Chapter 432: Lakeside Whispers

Xu Chen: “That’s Yang Liping’s Sun Palace and Moon Palace.”

I originally wanted to book a hotel room inside, but they’re renovating right now.

If we get another chance to come back, I’ll bring you to stay here.”

Xie Bingran gazed at the narrow path stretching from the Sun Palace toward Erhai:

“They’ve built it really well.”

She had heard Xu Chen mention this place yesterday—it’s the luxurious estate that the dancer built for herself, complete with hotel rooms for guests.

Xu Chen stared at the building that didn’t quite fit with its surroundings and recalled some events from ‘years later.’

The Sun Palace and Moon Palace were Yang Liping’s multi-million ‘private’ luxury homes.

Years down the line, there would be rumors of them being ‘seized.’

…

While Xu Chen was lost in thought, Xie Bingran suddenly turned to him and said:

“Someday, let’s find a spot and build a beautiful big house of our own.”

She paused, then added with complete seriousness and confidence:

“I’ll cover the costs.”

Xu Chen looked thrilled:

“Getting taken care of by Bing Ge—I’m the luckiest guy alive!”

…

As noon approached, the two found a Bai ethnic restaurant in Shuanglang Ancient Town.

They sat at a wooden table by the window.

Xu Chen glanced at the handwritten menu and noted how this Shuanglang town hadn’t yet been overrun by commercialization.

The food prices here were incredibly affordable…

The dishes were prepared fresh by the owner couple, which took some time.

It was a good forty minutes before several authentic local homestyle dishes arrived.

There was clay pot fish, mixed stew, old grandma’s taro… and the Bai specialty, rice wine and milk fan soup.

The main course was chicken shreds with cold noodles.

Xu Chen took a few bites and praised it endlessly.

Xie Bingran dug into the ‘mixed stew’ and couldn’t stop.

The Bai flavors turned out to perfectly match their northern tastes.

As an athlete, Bing Ge had a bigger appetite than most girls.

Xu Chen watched her eat with such enthusiasm and felt even more fond of her.

He kept using his wooden chopsticks to add more dishes to Xie Bingran’s bowl.

Feeding a little foodie was incredibly satisfying.

…

After lunch, they wandered back to the ‘Hua Yin’ courtyard.

They brewed some tea and sat for a while, both reluctant to leave.

Xu Chen pulled Xie Bingran up to the second-floor terrace and took a few selfies together with his phone.

Of course, he also snapped plenty of solo shots of her.

Against the backdrop of Cangshan and Erhai, Bing Ge’s profile looked especially stunning.

…

The administrator lady smiled as she entered the courtyard, and Xu Chen handed over the brass key.

“Welcome back to Shuanglang anytime, and feel free to stay at Hua Yin again…”

Xie Bingran was quite interested in the courtyard and asked some specific questions.

After listening, Xu Chen realized the little rich girl was seriously considering buying something similar.

“This is considered town homestead land, so it’s not for sale in principle.

‘Hua Yin’ operates as a guesthouse through a twenty-year lease from the original owner.”

Xie Bingran nodded, glanced back at the courtyard, and showed a hint of reluctance.

“In Li City, most properties are in the DL downtown area.

There are houses by Erhai, but they’re a bit pricey…”

“Got it, thanks.”

…

They stepped out of the alley.

Xu Chen said, “I didn’t expect Bing Ge to really take an interest in houses here.”

Xie Bingran: “This courtyard is so comfortable, and the views are great.”

Xu Chen: “If you really like it, once we’re both free and ready to retire, we can find a courtyard like this to live in for a while.”

Xie Bingran took Xu Chen’s hand:

“Hmm…

But let’s not rush; we’ll check it out first.”

The little rich girl smiled sweetly as she spoke.

…

Li City has Fengyi Airport, so they didn’t need to drive three or four hours to Kun City.

Luckily, Xu Chen’s rental car had a return point at Fengyi Airport, though it meant an extra fee—it was convenient.

…

On the drive to the airport, Xu Chen took the route along Erhai.

It added about twenty minutes compared to the highway, but they got to enjoy more of Cangshan and Erhai’s scenery.

The car speakers played Xu Wei’s playlist again, which fit the mood perfectly.

