Chapter 316: Whispers of Influence

East Morning Star Advertising Office.

Sun Aimi had gone home after work, leaving Xu Chen alone to pour himself a glass of red wine and relax.

The dorm was still noisy, but having his own private office made things feel freer and more relaxed.

Xu Chen opened the private messages on Sohu Blog and saw a message from Wen Cha Zhu Jiu.

[Two media outlets have contacted me already—one from NetEase Finance Channel, and another claiming to be a reporter from Southern Daily…]

They’ve both replied to my emails and want to schedule a phone interview first thing tomorrow morning.]

Xu Chen thought for a moment and reminded him:

[If they’re replying to your email, that’s fine.]

[But if anyone else reaches out, verify their identity first…]

[Got it. Thanks so much!]

[No need to be so formal. I was just lending a hand.]

With media involved, the story would unravel quickly.

In 2006, the internet media landscape was relatively free and casual. Journalists from major portals didn’t hold back much—if they found juicy news material, they’d rush to publish it.

Names like Guangzhou Pharmaceutical, Jiaduobao, Chen Jinru, Li Guangmin held little news value, but ‘Wang Laoshun’ was a hot topic.

Wang Laoshun was pushing a massive nationwide campaign, positioning itself as the third major domestic beverage after the two Cokes, with ads flooding CCTV every day…

Economic news tied to Wang Laoshun, especially involving criminal cases, would naturally pique journalists’ interest.

Xu Chen glanced down, pondering, then carefully reviewed his chat history with Wen Cha Zhu Jiu.

Overall, their conversation had few flaws.

Xu Chen came across as just a ‘helpful netizen’—even if someone saw it, tracing back to his real identity without digging deep wouldn’t cause trouble.

Still, out of caution, he told Wen Cha Zhu Jiu:

[When talking to reporters, use a pseudonym and keep your real identity hidden.]

[Okay! I get it! I’ll follow your advice completely!]

[And if they ask, don’t mention me. I was just helping out—I’m trying to avoid the hassle if they come knocking.]

[Don’t worry, you’re my benefactor. I won’t leak any info about you!]

A moment later, Wen Cha Zhu Jiu replied:

[I’ll delete our entire chat history!]

Xu Chen sipped his red wine and couldn’t help but smile.

The guy was sharper than he thought:

[That’s perfect. Best of luck with your report—I hope it ends with the results you want!]

[I’m already satisfied. Li Guangmin is under investigation!

Now that you’re guiding me to tip off the media, it’ll ensure he faces consequences—no one can protect him!]

…

He closed his computer, wrapping up the matter.

He’d nearly finished his half-glass of red wine.

The alcohol brought a relaxing buzz—a little wine lifted the spirits.

Xu Chen leaned back in his chair, quietly plotting.

With Guangzhou Pharmaceutical and Li Guangmin’s scandal breaking, Chen Jinru and Jiaduobao were surely caught up in it.

He could look for an opportunity to gauge Jiaduobao’s stance…

Once Chen Jinru’s trouble was confirmed, he could figure out how to get An Jin Xiong ‘investigated’ by the General Bureau.

After all this circling, it came back to dealing with An Jin Xiong.

This new ‘Director An’ was a roadblock for Chenfeng Technology, Ran Bing Sports, and Xie Bingran’s collaboration—he had to be handled.

Xu Chen frowned, thinking it over—he needed to check the National Team’s mood first.

Most importantly, once An Jin Xiong was out of the way, Director Li Yue’s position had to stay secure.

Coach Cheng Hong had hinted that Li Yue was relatively trustworthy.

Plus, Li Yue had clearly stated that Xie Bingran’s cooperation with Chenfeng Technology and Ran Bing Sports, backed by the Kunlunshan Mineral Water deal, would let him report upward without major issues.

An Jin Xiong’s sudden arrival was an unexpected twist…

So, whether Li Yue would stick to his word still needed testing.

Ideally, he could turn Li Yue into a reliable contact—after all, Xie Bingran’s future business deals would require ongoing communication.

As long as Xie Bingran stayed with the National Team, they couldn’t avoid the Sports Administration.

…

…

Tuesday noon, West Garden Cafeteria.

Xu Chen and his roommates were digging into their meals with gusto.

They’d just finished a PE class, still sweaty and starving.

The PE class involved choosing activities, so they were in different ones like basketball, soccer, and badminton.

Xu Chen and his roommate Hong Xiaoqiang were in the same soccer session.

After a month or two, they were still practicing basics like passing and dribbling.

But for the final PE exam, the big scores came from the 1,500-meter run and standing long jump.

Over the past couple of months, Xu Chen had joined the morning runs without fail.

He hadn’t missed a single day he didn’t have an excuse.

He felt his fitness had improved a lot—the long runs in PE felt easier now.

