Chapter 354: Corporate Gambit

On Sunday morning at ten o’clock, Xu Chen and Wu Feifei arrived on time at the Vanke Center downstairs.

Cindy, whose real name was Chen Xin, greeted them with a smile:

“Welcome, President Xu! It’s really kind of you to come in on the weekend for a meeting.”

Xu Chen: “It’s just part of the job.

We were already planning to work overtime, especially since it’s a meeting arranged by President Wang himself…”

After a brief exchange, Chen Xin led Xu Chen and Wu Feifei upstairs.

…

36th floor, the meeting room level.

It was a weekend, so the entire meeting room floor was empty, with only a couple of rooms occupied by employees working overtime and discussing matters.

Chen Xin guided them to a large meeting room.

As soon as they entered, a colleague was already waiting inside.

Chen Xin spoke up:

“Let me introduce you. This is Liu Sen, our company’s market brand department manager.

For the ‘Rancho Santa Fe’ project, you’ll coordinate with Liu Sen.”

Liu Sen looked young, a slim young man.

They exchanged business cards and chatted briefly, effectively getting acquainted.

Chen Xin then excused herself:

“Handle the project details yourselves…

When you’re ready to leave, President Xu, just message me, and I’ll arrange a car to pick you up.”

Xu Chen: “Alright, thanks, Cindy.”

Liu Sen was very polite, offering seats to Xu Chen and Wu Feifei and handing them two bottles of mineral water:

“You’ll have to wait a bit; our General Manager Sun is still tied up.”

Sun, probably the deputy general manager in charge of market branding that Liu Wenqin mentioned yesterday, Sun Man.

According to Liu Wenqin’s intel, Sun Man was a direct subordinate of director Chen Qidong and someone Wang Shi wanted to remove.

Xu Chen: “No problem, we’ll wait.”

Liu Sen smiled and left the meeting room first, closing the door behind him.

…

Xu Chen stretched and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window to admire the seaside view outside.

He turned to Wu Feifei and said:

“It might take a while; let’s rest up first.”

Wu Feifei frowned: “Are they making us wait on purpose?”

Xu Chen: “I told you it’s like walking into a trap.”

…

…

Vanke office area.

A few people were working overtime on the weekend.

Liu Sen returned to his desk, sighing with a troubled expression.

After hesitating, he pulled out his phone and called his boss, Sun Man:

“Sister Man, they’re already in the office. When are you coming?”

“Let them wait! I’m out playing golf with Director Chen right now!”

“Sister Man, this meeting was arranged by Zhou Kai.

Behind it is probably President Wang…”

Sun Man on the other end clicked her tongue:

“President Wang has stepped back; besides, we report to Director Chen and only follow his orders.

Things are getting tense up top; we need to pick the right side…

Anyway, the ‘Rancho Santa Fe’ project already has its full-service supplier locked in. How could they suddenly assign another company?”

“Okay, Sister Man, should I just leave them waiting?”

“Yes, let them wait. If they get impatient and leave, even better.”

“Got it, I’ll follow your lead, Sister Man.”

…

…

Xu Chen found a spot with a nice view, reclined the ergonomic chair, and settled in comfortably.

Wu Feifei, bored, started scrolling through her phone.

The two relaxed, resting and chatting occasionally.

More than an hour passed quickly, but the office door remained shut.

Xu Chen glanced at the time and said:

“Let’s go grab some food first!”

Wu Feifei pouted, annoyed:

“They’re so rude, making us wait all morning for nothing.”

Xu Chen: “It was expected. I already messaged Zhou Kai about it.

He knows the situation here…”

Wu Feifei was still fuming.

Xu Chen smiled: “That Japanese place we passed yesterday looked good. Let’s check it out!”

Wu Feifei perked up instantly: “Yes, let’s!”

Xu Chen thought for a moment, pulled out Liu Sen’s business card, and called him:

“Manager Liu, looks like the leadership won’t make it this morning?”

Liu Sen: “Sorry, President Xu, they’re really busy right now.”

