NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 242: Who’s the Real Young Miss?
Chapter 242: Who’s the Real Young Miss?
The core members of the C Site team recruited by Mei Fang and Lin Youxi primarily consist of programmers, artists, and website operation managers. Most of them were veteran users of A Site from its early days. Although they were considered veterans, they were actually just teenagers, around 15 or 16 years old, who had been active in the early days of the anime community. Most of them weren’t big names in the scene, but their involvement in related industries after starting work was driven by personal interest.
This outsourced team consisted of around 40 people in total, with 27 having formally accepted offers. Of those, 24 could attend the in-person staff meeting. The gender ratio was nearly equal, with more males among the programmers and more females among the artists, with a few working as operation managers.
Based on this, Mei Fang also posted several job descriptions on C Site, primarily looking for HR specialists and some website operations staff. The resumes came flooding in, and after written tests and phone interviews, they temporarily hired two women to assist their sister Yue Yue in her work, which also helped reduce some of Mei Yue’s workload.
Mei Fang’s Lin Xi Technology 1.0 plan was to expand the number of official members, including himself, to 50.
In management theory, 50 is a critical threshold. Within this number, it’s possible to maintain a flat organizational structure, meaning that team members are familiar with each other, as well as with everyone’s job roles and responsibilities, without a strict hierarchy. In the early stages of a startup, establishing this sense of belonging can make people more willing to stay with the team.
In his previous life, Mei Fang could only manage a team of about 20 people. Beyond that, it became too difficult to handle. But now, with the help of Lin Youxi, Mei Yue, and others, along with his position as the boss and his wealth, he could aim higher.
Mei Fang booked a small hall with four tables at the Mayflowers Hotel in Jiangcheng and got everyone to help decorate the room in advance. Liu Xiaoyu was sitting at a table by the door, acting as a receptionist. Her sign-in sheet listed the names of the new members.
By around 11 a.m., team members began arriving at the hotel one after another.
This was both the first full company meeting and an offline gathering for the core developers of C Site.
Previously, everyone had only communicated and worked together online, mostly just through voice calls, without revealing their real names or photos. Lin Youxi and Mei Fang had even shared the same account, and to maintain the mystery until the end, they had never used voice chat.Since anime culture is still relatively new in China, those who came to sign in at the company appeared to be in their early twenties. They were surprised when they saw Liu Xiaoyu, often asking who she was in the team because she looked so young.
“I, um, I’m a new hire, just joined recently.”
Liu Xiaoyu’s response wasn’t entirely inaccurate. She was actually an employee of the other company, Ximilu Games, temporarily helping out with the event.
“You look so young… Have you graduated from university? Are you still a student?”
“Ah… I, um… I’m currently working part-time.”
Liu Xiaoyu gave a relatively safe answer.
Since Mei Fang had allowed everyone to wear cosplay outfits to the staff meeting, there were indeed a few people who showed up in JK uniforms, Touhou shrine maiden costumes, and even mascot suits. These members had informed everyone beforehand, so they were immediately recognized upon entering.
“Are you Sister Cola? Wow, you’re even cuter than I imagined.”
“No way, I always thought Yun Zai was a bearded uncle, but you’re actually such a handsome young guy? I’m totally in love.”
“Sorry, but I only love 2D characters. I’m Reimu-chan’s loyal dog.”[1]
“Enough of this… We’ve all agreed we were overweight otaku shut-ins, but everyone looks so good! Am I the only true otaku here?”
Meeting in person for the first time after working together online for years naturally led to all sorts of fun moments. Some who were chatty online turned into shy introverts in real life, getting teased relentlessly, only to return to their online personas to dish out comebacks.
However, the team’s biggest anticipation was for the arrival of Miss 【Shan You Lin Xi】.
“Who do you think is really Miss Shan You Lin Xi?”
“I secretly glanced at the sign-in sheet earlier, and there was actually someone named Lin Youxi on it. I think that must be our site owner.”