Of course, he still couldn’t match Bing Ge, the national champion with eight-pack abs…

As Xu Chen ate, he accidentally glanced at Qian Xin’s phone nearby.

Qian Xin’s black Motorola Knife Edge looked like the one Teacher Fang Jun had before.

Later, Fang Jun switched to a Nokia 3250, a rotatable music phone…

Qian Xin’s phone lit up, and Xu Chen caught the screensaver—a poster of Xie Bingran, leaving him speechless.

Qian Xin picked up his phone, grinning smugly as he typed a reply.

Xu Chen couldn’t help thinking: Was that ‘Jiang Zhe Little Prince’ he saw online really this ‘Jiang Zhe Little Prince’ in front of him?!

Suddenly, Qian Xin spoke up:

“Who’s coming with me to the Asian Games in December?

Xie Bingran and Bai Miao will be competing!”

He turned to Huang Hao and teased:

“But whether your Bai Miao makes it to the finals is anyone’s guess!

My Xie Bingran, though? No problem at all.”

Xu Chen: “…”

Huang Hao kept eating, looking just as unamused.

Qian Xin pressed on: “So, what about it? Coming or not?”

Huang Hao: “Qian, we’re not like you, the rich kid! International flights and hotels? My parents can’t swing that!”

The others chimed in, even joking about Qian Xin buying their tickets.

Qian Xin frowned, looking troubled:

“My dad put a limit on my credit card, or I’d seriously consider taking you all along!”

…

Xu Chen focused on his food, feeling a bit helpless.

At this rate, it seemed like he’d run into the ‘Jiang Zhe Little Prince’ in Doha.

Xu Chen thought it over and decided to keep quiet for now.

Getting an autograph from Bing Ge for Qian Xin was fine, but if Qian Xin wanted to hang out, that was a no-go.

Bing Ge barely had free time to spend with Xu Chen after competitions—none to spare for others.

…

Luckily, no one dragged him into the conversation, so Xu Chen just ate quietly without joining in.

His phone buzzed—it was a message from Sun Aimi.

Xu Chen checked it and saw she’d put together a poster for ‘Chenfeng Ice Power’.

[Boss, take a look. I’ve got a rough version ready.

Just checking the overall layout and elements for now…

I haven’t done the text layout yet.]

The phone screen was small, so it wasn’t super clear.

But overall, Xu Chen was pleased.

Aimi’s design skills were top-notch—she handled this alone and it rivaled what big international teams could do.

The image was clean and sleek—just a shot of Xie Bingran with ‘Chenfeng Ice Power’.

The nearly all-white background made the endorser and electric vehicle pop, giving it a high-tech vibe.

Paired with the elegant ‘Chenfeng Technology’ font in the bottom right, it looked classy.

Photographer Tan Changqiao’s editing was excellent—Xie Bingran’s face looked natural and appealing.

His angles highlighted Bing Ge’s long legs perfectly…

Xu Chen realized he shouldn’t stare too long.

The more he looked, the more he missed her.

He wanted to hold her…

Qian Xin glanced over and smirked, leaning in:

“Xu, chatting with some girl?”

Xu Chen quickly set his phone down:

“Business stuff—trade secrets.”

Qian Xin chuckled and went back to eating.

…

Xu Chen thought for a second, then forwarded the ‘Chenfeng Ice Power’ poster to Director Li Yue.

Time to test the waters with Li Yue…

[Director Li, ‘Chenfeng Ice Power’ is set to launch this year. We’ve made a preliminary poster—check it out.

This is just a draft; we’ll refine it later.]

After a short wait, Li Yue replied:

[Teacher Xu, do you have time at noon? Let’s chat over the phone.]

[Sure! Just finishing lunch—give me about ten minutes.]

Xu Chen set his phone down and frowned.

If he wanted to talk, something was up.

…

…

Ten minutes later.

Xu Chen didn’t head back to the dorm; instead, he went alone to an outdoor rest area by the school auditorium.

He sat on a bench under a tree, holding a cup of milk tea.

Director Li Yue’s call came in, and they exchanged some pleasantries first.

Li Yue didn’t waste time and got to the point:

“Coach Cheng Hong must have mentioned it to you, right?

The situation with Director An…”

Xu Chen: “Yes.

During the National Day holiday, Coach Cheng called specifically to say Director An has issues with Chenfeng Technology, Ran Bing Sports, and Xie Bingran’s collaboration.”

Li Yue sighed, paused, then said:

“I’ve been discussing the Jeep contract these past couple of days and took the chance to talk with Director An.

Xie Bingran specified East Morning Star Advertising for the Jeep project, and we got it done…

So I told Director An that specifying East Morning Star doesn’t mean blocking other brands or clients.

