Only After I Was Reborn Did I Realize That I Had Childhood Sweethearts

The establishment announcement of YuanXi Interactive Entertainment marked the official transition of Mei Fang's development team from a hobbyist circle to a formal commercial organization. However, to evolve from a company to a conglomerate, Mei Fang needed more personnel support.

For the young YuanXi Interactive Entertainment, what they lacked wasn't outstanding grassroots talent but rather management professionals capable of effectively allocating resources.

Nineteen-year-old Mei Fang had been managing projects since he was thirteen, coupled with five years of experience as a lead designer in his past life, making him a seasoned and naturally gifted managerial talent. His occasional moments of indecisiveness were compensated for by Lin Youxi within the team.

But this dynamic only worked for development teams of fifty people or fewer.

Now, with YuanXi Interactive Entertainment's staff nearing five hundred, it was no longer appropriate to consult Mei Fang on every single matter. Fortunately, Mei Fang had the all-around capable "Uncle" Chen Rui to shoulder major responsibilities, and Uncle had since leveraged his connections to bring in a group of excellent management professionals—including the controversial "Auntie" Li Ni from his past life.

Auntie Li Ni had been Uncle Chen Rui's close deputy during their time at Liequan Mobile. In Mei Fang's previous life, she, Uncle, and another executive were known as the "Big Three" of Bilibili's management, with Auntie serving as Chief Operating Officer (COO). However, as Auntie gradually took over Uncle's responsibilities, Bilibili became embroiled in controversies over "idolization" and "fandom culture."

Though she had once declared,"Those who haven't watched much anime can't properly manage an anime platform,"Auntie herself was later exposed as having only superficial knowledge of mainstream titles likeFate.

When Mei Fang was searching for senior management talent, Uncle recommended Auntie. While Mei Fang acknowledged her professionalism, her passion for ACG culture paled in comparison to Uncle's.

That didn't mean Auntie had no place at YuanXi Interactive Entertainment, though. Mei Fang assigned her to assist Uncle in expanding the Fandomverse Library business, keeping her away from C Station's core operations for now.

The long-dormant "Big Sis" Yue Xinyi remained C Station's nominal Director of Operations, while the actual responsibilities fell to Feng Ling, who had contributed immensely during the outsourcing era.

Feng Ling boasted a resume no less impressive than Auntie's, coupled with years of loyalty to C Station, making her Mei Fang's personally groomed protégé. Website operations were a critical role for C Station—if someone couldn't connect with the otaku community, they'd struggle to excel.

Mei Fang adhered to this principle, watching to see whether Feng Ling, Big Sis Yue Xinyi, or Auntie would ultimately take up the mantle.

Currently, YuanXi Interactive Entertainment's true executives beyond the "Big Three" were limited to Uncle and Mei Fang's cousin, Mei Yue.

After the conglomerate's formation, both Uncle and Mei Yue were promoted to Vice Presidents. Though their titles matched Xia Yuan and Lin Youxi's, their actual influence was incomparable.

Mei Fang's official role was Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Operating Officer (COO), overseeing major decisions across YuanXi Interactive Entertainment. His core focus remained Cimigo Games, where he realized his creative vision.

Lin Youxi served as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and legal representative of Linxi Tech, leading all technical advancements at C Station and core product development at Cimigo Games.

Xia Yuan acted as Global Brand Ambassador, the public face of YuanXi Interactive Entertainment.

She didn't participate in management—which, as everyone understood, wasn't her forte.

Additionally, Xia Yuan headed Yuanxia Music, currently a boutique label dedicated to her albums. But she aimed to build her own music production team and band, with Liu Xiaoyu and Xiang Bingbing already committed. Though Peng Xue had temporarily stepped back, her reputation as a folk singer ensured Xia Yuan's confidence in her eventual return.

As VP, Uncle oversaw C Station and Fandomverse Library, effectively serving as their general manager. Though Auntie hadn't reached executive status yet, Uncle had high hopes for her.

Cousin Mei Yue, who'd helped Mei Fang establish his companies from the start, remained Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Chief Human Resources Officer (CHO) after her promotion.

Despite her youth, Mei Yue now ranked just below the Big Three in influence. She collaborated most with Uncle, their working relationship harmonious as her talents flourished.

Recently, however, Mei Yue had complained to Mei Fang about burnout from constant overtime, hoping to delegate CHO duties. Recognizing his cousin's need for work-life balance as she approached marriageable age, Mei Fang began scouting HR candidates.

Though the companies had consolidated into a conglomerate, operations followed Uncle's original division of labor. While workflow efficiency improved dramatically, the cash burn rate became terrifying.

With reserves nearly depleted by relentless expansion and Series A funding still under negotiation—spending outpacing projections while investment lagged—Mei Fang faced mounting debts and a precarious financial chain.

Why didn't I bet on this year's World Cup? Even a small wager could've netted tens of millions!

Now protective of his reputation, Mei Fang avoided online gambling—exposure would tarnish his image as a role model.

Outwardly, he maintained a cheerful facade, accompanying Xia Yuan and Lin Youxi to university events during downtime. But his childhood sweethearts, attuned to his subtle frowns during phone checks, recognized the crisis looming over their no-longer-child's-play enterprise—one misstep from total collapse.

After consulting Lin Youxi, Xia Yuan privately confronted Mei Fang at home.

"You've seemed down lately—company troubles?"

"It's… manageable."

"A-Fang, be honest with us. Don't shoulder everything alone."

Pushing him onto the sofa and nestling close, Xia Yuan probed: "Is the group short on funds?"

"Finances are tight, but within tolerance…"

Bitcoin prices were decent now—if funding fell through, he could reluctantly liquidate some holdings.

Then Xia Yuan traced circles on his chest:

"Actually… Dad plans to buy me a fully paid apartment in Pengcheng. Can you believe—"

"Full payment? In Pengcheng?" Mei Fang frowned. "Uncle Xia has that much liquidity?"

"So… have you considered asking him for investment? Or a loan?" She smiled gently. "He's been asking about your business lately—maybe he wants in. This could bind our families closer…"

"True. For our three-way relationship—"

"Exactly! Borrow from Dad!" Xia Yuan beamed. "He's adored you since childhood—he'll definitely support our dreams."