“Could Miss Shan You Lin Xi have already arrived and is just blending in with the crowd?”
“I feel like it’s that girl at the next table. Her cool demeanor really fits the bill.”
“I actually think your playful style suits Miss Shan You Lin Xi more.”
“Are we even talking about the same Miss Shan You Lin Xi?”
“Hey, hey… are you even from C Site? Isn’t it common knowledge that there are two young misses? Oh, you just joined this year? That explains it. The first young miss was very chatty with us and even mentioned she’s played lots of adult games.”
“Whoa, that’s some breaking news. It’s the first time I’ve heard about this.”
“What are you talking about? That girl at the next table isn’t Young Miss. That’s Qingniao, one of the artists.”
“Why don’t we ask that young girl over there who’s helping with the food?”
“She’s so young and already working in a hotel, she must have it tough.”
“She’s probably working part-time during the holidays, maybe she has something she really wants to buy…”
One of the male colleagues called out to Yue Xinyi, who was talking to a waiter about the menu:
“Excuse me, little sister, could you tell us who booked this banquet hall?”
Yue Xinyi looked the bespectacled man up and down, her expression quickly turning displeased as she replied:
“Do you even have to ask? Of course, it was booked by our site owner, Miss 【Shan You Lin Xi】.”
“I’m not asking about that, I’m asking——”
The bespectacled man adjusted his glasses. “So, you know this is a C Site gathering? Haha… Could it be you’re here to meet Young Miss as a fangirl?”
“Yun Zai, don’t laugh so exaggeratedly, you’ll scare that little sister.”
“Wait, you’re Yun Zai…?”
Upon hearing this, Yue Xinyi shook her head and sighed, showing an exasperated expression. “Calling me a ‘little sister,’ huh? Seems like you’re asking for trouble.”
Yun Zai and the other colleagues at the table were taken aback by Yue Xinyi’s words. “You… are also from C Site?”
Yue Xinyi enjoyed the moment, which felt like a classic scene from a novel where she got to show off and shock everyone. She stood with her hands on her hips, wearing a proud expression:
“Not only am I a member of C Site, but I’m also your direct superior, Yun Zai. You should be addressing me as 【Big Sis】 with respect.”
“Big sis… Wait, wait, you’re not the ‘Big Sis of the Yuexi Group,’ are you?”
“Hmph.” Yue Xinyi let out a cold snort, attempting to put on a cute yet devilish expression. “Who else could it be?”
Yue Xinyi was one of the earliest members to help Mei Fang and Lin Youxi manage the operations of C Site. Her site’s account UID was 4, and she went by the code name ‘Big Sis of the Yuexi Group.’ Since Yue Xinyi had seen and read a lot of anime and novels and was quite a lively person online, everyone, whether at work or during casual chats, would directly call her Big Sis.
“No way! Big Sis is actually a bona fide l*li! How old are you anyway? No wonder you don’t talk much during workdays—you’re in class, aren’t you?”
“When did I become a l*li… Hey, hey, get away from me!”
Yue Xinyi fiercely swatted at the members who were trying to pat her head, and even after getting hit, they were all still delighted, quickly inviting her to take a seat. Yun Zai was on the side, serving her tea.
“By the way, if Big Sis is actually a young student, then Young Miss must be——”
“Just wait and see…” Yue Xinyi leisurely took a sip of the tea Yun Zai handed her, when she suddenly heard a girl at the table mutter sarcastically, “Big Sis truly lives up to her name, so bold.”
Peng Xue, dressed in a punk rock style, sat among the C Site colleagues. Her mature look was so convincing that people genuinely mistook her for one of the older, quieter members of the team. Peng Xue was also very outgoing, chatting comfortably with everyone, and after a while, everyone assumed she was some quiet older sister from C Site.
Worried that Peng Xue would expose her true age, Yue Xinyi blushed and quickly muttered at her, “Xiaoxue, what are you doing here? This isn’t your table; go sit at the kids’ table.”