Xu Chen: “No worries, we’re heading down for lunch.

We’ll wander around downstairs, and if the leadership arrives, just call or text us—we’ll come right up.”

Liu Sen: “That works…

President Xu, I could arrange some boxed meals for you up here!”

Xu Chen: “No need. We’re here for a meeting invited by President Wang, so eating takeout would make Vanke look bad.

We’ll handle our own meal; don’t trouble yourself.”

Liu Sen paused awkwardly, chuckled, and hung up.

Wu Feifei burst out laughing.

Xu Chen thought again and sent Liu Sen a text:

“Manager Liu, we’ve waited in the meeting room all morning without the leadership showing up.

As noon approaches, we’re going downstairs for lunch but staying nearby at Vanke Center.

If the leadership is ready for the meeting, feel free to call or text, and we’ll return immediately.”

…

Wu Feifei glanced over Xu Chen’s shoulder at the message he was sending:

“Why send a special text?”

Xu Chen explained: “To have a record…

In case they say we left without reason, we’d have no way to explain.

Better to be careful with these formalities.”

Wu Feifei pouted: “The adult world is so complicated.”

Xu Chen: “…”

…

…

Xu Chen and Wu Feifei headed downstairs for lunch.

Pengcheng was at a lower latitude than Shanghai and faced Dapeng Bay, so the climate was comfortably pleasant.

Just strolling and taking in the sights lifted their spirits.

They had spotted a Japanese restaurant nearby when they went for coconut chicken yesterday.

So they went there now.

It was a quiet weekend, and the staff led them to a small tatami room.

Xu Chen picked up the menu and handed it straight to Wu Feifei.

Miss Wu didn’t hold back and started ordering.

Among the people Xu Chen knew, the best at ordering were probably Fang Jun and Wu Feifei.

If you didn’t know what to get, following them rarely led to disappointment.

But in Wu Feifei’s eyes, eating with Xu Chen never went wrong either.

Fried shrimp tempura, grilled eel, sukiyaki, salmon…

Back then, there was no talk of ‘radioactive seafood,’ so they could eat freely.

The two dug in heartily.

During the meal, Xu Chen replied to some work messages on his phone.

From the Jeep shoot, the director’s assistant had forwarded some morning footage to the group, and Xu Chen reviewed it carefully.

With Sun Aimi overseeing on site, nothing major would go wrong.

Wang Shi’s shots focused mainly on the Grand Cherokee, including off-road scenes over mountains and drives through small towns and country roads in Sichuan West.

It matched the earlier material from Xie Bingran well, keeping the overall tone consistent so the ad could edit together seamlessly.

Wang Shi knew there was another endorser, Xie Bingran, and that their footage would combine.

He didn’t raise any objections to the brand Jeep.

This meant that, in Wang Shi’s view, pairing with Xie Bingran wouldn’t diminish his status.

After all, she was the genuine top female short-track skater in the country, a national champion—the cream of millions of girls—and no one would see it as a downgrade.

…

Xu Chen checked in on Sun Aimi; they had finished shooting in Sichuan West and were likely heading to the highlands.

“Teacher Aimi, any altitude sickness?”

“I’m okay so far; maybe my body hasn’t caught up yet.

Don’t worry, boss; the crew has oxygen tanks and even a doctor on hand…”

“You’ve worked hard, Teacher Aimi. When you get back, I’ll treat you to something great!”

“Thanks, boss…”

…

…

After eating, Xu Chen and Wu Feifei wandered the nearby commercial area with its modern buildings.

Pengcheng started as a small fishing village, built from scratch, so there were no old structures or roads.

This ensured uniform and free planning…

In terms of overall ‘modern city feel,’ it even surpassed Shanghai, Beijing, and Yangcheng.

But Pengcheng was like a ‘cultural desert’; finding unique souvenirs or specialties was tough.

Almost no ‘locals’ existed; everyone was an immigrant from elsewhere.

Still, that had its perks—no constant debates between ‘locals’ and ‘outsiders’ like in Shanghai.