Xie Bingran rolled down the window and stared out at the serene Cangshan and Erhai, lost in thought.

Xu Chen glanced at the little rich girl:

“Bing Ge really seems to love this place.”

Xie Bingran: “It’s beautiful here, and no one knows us.

The courtyard is lovely, and staying there is so comfortable…

Most importantly, you brought me here.”

Xu Chen: “When you have another break, I’ll take you out again.”

Xie Bingran: “Okay.”

…

An hour later, at Fengyi Airport in Li City.

The airport wasn’t huge, more like a larger bus station.

Xu Chen had booked first class, which came with a small VIP lounge.

With some time before the flight, Xu Chen grabbed some fruit and flower cakes for him and Xie Bingran to relax with.

Bing Ge held her phone, updating Coach Cheng Hong on today’s itinerary.

“Young Xu Chen” lounged on the comfortable sofa chair, squeezing in some work where he could.

In the company group chat, Sun Lingfeng was updating on the ‘Ran Bing 001’ shipments.

Today was January 1st, and it marked the official rollout of the first batch of ‘Ran Bing 001’.

There were two shipping points: one at the Shanghai e-commerce warehouse and another at the Lijiang factory in Fujian Province.

In 2006-2007, logistics weren’t as advanced as later years.

With warehouses in Shanghai and Fujian Province, they could cover most orders from north and south.

Sun Lingfeng: [‘By noon today, all logistics orders are confirmed.

They’ll all ship out this afternoon and by tomorrow…

Based on current orders, we expect all first-batch buyers to receive ‘Ran Bing 001′ within three days!’]

Nie Fei was overseeing this and asked for some details in the group.

Besides logistics, Jiang Yuze’s team handled public opinion monitoring, PR, and promotions.

Jiang Yuze shared a link in the group:

[‘Our ‘Ran Bing 001′ is already being hyped up on sneaker BBS forums to nearly 1,000 yuan…

We’ve posted official statements about future stock to discourage reselling, but the hype is too strong.’]

Nie Fei: [‘It’s not a big issue.

A little reselling can boost popularity, as long as we don’t get involved or encourage it.’]

Xu Chen just quietly read the messages without replying in the group.

With Fei Jie watching over it, nothing major would go wrong.

But ‘Ran Bing 001’ reaching almost 1,000 yuan was beyond Xu Chen’s expectations.

At the official price of 288 yuan, that was over three times the cost.

The main reason ‘Ran Bing 001’ was selling so well was Xie Bingran’s ‘Asian Games gold medal’ buzz.

On top of that, the design and materials appealed to a lot of sneaker enthusiasts.

Many consumers really knew their shoes.

Even the midsole material and specs of ‘Ran Bing 001’ had been dissected and compared to Nike and Adidas models.

As Xu Chen and Nie Fei had anticipated, at 288 yuan, ‘Ran Bing 001’ matched the quality of international brands at 600 to 800 yuan, which won over consumers.

Add in the Asian Games champion endorsement and design perks!

Nie Fei messaged Xu Chen privately:

[‘I’m still at Zhou Junjun’s place today; I’ll head back to the company tomorrow.

Once I’m back, we need to discuss the factory stuff.’]

Xu Chen: [‘Thanks for the hard work, Fei Jie. You haven’t even rested during the New Year’s holiday.’]

Nie Fei: [‘Traveling is like resting anyway, and Vice President Zhou has been treating me well!’]

…

Gu Xinxi also messaged Xu Chen privately to update on the Yichun City promotion project.

Though the project wasn’t huge, it involved some complexities and official departments, so it was no wonder the ‘little manager’ Gu Xinxi was being cautious.

[‘Yesterday and today, it’s already generating buzz in Yichun City.

The Yichun tourism website BBS and local forums have discussion threads…’]

[‘As expected, there’s a lot of controversy; many locals are criticizing it for tarnishing Yichun’s image.’]

Xu Chen: [‘Is the client okay? Can we hold steady?’]

Gu Xinxi: [‘Director Lou Ting is fine; we’ve handled the project together, and we anticipated the public opinion.

The Propaganda Department and Tourism Bureau leaders are in the loop, so it’s not a problem.

