Chapter 507: Reconnaissance Suffers a Major Setback!
"Hello there, store manager."
Chen Mo looked up and nodded politely. "Hello."
Feng Yingwan thought to herself, "Mm, good. The plan is going smoothly."
According to the intel, acquaintances all called Chen Mo "store manager." If she blurted out "President Chen," she'd definitely blow her cover.
Calling him "store manager" implied she was a regular customer, which would give Chen Mo a better first impression of her.
Of course, with so many regulars coming and going, Chen Mo couldn't possibly remember everyone, which gave Feng Yingwan a chance to slip through unnoticed.
"Store manager, why aren't you working today?" Feng Yingwan probed.
Chen Mo, reading a book, replied casually, "Oh, today's almanac says it's not a good day for work."
Feng Yingwan: "..."
What the hell? The almanac says it's not a good day for work, so you don't work? What kind of shady almanac is that?
That's just an excuse for not wanting to work! Being the boss really means doing whatever you want!
Chen Mo asked nonchalantly, "Aren't you here to try out the games?"
Feng Yingwan's heart skipped a beat. What's going on? Had she been exposed?
But she quickly calmed down. This was probably just Chen Mo testing her.
Stay calm. I've got a plan for this.
"Sigh, I had a fight with my boyfriend today, so I'm in a bad mood. I came to the experience store to hang out." Feng Yingwan flipped her hair as she spoke.
This was a pre-planned excuse. In fact, many regulars came to the experience store when they had nothing to do, not to play games, but to chat with others and change their mood.
Plus, Feng Yingwan's words carried a hint of suggestion. Now that she'd fought with her boyfriend, maybe someone else had a chance.
With her pretty face and hot figure, Feng Yingwan was very confident that few men could stay calm under such a hint.
Chen Mo said, "Oh. Why did you fight?"
Feng Yingwan replied, "Because today he texted me: 'After dinner, can I take you for a ride on my motorcycle?'"
Chen Mo looked puzzled. "What's wrong with that?"
Feng Yingwan said, "He didn't even add 'baby' when he said it! So unromantic!"
"Oh!" Chen Mo suddenly understood. "I see."
Feng Yingwan smiled at Chen Mo. "Store manager, you wouldn't do that, right? So... if you were to say that to me, how would you say it?"
Chen Mo thought for a moment. "After dinner, can I take you for a ride on my baby motorcycle?"
Feng Yingwan: "..."
"Resentment value +333!"
He did add "baby," so technically there was nothing wrong, but why did it feel so off?!
Feng Yingwan forcefully suppressed her urge to rant, thought for a while, and decided to change the subject.
"Store manager, I'm actually really interested in game design. Could you maybe teach me a thing or two? Maybe I could become a game designer someday."
Chen Mo looked at her. "Of course, as long as you pay the tuition."
Feng Yingwan's heart leaped with joy. She hadn't expected Chen Mo to actually agree!
If she could become Chen Mo's apprentice, spending some money would be worth it! She might even get more intel, and since Chen Mo said "pay the tuition," the Imperial Dynasty Interactive Entertainment should reimburse it... right?
Feng Yingwan nodded eagerly. "Sure! How much is the tuition?"
Chen Mo thought for a moment. "Pay me 1% of my monthly income every month."
Feng Yingwan calculated. One percent? That's not expensive! After all, he's an S-class designer. Charging only 1% of his monthly income as tuition is very generous!
Feng Yingwan probed, "So how much is that exactly? Ten thousand yuan?"
Chen Mo shook his head. "No, seven million."
Feng Yingwan: "..."
She thought about it. Right, Chen Mo had several cash-cow games like *League of Legends* and *Overwatch*, both of which were booming, plus his earlier works. Each one brought in a lot of money...
But seven million yuan a month in tuition? Holy crap, are you kidding me?
If she went to Jin Jieguang to apply for funding and said, "President Jin, I want to go undercover at Chen Mo's place, and I need you to cover the tuition," Jin Jieguang would ask, "No problem, how much?"
Seven million yuan a month.
She'd be kicked out of Imperial Dynasty Interactive Entertainment on the spot!
So the apprentice route was a dead end too.
Feng Yingwan didn't give up. A flash of inspiration hit her with a new idea.
"Oh, by the way, store manager, I heard you're really good at games. I love playing games too. How about we play a couple of rounds together?"
Feng Yingwan had heard that Chen Mo not only liked making games but also playing them. He'd even beaten an AI in *Warcraft*.
No matter what game he played, Chen Mo was a master.
Feng Yingwan had even practiced *Warcraft* for a while, but the game was too hard, and she still sucked at it, so she had to give up.
However, Feng Yingwan was pretty good at *League of Legends*, currently in the Diamond rank.
Although she couldn't compare to Chen Mo, a girl in Diamond was pretty rare, right? Combined with her looks and figure, Feng Yingwan was confident she could make Chen Mo take notice.
Chen Mo, still reading his book, asked casually, "What game do you play?"
Feng Yingwan said proudly, "I'm Diamond in *League of Legends*! How about it, store manager? Want to duo queue for a couple of games?"
Chen Mo nodded. "Sure, but I need to test your skill first."
"Fine by me." Feng Yingwan nodded.
She wasn't lying; she really was Diamond level, so she wasn't afraid of a test.
Chen Mo pointed at a girl in the PC experience area. "If you can beat her in a 1v1, I'll duo with you."
Feng Yingwan nodded. "OK, no problem!"
If it were a male player, Feng Yingwan might have been a bit nervous. The experience store was full of hidden talents; a Challenger player could pop up out of nowhere, and where would she go to complain?
But against a girl, Diamond was already high. Feng Yingwan was confident she wouldn't lose to any girl in a 1v1.
"So, I just need to beat this girl once, right?" Feng Yingwan asked.
Chen Mo nodded.
Feng Yingwan relaxed.
Even if she accidentally lost once, it didn't matter—she only needed to win one game!
When she walked over, Feng Yingwan realized the girl's looks might even surpass her own, and she had a unique aura that made Feng Yingwan uncomfortable.
"I feel like this girl has a special relationship with the store manager. I have to completely defeat her to earn the store manager's trust!"
Feng Yingwan steeled herself, determined to fully leverage her Diamond skills and show off in front of Chen Mo.
...
An hour and a half later.
Feng Yingwan returned, her face pale.
Chen Mo looked at her. "How did it go? Did you win?"
Feng Yingwan's lips twitched slightly. "No... What rank is she? She feels really strong?"
Chen Mo said, "Oh, you mean Li Jingsi? She's just an ordinary Challenger player, still a bit worse than me."
Feng Yingwan: "..."
"Resentment value +999!"