“You’re a kid too. Why don’t you go sit at the kids’ table?”
Among the four tables that Mei Fang had reserved, one was marked as temporarily not to be seated, essentially designating it as a sort of main table.
However, as Yue Xinyi and Peng Xue bantered with each other, everyone suddenly became more excited.
Big Sis was Miss Shan You Lin Xi‘s closest companion, and the main table was referred to as the kids’ table. Sitting there were Guo Yun, Zhang Ming, and Liu Xiaoyu, who had just completed her sign-in task. These three looked quite young…
Could it be…
Could it be that Young Miss is really a wealthy high school girl?!
This speculation grew even more heated in the online chat, and just then, Mei Yue quickly walked up to the stage and asked a hotel staff member for a microphone.
“Oh, oh, someone’s about to speak.”
“Is this Young Miss? I think she was the one who interviewed me before.”
“She looks a bit older, and her aura doesn’t quite match. Young Miss should have a more aloof vibe, right?”
“You seriously thought Young Miss would be a l*li? You perv.”
“Um… everyone, please quiet down for a moment.”
Mei Yue smiled as she greeted everyone. “First of all, I’d like to thank you all for accepting our offer and attending today’s welcome event. Let’s start with a brief introduction! Oh, and… don’t get the wrong idea. I am not Miss Shan You Lin Xi. Like you all, I was recently hired by C Site… I’m primarily in charge of administration, HR, and finance here.”
Mei Yue was a high-achiever student who had obtained her CPA license just three years after graduating from university. While working at the firm, she had met many important figures and attended various high-end events. She was quite experienced in hosting meetings. After chatting briefly with everyone, she moved on to the main event of the day.
“So… I know the thing everyone is most eager to find out today is the true identity of the mysterious C Site owner, Miss Shan You Lin Xi.”
“And now, we will reveal the answer to you. Everyone, please welcome——”
As the applause echoed through the room, Xia Yuan covered her face and slowly walked out from behind the screen, making her way to the front of the stage.
“Yuanbao! I knew it! Young Miss is none other than Yuanbao herself! Pay up!”
The speculation about the site owner’s true identity had been a hot topic within C Site, just as it was among the online community. The “Yuan Xi Are One Faction,” a theory that played perfectly into the fantasies of otaku, had gained a lot of traction among the older anime fans in the team. Many were convinced that the site owner, who had been pushing Yuanbao recently, was actually Yuanbao herself. So when Xia Yuan appeared, everyone immediately recognized her.
Xia Yuan took the microphone from Mei Yue, who then sat at the kids’ table to listen to Xia Yuan speak.
“Um… well…”
“Yuanbao, don’t be nervous! I’m your fan!”
“Not Yuanbao! Call her Young Miss here!”
“Young Miss, don’t be nervous!”
“Ah… um, I’m not nervous, haha.”
Xia Yuan hadn’t expected that she would be participating in the event with a special role herself. “So… actually, I’m not really the owner of C Site. I’m just here thanks to Youxi… In short, I’ll also be joining C Site, or rather Lin Xi Technology, as a sort of mascot character. Please take care of me!”
“Yay! Yuanbao isn’t the site owner!”
“Oh no! Yuanbao isn’t the site owner!”
“Got it! Let’s create an anime version of Yuanbao to compete with A Site’s mascot, AC Girl!”
“Uh, everyone, don’t get too excited… hold on, hold on—the real site owner is coming up next.”
Holding the microphone, Xia Yuan called out toward the screen behind her, “Youxi, Youxi, you can come out now, right?”
“…”
Lin Youxi slowly walked to the front of the stage to the sound of applause. Unlike Xia Yuan’s shyness, she appeared very aloof—just as some of the employees had expected.
“Hey, Zixi, say something! Weren’t you the one most excited to find out the site owner was a true young miss?”
“What more is there to say? AWSL!”[2]
Some members even exaggeratedly knelt on the ground, thanking the miracle that only a divine power could bestow.
