Chapter 414: Meetings by the Sea

Pengcheng, Dapeng Bay Vanke Center.

Xu Chen brought Xie Bingran to the first-floor lobby and first sent a message to his secretary, Zhou Kai.

He quickly received a reply:

[President Xu, please wait in the lobby. I’ll have a colleague come down to meet you.]

Xu Chen: [Okay, I’m in the lobby’s rest area. Thanks, Kevin.]

[President Xu, one more thing…

An overseas investment firm is visiting this morning, so the meeting with Boss Wang and President Yu will be tight on time.

For our project discussion, keep the presentation short.]

Xu Chen thought for a moment and replied:

[No problem. My presentation shouldn’t take long.

Could you tell me what’s a suitable time limit?]

Zhou Kai paused before replying:

[Ideally, keep it to fifteen minutes.]

…

Xu Chen felt a bit speechless.

Fifteen minutes for a presentation was cutting it close.

Well…

The Vanke script was straightforward—review it, chat for a few minutes, and done.

But the ‘Ran Bing 001′ matter was trickier and needed a more relaxed setting to discuss.

Xu Chen pondered briefly and decided to play it by ear.

Then he suddenly smiled.

He glanced at Xie Bingran and thought how good it was to have brought Bing Ge along.

Even with just fifteen minutes, pulling in the Asian Games champion showed real sincerity and weight—no matter the topic.

Who could ignore the face of an Asian Games gold medal?

…

Xu Chen and Xie Bingran waited in the lobby rest area for a bit when a young woman in a sharp suit approached:

“Are you President Xu?”

Xu Chen stood up: “Hello, I’m Xu Chen.”

“President Xu, hello! Kevin asked me to come get you!”

Xu Chen nodded, turned to call Xie Bingran, and quickly followed her.

The admin assistant was very polite and led Xu Chen and Xie Bingran straight to the 19th floor:

“I’ll take you both to the meeting room…”

“Okay.” Xu Chen responded simply.

Walking along the hallway, Xu Chen glanced at the offices on both sides and realized this floor was all executives.

He spotted Yu Liang’s and Wang Shi’s offices right there.

The two bosses’ offices sat next to each other, with silver nameplates on the dark brown doors:

[CEO Yu Liang]

[Chairman Wang Shi]

…

Room 1908, a spacious meeting room.

The admin assistant opened the door and ushered Xu Chen and Xie Bingran inside.

“President Xu, you two wait here a moment.

Boss Wang and President Yu are still in a discussion…

Once they’re done, Kevin will bring them over.”

“Okay, thanks!”

The admin assistant handed them two bottles of water and politely bowed before leaving.

Xie Bingran wore a baseball cap and stayed low-key behind Xu Chen, so the assistant didn’t pay her much mind…

The meeting room’s large floor-to-ceiling windows offered a direct view of Dapeng Bay’s seascape.

Xu Chen led Xie Bingran to the window and gazed out at the sea.

Clear skies stretched forever, with blue sea and sky blending.

“Building the company headquarters right by the sea—now that’s living the good life…”

Xu Chen couldn’t help but say.

“Too bad we don’t have time today, or we could rent a yacht and go out for fun.”

Xie Bingran: “Do you know how to swim?”

Xu Chen showed a hint of embarrassment:

“I guess I really don’t.”

Whether in his past life or this one, Xu Chen had never learned to swim.

A true northern landlubber…

Xie Bingran turned to look at Xu Chen, a touch of challenge in her eyes:

“So you still want to take me out to sea?”

Xu Chen: “Does Bing Ge know how to swim?”

Xie Bingran: “There’s a river right in front of my hometown.”

Xu Chen: “That’s perfect! Bing Ge can watch over me!”

Xie Bingran: “…”

Xu Chen suddenly thought of the river in South River Village.

Mist mixed with the scent of fresh grass.

He couldn’t help but imagine young Xie Bingran splashing in the river—what a cute sight that would be.

…

…

A knock came at the meeting room door.

Hearing it, Xu Chen and Xie Bingran, seated in their chairs, stood up first.

