One Yuan First Recharge: I'm Actually the Boss Behind a Fortune 500 Company

Just then, there was a knock on the door—a very light knock, two "thumps," a pause, then two more "thumps," very cautious.

He got up and opened the door; the girl was standing outside.

She had changed her clothes; she was still wearing a simple off-white sweater and blue jeans, but her hair had been combed and lay smoothly against her cheeks, making her look much fresher.

She was carrying a light-colored canvas bag and holding a mobile phone in her hand.

"Um... we can go now," the girl said softly, her eyes darting away.

"Okay." Wang Hao took his phone and keys, locked the door, and said, "Let's go."

The two went downstairs one after the other, without saying a word the whole way.

The atmosphere was a little awkward.

After all, they were strangers meeting for the first time. Even though they had become neighbors, they didn't know what to talk about.

When I arrived at the hot pot restaurant, there weren't many people inside, and a few waiters were tidying up the tables.

The air was filled with the aroma of hot pot broth, spicy yet rich with the flavor of beef tallow.

"Two people?" a waiter greeted them.

"Yes." Wang Hao nodded.

The waiter led them to a seat by the window and handed them a menu.

Red paper-cut "福" (good fortune) characters are pasted upside down on the windowpane, indicating that the festive atmosphere of the New Year has not completely dissipated.

"Can you eat spicy food?" Wang Hao flipped open the menu and looked up to ask the girl across from him.

"Yes," the girl nodded, her voice still soft. "People from my hometown are really good at eating spicy food."

Wang Hao ordered a spicy hot pot base, along with several signature dishes: tripe, duck intestines, beef, bean curd sheets, and green vegetables.

He handed the menu to the girl: "Take a look and see if there's anything else you'd like to eat? Don't be shy."

The girl took the menu, looked down at it carefully for a while, her eyelashes casting small shadows under her eyelids.

She added shrimp paste and yam, then closed the menu and handed it to the waiter: "That's about it, thank you."

After ordering, the waiter left, and the table became quiet again.

The hot pot broth hadn't even been served yet, and the two of them were sitting face to face, making the atmosphere even more awkward.

The girl fiddled with the chopsticks on the table, while Wang Hao looked out the window at the bustling streets.

The sunlight slanted in, casting a bright patch of light on the table.

Wang Hao felt this wouldn't do and took the initiative to break the silence:

"Um... my name is Wang Hao. Let's get acquainted." He tried to make his voice sound relaxed and natural.

The girl looked up at him, hesitated for a moment, her lips moved, and she whispered:

"My name is Yu Xinxin."

Yu Xinxin?

Wang Hao's mind went blank.

He suddenly looked up and stared intently at the girl opposite him.

The sunlight shone on her face, revealing the fine downy hairs on her cheeks and her eyelashes trembling slightly with nervousness.

Short hair, delicate features, shy expression, soft-spoken voice... It matches perfectly, it matches everything!

Yu Xinxin in the game "Behind the Scenes" is the receptionist, the electronics employee who sends him local specialties, and the Yu Xinxin who always speaks with a shy expression!

The 3D model of the character in the game and the living girl in front of me are practically identical in facial features, temperament, and expression!

But how is that possible?

How can people from games appear in real life?

And they even became his neighbors?

Wang Hao's first reaction was—it was arranged by the game team.

Yes, that must be it.

To enhance the player experience, the game team arranged for real people to play the role of the electronic employee and integrate them into his life.

This game is amazing! The benefits for beta testers are so good.

But then I thought, how much would that cost?

Hiring actors, arranging coincidences, and keeping track of their schedules...

But this girl is too real.

Her shyness, her awkwardness, the little gesture of twisting her fingers when she spoke, the sincerity in her gratitude... none of it seemed like an act.

Can actors act this naturally?

Wang Hao suddenly had a thought: could all of this be because he hadn't even started playing the game?

It is real.

Just as he was lost in thought, the hot pot broth arrived. The waiter carried a large pot of red soup, bubbling and steaming, with the red oil churning.

The dishes were served one after another, filling the small cart.

But Wang Hao had lost his appetite.

His mind was in complete chaos, with all sorts of thoughts flashing through his mind.

He watched as Yu Xinxin carefully slid the shrimp paste into the pot one by one with a slotted spoon, her movements delicate and her fingers slender.

He tentatively asked, "Xin Xin...can I ask what you do for a living?"

He knew that asking such a question was a bit offensive; it wasn't appropriate to ask about work on a first meeting.

But he had to confirm, he had to figure out exactly what was going on.

Maybe it's just a coincidence of names, or maybe they just look alike?

Yu Xinxin was putting vegetables into the pot when she heard the question. She looked up at him, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure.

She thought for a moment and then answered, "Oh, I work as a receptionist at a media company now."

She paused, as if feeling that the answer was too simplistic, and added, a hint of gratitude in her voice:

"Our company is great, the atmosphere is good, and the boss... the boss is also very nice and takes good care of us."

As she said this, a genuine smile appeared on her face, and her eyes curved slightly, as if she were truly grateful to the boss.

Wang Hao's last shred of hope vanished.

The media company, the receptionist, the boss is nice... everything matches up.

In the game, Yu Xinxin's character is a "receptionist at a media company," and she is extremely grateful to her "boss" because he gave her a bonus and a year-end bonus.

This is his employee, Yu Xinxin.

But what exactly is going on?

Game characters have come to life?

Or was he hallucinating?

Just then, Yu Xinxin's phone rang—it was a soft piano tune ringtone.

She quickly took her phone out of her canvas bag, glanced at the screen, and answered, "Hello, Sister Lin Wei."

Lin Wei?

Wang Hao's ears perked up, and his heart pounded.

"Yes, yes, I received it too. Supervisor Zhou notified me that I need to start work tomorrow at nine in the morning."

Yu Xinxin said softly, but with a hint of happiness, "Yes, I've moved all my things. I just moved them today."

"My place is alright, it's an apartment, the rent is 1200 a month, it's very close to the company, just two subway stops away."

As she spoke, she glanced at Wang Hao, as if she was somewhat embarrassed to discuss these things in front of him.

"Sister Lin Wei, would you like to come and take a look? There are still some vacant rooms here. The agent said that unit 1505 next door is also available for rent, and the layout is the same as mine." Yu Xinxin's voice was full of anticipation:

"If you move here, we can go to work together and have company on the way."

"Okay, I'll ask the agent later and send you their contact information. Bye, Sister Lin Wei."

After hanging up the phone, Yu Xinxin looked at Wang Hao and explained somewhat embarrassedly:

"She's my colleague. She also wants to move here. It's close to the company and the rent is reasonable."

Wang Hao was speechless.

Yu Xinxin, Lin Wei, Supervisor Zhou, starting work tomorrow... all the clues come together to form a conclusion he can hardly believe.

This is not a game at all.

Or rather, what he thought was a "game" wasn't a game at all.

That was a... cheat code.

A cheat code that allows him to manage a real company and have real employees.

All his previous actions on his phone—recruiting, paying salaries, assigning tasks—were not playing a simulation management game, but rather managing a real company and real employees!

All his previous doubts and disbeliefs now have an answer.

Why does the money actually arrive in my account? Why can the specialty products actually be shipped? Why are the employees so genuine and their reactions so natural?

Because that was true all along.