After all, East Morning Star and your expertise are strong.

But Director An still has reservations.

He’s worried that even if Jeep goes through, future brands might not cooperate because of the East Morning Star specification.

That’s his main concern.

He wants East Morning Star to step back and work with Xie Bingran to stop this ‘specified agency’ business altogether.”

Xu Chen frowned and murmured:

“So, Director An is planning to pressure me through Chenfeng Technology?”

Li Yue: “I can tell you straight—yes, that’s his plan.

Once your Chenfeng Electric Vehicles ads launch, the General Bureau will go through the Sports Bureau for formal communication, then legal and court processes…

It could drag on for six months to a year—maybe two or three if it stretches.

I’ve worked with many companies and know this kind of delay hurts you—product launches and promotions can’t wait.

Director An is using this to force your hand…

I hinted all this to Coach Cheng Hong so you could prepare.”

Xu Chen: “What’s your suggestion, Director Li?”

Li Yue: “I can’t make decisions for your company, but the situation is what it is.

You could either hold off on Xie Bingran’s endorsement for Chenfeng Technology until things settle, or talk directly with Director An—have East Morning Star pull out of future Xie Bingran deals and smooth things over with her.”

Xu Chen: “I’m really grateful you’re letting me know in advance.”

Li Yue sighed and added:

“I feel bad about this, Teacher Xu.

You reached out about Chenfeng Technology and Ran Bing Sports early on, and I promised that one commercial deal would clear things upward.

You delivered with Kunlunshan Mineral Water, but now I can’t keep my word…

I pride myself on being reliable, and this is embarrassing. Sorry to you and President Xu Zhiquan…”

Xu Chen: “I heard from Coach Cheng that Director An was parachuted in as a leader?”

Li Yue: “That’s right.

Our old leader retired, so I was basically in charge—which is why I made that promise.

I didn’t expect Director An to be assigned suddenly; it’s thrown me for a loop.”

Xu Chen paused, then joked:

“I hear Director An is the main director now, and you’re the deputy?”

“Yes, he’s the boss, so I follow his lead.”

Li Yue’s tone was even, but a hint of emotion slipped through.

Xu Chen half-joked:

“What if Director An gets transferred or runs into trouble…

Would that make you the main director?”

Li Yue fell silent for a while, then laughed it off:

“That’s a bit far-fetched. We just follow the organization’s arrangements.

But theoretically…”

He left it hanging, as if pondering Xu Chen’s words.

Xu Chen smiled and said:

“Thanks again, Director Li. I trust you completely!

As long as we can rely on each other, the rest is minor.”

On the other end, Li Yue hesitated.

He caught the subtle undertone in Xu Chen’s voice.

Li Yue thought for a moment and said:

“But about your Chenfeng Electric Vehicles launch…”

Xu Chen laughed: “That’s trivial. Even if Director An objects, it’s no big deal.

We’ll keep pushing Xie Bingran’s materials as planned—our launch timeline can’t slip.”

Li Yue wanted to say more, but something about Xu Chen’s tone felt off.

They exchanged a few more courtesies and ended the call.

…

Li Yue hung up, frowning in confusion.

From his view, Director An’s obstruction of Chenfeng Technology was a dead end for Xu Chen and Xu Zhiquan.

Using the National Team and Sports Administration for formal and legal routes would disrupt their launch plans.

Though Xie Bingran’s contract was solid and promotions could eventually proceed, the delays of six months to a year would be crippling for business.

Li Yue figured Xu Chen had to choose: drop Xie Bingran’s endorsement for the first wave, or have East Morning Star exit all future deals and appease her.

Anyone could see what he ‘should’ do—priorities like Chenfeng Technology and Ran Bing Sports meant sacrificing East Morning Star’s contracts.

That was exactly what An Jin Xiong aimed for.

He wasn’t focused on Chenfeng Technology or Ran Bing Sports; it was Xie Bingran’s future deals—potentially worth tens of millions or more annually. No way he’d let East Morning Star get involved!

…

What baffled Li Yue was Xu Chen’s casual tone on the call.

It was as if An Jin Xiong’s pressure meant nothing—confident and unfazed.

Xu Chen showed no worry and didn’t seem to favor either option.

It just didn’t make sense…

Li Yue recalled their first meeting at Xie Bingran’s celebration in Tiancheng, where he tried to pressure Xu Chen over the contract, but the young man held his ground—polite, logical, and sharp.

And in just a couple of months, he’d secured the Kunlunshan deal, which was impressive.

Was Xu Chen hiding some way to handle An Jin Xiong?

…

Li Yue frowned, suddenly remembering Xu Chen’s comments about An Jin Xiong’s appointment, his position, and that lighthearted line: “That’s trivial…”

For some reason, a chill ran down his back.