The door opened, and Secretary Zhou Kai walked in briskly.

Behind him came Vanke’s CEO Yu Liang and founder Boss Wang Shi.

Zhou Kai looked at Xu Chen, just smiled and nodded, then stepped aside to let the bosses take the stage.

Yu Liang spoke first:

“Welcome, President Xu!”

Xu Chen quickly smiled and greeted: “Hello, President Yu!”

Yu Liang extended both hands and shook Xu Chen’s firmly:

“For this project, you didn’t need to come in person— we could have done it online.

We have complete trust in East Morning Star Advertising’s plans!”

Behind him, Boss Wang Shi walked up with a smile.

He shook Xu Chen’s hand and said directly:

“I insisted you come!

You helped get the signed poster from Asian Games champion Xie Bingran…

It’s priceless, and I had to thank you in person.”

Xu Chen: “Boss Wang, you’re too kind!”

Wang Shi: “Since stepping back from the front lines, I’ve gotten into sports.

Mountaineering, rock climbing, marathons…

I respect and admire all athletes.

Being a spokesperson for the Jeep project with Xie Bingran is an honor!”

As he spoke, he pulled out a chair and sat, gesturing for others to do the same.

Wang Shi continued:

“I watched the Asian Games—Xie Bingran’s competition was inspiring.

That’s an eleven-year Asian record she shattered just like that!

It’s a shame I couldn’t meet the champion during the Jeep project…

So I asked Vincent for a signed poster, but he suggested I reach out to you directly.

What a coincidence…”

Wang Shi seemed in high spirits and quite chatty.

Secretary Zhou Kai leaned in, cleared his throat, and whispered:

“Boss Wang, President Yu, we have that overseas meeting soon…”

A subtle reminder to speed things up.

Wang Shi chuckled and nodded without saying more.

Zhou Kai then turned to Xu Chen:

“President Xu, let’s quickly go over the project!”

Xu Chen nodded:

“My update is straightforward and won’t take much time.”

Zhou Kai busied himself turning on the meeting room computer and screen, but Xu Chen said, “No need.”

He pulled out a large folder and drew out two printed creative drafts.

Politely, he handed one to Wang Shi and one to Yu Liang.

While the bosses flipped through them, Xu Chen briefly explained:

“The requirements we discussed last time with President Yu were for Vanke’s group brand image ad…

The creative concept for this draft is ‘Home and Lifestyle Taste.'”

“Since it’s a group brand ad, it needs a certain tone, elevation, and human touch.”

“Vanke doesn’t just sell houses or cold steel and concrete…

It’s about warm homes and the premium ‘lifestyle taste’ for Vanke owners…”

“East Morning Star Advertising’s creative aims to infuse Vanke with a ‘home’ feel beyond the cold buildings…”

…

Xu Chen kept it concise but added a bit of value.

After all, for a high-end brand image ad, some tone and emotion were necessary.

As Xu Chen spoke, Wang Shi and Yu Liang quietly reviewed the drafts.

Wang Shi read the copy with a serious expression.

[The warmest lights are always on your way home.]

[No tree is as precious as the one in your memories.]

[Keeping distance from worldly excess, the simple charm of nature never loses its value.]

…

During the presentation, Xie Bingran sat quietly in the back.

With her baseball cap on, she stayed silent.

Perhaps because Zhou Kai had urged to hurry, the bosses didn’t pay much attention to Xu Chen’s ‘subordinate’…

Xie Bingran listened intently to Xu Chen’s confident talk, her eyes blinking under the brim.

Back at East Morning Star Advertising’s office, when Xu Chen discussed the ‘Head & Shoulders’ plan with Sun Aimi and Tang Xiaowei, that was the first time she saw him at work.

Today was the second…

Xie Bingran suddenly felt that Xu Chen was different when working compared to other times.

What he said was getting a bit hard for her to follow.

But precisely because she couldn’t quite grasp it, she thought he was impressive…

And thinking he was impressive made her feel joyful and happy.

