"R-Rhein Cat?" That's it? That simple? That casual?
The room buzzed with murmurs.
"I think Rhein Cat sounds pretty good."
Lin Xian explained,"Since it's meant to be a brand image, the name should serve the brand first and foremost. I don't think there's a more fitting name than Rhein Cat."
"It really does have a nice ring to it."
Zhao Yingjun nodded in agreement.
"From the company's perspective, if you're willing to tie this cat to the brand name itself, that's something we couldn't ask for more."
"Of course, with the kind of contribution you've made, we won't overlook your talent."
Clap clap.
She clapped her hands, signaling for quiet.
"I have a new personnel announcement to make!"
A personnel announcement?
The moment they heard that, everyone straightened up and fell silent.
Zhao Yingjun picked up the design draft of Rhein Cat, looked around the room, and said:
"This Rhein Cat, designed by Lin Xian—I'm sure you can all see its potential and future value.As I said earlier, using it solely as a promotional mascot would be a waste."
"So, I've decided to create a brand-new department dedicated to the IP development of Rhein Cat.In the future, Rhein Cat will not just be a mascot for our cosmetics line—it'll become a standalone IP."
"We'll develop merchandise, animations, plush toys, apparel, and all kinds of licensed products. This will help us expand the Rhein brand's influence and, in turn, drive growth in our cosmetics market."
"This new department will be temporarily named the Rhein Cat IP Development & Operations Team.It'll be on par with our formal departments and will report directly to me.And the leader of this team… will be Lin Xian!"
Boom—
Lin… Lin Xian?!A position this high up—answering directly to the CEO—and it's going to someone so young and junior?
But after the initial shock, people thought about it more carefully...
Wasn't this exactly what Lin Xian deserved?
He created Rhein Cat.His skill proved he was fully capable of taking on the role.
A thunderous round of applause erupted!
Everyone rushed to congratulate Lin Xian:
"Damn, Lin Xian! You're a team leader now? Transfer me to your department—I'll be your loyal soldier!"
"You have to treat us to dinner tonight, Lin Xian! You're basically on par with Director Juan now. Your salary probably tripled overnight!"
"At a team leader level, who even talks about salary anymore? The bonus cut alone is several times your wage! Not to mention, with our company policy, Lin Xian gets copyright royalties too! So yeah, no excuses—tonight, you're bleeding money!"
"Team Leader Lin! Don't forget us when you're rich and powerful! You're officially the youngest team leader in the company—sky's the limit!"
…
Excited coworkers surrounded him like a rockstar—they were one step away from tossing him into the air.
"Alright, alright—I'll treat everyone, calm down!"
To be honest…
Even Lin Xian was surprised by Zhao Yingjun's announcement.After all, he'd only been with the company for less than a year.
"Work hard, Lin Xian."
Zhao Yingjun stepped up beside him, smiling warmly.
"I really like the cat you designed. I believe in your talent, and I hope you can help MX Company expand our business even further."
"Cosmetics, in the end, are replaceable consumer goods. But culture and art… they're timeless."
"Maybe a few centuries from now, people won't remember MX's cosmetics—but they'll still remember Rhein Cat."
With that, Zhao Yingjun turned to leave.
"I look forward to your future work. Good luck."
…
By the time Lin Xian got home that night, it was already past ten.
The dinner party had been lively—everyone was truly happy for his promotion. Lin Xian had always been well-liked, and now even more so.
During the meal, a few company veterans told him:
"Our CEO Zhao is known for bold and unconventional promotions.That's how MX grew so fast—becoming a nationally recognized brand in just two years!"
"But uh… she's just as ruthless when it comes to firing people. So be careful going forward…"
After a shower,
Lin Xian poured himself a glass of yogurt. It helped with the alcohol—soothing and refreshing.
"Never thought... something from a dream would actually come in handy in real life."
All these years, he'd only used dreams for fun—never tried to extract value from them.
"Dreams may be fake, but art and design don't care about what's real."
He thought of what Zhao Yingjun had said.
Mendeleev saw the Periodic Table in a dream.Einstein had a dream that inspired Special Relativity.
So him creating Rhein Cat in a dream—well, it wasn't so far-fetched."Though… in the dream, she was called Coco Cat."
Lin Xian yawned.
"Still, Rhein Cat does sound better…"
Brushing his teeth.Washing up.
He got into bed.
…
…
Whoosh!
The familiar dry summer wind.The faint scent of young leaves.
Lin Xian opened his eyes.
He was back at the familiar plaza.
Everything was just as it always had been. Frozen in time.
It was just later than usual tonight—there weren't any children running around. They'd probably all gone home.
Lin Xian turned to look toward the road.
Bigface Cat's van was gone.
At this hour… he'd probably already met up with CC and headed to the bank.
"What should I do now?"
He looked around and noticed the toy store from before was still open.
"Guess I'll take another look at the Coco Cat plushies—see if there are other styles."
Since Zhao Yingjun had placed so much trust in him, he couldn't afford to let her down at work.
That toy shop had an entire shelf of Coco Cat merchandise.Big ones, small ones, keychains, charms, stationery—loads of peripheral products.
As head of the IP Development Team, how could he pass up such a perfect "stock scouting" opportunity?
Lin Xian walked straight into the store and headed for the shelf where Coco Cat had always been.
But—
"Where's Coco Cat?"
The shelf was completely void of Coco Cat.Only a bunch of unfamiliar dolls stared back at him.
A cold chill ran down his spine.
A strange, creeping fear began to wrap around him.
Something had changed…
The dream—had changed.
For over twenty years—thousands of nights—every dream had been exactly the same.
The kids always fell in the same place at the same time…
The radio always played the same news loop…
Even the leaves blown by the wind fell in the exact same spot. Down to the millimeter.
But now?
The toy store was the same.The shelf was the same.
But the Coco Cat plushies that were supposed to be there—were gone!
The sudden sense of unfamiliarity made it hard to breathe.
"Is this… still my dream?"
Lin Xian spun around.
The store clerk was standing behind him with a polite smile.
"Sir, may I help you?"
"…I'm looking for a Coco Cat plushie. It used to be right here."
"Coco Cat?"
The clerk tilted her head.
She looked puzzled.
"Sir, are you sure you're not mistaken?"
"We've… never sold anything called Coco Cat here."
(End of Chapter)