"You've seen Inception, right?" Gaoyang topped off his glass with more beer."Dreams are actually controlled by the subconscious."
"You know what I mean by subconscious, right? It's that part of your mind you're usually unaware of, yet it still subtly influences your actions, your emotions… and your dreams!"
"To put it simply, the subconscious is your inner cognition. Just because you're not conscious of it doesn't mean it's not there. People can lie to themselves, deceive their own minds—but—"
"You can NEVER deceive your subconscious!"
Gaoyang glanced back at the big screen, then looked at Lin Xian again."Still following me? Too deep?"
"I get what you mean—on the surface, anyway."
Lin Xian nodded. He had seen Inception before—great movie.In the film, the protagonist used machines to enter others' dreams and extract information.
"But what does that have to do with the changes in my dream?"
"Because your subconscious has changed!"
Gaoyang downed his beer."Let me ask you: right now, deep down in your subconscious, what do you think that cat's name is?"
Lin Xian thought hard for a moment…
"Rhein Cat."
"Exactly! Your subconscious already recognizes it as Rhein Cat. Of course the dream would update accordingly!"
"That's it? That simple?"
"That simple!"
Lin Xian frowned."Is your theory even legit? Can we really rely on some movie logic here?"
Gaoyang chuckled and wagged his finger mischievously.
"I didn't just learn this from a movie, you know~ Look—"
He pulled out his phone and opened a contact's social media page, then held it up for Lin Xian to see.
"This client of mine is a psychologist—quite famous here in Donghai! We added each other on WeChat when she bought a car. She posts this kind of stuff all the time. I check it out whenever I'm free, learn a bit here and there."
Lin Xian skimmed through the posts—They were all about psychology, or seminars and mental health tips.
"Come on now… You're overthinking all this."
Gaoyang waved dramatically.
"Let's be real: things from real life showing up in a dream—isn't that totally normal?"
"What you should really worry about is when things from your dreams start showing up in real life! Now THAT'S a serious problem!"
With that, he clutched his beer and went back to watching the game.
Argentina scored again.The entire bar erupted in cheers.
Lin Xian sat in his chair, replaying Gaoyang's words in his head.His glass of cold beer had started to warm.
For all his lack of book smarts, Gaoyang could be surprisingly persuasive sometimes.
Thinking it over…
Real-world stuff showing up in a dream—it really wasn't that strange.Dreams are just patchworks of our waking lives.
And after all… in his dream, only the cat's name had changed.
The cat itself was exactly the same.Not even the tiniest detail had changed.
Maybe… he really was just being overly sensitive.
…
Eventually, Argentina won the match.
As fans and drinkers gradually dispersed, the bar emptied out.
"That was amazing! I hope Argentina makes it to the finals—and wins the whole thing!"
Out in the cold night—
Gaoyang, face flushed and belly bulging, bounced on the spot in excitement.
"Hey Lin Xian, I heard you got promoted?"
"Yeah, just to team leader. It's a direct sub-group though, on the same level as department heads."
"Nice, bro! Straight to the top!"
Gaoyang slung an arm around his shoulder, laughing."Make that money, man! Then come buy a car from me!"
"Sure, next time."
…
There was no denying it:
Zhao Yingjun was efficient and decisive.
By the time Lin Xian arrived at the company the next day, his team and personal office were already set up.
He now had his own private office.Small, but fully equipped.Even his desk had been upgraded to department head standards:
A large single-person desk, a brand new top-tier iMac, and his own bookshelf.
With this kind of setup—who wouldn't feel motivated to work?
Carrying the latest Rhein Cat design sketches, Lin Xian headed to Zhao Yingjun's office for a report.
Her office was on the 22nd floor, secured with two electronic locks.No one but her knew the passwords.
"Come in."
She unlocked the door remotely from inside. Lin Xian stepped in.
It was his first time inside, and it matched the rumors exactly—Spotless, minimalist, not a single unnecessary item.
But it was spacious—There were even two separate rest areas attached.
Today, Zhao Yingjun wore a white trench coat with elegant makeup.Silver earrings sparkled in the sunlight.
She usually had her hair tied up, giving off a sharp and capable vibe.But today, it hung gently around her neck, softening her entire presence.
"Very nice."
She reviewed the design, then nodded in approval."Hand it off to the production department. Have them send it to the factory for manufacturing. Launch it alongside the flagship Rhein product line—as a promotional bonus."
"Once the prototype comes out, get one to me. I actually like this Rhein Cat a lot."
"Understood."
Lin Xian responded and picked up his sketches to leave.
"Wait, Lin Xian."
Zhao Yingjun called out.
"I saw your resume—you graduated from Donghai University?"
"Yes, Director Zhao."
She looked him over from head to toe.
"Do you own a suit?"
"I have one… bought it for job interviews."
"Go to the mall next door. Pick one out from the Brioni store."
She flipped through a document.
"Go now. There's a science fundraiser banquet tonight. You're coming with me. I'll text you the address."
"Uh… okay."
Thud!
The heavy office door shut. Lin Xian stood outside, confused.
Wait… Zhao Yingjun wanted him to accompany her to a banquet?
What was that about?
Then again, all the other team leaders were constantly out drinking and networking at night.Maybe this kind of thing just came with being in management.
Back in his office, he quickly assigned tasks to his four team members, then headed to the mall next door.
The commercial complex beside their office building was the most luxurious shopping center in Donghai City, packed with designer brands.
Lin Xian had never set foot here before.It was a completely unfamiliar world.
Following the directions, he soon found "Brioni"—A high-end menswear boutique with a classic, elegant interior.
"Welcome, sir!"
A young and beautiful sales associate bowed with a smile, inviting him inside.
As she explained, Lin Xian learned that Brioni was a prestigious Italian brand with a long history.
He quickly realized why she was explaining everything in such detail.
These salespeople had sharp eyes.They could instantly tell whether a customer had spending power.
This kind of explanation was actually a polite way of testing the waters.If a customer didn't have the money, they'd back off gracefully.Everyone understood—no one had to feel embarrassed.
That's the unspoken culture of luxury retail.The cliché of snobby clerks? Probably just a trope from cheesy novels ten years ago.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Lin!"
Just then, a slightly older woman—clearly the manager—emerged and bowed.
"You must be Mr. Lin from MX Company?"
Lin Xian nodded.
The manager smiled.
"Apologies for the delay—I had some matters to attend to and couldn't greet you right away."
"Director Zhao already informed us. Please follow me! The items on display out here are just the basic selections. The high-end collections you need are in the private showroom."
(End of Chapter)