Xu Chen made sure to entertain the ‘leader’s daughter’ by getting her sweets and milk tea.

Wu Feifei was outgoing and didn’t hesitate.

Liu Sen from Vanke never called or messaged, so Xu Chen stayed relaxed, enjoying the leisurely afternoon.

They wandered until they felt tired, then headed back.

At the downstairs security gate, Xu Chen called Liu Sen:

“Manager Liu, we’re back at Vanke Center.

Could you come down and let us in?”

Soon, Liu Sen hurried down, his face showing some apology:

“Sorry about that, President Xu. Our Sister Man is on her way; it shouldn’t be much longer.”

Xu Chen: “No problem, we’ll just rest in the meeting room.”

Liu Sen: “What time’s your flight this afternoon? You won’t miss it, right?”

Xu Chen: “We’ve got time, as long as the leadership doesn’t show up at three or four.”

He paused, then added with a smile:

“Our schedule was set by Zhou Kai and Cindy, so they and President Wang know exactly when we arrived and when we’re leaving.”

Liu Sen looked embarrassed: “Understood…

I’ll check in with Sister Man again; she should be wrapping up soon.”

…

…

Back in the meeting room, only Xu Chen and Wu Feifei remained.

Wu Feifei said: “After all that disrespect, can’t we just leave?”

Xu Chen: “President Wang is using East Morning Star Advertising as a tool to force their hand.

In this process, we can’t make any mistakes…”

Wu Feifei frowned, still upset.

Xu Chen smiled: “We’re just here to earn from this deal; don’t sweat the rest.

Think of it as a weekend getaway in Pengcheng, with the trip paid for—what’s not to like?”

Wu Feifei: “When you put it that way, I feel a bit better.”

Xu Chen: “That’s how it is with some things.

The situation doesn’t change, but how you see it shifts your mood.”

…

…

After another half hour, someone knocked on the meeting room door and pushed it open.

Liu Sen led the way, followed by seven or eight people.

At the front was a woman in her thirties or forties, dressed in golf attire with a prominent pearl necklace around her neck.

Clearly, this was the legendary ‘Sister Man.’

Liu Sen:

“Let me introduce: This is Xu Chen, President Xu from East Morning Star Advertising.

And this is our Vanke deputy general manager in charge of market branding, Sun Man, Sister Man…”

Xu Chen greeted them politely and respectfully.

Sun Man glanced at Xu Chen, a hint of confusion crossing her face, quickly followed by disdain:

“So young?”

Xu Chen smiled but didn’t respond.

Liu Sen introduced the others one by one.

Another leader was the market director, Wu Xiao Ding, who looked fair-skinned and refined, probably in his early thirties.

The remaining six or seven were colleagues from the market brand department, mostly junior staff.

Xu Chen exchanged business cards with them all, staying impeccably polite on the surface.

It was Sunday, so their market brand department was likely off, but these seven or eight had shown up, putting on a big, aggressive front—it was deliberate.

After some brief pleasantries, they all sat down.

Sun Man carried herself with authority, her subordinates attending to her, pouring tea and water.

She sipped her tea and said:

“For our ‘Rancho Santa Fe’ project, we’ve already selected the advertising supplier and promotion plan, so we don’t need a new one involved.”

She was straightforward.

Sun Man paused, took another sip, and continued without looking up:

“I don’t get why President Wang suddenly wants East Morning Star Advertising to present.

Do you know anything about it, President Xu?”

Xu Chen smiled: “We’re just following President Wang’s arrangements.

But Zhou Kai told us that the current ‘Rancho Santa Fe’ plan is terrible—President Wang doesn’t approve at all.

So we’re here to review it, share ideas; it’s not about presenting ours.”

“…”

As Xu Chen finished, the room’s atmosphere tensed.

Especially Sun Man, whose face darkened.

Wu Feifei glanced at Xu Chen, her expression full of surprise.

Well…

On the surface, President Xu was polite, but he hadn’t given them any face at all!