“Thank you, C Site, thank you, anime culture! Young Miss is really a young miss! There’s nothing more to hope for!”
Today was actually Lin Youxi’s first time wearing black stockings and a Lolita dress—it was sort of a forced “fan service” as the site owner. Seeing the members’ over-the-top reactions, Lin Youxi was also starting to get a headache.
“Everyone has already said so much, so I won’t add too much…”
“Say more, Young Miss!”
“Yes, say more!”
Lin Youxi, usually comfortable organizing class activities and confident in face-to-face interactions, found this situation—where she was being fervently idolized—more difficult to handle.
“My name is Lin Youxi, the nominal owner of C Site and the nominal head of Lin Xi Technology. In fact, I’ve worked closely with many of you on various tasks, especially in coding and development, but most of my interactions with you have been work-related.”
“Nominal… so is Young Miss not really the site owner?”
“That’s why I said ‘nominal’…”
Lin Youxi smiled as she explained, “When I was very young, there was a boy, a childhood sweetheart of Yuanbao and me. We always went to his house to play. It was there that I was introduced to games, anime, and many of the wonderful things and experiences in the world of ACG.”
“These experiences inspired me to create a space where people like us could connect. I wanted to build a cultural exchange sanctuary, one more pure and less commercialized than A Site.”
“With this mindset, I completed the foundational framework of C Site alongside my childhood sweetheart. I love coding, so I primarily focused on web development. But everything else, including external communications and collaborations, raising funds for bandwidth, forum feedback, recruiting all of you here, and even the naming of C Site—it was named because he thought ‘C’ sounded like my name.”
As Lin Youxi gently recounted her story, everyone felt like they were indulging in a sweet ship moment, which brought Yue Xinyi to tears. Beside her, her bespectacled sidekick, Yun Zai, kept patting her shoulder to comfort her.
“So, I believe that the identity and honor of being C Site’s leader truly belong to my and Yuan Yuan’s childhood sweetheart, the true original Miss 【Shan You Lin Xi】, Mei Fang.”
Lin Youxi turned towards the side of the screen, smiling as she called out Mei Fang’s name, “It’s your turn to speak, Ah Fang.”
“……”
Mei Fang walked out scratching his head amidst everyone’s applause.
“We won! Fangbao faction’s grand victory!”
During the time Xia Yuan released her album, rumors about Fangbao being the leader, though a minority, gained traction, mainly fueled by a key member of C Site’s development team. This person was now joyously exclaiming to others, “See, I knew Fangbao was the real Young Miss!”
“What young miss…? I don’t agree! The Young Miss is obviously Xibao from just now. Only Sister Youxi is the real Young Miss.”
“Darn, isn’t our Fangbao cute too?!”
“Let’s not argue, let’s not argue. I think Yuanbao, Fangbao, and Xibao are all Young Miss.”
Mei Fang stepped up, leaning on Lin Youxi’s arm with a bit of a complaint, “This isn’t like the speech we prepared at all… wasn’t it supposed to focus on you? You really enjoy seeing me improvise.”
Lin Youxi smiled softly at Mei Fang, “Everyone needs to know your position; otherwise, there’ll be a lot of skepticism.”
Mei Fang nodded in agreement, then addressed everyone present:
“Um… there’s a lot to discuss, and it can’t all be explained at once. But first and foremost, I’m extremely grateful to everyone for being here today. C Site’s growth from an oblivious child’s project to its impressive scale today is thanks to our entire team’s collective effort, for which I’m deeply thankful. I’m also delighted to see everyone finally meeting face-to-face. From now on, we’ll work together, grow together, and head towards a brighter future together.”
“Alright, I won’t ramble on, or the food will get cold.”
Mei Fang glanced around while holding the microphone, then smiled slightly, “Let’s end with a famous quote from our predecessors—’Do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.’ Welcome to C Site. We look forward to working with you.”
Translator's Notes:
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