He’s so capable.

My he is so capable…

…

…

Xu Chen wrapped up his brief presentation and waited for feedback.

Secretary Zhou Kai, standing by, gave Xu Chen a discreet thumbs-up, his eyes full of gratitude.

It was both praise for the presentation and thanks for keeping it to just a few minutes.

Clearly, the upcoming meeting with the foreign firm was crucial.

…

Wang Shi flipped through the creative drafts and glanced at Yu Liang.

The two bosses exchanged looks and smiled.

Yu Liang cleared his throat and spoke first.

But he didn’t comment on Xu Chen’s presentation; instead, he said:

“Vanke Group does a brand packaging and promotion every year.

Going forward…

I want to give East Morning Star Advertising the annual group brand packaging. Does President Xu have the interest and capacity?”

Xu Chen was taken aback—Yu Liang was offering a long-term gig.

This was a subtle way of showing high approval for his work.

Xu Chen smiled politely:

“Thank you for the trust, President Yu. Supporting Vanke Group’s brand projects is an honor for East Morning Star Advertising!”

Of course, Xu Chen wanted the Vanke group brand orders.

They weren’t complicated and paid well.

A base of two million per year—who’d say no?

Yu Liang smiled:

“Thank you, President Xu!”

He flipped through the draft again and added:

“I have no issues with this draft— I really like it!”

Wang Shi nodded and joked:

“I’ve criticized President Yu on the group brand ads before…

The marketing department’s previous work just wasn’t up to par.”

He tapped the drafts on the table:

“We need content like this—with heart, depth, and impact—to uphold Vanke’s brand value!”

Wang Shi looked at Xu Chen:

“Young Xu Chen is talented!

From the Jeep ad to Rancho Santa Fe and now this…

Each one surprises more than the last.”

He paused, then read a few lines from the draft:

“No tree is as precious as the one in your memories…

The warmest lights are always on your way home…

Really good! Exceptional!”

…

Wang Shi was clearly thrilled and signaled Yu Liang with a look.

The two seemed to be communicating something…

Zhou Kai checked the time, cleared his throat, and said:

“Boss Wang, President Yu, we’re about out of time…”

A nudge to move to the next meeting.

Before Wang Shi and Yu Liang could apologize, Zhou Kai jumped in:

“President Xu, we’re so sorry for the rush and any oversight!

The next meeting involves guests from California, and it’s hard to reschedule.”

Xu Chen: “Kevin, you’re being too formal. We’ve just wrapped up our project anyway.”

He picked up the large folder and pulled out two posters.

The posters featured Xie Bingran’s winning moment at the Asian Games.

This photo came from CCTV’s photographer, courtesy of Sun Aimi and Coach Cheng Hong…

Seeing Xie Bingran’s posters, Wang Shi stood up with a smile.

Yu Liang followed suit.

With a touch of ceremony, Xu Chen handed the two posters to the bosses.

“Thank you so much, President Xu!”

Wang Shi said, grinning, clearly delighted.

He examined them briefly, then paused.

The posters weren’t signed…

But he kept his warm smile, acting as if he hadn’t noticed.

The sharp Boss Wang glanced at Secretary Zhou Kai.

Zhou Kai caught on instantly, looking down at the poster:

“How come there’s no signature from our champion?”

Yu Liang noticed too, looking puzzled.

Wang Shi maintained his smile, though a hint of disappointment crept in.

It seemed ‘President Xu’ hadn’t gotten the champion’s signature after all.

He didn’t think Xu Chen had forgotten…

Maybe it wasn’t possible, or perhaps they weren’t as close as Vincent had said.

Wang Shi had hoped for that signed poster, and without it, he felt a bit let down.

…

Xu Chen didn’t rush.

Calmly, he reached into his bag and pulled out a black pen.

Then he turned slightly and handed the pen to Xie Bingran behind him.

The quiet ‘subordinate’ in the baseball cap by Xu Chen’s side stood up.

Xu Chen said:

“Let me introduce…

This is Xie Bingran.”

…

…

…”