered her stream title, "dog."

"You yourself are quite a contrast to this dog image," he couldn't help but say.

Bai Xinran just smiled, didn't reply, and instead asked, "Are you really from Network and New Media?"

"Yep, Class One." Yu Heng nodded.

Bai Xinran narrowed her eyes. "But in some novels I've read about streaming, the agencies always take the majority share, and the Streamers only get a small portion."

"Then the authors of those novels you read aren't industry professionals," Yu Heng smiled. "They all think Streamers are idiots, just like them. They're heavily exploited in reality, so they become spiritual capitalists in their fiction."

"Hahaha, you're really interesting," Bai Xinran finished the last sip of soup. "Thanks for the rice noodles."

"Next time, it's your treat," Yu Heng joked.

"No problem!"

After finishing their meal, the two walked out of the canteen together.

She waved, turned around gracefully, and walked in the opposite direction.

Yu Heng watched her retreating figure. The way she walked with such vigor was unlike most girls in the canteen.

A heroic and valiant dog... interesting... He suddenly wanted to see her contrasting side.