But Director Lou mentioned today that there are some opposing voices in Yichun’s official circles…

Even from some old leaders.

Director Lou seems worried.’]

Xu Chen: [‘Stay calm and follow the plan.

This project has Vice Mayor Cheng Yumin overseeing it!’]

Xu Chen wasn’t too concerned.

Since Vice Mayor Cheng was willing to take on the project and risks, he’d done his assessments.

People in those positions weren’t pushovers.

As long as it boosted Yichun’s profile and set up for investments, any controversies along the way were minor.

Besides, Xu Chen’s plan was solid, and they had steps ready for handling fallout.

Xu Chen hadn’t worked in the system, but he knew some of the ‘unwritten rules.’

No matter what decisions you make, there’ll always be opposition and critics.

And sometimes, it’s not even about the issue—it’s personal.

The motives and games behind it are clear to those in the know…

That’s one reason Xu Chen, after his rebirth, never considered joining the system.

It’s just too exhausting.

…

…

Gu Xinxi happily shared another update:

[‘Boss, our company’s public business email has received messages from several clients lately.

They’re all reaching out to ‘East Morning Star Advertising’ for potential projects and collaborations!

Most are coming because of the ‘Great Wall Award’ and the ‘Afraid of Getting Heated’ case…’]

This was right in Xu Chen’s expectations.

The ‘Afraid of Getting Heated’ campaign was a massive success, turning a southern niche herbal tea into a top domestic drink.

For many companies, that’s the kind of market magic they dream of.

From a business standpoint, that promotion had a real ‘Midas touch.’

Xu Chen: [‘Great job, Teacher Xinxi. Reply to all the emails politely first.

Then set up initial contact; you can discuss their needs and assess the projects.

We need to be selective with projects since our team is limited—only go for the high-value ones…’]

Gu Xinxi: [‘Understood, boss!

I’ll organize everything and start reaching out tomorrow at work…’]

Xu Chen: [‘Once you’re done, check with Aimi on it.’

Gu Xinxi: [‘Got it, boss! I’ll go over it with Aimi and then come to you.’]

Xu Chen: [‘For the client line, we should hire someone else to help you out—as your assistant.

Someone young, quick on their feet, and good with projects.

You and Aimi can ask around your networks or see if Fei Jie has recommendations.’]

Gu Xinxi: [‘Boss, noted!’]

…

…

The Eastern Airlines plane’s first class wasn’t overly luxurious.

But you could still recline and rest comfortably—it was relaxing.

And luckily, they were the only two in first class, making it feel extra exclusive.

A flight attendant handed them mineral water, and Xu Chen and Xie Bingran reached for it, sharing a smile.

It turned out to be Kunlun Mountain water—the one Bing Ge endorses.

…

During the flight, something fun happened.

A flight attendant had recognized Xie Bingran early on.

Once the plane stabilized, she shyly asked if she could take a photo with Bing Ge.

Xie Bingran didn’t mind.

For the next ten minutes, flight attendants and staff lined up to snap pictures with the Asian Games champion.

And Bing Ge turned into a photo-taking machine—no complaints.

…

By the time they landed in Shanghai, night had fallen.

They’d eaten a little on the plane, so they weren’t very hungry.

While waiting for their luggage, Xu Chen checked his phone and said:

“I had Gu Xinxi book a hotel near Xin Zhuang Base; we’ll stay there tonight.”

Xie Bingran smiled happily and slipped her hand into Xu Chen’s.

“But I need to swing by school first.

I’ve got an assignment due tomorrow, so I’ll grab my computer from the dorm and work on it at the hotel.”

Xie Bingran: “Oh.”

…

The two pulled their small suitcases and walked out of the exit into the domestic arrivals hall.

Bing Ge wore a baseball cap and mask to avoid being recognized and delaying their plans.

Xu Chen paused, looking up at the massive LED screen opposite with its large advertisement, studying it closely.

Xie Bingran looked up too and realized it was for a real estate project.

She said:

“Did you do this?”

The rotating posters on the screen were for the Vanke ‘Rancho Santa Fe’ project.

It launched on January 1st for a fresh start, as per Boss Wang Shi’s wish.

…

…

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