Chapter 233: Guardians and Endorsements

Director Li Yue raised the issue of the guardian, and things seemed to hit a dead end.

If Xie Bingran was under eighteen when she signed the contract, it could make the endorsement deal invalid—talk about pulling the rug out from under us.

Xie Bingran turned to Xu Chen, biting her lip in a mix of panic and determination.

Xu Chen’s expression didn’t change; he just smiled.

He reached into his bag, rummaged around, and pulled out a few sheets of paper, handing them to Li Yue.

“This is a supplementary agreement with Xie Bingran’s guardian—her grandmother’s signature, handprint, stamp, and ID copy…”

Xie Bingran froze, her eyes on Xu Chen showing a hint of shock.

How had Xu Chen gotten her grandmother’s stamp?

Cheng Hong glanced at Xu Chen, then smiled, as if a weight had lifted off her shoulders.

She’d been worried when Li Yue brought up the guardian issue.

Without the guardian’s documents, Xie Bingran’s endorsement contract would fall apart…

Xu Chen stayed calm, didn’t say more, and pulled out his phone to quickly send a text to his father, Xu Zhiquan.

…

The signature, handprint, stamp, and ID copy from Xie Bingran’s grandmother were all genuine—no tricks involved.

Of course, Xu Chen had bent the rules a bit…

On the old middle school’s athletic field, when Xu Chen had Xie Bingran sign those two contracts, he overlooked her age.

After all, rebirth isn’t perfect; oversights happen.

But that oversight got fixed by sheer luck.

Xie Bingran had racked up over thirty-seven thousand in debt for her grandmother’s medical bills, and Xu Chen paid it off, taking the loan contract from Zhiyong Finance.

The attached files to that loan contract included her grandmother’s signature, stamp, and ID copy.

That’s when Xu Chen realized signing at under eighteen could be a snag.

Zhiyong Finance’s contract was sloppy; the page with the grandmother’s signature and stamp was mostly blank.

Which meant it could be repurposed…

Xu Chen played it smart and kept the pages with Xie Bingran and her grandmother’s stamps. He had Li Rui return the canceled loan contract to Xie Bingran.

Later, for Xie Bingran’s endorsement, Xu Chen consulted the company’s legal expert, Si Daqing, on all the relevant laws, then drafted a new supplementary agreement and bound in the guardian’s page—that’s the document Li Yue now held.

So, the issues of being under eighteen and needing a guardian were resolved on paper and in law.

Xie Bingran had no idea how it all worked out; she just didn’t know how Xu Chen got her grandmother’s signature and stamp.

But she wouldn’t question it—if she’d known earlier, she’d have gotten her grandmother to sign.

And if her grandmother were still alive, she wouldn’t have refused.

…

Li Yue frowned, thinking he’d found a major flaw, only to discover Xu Chen actually had the guardian’s documents…

Truth be told, he didn’t have a big problem with Xie Bingran’s endorsement.

But as a minor figure in the Sports Administration, reporting this would stir up messy reviews and inquiries.

Ever since Xie Bingran won the National Games, her status and attention in the National Team had risen, and so had interest in her commercial potential…

Her early contract with Xu Chen would trigger a flood of questions from above.

If he could nix these two endorsements, it’d save him a heap of hassle.

Plus, that Ran Bing Sports contract still bugged him—it blocked other sports brands and cut into potential profits…

Director Li Yue’s face darkened as he asked:

“Why is the guardian her grandmother and not her parents…?”

Clearly, he knew nothing about Xie Bingran’s family situation.

Coach Cheng Hong cleared her throat and quietly filled Li Yue in on Xie Bingran’s background.

Li Yue looked surprised, nodded slightly, and his expression toward Xie Bingran grew more complex.

That’s when he understood why no family showed up at today’s celebration…

He nodded again, a touch of regret in his eyes:

“Sorry, I wasn’t aware of Xie Bingran’s family circumstances…”

But he paused and added:

“Just now, you said her grandmother has passed away, right?

I’m not trying to nitpick—I’m thinking about the legal hurdles you’ll face…”

“If no one can verify the grandmother’s role as guardian and Xie Bingran’s birth parents are still alive, there might still be challenges.”

Right then, a knock came at the interview room door, and it swung open.

In walked Xu Zhiquan and Town Chief Feng Wenjiang—they were the ones Xu Chen had summoned with that text.

Xu Chen stood, made room for them, and introduced:

“This is Town Chief Feng Wenjiang; he can verify Xie Bingran’s family situation.”

Feng Wenjiang nodded, greeted Cheng Hong and Li Yue briefly.

Without extra words, he pulled two proof documents from his bag and handed them over:

“These are from the town’s household office and the village records; they prove Xie Bingran’s grandmother was always her guardian.”

Xie Bingran’s story is well-known in the town and village; they can all confirm it.

“From when she was seven or eight, it was just her grandmother looking after her—that made her the only guardian.”

