C7 A Relaxing Working Day!(2)

Tong Miaojie and Gu Aoxuan stepped into the elevator, quickly descending a floor. This level was entirely different from the one above. Instead of a large hall, it featured distinct, separate workspaces divided by partitions. Two intersecting corridors ran through the middle, and Tong Miaojie's studio was at the end of the vertical corridor.

"This is it, with a nameplate: Arts Department, Tong Miaojie's Studio," Gu Aoxuan said, nodding to her.

Miaojie followed Gu Aoxuan into the studio. The space was bright and open, with large, semi-circular windows letting in plenty of sunlight. The desks were neat, in basic black and white, and at the far end was a rectangular wooden table with a leather swivel chair. The nameplate on the desk matched the material of the editor-in-chief's office, and the computer model and setup were identical, making the desk look like a replica of the editor's.

Along the wall were two rows of desks with the same equipment and layout. As Miaojie entered, two young women seated at the desks stood up.

"Editor, Studio Manager."

"These are Momo and Lina," Gu Aoxuan introduced. "They'll be your comic assistants, helping with inking and basic coloring. They're new hires this year, just like you, fresh graduates."

"Oh, hello! I'm Tong Miaojie. We'll be working on comics together. I hope we all enjoy our time here."

"Sure thing, Studio Manager."

"No, no, just call me Miaojie. We're probably around the same age."

They exchanged glances and nodded.

"Alright."

"Okay, get to know each other a bit. This afternoon, there's a meeting in the upstairs hall. It's a weekly event every Monday, and attendance is mandatory."

"Got it."

"Alright, I'm heading upstairs."

"See you later, Editor."

"Bye-bye."

Gu Aoxuan's heels clicked as she exited the studio.

Miaojie turned to Momo and Lina, asking, "Are you both new to the company too?"

"Yeah, we just started a few days ago," Momo replied.

"So, which schools did you guys attend? I graduated from Central Arts University this year."

"I went to Hua Hui Academy of Fine Arts. I majored in fine arts, but I'm really into comics, so I taught myself digital drawing," Momo explained.

"Hua Hui's fine arts program is impressive. Drawing comics must be a breeze for someone with your background," Miaojie said, a bit in awe that her studio had someone with such a strong fine arts foundation.

"I studied cartoon and comics at Yu Mei, and I spent a year as an exchange student at the Hong Kong Art University," Lina added.

"I've heard great things about the teaching quality and environment at Hong Kong Art University. You both went to excellent schools."

"Not really. Central Arts University is no walk in the park. I tried to get in during my art exams, but my academic scores didn't make the cut," Momo said, still in disbelief.

"Yeah, we never expected you to be a Central Arts grad. Isn't it true they accept very few students, mostly from prominent families?" Lina asked Miaojie.

"Our school does have a lot of students from well-known families, but most of them focus on pure fine arts. Comics, which require a broader skill set, are usually pursued by regular students," Miaojie explained.

"Have you guys created any of your own comics? I'd love to see them."

"Sure, they're all on our computers."

Miaojie walked over to Momo's desk and opened a folder labeled "Portfolio."

"Your fundamentals are strong. The company was smart to assign such talented people to my team."

"These are just things we drew for fun."

"Well, let me show you some of my simpler works," Miaojie said, pulling a small black USB drive from her left pocket and plugging it into the desktop's Apple tower.

"Honestly, I don't think they're that great, especially compared to Momo's detailed paintings. They're really impressive," Miaojie commented as she looked through her own sketches.

It was a fresh morning, and Tong Miaojie felt a strong bond with her new friends, Momo and Lina. After getting to know them better, she seemed to really enjoy their company. They even recommended a nearby fast-food place that was both cheap and satisfying.

Together, they headed to the self-service restaurant across from their office. The place offered a wide variety of dishes, leaving Miaojie overwhelmed with choices.

After finding a table, they joined the line to order. Miaojie, curious, asked, "Momo, have you guys eaten here before?"

"Yeah, we came here yesterday," Momo replied.

"Any recommendations? I can't decide; everything looks so good."

Momo laughed, "Looks like we all have the same taste. Yesterday, Lina and I tried the beef fried rice combo, and it was pretty good. You should give it a shot."

"Sounds great! By the way, what do you mean by 'same taste'?"

"We're all foodies!" Momo chuckled.

"Ha, true that!"

When they reached the counter, Miaojie eagerly said, "I'll have the beef fried rice combo!"

The cashier, a young girl, looked at her and asked, "Sure, anything else?"

"No, that's it for now."

As Miaojie reached for her wallet, the cashier interrupted, "We’re having a promotion. If you load $50 onto our meal card, you get a $10 bonus. Would you like to get one?"

Thinking she might frequent the place, Miaojie decided, "Sure, I'll get one."

"How much would you like to load?" the cashier asked.

"Let's go with $100."

"Alright. Please hold on a moment."

Miaojie handed over five crisp $20 bills, and soon her card was ready.

"Here’s your number. When it buzzes, you can pick up your order."

"Thanks."

While Momo and Lina were still ordering, Miaojie returned to their table and idly checked her phone. Suddenly, it buzzed with a message from the Arts Department group chat. It was a meeting notification from Editor-in-chief Gu.

Already aware of the notification, Miaojie decided to ignore it and continued watching the TV show featuring her favorite celebrity.

Waiting for her food felt like an eternity, especially when she knew exactly what she wanted. The boring TV show couldn't hold her attention anymore; she was completely focused on the order number. The noisy environment couldn't break her concentration as she waited for the call to pick up her food, ready to spring into action when summoned.