Coming to ‘review’ flipped the tone completely.

Xu Chen did it on purpose.

Since they were openly hostile, there was no need to beat around the bush.

For Xu Chen, today was just a formality—to discuss the plan and leave.

The discussion itself wasn’t that important.

…

Sun Man composed herself and let out a cold laugh:

“So, how does President Xu plan to ‘review’ it?”

Xu Chen: “We can go over your current plan, let me give some feedback, then look at ours…”

The market director, Wu Xiao Ding, spoke up:

“President Xu, remember, we’re the client, you’re the vendor…”

Xu Chen: “I’m here on President Wang’s behalf, so I’m his vendor.

But we don’t have any agreement yet, so we’re not client and vendor.

All communication is equal.

If Director Wu has issues, feel free to contact Zhou Kai and President Wang directly.”

“You…”

…

Sun Man smiled, looking intrigued.

She turned to Wu Xiao Ding: “Show President Xu the current plan…

Let’s learn from his as well.”

Wu Xiao Ding looked unhappy but grabbed the mouse and pulled up the ‘Rancho Santa Fe’ promotion plan.

Xu Chen checked his phone for the time before looking at the screen.

It was the same plan Zhou Kai had shown him yesterday:

“Hidden in the city…”

“Above the great city, concealing achievements and fame…”

“A lifetime treasure, a rare villa…”

“For the elite, an exclusive retreat…”

…

Xu Chen took the mouse, flipped through it carefully, then said:

“No wonder President Wang rejected it; this is a terrible plan…”

“The creative ideas are outdated, forced, and uninspired!”

“It reeks of pretension and staleness; the target audience would scoff.”

“The copywriting is awful, like something from a small-town ad in the last century—totally lowbrow!”

“If people didn’t know better, they’d think it was for some suburban development, not a luxury villa.”

“I’d suggest dropping that ad company; they’re a blight on the industry…”

“And whoever decided on them—check for kickbacks…”

…

“??!”

Xu Chen laid into it without holding back.

Wu Feifei sat beside him, her eyes wide, fighting back a smile.

The seven or eight people across the table grew more uncomfortable.

This wasn’t ‘exchanging ideas’; it was a full-on roast!

…

Wu Xiao Ding was fuming but Sun Man stopped him.

Once Xu Chen finished, Sun Man cleared her throat:

“President Xu’s critique was spot-on. Now, we’re eager to see your plan…”

Xu Chen: “East Morning Star Advertising’s plan is in Liu Sen’s email…

Need help pulling it up?”

Liu Sen, who had been quiet in the corner, jumped up and took the mouse, quickly logging in to download the file before slipping back to his seat.

Wu Feifei felt uneasy, wondering how Xu Chen would handle the backlash.

He’d just trashed their plan; now theirs would face the same scrutiny…

It was all about nitpicking now, regardless of the content.

Wu Feifei was nervous; this meeting was getting messy!

Xu Chen remained calm and opened East Morning Star Advertising’s material:

“Not for the modest…

“Those used to red carpets dream of cobblestone paths…”

…

As the plan appeared, the seven or eight people stared, showing surprise.

Sun Man’s expression shifted, then she snorted:

“I thought it’d be something impressive!”

She glanced at her subordinates:

“Everyone, share your thoughts. Since it’s an exchange, let President Xu hear our feedback!”

Xu Chen sighed inwardly.

No wonder they brought so many people…

Wu Xiao Ding cleared his throat, ready with his critique.

But Xu Chen suddenly stood, checked the time, and said:

“Sorry, but we need to go catch our flight…

We arrived at ten sharp but waited forever for you all.

Due to your delay, we couldn’t finish the discussion.

If you have comments, reply via email.

I CC’d Zhou Kai and President Wang, so they’ll see it too.

We’ll talk another time. Great meeting you!”

He grabbed Wu Feifei’s arm and strode out of the meeting room.

Leaving the group stunned and frustrated with nowhere to vent.

…

…

“…”