“Though her birth parents are alive, they’re not fit to be guardians.”

Li Yue took the documents, furrowed his brow, and examined them closely.

Feng Wenjiang’s appearance and these proofs were all part of Xu Chen’s prior setup.

The day before, when Xu Zhiquan called Xu Chen, he asked if Feng Wenjiang would come and mentioned needing these proofs.

Xu Chen had anticipated Li Yue’s challenge on the guardian issue after consulting Si Daqing.

With Sports Administration people coming to discuss endorsements, Xu Chen had planned ahead—which worked out since Feng Wenjiang and Xu Zhiquan were close, making the proofs easy to get.

Xie Bingran glanced at Xu Chen and couldn’t help but smile slightly.

Xu Chen said nothing, just smiled back.

…

That ‘Director Li’ sat quietly for a moment, looking over the documents, then nodded again.

He turned to Xu Chen with a smile: “You’ve covered every angle—leaves me with nothing to argue.”

Xu Chen’s face stayed neutral as he replied with a smile:

“We’re careful with contracts and business deals, after all.”

Li Yue thought it over and said:

“This actually saves a lot of back-and-forth. I know the full situation now—these documents need copies for my report up the chain.”

Xu Chen: “No problem, I’ll get copies ready right away.”

Li Yue paused, then continued:

“I haven’t heard back from the administration yet, but there’ll be a few rounds of discussion. Let me outline some potential requirements—you’ll need to cooperate…”

Xu Chen: “Go ahead, Director Li.”

After a quick mental review, Li Yue said:

“First, in your promotions, you can’t use ‘National Team’ or ‘State Athletics Team’ names.”

“Your contract is with Xie Bingran personally, so no mentions of the National Team or State Athletics Team unless you sign a separate agreement with them—and that’d mean renegotiating fees…”

“Second, any future ad materials for Xie Bingran need Sports Administration approval before release…”

“Third, could you hold off on the Ran Bing Sports brand?”

Athletes partnering with sports brands is common, and other brands have already reached out.”

“What I mean is, delay it for a couple of years—maybe three to five.”

“In that time, she could endorse other sports brands, bringing in revenue for Xie Bingran and the National Team.”

“Once those contracts end, you can go ahead with Ran Bing Sports…”

Everyone in the room turned to Xu Chen as the words sank in.

After a moment’s thought, Xu Chen responded:

“On the first point, we won’t use ‘National Team’ or ‘State Athletics Team’ in any promotions—rest assured.”

“Also, in our ads, Xie Bingran won’t wear National Team gear to avoid any confusion…”

Li Yue nodded: “Exactly, no National Team uniforms either.”

Xu Chen went on:

“Down the line, we’re considering a partnership with the National Team. Chenfeng Technology aims to be a national electric vehicle brand, with big future promo needs.”

“We’ll prioritize the State Athletics Team, though it might not happen in the next six months to a year.”

This was basically dangling a big opportunity, positioning Chenfeng Technology as a potential partner for the National Team.

The goal was to make Li Yue and his superiors see Chenfeng Technology as a future sponsor, shifting the power dynamic.

After all, the ones with the money call the shots.

Li Yue paused, then chuckled, surprised by Xu Chen’s move—it even gave him a way to pitch it upward…

Xu Chen continued:

“For the second point, on ad approvals, we’ll need to talk that through. The Sports Administration and National Team can offer suggestions, and we’ll do our best to meet them.”

“But the final call on approvals stays with Chenfeng Technology.”

Xu Chen knew giving up ad control was a line he couldn’t cross—if they dragged their feet on approvals, the ads would never launch.

Legally, their contract with Xie Bingran was independent, so the administration had no real authority.

Li Yue frowned but didn’t argue; he just noted it in his book.

Xu Chen paused, then added:

“On the third point, we’re not delaying Ran Bing Sports—it’ll start within a year or two, so no other sports brand deals…”

Li Yue’s brow furrowed; he wasn’t happy—Xu Chen had shot down two of his points, and this one mattered most to him as it affected his performance metrics.

With Xie Bingran’s contract in Xu Chen’s hands, it was tough to challenge.

Xu Chen caught Li Yue’s expression and said:

“Once Ran Bing Sports is established, we’ll look into partnering with the National Team, especially the State Athletics Team.”

Another promise to sweeten the pot.

Li Yue’s face didn’t lighten much.

Xu Chen went on:

“Plus, under East Morning Star Co., we have East Morning Star Advertising.”

“I’m familiar with Xie Bingran’s commercial value and have connections with outside brands.”

“East Morning Star Advertising can line up one or two additional endorsements for her within a year—these would count toward your side…”

He was referring to the potential Kunlunshan Mineral Water deal through Nie Fei, though it wasn’t set yet. Xu Chen threw it out to ease the tension.

Smoothing things with Li Yue would make his reports go smoother and avoid any hidden issues for Xie Bingran’s training and competitions.

Sure enough, Li Yue’s interest perked up at that.