Lu Yu was stunned. "...Work for... you?"
"Yep." Shu Qingqing had hired two people a while ago, but the auntie who worked as an assistant and stream controller had recently quit and moved back to her hometown after a messy breakup with her boyfriend. She happened to be short-staffed.
Shu Qingqing tilted her chin up with a touch of pride. "Besides, work is work no matter who you’re doing it for. I’m a somewhat famous clothing brand owner now, with several employees under me. Working for me means no PowerPoint presentations, no psychological manipulation, and more importantly, no overtime. All you have to do is move those lucky hands of yours, shout a few lines, and you’ll earn easy money."
"What kind of job could be... that easy?" Although Lu Yu had only been working for a few days, he had already deeply realized how hard it was to make money. Back at the milk tea shop, the five of them had to make thousands of drinks during rush hour; they didn't even have time to drink water.
"Customer service and stream controller. It might look like two roles, but it’s actually very relaxing. You only need to work six or seven hours a day. Isn't that much better than the milk tea shop? Most importantly, since we’re friends—" Shu Qingqing made a gesture of counting money. "I’ll give you sixty-five hundred a month. That’s five hundred more than the previous employee. Plus, you get commissions. The more clothes we sell in the livestream, the more you make."
"How about it? Sounds tempting, doesn't it?"
It certainly sounded very tempting. Just as Lu Yu was hesitating whether to agree, Shu Qingqing made the decision for him.
"Alright, silence means consent. Let’s go, Boss Shu is taking you to your new post right now."
Seeing how happy she looked, Lu Yu didn't say anything else. Working for her... seemed pretty good.
The afternoon sun was fierce and scorching. Flowers and leaves wilted under the heat, and the sound of cicadas carried a wave of warmth that made pedestrians hurry their pace.
There was very little traffic on the streets, so Shu Qingqing drove all the way to the studio without any obstructions.
Their livestreaming hours were from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM, so they needed to arrive at the studio three hours early to prepare.
When Shu Qingqing brought Lu Yu inside, everyone had already arrived. She placed the fruit teas she had bought on the table and called everyone over.
"Friends, starting today, we have a new partner joining our company. This is Lu Yu." Shu Qingqing gave Lu Yu a little nudge forward. "Go ahead, introduce yourself."
Lu Yu greeted everyone with poise.
Another assistant host, Tingting, immediately let out a whistle. "Impressive, Boss! You actually recruited such a handsome guy. From now on, use this as the standard for hiring. I’ll be much more motivated at work!"
Everyone burst into laughter.
The three customer service representatives were also girls, and they were delighted to see a handsome young man like Lu Yu.
"But Boss, he looks quite young. Is he still in school?" Once Lu Yu went to his workstation, Xiao Min, one of the customer service reps, whispered a reminder. "Boss, remember to check his ID. If he’s under sixteen, it’s illegal for us to hire him."
Shu Qingqing patted her shoulder. "Don't worry, the kid is seventeen."
Jingjing, another rep, was surprised. "Working at such a young age? My younger brother is a year older than him and just started his senior year of high school."
Shu Qingqing let out a sigh. "Sigh, the kid has it rough. A gambling father, a terminally ill mother, a young brother, and a broken soul. He had no choice but to work during his summer break to help support the family."
"How can it be like that? That’s so pitiful." The customer service girls were suddenly overcome with compassion, their gazes toward Lu Yu becoming increasingly motherly.
Shu Qingqing only then realized that she had let her tongue slip and said too much...
Mainly because she had seen too many memes online, and it just came out naturally...
Whatever, Lu Yu wouldn't know anyway.
Thinking this, Shu Qingqing followed up with another sigh. "Sigh, that's life."
After chatting for a while, everyone quickly threw themselves into their work.
Lu Yu was very satisfied with his first day's experience. Just as Shu Qingqing said, he only needed to operate the computer to add links or change prices, and help control the atmosphere of the room.
Speaking of which, Lu Yu felt a bit helpless. He only truly understood what a "stream controller" was after the livestream started. Since it was his first day, Shu Qingqing didn't make him responsible for it immediately; she had Xiao Min handle it while he learned the ropes.
But... Lu Yu felt he truly couldn't bring himself to speak. He even felt a bit of shame.
"Yes, that's right, exactly, okay, 3-2-1, link is up, refresh and go buy it..." Who on earth invented these boring, theatrical phrases?
However, he peeked at other clothing livestreams and found that all the controllers shouted the same things...
He looked up helplessly at the dark ceiling.
Though it was embarrassing... he had already promised Shu Qingqing he would work... he certainly couldn't let her down... so... he would try.
I must shout it out tomorrow, Lu Yu told himself before going to sleep.
The next afternoon.
Since the livestream started at six, everyone usually ordered something to fill their stomachs around five.
Lu Yu was hesitating over what to order on his phone when a rice ball suddenly appeared on his desk.
"Little brother, have this. It's delicious," Xiao Min said with a grin.
Lu Yu thanked her.
A moment later, Jingjing handed him a bottle of soda. "Xiao Yu, take this."
Rongrong also stuffed a grilled sausage into his hand.
Lu Yu thanked them one by one.
During dinner on the third day, Lu Yu remembered everyone's enthusiasm from the day before. After ordering his meal, he also ordered milk tea and small cakes, intending to share.
To his surprise, while he was waiting for his food, the three girls came over again.
Xiao Min gave him a sandwich, which was normal enough, but Jingjing and Rongrong each stuffed something into his hands: one gave him a box of health supplements, and the other gave him a toy car.
Jingjing: "Xiao Yu, give these supplements to your mother every day. They’re good for her health."
Rongrong: "This is a new toy car I bought. Give it to your little brother."
Lu Yu was completely bewildered. "This is..."
Jingjing patted his shoulder. "Xiao Yu, you’re a good kid. You must study hard and get into a good university so you can escape your family situation in the future."
Rongrong: "That’s right, brother. Make sure you hide the money you earn. Be careful not to let your dad find it and use it for gambling."
Lu Yu: ?? His dad? Gambling?
Before he could ask for clarification, the three girls walked away with looks of profound relief on their faces.
Lu Yu was left standing there, utterly confused.
Shu Qingqing wanted to order milk tea and just happened to walk over to ask him what he wanted.
"Forget the drinks for a second." Lu Yu looked at her and pointed to the items on his desk. "How... how did you introduce me to them? Why do they think my mom is sick and my dad... gambles?"
"Uh..." Shu Qingqing glanced at the desk and helplessly pressed her hand to her forehead. "Let me explain."
After listening to Shu Qingqing's hesitant and stuttering explanation, Lu Yu didn't know whether to be angry or laugh. "Fine, I’ll give you the gambling dad... but you even made yourself—"
Shu Qingqing smiled sheepishly. "I was just worried that if I told them about our relationship, they’d give you special treatment. It wouldn't have been good for your studies, or for fitting in with the rest of them... Who knew things would turn out like this? It’s my fault. My head is just full of those stupid internet tropes..."
"Don't worry, I'll explain everything to them when I get back," she muttered to herself. "But then again, will they think their boss is totally unreliable if I do?"
"Forget it, don't bother explaining." Lu Yu pointed to the health supplements sitting on the table. "What about these?"
"I'll take them! I'll eat them myself!" Shu Qingqing hurriedly scooped up the items and made her escape.
Lu Yu watched her retreating figure and let out a helpless, fond laugh.
